Metro Weekly - 03-19-15 - Desiree Akhavan

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRandy Shulman

ART DIRECTORTodd Franson

POLITICAL EDITORJustin Snow

NEWS & BUSINESS EDITORJohn Riley

ASSISTANT EDITORRhuaridh Marr

CONTRIBUTING EDITORDoug Rule

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERSWard Morrison, Julian Vankim

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORScott G. Brooks

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSChristian Gerard, Troy Petenbrink,

Kate Wingfield

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHERRandy Shulman

BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETINGChristopher Cunetto

Cunetto Creative

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVERivendell Media Co.

212-242-6863

DISTRIBUTION MANAGERDennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINTShirin & Maxine

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYValentina Frugiuele

METRO WEEKLY1425 K St. NW, Suite 350Washington, DC 20005

202-638-6830

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All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be

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MARCH 19, 2015Volume 21 / Issue 45

NEWS 6

CRUEL AND UNUSUALby Justin Snow

8 A HOME WITH HEART

by John Riley

SCENE 11 WANDA ALSTON FOUNDATION’S

SPRING FLING

photography by Ward Morrison

13 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

BUSINESS

16 CAGLCC’S CHANGING FACE

by

John Riley

FEATURES 18 ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE

D ESIREE AKHAVAN SEES FILMMAKING AS

A WAY TO SHARE HER EXPERIENCES AND

CONNECT TO OTHER QUEER OUTLIERS

by Doug Rule

23 CHARACTERS WELCOME

by Rhuaridh Marr

OUT ON THE TOWN 24 BROOKLYN R IDER

by Doug Rule

GAMES 37 ORI AND THE BLIND FOREST

by Rhuaridh Marr

FOOD 39 CHERRY BLOSSOM SPECIALS

by Doug Rule

TECH 41 AUTONOMOUS CARS

by Rhuaridh Marr

NIGHTLIFE 45 R UPAUL’S SEASON 7 DRAG R ACERS

AT TOWN


SCENE 52 NUMBER NINE


54 LAST WORD


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Cruel and UnusualTransgender inmate asks Supreme Court to hear medical care case

U.S. Supreme Court

by Justin Snow

THE U.S. SUPREME COURTwas asked Monday to hear a

transgender inmate’s appealof a ruling denying her gender

reassignment surgery.

Attorneys for Michelle Kosilek peti-tioned the nation’s highest court to

address whether the 8th Amendmentprohibits the Massachusetts Department

of Corrections from denying necessarymedical treatment to a prisoner for non-

medical reasons, such as security con-cerns. The appeal comes after the 1st

Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-2 in

T O

D D F R A N S O N

December that Kosilek is not entitledto gender reassignment surgery under

the 8th Amendment protecting her from

cruel and unusual punishment.That decision reversed a another by

U.S. District Court Chief Judge MarkWolf, who ruled in September 2012

that it is the “constitutional duty” ofthe Massachusetts Department of

Corrections to grant Kosilek the sur-gery. That decision was appealed by

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D)and became a political issue in the state

during an election year when Sen. Scott

Brown (R) and his Democratic oppo-nent, Elizabeth Warren, both voiced

their opposition to the district court

ruling. Out Rep. Barney Frank (D) alsobacked the appeal. In January 2013,

a three-judge panel of the 1st Circuit

Court of Appeals upheld Wolf’s decision.However, Massachusetts then asked foran en banc review of the decision by the

full bench of the 1st Circuit, which over-turned the ruling in December following

oral arguments in May.

The petition was filed by Gay &Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD),

attorney Joseph L. Sulman and theBoston law firm Goodwin Procter.

“The Court of Appeals looked at anincredibly thoughtful decision, written

with extreme care and attention to the

facts by District Court Judge Mark Wolf

L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comDemocrats reintroduce anti-bullying billGay couple refuse to leave millions to University of Alabama


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LGBTNews

8

and misguided. “I am confident that Iwould not need to pen this dissent, over

twenty years after Kosilek’s quest forconstitutionally adequate medical care

began, were she not seeking a treatment

that many see as strange or immoral.Prejudice and fear of the unfamiliar have

undoubtedly played a role in this matter’sprotraction,” she wrote.

“This is a quintessentially fact-inten-sive case,” said Kosilek’s attorney, Joseph

Sulman, in a statement. “The First Circuitfound no legal error or clear factual error

in Judge Wolf’s decision, which is what

it must do to overturn his decision. Theway the Court ran roughshod over the

most basic of legal principles erodes thecredibility of the judiciary. It should be

alarming to every single lawyer, litigant,and defendant in a civil case.”

Four the the nine Supreme Court jus-

tices must agree to hear the case, but they

have no obligation or time constraintto make that decision. The court wouldalso need to move quickly for a ruling to

come before the end of the court’s termin June.

Although the state fought Kosilek’scase, it is also not clear where current

Massachusetts officials come down on

the appeal to the Supreme Court. At thetime of the December decision by the 1st

Circuit, there was a different governor and

after a 28-day trial,” said Jennifer Levi,director of GLAD’s Transgender Rights

Project, in a statement. “Instead of look-

ing for errors of law, as it is supposed todo, the Court not only re-tried the case,

it applied a standard of review no othercourt has ever applied to get the outcome

it wanted.”The 65-year-old Kosilek legal-

ly changed her name from Robert toMichelle in 1993 after being convicted ofstrangling her wife to death in 1990. She

has been serving a life sentence withoutparole in a prison for males since January

1993. Kosilek sued the MassachusettsDepartment of Correction in 2000 on

the grounds that refusing her genderreassignment surgery as recommended

by her doctors was equal to cruel and

unusual punishment. Kosilek previouslytried to castrate herself and has twice

attempted suicide.

The petition filed on behalf of Kosilekwith the Supreme Court asserts that the1st Circuit’s en banc review of the case

was in fact a retrying of the case. As the

petition states, “Two judges dissented.Both emphasized the same point: the

majority had wildly overstepped thebounds of an appellate court.”

Among those who dissented wereJudge O. Rogeriee Thompson, who

labeled the majority opinion erroneous

attorney general. Now, a Republican occu-

pies the governor’s office — Charlie Baker.Although Baker is considered pro-gay (he

signed a recent Supreme Court brief call-ing for marriage equality nationwide), he

has been less committal on transgender

rights. Attorney General Maura Healey(D), who was elected last November at

the same time as Baker, is in an especially

unique position as the first out attorneygeneral in the nation’s history. Baker’soffice did not immediately responded to

requests for comment on the petition ofthe case to the Supreme Court. Healey’s

office declined to comment.

According to the petition, the caseprovides the Supreme Court with the

opportunity to address medical treatmentfor all inmates, particularly as prisons face

larger populations and budget cuts.“Given these increasing pressures,

courts are likely to see more and more

cases involving prison officials’ relianceon non-medical considerations, such as

cost, administrative convenience, andsecurity, to justify the denial of medical

treatment,” the petition states. “Until thisCourt makes clear that security and other

non-medical concerns cannot justify adenial of adequate medical care, the duty

articulated by this Court decades ago in Farmer v. Brennan will remain toothless— at least in the First Circuit.” l

MARCH 19, 2015 METROWEEKLY.COM

A Home with HeartTransgender activist Ruby Corado’s new house for LGBT

homeless youth doubles the number of beds available

by John Riley

I

F I CAN MAKE IT, ANYONE

can,” says Ruby Corado as shewalks around an empty three-sto-

ry house in Columbia Heights.The building is in the initial stages of

renovation. It will open later this springas transitional housing for homeless and

vulnerable LGBT youth.

Corado knows homelessness all toowell. The longtime transgender activ-

ist and founder of LGBT multiculturalcommunity center Casa Ruby has spent

some financially troubled times sleep-ing in shelters or transitional housing.

But now, aided by a new grant fromthe Partnership for the Prevention of

Homelessness, Corado is on schedule

to become a mother figure to anywhere

between 10 to 12 homeless LGBT youthwho have nowhere else to turn. While

the Wanda Alston Foundation, whichruns the Wanda Alston House, meets a

similar need, Corado’s new transitional

house will more than double the numberof beds specifically available for LGBT

youth who would otherwise be forcedinto traditional adult homeless shelters,

where they can be at risk due to theirsexual orientation or gender identity.

“When I was homeless, I lived in aplace where the mattress was uncomfort-

able,” she recalls. “And a lot of people

don’t see the point in staying or abidingby the rules if the place they’re staying

isn’t a high-quality place. I want to makesure people are comfortable. I want a

home where I would live.”

