Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Sept. 16
Parties, meetings, performances and more through Sept. 22

‘Into October’ is one of the pastels by Lou Gagnon on display at Touchstone Gallery. (Image courtesy of Touchstone)
Friday, Sept. 16
Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) presents Fahrenheit tonight with Susan Morabito at 9 p.m. Cover is $7.
Busboys & Poets is kicking off a new monthly event, an open mic, jam session and talent showcase, tonight at 10 p.m. hosted by Y’Anna Crawley in the Zinn Room of its Hyattsville location (5331 Baltimore Ave., Suite 104). Admission is $5 at the door.
The Gay District Open House is tonight at 8 p.m. at St. Margaret’s Church (1830 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Gay District is a weekly discussion group for gay men from the ages of 18 to 35.
The D.C. Queer Writers Collective will be holding its monthly writing circle tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) at 6 p.m.
D.C. Women in Their Thirties will meet tonight at 8 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) is having its weekly Bear Happy Hour tonight starting at 6 p.m. There is no cover for this 21 and older event.
Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) has two exhibits on display, “The Nature of Joy” featuring pastels by Lou Gagnon and “Off the Square” featuring canvas wall reliefs by Mary H. Lynch. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17
A new gay-welcoming Catholic church, St. Hedwig’s Old Catholic Church, has its first Mass today at 9 a.m. The church will meet each Sunday morning at Palisades Community Church (5200 Cathedral Ave., N.W.) in Washington. The church, not affiliated with the Vatican, describes itself as one with “progressive Catholic values” that welcomes those “disaffected by mainstream traditions” and what some consider “politically distorted teachings of Christ” in other faith traditions. Bishop Michael Seneco, who’s gay, is the pastor. Visit sainthedwigs.org for more information. All are welcome.
The Skullduggery and Skin Show is tonight at Red Palace (1212 H St., N.E.) at 10 p.m. featuring magic and burlesque. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at redpalacedc.com. All attendees must be 21 or older.
DJ Abel will be spinning at Town’s (2009 8th St., N.W.) Red Party tonight at 10 p.m. There is a $8 cover from 10 to 11 p.m. which then goes up to $12. All attendees must be 21 or older.
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens (4155 Linnean Ave., N.W.) is having its tenth annual Gay Day today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Partnering with Rainbow Families, the morning starts with a LGBT family garden party. The afternoon will bring square dancing, music, “Punch on the Portico” and more. General admission is $15, $12 for seniors and $10 for members and college students. Children 18 and under will be admitted for free.
The Ladies of Lure present Bare: Ol’Skool Edition with DJ Rosie and DJ Keenan with special guests DystRucXion Dancers at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) tonight at 10 p.m. There is a $7 cover before midnight and $10 after. All attendees must be 21 or older. There will be a cash prize for the best ol’ skool attire.
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents Hellmouth Happy Hour where every week an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” will be screened and drink specials will be offered. This week the episode is “Passion.”
Chris Brown will be performing at the Verizon Center (601 F St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. with Kelly Rowland, T. Pain and Tyga. Tickets range from $39.75 to $85.75 and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) hosts “Slippery When Wet: Black Out!” tonight from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. with prize packages and Manhunt giveaway. DJ t-one D.C. will be spinning.
Sunday, Sept. 18
Anniething Goes and 2Tuff present LTJ Bukem at U Street Music Hall (1115 U St., N.W.) with Thunderball, Slant, BJoo and vAnniety Kills tonight at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at ustreetmusichall.com.
Zoom Urban Lesbian Excursions presents Hoopnotica today at 3 p.m. The class, which will teach the basic moves of hooping, will take place at Sylvan Theater on the National Mall near the Washington Monument and hoops will be available to rent. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at phatgirlchic.com/zoom.
Monday, Sept. 19
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) is throwing a New Year’s Eve-style party tonight to countdown to the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on Tuesday. Doors open at 9 p.m. and there is no cover. This is not a fundraiser and is one of many parties happening around the country. For more information, visit servicemembers.org.
The Library of Congress Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender Employees presents “The Frank Kameny Papers: A Gallery Talk” today at the Library of Congress (101 Independence Ave., S.E.) at noon, led by John Earl Haynes, a modern political historian at the Library, and focusing on two items from the Kameny Papers currently in the “Creating the United States” exhibit.
Tuesday, Sept. 20
Remington’s (639 Pennslyvania Ave., S.E.) is hosting D.C. Drag Idol tonight from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. hosted by Raquel Savage Black. Admission is $5.
The LGBT Congressional Staff Association is hosting a panel discussion tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. at in the Orientation Theatre at the Capitol Visitors Center to discuss racial justice and LGBT equality. Some of the topics will include addressing homophobia, bi and transphobia in the black community, cultural barriers to coming out, how do African-American LGBT images in media shape attitudes and more. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, email [email protected].
