Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Events through Oct. 24
Parties, exhibits, concerts and more for the coming week
This year’s Capitol Pride musical performer Emeli Sandé performs at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Saturday. (Blade file photo by Tyler Grigsby)
Friday, Oct. 18
DJ Joe Gauthreaux spins at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) tonight. Free rail vodka drinks from 11 p.m.-midnight. Cover is $10. Admission is 21 and up. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com.
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. There is no cover charge and admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For more information, visit towndc.com.
Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.) holds a happy hour from 5-7:30 p.m. tonight with all drinks half price. Hip music begins at 11 p.m. Enjoy pool, video games and cards. Admission is $5 after 9 p.m. Must be 21 and over. For more details, visit bachelorsmill.com.
Saturday, Oct. 19
British singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé performs at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $29.60-$40. For details, visit bsomusic.org.
The Birchmere presents 2CELLOS, a cellist duo, at the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University (730 21st St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $55. For more details, visit lisner.gwu.edu or call 202-994-6800.
The Bethesda Row Arts Festival runs today in downtown Bethesda (4841 Bethesda Ave., Md.) from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy work from artists and crafters, listen to local music performances and participate in kid-friendly activities. The festival benefits NIH Children’s Charities. Admission is free. For details, visit bethesdarowarts.org.
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today for the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation at the Falls Church PetSmart (6100 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, Va.) at 11:45 a.m. today. You will be paired with a dog on a leash to walk around and play with. Wear casual clothes. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.
The Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance (AGLA) hosts its monthly brunch event at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant (555 S. 23rd St., Arlington, Va.) today from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The brunch is an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffer with made to order omelets and Belgian waffles with coffee, soda or juice. Cost is $9.95. Fore details, visit agla.org.
The Hamilton (600 14th Street, N.W.) hosts a free screening of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” tonight at 10 p.m. Doors open at 9. Go here for details.
Sunday, Oct. 20
Organist Ken Cowan performs at First Baptist Church of Washington (1328 16th St., N.W.) today at 4 p.m. Admission is free but contributions accepted. For more details, visit firstbaptistdc.org.
Perry’s (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts its weekly “Sunday Drag Brunch” today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. For more details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.
Adventuring, an LGBT outdoors group, hosts its “Great Falls Difficult Run” hike through Great Falls Park (9200 Old Dominion Dr., Mclean, Va.) at 9:15 a.m. today. Alternately you can meet at the Tenleytown Metro (4530 40th St., N.W.) at 8:30 a.m. to carpool. The hike is 5.1 miles with an elevation gain of 250 feet. The walk has a view of the Falls from the Virginia side as well as the Potomac as it rushes through Mather Gorge below the Falls. The Difficult Run Trail has sustained flood damage and is steep and narrow. Bring water, snacks and bug spray. Cost is $2 for trip fee, $4 for the park entrance and $2 to reimburse the driver if you are carpooling from Tenleytown. For more information, visit adventuring.org.
Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) hosts the final day of its silent shoe auction today. Come make your final bids on sneakers decorated by the community toe benefit the AIDS Walk. For details, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Special Agent Galactica is at L’Enfant Cafe (2000 18th St. N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. with Peter Fields. Details at pinkhairedone.com.
Monday, Oct. 21
Rainbow History Project presents “Prejudice and Pride,” a panel discussion about discrimination against African Americans in the D.C. LGBT community in the 1970s and 1980s, at the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th St., N.W.) today at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit rainbowhistory.org.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) holds a support group for gay black men to discuss topics that affect them today, share perspectives and have meaningful conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.
Tuesday, Oct. 22
Genderqueer D.C. holds a discussion group at The D.C. Center (13181 U St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. tonight. The group is for anyone who identifies outside of the gender binary as bigender, agender, genderfluid or any label outside of cisgender. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Whitman-Walker holds free HIV testing at Panam Supermarket (3552 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.
SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts a “Rap Group” today from 5-6:30 p.m. Discuss stressful issues like school, bullying, getting into college or finding a job in this support group. For more details, visit smyal.org.
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore will read from her memoir “The End of San Francisco” this evening at Busboys and Poets (1025 5th Street, N.W.) at 6:30 p.m. in the Cullen Room. More information at mattildabernsteinsycamore.com.
Wednesday, Oct. 23
The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge. No reservations required and new comers welcome. If you need a partner, call 703-407-6540.
The D.C. Center and Pros in the City host “Forty Plus Gay Men Speed Dating” at Finn and Porter D.C. (900 10th St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. tonight. Speed dating will last approximately one hour. After enjoy a mixer with fellow speed daters. There will be a cash bar. Check-in is at 7 and dating begins at 7:20. You will be able to contact anyone you meet through an exclusive online messaging system 48 hours after the event. Tickets are $30. Three hour complimentary parking offered to guests who purchase two drinks or other items from the bar or restaurant. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit prosinthecity.com.
The HIV Working Group holds a meeting at The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. The HIV Working Group is a volunteer-driven HIV/AIDS outreach, education, and advocacy initiative of the Center. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Thursday, Oct. 24
Washington Blade hosts its “2013 Best of Gay D.C. Party” at The Huxley (1730 M St., N.W.) tonight from 6-9 p.m. Winners of the “Best of Gay D.C.” will be announced. You can also win a pair of tickets to see Cher. For details, visit facebook.com/washingtonblade/
Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) holds a meeting at The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. GLOV works to reduce violence against LGBT individuals through community outreach, education and assisting members of anti-LGBT violence. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.
