Arts & Entertainment
Spins and salchows
You don’t have to be an expert skater to have fun with the Ice Breakers
Members of the D.C. Ice Breakers, a local LGBT skating group, at a recent activity night at the Ballston Common Mall in Arlington. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Majoros)
Back in 2006, Neil Schuldenfrei saw an ad on Craigslist promoting an open skate for lesbians and gays at a local ice skating rink. He and a friend arrived at the rink only to find there was no representation from the LGBT community. Instead of letting this incident go by, Schuldenfrei decided to create his own gay ice skating group, the D.C. Ice Breakers.
The Ice Breakers skate twice a month during the adults-only hour on Wednesday nights at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex atop the Ballston Common Mall in Arlington. The skate runs from 8:15 to 9:15 PM and the cost is $8 plus $3 for skate rental. After the skate, members head to Bailey’s Pub (in the mall) for socializing.
The Kettler Capitals Iceplex is truly a sight to behold. In addition to the 20,000 square foot training center for the Washington Capitals, the Iceplex features two indoor NHL-sized ice rinks, locker rooms, a full-service ProShop, a Capitals Team Store, a snack bar and space for special events. On the night I went to skate, I had as much fun exploring the facility as I did skating.
The Ice Breakers came up with the idea of co-hosting skating nights with other LGBT sports teams as well as LGBT networking and social groups. I skated with the Federal Triangles Soccer Club and found the whole experience to be a throwback to my youth at ice rinks and roller rinks.
There is fun music blasting, they change direction on the rink halfway through the hour, and at some point all the lights go out and there are strobe lights bouncing off disco balls.
Another thing that stood out to me was the different skill levels present on the ice. The group skates during the public skate so there can be as many as 100 people on the ice. There were people clinging to the walls, people stumbling over the ice and also people gliding over the ice. In the center of the rink, you can watch the advanced skaters practicing their spins and jumps.
“If you happen to fall down, there is always someone good-looking who will pick you up,” Schuldenfrei says.
Along with the skating, the Ice Breakers have begun to add other types of events to their calendar. This past year they have hosted party game nights, lazy river tubing, high-speed boat cruises and winery tours. Every quarter they offer up one of their “Mega Skate” or “Mega Game” nights. These events are co-hosted by up to 10 LGBT groups and after the skate, they converge at Bailey’s Pub for board games, free use of the pool tables and drink specials.
Schuldenfrei, who was recently honored by Team D.C. as an LGBT trailblazer, says the recent “Mega” events have drawn up to 350 people with an equal division of men and women.
If you are interested in co-hosting an event with the D.C. Ice Breakers or want more information on the skates, go here.
The DC Center for the LGBTQ Community, SMYAL and Rainbow Families sponsored Gay Day at the Zoo on Sunday at the Smithsonian National Zoo. The Smithsonian marked International Family Equality Day with special exhibits and an event space.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Covering Gay Day at the Zoo for @WashBlade . Here at @NationalZooDC pic.twitter.com/LqgGNOOAiM
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) May 5, 2024
Photos
PHOTOS: Taste of Point
Annual fundraiser held for LGBTQ youth scholarship, mentorship organization
The Point Foundation held its annual Taste of Point fundraiser at Room & Board on May 2.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Theater
Miss Kitty tackles classical mythology in ‘Metamorphoses’
Folger production seen through the lens of the African diaspora
‘Metamorphoses’
May 7-June 16
Folger Theatre
201 East Capitol St., S.E.
$20-$84
Folger.edu
Miss Kitty’s words are thoughtful and measured, occasionally punctuated by flamboyant flourishes and uplifting proclamations. Her tried and tested tagline is “live in fierce not fear.”
She describes herself as “AMAB (assigned male at birth), nonbinary, genderqueer, transfemme” as well as “chanteuse, noble blacktress, and dancer.”
Currently, Miss Kitty is testing her talents in Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses” at Folger Theatre on Capitol Hill.
At 90 minutes, “Metamorphoses,” is made up of interwoven vignettes from classical mythology including the tales of Midas and his daughter, Alcyone and Ceyx, and Eros and Psyche.
“It’s all stories that relate to the human condition: the follies, the happiness, the love, the loss,” Miss Kitty explains. “And a thorough knowledge of mythology isn’t a requirement for enjoyment.”
The language is contemporary and with its 11-person ensemble cast – comprised exclusively of Black or indigenous people of color – they’re adding their own spin to its present-day feel, she adds.
In Zimmerman’s famously staged premiere production, the actors performed in and around a pool of water. At Folger, director Psalmayene 24 has ditched actual aquatics; instead, he suggests the element by introducing Water Nymph, a new character constructed around Miss Kitty.
Water Nymph doesn’t speak, but she’s very visible from the opening number and throughout the play on stage and popping up in unexpected places around the venue.
“It’s a lot of dancing; I haven’t danced the way Tony Thomas is choreographing me in a very long time. At 40, can she still make theater with just my body as her instrument?
The name “Miss Kitty” was born over a decade ago.
Miss Kitty recalls, “She was still presenting as male and going by her dead name. Someone commented that with the wig she was wearing for a part, she looked like Eartha Kitt whom she deeply admires.”
Her penchant for illeism (referring to oneself in third person) isn’t without good reason. She explains, “It’s to reiterate that however she might look, she’s always there; and if you misgender, she will let you know.”
Initially, the moniker was a drag persona at Capital Pride or the occasional fabulous cabaret performance at a nightclub.
But as time passed, she realized that Miss Kitty was something she couldn’t take off. She had always been a part of her.
“She’s helped me to grow and flourish; she’s given me the strength that I never would have had before. I’m so proud of myself for realizing that before it was too late.”
Bringing Miss Kitty into her theatrical career presented some concerns. Would theater folks be open to the new her, especially those she’d worked with before?
Not always, but she’s found new companies who’ve welcomed Miss Kitty with open arms including Avant Bard, Spooky Action Theater, and now Folger.
Last fall, Miss Kitty appeared in Spooky Action’s Agreste (Drylands), a stunning queer story penned by gay Brazilian playwright Newton Moreno.
After being invited to audition and reading the script, Miss Kitty was determined to be a part of the production.
A work dealing with love and being trans, and transphobia, and how people can turn on a dime once they learn the truth about someone, resonated deeply with the actor.
“The play speaks to the idea that if people just let people be who they are and love who they want to love we’d all be a lot happier,” she says.
For her sublime efforts, Miss Kitty nabbed a Helen Hayes Award nomination in the Outstanding Lead Performer category (winner to be determined on Monday, May 20 during a ceremony at The Anthem).
It’s her first time nominated and first time attending. She’s thrilled.
Miss Kitty grew up in Oxen Hill, Md., and now lives near Washington Harbor. Her entry into performance was through music followed by high school plays. She graduated from Catholic University with a degree in music/concentration in musical theater, and from there dove directly into showbiz.
Looking back, Miss Kitty says, “being a person of color AND queer can be a double whammy of difficulty. You have to live in light and do the things you’re afraid to do. That’s the game changer.”
Presenting “Metamorphoses” through the lens of the African diaspora (the cast also includes Jon Hudson Odom and Billie Krishawn, among others) helps us to realize that every story can be universal, especially for marginalized people — South Asian, Native American, or fully queer perspectives, she says.
“Having an all-Black ensemble opens all new worlds for everyone.”
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