Arts & Entertainment
‘Orange’ teaser
Alliances deepen on season three which debuts Monday
Taryn Manning and Lea DeLaria in season three of ‘Orange is the New Black.’ (Photo by JoJo Whilden, courtesy Netflix)
Jenji Kohan’s Netflix smash “Orange is the New Black” is back to doing what it does best: character exploration.
Season three opens with a new and (relatively) improved Pennsatucky doing her best to be more respectful of others and less uptight about vulgarity. She’s genuinely trying to better herself, and it’s incredibly satisfying to see her transformation from a villain to someone reformed and compassionate. The season builds from there and the first six episodes suggest this season will be the best, most emotionally complex, season to date.
Thankfully, the Piper/Alex drama resolves fairly quickly and focus pulls away from the two just enough to focus on other, more interesting characters while keeping Taylor Schilling as the top-billed actor. The show is able to remain fresh and captivating by not dwelling on this will they/won’t they pairing.
Litchfield has turned upside down as conditions improve for inmates. Little victories following a bed bug infestation change the attitudes of several inmates, like Red. Because only so much happiness can go around, the prison guards are getting the shaft as a change in ownership of the prison means fewer hours and slashed benefits. The question arises as to who the real prisoners are (hint: still the actual prisoners).
This shake-up is thanks in part to the addition of newcomer Mike Birbiglia’s character, who flawlessly brings a layered, subtle and mysterious performance with each line. The show also welcomes Mary Steenburgen. Like Birbiglia does to Joe Caputo, so does Steenburgen, playing former guard Mendez’s mother, complicate the pregnant Dayanara’s life. Daya, meanwhile, grows more and more isolated as she runs out of options for how to take care of her unborn baby.
Unlike season two, there is no clear primary antagonist. The “Clash of the Titans”-esque struggle between Red, Vee and Gloria has resolved, and each tribe is left to deal with the aftermath of Rosa’s escape and hit-and-run, immortalized with the mic-droppiest of lines: “Always so rude, that one.”
The show has shifted from the man vs. man-style of conflict to man vs. self. Nicky battles her addiction more than ever. Morello is depressed, having lost her job driving the van. Chang, in one of the best episodes so far, struggles with immense insecurities and loneliness. Crazy Eyes refuses to accept the loss of Vee, her mother figure. These and other internalized conflicts become more of a prison for the characters than Litchfield itself, as they fight to free themselves from their masochistic choices.
Tribe members intermix less than they have before, with the exception of Soso, who struggles to find her place in the prison. Even Chang, the other prominent Asian character, does not accept her, as Soso is part Scottish.
However, this racial isolation has given room for new bonds to form, like the budding friendship between Boo and Pennsatucky, which began at the end of season two. The unlikely pairing of the unapologetic lesbian and the religious zealot proves to be among the most delightful relationships of the new season. They help each other accept their past mistakes, learn from them and grow. They’ve each toned down their respective idiosyncrasies and welcome each other as friends and equals. Boo’s intellectualism and Pennsatucky’s emotional side complement each other well and they somehow find within the other a support system.
One of the more heartbreaking character explorations focuses on Marisol “Flaca” Gonzalez (Jackie Cruz). We learn the reason for her teardrop tattoo and the guilt she carries. In one episode, her story comes full circle. The promise of a new job assignment quickly changes from a symbol of hope to one of futility, as she ends up right back where she started before being sent to prison. While others thrive under the new administration, she’s lost her light. It’s a powerful moment for Cruz, who has shown she can dominate a scene just as well as Laverne Cox, who is tragically underused this season.
With each season, “Orange” explores themes surrounding motherhood, and season three is no exception. Can bad actions define a good mother? Can a mother’s best intentions still fail to help her daughter? How does motherhood transcend blood bonds? What happens when we have no parental figures to turn to and we’re left on our own? While conflicts in season three are much more internalized than in previous seasons, they are no less thrilling.
Some of the best bits are tips of icebergs that suggest a much more complex story waiting to be unraveled in a future episode. When the enigmatic Blanca Flores attends the “book funeral” (a necessary book burning following the bed bug infestation), she explains sadly that she prefers reading over living her own life. But as always, when things seem darkest in Litchfield, there’s always hope tomorrow will be taco night.
Theater
‘Octet’ explores the depths of digital addiction
Habits not easily shaken in Studio Theatre chamber musical
‘Octet’
Through Feb. 26
Studio Theatre
1501 14th Street, N.W.
Tickets start at $55
Studiotheatre.org
David Malloy’s “Octet” delves deep into the depths of digital addiction.
Featuring a person ensemble, this extraordinary a capella chamber musical explores the lives of recovering internet addicts whose lives have been devastated by digital dependency; sharing what’s happened and how things have changed.
Dressed in casual street clothes, the “Friends of Saul” trickle into a church all-purpose room, check their cell phones in a basket, put away the bingo tables, and arrange folding chairs into a circle. Some may stop by a side table offering cookies, tea, and coffee before taking a seat.
The show opens with “The Forest,” a haunting hymn harking back to the good old days of an analog existence before glowing screens, incessant pings and texts.
“The forest was beautiful/ My head was clean and clear/Alone without fear/ The forest was safe/ I danced like a beautiful fool / One time some time.”
Mimicking an actual step meeting, there’s a preamble. And then the honest sharing begins, complete with accounts of sober time and slips.
Eager to share, Jessica (Chelsea Williams) painfully recalls being cancelled after the video of her public meltdown went viral. Henry (Angelo Harrington II) is a gay gamer with a Candy Crush problem. Toby (Adrian Joyce) a nihilist who needs to stay off the internet sings “So anyway/ I’m doing good/ Mostly/ Limiting my time/ Mostly.”