Rude Boi Entertainment hosts “Tempted 2 Touch,” a ladies dance party, at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.) Doors open at 10 p.m. Drink specials $5 and vodka shots $3 all night. No cover charge. Admission limited to guests 21 and over. For more details, visit rudeboientertainment.
Celebrity News
Silky Nutmeg Ganache talks sex and dating, gender, politics, weight loss journey
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ semifinalist grew up in Bible Belt
Uncloseted Media published this interview on July 7.
By SPENCER MACNAUGHTON, ISABEL STOKES, and BELLA SAYEGH | After appearing on the 11th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World,” the sixth season of “RuPaul’s All Stars” and now the 11th season of “All Stars,” Silky Nutmeg Ganache, known by many as the Reverend, is undoubtedly a legend.
Born and raised in Moss Point, Miss., Ganache bears all in this episode of “UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton.” She speaks about her relationship with gender, her 100-pound weight loss, what it’s like living as a queer person of color in a red state and why she’s calling on allies to stand up for the trans community.
Patrons enjoyed a night out at the popular LGBTQ venue Crush Dance Bar on Friday, July 3.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Theater
‘My Favorite Sociopath’ debuts at Shepherdstown’s CATF
Gay playwright Aurin Squire’s take on D.C. journalism in the ‘90s
‘My Favorite Sociopath’
Contemporary American Theater Festival
July 10-Aug. 2
Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Catf.org
Discernment. It’s a thing some people have, explains playwright Aurin Squire, especially when you’re gay or Black in America (Squire is both).
“You instinctively know when the mob is teaming up for the best interests of the powers that be. You can feel it in the air.”
In his sharp new satire “My Favorite Sociopath,” Squire writes about life experiences but set in a different time and place: It’s the 1990s, early days of the 24-hour news cycle, and three ambitious journalism students are pursuing success in D.C.
And now, Squire’s play, along with other new works, are making their world premieres at the annual Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University in historic, queer-friendly Shepherdstown, W.Va. (just a 90-minute drive from D.C.).
“All of my plays are queer in some way,” says Squire, 46. “This one touches on harmless and dangerous lies. The characters are on the spectrum sexually, and it’s interesting how all that falls out.”
And he’s given it a lot of thought.
“Already as a kid, it seemed to me that the rage against rap music and sex was coming from closeted people resisting their own urges and temptations. For me, it was interesting to see a witch hunt led by witches. Queer people can always call out a lie.”
Since September, Squire has also been working with a TV show about the tech industry set in Silicon Valley. He says, “It seems the general flow of the tech industry is that humanity and civilization is finished and it’s just about accumulating as many goods as possible before everything collapses. In fact, those who are profiting actually agree. But for those who disagree, they believe the solution is to build bigger gates, but activists believe we can stop this”
Yet, he’s learned from folks associated with the show. “Many say the quickest way to divorce yourself from any responsibility or regulations — smash and grab. Otherwise, you have to stop and think and regulate your desires for greed and power”
Squire possesses a penchant for pithy titles. He laughs, explaining the first thing he wrote as a student at Juilliard was “Obama-ology,” the comedy with contemporary message. While a lot of people liked the name, it didn’t necessarily vibe with the author. He concedes that he chooses names based on “easy to remember” and titles that won’t be easy to lose as a file.
Another is “Defacing Michael Jackson,” a coming-of-age dramedy set in rural Florida in 1984, specifically Squire’s native town Opa-locka, Miami, a fantastical place famed for its fanciful Moorish revival architecture.
Living in the shadow of exotic structures, he wasn’t particularly fazed. Squire says “It wasn’t until returning to visit after my freshman year at Northwestern University in Chicago that I realized how weird it was: When you grow up in a place, you take surroundings for granted no matter how over the top.”
Now based in New York (where for two happy years, 2017-2019, he shared digs with drag king Murry Hill), Squire returns frequently to Miami to be with family, but this summer has been filled with both work and travel.
Currently, he’s in Shepherdstown with CATF shaping up “My Favorite Sociopath.” Later this summer he will travel to South Africa for research, followed by a silent writing retreat in Santa Fe, N.M.
Much of Squire’s work reflects the Latino, African, Caribbean, African-American, and Jewish cultures he grew up around in South Florida.
When asked if today’s winds of anti-multiculturalism worry him, he replies, “No, because that’s going to pass. Most people don’t like, people are seeing the negative results of it, and the young people coming up despise it. White male gamers were tricked momentarily through the algorithms into voting against their own interests and they’re now seeing how it’s not working out for them.
“Conservatives always try to stop progress and eventually they always lose. It’s just a question of where we’ll be in the middle of the end of civilization before that happens. I’d like to hope we can turn the ship around before then.”
In addition to “My Favorite Sociopath,” CATF summer season features three other world premieres (Lisa D’Amour’s comedy “The Smoker,” “Refugee Rhapsody” by Yussef El Guindi, “Best Line Wins: A Play Inspired by the Improvised Lives of Elaine May & Mike Nichols” by Beth Kander) and “¡VOS!” by Christina Pumariega.
CATF runs from July 10-Aug. 2 in three venues on the Shepherd University campus: Frank Center, Marinoff Theater, and Studio 112.
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