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Michael Kahn bids farewell
After 33 years, Shakespeare Theatre’s iconic leader moving on
After thirty-three years, Michael Kahn’s splendid tenure as artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company is over. “It’s been a great ride,” he says. “And the funny thing is, I sort of just fell into it.”
Kahn first came to D.C. in 1986 to advise The Folger Theatre on how to keep classical theater afloat. He stayed on as the artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger, and then took the newly named Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) to the larger Lansburgh location. Later he oversaw construction of the impressive Sidney Harman Hall, allowing the company to further expand.
During his time at STC, Kahn staged more than 60 productions and shepherded seasons that have included works by Pinter, Molière, Wilde, Shaw, Williams, and, of course, Shakespeare for which he deservedly garnered an international reputation for incisive, inspiring work.
As a stage-struck youth, Kahn filled scrapbooks with collected playbills autographed at stage doors. Gloria Swanson and Jimmy Durante ranked high with the Brooklyn born fan. (“Why? They were nice to me. I was stage-struck then. I am no longer.”)
After graduating from Columbia University, Kahn was certain of one thing — he didn’t want to do stupid plays on Broadway. But otherwise, he was uncertain what his future held.
His career began in earnest in the 1960s. Early on, Kahn directed for gay playwright Edward Albee. Doing Shakespeare didn’t occur to him until Joseph Papp tapped him for Shakespeare in the Park. Broadway successes, including revivals of “Showboat,” “The Royal Family” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (starring a young and gorgeous Elizabeth Ashley), followed.
Prior to D.C., he served as artistic director for the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Conn., producing director for Princeton’s McCarter Theatre, and founder and head of The Chautauqua Conservatory Theater. Through those gigs, he discovered his love for directing and entrepreneurship. He was prepared to succeed in Washington.
Simultaneously, he forged a parallel career as an educator, commuting to Manhattan as instructor and later head of the Drama Division of New York’s prestigious Juilliard School until 2006.
To end his last season at STC, Kahn thought he might do Chekhov or Gorky and fill it with entirely familiar faces.
But after a patron with deep pockets granted him carte blanche to do whatever he desired, Kahn jumped at the opportunity to mount Aeschylus’ tragedy “The Oresteia,” not a translation but an entirely new version penned by playwright Ellen McLaughlin and featuring mostly new actors.
Certainly, it was a courageous approach to one’s STC swan song. And the reactions were resoundingly positive: Kahn’s work was deemed masterful and stunning.
While STC’s theatrical triumphs take place in its Penn Quarter performance spaces, the administrative decisions are made on Capitol Hill.
At the end of a narrow hall lined with shelves holding a bust of the Bard and scads of honors including 10 Helen Hayes Awards (the company’s 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award is displayed in the lobby of Harman Hall), lies Kahn’s packed up office.
Seated on a rose-colored couch, Kahn gestures to stacked moving boxes and makes droll reference to Madame Ranevskaya bidding farewell to the estate in Chekhov’s “A Cherry Orchard.”
Despite having a long list of loose ends that need tying up, Kahn is relaxed and ready to give his last official interview as STC’s head honcho.
WASHINGTON BLADE: First off, thank you. You’ve shaped the theater experience for Washington audiences. You’ve entertained us, and given us an education in the classics. We’re grateful.
MICHAEL KAHN: Well, I had a good time doing that. It’s been a lot of fun. And I couldn’t have done it the same way anywhere else.
BLADE: Looking back, could you do what you’ve done if you were starting out today?
KAHN: It would be harder. Younger audiences are just not interested in lesser known shows like Musset’s ‘Lorenzaccio,” Schiller’s “Don Carlo,” or David Ives’ adaptation of Regnard’s 1706 masterpiece ‘The Heir Apparent.’ I can’t see getting today’s audiences all excited about that.
BLADE: Actors rave about you. How would you characterize exactly what you do?
KAHN: What other people say about me is that I leave them alone and see what they’re doing and then shape it and I change it. I think that I’ve learned how to tell a story on stage and how to make moments very clear. I’m actually good at it now.
And especially with Shakespeare, I know how to link scenes. You have to tell the story in between. I love it. I love the complications of that. And how to make it work.
Plays are like mysteries. And I’m the detective figuring it out with some help. I need and want smart available open-minded, inventive actors. And it’s good to work with them again, there’s a shorthand you use and you don’t have to start all over again.
BLADE: Please talk about the queer lens. Do you make art through a gay perspective?
