(Update: This event was rescheduled to May 8 due to the weather forecast.)
A Chinese dragon and lion dancers will parade up 14th Street next weekend.
Constellation Theatre Company will host the “magical celebration” on the sidewalk in front of Source (1835 14th St. NW) May 8 at 12:30 p.m. to promote its newest play, “Journey to the West.”
The theater company in January hosted a “pony pop-up” to promote its production of “Equus,” the infamous play involving horses, ritualized violence and sex.
What’s the most memorable thing that ever happened to you on the Metro? A local theater company wants to know.
Brittany Willis, a playwright with women’s theater group Pinky Swear Productions, launched a survey to collect “unforgettable public transportation stories” last week. The idea, Willis said, is to incorporate some of those submissions into a new play she hopes write later this year.
“I am using the WMATA Metro as a framing device for small stories and experiences on the Metro,” Willis said. “We want the horror stories. People getting caught on the train for two hours. Those kind of stories.” (more…)
(Updated on Friday, Jan. 15: The Peppermint Pony will no longer bring its miniature equines. Instead, Big D’s Pony Rides will supply two ponies.)
Two real live ponies will visit 14th Street NW this weekend.
Constellation Theatre Company will host a “pony pop-up” in front of Source (1835 14th Street NW) this Sunday between noon and 3 p.m. The pop-up will star two precious ponies that passers-by will be able to feed and pet. (more…)
Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse will soon have an outpost for standup comedy in downtown D.C.
The owners of the Northern Virginia-based business announced today plans to open an “arts space committed to comedy and our community” called the Drafthouse Comedy Theater at 1100 13th Street NW in January.
According to a press release, the forthcoming theater will be a stand-up comedy venue with occasional sketch and improv shows.
“This will significantly increase the opportunity to feature a diverse offering of top national comics to the D.C. area,” the press release says. “As we expand our offerings in the first year, we will add off-Broadway style comedy arts to the line up.”
According to the venue’s website, comedians Todd Barry, Baron Vaughn and Janine Brito will be among the first comedians to perform at Drafthouse Comedy.
When it opens, the theater will serve beer, wine, liquor and “light fare.”
Read the full press release:
The owners of the Arlington Drafthouse are thrilled to open a comedy arts theater in Downtown DC! We have chosen to be different than the typical comedy club and instead offer an arts space committed to comedy and our community. This means great sight lines, an intimate setting, and no minimum purchase requirements for patrons, tall ceilings, and shared laughter.
We will feature mostly stand-up comedy, while also dedicating time to sketch and improv. Shows will be targeted to 70 to 80 minutes in length. Each weekend will feature, on average, 8 shows (2 on Thursday, 3 on Friday, and 3 on Saturday). This schedule allows for two headliners to perform each weekend, splitting the shows between them. This will significantly increase the opportunity to feature a diverse offering of top national comics to the DC area. As we expand our offerings in the first year, we will add off-Broadway style comedy arts to the line up.
The Drafthouse Comedy Theater is styled after a black box arts theater. The theater is located in the heart of downtown Washington, DC on the corner of 13th and L streets NW – 3 blocks north of the theater district and 3 blocks west of the Convention Center.
As a black box theater, the Drafthouse Comedy Theater will offer concession beer, wine, liquor, and some light fare. There are no minimum purchase requirements for patrons, nor is there tableside service. Doors open typically 20 minutes before showtimes and seating is general admission.
Photo via Google Street View
It will soon be possible to catch a film without straying too far from U Street.
Landmark Theatres — which also operates the E Street and Bethesda Row cinemas here in D.C. — announced today its anticipated new Atlantic Plumbing Cinema (807 V St. NW) will open next Thursday, Oct. 15.
The new cinema’s theaters will be decked out with plush leather seats, large screens, digital projection and Dolby 7.1 surround sound. Like at the theater chain’s other locations, patrons will be able to order food, cocktails, wine and craft beers to enjoy during the show.
On its first day open, all six of the theater’s screens will show Steve Jobs starting at 8 p.m. Showtimes and ticket prices will be available on the Atlantic Plumbing Cinema website.
Photo via Facebook.com/AtlanticPlumbingCinema
First it was baseball, now it’s the theater.
