Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Nov. 23-29, 2018
Happy hours, support groups and the opening night of ‘The Laramie Project’ in the upcoming week
John Legend plays MGM National Harbor next week. (Photo courtesy MGM National Harbor)
Friday, Nov. 23
The D.C Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Woof: Happy Hour and Porn Star Bingo today from 5-11 p.m. Eddie Danger hosts Porn Star Bingo which will have prizes. There will be free pizza for the crowd at 7:30 p.m. Drink specials run until 11 p.m. No cover before 9:30 p.m. For more details, visit dceagle.com.
Gamma D.C., a support group for men in mixed-orientation relationships, meets at Luther Place Memorial Church (1226 Vermont Ave., N.W.) tonight from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The group is for men who are attracted to men but are currently, or were at one point, in relationshipa with women. For more information, visit gammaindc.org.
Women in Their 20s and 30s, a social discussion group for LBT and all women interested in women, meets tonight at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) from 8-9:30 p.m. For details, visit thedccenter.org.
Saturday, Nov. 24
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts Small Business Saturday, a gathering of local LGBT businesses, today from noon-5 p.m. Local LGBT and LGBT-friendly small businesses will have their products and services for purchase. There will also be door prizes, music, snacks and more. There will also be a collection of winter coasts for D.C. Center clients in need. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) hosts All the Divas: a Dance Party with DJ lil’e tonight from 9:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. DJ lil’e will spin tracks by artists such as Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Prince and more. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to rainn.org. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit 930.com.
Trade hosts an extended happy hour today from 2-10 p.m. Any drink usually served in a cocktail glass will be served in a large glass for the same price. Beer and wine drinks are $4. For more details, visit facebook.com/tradebardc.
The Glossary D.C. Support Group is at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) today from noon-2 p.m. The group is specifically for people of color who identify as masculine of center, non-binary or trans-masculine. Discussion will include family dynamics, cultural understanding and more. For details, visit thedccenter.org.
Sunday, Nov. 25
Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) has a drag brunch today with shows at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Drag entertainers will perform as Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Pink and more. Tickets are $41.91 and include an all-you-can-eat buffet and one mimosa or bloody Mary. For more details, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
Monday, Nov. 26
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours for the senior LGBT community this morning from 10 a.m.-noon. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Tuesday, Nov. 27
The Gay Men’s Health Collaborative has free HIV testing and STI screening at the Alexandria Health Department (4480 King St., Alexandria, Va.) today from 5-6:30 p.m. For more details, text 571-214-9617 or email [email protected].
Overeaters Anonymous hosts a meeting specifically for LGBT individuals at St. George’s Episcopal Church (915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, Va.) tonight at 7 p.m. Newcomers welcome. For more information, call 703-521-1999 or email [email protected].
Wednesday, Nov. 28
John Legend brings his “A Legendary Christmas Tour” to MGM National Harbor (101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill, Md.) tonight at 8 p.m. Legend will perform a mix of holiday favorites from his Christmas album of the same name.Tickets range from $111-208. For more details or to purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.
SMYAL hosts Overcoming LGBTQ Youth Homelessness: Resiliency and Hope at Verizon Technology and Policy Center (1300 I St., N.W.) today from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The panel discussion will feature youth who have experienced homelessness and are currently participating or have participated in SMYAL’s housing program. The program is held in honor of National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month to spotlight how almost half of homeless youth in D.C. identify as LGBT. Admission is free. For more information, visit smyal.org.
EntryPointDC hosts Hipster Hanukkah Holiday Market at Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St., N.W.) tonight from 6:30-8:30 p.m. There will be musical performances, DIY activities, a hot chocolate bar and donuts. The program is aimed at people in their 20s and 30s. Entry is $6. For details, visit facebook.com/entrypointdc.
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) holds Foster Parent and Adoption Information Night tonight at 6:30 p.m. There will be presentations by LGBT foster parents and representatives of the Latin American Youth Center Child Placement Programs. All are welcome. RSVPs are encouraged. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Thursday, Nov. 29
Preservation Maryland hosts a free lecture on LGBTQ history in Maryland at Chase Brexton Health Services (1111 North Charles St., Baltimore, Md.) tonight from 6-8 p.m. Susan Ferentinos, Ph.D., author of the book”Interpreting LGBT History,” will lead the discussion on LGBT history and historic preservation efforts in Maryland and around the country. Guests can suggest relevant LGBT locations in Maryland to research. After the lecture, there will be a reception with light fare. Admission is free. For more details, search “Free Lecture: Uncovering LGBTQ History in Maryland” on Eventbrite.
The Rome School of Music, Drama and Art presents the opening night of its production of “The Laramie Project” at the Hartke Theatre (3801 Harewood Rd., N.E.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. The play is based on more than 200 interviews conducted by Moisés Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project that explore the people’s reactions to the murder of Matthew Shepard. Matt Ripa directs. The show runs through Dec. 2. General adult tickets are $20. Senior tickets are $15. Student tickets are $10. For more information, visit drama.catholic.edu.
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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