As she moves from room to room,

Corado fastidiously checks every detail,from the carpeting to the mattress, mak-

ing sure things are clean, neat and in theirproper place. She rummages through

bags and boxes full of sheets, toiletriesand clothing donations. She inspects the

edges of newly purchased bed framesand mattresses in each room, which will

house two or three residents, searchingfor snags, rips or other imperfections.

“There’s a small stain on the end of

one of the mattresses on the third floor,”she tells Larry Villegas, who will live at

and run the day-to-day operations of thetransitional house. “I don’t know whether

it got ruined when they being deliveredthrough the rain yesterday, but I’m going

to have to return it.”

Of course, Corado says, just becausethe place is going to be in top shape for

April 1, when she hopes to open the doorsto the public, doesn’t mean that residents

won’t have rules to abide by or won’t haveto do their fair share of chores.

“I can be strict,” she says. “And therewill be guidelines and rules to make

their stay safer. But this will not be a


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LGBTNews

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“I have walked into and lived in pro-

grams for the homeless, and when I walk

in seven years later, I see people who arestill homeless,” Corado says. “That’s not

what I’m about. These kids are here toaccomplish things. I want them to be so

occupied that when they come back tothe house, all they’ll want to do is sleep.”

Corado, Villegas and other staffers arecurrently in the midst of interviewing

potential residents, who simply have to

be LGBT youth from ages 18 to 24 whoclaim residence in the District. Because

the housing is transitional, residents willonly be allowed to stay for up to 18

months, which is why Corado empha-

boring house.”

With a laugh, she adds, “I want this tobe the gayest house,” as she gestures to

the rainbow flag draped over the railingon the second floor landing. “I want this

to be the safest home. That’s why I and somany other people are working so hard

to make this perfect.”Most of all, Corado hopes to teach the

residents how to become self-sufficient.

All residents will be required to seekout work, whether paid or volunteer, or

continue their education, whether that’sin a formal classroom or a vocational

program. Sitting around the house all dayis not an option.

sizes self-sufficiency.

The house will be staffed by nineemployees, most of whom will serve as

housing monitors. But the house will alsohave a clinical social worker and other

unpaid volunteers who will donate their

time to help house residents get into con-tact with schools or potential employers.

They’ll also advise them on legal issues

and provide mental health or counselingservices as needed to address the otherissues that led to them becoming home-

less. Staff will be bilingual, in case someresidents do not have a strong grasp of

the English language. There will also be

an activities room that Corado will set upin the house’s English basement, which

can be used for various events or meet-ings, and, when not in official use, can

serve as a recreation room where “theycan yell their heads off.”

But for Corago and Villegas, the work

is never really done. While the grantfrom the Partnership for the Prevention

of Homelessness helps pay the rent forthe house — as well as living expenses

like food and transportation costs — andmuch of the furniture, office resources,

computers, and a television were donat-ed, there is always a need for even basic

things like toothbrushes, toilet paper,

shampoo, and soap.“I always tell people, if you can’t give

your time, if you can’t give your talent,then give your money,” Corado says.

But most of all, Corado wants to makethe house a place of acceptance for LGBT

youth, who are often one of the most mar-

ginalized populations within the District.In the downstairs office and entrance

hallway, Corado has placed signs con-taining inspirational sayings, like “Follow

your dreams, for they know the way,”“Life is good,” and “You are loved.”

“Sometimes, these kids would rath-er be homeless because they don’t feel

loved,” Corado says, tearing up. “A lot of

them don’t really know the traditionalmeaning of family. But in this place, this

is a ‘chosen family’ that loves them.“I’m not their mother, but I fill that

place in their lives,” she continues. “I hadthis boy who came into Casa Ruby the

other day, and he said to me, ‘I love com-

ing here, because no matter which floor Igo on, I meet someone who is nice to me,

and it just feels right.’ That lets me knowwe’re doing the right thing.”

For more information about Casa Ruby,

call 202-355-5155 or send an email to [email protected]


Corado T O D D F R A N S O N


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11SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

scene

scan this tag

with your

smartphone

for bonus scenepics online!

The Wanda AlsonFoundation’s

Spring Fling atThe Mansion on O St

Thursday, March 12

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

WARD MORRISON


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12 SEE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW .METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE


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THE DC CENTER’S ASYLUM SEEKERS/

ASYLEES FORUM for refugees and others seekingasylum meets every month at The DC Center. 7-9p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more infor-mation, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

BET MISHPACHAH, founded by members of the

LGBT community, holds Saturday morning Shabbatservices, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddush luncheon.Services in DCJCC Community Room, 1529 16th St.NW. betmish.org.

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including others inter-ested in Brazilian culture, meets. For location/time,email [email protected].

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session atHains Point, 972 Ohio Dr., SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visitswimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/socialclub welcomes all levels for exercise in a fun andsupportive environment, socializing afterward.Meet 9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for a walk; or

10 a.m. for fun run. dcfrontrunners.org.

DC SENTINELS basketball team meets at TurkeyThicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE,2-4 p.m. For players of all levels, gay or straight.teamdcbasketball.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discusses critical languag-es and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St.NW. RVSP preferred. [email protected].

IDENTITY offers free and confidential HIV testingin Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments otherhours, call 301-422-2398.

SUNDAY, MARCH 22ADVENTURING outdoors group hikes strenuous10 miles in central Shenandoah National Park withabout 2000 feet of elevation gain. Bring lunch, bev-erages, sturdy boots, and about $20 for fees, plusmoney for dinner on the way home. Carpool at 9a.m. from East Falls Church Metro Kiss & Ride.Craig, 202-462-0535. adventuring.org.

CHICK CHAT, a group for LBT women, holdsa group outing at the Walters Art Museumin Baltimore. 2-3 p.m. 600 North Charles St.,Baltimore, Md. For more information, visit thedc-center.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive and radicallyinclusive church holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman Catholic Mass for theLGBT community. 6 p.m., St. Margaret’s Church,1820 Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome. Sign inter-preted. For more info, visit dignitynova.org.

FRIENDS MEETING OF WASHINGTON meets forworship, 10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW, QuakerHouse Living Room (next to Meeting House onDecatur Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbi-ans and gays. Handicapped accessible from Phelps

Place gate. Hearing assistance. quakersdc.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20REEL AFFIRMATIONS and THE HUMAN

RIGHTS CAMPAIGN offer a dual screening of the2014 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection,“Appropriate Behavior” (see cover story), at 7 p.m.and 9:15 p.m. 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. For moreinformation, visit reelaffirmations.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice sessionat Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visitswimdcac.org.

GAY DISTRICT holds facilitated discussion forGBTQ men, 18-35, first and third Fridays. 8:30 p.m.The DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. 202-682-2245, gaydistrict.org.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-affirming socialgroup for ages 11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia RoadNW. Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT provides a social atmo-sphere for GLBT and questioning youth, featuringdance parties, vogue nights, movies and games.More info, [email protected].

SATURDAY, MARCH 21BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay volunteer organi-zation, volunteers today for Lost Dog & Cat RescueFoundation at Falls Church PetSmart. To partici-pate, burgundycrescent.org.

CAPS SOFTBALL holds Early Bird registrationevent for its summer season. Early Bird registrationis $50. Free and open to the public. Prospective

members encouraged to attend. 5-8 p.m. Nellie’sSports Bar, 900 U St. NW. For more information,email [email protected].

CASA RUBY, the nonprofit multicultural LGBTcenter and safe space, holds a monthly meeting fortransgender women on the third Saturday of eachmonth. 2 p.m. 2822 Georgia Ave. NW, Suite B. Formore information, visit casaruby.org.

CHRYSALIS arts & culture group drives to sitesof September 1814 Battle of Baltimore, includingFort McHenry. Carpool at 9:30 a.m. from ForestGlen Metro Kiss & Ride lot. $20-$25 should covertransportation and lunch. Return by 5 p.m. Craig,202-462-0535. [email protected].

THURSDAY, MARCH 19LEATHER AND KINK UNITED holds a meeting atThe DC Center. 8-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

The POLY DISCUSSION GROUP of The DCCenter holds its monthly meeting, 7-8 p.m. 2000

14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

QUEER FICTION CLASS, a writing workshop foraspiring fiction writers, meets for the first of fourThursday sessios, led by Sinta Jiminez. 6-8 p.m. TheWriter’s Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, Md. Formore information, visit writer.org.

THE DC CENTER’S FALL PLANNING

COMMITTEE meets at The DC Center. 7-8 p.m.2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session atTakoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW.7:30-9 p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian square-dancing group features mainstream throughadvanced square dancing at the National CityChristian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30 p.m.Casual dress. 301-257-0517, dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia socialgroup meets for happy hour at Sheraton in Reston,11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.

