CONTENTS

DECEMBER 7, 2017 Volume 24 Issue 31

17 CAKE WARS
The LGBTQ community faces off against a pro-
discrimination rally, as the Supreme Court hears
the Masterpiece Cakeshop case

By John Riley

TREY PEARSONS
NEW SKIN
How one man shed his conservative
Evangelical life to live his truth as a powerful,
passionate LGBTQ pop artist.
26
33
Interview by Doug Rule

LEATHERED UP
Sibling rivalry and gay sexual liberation fuel
an iconic artists fire in Tom of Finland

By Andr Hereford

SPOTLIGHT: FOREVER FARRELL p.9 OUT ON THE TOWN p.12

FRESH TUNA: A TUNA CHRISTMAS p.13 THE FEED: CAKE WARS p.17
COMMUNITY: PARTY FOR EQUALITY p.21 COVER STORY: TREY PEARSON p.26
FILM: TOM OF FINLAND p.33 FILM: THE SHAPE OF WATER p.35
STAGE: CURVE OF DEPARTURE p.37 NIGHTLIFE p.39
SCENE: DIRTY GOOSE p.39 LISTINGS p.41 LAST WORD p.46
Real LGBTQ News and Entertainment since 1994
Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Managing Editor Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editor Doug Rule
Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Andr Hereford,
Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim
Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla
Patron Saint Everyday Sunday Cover Photography Megan Leigh Barnard

Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830
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2017 Jansi LLC.

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 5

 Spotlight
TERESA WOOD

Forever Farrell
The Suzanne Farrell Ballet takes its final bow this weekend

I
DANCED WITH MANY COMPANIES BEFORE
Suzanne, says Michael Cook, and I can honestly
say I would never dance for anybody other than
her now. Shes quite an amazing person.
A longtime principal with Suzanne Farrell Ballet,
Cook adds that most artistic directors...want what
they want. Its their way or the highway. Suzanne lets
us explore within the ballets. Once the dancers have
created their characters, Farrell sort of tinkers with
us, and tells us, Try this, or do this. You dont get that
kind of give and take in most dance companies.
A native of Arizona, Cook took up ballet after out-
growing gymnastics at the age of 12. I was not only
gay, I was a dancer. So I was made fun of constantly at
school until I started going to the School of American
Ballet in New York, where I was around like-minded
artists. Thats also where he a an acolyte of the late
George Balanchine, considered the father of American
ballet, and of Farrell, Balanchines muse. I fell in love
with the movement style, and Ive been hooked ever
since.
Cook, who has spent the past decade dancing for
Farrell, will help the famed choreographer conclude
her namesake companys 16-season run this weekend
at the Kennedy Center.
The Forever Balanchine program includes two
works that were given to Suzanne by Balanchine,
Cook says, including Meditation, the first ballet that
Balanchine ever created on Suzanne. It has a beautiful
pas de deux between a man and a woman. The other
one is a ballet called Tzigane.... Its four couples, very
gypsy, sort of sexy, edgy, and a lot of fun.
Were the only company in the world that gets to
perform those two ballets, Cook says. I think Im in
a line of maybe four other people who have ever per-
formed them, so its really special. Doug Rule

The Suzanne Farrell Ballet performs Thursday, Dec. 7, Friday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 9, at 1:30 and
7:30 p.m., in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $29 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 9

 Spotlight
HOT 99.5 JINGLE BALL: KESHA,
HALSEY, CHARLIE PUTH
Kesha and Halsey are two of the LGBTQ performers
on tap at this years local pop stadium festival, which
also includes last years Capital Pride Ally perform-
er Charlie Puth. Fall Out Boy, Logic, Zedd, Camila
Cabello, Liam Payne, Julia Michaels, and Why Dont
We will also take to the former Verizon Center stage
courtesy of D.C.s #1 Hit Music Station, as part of
the national iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour. Monday,
BRIAN FRIEDMAN

Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW.
Call 202-628-3200 or visit capitalonearena.com.

THE AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA

WITH LEA DELARIA
Luke Frazier leads the 25-piece orchestra he founded two years
ago in a holiday concert in a grand space, MGM National Harbor.
In addition to veteran lesbian comic and cabaret artist Lea DeLaria
(Orange Is the New Black) and Helen Hayes Award-winning musical
theater diva Nova Payton (Signature Theatres Hairspray), the pro-
gram also features Rumer Willis (Broadways Chicago), Claybourne
Elder (Broadways Sunday in the Park with George), singer-songwriter
Mobley, and tap dancer Luke Hawkins (Americas Got Talent). Kelly
Crandall dAmboise leads the show. Friday, Dec. 15, at 8 p.m. Theater
at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md.,
Oxon Hill, Md. Tickets are $50 to $109. Call 844-346-4664 or visit
TheAmericanPops.org.

SOPHY HOLLAND
LUMIA: THOMAS WILFRED
AND THE ART OF LIGHT
The Smithsonian American Art Museum presents a ground-
breaking exhibition of 15 spellbinding, image-projecting light
sculptures created nearly a century ago. This was a time, of
course, well before technology made Thomas Wilfreds col-
orful moving light creations an easy feat, and his contempo-
raries, including Jackson Pollock, Lszl Moholy-Nagy and
Katherine Dreier, recognized the Danish-American artist as
an innovator. Yet the difficulty to maintain his sculptures is
why, after faddish mid-20th century popularity, theyve long
been relegated to the storage archives of modern art muse-
ums, all-but forgotten along with the artist himself. With
works shown together for the first time in nearly 50 years,
Lumia, organized by Keely Orgeman of the Yale University
Art Gallery, is helping to restore Wilfreds works and rep-
utation as a modern art pioneer. To Jan. 7. Smithsonian
American Art Museum, 8th and F Streets NW. Call 202-633-
1000 or visit americanart.si.edu.

10 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY

 Spotlight
HABIBI
Inspired by the ancient Silk Road as well as Gary Chapmans Five
Love Languages, Habibi traces the communication of love between
friends, lovers, and family in a fusion of the sounds of the east
with dances of the west. Under the direction of Shawn Short, the
Dissonance Dance company performs to traditional Hebrew song as
well as music by Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Timberland,
Hassaon Hakmoun, Ahmed Qawala, Lata Mangeshkar, and Shades of
Black. Saturday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 10, at 4 p.m. Dance
Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-269-1600 or
visit danceplace.org.
SHAWN SHORT

MEGAN HILTY WITH THE NSO:

A HOLIDAY POPS
The Washington Chorus joins the NSO, led by Steven Reineke,
for a concert featuring the Broadway star (9 to 5: The Musical)
and Kennedy Center regular, most widely known as the ambitious
Ivy Lynn on Smash, the NBC television series about the making
of a new musical. Hilty returns to lead a performance of favorite
yuletide songs. Friday, Dec. 8, at 8p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2
and 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $24 to $99.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

SIDNEY BEAL

THE BOOK OF WILL

What if Shakespeares works had been lost forev-
er? Ryan Rilette directs a Round House Theatre
production of Lauren Gundersons hilarious and
heartfelt story inspired by true events surround-
ing Shakespeares First Folio. Mitchell Hebert,
Kimberly Gilbert, Maboud Ebrahimzadeh, Todd
Scofield, and Michael Russotto are among the
cast. Now to Dec. 24. Round House Theatre,
KALEY ETZKORN

4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Call 240-

644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 11

 Out On The Town

GAY MENS CHORUS OF WASHINGTON: THE HOLIDAY SHOW

Blending the sexy and playful with the sweet and sentimental, the holiday show is one of the choruss most popular. In
addition to the standard seasonal and sensational offerings, the concert features performances by the ensembles Potomac
Fever and Rock Creek Singers, as well as the LGBT youth choir GenOUT. This years offering incorporates stories of hol-
iday memories and growing up gay, as told by several members, part of a season-long push to personalize the 200-strong
chorus. In a time when our social discourse can seem toxic, artistic director Thea Kano says, it is vital that we share our
stories and remind everyone that there is far more that unites us than divides us. Saturday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec.
16, at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $65. Call 202-328-6000
or visit gmcw.org.

