Borderstan Weekend September 26/27

Here are my picks for things to do during the weekend in Borderstan, really close by or in the city… restaurants, galleries and theater.

U-topia at 1418 U Street NW is a great spot on the U street corridor. Jazz and art come together to help you celebrate an excellent meal… Brazilian jazz on Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

La Carbonara at 1926 9th Street NW is in Shaw’s Little Ethiopia. This recently opened Italian restaurant has received mix reviews, from excellent to bland, perhaps depending on the day of the week. If you are feeling adventuresome, give it a try and let us know.

Local 16, at 1602 U Street NW is a nice place to go during the week. The weekend is totally different and it can get crowded and uncomfortable. The menu is American food with an Italian influence. Local 16 has a beautiful roof top deck.

“Ink Storm” at Transformer Gallery, 1404 P Street NW: “This exhibition highlights how artists CHEN Shaoxiong, DAI Guangyu, and Paula TSAI, three emerging Beijing based artists who re-interpret and re-invent traditional Chinese uses of ink through video, drawing, and mixed-media installation, incorporate ink into their work, ink, and how each individual exploration offers compelling contributions to contemporary art discourse.”

“Mirage Series” by Steve Alderton at Touchstone Gallery, 406 7th Street NW: “The series includes portraits, cityscapes, still-lifes, and landscapes. One landscape includes what appears to be two farm structures viewed from across a field; the hot, shimmering light of a summer’s day has had its effects. Another painting shows a cityscape, with a mass of loosely rendered buildings. In both works, the atmosphere has seemingly blurred many of the specifics–but there is enough information in the watery images to transfix and invite one in. The artist’s technique successfully conveys the essence of his message, but also effectively leaves room for personal interpretation. The result is strong and engaging.”

“Color, Texture and Mood” by Michele Cormier at Touchstone Gallery, 406 7th Street NW: “Through color, texture and mood, Michele’s abstract landscapes come to life creating an illusion of light and dept. Her most recent water series captures the motion and transparency of water. While seeing water as an embodiment of lines and curves in complete harmony, Michele continues to be fascinated by how the wave pattern oscillates in a perfect motion.”

Australian Indigenous Art Triennial: Culture Warriors, at The Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave: “Culture Warriors showcases the works of artists from each state and territory in Australia that represent a diverse range of contemporary Indigenous art. This traveling exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Australia.”

“No Dream Beyond Reach“, The Digital Works of Andrew Reach at The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery at Smith Farm Center, 1632 U Street, NW: “Living with the insidious pain of a spinal disease and unable to continue as a professional architect, Andrew Reach took a life-altering turn away from a successful career towards art as a way of dealing with his disease. The result was an inward journey that revealed a wealth of creativity within his subconscious. His computer-generated works of art express hope and perseverance and tell a story that he hopes will inspire others in difficult circumstances to overcome great obstacles.”

“After the Garden,” Edith Beale Live at Reno Sweeney by Gerald Duval at Miss Pixie’s Backroom Palace, 1626 14th Street NW: As part of the Ganymedearts GLBT Fall Arts Festival, “Little Edie Beale, of Grey Gardens fame , performed a cabaret act at Reno Sweeney in New York City over the New Years week of 1978. Gerald Duval, producer of Little Edie Beale during the time of her appearance at Reno Sweeney has re-created the essence of those magical nights using dialogue, songs, and text from the historic event in addition to conversations that took place following the 1978 appearance creating an intimate evening of theatre. Enjoy, experience, and witness the continued story of what happened ‘After the Garden.’ ”

“Musical of Musicals” at Metro Stage, 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria: “Five different musicals become one in a great performance.”

“The Quality of Life,” Arena Stage, Crystal City, 1800 South Bell Street, Arlington: “Two wildly different couples–one New Age Liberal and the other Midwestern Conservative–meet one weekend in the wake of personal tragedies. Through laughter, debate, empathy and ultimately love, can these couples from opposite backgrounds join together to find their common ground?”

“Lucido” at Gala Theatre, 3333 14th Street NW: “In this darkly humorous tale, we enter the world of a dysfunctional family suspended between lucidity and dreams. Lucas, a young man, navigates between a domineering mother and a sister who reclaims the kidney she donated to him as a child, trying to escape his oppressive reality through his dreams. The family’s interactions are explosively funny and heartfelt, and the ending will leave audiences breathless.”

“The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Round House Theatre Bethesda, 4545 East West Highway, Bethesda: “London 1988. A struggling artist paints a portrait of his handsome young friend. Upon seeing it, Dorian Gray strikes a Faustian bargain that allows his outward appearance to remain forever unchanged while the portrait reflects his true age and immorality. Plunging into a life of narcissism and depravity, he leaves those who love or befriend him either broken or dead before realizing that he has also destroyed himself. This striking new adaptation by former DC resident Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (whose plays include The Velvet Sky and The Muckle Man) puts a provocative contemporary spin on Wilde’s scandalous thriller about a man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. It’s a killer!”

U2’s 360 Tour at FedEx Field, 1600 FedEx Way, Landover. It is on Tuesday, September 29–a concert not to miss.