METROHEALTH CENTER offers free, rapid HIVtesting. Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW,Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5 p.m., byappointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger.202-567-3155 or [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics AnonymousMeeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW.The group is independent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE for youngLBTQ women, 13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth Center, 410 7thSt. SE. 202-567-3163, [email protected].

Metro Weekly’s Community Calendar highlights important events in

the D.C.-area LGBT community, from alternative social events to

volunteer opportunities. Event information should be sent by email to

[email protected]. Deadline for inclusion is noon

of the Friday before Thursday’s publication. Questions about

the calendar may be directed to the Metro Weekly office at

202-638-6830 or the calendar email address.

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MONDAY, MARCH 23CENTER MILITARY, a program of The DC Centerfor LGBT veterans, military servicemembers andtheir families, meets on the fourth Monday of eachmonth to work on various initiatives. 7-8:30 p.m.2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more informationand to RSVP, contact Eric Perez, 202-682-2245 [email protected].

WEEKLY EVENTS

Michael Brazell teaches BEARS DO YOGA, a pro-gram of The DC Center. 6:30 p.m., Green Lantern,1335 Green Court NW. No cost, newcomers wel-come. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds practice, 6:30-8:30p.m. Garrison Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

The DC Center hosts COFFEE DROP-IN FOR THE

SENIOR LGBT COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 200014th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS Water Polo Teampractices 7-9 p.m. Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 VanBuren St. NW. Newcomers with at least basic swim-ming ability always welcome. Tom, 703-299-0504,[email protected], wetskins.org.

Whitman-Walker Health HIV/AIDS SUPPORT

GROUP for newly diagnosed individuals, meets 7p.m. Registration required. 202-939-7671, [email protected].

TUESDAY, MARCH 24

WEEKLY EVENTS

ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinner in Dupont/ Logan Circle area, 6:30 p.m. [email protected],afwashington.net.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social clubserving greater D.C.’s LGBT community and allieshosts an evening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTH COLLABORATIVEoffers free HIV testing and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow TuesdayLGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focusedmeeting every Tuesday, 7 p.m. St. George’s

Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, juststeps from Virginia Square Metro. For more info.call Dick, 703-521-1999. Handicapped accessible.Newcomers welcome. [email protected].

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21meets at SMYAL, 410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. Cathy

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH, a Christ-centered,interracial, welcoming-and-affirming church, offersservice at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330, riv-ersidedc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OF ARLINGTON, anLGBTQ welcoming-and-affirming congregation,offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia Rainbow UUMinistry. 4444 Arlington Blvd. uucava.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL MEMORIALCHURCH, a welcoming and inclusive church. GLBTInterweave social/service group meets monthly.Services at 11 a.m., Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16thSt. NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT,God-centered new age church & learning center.Sunday Services and Workshops event. 5419 SherierPlace NW. isd-dc.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF REFORMATION invites allto Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is avail-able at both services. Welcoming LGBT people for 25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OFWASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL inter-preted) and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday School at 11a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373, mccdc.com.

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Chu, 202-567-3163, [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a support group for black gay men 40 and older. 7-9p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

Whitman-Walker Health’s GAY MEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD

CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 1701 14th St. NW. Patients are seen on walk-in basis.No-cost screening for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis andherpes testing available for fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25THE HIV PREVENTION WORKING GROUP of The DC Center holds a monthlyplanning meeting. 6-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB meets for Duplicate Bridge. 7:30 p.m. DignityCenter, 721 8th St SE, across from Marine Barrack. No reservation needed. 703-407-6540 if you need a partner.

WEEKLY EVENTS

AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m., Steam, 17th andR NW. All welcome. For more information, call Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5 p.m.,and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707, andromedatranscultural-health.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison Elementary,1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m. and 12:05p.m. All welcome. 118 N. Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, historic-christchurch.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor MedicalCenter, 1701 14th St. NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson Center, 2301

MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visitwhitman-walker.org.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support program for job entrants and seekers, meets atThe DC Center. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. More info, www.centercareers.org.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social club for mature gay men, hosts weekly happyhour/dinner. 6:30 p.m., Windows Bar above Dupont Italian Kitchen, 1637 17thSt. NW. Carl, 703-573-8316. l



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CAGLCC’s Changing Face LGBT business group hopes to expand focus, diversity of offerings under

new strategic plan

by John Riley

IT’S ALL ABOUT COMPATIBIL-ity.

That’s the chief criterion thatthe Capital Area Gay and Lesbian

Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC), the

local LGBT business group for the D.C.area, will be considering when choosing

a new executive director.“We’re going through a period of

growth and change,” says CAGLCCPresident and Board Member John

Quattlebaum. “We don’t want just to

quickly replace our executive director.

W A R D M O R R I S O N / F I L E P H O T O

We’re crafting a strategic plan for theorganization, about what we want to do

and where we want to be in the future.

We want to make sure we hire someonewho meets that criteria.”

The organization will establish asearch committee to decide on an execu-

tive director to replace Mark Guenther,who left in January after heading the

organization for five years. But first onQuattlebaum’s agenda is hiring admin-

istrative staff to help ease his work load.

He works full-time as a wealth plan-ning strategist with Wells Fargo, so

Quattlebaum has found himself stretchedthin when it comes to meeting the needs

of a business group with more than 430dues-paying members.

Hiring a new executive director isn’t

the only thing on CAGLCC’s agenda for2015. Quattlebaum would like to see

the group become more involved withinitiatives promoted by the national Gay

and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce,such as national certification for gay-

owned businesses and supplier diver-sity, as well as establish a greater pres-

ence locally, not just in the District but

the greater Washington metropolitanarea, hopefully extending well into the

surrounding suburbs.“We want to encourage our members

L G B TBusiness


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to get involved through volunteering, increasing our exposure,”he says. “We want to diversify the types of events we offer to our

members.”

CAGLCC already has the market cornered when it comes toestablishing connections between its members or chances for

them to find vendors, suppliers or potential partners for theirbusinesses, with monthly wine-and-cheese-type gatherings on

the second Thursday of each month, and a women-specificevent on the third Wednesday of each month. But the Chamber’s

upcoming Mega Networking & Social Event is expected to dwarfboth of those events. Quattlebaum anticipates up to to 1,500

attendees, who will take over Town Danceboutique for two

hours on Wednesday, March 25. Admission is free, but there willbe a cash bar.

“We hope people use this to help recruit vendors, connectwith customers, or just make new acquaintances with other

business leaders,” Quattlebaum says.CAGLCC also hosts quarterly events, the next one in April

focusing on smart networking and utilizing social media or

electronic communication to help boost business. There arealso plans in the works for a panel discussion and question-and-

answer session on supplier certification, a May roundtable onLGBT youth certification, and the chamber’s annual Pridelicious

celebration, which brainstorms and organizes a contingent ofarea business leaders and company representatives to march in

the Capital Pride parade and set up a booth at the Capital Pridestreet festival.

CAGLCC’s Mega Networking and Social Event will be onWednesday, March 25 at Town Danceboutique from 6:30 to 8:30

p.m. For more information, visit caglcc.org.l


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D

ESIREE AKHAVAN SEEMS LIKE A PERFECTLY HAPPY, WELL-adjusted person. Yet she seldom goes shopping without feeling a little sad.

“It’s an experience I’ve had many, many times,” Akhavan explains. “Igo shopping and I let a sales person trick me into believing I can purchase

happiness.” She’s susceptible no matter whether she’s shopping for clothes

at Ross, cosmetics at Duane Reade, or supplements at Vitamin Shoppe.“Suddenly it’s like, ‘Oh, you mean I’ve been doing everything the wrong

way? And if only I purchase the right tools, I’ll be okay?’”Many times in her life, Akhavan has been told she’s doing something the wrong

way. Or that she’s not right in some way. Although downright stunning in her film Appropriate Behavior (see review, pg. 23), she was unceremoniously crowned “theugliest girl” in high school. Throughout her life she’s been considered either tooradical — for fellow Americans of Iranian descent, for example — or too traditional

— for queer students at Smith College. A New Yorker by birth, Akhavan was raised

in a non-religious household by parents who gave up their Muslim faith after fleeingtheir native Iran 35 years ago. Akhavan is also a true bisexual — she can’t remember

a time she wasn’t attracted to both men and women. What she can remember iswondering if she “had the courage to pursue” a bisexual identity.

