a&e features
D.C. native finds fame on hit show ‘Handmaid’s Tale’
SAG-winning actress Samira Wiley enjoying second popular series
Samira Wiley as Moira in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ The lesbian actress grew up in Washington. (Photo courtesy Hulu)
Returning to Washington is, as one would expect, nostalgic for actress Samira Wiley, a District native.
“Everything looks so different,” she says during a recent visit. “I drove past Duke Ellington, my high school, and they did a really huge renovation recently. I immediately texted one of my high school teachers and asked for a tour.”
At 31, Wiley has become something of a cultural icon for her TV work.
From 2013-2017 she starred as fan favorite Poussey Washington in “Orange is the New Black.” She and her castmates won three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble.
Since 2017, she has starred as Moira in “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Wiley was nominated for an Emmy. The show won eight Emmy Awards (including Outstanding Drama Series), as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series.
And, in 2016, the actress was nominated for the BTVA Video Game Voice Acting Award for Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Video Game. She played the title character in “The Walking Dead: Michonne.” She was awarded the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award in 2015; Out magazine named Wiley the “Ingenue of the Year” in 2014 and one of the Out 100 in 2017.
Wiley is currently starring in season two of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” New episodes are being dropped weekly on Hulu. The series, based on the monumental dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, is set in the repressive republic of Gilead, which has been established by theocratic terrorists after the overthrow of the U.S. government.
“I think it’s important for people not to think of this as in the future or in the past, but as a parallel reality,” Wiley says. “When we were making it, we knew it was going to be timely and relevant. We didn’t know it was going to be this relevant.”
Wiley plays a black gay woman who has become a handmaid in Gilead where 95 percent of the women are sterile and the fertile are enslaved as red-cloaked sexual surrogates. In the first season, she and best friend Ofglen (Elisabeth Moss) navigate the strange new world together.
Wiley credits the talented crew with helping her ground her performance.
“It feels so real to me because they have gone out of their way to make it seem real. Every detail is so planned out. Reed Morano directed the first three episodes and created the look of the show with us. She’s created a world that is insanely gorgeous. There is heartbreak in that because it is so beautiful and so horrible all at the same time.”
One of the sequences that made the biggest impact on Wiley was when Moira and June try to escape Gilead. As they walk through the town, they are under continual surveillance from armed guards and other security personnel in marked vehicles.
“The thing that was most striking to me walking through Gilead that day was the lack of signage anywhere,” she says. “There are no words. For women in Gilead, reading is illegal. To try to make your way through this town and escape and get on a train to Boston when you don’t have anything that says where you’re going makes you feel small.”
Wiley also notes the complex way the red cloaks worn by the Handmaids also display the beauty and the horror of life in Gilead.
She credits costume designer Ane Crabtree for creating such “amazing garments.” Donning the cloak, Wiley says, is an exercise in getting into character.
But, the beautiful red costumes are also a source of potential danger and punishment for the Handmaids.
“It has lots of pieces to it — I don’t even have words for all the pieces. It looks like a wash of red, but there are all these little details. When I’m getting ready, it helps me think of Aunt Lydia — is she going to say something isn’t on right? And the wings, the hats that we wear. You literally can’t look to your neighbor without turning your entire body. Just looking at your neighbor is a crime, so your body will betray you. It’s so intricate. I think it’s so well thought out. It feels like a real collaboration between the costume designer and the actors.”
At the end of season one, Moira escaped across the border to freedom in Canada, leading into her season two storyline, where she lives as an ex-pat in a region dubbed Little America across the Canadian border. She says this brings highly mixed emotions for her character.
“It’s two things. It’s this wonderful elation. She’s escaped, she’s not getting raped every day, she’s able to get health care, she gets handed money and other things that women aren’t even allowed to possess in Gilead,” Wiley says. “But then there’s also the incredible dark lonely side of it. She doesn’t have best friend June. Her fiancé from before Gilead is dead. She is really alone, and her only family is June’s husband Luke. In season two they’re trying to figure out how to live together and how to be a family without their star.”
Before Wiley donned the red Handmaid’s cloak, she wore an orange jumpsuit in “Orange is the New Black.” She played Poussey Washington, a lesbian inmate at Litchfield Penitentiary, and a popular character whose death at the end of season four left viewers bereft.
She says audiences fell in love with her character as much as she did. Her mother said it was like losing a best friend when she told her Poussey was being killed off, a notion she says is an “awesome compliment” for an actor.
Wiley was bartending when she auditioned for “Orange.” She calls the role and the fact that she “got a wife out of it, not a bad deal.”
Wiley married “Orange” writer Lauren Morelli on March 25, 2017. They met on the set and their relationship thrived, even though Morelli wrote the episode where Poussey dies, but she doesn’t hold it against her since it was a decision dictated by higher ups.
“If I had to pick someone to write my death scene, I would have picked her,” Wiley says. “I wouldn’t want to put that in someone else’s hands.”
Wiley’s parents, Christine and Dennis Wiley, are the retired co-pastors of the Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ; their church was the first traditional black church in D.C. to perform same-sex marriages.
