Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: Nov. 16

Parties, events, concerts and more through Thanksgiving Day

Published

11 years ago

November 15, 2012

The Washington Chorus presents ‘The Essential Bernstein’ Sunday at 5 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The late composer/conductor Bernstein was gay. (Photo courtesy of the Washington Chorus)

TODAY (Friday)

Gay Districts hosts its fourth Thanksgiving potluck dinner at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church (1830 Connecticut Ave., NW) tonight at 8:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring food and drink. For details, visit gaydistrict.org.

Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., NW) presents “Drag Illusion”, a photo essay about drag queens by Michael Lang. Lang particularly focused on Town and the process the performers went through. The gallery is opened today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit touchstonegallery.com.

The Speakeasy Shorts Film Challenge ends tonight at the U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center (701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW). The challenge was to write, shoot and edit a film based off of eight local storytellers in five days. The first day is when the filmmakers learned about their story. Now it is time to see their product. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit speakeasydc.com.

The Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda) presents Olivia Newton-John tonight at 8 p.m. In her most recent tour she is revisiting some her classics such as “Physical” and “Hopelessly Devoted to You” along with some of her more recent pieces. Tickets range from $48 to $78. For more information, visit Strathmore.org.

Town (2009 8^th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. This event is for people 21 and older. There is no cover charge. For details, visit towndc.com.

The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8^th St., S.E.) is having its happy hour tonight starting at 5 p.m. All drinks are half off until 7:30 p.m. After 9 p.m., admission is $10. The dance floor opens at 11 p.m. with DJ Tim-Nice and DJ Cameron. For details, visit thebachelorsmill.com.

Phase 1 (528 8^th St. SE) has its weekly dance party with DJ Jay Von Teese tonight starting at 7:30. Cover is $10. For more information, visit phase1dc.com.

Saturday, Nov.17

The D.C. Center (1318 U St., NW) holds Transgender Community Discussion today at 3 p.m. The goal of the meeting is to discuss the needs of transgender community. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, needs volunteers for the MLK Library (901 G St., NW) in the morning from 9:30 to noon. Approximately 12-15 volunteers are needed. If volunteers want to go to lunch at Potbelly or California Tortilla, they should bring $7-$10. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.com. Members also volunteer at Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation at the Petsmart (6100 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church) today from 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m. For details, visit burgundycrescent.com.

Town (2009 8^th St., N.W.) celebrates its fifth anniversary tonight at 10 p.m. The club is celebrating with DJ Chris Cox and performances by its dance troupe The Dance Camp. Cover is $8 before 11 p.m. and $12 after. There are $3 drinks before 11 p.m. The drag show starts at 10:30 p.m. For more information, visit towndc.com.

Sunday, Nov. 18

The Washington Chorus presents “The Essential Bernstein” today at 5 at Kennedy Center Concert Hall (2801 Upton St., NW). The concert is presenting music of the legendary Leonard Bernstein, featuring music from “Candide,” “West Side Story” and “Chichester Psalms.” Tickets are $15-$65. For more information, visit thewashingtonchorus.org.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) holds its weekly Martini Sundays and Homowood Karaoke, which starts at 10 p.m. No charge for admission. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.

Monday, Nov. 19

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts its Martini Monday tonight at 10 p.m. There is no cover charge and martinis are $5. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com.

Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14^th St., NW) holds its HIV+ Newly Diagnosed Support Group tonight at 7. It is a confidential support group for anyone recently diagnosed with HIV and the group welcomes all genders and sexual orientations. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.

Tuesday, Nov. 20

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to commemorate those who have been killed as a result of transphobia. It began in 1998 when transgender activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith memorialized Rita Hester who was killed for being transgender. Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St. NW) is holding a service this evening at 6 p.m. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts its Martini Monday tonight at 10 p.m. There is no cover charge and martinis are $5. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com.

Wednesday, Nov. 21

The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8^th St., SE) for social bridge. A partner is not needed. For more information, visit lambdabridge.com.

Town (2009 8^th St., N.W.) hosts “WTF: Thanksgiving in Space” party tonight at 10. The celebration includes cosmo-nauts and pumpkin moonpies. Cover is $5. For more information, visit towndc.com.

Thursday, Nov. 22

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, helps with the Thanksgiving Dinner for the homeless and needy at Rosemary’s Thyme restaurant (18 & S St., NW) today from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is expected that 500-600 homeless and needy people will be served. For details, visit burgundycrescent.com.