Akhavan’s experience of not fitting in has only fueled her desire to be a filmmak-

er and to share her life stories. A few years ago, she generated buzz for co-creatingthe comedy web series The Slope, about “a pair of superficial homophobic lesbiansin love.” And she’s currently developing two queer-themed projects for film and TV.

This Friday, March 20, Reel Affirmations will screen Akhavan’s debut film,

which had its premiere last year at Sundance. At that time, the mainstream pressstarted referring to Akhavan as “the next Lena Dunham.” Since then she’s actu-

ally appeared in a small role in Dunham’s hit HBO series, Girls. There are certainobvious similarities between Girls and Appropriate Behavior, but at root is a style

and sensibility obviously shared by these two millennial, native New Yorkers. “Theshows I love play with sadness in such a funny way,” Akhavan says. “They walk that

fine line between drama and comedy quite nicely.”

METRO WEEKLY: I understand Appropriate Behavior started as your thesis project at

NYU. What inspired you to make it?

DESIREE AKHAVAN: I wanted to make a film that reflected my life — that was true to

the themes and issues I was dealing with — but also was a comedy about love andthe universal themes that films have been mining forever. So, a romantic comedy

that could speak to me and my experiences. There’s so little out there that I feel

reflects my point of view.MW: Your point of view as a bisexual and a child of immigrants in America?

AKHAVAN: Yes, but even just my experience of New York, my perspective in comedy.Those things are also kind of different. I think people get really caught up in the

outliers of being gay or being Iranian, but it’s more than that. The tone of the film isreally experimental in some ways. It’s traditional in others. Nothing out there really

EntirelyAppropriate

Desiree Akhavan sees filmmaking as a way to share her

Interview by Doug Rule

experiences and connect to other queer outliers


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beginning to get accounts set up. And it was a really shitty, rinky-dinky site that people could vote in on.MW: It’s the type of experience gay people can relate to — similarto being teased or bullied. As long as you can survive it, it makes

you stronger.

AKHAVAN: Yeah, completely. I think people find different ways

to digest that kind of experience. I instantly felt like I wantedto take power of it and put it into my own narrative. It was after

that experience that I wrote my first play.MW: Was there a particular moment in your life when you realized

you were bisexual?

AKHAVAN: I think you always know these things about yourself.I always knew I had the potential to fall in love with a man or a

woman. I didn’t know if it was something that was going to be apart of my life until I was older. I wasn’t sure if it was something

that I had the courage to pursue.MW: Yeah, bisexuality is a more complicated concept, one mostlyunseen or unexplored in film or pop culture in general.

AKHAVAN: It’s definitely weird, uncharted territory because it’snot a tangible thing you can follow or explain. I think it’s easier

for straight people to wrap their brains around what it meansto be gay because you can care a great deal about the same sex

the way that they feel about the opposite sex. But when you’rea bisexual person, there’s this implication that you’re disingenu-

ous, that you must be lying to someone, and that you don’t quite

understand your own feelings, because you haven’t chosenwhere your priorities lie.MW: In the film, your brother calls your character “a sexually con-

fused narcissist.” Have you had that term thrown at you before?

AKHAVAN: [ Laughs. ] No, but I’m sure it’s what my brother actu-ally thinks of me.

MW: So although not autobiographical, there are clear antecedents

in the film’s story drawn from your own life.

AKHAVAN: I take the kernel of what’s fascinating, or distinct,

about my life and then try to elevate it into a narrative that’s farmore interesting and cinematic than my own. It’s not interesting

to have a diary entry. If I just shared my life, I don’t think anyonewould give a shit. But taking those elements — like the relation-

ship I have with my brother, which is super-loving but also reallyharsh. We like to put each other down a lot — that’s sort of our

spoke to that perspective of the world, which is kind of a satiriclook at dating in New York right now.MW: And Woody Allen was an inspiration?

AKHAVAN: Yeah, for sure. Definitely Annie Hall. I wanted to make

a film about a couple that you knew from the get-go wasn’t goingto be able to stay together. And yet you’d still find yourself root-

ing for them.MW: I’ve heard you comment you never thought about putting

somebody else in the film’s starring role.

AKHAVAN: No. It would seem disingenuous to hire a better-look-ing version of myself to do an impression.MW: Is acting something you always wanted to do?

AKHAVAN: When I was a kid I really wanted to act, up until I

was a teenager. And then I met with some agents and it becameapparent that because of the way that I look, it would be a hard

profession for me to excel at. I mean it’s a very specific kind of

girl who walks into a room and lights it up and everyone’s like,“We’ve got to cast her!”

I’m really glad I had that experience of people being like,“You’re too ugly to act.” Because at the end of the day, it’s not

a job you have control over. You keep putting yourself in otherpeople’s hands. And I think I would have gone insane if I had

pursued that. But being in a position to enable yourself to dowhatever role you want to do is really exciting. The idea of audi-

tioning and waiting for someone else to see potential in me and

give me a platform is not something I’m interested in.MW: Well I would never consider you unattractive. I don’t see it.

But I gather you had that experience in school.

AKHAVAN: Quite a lot.MW: Is that because you looked ethnically different to everybodyelse?

AKHAVAN: I grew into my face and my body. I was just legitimate-

ly not attractive, but also I came from a community of peoplewho have very strict ideas of what’s beautiful. The Persian com-

munity has one idea of beauty, and the New York prep schoolcommunity has one idea — they’re different ideas, but they’re

very specific. And neither one is one I fit into.MW: And where was it that they actually gave you a title?

AKHAVAN: It was my high school, as the Ugliest Girl at HoraceMann. It was on the Internet, at the time when people were

“I didn’t set out to be this queer filmmaker, but the stories I’m attracted to are STORIES THAT HAVEN’T BEEN TOLD BEFORE.”


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line with my beliefs. I don’t think it’s propaganda — I think it’sreal. The real conflict I wanted to show there was that Shirin is

in direct contrast. She’s trying to maintain the relationship withher family. She can’t cut it off, the way that Maxine has the ben-

efit of. That’s the difference between being from an immigrantculture and not.

Americans more easily cut off ties with their families — inmy opinion, it’s what I’ve noticed. It’s as painful and difficult as

losing a limb, but it’s still something I’ve seen happen. Whereas

with Persian families, or any other culture that comes here, youwill put up with anything just to be a good kid. Just to sustain

your relationship with your family. That whole scene was aboutthe fact that Maxine thinks it’s a possibility to cut out your family

and Shirin doesn’t.MW: Is it rare to see someone of Persian descent who doesn’t

remain close to their family?

AKHAVAN: I’m not even talking Persian. I’m talking immigrant. You put up with a lot. Your priority at the end of the day is to

please these people who went through hell to give you a betterlife. And it’s an experience that is really specific to being the

child of immigrants — that you’re always, always aware of thefact that sacrifices are made for you, and that you owe so much

to the people who got you to this world. And I don’t think thatsame feeling exists when your parents are from this country. I

don’t think that dynamic will exist between myself and my chil-

dren. To have survived war, and to have left everything you haveand make the sacrifices so your children can live a very different

life, a much more privileged life, is something that every child ofimmigrants is aware of, from whatever culture they come from.MW: When did your parents emigrate from Iran?

AKHAVAN: I believe it was 1980, during the Iranian revolution.

They went to France. They spent two years there and came to

America in ’82 or ’83.MW: Back to the topic of creating a second family, I wondered: Do

you have that? I mean, some gay people pride themselves on creat-ing a stronger bond with their friends, which I don’t think straight

people tend to do as much, historically not anyway. I just wonder ifbeing bisexual might complicate that for you in some way?

AKHAVAN: I agree with that sentiment, and I think that’s true. Ithink the issue that I’ve had in my life and that I wanted to por-

way to communicate love, through insults.So I have an older brother, who is a doctor. He’s very similar

to the character, but my parents aren’t like their characters at all.I never was closeted with them. I never lived with someone and

lied about it. Those are not experiences that we had together, butit fit really well into the story of Maxine and Shirin. What device

could we use to make this couple seem like they could neverbe together? Shirin was closeted, while Maxine was a staunch

believer that her sexuality was the first and foremost quality of

her life that she had to be loyal to — she identifies queer overeverything. I’ve never dated someone like that. I don’t think

anyone like that would be interested in dating someone like mebecause they usually tend to be quite sensitive and don’t like my

sense of humor.MW: Because you would make fun of them, the way you make fun

of yourself?

AKHAVAN: Yeah, I make fun of myself, I make fun of the com-munities I belong to. I find humor in those things. I like dating

people with a really good sense of humor about themselves.MW: It’s a sign that someone is confident and comfortable in their

own skin and identity. There’s an example in the film, an intimatescene in which Maxine, instead of saying “I love you” on the count

of three, opts for a joke — “I’m thinking of transitioning to a man.”That was a clever way of playing with people’s expectations.

