Arts & Entertainment
Trials and tribulations
No other medium absorbs LGBT angst quite like the printed page
How’s that for eye-catching art? ‘Gorgeous Gallery,’ a coffee table book featuring the work of contemporary gay artists, is out this fall from Bruno Gmuender. The lavish, 160-page book was compiled by David Leddick. (Photo courtesy Bruno Gmuender)
There’s a lot less money on the line with a book than with a movie or TV show. Which is why the printed page is always one of the best places to find LGBT content. This fall is no exception.
If the summer saw you with new bling-er on your finger, then you’ll want to grab “From the Closet to the Altar: Courts, Backlash and the Struggle for Same-Sex Marriage” by Michael J. Klarman.
As a legal expert, Klarman has excellent insight into litigation and the fight for same-sex marriage. In this book, he looks at the politics, legal wrangling, personal stories, fallout and triumphs in the movement toward equality in marriage.
Speaking of marriage, you might also like “My Husband and My Wives: A Gay Man’s Odyssey” by Charles Rowan Beye. On one hand, this is the story of one man’s realization that he’s attracted to men. On the other hand, it’s about his marriages to women — not once, but twice — and then his marriage to the love of his life.
Look for Cyndi Lauper’s autobiography “Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir” Tuesday from Simon & Schuster.
For something a little more somber, look for “October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard” by Leslea Newman. Written as a novel in verse form, this work of fiction allows voices from various points of view to come forth in remembrance of the day Shepard died so violently. This is a quick book to read, which is good: you’ll have time to read it again and again. Also look for “Letters to My Bully” written and/or edited by Azaan Kamau, Ifalade Ta-Shia Asanti, Kergan Edwards-Stout and Robert LaSardo. It’s a book that lets victims of bullying speak up and be heard, written by a host of contributors who are mad and won’t sit down and shut up anymore.
On a lighter note, what makes you gay? In “Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay” by Paul Vitagliano, you’ll get a look at personal stories, memories and childhood pictures of real people who’ve embraced their LGBT lives, who’ve known it since they were kids and who celebrate it with pride. Yes, this book is based on the blog of the same name and yes, the book is equally fun to read.
“How to Be Gay” by David M. Halperin could also be fun but it could incite argument, too, because it’s filled with thought-provoking ideas and hypotheses. Halperin doesn’t shy away from controversy here, nor does he bow to stereotypes, which means that this is a book you might finish and then share with your straight friends.
Discuss.
Lesbian writer (and Lambda Literary Award winner) Emma Donoghue is back with “Astray,” a new collection of short stories that’s slated for Oct. 30.
Of course, maybe you’ve got a busy fall, a jam-packed schedule and you’re overloaded with things to do and when you’re busy, who has time to read, right?
Well surely you’ve got time for some eye-popping art like “Gorgeous Gallery” by David Leddick. This huge collection of erotic artwork features some old favorite artists and lots of new talent that could quickly become your new fave. This book is from Bruno Gmüender, as is “Bel Ami Rebels” by photographer Joan Crisal, a look at European porn stars who are willing to show their naughty and nice sides.
Bruno Gmuender, by the way, also has a new Tom of Findland book due this fall, as well as a new superhero comic art book by Iceman Blue.
The 2026 Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition was held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill on Sunday. Seven contestants vied for the title and Gage Ryder was named the winner.
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Theater
Voiceless ‘Antony & Cleopatra’ a spectacle of operatic proportions
Synetic production pulls audience into grips of doomed lovers’ passion
‘Antony & Cleopatra’
Through Jan. 25
Synetic Theater at
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre
450 7th St., N.W.
Synetictheater.org
A spectacle of operatic proportions, Synetic Theater’s “Antony & Cleopatra” is performed entirely voiceless. An adaptation of the Bard’s original (a play bursting with wordplay, metaphors, and poetic language), the celebrated company’s production doesn’t flinch before the challenge.
Staged by Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili, this worthy remount is currently playing at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, the same venue where it premiered 10 years ago. Much is changed, including players, but the usual inimitable Synectic energy and ingenuity remain intact.
