Arts & Entertainment
Calendar through May 30
parties, events and concerts for the end of May
‘Drag Salute to the Divas’ returns to the Howard Sunday night. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Friday, May 24
The Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity hosts a retreat for LGBT Muslims and their partners starting today and lasting until Monday. The weekend will include workshops, art, talent show, plenaries, community building, prayer, politics and spirituality. The goal of this retreat is to reconnect with the community while creating a dialogue with one another. Costs for the retreat is $100. For more information, visit lgbtmuslimretreat.com.
“A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor will be presenting a live broadcast in the Filene Center at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd.,Vienna) tonight at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 5:45 p.m. Ticket prices for the event ranges from $25-$60. For more information visit walftrap.org.
Mystery Dinner Playhouse (located inside the Courtyard by Marriot Crystal City, 2899 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va.) presents its new show “The Spy Who Killed Me” tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Attendees can enjoy this comedic butler convention murder mystery during a four-course dinner. The show runs until Nov. 24, every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The group is also available for private events. Tickets are $53. Visit mysterydinner.com for more information.
Special Agent Galactica returns with her happy hour show at the Black Fox Lounge (1723 Connecticut Ave., NW) with repeat guest Nora Palka, who will be back to share her amazing vocals this evening at 6 p.m. Locals may know Palka from her performance in “Spring Awakening” at Keegan Theatre, “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” at Signature, and “Pygmalion” at the Washington Stage Guild. Admission is free. For more information, visit pinkhairedone.com.
Town (2009 8th 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. Later, Town hosts DJ Mad Science on the main floor tonight at 10 p.m. The cover is $8 before 11 p.m. and $12. The drag show begins at 10:30 p.m. Visit towndc.com for more information.
Cobalt (1639 R St., NW) hosts its second annual “Mthr Fckn Pop Off!” where people can vote tournament style on the perfect song for summer. Voters can go on the Facebook event page to vote. That night, the club offers free rail vodka from 11 p.m-midnight. Cover is $10. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.
Saturday, May 25
Cobalt (1639 R St., NW) hosts “CTRL: Tank-Tacular Summer Kick-Off” tonight at 10 p.m. Cover is $5. Drink specials include $3 PBR Tallboys, $5 Rail and $4 Jameson shots. Visit cobaltdc.com for more information.
Burgundy Crescent volunteers this morning at Food and Friends (219 Riggs Rd., NE) at 8 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. Volunteers will help with food preparation and packing groceries. The shifts are limited to 10 per shift. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.
Sunday, May 26
The D.C. Center needs volunteers with the demolition of the new space today at 10 a.m. at the Reeves Center (2000 14th St., NW). This will be the new permanent home of the Center, but they need help renovating.Volunteers are not required to bring supplies, just appropriate footwear and clothes that can get messy. They are also encouraged to bring water and snacks since there will be no formal lunch break. Visit thedccenter.org for more information.
The Howard Theatre (620 T St., NW) presents “A Drag Salute to the Divas” in honor of D.C. Black Pride tonight at 7 p.m. The show is lead by Shi-Queeta-Lee and several other of D.C.’s top illusionists as they bring Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Missy Elliott and many more to the stage. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit thehowardtheatre.com.
Monday, May 27
The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.) hosts its annual Memorial Day Cookout with free food from the grill starting at 5:30 p.m. There will also be a pool, video gaming systems and cards. Karaoke starts at 6 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m. DJ Alchemy begins the party at 10 p.m. For more information, visit bachelorsmill.com.
Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14th 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. Registration is required and attendees must call 202-797-3580 or email [email protected]. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.
Tuesday, May 28
Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) hosts its Safer Sex Kit-packing program tonight from 7-10:30. The packing program is looking for more volunteers to help produce the kits because they say they are barely keeping up with demand. Admission is free and volunteers can just show up. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Wednesday, May 29
The Lambda Bridge Club meets at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., SE) for Duplicate Bridge. Reservations are not needed and newcomers are welcome. Attendees can call 703-407-6540 if they need a partner. Visit lambdadc.org for more information.
Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14th 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. Registration is required and attendees must call 202-797-3580 or email [email protected]. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.
Thursday, May 30
Rainbow Response Coalition kicks off its fundraiser for the D.C. Capital Pride season this evening at Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse (1609 17th St., NW). The organization is committed to raise awareness and provide education on intimate partner violence in the LGBT community and hopes to broaden its network of dedicated members. Annie’s has offered to donate a portion of the proceeds for the night. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
The D.C. Center’s newest initiative, Center Global, a frank discussion on the challenges facing LGBT asylum seekers, takes place tonight at 7 p.m. Asylees, current asylum seekers and legal experts will talk about the difficult process LGBT asylum seekers face. The location is to be announced. Visit thedccenter.org for more information.
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)
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
‘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.
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