Compiled by Doug Rule
HOLIDAY
HIGHLIGHTS
CHRISTMAS AT THE OLD BULL
AND BUSH
Writer/director/actor Catherine
Flyes cheery holiday tale centers on
patrons at a pub telling corny jokes
and singing British music hall songs
and Christmas carols. Originally
presented at the turn of the millen-
nium by Arena Stage, some of the
original cast members now take to
Alexandrias MetroStage for a toast
to the holidays that includes sing-
alongs and an abbreviated reenact-
ment of Dickens Christmas Carol,
plus a few surprises along the way.
To Dec. 24. MetroStage, 1201 North
Royal St., Alexandria. Call 703-548-
9044 or visit metrostage.org.
DC DIFFERENT DRUMMERS
The Capitol Pride Symphonic Band
and other small ensembles from this
LGBT music organization perform
concert versions of holiday tunes
at the free annual holiday concert
that also doubles as a food drive for
Food and Friends. Sunday, Dec. 10,
at 3 p.m. The Lutheran Church of
the Reformation, 212 East Capitol
St. NE. Free, with request for food
drive donations. Call 202-269-4868
or visit dcdd.org.
HANDELS MESSIAH
Two of the areas great orches-
tras take on Handels monumen-
tal Messiah the third weekend
in December. Jeannette Sorrell
conducts the National Symphony
Orchestra version featuring the
University of Maryland Concert
Choir and soloists Sophie Daneman,
Ann McMahon Quintero, Karim
Sulayman, and Christopher Immler.
Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m., Friday,
Dec. 15, and Saturday, Dec. 16, at
8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 1
p.m. Kennedy Center Concert
Hall. Tickets are $15 to $89. Call
202-467-4600 or visit kenne-
dy-center.org. Meanwhile, Stan
Engebretson conducts the National
Philharmonic and its Chorale plus
soloists Esther Heideman, Yvette
Smith, Norman Shankle, and Trevor
Scheunemann. Saturday, Dec. 16, at
8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m.
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
Tickets are $28 to $94. Call 301-581-
5100 or visit strathmore.org.
LA-TI-DO:
I HATE THE HOLIDAYS CABARET
Regie Cabico and Don Mike
Mendozas La-Ti-Do variety show
features higher-quality singing
than most karaoke, often from local
musical theater actors performing
on their night off, and also includes
spoken-word poetry and comedy.
Mendoza and Anya Randall Nebel
host the next event, the first of two
annual holiday cabarets with guest
performers. Taylor Rambo accom-
panies. Monday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m.
Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Ave.
NW. Tickets are $15, or $10 if you
eat dinner at the restaurant before-
hand. Call 202-328-1640 or visit
latidodc.wix.com/latido.
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
Vincente Minnelli cast Judy
Garland in his 1944 classic, and all
her singing and dancing The
Trolley Song, Have Yourself A
Merry Little Christmas led to
romancing, marriage and baby Liza.
Landmarks West End Cinema
continues its winter season of
Capital Classics with the 1944 hol-
iday-themed classic, and offers
Happy Hour-priced beer and wine
from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Screenings are
Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 1:30, 4:30,
and 7:30 p.m. Landmarks West End
Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Tickets are
$12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit
landmarktheatres.com.
NATIONAL ZOOS ZOOLIGHTS
More than 500,000 colorful
Christmas lights illuminate life-
sized animal silhouettes, dancing
trees, buildings, and walkways,
plus a light show set to music,
during this annual holiday event
at the Smithsonians National Zoo.
All that, plus select animal houses
will be open and displaying noc-

12 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY

turnal creatures, including the
Small Mammal House, the Great
Ape House and Reptile Discovery
Center. Every night except Dec. 24
and 25 until Jan. 1. National Zoo,
3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free,
courtesy of Pepco. Call 202-633-
4800 or visit nationalzoo.si.edu.

STORM LARGE:
HOLIDAY ORDEAL
Storm Large, the brassy cabaret
performer known as a solo artist
and as a featured vocalist with Pink
Martini, presents her wild Holiday
Ordeal show, billed as a no-holds-
barred evening of music, humor,
and more, with songs ranging from
Ill Be Home for Christmas to
Sock It To Me, Santa. No sur-
prise, the program listing includes
a parental advisory noting mature
themes and language. Saturday,
Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. Sixth & I Historic
Synagogue. 600 I St. NW. Tickets
are $40. Call 202-408-3100 or visit
sixthandi.org.

FRESH TUNA
SWEET SPOT AERIAL
PRODUCTIONS: A CIRCUS
CAROL
Sweet Spot, the impressive, local,
LGBTQ-inclusive circus arts com-
pany, presents its third holiday
A trio of brothers take on the iconic classic that pokes fun at a small Texas town.