AKHAVAN: Thanks. I love that line, too. It’s actually gotten me a

lot of trouble in the past year — Some people are really offendedby it. I don’t think the butt of the joke is the trans community, I

think I’m the butt of the joke — the expectations of romance. It’sa commentary on a lot of things. And it’s totally within realm that

she could have been gearing up to say that she wanted to transi-tion. That’s something that wouldn’t have been so far off base.

MW: There’s a concept the film jokingly calls “lesbian orphan pro-

paganda,” but ultimately is a real thing gay people, particularlyolder gay people, talk up: The whole notion of creating a second

family made of friends if the family we were born into rejected us.What inspired you to include this?

AKHAVAN: That was a scene in which my character was beingparticularly venomous. It is a thing — a lot of people lose their

families. And you have to build your own, and that’s not propa-ganda. It was a funny, mean thing for Shirin to say, but it’s not in

To have survived war, and to make sacrif ices so your chi ldren can live a ver y di fferent li fe , is something

EVERY CHILD OF IMMIGRANTS IS AWARE OF.”


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that haven’t been told before, and that’s what I think ties thesetwo projects together.

The television series is about a lesbian who comes out as

bisexual in her 30s and deals with the fallout of that lifestylechange. The other one, I can’t say what the plot is yet because

it’s an adaptation of a young adult novel.MW: Is TV inspiring you a lot today?

AKHAVAN: Oh god, yeah. I’m so inspired by everything. I reallylove Louie, that’s my favorite show. I also really love Broad City

— it’s so crude and absurdly funny. I also really love Girls. It has

this sadness that makes me ache sometimes — whenever theyhave episodes especially with the parents, it really touches me on

a deep level. I feel like the shows that I love play with sadness insuch a funny way. They really walk that fine line between drama

and comedy quite nicely. Like Transparent does it too. It’s veryexciting, as well as becoming more honest.MW: One last thing. What about the future? Do you hope to have a

family and kids?

AKHAVAN: Yeah, I do. I would very much like to do that.MW: How far in the future for that, any idea?AKHAVAN: Oh, god. Who fucking knows? Things happen as they

happen. I’ve been asking myself that a lot lately, because I justturned 30. I just think it’s stupid to put plans — I think you

should work towards goals, but to have expectations is onlygoing to break your heart a little because who knows how things

happen and when they happen? Who knows how motherhood or

how a permanent, monogamous partnership is going to happenfor me, or whether or not it will? I can’t base my joy on it. I can

base my joy on being a really good friend, or trying to be the bestperson I can, trying to be the best daughter I can, or trying to

make all the work I want to make.I really do believe that if you keep checking in with yourself

and keep doing the things you want to do, things fall into theplace that they’re supposed to. Perhaps that’s naïve, and in 10

years I’ll be sad that I didn’t have a checklist of things to accom-

plish by 35, but I could never think strategically about havingkids at this stage.

Reel Affirmations presents Appropriate Behavior in two screen-

ings on Friday, March 20, at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., at the Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 for

general admission or $25 for VIP including one cocktail, one pop-

corn and special seating. In addition, a chef’s tasting will follow the7 p.m. screening courtesy of Tasteful Creations from Chef B. Call

202-682-2245 or visit reelaffirmations.org. l

tray in the film is that I don’t fit into that community either. AndI never have. I went to Smith College, an incredibly gay school,

and I wasn’t gay enough for it. And my values, and my humor,

and my life, just didn’t ever fit into that. And it was to me just asoppressive and just as social-climbing/hierarchical as the New

York prep school scene. Especially being bisexual, especiallybeing feminine, I just did not find a home there. And I think I’m

really searching for my home, in general. And that’s what thisfilm is about — putting into words that search.

MW: Is that what drew you to Brooklyn, given its reputation as a

haven for creative types?

AKHAVAN: I couldn’t afford rent anywhere except for in Brooklyn,

and that’s how I found myself there. And I lived with other film-makers, and found a community of filmmakers there that felt

like home for a while — until it didn’t. And that really led into avery nomadic year of traveling and trying things out and seeing

what other countries I like. It’s been a really interesting journey.Especially because I’m traveling with a film that’s so personal.

This whole thing is incredibly self-indulgent.MW: Do you like the nomadic lifestyle?

AKHAVAN: I like it for now. I don’t think I could sustain this for

more than another year.MW: I trust you didn’t travel with the film to Iran, but do you ever

go there? Or still have family there?

AKHAVAN: I used to go in summers to visit my family — cousins,

my grandmother and my uncle live there. But I haven’t been

back in years, and I don’t think it would be safe to go there now.It’s against the law to be out and gay, so I would not do it.MW: Are you, or is anyone in your family, political, or engaged atall in that situation and trying to change it?

AKHAVAN: Yeah, I mean everybody was really involved in theGreen Movement, but now — that was in 2009, and things are

shifting, and it’s like a different thing to be political now. TheArab Spring kind of came and went. Iran wasn’t really — I don’t

know, we got kind of overlooked in that experience. I know a lot

of people who are politically engaged and involved, but from myperspective, which is a very distant one, it seems like a lot of that

hope got sucked out of the movement.MW: What’s next for you?

AKHAVAN: I have two projects I’m working on right now. One is afeature film that I’m writing with my producer in London. And

the other one is a television series that I’ve been developing for a

while, and that I worked on at the Sundance Labs. They’re verydifferent, but they both have queer themes. I didn’t set out to be

this queer filmmaker, but the stories I’m attracted to are stories

“Who knows how a permanent, monogamous

partnership is going to happen for me, or whetheror not it will? I CAN’T BASE MY JOY ON IT.”


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IN LGBT CINEMA — ALL CINEMA, REALLY, BUT PAR-

ticularly so in this genre — there is a certain combination

of words that can easily spell disaster for any produc-

tion: “Written, directed by and starring.” Especially on

a freshman attempt, a single person commanding three key

roles can be toxic. Vanity, inexperience, self-indulgence —

any number of factors can reduce a good idea or witty script

into subpar dreck.

Not so with Appropriate Behavior ( HHHHH) . Desiree

Akhavan, in a stunning debut, wrote, directed and starred in

her first film, and the result is a feature bursting with humor,

interesting characters and enough charm to keep you hooked

through its ninety-minute runtime. Akhavan stars as Shirin,the closeted, bisexual daughter of Iranian immigrants. The

film opens on her breakup with partner Maxine (Rebecca

Henderson), before following her as she meanders through

the months that follow, love-sick, vengeful, resurgent and

everything in between, interwoven with flashbacks to high-

lights of her relationship.

Akhavan has surrounded herself with competent actors

— most notably Scott Adsit (30 Rock ) — with little waste in

terms of the people filling her frame. Every character feels

simultaneously real and stereotypical: the artsy best friend,

the over-achieving older brother who’s Shirin’s antithesis,

the open, slightly butch and proud former lover, the various

Brooklyn natives who are all differing shades of hipster. All,

though, are fleshed out, even seemingly inconsequential char-

acters, such as the slightly overbearing lingerie sales assistant

who offers support — both literal and emotional — to Shirin

while bra shopping. She’s on screen for a few minutes, but

her character has depth beyond.

It’s Akhavan herself who deserves the praise heaped

upon her during the film’s festival run. Her character is

awkward, insecure, incompetent, but more than capable of

being sexy and confident when the mood calls — which it

does, the highlight being a painfully awkward threesome.

Her personal pity party following the initial breakup would

be grating if Akhavan weren’t so likable — you’ll want toshake her and tell her to grow up (as does her mother), but

that’s probably the point.

Yes, the whole thing does feel a little Girls -esque — and,

indeed, Akhavan, guest stars as a writing student on HBO’s

fourth series. There’s not much here that hasn’t been done

before in other rom coms, particularly those set in New York,

especially those in the artsy borough of Brooklyn. Still, even

as a first effort, even with Akhavan writing, starring and direct-

ing (and yes, she does dip slightly into self-indulgence, but

we’ll forgive it), and even with a body of work that’s similar in

tone to compete with, Appropriate Behavior succeeds — and

brilliantly so. l

Characters WelcomeDesiree Akhavan’s freshman effort is a sexy, funny exploration

of the end of a relationship

By Rhuaridh Marr


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MARCH 19 - 26, 2015

SPOTLIGHT

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE All next week the Kennedy Center celebrates this75-year-old company, which calls itself America’sNational Ballet Company. It launches Monday,March 23, with the world premiere of a documen-tary by Ric Burns (Baltimore-born brother of Ken)about the troupe, America’s first ballet, offered aspart of the free nightly Millennium Stage program-ming. Festivities then continue with ABT’s annual

24

Compiled by Doug Rule

S A R A H S M A L L

Stretching BoundariesString quartet Brooklyn Rider moves beyond classical

IT’S UNUSUAL ENOUGH THAT GLENN KOTCHE WOULD WRITE ANINSTRUMENTAL composition for Brooklyn Rider. That he titled it “Ping

Pong Fumble Thaw” is stranger still.“We asked many composers, mostly outside of what we think of as the classical

music world to write short pieces in which they reference an artistic inspirationof their choice,” the string quartet’s Colin Jacobsen explains.