As audiences file into the Klein, they’re met with a monumental pyramid bathed in mist on a dimly lit stage. As the lights rise, the struggle kicks off: Cleopatra (Irina Kavsadze) and brother Ptolemy (Natan-Maël Gray) are each vying for the crown of Egypt. Alas, he wins and she’s banished from Alexandria along with her ethereal black-clad sidekick Mardian (Stella Bunch); but as history tells us, Cleopatra soon makes a triumphant return rolled in a carpet.
Meanwhile, in the increasingly dangerous Rome, Caesar (memorably played by Tony Amante) is assassinated by a group of senators. Here, his legendary Ides of March murder is rather elegantly achieved by silver masked politicians, leaving the epic storytelling to focus on the titular lovers.
The fabled couple is intense. As the Roman general Antony, Vato Tsikurishvili comes across as equal parts warrior, careerist, and beguiled lover. And despite a dose of earthiness, it’s clear that Kavsadze’s Cleopatra was born to be queen.
Phil Charlwood’s scenic design along with Colin K. Bills’ lighting cleverly morph the huge pyramidic structure into the throne of Egypt, the Roman Senate, and most astonishingly as a battle galley crashing across the seas with Tsikurishvili’s Antony ferociously at the helm.
There are some less subtle suggestions of location and empire building in the form of outsized cardboard puzzle pieces depicting the Mediterranean and a royal throne broken into jagged halves, and the back-and-forth of missives.
Of course, going wordless has its challenges. Kindly, Synectic provides a compact synopsis of the story. I’d recommend coming early and studying that page. With changing locations, lots of who’s who, shifting alliances, numerous war skirmishes, and lack of dialogue, it helps to get a jump on plot and characters.
Erik Teague’s terrific costume design is not only inspired but also helpful. Crimson red, silver, and white say Rome; while all things Egyptian have a more exotic look with lots of gold and diaphanous veils, etc.
When Synetic’s voicelessness works, it’s masterful. Many hands create the magic: There’s the direction, choreography, design, and the outrageously committed, sinewy built players who bring it to life through movement, some acrobatics, and the remarkable sword dancing using (actual sparking sabers) while twirling to original music composed by Konstantine Lortkipanidze.
Amid the tumultuous relationships and frequent battling (fight choreography compliments of Ben Cunis), moments of whimsy and humor aren’t unwelcome. Ptolemy has a few clownish bits as Cleopatra’s lesser sibling. And Antony’s powerful rival Octavian (ageless out actor Philip Fletcher) engages in peppy propaganda featuring a faux Cleopatra (played by Maryam Najafzada) as a less than virtuous queen enthusiastically engaged in an all-out sex romp.
When Antony and Cleopatra reach their respective ends with sword and adder, it comes almost as a relief. They’ve been through so much. And from start to finish, without uttering a word, Kavsadze and Tsikurishvili share a chemistry that pulls the audience into the grips of the doomed lovers’ palpable passion.
Out & About
Love board games and looking for love?
Quirk Events will host “Board Game Speed Dating for Gay Men” on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at KBird DC.
Searching for a partner can be challenging. But board games are always fun. So what if you combined board games and finding a partner?
Picture this: You sit down for a night of games. A gaming concierge walks you through several games over the course of the night. You play classics you love and discover brand new games you’ve never heard of, playing each with a different group of fun singles. All while in a great establishment.
At the end of the night, you give your gaming concierge a list of the folks you met that you’d like to date and a list of those you met that you’d like to just hang out with as friends. If any two people put down the same name as each other in either column, then your gaming concierge will make sure you get each other’s e-mail address and you can coordinate a time to hang out.
Tickets cost $31.80 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Faith programming remains key part of Creating Change Conference
LGBTQ Iranians join anti-government protests
The power of no
McPike prevails in ‘firehouse’ Dem primary for Va. House of Delegates
Trump-Vance administration ‘has dismantled’ US foreign policy infrastructure
Va. Senate approves referendum to repeal marriage amendment
Voiceless ‘Antony & Cleopatra’ a spectacle of operatic proportions
Top buyer-friendly markets for the LGBTQ community
Abigail Spanberger sworn in as Va. governor
