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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
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
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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.
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