The group’s unseen founder Saul is absent, per usual.
In his stead Paula, a welcoming woman played with quiet compassion by Tracy Lynn Olivera, leads. She and her husband no longer connect. They bring screens to bed. In a love-lost ballad, she explains: “We don’t sleep well/ My husband I/ Our circadian rhythms corrupted/ By the sallow blue glow of a screen/ Sucking souls and melatonin/ All of my dreams have been stolen.”
After too much time spent arguing with strangers on the internet, Marvin, a brainy young father played by David Toshiro Crane, encounters the voice of a God.
Ed (Jimmy Kieffer) deals with a porn addiction. Karly (Ana Marcu) avoids dating apps, a compulsion compared to her mother’s addiction to slot machines.
Malloy, who not only wrote the music but also the smart lyrics, book, and inventive vocal arrangements, brilliantly joins isolation with live harmony. It’s really something.
And helmed by David Muse, “Octet” is a precisely, quietly, yet powerfully staged production, featuring a topnotch cast who (when not taking their moment in the spotlight) use their voices to make sounds and act as a sort of Greek chorus. Mostly on stage throughout all of the 100-minute one act, they demonstrate impressive stamina and concentration.
An immersive production, “Octet” invites audience members to feel a part of the meeting. Studio’s Shargai Theatre is configured, for the first, in the round. And like the characters, patrons must also unplug. Everyone is required to have their phones locked in a small pouch (that only ushers are able to open and close), so be prepared for a wee bit of separation anxiety.
At the end of the meeting, the group surrenders somnambulantly. They know they are powerless against internet addiction. But group newbie Velma (Amelia Aguilar) isn’t entirely convinced. She remembers the good tech times.
In a bittersweet moment, she shares of an online friendship with “a girl in Sainte Marie / Just like me.”
Habits aren’t easily shaken.
Sports
Blade, Pride House LA announce 2028 Olympics partnership
Media sponsorship to amplify stories of LGBTQ athletes
The Los Angeles Blade and Washington Blade on Friday announced a media partnership with the Out Athlete Fund, which will produce Pride House LA for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Pride House is the home for LGBTQ fans and athletes that will become a destination during the L.A. Summer Games in West Hollywood in partnership with the City of WeHo. This 17-day celebration for LGBTQ athletes and fans will include medal ceremonies for out athletes, interactive installations, speakers, concerts, and more.
The Los Angeles Blade will serve as the exclusive L.A.-area queer media sponsor for Pride House LA and the Washington Blade will support the efforts and amplify coverage of the 2028 Games.
The Blade will provide exclusive coverage of Pride House plans, including interviews with queer athletes and more. The parties will share content and social media posts raising awareness of the Blade and Out Athlete Fund. The Blade will have media credentials and VIP access for related events.
“We are excited to partner with the Washington Blade, the oldest LGBTQ newspaper in the United States and the Los Angeles Blade, already a strong supporter of Out Athlete Fund and Pride House LA/West Hollywood,” said Michael Ferrera, CEO of Pride House LA. “Our mission is about increasing the visibility of LGBTQ+ athletes and fans to challenge the historical hostility toward our community in the sports world. Visibility is what publications like the Washington and Los Angeles publications are all about. We know they will play a key part in our success.”
“LGBTQ visibility has never been more important and we are thrilled to work with Out Athlete Fund and Pride House LA to tell the stories of queer athletes and ensure the 2028 Summer Games are inclusive and affirming for everyone,” said Blade Editor Kevin Naff.
Out Athlete Fund is a 501(c)3 designed to raise money to offset the training cost of out LGBTQ athletes in need of funding for training. The Washington Blade is the nation’s oldest LGBTQ news outlet; the Los Angeles Blade is its sister publication founded nine years ago.
In honor of Black History Month, the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a series of events uplifting the histories, artistry, and resilience of Black LGBTQ+ communities through dialogue, film, and intentional gathering.
The series begins with “Ballroom Culture: Rhythms of Resilience,” a panel discussion on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 at 7 p.m. Artists, activists, and leaders from the ballroom community will explore ballroom’s historical, cultural, and political significance as a site of resistance, kinship, creative expression, and social justice within Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities.
On Friday, Feb. 13 at 12:30 p.m., the Center will host a screening of the groundbreaking documentary “Paris is Burning,” which chronicles New York City’s ballroom scene and house culture while examining themes of race, class, identity, and survival through the voices of legendary performers including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, and Dorian Corey.
The month will conclude with “Soul Centered: A Black LGBTQ+ Gathering” on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. This free, RSVP-required event invites Black LGBTQ+ community members into a space of rest, connection, and reflection centered on love in all its forms. The gathering will feature a panel conversation with Black LGBTQ+ creatives, healers, and community members, followed by intentional speed connections and a closing social mixer.
For more details and to RSVP, visit the Center’s website.
‘Octet’ explores the depths of digital addiction
Why trans suffering is more palatable than trans ambition
Comings & Goings
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Spanberger signs bill that paves way for marriage amendment repeal referendum
Hashmi speaks at Equality Virginia Lobby Day
Norton hailed as champion of LGBTQ rights
D.C. Council gives first approval to amended PrEP insurance bill
4th Circuit dismisses lawsuit against Montgomery County schools’ pronoun policy
LGBTQ Victory Fund looks beyond Washington for change in 2026
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Virginia5 days agoHashmi speaks at Equality Virginia Lobby Day
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District of Columbia5 days ago
Norton hailed as champion of LGBTQ rights
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District of Columbia4 days ago
D.C. Council gives first approval to amended PrEP insurance bill
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Maryland5 days ago
4th Circuit dismisses lawsuit against Montgomery County schools’ pronoun policy