D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans wants to take his Ward 2 constituents to see “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Shakespeare Theatre Company (610 F St. NW) on Sept. 10 at 7:45 p.m.
From now until next Tuesday, Evans will hand out up to two free tickets to Ward 2 residents on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Sherri Kimbel, the councilmember’s director of constituent services, said the free Shakespeare passes shouldn’t sell out quite as quickly as the Nationals tickets did last week.
“I could not believe how fast we went through the Nats tickets,” Kimbel said over e-mail. “We usually don’t go through the Shakespeare tickets as fast, so folks should be okay for a while.”
Ward 2 residents interested in picking up a pair of free theater tickets should email Amorde Brabham at [email protected].
Local theater company The District Arts Collaborative is staging a play to celebrate today’s monumental marriage equality ruling.
Tonight and tomorrow night at 8 p.m., the company will perform “8,” a staged reading that chronicles the trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.
The play will be performed by a cast of 21 actors on the third floor of Cobalt, located at 1639 R Street NW.
Though opening night coincides with the most important marriage equality ruling ever, director Amy Tolbert Harris says she’s been working on the performance since April.
“It was kind of fate,” says Harris. “When I heard the news, I was in my office, and I just started tearing up.”
“I’m hopeful that people will come based on the ruling,” Harris adds.
Tickets are $20 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
The Keegan Theatre (1742 Church St NW) is almost ready to debut a new look after 10 months of renovations.
Starting this Saturday, patrons will enter the theater through a new glass and steel atrium, walk up the atrium’s bright staircase and take a seat in one of the new burnt orange chairs to watch the opening of famed Tennessee Williams play, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
Apart from the new atrium, the renovation also includes a new lighting grid, dressing rooms, bathrooms and a bar.
“It’s like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Jeff Klein, media relations manager for Keegan Theater. “We had a lot of obstacles that we overcame. There’s still work to be done in the basement, which we call the artist space, but everything else is pretty much ready to go.”
“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” runs until July 25. Click here to view the theater’s 2015-16 season.
From Lauren Levine. Email her at lauren[AT]borderstan.com
Keegan Theather at Chuch Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
When I think “local theater,” memories come to mind of cheesy family-friendly musicals performed by the high school drama teacher and neighbors with too much free time and not enough talent. Get those thoughts totally out of your head, because the Keegan Theater is nothing like that.
In a tiny 100-seat theater on Church Street with exposed brick walls and a single bathroom, a small but mighty cast of local and well accomplished actors are bringing the Tony award-winning musical Cabaret back to life as if Dupont Circle itself were being enveloped in the smoke and confusion of pre-World War II Germany.
From the very first “Wilkommen” of Cabaret to the beginning of war (and we all know how that ends, so don’t go in there expecting any happy endings), the cast of this emotionally powerful and slightly scandalous show will pull you in, which isn’t too hard when you’re sitting a mere 10 feet away from the stage. The German accents aren’t the best, but that’s easily forgiven with effortless quips, endless (sexual) puns and memorable tunes.
It ain’t easy filling the shoes of Liza Minnelli, who stole the show as leading lady Sally Bowles in the 1972 film version of Cabaret. Nevertheless, Keegan’s Sally Bowles, played by Maria Rizzo, is convincing as an attention-hungry, alcoholic, British ex-pat desperate to be famous. And she’s easy on the ears and eyes to boot.
The real show stealer is Paul Scanlan, who plays the mysterious Emcee of the Kit Kat Club, a seedy Berlin nightclub where the show takes place. Scanlan not only keeps the crowd entertained with not-so-subtle sexual references, but guides the show from scene to scene, walking the audience gently through the darker themes that reoccur throughout the storyline.
So if you’re wondering what to do until it starts getting warm enough to sit on a patio and drink wine, the answer is get yourself to the Keegan Theater. Cabaret has been extended through March 2, and there are still some tickets available. This was my first show at Keegan but it certainly won’t be my last!
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See what’s playing at the five theaters in the Borderstan area. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The final performance of Mikveh is Saturday, June 5 at the Goldman Theater at the DC Jewish Community Center… the final performances of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies are at the Arena Stage at Lincoln Theatre on Sunday, June 6… and at the Source Theatre, The Ramayana closes on Sunday.