Kotche, drummer of alt-rock band Wilco, wasn’t inspired by table tennis. He

chose Germany’s minimal electronic musician Jens Massel, drawing names fromMassel’s record titles that also work to describe the sounds you’re hearing. And yes,

you essentially hear the sound of a ping-pong bouncing back and forth throughout.Jacobsen, one of the group’s violinists as well as in-house composer, expects

the quartet will play the amusing Kotche composition this weekend when itreturns to Sixth & I as part of a 10th anniversary concert presented by Washington

Performing Arts. The evening will also feature other compositions from the Brooklyn Rider Almanac, including the world premiere of a piece by TyondaiBraxton that didn’t make the recording released last year.


The project was inspired by the same

German artistic collective, Blue Rider,that inspired the group’s name. A cen-

tury ago Blue Rider members, includ-ing composer Arnold Schoenberg and

painter Wassily Kandinsky, contrib-

uted to an “eclectic” cross-disciplinaryalmanac of essays and prints as well as

music manuscripts.The Brooklyn Rider Almanac is

similarly set to grow to include morethan just music. For example, several

choreographers will premiere works

set to compositions in the collec-tion, performed live by the quartet,

at Colorado’s Vail International DanceFestival this summer.

Obviously, Brooklyn Rider is notyour father’s string quartet — even if

your father was a classical musician asJacobsen’s was. His mother was too,

and his younger brother, Eric, is the

quartet’s cellist. (“It’s kind of all in thefamily.”) The quartet has succeeded in

part because of the “great chemistry”among all four original members, but

also because of mutual involvementin other endeavors working to expand

the boundaries of classical music, andmusic in general, including Yo-Yo Ma’s

high-profile collective.

Explains Jacobsen: “Joining the SilkRoad Ensemble, which all four of us are

a part of, also really opened up our earsand eyes to the world.” — Doug Rule

Washington Performing Arts presents

Brooklyn Rider Saturday, March 21, at 8

p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.

600 I St. NW. Tickets are $28.Call 202-408-3100 or visitwashingtonperformingarts.org.

run of performances at the Kennedy Center, spreadinto two programs accompanied by the KennedyCenter Opera House Orchestra. First is the mid-week mixed repertory featuring George Balanchine’sTheme & Variations as set to Tchaikovsky, AntonyTudor’s Pillar of Fire with music by Schoenbergand Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo with a score by AaronCopland. Second is the weekend-run of choreogra-pher Frederick Ashton’s romantic and magical takeon Prokofiev’s Cinderella, with sets and costumes by David Walker. American Ballet Theatre at 75 - A Documentary Film is Monday, March 23, at 6 p.m.

Performances start Wednesday, March 24, and runto Sunday, March 29. Kennedy Center Opera House.Screening is free; performances are $25 to $119. Call202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

AMERICAN CENTURY’S

BROADWAY HIT PARADEThe final musical show by Virginia’s AmericanCentury Theater is a staged reading and singingproduction featuring musical comedy standouts fromthe 20 years of the company, which has alwaysfocused on giving lesser-known or rarely performed


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shows their due. This parade is expected to march through selections from JerryHermann’s Dear World , Kurt Weill’s One Touch of Venus and the Rodgers andHart classic Babes in Arms. Opens Thursday, March 19, at 8 p.m. To March 22.Gunston Theater II, 2700 South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are $32 to $40. Call703-548-3092 or visit americancentury.org.

BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA POPS:

SINGIN’ IN THE RAINJack Everly leads the BSO in a performance accompanying a screening of whatthe American Film Institute has named the greatest movie musical, 1952’s Singin’ In The Rain starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. Expect a “lighthearteddownpour of iconic dance and memorable songs.” Thursday, March 26, at 8 p.m.

Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Also Friday,March 27, and Saturday, March 28, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 29, at 3 p.m.Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets are $40to $105. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

BLITHE SPIRITThe 89-year-old Angela Lansbury is still going strong, now touring in a new pro-duction, directed by Michael Blakemore, of Noel Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit. Lansbury won yet another Tony Award for playing eccentric mediumMadame Arcati, who unwittingly summons Elvira, the revenge-seeking ghost ofa novelist’s dead wife. The show also marks a return to D.C. for Lansbury aftergetting her pre-Broadway stage start nearly 60 years ago at the same venue, withlong-forgotten comedy Hotel Paradiso. Now to March 29. National Theatre,1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $48 to $118. Call 202-628-6161 or visitthenationaldc.org.

JAMES MURPHY

Four years after disbanding his great — if underappreciated — dance-rock bandLCD Soundsystem, the cowbell-loving, New York-based artist is still an influ-ential figure in today’s indie-music scene via his work as a co-founder/principalof hipster label DFA Records (home to Juan Maclean and Holy Ghost!) and as aproducer-for-hire working with such hipster-favorite bands as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Arcade Fire. But he’s also a sharp, skilled DJ, spinning tunes steepedin disco but strongly flavored by modern deep house — including some from hisown repertoire. He returns to the 9:30 Club for another Friday night DJ partyafter having created a stirring debut in the fall of 2013. Friday, March 27. Doorsat 10 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

JANE LYNCHWith Glee out of production, ending a successful six-year run, Jane Lynch, whowas high school coach and all-around glee club nemesis Sue Sylvester, is search-ing for her next big project. Meanwhile, she’s touring the country with a cabaretshow, “See Jane Sing!” As Lynch explained in an interview with Metro Weekly:

“It’s me and Kate Flannery from The Office [she played Meredith Palmer]. I havea five-piece band — an amazing quintet — and we sing these obscure standards,and some beautiful three-part harmonies, because my friend Tim Davis, the vocalarranger on Glee, also joins us.” Tuesday, March 24, and Wednesday, March 25,at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are$89.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

JASON EDWARD TUCKER: CODERobert Yi curated this solo exhibition of new works by gay local collage artistand photographer Jason Edward Tucker. Drawn from three separate projects,all the works in the show variously explore aspects of gay language, stereotypesand codes. Opening reception is Saturday, March 21, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Onexhibit to March 28. American University Museum’s Gallery 252 at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Call 202-885-1300 or visit american.edu/cas/museum.

LEELA JAMES, LEDISI, RAHEEM DEVAUGHN

It’s technically Ledisi’s show, with D.C.’s own Grammy-nominated RaheemDeVaughn the New Orleans R&B/jazz artist’s lead supporting act. But gritty, big-voiced R&B singer Leela James should be the biggest draw — and if anybodycould steal a show, it’s she. Two years ago, the L.A. native released Loving You More…In The Spirit of Etta James. Certainly if any contemporary singer mostconjures thoughts of the late Etta, it’s the same-surnamed — though unrelated —Leela. Meanwhile, Ledisi starred as gospel powerhouse Mahalia Jackson in last year’s Selma. Talk about a show. Saturday, March 21, at 8 p.m. D.A.R. ConstitutionHall, 1776 D St. NW. Remaining tickets are $88.85. Call 202-628-1776 or visit dar.org/conthall.