production, a more narrative piece
than those in the past, set in the
fictitious W.T. Dickens High School
during the madness of holiday pag-
eant time. Saturday, Dec. 16, at 1
and 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 17, at
6 p.m. Lang Theatre in the Atlas
Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St.
NE. Tickets are $25. Call 202-399-
7993 or visit sweetspotdc.org.
THE SANTALAND DIARIES
An unseasonably cynical offer-
ing, The SantaLand Diaries is a solo
show adapted by Joe Montello from
humorist David Sedaris essay about
his time as a Macys Santaland elf.
Cameron Folmar stars as a gay, out-
of-work writer who dons the cos-
tume and proceeds to spill the beans
about what goes on behind closed
doors. Lynn Sharp Spears directs.
To Dec. 23. Drafthouse Comedy
Theater, 1100 13th Street NW.
Tickets are $20. Call 202-750-6411
or visit drafthousecomedy.com.
THE SECOND CITYS TWIST
YOUR DICKENS
The Kennedy Center offers another
run of the comedy troupes irrev-
erent and interactive parody twist
on A Christmas Carol. The largely
improvised tale is based on Dickens
but adapted by former The Colbert
Report writers Peter Gwinn and
Bobby Mort. To Dec. 31. Kennedy
Center Theater Lab. Tickets are $49
to $75. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org.
STAGE
A CHILDS CHRISTMAS IN WALES
The Washington Stage Guild
presents an evening of warm
W
HEN THE THREE BROTHERS WHO RUN PARLOR ROOM THEATRE DECIDED
to stage the legendary comedy A Tuna Christmas, they felt the need to make a cut. It
wasnt just a line, says Frank DiSalvo, the eldest, and director of the production. We
wanted to remove a whole monologue and character.
That character is Elmer Watkins, and he appears only once, at the start of the show, inviting the
denizens of Tuna, Texas to the Klans family night, says DiSalvo, which is a Christmas-themed
party called The Whitest Christmas Ever. We kind of chickened out. We werent sure if the satire
would be evident that early in the show. And we didnt want to shock people.
Frank contacted the original playwrights Joe Sears and Jaston Williams and the request
was politely turned down. But Williams emailed the DiSalvos with thoughts on how to best portray
the character. This guys dumber than a plate of bacon, and treat him like a sow loader that you
pass in the night, Williams told the DiSalvos.
One of the other things he said, says Frank, was that if anyone in the audience isnt offended
at least once during the show, it isnt out of a lack of the authors trying.
Anyone familiar with the legendary Sears and Williams Tuna trilogy will appreciate the satire,
even though the times are more racially charged than they were in 1989, when the play made its debut.
I think its important to look at the current times to ask yourself should this play be produced
now? Well, I think it should. The play shows that these people are still out there, says Thomas
DiSalvo, who plays Watkins, along with the other parts made famous by Sears, such as Aunt Pearl
and Bertha Bumiller. His brother, Dillon, plays the Williams part, between them 22 characters in all.
The Maryland-born brothers formed the company initially as a passion project, but it soon grew
into a semi-vocation, even though they all still maintain day jobs (Frank is a noted local sound
designer). The small, professional company has done everything from Dial M for Murder to Alice
in Wonderland to Neil Simons Fools, which we tackled knowing it was his worst play, says Frank.
And even though they have grown to include other company members, the three brothers remain
the companys core.
We are closer because of it, says Frank. If anything, it gives us a reason to be together when
we maybe wouldnt have a reason to. Especially with this play, where its just us three in the
rehearsal room. It feels very special, and there are times when well be in the middle of rehearsal,
and something happens, and we all break out into laughter that cant stop. I think to myself about
how rare this is, how special it is, to be able to do this with my brothers. Randy Shulman
A Tuna Christmas runs Friday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10, at 2 and
7:30 p.m. At the Callan Theatre at Catholic University, 3801 Harewood Rd. NE. Tickets are $16 to
$20. Call 202-460-2188 or visit parlorroomtheater.com.

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 13

 along with more august venues such
as the Kennedy Center. After per-
forming with Natalie Cole and Dizzy
Gillespie, Chaise Lounge, featuring
vocalist Marilyn Older, performs
swing standards as well as original
tunes, and all on a Swinging thru
the Holidays theme. Wednesday,
Dec. 13, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Blues
Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Tickets are $28, plus $12 minimum
purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit
bluesalley.com.

CHOPTEETH
The Washington Post has referred
to this 12-piece band as a storm-
ing powerhouse of big-band African
funk...smart, tight and relentless-
ly driving. Chopteeth has already
won a number of Washington Area
Music Association Awards, includ-
ing Artist of the Year in 2008. The
Afrobeat-driven group performs
regularly throughout the region, but
makes its debut at the new District
Wharfs more intimate concert
venue. Saturday, Dec. 9. Doors at
7 p.m. Pearl Street Warehouse, 33
METROCOOKING DC FOOD SHOW Pearl St. SW. Tickets are $20. Call
Both a holiday treat and a shopping preserve, The Ultimate Food Lovers Weekend is 202-380-9620 or visit pearlstreet-
warehouse.com.
the areas biggest specialty food and culinary event. And the lineup of star chefs who will
cook and chat at this years event is impressive, led by nationally recognized local stars Jose THE WASHINGTON CHORUS: A
Andres, Victor Albisu, Amy Brandwein, Erik Bruner-Yang, Michael Friedman, Marjorie CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS
Meek-Bradley, George Pagonis, and Vikram Sunderam. Guy Fieri, D.C.-native Carla Hall, New Artistic Director Christopher
Bell directs the annual A
Guillermo Pernot, and Michael Schlow also join the festivities, along with hundreds of Candlelight Christmas, featur-
specialty food vendors exhibiting their wares. The event offers a smorgasbord of activi- ing the 200-voice chorus singing
ties, including a Grand Tasting Pavilion with samples from local restaurants, a separate familiar carols and holiday songs,
plus audience sing-alongs and
area offering beer, wine and spirits samplings, a BBQ Bash, culinary classes by chefs from
a candlelight processional. The
LAcademie de Cuisine, entertaining workshops and book signings. Saturday, Dec. 9, and Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Sunday, Dec. 10, starting at 10 a.m. each day. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Chamber Choir and D.C. al Fine
Mt. Vernon Place NW. General admission tickets are priced at $21.50, and include admis- will join the chorus. Sunday, Dec.
10, at 2 and 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec.
sion to the James Beard Cooking Stage and the Exhibitor Marketplace. The LAcademie de 16, at 4 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 21, and
Cuisine cooking classes, Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden, BBQ Bash and the Grand Tasting are Friday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. Kennedy
special ticketed events and sold separately. VIP ticket packages are available, which will Center Concert Hall. Also Friday,
Dec. 15, at 8 p.m. Music Center at
afford a backstage meet and greet with Guy Fieri and Jos Andrs, plus access to additional
Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,
ticketed special events.Call 202-249-3000 or visit metrocookingdc.com. North Bethesda. Tickets are $18 to
$72. Call 202-342-6221 or visit the-
washingtonchorus.org.
and nostalgic works adapted by Theatres production of Dickens to try to rouse interest in this clas-
Bill Largess from Dylan Thomas, Yuletide classic. The music-infused sic battle-of-the-sexes. To Dec. 24. TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
Charles Dickens, AA Milne, and adaptation was originally conceived Mead Center for American Theater, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
Louisa May Alcott. Now to Dec. by Michael Baron. To Dec. 31. Fords 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 is the conceptual Yuletide rock
17. Undercroft Theatre of Mount Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Call 800- or visit arenastage.org. opera from the progressive-rock
Vernon United Methodist Church, 982-2787 or visit fordstheatre.org. juggernaut. The show follows the
900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. THE REAL AMERICANS story of a young runaway who has
Tickets are $50 to $60. Call 240- LOOKINGGLASS ALICE Actor/journalist Dan Hoyle brings visions from the past after sneaking
582-0050 or visit stageguild.org. Go down the rabbit hole with the to life the characters he met travel- into an abandoned vaudeville the-
whole family in David Catlins con- ing outside the liberal bubble, pre- ater. This years tour includes a sec-
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A GHOST temporary retelling putting a fresh, sented as part of Mosaic Theaters ond set containing some of Trans-
STORY OF CHRISTMAS modern twist on the Lewis Carroll Transformational Journeys and Siberian Orchestras greatest hits
Olney Theatre Center presents classic tale. Jeremy B. Cohen staged in repertory in the month and fan pleasers. Thursday, Dec.
another seasonal run of the one- directs. Now to Dec. 31. Baltimore of December with Draw The Circle. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Capital One Arena,
man portrayal of the Dickens clas- Center Stage, 700 North Calvert Charlie Varon directs. To Dec. 22. 601 F St. NW. Tickets are $46.50 to
sic by Paul Morella, who bases his St., Baltimore. Call 410-332-0033 or Atlas Performing Arts Center, Lab $55.50. Call 202-628-3200 or visit
adaptation on Dickens original visit centerstage.org. Theatre II, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets capitalonearena.com.
novella and reading tour. To Dec. are $25 to $65. Call 202-399-7993 or
31. The Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre THE PAJAMA GAME visit mosaictheater.org. WASHINGTON BACH CONSORT
Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring In an unusual twist, artistic direc- Johann Sebastian Bach composed
his Christmas Oratorio in 1734 to
MUSIC
Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924- tor Molly Smith turns over direct-
3400 or visit olneytheatre.org. ing reins for this seasons Golden celebrate Christmas and was meant
Age Musical to Alan Paul, who has to be played inside churches. The
A CHRISTMAS CAROL proven his mettle with musicals CHAISE LOUNGE Consort continues that 283-year-
Craig Wallace returns as the miser- at Shakespeare Theatre Company. The D.C.-based band has been a old tradition with a performance of
ly Ebenezer Scrooge in Fords Choreographer Parker Esse joins staple at hip bars around the area, the oratorio with gentle lullabies,