The complete listing for Dupont-Logan-U Street theaters is below the fold.
Final performances of “Reasons to Be Pretty” are Sunday, May 30, at Studio Theatre. (Luis Gomez Photos)
If your plans are to chill in town over the upcoming three-day weekend, check out the listings for the theaters in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area; there are shows at four of the five this weekend. The final performances of Studio Theatre’s Reasons to Be Pretty are this Sunday, May 30.
In addition, Ganymede Arts is doing a local production of Naked Boys Singing, which is showing at 1409 Playbill Cafe on 14th Street NW. Ganymede is DC’s GLBT theatre and arts company.
Saturday: Protesters stand in line on the north side of The White House on Pennsylvania Avene. They were part of the protests against the recentlyy passed Arizona immigration law. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Tuesday, May 4
“Healing from the Inside Out: The Regenerative Power of the Human Spirit.” The Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts is hosting this presentation at 6:30 pm with Michael Lerner, PhD: “Do we each have personal “styles” of healing that we may strengthen? While natural, healing is not automatic, and can be blocked or facilitated. The intention of this talk is to help us discover ways to deepen our own unique, resources for growing through adversity.” Event is free and seating is on a first come, first served basis. Smith Farm Center is at 1632 U Street NW.
PSA 305 meets tonight. For U Street-area residents, the monthly Public Safety 305 meeting is 7 to 8:15 pm, at the DC Housing Finance Agency, 815 Florida Avenue NW. This monthly meeting is for residents of Police Service Area (PSA) 305 and includes representatives from MPD (DC police) and Howard University Police. Got questions about crime in the area? This is your chance to speak directly with MPD reps.
Wednesday, May 5
ANC 2F-Logan meets. The monthly meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B is at 7 pm at the Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle. The eastern part of the Borderstan area is in ANC 2F.
Mikveh opens at Goldman Theater. A new show, Mikveh, opens at the DC Jewish Community Center’s Goldman Theatre at 16th and Q NW: “A knowledgeable examination of traditions and ritual, this hit Israeli play explores the ever evolving position of women in Israeli society.”
Thursday, May 6
ANC 1B meets. ANC1B will hold its regularly scheduled public meeting on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 7 pm in the Second Floor Conference Room of the Reeves Center at 14th and U Streets N.W. The northeastern part of the Borderstan area, including the U Street corridor is in ANC 1B; see map above.
The Ramayana opens at Source Theatre. A new production opens from the Constellation Theatre Company at the Source Theatre on 14th Street: “The Ramayana lies at the heart of Hinduism and has been captivating people for centuries with its balance of adventure and spirituality. India’s dazzling epic is a timeless testament to the transcendental power of love.”
Need a last-minute idea for the weekend?
The National Climate Rally is tomorrow (Sunday) on the National Mall from 11 am to 7 pm. Sponsored by the Earth Day Network, you can expect a lineup of notables at the podium. But, there is also music, with Sting the top act:
The Climate Rally will also feature live music from Sting, John Legend, The Roots, Jimmy Cliff, Passion Pit, Bob Weir, Willie Colón, Joss Stone, Robert Randolph, Patrick Stump, Mavis Staples, Booker T, Honor Society and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.
If you don’t want to deal with the crowds on the Mall, here are lists of art galleries and their exhibits… theaters with their shows… and venues with live music. Or, if you want to stay home, check out Alejandra’s recipe for strawberry mascarpone bars in the post below–rainy weather is predicted for the weekend.
Arts and Entertainment in Dupont-Logan-U Street
Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Ladies” is at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW. Find out what’s playing at four other theaters in Borderstan. (Luis Gomez Photos)
This is a weekly feature we began last week: a theater listing for the Dupont-Logan-U Street area.
If you want to head out on foot or take a quick taxi ride for a live show in the neighborhood, here are five places to go–right below the fold. (more…)
See what’s playing at the Source Theatre on 14th Street from Thursday to Sunday, and at other theaters in the Borderstan area. (Luis Gomez Photos)
A new weekly feature: a theater listing for the Dupont-Logan-U Street area (with the Kennedy Center thrown in). If you want to head out on foot or take a quick taxi ride for a live show in the neighborhood, here are the places to go–right below the fold.