MALCOLM GETSThe latest musical theater performer to get Barbara Cook’s Spotlight at theKennedy Center is this openly gay actor who has appeared on Broadway in Merrily We Roll Along as well as the 2003 Amour, which garnered him a Tonynomination. But Gets is probably best known as Richard Karinsky from the‘90s TV show Caroline in the City. Five years ago, in a Kennedy Center revival



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of Terrence McNally’s The Lisbon Traviata, he portrayed an openly gay opera buff and devotee of Maria Callas — which isn’t far from the truth. “I was kind ofobsessed with opera at a very young age,” the Florida-raised performer told MetroWeekly at the time. ”I was on the road to becoming a concert pianist but got bit by the theater bug early, and then sort of found my way into the theater by play-ing the piano.” Friday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.Tickets are $45. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

THE ORIGINALISTMolly Smith directs an Arena Stage world premiere of John Strand’s play aboutone of the biggest enemies to the LGBT cause and civil rights in general: SupremeCourt Justice Antonin Scalia. It’s hard to get excited about this one, although no

doubt four-time Helen Hayes Award winner Edward Gero will do Scalia justice.The play is performed in the Mead Center’s Kogod Cradle in a new three-quarterthrust configuration. To April 26. Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St.SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA: THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

HHHHH

With more cohesion from director Stephen Lawless and more dramatic chemis-try and tension, there is none of the remoteness that turned props (and ghostlyapparitions) into amusements the last time the Flying Dutchman was seen herein 2008. Now, the potency of the narrative allows one the framework in which tofind the forlorn beauty and emotion embedded in Wagner’s searching score -– anappreciation of the opera’s more rarified themes remaining optional. And the plotitself is accessible. At the heart of this version’s more effective storytelling is Eric Owens, who giveshis Dutchman a strange and striking presence. Befitting this Dutchman, Owenssings with a deeply gratifying precision, his sound lustrously hewn. This time

the vessel is far more sea-worthy. To March 21. Kennedy Center Opera House.Tickets are $25 to $300. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org. (KateWingfield)

FILM

CINDERELLACate Blanchett is the wicked stepmother, Helena Bonham Carter is the FairyGodmother and Derek Jacobi plays the king in Disney’s latest take on the clas-sic fairy tale, with Lily James in the title role and Richard Madden as PrinceCharming. Kenneth Branagh directs this live-action version written by ChrisWeitz. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

TOMMYThe Who’s 1975 rock opera starred the band’s Roger Daltrey in the title role as a

“deaf, dumb and blind kid” who eventually becomes the leader of a religious sectafter defeating the Pinball Wizard, played by Elton John. Along the way, we meetcharacters portrayed by Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Eric Clapton, Tina Turnerand Jack Nicholson. If you haven’t seen Ken Russell’s eccentric film, from a story by The Who’s Pete Townshend, the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre hasgot your ticket to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary. Friday, March 27, 9:15p.m., and Saturday, March 28, at 10 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road,Silver Spring. Tickets are $12 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visitafi.com/Silver.

STAGE

FABULAS MAYASGALA Theatre presents an entertaining children’s play by Cecilia Cackley, with bilingual adaptation by Karin Tovar, relating traditional Mayan fables and featur-ing shadow and hand puppetry by the experimental company Wit’s End Puppets.To March 21. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $10to $12. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.

MAN OF LAMANCHA As prisoner Miguel de Cervantes presents his tale of knight errant Don Quixote,his journey comes alive in a play-within-the-play in this “Impossible Dream”musical from the team of book writer Dale Wasserman, lyricist Joe Darion andcomposer Mitch Leigh. Alan Paul directs Anthony Warlow in the starring rolein this year’s Shakespeare Theatre Company musical offering. Man of LaMancha is considered one of the greatest adaptations — musical or otherwise —of classicliterature. Considered production by Alan Paul. Now in previews. To April 26.Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org/MWLaMancha.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHINGThe 11th installment in Synetic Theater’s “wordless Shakespeare” series is one

of the Bard’s best-loved comedies. Synetic’s Paata Tsikurishvili has set Much



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CANTUSBilled by American classical magazine Fanfare as“the premier men’s vocal ensemble in the UnitedStates,” Cantus makes its debut at Wolf Trap aspart of its Chamber Music Series at the Barns. Thefocus is on a program of songs we sing communally,whether in celebration or mourning — from thereligious and traditional (“Ave Maria,” the HebrewBurial Kaddish) to folk anthems (“Danny Boy,” theCuban “Arroz con Leche”) to even one Americanmusical standard (“You’ll Never Walk Alone” from

Carousel ). Friday, March 27, at 8 p.m. The Barns at

Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35.Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

CHRIS LAKEJust as with other DJ/producers who straddle theprogressive house/tech-house divide — includingdeadmau5 and Kaskade — the L.A.-based, U.K.-nativeChris Lake has repeatedly lost his balance by incor-porating elements from the faddish notice-me, herky- jerky style known as dubstep, an attempt to appeal toEDM-loving kiddies. The result is that many of hismore recent singles are desultory, all-but unlisten-able. But not all: For every noxious “Goodbye,” there’s“Helium” featuring Jareth, the kind of poppy, effer- vescent jam grounded in propulsive bass lines (hereincluding bass guitar) that Lake first made his namewith nearly a decade ago. Fortunately, the future looks

even brighter. Lake has said he’s increasingly explor-ing a more deep-house sound. Expect him to previewthis change in direction this weekend. Friday, March20, starting at 10 p.m. U Street Music Hall, 1115A USt. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-588-1880 or visitustreetmusichall.com.

JESSICA HERNANDEZ AND THE DELTAS“Sorry I Stole Your Man” is a song as cheeky as itsounds, with a doo-wop chorus occasionally sere-nading Jessica Hernandez, who is punky and spunkyand far from apologetic about anything. Musicallyspeaking at least, there’s nothing to apologize for. As demonstrated on last year’s debut Secret Evil, Hernandez and her band create a joyous, entertain-ing sound rich with Southern rock, country and blues — as well as Motown influences from their

Detroit hometown, plus a little spice thrown in fromsouth of the border, courtesy of rock en español.The captivating and powerful-voiced Hernandez,who sings in English, will sometimes put you inmind of Adele, other times the Gossip’s Beth Ditto.No pop music lover — to say nothing of at least onepreviously attached straight man — could possiblyresist her charms. Opening for J. Roddy Walston& The Business. Friday, March 20. Doors at 8 p.m.Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

JUSTIN TRAWICK AND

THE NINE SONGWRITER SERIESFolk-rock songwriter Justin Trawick formed the col-laborative 9 Songwriter Series in 2008 as a means to book larger venues for shows featuring Trawick and

fellow local musicians, giving them a bigger audienceand opportunities to improvise and collaborate, andgiving audiences an easier way to discover a songwrit-er or band to love. Joining Trawick in the collective’sdebut at the region’s newest venue: Luke Shaffer,Kevin de Souza, Victoria Vox, Cordell featuring RyanMcMichael and Grace Nagia, Michael Clem, AndyZipf, Dear Creek and Hayley Fahey. Friday, March27, at 7:30 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $30. Call 301-581-5100 or visit ampbystrathmore.com.

Ado About Nothing in the mid-20th Century RatPack-era Las Vegas, so expect Sinatra-esque croon-ing tunes and chipper early rock songs. To March22. Theater at Crystal City, 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Tickets are $20 to $95. Call 800-494-8497or visit synetictheater.org.

THE CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATIONRep Stage presents this sharp comedy from AnnieBaker about a group of small-town residentsenrolled in a community center drama class, inwhich they play various seemingly harmless theater

games. What could possibly go wrong? SuzanneBeal directs. To March 22. Rep Stage: The HorowitzCenter’s Studio Theatre at Howard CommunityCollege, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia,Md. Tickets are $40. Call 443-518-1500 or visitrepstage.org.

TIME STANDS STILLPeter’s Alley Theatre Productions offers a produc-tion of Donald Margulies’ stunning 2010 Tony-winning play chiefly about two war correspondents,returning from covering the Iraq War and strugglingto make sense of this wild world and their places in it. Aly B. Ettman and Aaron Tone play the lead roles ina production also featuring Jim Epstein and ChelseaMayo and directed by Stevie Zimmerman. Now toMarch 29. Peter’s Alley at Theatre on the Run, 3700

South Four Mile Run Dr. Arlington. Tickets are $20.Call 703-933-1111 or visit petersalley.com.

COMMUNITY THEATER

EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICALThe Greenbelt Arts Center offers a production ofthe Off Broadway stage adaptation of Sam Raimi’scult classic zombie film featuring book and lyrics byGeorge Reinblatt and music by a team led by FrankCipolla. Jeffery Lesniak directs this community the-ater production, choreographed by Rikki HowieLacewell. The seats up front are designated theSplatter Zone as, naturally, patrons will be splatteredin blood from the stage battles. And who wouldn’tpay more for that? To March 28. Greenbelt ArtsCenter, 123 Centerway. Greenbelt, Md. Tickets are$22, or $30 for the Splatter Zone. Call 301-441-8770or visit greenbeltartscenter.org.