KAHN: I’ve essentially been out since I was seduced — quite willingly — by a boy in high school. When I came to D.C., I outed myself in a Washington Post interview. Four years ago, I was married to Charles [Mitchem] in a ceremony officiated by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, so I’m gay and very out.
There are directors who direct from a queer point of view, politically or aesthetically. I don’t think that’s what I set out to do. But I’m very careful to protect an image of a gay person on stage.
Though I’ve done productions of “Richard II,” there was a time when I didn’t want to do it, because he’s a gay king who does bad things. Of course, there are gay people who aren’t good, but it wasn’t the right time to put that out into the universe.
I got tremendous pleasure directing “Torch Song Trilogy” and Caryl Churchill’s “Cloud Nine” at Studio Theatre. Both were really happy experiences for me, and those are gay plays.”
BLADE: STC threw you a big sendoff celebration. Were you OK with all of the testimonials?
KAHN: I am comfortable that a lot of people feel that I’ve meant something to them in their lives. I get that a lot. And I’m grateful for that. But I also know how ephemeral all of this is. When those people are gone no one will remember. And that’s OK, what do I care?
At the goodbye, actor John Benjamin Hickey said he liked me as a teacher but it was very important that Julliard was being run by an out and proud gay man. I liked that.
I’ve said jokingly, I wanted my memorial service while I’m still alive. That happened. So, I told Charles, he doesn’t need to give me a memorial service. He can show the tape.
BLADE: You’re not big on legacy. You once said that you just want to make STC financially stable so someone good will want to take the reigns after you.
KAHN: That’s still true. And that’s why I stayed on longer than originally planned. The idea was to balance things financially. It has sort of worked, but not entirely.
But I’ll look back upon this time with an enormous sense of excitement. And I feel significant accomplishment. I’m not leaving without being aware that we made an impression on the city, and I’m very grateful the city supported me, and made it possible for me to do the work I wanted. The community supported a classical theater that stayed a classical theater as best it could the last couple of years.
And STC will be in good hands. They made absolutely the right choice in selecting my successor, classical director Simon Godwin [Associate Director of London’s National Theatre].
BLADE: What are your thoughts on the future of classical theater in Washington?
KAHN: Theater is precarious. D.C. is blessed with many good theaters but not necessarily an audience that’s grown along with theaters as they got bigger. There are nights when theaters are less than full, and when small theaters are very much less than full.
Theater makers are excited. There is an audience that’s excited but that audience doesn’t seem to be growing. Time will tell.
BLADE: Your papers have been sent to Yale. Your Dupont condo is sold. Besides living in your native New York, what’s next for Michael Kahn? Will there be more plays?
KAHN: I’m not sure. I don’t see myself freelancing with a play like “Loot” – one four-character play with one set in different cities. But at one point I was happy to do that and maybe I’ll be happy to freelance like that again.
But I don’t feel an urgency to do just any play.
BLADE: What will you miss most?
KAHN: I’ll miss looking forward to the next creative project. And I’ll miss the phone ringing.
a&e features
Summer in D.C. brings sports, Restaurant Week, festivals, and more
Summer in D.C. just hits different. Congress is out, school is out, the sun is out, thighs are out. With the skies clearing from Canadian smoke, here are a few ways to stay entertained.
Dining
Summer restaurant week: The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is once again hosting Summer Restaurant Week, Aug. 18-24. This weeklong dining experience showcases the dynamic dining scene of the DMV, including 2026 RAMMY Award-winning favorites (the annual D.C. food awards show that took place June 29). Participating restaurants will offer three-course brunch and lunch selections for $25 or $35 per person, and three-course dinners for $40, $55 and $65 per person.
New Restaurants: A handful of new spots have opened, so the summer is a great time to check them out:
- Oribu: A new Mediterranean-Japanese restaurant in the Grand Hyatt hotel, which just underwent a remodeling effort. The sleek restaurant brings upscale charm, with dishes like Wagyu beef tartare with potato pavé and caviar.
- The Oak Room: A snazzy old-school American grill has just opened in Georgetown, alongside its sister upstairs supper club (Bernadette’s) restaurant, in the old El Centro space.
- Uchi: This showy Japanese sushi-forward chain has landed in Dupont with a chef’s tasting menu of favorites like fatty tuna.
- Kathmandu: Recalling the capital of Nepal, this warm, buzzy subterranean restaurant right in the heart of U Street brings spice, flair, and rare ingredients to its dishes (see: buffalo burgers) and drinks.