14 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY

 ARLINGTON ARTS CENTER:
FALL SOLOS
FOOD & DRINK
Seven regional artists are assigned
CENTRAL MICHEL RICHARD:
one of the main gallery spaces in
SWEET HOPE, DESSERT FOR
the historic Maury School to exhib-
TOYS
it a selection of their works in
Its Toys for Tots season, yet few
this semi-annual exhibition. Kate
toy donation events are sweeter
Haw, director of the Smithsonian
than the one set to take place this
Institutions Archives of American
Saturday afternoon at the bistro
Art, and Mika Yoshitake, assistant
downtown named after the late,
curator at the Hirshhorn Museum,
great French-American chef Michel
were the jurors for the latest round,
Richard. Everyone who brings in an
and they selected an entirely female
unwrapped non-plush toy for St.
line-up of artists, many of whom
Jude Childrens Research Hospital
explore themes related to feminism,
or offers a monetary donation
gender and identity: Mary Baum,
and RSVPs in advance will benefit
Atsuko Chirikjian, Catherine Day,
from a free dessert reception featur-
Anna Kell, Jen Noone, Mojdeh
ing several Central favorites, includ-
Rezaeipour, and Julie Wills. To
ing the signature Kit Kat-inspired
Dec. 16. Arlington Arts Center, 3550
Michels Chocolate Bar, plus creme
Wilson Blvd. Call 703-248-6800 or
caramel, macaroons, Buche de Noel,
VERONIQUE ROLLAND

visit arlingtonartscenter.org.
and ganache hot chocolate topped
with marshmallows or whipped
CARL BRETZKE: RECENT WORK cream. Saturday, Dec. 9, from 1 to
A mix of plein air sketches and more
3 p.m. Central Michel Richard, 1001
refined studio paintings are on dis-
Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Free, but
play in Bretzkes second solo exhibit
RSVP required. Call 202-626-0015
at Susan Calloways contemporary
or visit centralmichelrichard.com.
gallery in Georgetown. Based in
EMMYLOU HARRIS Minnesota, Bretzkes work recalls
One of the true legends, Harriss concert is billed Edward Hopper and the Ashcan ABOVE
school and typically features vehi-
as An Intimate Performance Benefiting Bonapartes cles or figures from everyday life AND BEYOND
Retreat, the dog rescue organization the singer found- often set off by an intriguingly lit
ed in Nashville. A Washington Post critic once described landscape or cityscape background. DC GURLY SHOW: YEAR IN
To Dec. 16. Susan Calloway Fine REVIEW
Harris as the silken-voiced muse of a summer night, The DC Gurly Show isnt your
Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Call
but her eloquent, expressive country-folk is welcome 202-965-4601 or visit callowayart. grandfathers burlesque. Its
even in the dead of fall. Joining Harris is country couple com. focused more on playing with gen-
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, as well as D.C.s der than teasing with sex. Next up is
PAINTING SHAKESPEARE the organizations year-end review,
Craig Grossi, a veteran who rescued a stray dog while An exploration into how promising to sum up 2017 with tas-
serving in Afghanistan. Sunday, Dec. 10. Doors at 6:30 Shakespeares words have inspired sels, glitter, bumps and grinds, and
p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $90 visual artists, as seen in pictures, lots of fun. Thursday, Dec. 14, at 8
oil sketches and paintings from the p.m. The Pinch, 3548 14th St. NW.
to $250. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com. Tickets are $10. Call 202-722-4440
Folgers collection. Why is there
visual art in a library? Because col- or search for DC Gurly Show at
lectors Henry and Emily Folger eventbrite.com.
dramatic arias, ornate instrumen- borhood with George Washington
understood that it takes more than
tal solos, and rousing choruses that as the titular figure and King George LIGHTS ON THE BAY
books and manuscripts alone to
capture the full range of emotions III as the Rat King. As always, the More than 70 animated and sta-
understand Shakespeare and his
associated with this joyous season. production sets up shop for near- tionary displays depicting region-
era. On exhibit through Feb. 17.
Conducting the work will be Dana ly all of December at downtowns al and holiday themes factor into
Folger Shakespeare Library, 201
Marsh, a finalist in the Consorts Warner Theatre. To Dec. 24. the annual holiday show, featuring
East Capitol St. SE. Call 202-544-
efforts to hire a new leader in the Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. a two-mile scenic drive along the
7077 or visit folger.edu.
wake of the untimely death of the Call 202-889-5901 or visit washing- shores of the Chesapeake Bay. A
Consorts founder J. Reilly Lewis tonballet.org. North Pole Village & Enchanted
WILLIAM WOODWARD: THE
last year. Soloists include soprano Fairy Tales is a new edition at this
SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Kate Vetter Cain, mezzo-soprano
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, tenor EXHIBITS In his two-decades-long series years event, a benefit for the SPCA
of Anne Arundel County. On dis-
of drawings and narrative paint-
Robert Petillo and bass Steven play every evening from 5 to 10
10X10 INVITATIONAL ings focused on the concept of sin,
Combs. Saturday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m., p.m. through Jan. 1. Sandy Point
Over 85 regional and national artists this Washington native has tried
with a pre-concert lecture at 5 p.m. State Park, 1100 E. College Parkway,
are represented in the third annual to imagine how Federico Fellini,
by noted Bach scholar Dr. Michael Annapolis. Admission is $15 per car,
10x10 invitational. Every artwork is Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton
Marissen, and a post-concert recep- or $30 to $50 for larger vans and
different, although the same size, might have depicted their subjects
tion. National Presbyterian Church, buses. Visit lightsonthebay.org. l
and are intended as original holi- if they were painters. The result
4101 Nebraska Ave. NW. Tickets
day gifts, priced at $50 each. The are images that are whimsical and
are $65. Call 202-429-2121 or visit
invitational benefits Hyattsvilles elusive, rather than strident and
bachconsort.org.
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, locat- explicit in their interpretations.
ed in the historic Arcade building in To Dec. 17. American University
DANCE the Gateway Arts District and fea- Museum in the Katzen Arts Center,
turing a papermaking studio, print 4400 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Call 202-
THE WASHINGTON BALLET: THE shop, letterpress studio, bindery, a 885-2587 or visit american.edu/cas/
NUTCRACKER darkroom and a woodshop. To Dec. museum.
The Washington Ballets former 17. Pyramid Atlantic Art Center,
artistic director Septime Webre 4318 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville.
first staged his twist on the family Call 301-608-9101 or visit pryami-
favorite 13 years ago, setting it in datlanticartcenter.org.
D.C.s historic Georgetown neigh-

