Out & About
LGBT themes abound at Fringe Festival
Burlesque, Whitman, Poe and more continue all month
(Photo courtesy CFF)
Capital Fringe Festival, a performing arts festival, presents several LGBT-themed shows during its run. It kicked off this week and runs through Aug 2.
“mostly the Voice: a black lesbian journey,” a musical theater solo performance about a young black lesbian poet and songwriter, begins at Gallaudet University in the Eastman Studio Theatre (800 Florida Ave., N.E.) Saturday at 6:15 p.m. The show runs through July 26. J. scales wrote, composed and stars in the show.
“St. Jimmy Celebrates ‘The Food at Our Feet,’” a comedy cabaret show about cooking “divinities” such as Rachael Ray and Paula Deen by gay playwright Jimmy Grzelak, is at Dance Place in the Hyman M. Perlo Studio (3225 8th St., N.E.) on July 18 at 3 p.m. and runs through July 16.
“Bare Naked Comedy,” a comedic burlesque show, shows at Logan Fringe Arts Space in the Trinidad Theatre (1358 Florida Ave., N.E.) on July 11 at 8:05 p.m. The show runs through July 24 and features local burlesque performers such as Dainty Daindridge, Glam Gamz and more.
“Poe Whitman,” a solo performance by Robert Michael Oliver of Edgar Allen Poe’s “Silence,” “The Raven” and “Eureka” and Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” is at Dance Place in the Hyman M. Perlo Studio. Performances of Poe’s and Whitman’s poems will be done on different nights. Whitman’s poetry will be performed on July 10 at 6:30 p.m., July 15 at 7 p.m. and July 23 at 8 p.m. Oliver will perform Poe’s poetry on July 12 at 2:30 p.m., July 18 at 7:15 p.m. and July 26 at 1:45 p.m.
“Interconnected,” a dramatic play about three families’ lives that are affected by the death of the father of one of the families, is at Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) starting July 11 at 4:30 p.m. The play features a bisexual character. The show runs through July 25.
Tickets for each performance are $17. For a complete list of performances in the festival and show times, visit capitalfringe.org.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
Friday, June 12
Bet Mishpachah will host “Pride Shabbat Happy Hour” at 6 p.m. at Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center. This is an in-person happy hour with an open wine and beer bar, great company, and joyful conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will meet at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, visit Facebook.
Saturday, June 13
Out N Bad will host “SWEET WHINE: DC Pride Queer Caribbean Slow Whine Function” at 9 p.m. at Decades DC. This is a late-night escape into slow and steamy Dancehall & Kompa only. No splits. No headtops. No pressure. Tickets are $22.14 and are available on Eventbrite.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a screening of “10s Across the Borders,” a bold pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating Southeast Asia’s underground ballroom scene. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Sunday, June 14
Beth A Wolfe Yoga will host “Pride Baby Goat Yoga” at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Arlington, Va. The goats will be decked out in their finest Pride apparel, and human participants are welcome to do the same. Proceeds from this event will go to the Trevor Project. Tickets cost $44.52 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 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]).
Tuesday, June 16
“Self-Defense Class with Avi Rome” will be 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 5th 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.
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting.Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, June 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.
Thursday, June 18
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm 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, breathwork 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.
Local queer journalists will celebrate Pride this weekend at the annual NLGJA-DC Pride Happy Hour event at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, June 6, 3-5 p.m. Admission is free.
Baltimore Pride is here
Calendar: June 12-18
Gender-bending buddy film gets 4K restoration for 25th anniversary
German group slams White House’s LGBTQ rights record ahead of World Cup
Gay 1920s-era Hollywood star to be honored in Staunton, Va.
PHOTOS: ‘Soul Divas’
‘Mighty Real’ explores history of LGBTQ music
D.C.’s housing reality: Cautious optimism meets landlord strain
Hundreds of thousands expected to attend D.C. Pride events