Wednesday, Sept. 21
Green Lantern (1331 Green Court, N.W.) will host the weekly Poz D.C. happy hour upstairs from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Jonathan Dillon from American University will be presenting his work and research with three LGBT rights organizations in Uganda at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. The presentation will largely focus on the work of these organizations but some research findings will be shared. There is a recommended donation of $5 that will be given to the organizations in Uganda.
Thursday, Sept. 22
Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) is having its monthly meeting tonight in the main room at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Stonewall Kickball presents “Chow Down for the D.C. Center” at Level One (1639 R St., N.W.) tonight. All night, twenty percent of the food sales will be donated to the Center.
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) and Tongue in You Ear presents the Brother Tongue Poetry Workshop series. Tonight is the first in a series of four workshops led by Regie Cabico, a three time National Poetry Slam finalist who has appeared on two season of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. All sessions will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 for all four sessions. For more information and to register, visit thedccenter.org.
Lambda Sci-Fi, an LGBT science fiction, fantasy and horror group, is having its book discussion group today at 7 p.m. at 1425 S St., N.W. For more information, call James at 202-232-3141, e-mail to [email protected], or visit the group’s website lambdascifi.org.
a&e features
Television loses a legend, longtime ‘Will & Grace’ director James Burrows
Iconic hitmaker leaves behind a legacy of telling LGBTQ stories
You don’t have to be a pretentious film major to name 10 movie directors. But naming television directors is not that simple. They’re the unsung heroes of your favorite shows, and the late James Burrows was the television director. He passed on June 19, but his DNA runs through television history.
He directed over 1200 episodes of television and over 50 pilots. He co-created “Cheers” and directed many episodes of long-running series like “Friends,” “Taxi,” “Frasier,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Two and a Half Men.” You also may remember him from playing a heightened version of himself on the Lisa Kudrow comedy “The Comeback.”
He has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ community. As recently as last year, he directed the series run of “Mid-Century Modern” starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Linda Lavin. He was also a longtime director of “Will & Grace” and directed every episode of the series revival. He even directed the unaired “Absolutely Fabulous” pilot with Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Johnston, and Zosia Mamet.
Not to mention he’s worked with queer icons throughout history, including Betty White and Stockard Channing on their single-season series, and Jennifer Coolidge in “2 Broke Girls.”
He started his career on shows like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Rhoda,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and the first four seasons of “Taxi.”
He continued to work steadily and directed successful pilots that went to series for “Roc,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “Dharma & Greg,” and “Wings.” He directed multiple episodes of “Friends,” “Caroline in the City,” and “Frasier.”
This magic continued into the 2000s with him directing the pilots for “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and multiple episodes of “Mike & Molly,” and the entire return series of “Will & Grace.”
What was the secret to his success? He’d enact the “fun clause” in his contract. In his words, “Life is too short to deal with obnoxious leads,” he shared. “So as long as the writing is good and the cast is fun, I’m going to enjoy the experience.”
He had the magic touch, having multiple pilots turned into long-running series. He was nominated for an Emmy 24 times in 26 years and worked consistently until a year before his death.
The secret was the way he brought the cast together. He describes, “it was my job to mold them into an ensemble, and they did round into a group of people who loved each other.”
This earned him 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards, including being awarded the inaugural DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction.
In a 2003 interview by the Television Academy, he was asked how he wants to be remembered, and he said, “That every night forever you can tune in somewhere, and there’ll be a show I did.”
He’s survived by his wife, Debbie, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and the countless people whose careers he launched and the countless viewers he inspired with his television legacy.
Photos
PHOTOS: Capital Pride Festival and Concert
Annual LGBTQ celebration held on Pennsylvania Ave.
The 2026 Capital Pride Festival was held on Pennsylvania Ave. on Sunday, June 21.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key and Landon Shackelford)










































The 2026 Capital Pride Parade was held in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 20.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key, Robert Rapanut and Landon Shackelford)

































































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