“They are the antithesis of what you think of when you think about Baptist pastors,” she says. “My parents are super liberal cats.”
That made her coming-out process very simple.
“It was really really easy-breezy,” she says. “When I came out to them, my father basically leaned back in the chair and said, ‘That’s cool. Give me a hug.’ And that was it. It was such a non-event.”
As for a third season of “Handmaid’s Tale,” Wiley, like many, is hopeful.
“This world that Margaret has created is so complete, there are endless possibilities. It’s just there.”
Samira Wiley as Poussey in ‘Orange is the New Black.’ (Photo courtesy Netflix)
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
a&e features
New book celebrates 1970s dance music icons
‘A Night at the Disco’ features interviews with Donna Summer, Debbie Harry, more
If you’re a fan of 1970s-era dance music, don’t miss the irresistible new book by Christian John Wikane and Alice Harris, “A Night at the Disco,” which revisits more than 90 interviews conducted with some of the biggest names in pop culture.
“A Night at the Disco” (ACC Art Books) was published on March 24, and distributed by Simon & Schuster. It celebrates more than 100 artists who sparked a phenomenon in dance music from 1970-1979 and features excerpts from interviews with everyone from Donna Summer to Debbie Harry.
Lost City Books (2467 18th St., N.W.) will welcome author Christian John Wikane for a book signing and conversation about “A Night at the Disco” on Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m. Details at lostcitybookstore.com. Bird in Hand Coffee & Books in Baltimore (11 E. 33rd St.) )will also host a Q&A with the author on Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. Details at theivybookshop.com.
Below is an excerpt from “A Night at the Disco.”
“I’ll let in anyone who looks like they’ll make things fun.” Steve Rubell is guiding a New York Times reporter through Studio 54 as resident DJ Richie Kaczor dazzles the crowd with records by CHIC, Odyssey, and T-Connection. “Disco, that’s where the happy people go,” The Trammps sing as dancers spin and twirl underneath tubes of flashing lights. Seven months since Rubell and co-owner Ian Schrager opened Studio 54 in April 1977, it’s welcomed untold numbers of “happy people” … at least those lucky enough to pass through the doors.
“We were part of the chosen few,” says André De Shields, who immortalized the title role in The Wiz on Broadway at the time. “We could show up at Studio 54 and the doorman at the velvet stanchion would look over everyone and point to us from The Wiz to come in, that kind of thing.” As the lead vocalist in the GRAMMY-nominated Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, whose debut modernized big band sophistication for the discothèques, Cory Daye had carte blanche in the club. “The energy was like a New Year’s Eve party every night,” she says. “I would go up to the mezzanine and watch the mechanical light pillars go up and down, metallic confetti falling from the ceiling, the spoon and the moon. I was so fascinated and enamored by it.
“When a certain song came on, the people would just rush to the dance floor. There was no contact dancing — the hustle was pretty much on its way out — but it was just an amazing experience to see all the cultures together. It was a fusion of cultures, which described my life and my band, so I was right at home there.”
“Studio 54 was the place,” adds Linda Clifford. “Crazy parties. If you could think it, you would see it. It was like a circus. Just an amazing place to be. I worked 54 so many times. It was like a second home to me. The people there treated me so well. The crowd always seemed to enjoy my show. I always had a good time with them. That was the most important thing: making sure that they had fun.”
Well before Studio 54 opened, disco had become a business juggernaut. “A four billion dollar market and still growing,” Billboard announced in February 1977, with dance music offering more variety than ever. “There is no longer a single, readily identifiable disco beat, but a kaleidoscope of sounds that are melodic and danceable,” Tom Moulton told the magazine. In the clubs, records by veteran artists like Stevie Wonder and the Bee Gees were mixed in with a range of new acts like Grace Jones, Boney M., and The Ritchie Family, while everyone from ABBA to Marvin Gaye scored number one pop hits with songs that had club-centric storylines.
Beyond the charts, disco itself remained as idiosyncratic as ever, especially on several productions by Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis, whose studio creations, El Coco (“Let’s Get It Together,” “Cocomotion”) and Le Pamplemousse (“Le Spank”), joined their own “Lust” from Seven Deadly Sins (1977) among the most tantalizing releases on AVI Records. Rinder & Lewis also produced acts for the newly hatched Butterfly Records in Los Angeles, where Saint Tropez (“On a Rien à Perdre”) and Tuxedo Junction (“Moonlight Serenade”) reflected the duo’s high gloss sound, spanning everything from European sophistication to a more literal translation of the ’40s sensibilities popularized by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band.
12-inch singles had also grown as the preferred format to approximate the club music experience at home. Nearly a year after Atlantic Records introduced its series of promotional 12-inch singles for DJs, New York-based Salsoul Records released the industry’s first commercially available 12-inch single, “Ten Percent” by Double Exposure, in May 1976. A year later, T.K. Records was the first label to certify a gold record for a 12-inch single when Peter Brown’s “Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me” tallied one million sales.— Christian John Wikane
(From “A Night at the Disco” by Alice Harris & Christian John Wikane. Published by ACC Art Books.)
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