16 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY

JOHN RILEY
theFeed
CAKE WARS
The LGBTQ community faces off against a pro-discrimination rally, as the
Supreme Court hears the Masterpiece Cakeshop case by John Riley
A
S THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HEARD ORAL
arguments in a case that could legalize anti-gay
discrimination across America, dueling rallies took
place on the steps outside, a war of words and beliefs cul-
minating in a sea of opposing signs, costumes, and hopes for
the outcome of a case that has consumed both LGBTQ and
mainstream news.
That case is Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil
Rights Commission. At issue is the legality of custom cake
designer Jack Phillips refusal to bake a cake for the wed-
ding of Charlie Craig and David Mullins, citing his personal
beliefs opposing homosexuality as justification.
LGBTQ groups are demanding that the court uphold
nondiscrimination laws prohibiting discrimination based on
sexual orientation or gender identity. Many of those outside
the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Dec. 5, pointed out that the
case goes far beyond Craig and Mullins ability to purchase
a cake.
The cake is just a vehicle to get the case before the court,
said Paula Prettyman, of Fairfax County, Va., who attended the
rally along with a group of members of the LGBTQ-affirming
organization People of Faith for Equality in Virginia. [This]
is about a cake maker, but the ruling, like all Supreme Court
rulings, is going to be used in cases like this one. So if anybody
ever in the future wants to use their First Amendment right
to discriminate against someone else for any reason, theyll be
able to do that if this decision goes against us.
Victoria Kirby York, deputy director for advocacy and
action at the National LGBTQ Task Force, came to the rally
with her 3-month-old daughter. She believes the Masterpiece
Cakeshop case is an attempt by anti-equality forces to gut
and undermine the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the very linch-
Debra Munn, Charlie Craig, and Dave Mullins
pin of the Civil Rights Movement.
We want to make sure that people know that this case
does not only have implications for LGBTQ people, but all
protected classes, she said. If there is a precedent that says
people can discriminate against anyone as long as they cite
their religion or moral convictions, were opening the flood-
gates for people of color to be discriminated against as well.
Caitlin Rooney, a D.C. resident originally from Vancouver,
Canada, came to the rally dressed as the U.S. Constitution to
symbolize the conflict that the case poses between First
Amendment rights and laws that protect people from dis-
crimination.
The cake does not convey a message, the cake is just a
product youre selling to someone, Rooney said. If you sell
a product to one person, you should sell it to everyone.
Just a few hundred yards away, supporters of Phillips,
including representatives from several prominent anti-
LGBTQ organizations, held their rally to support religious
exemptions from nondiscrimination laws.
Clad in blue buttons reading Weve got your back, Jack,
speakers argued that creating cakes should be considered
a protected form of free speech. Many said that a majority
of business owners will serve all people, regardless of their
sexual orientation, but cant be asked to promote messages
that run counter to their religious beliefs.
One of those speakers was Blaine Adamson, the owner
of Hands On Originals, a Christian T-shirt printing shop
in Lexington, Ky. In a case similar to what occurred at
Masterpiece, Adamson has been mired in court battles
after he was sued for refusing to print T-shirts for the 2012
Lexington Pride Festival. Although two court have ruled in
Adamsons favor, finding he had not violated Lexingtons
DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 17
 theFeed
Fairness Ordinance, the Lexington Fayette Urban Human
Rights Commission has since appealed those decisions to the
Kentucky Supreme Court.
Adamson maintains he has always acted in good faith, even
referring customers to other print shops when he objects
to printing T-shirts. That includes when he was asked to
make shirts with an image of Jesus on a bucket of chicken,
or when another customer asked him to make a shirt reading
Homosexuality is sin.
Ive always worked with and served people who identify
as gay, Adamson told the crowd. For example, weve printed
materials for a local band whose lead singer is a lesbian. But I
cant print messages that go against my faith, no matter who
asks me to print it.
U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) also spoke at the
pro-Phillips rally, arguing that Americans should be able to
hold divergent views on issues such as sexual morality or
marriage equality and still be able to tolerate the beliefs of
those with whom they disagree.
He echoed statements by conservative interest groups
such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Family Research
Council, and Concerned Women for America, mainly that
refusals by business owners are not motivated based on a per-
sons identity, but their personal religious beliefs, which they
have a right to under the Constitution.
The free exercise of religion doesnt just mean you can
have a religion, it means you can have one and live that faith
out, Lankford said.
But Craig and Mullins, the couple at the heart of the case,
noted that they have heard countless stories, particularly
members of the LGBTQ community, about the discrimination
theyve experienced, which reinforced their decision to move
forward with their lawsuit.
Appearing with Craigs mother, Debra Munn who was
present when Phillips first turned away the couple in 2012
the couple made brief remarks on the steps of the Supreme
Court following the conclusion of oral arguments.
This entire time, Dave and I have just been asking
to be treated equally in public, Craig told the rally of
LGBTQ groups and allies. Were two regular guys who were
wronged, and we decided to stand up for ourselves. Dave
and I do not have an agenda. We do, though, have hopes and
dreams. We want our friends and families to have meaningful
lives. We want to grow old together.... And most importantly,
we want everyone to be treated equally.
This isnt about a cake, Mullins added. This has never
been about a cake. And this isnt about weddings. It has never
been about weddings. This is about freedom. Freedom for
LGBT people to live full lives in public and not in constant
fear that they will be denied basic service in businesses, fired
from their jobs, or lose their homes just for who they are.
To this day, [our] experience at Masterpiece Cakeshop is
a persistent memory. The memory of the mortification and
humiliation doesnt just go away. Its always there the next
time we walk into a business, wondering if the same thing will
happen, and if maybe we should just pretend not to be gay or
married, just to be safe.
That is why were here today: to stand up and show
everyone and ourselves that our freedom is worth fighting for.
That only when we stand up and say, No, I will not be pushed
into the shadows, can we fully claim the promise of equality
that is our birthright as Americans. l

18 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY

Scene
Impulse DCs Glow Paint Party at Studio 52 - Saturday, Dec. 2
Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 19