MUSIC

BIG DATA An intriguing alt-dance/indie-rock hybrid, producer Alan Wilkis’s Big Data mines various genres andworks with an eclectic group of hip bubbling-underartists to generate songs that are gritty but melodic,edgy but accessible — nothing but cool. Exhibit A is last year’s modest rock hit “Dangerous,” fea-turing the band Joywave and a sauntering bassguitar riff you could groove to all day long. New

single “Get Some Freedom” sounds like the secondcoming of British band Muse, only the “Uprising”march this time is led by a woman. That would beMartina Sorbara, the lead singer of the dance bandDragonette. Other promising songs to come fromBig Data’s debut album 2.0, out next week, includecollaborations with Dominican-American synth-pop act Twin Shadow, Jenn Wasner of Baltimore’shipster rock act Wye Oak and the Kiwi electro/ jazz artist Kimbra. Friday, March 27. Doors at 8:30

p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $16 inadvance, or $18 day-of show. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

KEVIN EUBANKSThe longtime leader of the band on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno, this American jazz guitaristand composer returns for an annual weekend run ofshows at Blues Alley. Thursday, March 26, throughSunday, March 29, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Blues Alley,1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $30, plus$10 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

LEA SALONGA WITH

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA POPS

Steven Reineke leads the NSO in a celebration ofthe musicals of Boublil and Schonberg, most notably Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, for which LeaSalonga won the Tony Award for Leading Actress ina Musical in 1991. Joining Salonga in this “Do YouHear The People Singing?” program are Eric Kunze,Terrence Mann, Kathy Voytko and Marie Zamora,plus the University of Maryland Concert Choir andthe Children’s Chorus of Washington. Friday, March27, and Saturday, March 28, at 8 p.m. KennedyCenter Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 to $88. Call202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NATALIA ZUKERMAN, JT PROJECT, JAMESON

RODGERS, SARA MCDONALDThe music industry’s ASCAP Foundation pres-ents a showcase of new or indie songwriters, simi-

lar in spirit to its annual “Broadway Today andTomorrow” series showcasing new composers. Bothseries offer free concerts as part of the MillenniumStage programming at the Kennedy Center. This year’s “Songwriters: The Next Generation” seriesfeatures Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter/gui-tarist Natalia Zukerman, who will perform withkeyboardist/bassist Jacob Webb and saxophonistTodd Schefflin’s jazz/soul/R&B group JT Project,on Wednesday, March 25, and Mississippi-basedsinger-songwriter Jameson Rodgers and Brooklyn- based jazz singer-songwriter and French hornistSara McDonald, on Thursday, March 26, at 6 p.m.Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC

Piotr Gajewski leads the symphony in a performancedevoted to three towering Russian Romantics,capped by Tchaikovsky’s dramatic masterpiece Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy. Also on theprogram is Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnoland Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, performed by Haochen Zhang, winner of the 2009 Van CliburnInternational Piano Competition. Saturday, March28, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 29, at 3 p.m. MusicCenter at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, NorthBethesda. Tickets are $37 to $84. Call 301-581-5100or visit strathmore.org.

THE REBIRTH BRASS BANDFormed in 1983, this New Orleans band has evolvedfrom playing the streets of the French Quarter tofestivals and stages all over the world — and also

HBO’s Treme — in the process leading a revival inthe Crescent City’s brass band tradition. Friday,March 20, and Saturday, March 21, at 8:30 p.m. TheHamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $37 to $42.Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

SAEED YOUNANWant to support an internationally known but thor-oughly local DJ? Stop by Flash next Saturday night,to hear the great D.C.-based progressive/tech houseDJ Saeed Younan, who first came to attention as thelead half of house duo Saeed & Palash. He performsa Birthday Bash set, Saturday, March 21. Doors at 10p.m. Flash, 645 Florida Ave. NW. Cover is $20. Call202-827-8791 or visit flashdc.com.



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GALLERIES

BEYOND BOLLYWOOD:

INDIAN AMERICANS SHAPE THE NATIONSmithsonian Asian Pacific American Center pres-ents this ambitious and colorful exhibition on thesecond floor of the National Museum of NaturalHistory, exploring the heritage, daily experiencesand diverse contributions of Indians and Indian Americans. Through Aug. 16. National Museumof Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution

Avenue NW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit mnh.si.edu.

CONFLUENCE: CONSIDERING THE ANACOSTIAPhotographs of the Anacostia River are presented inan exhibit at the Anacostia Arts Center and featuringthe work of National Geographic freelance pho-tographer Becky Harlan, local gallery artist David Allen Harris, wildlife and conservation photogra-pher Krista Schlyer, and documentary-style photog-rapher Bruce McNeil. The exhibit coincides with thefirst-ever Anacostia River Festival, which will serveas the closing event of the National Cherry BlossomFestival and take place in the nearby AnacostiaPark on April 12. Open reception is Friday, March20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. On exhibit through May1. Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE.Call 202-631-6291 or visit anacostiaartscenter.com.

FORDLANDIA: THE LOST CITY OF HENRY FORDThe Art Museum of the Americas presents the firstin a series on megalomania by British artist DanDubowitz, who took photographs a few years agorevealing what became of the large chunk of landthat Henry Ford bought in the Brazilian rainforest just before the Great Depression. This was a delusionof grandeur — Ford was hoping to create a rubber-

THE ACA-CHALLENGEThe Alexandria Harmonizers presents this annualcontest featuring the region’s best a cappella groupscompeting for a grand prize of $1,000, though all willgo home $100 richer. On tap to perform this year —in addition to the Alexandria Harmonizers and itscontemporary a cappella group TBD, as well as last year’s winner, Word of Mouth — are The District,GW Vibes, JHU Allnighters, Tomorrow’s Harmony,UVA Sil’hooettes and Vox Pop. The audience gets to vote in this contest, hosted by SingStrong’s JonathanMinkoff. Saturday, March 21. Doors at 7 p.m. Lincoln

Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $41. Call202-328-6000 or visit thelincolndc.com.

THE INSERIES: DON GIOVANNIThe InSeries’s offers a new English adaptation ofMozart’s opera by writer Bari Biern and directorTom Mallan, transplanting the work into an all- American, 1920s religious revival setting. To March23. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St.NW. Tickets are $22 to $45. Call 202-204-7763 or visit inseries.org.

COMEDY

MIKE LAWRENCEThis stand-up comedian has appeared on Conan onTBS and John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show onComedy Central, which also premiered Lawrence’sown Half Hour stand-up show two years ago. Friday,March 27, at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center MillenniumStage. Tickets are free. Call 202-467-4600 or visitkennedy-center.org.

producing community, solely focused on work —that may have flopped royally, but it did succeed inencouraging other wealthy tycoons as well as poorlocal gold-diggers to plunder the rainforest to tryother ways of making a profit. Dubowitz toured andphotographed the deserted Fordlandia a few yearsago, and the new photos are contrasted by those fromFord’s minions taken in the 1930s. Now to May 1. ArtMuseum of the Americas, Organization of AmericanStates, 1889 F St. NW. Call 202-370-0149 or visit AMAmuseum.org to schedule an appointment.

LISA ROSENSTEIN: SILENT LANGUAGEDance Place presents an exhibit of monochromaticand dimensional mixed-media work by this artist,who lives in the venue’s Brookland neighborhood.“Silent Language” explores pre-written symbolismfor messaging, communication and interpretation.To March 28. Studio 21 on the Arts Walk at MonroeStreet Market, 716 Monroe St. NE. Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.

MODERN SCULPTURE:

DIALOGUES IN THREE DIMENSIONSWhile its galleries are closed for renovation andexpansion, the National Gallery of Art has set upthroughout its East Building a special installation ofmodern sculpture from its renowned holdings. Andthree times a week, the gallery offers a new 60-min-

ute guided tour highlighting these works, allowingpatrons to engage with each other in open-endeddiscussions about, in addition to the guide pointingout connections between, the works on view, from Alexander Calder’s monumental mobile Untitledfrom 1976 to Andy Goldsworthy’s decade-old Roof.The relationship between I.M. Pei’s East Buildingand John Russell Pop’s West Building is also exam-ined. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, at 1:30 p.m.



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THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964:

A LONG STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOMThe Library of Congress commemorates the 50thanniversary of the Civil Rights Act with a yearlongexhibition highlighting legal and legislative victoriesand shedding light on the individuals who shapedthe civil rights movement. Through Sept. 12. TheLibrary of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building,10 First St. SE. Call 202-707-8000 or visit loc.gov/ exhibits.

THE VISIONARY EXPERIENCE:

SAINT FRANCIS TO FINSTERBaltimore’s quirky Visionary Art Museum offersits 20th annual exhibition, this one championinglife’s grand “Eureka!” moments, held in common by Earth’s most dynamic and intuitive “evolution-aries,” from inventors, scientists, America’s found-ing fathers, dreamers and saints. The show wasco-curated b

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Metro Weekly - 03-19-15 - Desiree Akhavan