Photos

PHOTOS: Night of Champions

Team DC holds annual awards gala

Published

3 days ago

April 21, 2024

Michael Key

Team DC President Miguel Ayala speaks at the 2024 Night of Champions Awards on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Team DC, the umbrella organization for LGBTQ-friendly sports teams and leagues in the D.C. area, held its annual Night of Champions Awards Gala on Saturday, April 20 at the Hilton National Mall. The organization gave out scholarships to area LGBTQ student athletes as well as awards to the Different Drummers, Kelly Laczko of Duplex Diner, Stacy Smith of the Edmund Burke School, Bryan Frank of Triout, JC Adams of DCG Basketball and the DC Gay Flag Football League.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Photos

PHOTOS: National Cannabis Festival

Annual event draws thousands to RFK

Published

3 days ago

April 21, 2024

Michael Key

Growers show their strains at The National Cannabis Festival on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2024 National Cannabis Festival was held at the Fields at RFK Stadium on April 19-20.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Covering the @NatlCannaFest at RFK Stadium for @WashBlade . Stop by the LGBTQ+ booth and pick up a paper if you are here. pic.twitter.com/is7hnsaPns
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) April 20, 2024

Theater

‘Amm(i)gone’ explores family, queerness, and faith

A ‘fully autobiographical’ work from out artist Adil Mansoor

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Patrick Folliard

Adil Mansoor in ‘Amm(i)gone’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. (Photo by Kitoko Chargois)

‘Amm(i)gone’
Thorough May 12
Woolly Mammoth Theatre
641 D St., N.W.
$60-$70
Woollymammoth.net

“Fully and utterly autobiographical.” That’s how Adil Mansoor describes “Amm(i)gone,” his one-man work currently playing at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.

Both created and performed by out artist Mansoor, it’s his story about inviting his Pakistani mother to translate Sophocles’s Greek tragedy “Antigone” into Urdu. Throughout the journey, there’s an exploration of family, queerness, and faith,as well as references to teachings from the Quran, and audio conversations with his Muslim mother.

Mansoor, 38, grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and is now based in Pittsburgh where he’s a busy theater maker. He’s also the founding member of Pittsburgh’s Hatch Arts Collective and the former artistic director of Dreams of Hope, an LGBTQ youth arts organization.

WASHINGTON BLADE: What spurred you to create “Amm(i)gone”?

ADIL MANSOOR: I was reading a translation of “Antigone” a few years back and found myself emotionally overwhelmed. A Theban princess buries her brother knowing it will cost her, her own life. It’s about a person for whom all aspirations are in the afterlife. And what does that do to the living when all of your hopes and dreams have to be reserved for the afterlife?

I found grant funding to pay my mom to do the translation. I wanted to engage in learning. I wanted to share theater but especially this ancient tragedy. My mother appreciated the characters were struggling between loving one another and their beliefs.

BLADE: Are you more director than actor?

MANSOOR: I’m primarily a director with an MFA in directing from Carnegie Mellon. I wrote, directed, and performed in this show, and had been working on it for four years. I’ve done different versions including Zoom. Woolly’s is a new production with the same team who’ve been involved since the beginning.

I love solo performance. I’ve produced and now teach solo performance and believe in its power. And I definitely lean toward “performance” and I haven’t “acted” since I was in college. I feel good on stage. I was a tour guide and do a lot of public speaking. I enjoy the attention.

BLADE: Describe your mom.

MANSOOR: My mom is a wonderfully devout Muslim, single mother, social worker who discovered my queerness on Google. And she prays for me.

She and I are similar, the way we look at things, the way we laugh. But different too. And those are among the questions I ask in this show. Our relationship is both beautiful and complicated.

BLADE: So, you weren’t exactly hiding your sexuality?

MANSOOR: In my mid-20s, I took time to talk with friends about our being queer with relation to our careers. My sexuality is essential to the work. As the artistic director at Dreams of Hope, part of the work was to model what it means to be public. If I’m in a room with queer and trans teenagers, part of what I’m doing is modeling queer adulthood. The way they see me in the world is part of what I’m putting out there. And I want that to be expansive and full.

So much of my work involves fundraising and being a face in schools. Being out is about making safe space for queer young folks.

BLADE: Have you encountered much Islamophobia?

MANSOOR: When 9/11 happened, I was a sophomore in high school, so yes. I faced a lot then and now. I’ve been egged on the street in the last four months. I see it in the classroom. It shows up in all sorts of ways.

BLADE: What prompted you to lead your creative life in Pittsburgh?

MANSOOR: I’ve been here for 14 years. I breathe with ease in Pittsburgh. The hills and the valleys and the rust of the city do something to me. It’s beautiful, it’ affordable, and there is support for local artists. There’s a lot of opportunity.

Still, the plan was to move to New York in September of 2020 but that was cancelled. Then the pandemic showed me that I could live in Pittsburgh and still have a nationally viable career.

BLADE: What are you trying to achieve with “Amm(i)gone”?

MANSOOR: What I’m sharing in the show is so very specific but I hear people from other backgrounds say I totally see my mom in that. My partner is Catholic and we share so much in relation to this.

I hope the work is embracing the fullness of queerness and how means so many things. And I hope the show makes audiences want to call their parents or squeeze their partners.