 Community
THURSDAY, Dec. 7
WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA
TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing and HIV
services (by appointment). 9
a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center,
1400 Decatur St. NW. To
arrange an appointment, call
202-291-4707, or visit androm-
edatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB practice

session at Takoma Aquatic
Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van
Buren St. NW. For more infor-
mation, visit swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS run-

ning/walking/social club
welcomes runners of all ability
levels for exercise in a fun and
supportive environment, with
socializing afterward. Route
COURTESY OF AGLA

distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at

7 p.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW.
For more information, visit
dcfrontrunners.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay

and lesbian square-dancing
group features mainstream

PARTY FOR EQUALITY

through advanced square
dancing at the National City
Christian Church, 5 Thomas
Circle NW, 7-9:30 p.m. Casual
AGLA members honor community leaders, collect food for the needy, dress. 301-257-0517, dclamb-
dasquares.org.
and raffle off prizes at the groups annual party
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds

O
practice. The team is always
looking for new members. All
N TUESDAY, DEC. 12, THE ARLINGTON-ALEXANDRIA GAY & LESBIAN
welcome. 7:30-9:30 p.m. King
Alliance will gather at Freddies Beach Bar for the organizations annual hol- Greenleaf Recreation Center,
iday party and Equality Awards reception. The party provides a chance for 201 N St. SW. For more infor-
AGLA members to select a new board for the upcoming year and honor those who mation, visit scandalsrfc.org or
dcscandals@gmail.com.
have made significant contributions to the local LGBTQ community.
This years Equality Awards recipients are Bob Witeck, president of Witeck THE DULLES TRIANGLES
Communications; Justin Ayars, president and CEO of Q Virginia Media Company Northern Virginia social
group meets for happy hour at
and editor-in-chief of Q Virginia Magazine; and Elizabeth Ames Fogarty, a board
Sheraton in Reston. All wel-
member of Equality Virginia and co-coordinator of the Arlington PFLAG Community come. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise
Group. Valley Drive, second-floor bar.
The party is free, but attendees are encouraged to buy raffle tickets, the proceeds For more information, visit
dullestriangles.com.
of which directly benefit AGLA. For $10, youll get a dinner coupon, access to the
dessert bar, and 10 raffle tickets, with a chance to win various prizes like gift cards for HIV TESTING at Whitman-
local restaurants and businesses, gift baskets, or bottles of wine. Walker Health. 9 a.m.-12:30
p.m. and from 2-5 p.m. at 1525
AGLA will also be collecting boxes of cereal and nonperishable food items to
14th St. NW, and 9 a.m-12
donate to the Arlington Food Assistance Center, which helps provide groceries for p.m. and 2-5 p.m. at the Max
Arlington residents who are low-income, unemployed, elderly, or suffering from Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr.
serious illnesses. Ave. SE. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
We often see an increase in those needing food assistance around this time of man-walker.org.
year, says Bruce Hightower, the organizations current president. This is another
great way that AGLA helps our community. John Riley IDENTITY offers free and
confidential HIV testing at
two separate locations. Walk-
ins accepted from 2-6 p.m.,
AGLAs Holiday Party, Annual Meeting, and Equality Awards Presentation is by appointment for all other
Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Freddies Beach Bar, 555 23rd St. S., Arlington, hours. 414 East Diamond Ave.,
Gaithersburg, Md. or 7676
Va. Visit agla.org or email President Bruce Hightower at president@agla.org. New Hampshire Ave., Suite

