Arts & Entertainment
Ready for action
Many leagues at capacity but sub spots and waiting lists available
Charm City Volleyball in this year’s Pride parade in Baltimore. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Most of the LGBT sports leagues have kicked off their fall season play, but there’s always an opportunity to submit your name to a substitute player list. Among the teams offering a sub list are the Capital Area Rainbowlers Association, League of Women Bowlers and Capital Tennis Association.
Leagues are already in play for the season are the Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club (dcrugby.com), Federal Triangles Soccer Club (federaltriangles.org), Stonewall Kickball (stonewallsports.org — possible openings on the Thursday night league), D.C. Gay Flag Football League (dcgffl.org), Capital Area Rainbowlers Association (carabowling.org), League of Women Bowlers (mysite.verizon.net/vzeo2d8j/) and Capital Tennis Association (capital-tennis.org).
There are plenty of LGBT sports groups offering individual participation for the coming months.
The D.C. Sentinels (teamdcbasketball.org) basketball team is in talks to begin a league that will be launched at the start of 2013. On a weekly basis, the Sentinels offer pickup play at Westland Middle School on Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. and at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center on Saturdays from 1-3 p.m.
The D.C. IceBreakers (dcicebreakers.com) will host a Skate and Social at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Wednesday from 8-9 p.m. (and the third Wednesday of every month). The cost to skate is $8 and skate rental is $3. All skill levels are welcome. After skating, the group heads to a local pub for a social hour.
Ski-Bums (ski-bums.org) have announced their 2013 event offerings for skiing and snowboarding. Upcoming trips include Japan, Switzerland, Argentina, Canada, Colorado, Montana, New York and Vermont. They will also announce local trips in the coming months.
Charm City Volleyball (volleybaltimore.org) is hosting Wednesday social play at the Mt. Royal Recreation Center in Baltimore every week from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Teams are formed by 7 and all skill levels are welcome. The cost is $3 per session. They also host Sunday competitive and scrimmage play/clinics at the Volleyball House in Elkridge, Md., every week from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $7 per session and NAGVA teams are welcome to play.
The Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (asgra.org) sponsors trail rides on horseback on the first Sunday of every month at the Piscataway Stables in Clinton, Md. The cost is $30 for an hour-long ride that begins at 11 a.m.
The Adventuring Outdoors Group (adventuring.org) will host their fourth edition of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Hike on Sept. 23. Starting from the King Street Metro Station, they will stroll through Old Town Alexandria before arriving at the Wilson Bridge. A detour will be taken to nearby Jones Point for lunch before crossing the bridge. The 1.1-mile crossing of the Potomac will offer magnificent views and a number of interesting interpretive displays, especially on the Maryland side.
The hike will end at the National Harbor development and the group will be carried back to Virginia by water taxi, which will arrive at the Alexandria docks close to the free trolley that heads back to the King Street Metro. Total length of this hike will not exceed 6 miles. Bring plenty of beverages, lunch the $2 trip fee and $8 for the water taxi. The group will meet at 11 a.m. at the station attendant’s kiosk at the King Street Metro. Parking will be free there all day.
Rainbow Climbing D.C. can usually be found at the local rock climbing venues on Tuesday and Thursday nights and sometimes on weekends. Check out their Facebook page under Rainbow Climbing to see if they will be at Earth Treks in Rockville or Sportrock in Alexandria.
The D.C. Front Runners (dcfrontrunners.org) continue with their Tuesday and Thursday evening runs along with their Saturday and Sunday morning runs. The group meets at 23rd and P Streets. The Front Runners also host walks at the same location on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings at Union Station.
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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