Sports
- Washington Spirit Pride Night OUT: On Sunday, Aug. 23, head to Audi Field for a massive, high-energy game following the exciting month of World Cup. The designated Pride Night OUT game promises boisterous crowds plus pre- and post-game community engagements.
- Washington Tennis Open – Now called the Mubadala DC Open, this annual tournament is only combined mens’ and womens’ 500-level tennis tournament in the world. The open is one of D.C.’s longest-standing sports traditions, and will take place at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center July 25-Aug. 2. Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and others are expected to play.
Festivals
- Afro Plus Fest: This huge, three-day Afro-Caribbean Hip-Hop Festival brings together headliners Davido, Alkaline, and Wizkid, plus Tems and Ayra Starr. The event moves from RFK to the Northwest Stadium Complex for three days, Sept. 4-6.
- Capital Fringe Festival: Running from July 11-21, this massive celebration features dozens of live theater, comedy, dance, and boundary-pushing nighttime performances across multiple DC neighborhoods.
- The National Book Festival returns, with headliners like Cynthia Erivo, and Martin Scorsese. The one-day festival, Saturday, Aug. 22, brings together bookworms and word nerds under the theme “America 250: It’s Your Story.” There are talks, workshops, musical sessions and more.
- All Things Go: A three-day festival Sept. 25-27 at Merriweather Post Pavilion featuring Mitski, Hayley Williams, Brandi Carlile, MUNA, Zara Larsson, Ethel Cain, and many, many more artists. There are single-day and three-day tickets. Featuring and highlighting female artists, the festival has turned into a must-see for many LGBTQ audience members.
- Fuchsia Fest: The inaugural Fuchsia Fest is a new multi-day celebration created to celebrate LGBTQ community and expression, bringing together a mix of community gatherings, entertainment, and nightlife. The event takes place Sept. 18-20 and is hosted by Capital Pride.
Art and Music
- United We Dance: A high-energy rave with house, techno, bass, and festival music, on Aug. 1 at the 9:30 Club.
- The Fray. On Aug. 14, this American rock band famous for How To Save A Life is at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
- Kesha: Kesha’s high-energy The Freedom Tour comes to the D.C. area on Aug. 14 at Jiffy Lube Live.
- ALOK: On Sept. 3 at Lincoln Theater, ALOK (they/them) performs. The poet, comedian, and actor is putting on a new comedy show.
- 2charm, the emerging Australian electronic club-pop duo popular with the queer community, which blends hyperpop and dance music, comes to the Atlantis.
- Sapphic Dance Party: a vibrant, inclusive nightlife and social event designed specifically for queer women, lesbians, bisexuals, trans individuals, and nonbinary folks, at Atlantis on Aug. 21.
- Jazz in the Garden: The most quintessential of D.C. activities returns Friday evenings through Aug. 14. This season’s theme, “American Sounds,” is a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Tunes themes range from Appalachian and Americana to Creole jazz, Hill Country blues, contemporary jazz, and more. Tickets are available through a lottery system a week before each event.
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Tickets on sale for chef Patrick O’Connell’s book launch event
Sept. 18 kickoff to feature José Andrés, Tom Sietsema
Acclaimed chef Patrick O’Connell is preparing to publish his new memoir, “Main, Middle & Gay” in September and he’s launching the book with an event on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at Lisner Auditorium featuring Chef José Andrés and former Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.
Tickets for the event go on sale Tuesday, July 21 at Ticketmaster; prices start at $55.
O’Connell, who’s gay, is the pioneering Michelin-starred chef and longtime proprietor of the Inn at Little Washington. He spoke with the Blade about the September event and the launch of his first memoir.
“I’ve known [Andrés and Sietsema] for more than 25 years and I have great respect for them,” O’Connell said. “I felt that it would allow us to add a different dimension rather than just have an interviewer. The chemistry will be fun and lively and unpredictable and exciting. I think we’re all different personalities and we’ll compliment each other.”
O’Connell has published cookbooks but this is his first memoir. The event will feature a short film that will highlight his work and the Inn.
“What I hope to do with the event is bring the book to life visually,” he said. “So we’re producing a short film that will be part of it. Most of the audience will not have read the book so it’ll give them a visual flavor of the book. It parallels the evolution of American cuisine over 50 years. It’s a rare perspective to be in the trenches for that long.”
The book’s title refers to the location of the garage on the corner of Main, Middle, and Gay streets in Washington, Va., where he launched his restaurant that became an international culinary destination.
The Blade will publish the rest of its wide-ranging interview with O’Connell in September in conjunction with the book’s release.