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 21

411, Takoma Park, Md. To set
up an appointment or for more
information, call Gaithersburg,
301-300-9978, or Takoma Park,
301-422-2398.
METROHEALTH CENTER
offers free, rapid HIV testing.
Appointment needed. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an
appointment, call 202-638-0750.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5
p.m., by appointment and walk-in,
for youth 21 and younger. Youth
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-
3155 or testing@smyal.org.
STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3
p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and
the Max Robinson Center, 2301
Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE.
Testing is intended for those with-
out symptoms. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
man-walker.org.
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics
Anonymous Meeting. The group
is independent of UHU. 6:30-7:30
p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. For
more information, call 202-446-
1100.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ
women, 13-21, interested in lead-
ership development. 5-6:30 p.m.
22 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY
SMYAL Youth Center, 410 7th St.
SE. For more information, call 202-
567-3163, or email catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
FRIDAY, Dec. 8
GAMMA is a confidential, voluntary
peer-support group for men who
are gay, bisexual, questioning and
who are now or who have been in
a relationship with a woman. 7:30-
9:30 p.m. Luther Place Memorial
Church, 1226 Vermont Ave NW.
GAMMA meetings are also held in
Vienna, Va., and in Frederick, Md.
For more information, visit gam-
maindc.org.
The DC Center holds a meeting
of its DC LGBTQIA DISABILITY
GROUP to support, educate and
empower people with disabilities.
8-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite
105. For more information, contact
Andy Arias, andyarias09@gmail.
com.
The Mayors Office of Veterans
Affairs and OutServe-SLDN will
host a MILITARY DISCHARGE
UPGRADE CLINIC to help LGBTQ
veterans discharge paperwork to
determine if they are eligible for an
upgrade and can begin moving for-
ward with changing their military
records. To book an appointment,
call 202-724-5454. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
441 4th St. NW, Suite 870N. For noon inside the lobby at 8th and G
more information, visit ova.dc.gov Streets NW. Contact Jeff, 301-775-
or outserve-sldn.org. 9660 or jeffreyhughes@me.com.
WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES MONDAY, Dec. 11
(AND THIRTIES), a social discus-
sion and activity group for queer
Weekly Events
women, meets at The DC Center
on the second and fourth Fridays of
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a
each month. Group social activity
practice session at Dunbar Aquatic
to follow the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m.
Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW.
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For
For more information, visit swim-
more information, visit thedccen-
dcac.org.
ter.org.
GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at
SATURDAY, Dec. 9 Quaker House, 2111 Florida Ave.
NW. For more information, email
ADVENTURING outdoors group getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
takes a walking tour through Old
Town Alexandria, followed by
TUESDAY, Dec. 12
lunch in the area. Bring snack, bev-
erage, $2 trip fee, and lunch money.
The DC Center holds a meeting of
Meet at 10 a.m. inside the King
its COMING OUT DISCUSSION
Street Metro by the station atten-
GROUP for those navigating issues
dants kiosk. Contact Elaine, 215-
associated with coming out and
510-6121 or visit adventuring.org.
personal identity. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
SUNDAY, Dec. 10 information, visit thedccenter.org.
CHRYSALIS arts & culture group The DC Centers TRANS
visits National Portrait Gallery
SUPPORT GROUP provides a
in the Old Patent Office Building space to talk for transgender people
downtown to see exhibits on Sylvia and those who identify outside of
Plath, Marlene Dietrich, and oth- the gender binary. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000
ers. Admission is free. Lunch in
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
the neighborhood follows. Meet at
information, visit thedccenter.org.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 13
OUTWRITE WRITING
WORKSHOP SERIES presents
John Copenhaver, author of
Dodging and Burning, will discuss
the importance of considering
point-of-view before beginning a
piece, and how each point-of-view
has its positive aspects and lim-
itations. 7-9 p.m. The DC Center,
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For
more information, visit thedccen-
ter.org/outwrite.
The LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB meets
at the Dignity Center, across from
the Marine Barracks, for Duplicate
Bridge. No reservations needed.
Newcomers welcome. 7:30 p.m. 721
8th St. SE. Call 202-841-0279 if you
need a partner.
The YOUTH WORKING GROUP
of The DC Center holds a monthly
meeting to discuss upcoming pro-
gramming options. Light snacks
will be provided. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thed-
ccenter.org.
Weekly Events
AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-
versation, meets about 6-6:30 p.m.,
Steam, 17th and R NW. All wel-
come. For more information, call
Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)
holds a practice session at Dunbar
Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N
St. NW. For more information, visit
swimdcac.org.
FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a
group for LGBT people looking
to quit cigarettes and tobacco use,
holds a weekly support meeting at
The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more infor-
mation, visit thedccenter.org.
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH
offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.
and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.
Washington St., Alexandria. 703-
549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at 1525 14th
St. NW, and 9 a.m-12 p.m. and 1-5
p.m. at the Max Robinson Center,
2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE. For an
appointment call 202-745-7000 or
visit whitman-walker.org.
IDENTITY offers free and confiden-
tial HIV testing at its Gaithersburg
location. Walk-ins accepted from
2-7 p.m., by appointment for all
other hours. 414 East Diamond
Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. To set up
an appointment or for more infor-
mation, call 301-300-9978.
JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-
gram for job entrants and seekers,
meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more info, centercareers.org.
METROHEALTH CENTER offers
free, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-
ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012
14th St. NW, Suite 700. For more
information, call 202-638-0750.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV
testing. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N.
15th St., Suite 200, Arlington.
Appointments: 703-789-4467.
STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at both 1525
14th St. NW and the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 Martin Luther King,
Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for
those without symptoms. For an
appointment call 202-745-7000 or
visit whitman-walker.org.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS
WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9
p.m. Newcomers with at least basic
swimming ability always welcome.
Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van
Buren St. NW. For more informa-
tion, contact Tom, 703-299-0504
or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit
wetskins.org. l
DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 23
 Trey Pearsons New
Skin
H o w o n e m a n s h e d h i s c o n s e r v a t i v e E v a n g e l i c a l l i f e to l i v e
h i s t r u t h a s a p o w e r f u l, p a s s i o n a te LG B TQ p o p a r t i s t.
Interview by Doug Rule
T
REY PEARSON LAYS IT ON THICK WITH
Love Is Love. The rousing song sounds
exactly like the kind of euphoric, affirming
anthem youd expect from someone who just
came bolting out of the closet after decades
lying in wait. Ive had a lot of firsts over this
last year, which has been amazing, he says.
And to get to go there, of that kind of honesty
even in my records, feels fantastic.
Its certainly a new sensation for the 37-year-old, who until
last year was the leader of Everyday Sunday, a popular and long-
standing contemporary Christian rock group. The singer-song-
writer had long suppressed his sexuality to the self-deluding
extreme. I did not accept to myself that I was gay, he says.
I never thought of myself that way, even though thats what I
thought about. And I think that was always there.
In June of 2016, Pearson finally decided to live out his truth.
Accepting myself and coming out has been by far the most
freeing, liberating, amazing thing thats ever happened to me,
he says, adding soberly, but it hasnt been without loss. He
covers a spectrum of emotions he encountered on his coming
out journey on his passionate and strong debut solo album Love
Is Love. When I came to this place where I finally decided to
get help and then finally accepted myself for the first time, an
overwhelming amount of emotions that had been suppressed my
entire life just kind of all came out at once.... I feel like there are
these things that Ive been needing to say for a long time that I
finally was able to put words to.
In addition to the expected songs of freedom and liberation,
the seven-song EP features tracks, including the tender Silver
Horizon, that touch on the sadness and regret that can also
result from coming out later in life.
Silver Horizon was one of the first songs I wrote as I
started to get into a healthier place [with coming out], Pearson
says. Its very much about having to go through the darkness
whenever youre changing seasons in life, its sort of like you
cant get around the pain or the grief or any of it. You have to go
26 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY
through it. And to me, Silver Horizon is that light on the other
side of that.
Another compelling song, Dont Dance, is a kind of dare
to those erstwhile Everyday Sunday fans who refuse to get on
board now that hes an out solo artist some even going so far as
to boycott him, as the employees of a California Christian music
festival did last year.
Theres almost this sort of righteous anger that I feel
towards people that cant love me for who I am and feel the need
to judge me or think somethings wrong with me, Pearson says.
Rather than pout, hes disarmingly turning the other cheek. If
you think Im going to hell, dont dance to my music, he sings on
the breezy mid-tempo number.
Since coming out, the recently divorced father of two tod-
dlers has cultivated a new circle of fans and friends in his home-
town of Columbus, Ohio. Next year, hell round up more fans
across the country on a 30-city tour, one he assures will include
Washington, D.C.
