Arts & Entertainment
Synetic expands tableau
‘Dorian Gray’ intersperses dialogue with company’s signature moves
The cast of Synetic’s ‘Picture of Dorian Gray.’ The production represents a bold move for the company. (Photo courtesy Synetic)
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’
Through Nov. 3
Synetic Theater
1800 South Bell Street, Crystal City
$35 and up
866-811-4111
Synetictheater.org
In adapting Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Synetic Theater turns its attention to that eternal nagging question: What price beauty? The 1891 work, Wilde’s only novel, chronicles the downfall of a handsome Londoner who trades his soul to remain eternally young. While Dorian never ages, his physical decline and moral purification is reflected in a portrait tucked safely away in the attic. Tempting tradeoff, eh?
“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it,” advises decadent Lord Henry (Joseph Carlson) to his willing young student Dorian (Dallas Tolentino). And yield Dorian does: he enthusiastically tastes all the pleasures that the British metropolis has to offer, tragically seducing young actresses, damaging the reputations of respectable married ladies and bedding their sons. He dips into opium, orgies, blackmail and along the way develops an increasingly cruel edge that takes him from pleasure seeking fop to cold-hearted killer.
Typically Synetic follows a fast-paced mostly mute, 90-minute formula. Many past productions have succeeded using this recipe. For “Dorian Gray,” they’ve veered from the course. At two-and-a-half hours, it combines spates of wordy dialogue intercut with choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili’s endlessly imaginative, athletic dance movement for which the company is best known.
And though heavier on witticisms and lyricism than action (despite a murder-filled plotline), “Dorian Gray’s” poetry and foray into the unreal give director Paata Tsikurishvili a lot to play with. Rather than a static painting, the picture is portrayed by Synetic veteran Philip Fletcher, allowing Dorian to interact and struggle with his likeness — these curious and sometimes combative interactions are the most interesting part of the play. As the portrait, Fletcher (who is gay) changes from enigmatically beautiful to hideously debauched, effectively demonstrating Dorian’s excessively naughty behavior. Fletcher’s is a strong and graceful performance.
With his gravity defying backside and enviable abs, Tolendo’s Dorian is the envy of his contemporaries including besotted portraitist and eventual victim Basil (Robert Bowen Smith) and Lord Henry who revels in his ageless friend’s possibilities to continue on a path of evil indefinitely. But despite a good long run of nastiness, Dorian grows tired and reconsiders his wicked ways.
Daniel Pinha’s versatile set is made up of stark metal frames suspended at different heights, beautifully fostering a complete multimedia experience. It’s clear from Coin K. Bills’ wonderfully evocative lighting and Kendra Rai’s gorgeous late Victorian costumes and orgy gear (including Dorian’s tight pleather briefs) that Synetic’s once shallow pockets have grown deservedly deeper in recent years.
While Wilde identified with Dorian, Basil and Lord Harry, his most worldly, pithiest philosophies are voiced through the self-serving aristocrat Lord Henry, haughtily delivered by Carlson. Maxims spoken to Dorian include “there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about,” and “to get back my youth, I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early or be respectable.”
Other than Wilde’s clever words, the play is mostly devoid of wit, which seems a missed opportunity since Synetic productions are typically peppered with amusing movement bits. Here, they take their decadence and immorality quite seriously.
And while the exchanges between Carlson’s Lord Henry and Tolentino Dorian gives insight into the title character’s motives and emotional turmoil, the play’s best moment are not spoken. And though this production is without Synetic’s more virtuosic choreographic moves, there are moments of sheer ingenuity. For instance, when Dorian visits an opium den, Irina Tsikurishvili uses splattered Day-Glo paint and a plastic screen to transform one more orgy gone wrong into a stunningly dramatic tableau. It’s just another inspired Synetic moment. And this is why even though “Dorian Gray” is not the company’s most sterling effort, it’s still something beautiful and not to be missed.
Bars & Parties
Mixtape Sapphics hosts holiday party on Dec. 13
‘Sugar & Spice’ night planned for Saturday
Mixtape Sapphics will host “Sapphic Sugar & Spice: A Naughty-Nice Mixtape Holiday Party” on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. at Amsterdam Lounge.
This is a festive, grown holiday party for queer women and sapphics 35 and older at Revolt’s Christmas pop-up. There will be music, joy, and an optional White Elephant.
This is Mixtape Sapphics’ first-ever holiday party — a cozy, flirty, intentionally grounded night created just for queer women and sapphics 35+ who want real connection, festive joy, and a warm place to land at the end of the year.
Tickets start at $13.26 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Friday, December 12
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 12 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. To RSVP, visit the DC Center’s website or email [email protected].
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, go to Facebook.
Saturday, December 13
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 12 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. D.C.’s queer community will gather for good food, laughter, and community. For more information, email [email protected].
Sunday, December 14
SADBrunch will host “HokiSlay Drag Brunch” at 12 p.m. at Throw Social. This festive affair brings fierce performances, over-the-top holiday looks, and more sparkle than a tinsel explosion. Expect powerhouse lip-syncs, laughter, and cheer hotter than your spiked cocoa. Cake Pop will host the event. Tickets cost $28.52 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, December 15
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Tuesday, December 16
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather and discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Self-Defense Class with Avi Rome” at 12:30 p.m. Rome is a proud member of the LGBTQ community and a full-time martial arts instructor with 25 years of teaching experience. He holds a Fifth Degree Black Belt in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do and is the director of the studio’s Adaptive Tae Kwon Do program for students with special needs. He has also run numerous self-defense workshops for various groups and situations. For more details, visit the center’s website.
Wednesday, December 17
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Asexual and Aromantic Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, December 18
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Egypt
Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’
Game to take place on June 26
Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.
The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”
“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.
The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.
Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’
The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.
“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”
“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”
The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.
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