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The queer Asian comics building collective joy in D.C.
Spotlighting chaotic ways family, romance, identity take shape in their lives
Kevin Chen’s family tombstone has room for four: him, his parents and his boyfriend. The arrangement might prove to be a little awkward.
“My boyfriend is 100% white, and my parents are 100% disappointed,” Chen confessed.
Jokes about family traditions and the untraditional ways they’re practiced earned a burst of laughs at the bar where Chen was opening for the Pride Comedy Special. The D.C. stand-up event, produced by Comedy Bonfyre last month, spotlighted queer Asian comics who shared the chaotic ways family, romance and identity take shape in their lives.
From candid oral sex takes to top surgery hypotheticals like “Where do the boobs go?”, the night highlighted the loud camaraderie of the queer Asian experience — one that sounds like a cacophony of snorts, cackles and belly laughs. While the comics say they are not quite a community, there’s more than enough shared material to bring them together.
“It was such a magical experience. I loved performing in a queer API lineup. It feels so validating,” Chen said after the show. “I’m wondering, ‘Is this how white men feel all the time?’”
Each performance evoked queer Asian joy through a medium that could use more of its presence.
According to Chen, who is based in D.C., it’s hard to say whether there is a true queer Asian comedy presence in his city. There are only a scattered “handful” of Asian comics, and people of color are underrepresented in queer comic circles, he said.
When Tarunika Anand, a nonbinary lesbian comic, first entered the mainstream D.C. comedy scene, they mostly encountered straight white men, describing the experience as “a culture shock.”
“I feel like sometimes a lot of queer spaces are really white, and then a lot of Asian spaces are really straight,” Anand said. “I don’t feel like I fit into either.”
But feeling marginalized didn’t stop these comics from honing their craft and creating spaces for others like them. Alex Kim, who headlined the special and is based in Brooklyn, runs the queer Asian comedy group Boba Gays, which began on WhatsApp and has since made its way to Lincoln Center.
Every Wednesday, Anand co-produces a free comedy show called Funny Side Up. The queer-led group focuses on inclusivity and showcasing new talent.
“It’s really beautiful to speak about your experience and your existence in a way that’s uplifting,” Anand said.
Family is a major throughline of their comedic repertoires.
Chen, for instance, shared that he identifies with jokes about having Asian immigrant parents and the expectations they pass down.
“You see me, you know this part about me, you know this experience intimately, and I can see the truth that you’re trying to wrap a joke around,” he said. “That hits even harder because that’s my truth too. I think that’s what makes good comedy.”
Anand had the audience at the special howling when they explained that their parents’ be-more-like-them comparisons didn’t end when they came out. Instead, the expectations took on a new form.
“Now, my parents want me to be the best gay,” Anand said. “They’re like, ‘Do you know Ellen DeGeneres?’”
Kim said he’s been trying to unlearn things from his Christian Korean mom. Yet he described a moment when he was getting ready for the club and realized he looked just like his mother getting ready for church.
“I’ve been finding it hard to escape her,” Kim said.
Mutual recognition also radiates through the different ways queer love can take shape. From singlehood to death-do-us-part commitments, the comics cover just about every corner.
Anand is holding out hope for settling down with “a nice, pretty, Indian girl.” They recently went through a breakup and said they felt they dodged a bullet.
“As a person of color, I just don’t think I should be with a Swiftie,” they said.
Chen, touching on what it’s like to be in a queer interracial relationship, said that meeting his white boyfriend’s baby nephew for the first time felt like he was forced to participate in a diversity, equity and inclusion training.
“The dad was like, ‘Please welcome Kevin. Be curious about his culture, his history, his foods,’” Chen joked.
Laughter is not the only reward for the comics.
To Anand, comedy is a space where they can say whatever they want. “It gives me a voice,” they said.
Nik Narain, a North Carolina-based trans and nonbinary South Asian comic who performed at the special, said meeting older trans comedians and taking the stage helped him feel reassured in his identity during his transition.
“Stand-up was a really cool way to process that onstage,” he said. “[It] became a way for me to repackage my thoughts.”
Queer Asians are still figuring out their place in the greater D.C. comedy scene. The group is small in numbers and many are still working toward a full-time comedy career. But Narain feels he’s already made it.
Narain is reluctant to pin it all on one moment. He feels that success is already peeking through in milestones — opening for celebrities, traveling to performances and self-producing shows.
“As long as I can keep doing this, I’m super happy,” he said.
This story was produced as part of the AAJA VOICES fellowship program, a student journalism project of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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