Arts & Entertainment

A Black, queer woman’s story of healing told through dance

‘Rock Paper Scissors’ coming to Atlas Performing Arts Center later this year

Published

3 years ago

January 11, 2023

Sisi Reid is a local playwright, choreographer, and producer. (Photo courtesy of Sisi Reid)

We have all at some point questioned our identity. For some, particularly those at the intersection of multiple marganalized identities, the exploration of who you are or want to be can send you into a tailspin of exploration.

Local playwright, choreographer, and producer, Sisi Reid is choosing to use dance to tell a story of innate joy, love, healing and remembering while questioning and exploring her identity as a Black queer woman.

“Dance is my freedom, my freeing,” Reid said.

Reid will debut her solo dance-theater performance titled “Rock Paper Scissors” at the Atlas Performing Arts Center as part of her local theatre residency at The REACH at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

The performance will be presented by Reid’s theater company, Soul Shine Theater Garden, and produced by The Welders, a D.C. theater organization and playwrights collective co-led by Reid, Cat Frost, Teshonne Nicole Powell and Jared Shamberger.

According to The Kennedy Center’s website, the local theater residency is a curated developmental residency program for local DMV theater companies and playwrights, that seeks those who leverage their artistry to amplify stories that are often overlooked.

Reid, who has spent most of her life in dance and the creative arts, was first intrigued by the idea of identity exploration through games after watching a spoken word performance that used the popular nursery rhyme “Miss Mary Mack” to talk about bisexuality.

“I was like oh, a game to think about identity, that’s cool. I just kind of thought about it,” Reid said.

At the time, Reid was on the path to figuring out how to co-exist with all the ways in which she identified. Then Reid’s alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), invited her to write and perform a 10-minute play for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Alumni Commissioning Project.

While brainstorming topics for her play, Reid thought of “Miss Mary Mack” and began to ponder what game she would choose to play as a way to discover and understand herself.

“I was still deeply conflicted about can I be Black? Woman? Bisexual?” Reid says. “I don’t even know if queer was in my world yet. I felt very conflicted.”

Reid ultimately chose “Rock Paper Scissors” as the game that best reflects her story.

“I asked myself which identity would be which element and how I would play this game if I were playing my identities against each other,” Reid said.

Reid first workshopped her “Rock Paper Scissors” play in Brazil in 2018 during a three-week exchange program with the University of Michigan’s Prison Creative Arts Program, Santa Catarina State University in Florianópolis, Brazil and The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

After returning to the U.S. from Brazil, Reid didn’t spend any time working on the play, which she says basically was writing itself.

“I was doing more healing and living and existing. The story was writing itself because the play is about my healing journey. So, I was healing and I was growing and I was expanding so I got ideas directly from what I was going through,” Reid said.

“Rock Paper Scissors” will debut from June 22-25. Tickets can be purchased at the Atlas website starting Feb.13.

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November 14, 2025

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Capital Pride will host the Trans Day of Resilience Leadership Brunch on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center (1827 Wiltberger Street, N.W.). For more information and to RSVP, visit this link.

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Calendar

Calendar: November 14-20

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Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2025

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Friday, November 14

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 12 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., NW. To RSVP, visit the DC Center’s website or email [email protected].

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Trade. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Women in their Twenties and Thirties will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for women living in the D.C. area. For more information join the group’s closed Facebook group.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Daytime Docs and Dramas Screening of ‘Summer Qamp’” at 12:30 p.m. This free event will celebrate queer youth, resilience and the power of living authentically. To RSVP, visit this link.

Saturday, November 15

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 12 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is an outlet for people of color to come together and talk about anything that affects them in a space that strives to be safe and judgement free. For more details, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.

Sunday, November 16

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Salon” at 5 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. Guests are encouraged to come enjoy stimulating conversation and dining. For more details, visit Eventbrite.

Monday, November 17

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).

“Soulfully Queer: LGBTQ+ Emotional Health and Spirituality Drop-In” will be at 3:00p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This group will meet weekly for eight weeks, providing a series of drop-in sessions designed to offer a safe, welcoming space for open and respectful conversation. Each session invites participants to explore themes of spirituality, identity, and belonging at their own pace, whether they attend regularly or drop in occasionally. For more details visit the DC Center’s website.

Tuesday, November 18

Center Bi+ Roundtable Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is a is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. For more details, visit Facebook or Meetup.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Tae Kwon Do class” at 12:30. This inclusive and beginner-friendly class, led by Instructor Avi Rome, offers a light warm-up, stretching, and instruction in basic techniques, patterns, and striking padded targets. Each session is designed to be adaptable for all ability and mobility levels, creating a welcoming space for everyone to build strength, confidence, and community through martial arts. For more details, visit the Center’s website.

Wednesday, November 19

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Activism at Woman’s National Democratic Club” at 6 p.m. at The Whittemore House. Guests can join other activists at the WNDC for letter and postcard writing to get out the vote this fall in Virginia and other critical state races. Postcards will be written to women in rural VA and to members of Congress on Home Rule 101 in partnership with the D.C. Democrats Statehood Committee. There will be free pizza, cash bar, a fun raffle and camaraderie. More details are available on Eventbrite.

Thursday, November 20

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breathwork, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.