Many members of his new posse are featured in the video for
Love Is Love. Its really celebrating the LGBTQ spaces that I
have found a refuge in over this last year and a half. It feels won-
derful to be part of such a loving community.
METRO WEEKLY: Lets start from the beginning: How did religion
shape your upbringing?
TREY PEARSON: I grew up in a small town outside of Columbus,
Ohio. I was very influenced by a lot of Evangelical Christian
culture. I was surrounded by that growing up, coming from a
super conservative Christian family. I was very much taught that
it was a sin to be gay, and that God hated that, and that nobodys
made that way. We were taught that you had a choice, that you
could choose to be straight or gay. Thats put in your head from
MEGAN LEIGH BARNARD
a young age, brainwashing you to think its Gods way, and that
God will be angry if you choose to be gay. As adolescence kicks
in, you have some of those feelings and attractions that you feel
deep shame about. So I would try to pray it away, beg God to take
that from me, to help me not to be that way.
Looking back, over these last couple years, its been a lot to
process of why I made decisions that I did, but I realize that I
was very much a product of my upbringing. I had put all my faith
into believing that I could be something that I wasnt straight.
I had never even made out with a girl before I got married.
And in that Evangelical Christian culture, that purity culture,
youre supposed to save yourself for marriage. Youre not sup-
posed to have sex before you get married. So it was very easy for
me to not be tempted to have sex with my girlfriend or to even
make out or do anything, because I just didnt want to. But I also
had this nervousness deep down. I just desperately wanted to
know what it felt like to be in love. And when you have things in
your head in the wrong categories, I didnt know how to process
any of that. I never wanted to fall in love with any of my guy
friends because I thought that was horrible, and I desperately
wanted to fall in love with these girls. And when all you have is
your own experience to base it off of, you think, Well, maybe
this is normal for a lot of people.
So I ended up eventually finding this girl that I did love. I
loved her as a human being. I loved hanging out with her. She
was a great person. I thought, I could totally raise kids with
this kind of person, and I enjoy her. We never fight. It was,
Well, maybe this is what its supposed to feel like. Maybe itll
all just naturally work. Maybe itll all just naturally come on my
wedding night. So I asked her to marry me, and we got married.
And then that first night, that first week, all of a sudden I real-
ized very quickly how difficult it was going to actually be. And
honestly, even where my mind would have to go to try to make it
work, which I still failed at half the time. It was torturous. It was
torturous for me. Im quite sure it was torturous for her. And it
was one of those things that was so taboo, that we just couldnt
talk about it for a long time. We just kept hoping it would get
better. We tried for years. We had two kids. And, after a lot of
years of this torturous place of not being able to be what each
other needed, we finally came to a place where I decided to get
help. It just took a long time to accept.
During that time, I definitely progressed in my own faith a
lot, my own beliefs. And came to a point shortly into my marriage
where I think I was able to accept other people for who they are.
And I realized that its probably not a choice. And I think a part
of that was recognizing my own feelings, and a part of it was just
progressing and changing even how I understood the Bible and
how I understood God and what I believed about that. But at that
point, I was married, I had a kid, and I thought, Well, I still cant
be gay. It still didnt feel like an option. I just felt like I had to
do whatever it took to be the best husband I could be, to be the
best dad I could be.
It took a long time to accept that I was never going to be able
to be who she needed me to be. And also a long time to under-
stand that my kids needed a dad who was able to be his best self,
so they can be their best selves. It was definitely a long journey
to get to that point.
MW: Who was the first person you came out to?
PEARSON: I called this pastor friend of mine who I knew was
affirming. And for the first time aloud ever in my entire life, I
said to somebody, I think I might be gay. And when I said
that, I just bawled and lost it because it was this thing I had sup-
pressed and had not been able to admit my entire life.
MW: How did you evolve in your faith in regards to homosexuality?
How did you reconcile what you had been taught with your own
acceptance of others who were gay?
PEARSON: I think there are a lot of factors that go into it. But for
28 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY
anybody thats grown up in the Protestant church, most believe
that you have the free will to choose to love God or believe in
God and follow God. I actually grew up in a different kind of
denomination they call themselves non-denominational and
the Calvinist idea that youre predestined, that youre chosen,
and if youre one of Gods children, youve been predestined to
be. Otherwise youre predestined to be one of the devils chil-
dren, I guess, and youre predestined to go to hell. Its this very
weird idea about God, but its just one that I grew up with and
was taught as normal. It took a long time to unlearn that. It was
this thing I had to wrestle with even as a teenager Oh my
gosh, do I get to choose to believe in God, or am I predestined?
I think Ive always been challenging myself in why I believe
what I believe. And to be honest, a lot of times I put my whole
heart into my beliefs until they dont work anymore. And I think
part of putting everything into it is to prove whether it is actually
true or not. I was a teenager that had read the Bible front to back,
Genesis to Revelations, six times. I had memorized the book of
James. I was part of Bible Bowl, where we would get quizzed
on Bible verses. It was just always a thing that mattered to me a
lot, that I really wanted to understand. And then all of a sudden,
after my first year of college, I started this deal with this huge
Christian record label and would go on tour all over the world
all 50 states and 20 countries. And any time you start to see the
world like that or me, being in a Christian band whos played
at literally thousands of churches and been a part of all these
different events, you realize all these people believe a lot of the
same things, but a lot of them believe really different things.
I think anybody that ever gets to travel the world, it shapes
you, and it helps challenge you about things that you might have
grown up thinking. So I think part of my progression was just
seeing the world. I think it was seeing really different beliefs, and
sort of desiring to know why people believe the way they do and
why people believe different things.
As I started touring, Rob Bell wrote this book called Velvet
Elvis: Repainting The Christian Faith, and that book rocked my
world in a lot of ways, and it kept rocking my world. Bell is my
favorite author and eventually became a friend of mine and a
mentor to me. And he was a huge help to me as I did come out
and was going through all of this. He challenged me as a young
adult in my own beliefs, in my own assumptions about what I
thought about the Bible and God and how it worked.
I stopped seeing the Bible the way that I had growing up.
Even though my faith was still very important to me, there
were things that didnt make sense the same way that they did
before, like the fact that homosexual wasnt even a word until
the late 1800s, yet its in my Bible from 2,000 years ago. Why is
that? Then, Oh, well, it didnt actually say homosexual in the
original translation, and it couldve meant several other things,
and they didnt see things in their culture the way we see them
now. And then there are things that we just have gotten past that
are in the Bible slavery or womens rights or genocide, killing
people in the name of God. I think putting your faith in Jesus
and in the mystery of God is one thing, but putting your faith
in believing that God wrote every single word of the Bible, and
theres no error in it, thats a whole different thing to put your
faith in. Thats not something that Jesus even ever asked you to
put your faith in when reading the Bible. But when you realize
that thats a huge part of the assumptions that we have in our
21st century western Evangelical Christian culture, those were
the kinds of things that I started to get really challenged on in
my own life. I thought, Man, it was just 150 years ago when all
of sudden it was, Are we sure God is okay with slavery? That
was a big thing for not only Christians to work through, but for
humanity to work through.
I think being queer is one of the big things that were working
through now, and humanity has already started to work through
it.
MW: How do you identify now in terms of religion? Do you belong
to a particular church?
PEARSON: I do go to a church. Actually, I go to a couple of differ-
ent ones. But I still identify as a Christian. I think I am one of the
more progressive, liberal Christians youll meet, but there are
actually a lot more people like that out there than a lot of people
realize because, unfortunately, what you see about Christianity
in America today tends to scream from the fundamentalist side.
But when you also realize that most of the country identifies as
Christian, but most people dont identify as the fundamentalist,
Evangelical, church-going kind of Christian, you realize, Wow,
the worlds not quite like they made it seem growing up, and
those arent just a bunch of lukewarm people that dont care
about God. They just dont think about it quite like you do.
I definitely embrace the mystery of the unknown, and I dont
believe in trying to pretend that you can know something that
you cant. But I like believing that theres something more. And I
As adolescence kicks in, you have some of
those feelings and attractions that you feel
deep shame about, so I WOULD TRY TO PRAY IT
AWAY, BEG GOD TO TAKE THAT FROM ME, TO
HELP ME NOT TO BE THAT WAY.
love believing in Jesus. I loved growing up believing in this guy
who literally loved all the little children in the world, and I like
putting my faith in that when you cant know. I realize people
grow up with different faith traditions, and some people dont
believe anything or dont know what they believe, and I think
thats okay, too I understand that. I especially understand the
rejection of the kind of Christianity so many people in our com-
munity feel because of the version of Jesus they were handed as
a kid, and how torturous that has been to so many of us, and how
many lives its literally destroyed.
I also dont think that was ever Jesus intention. And I think
when you can separate some of his followers from the true idea
and understanding of Jesus the kind of Jesus I can get behind
is the one that taught us that the most important thing is to love
our neighbors as ourselves, and in doing so, thats what it means
to love God. Yeah, it still is beautiful to me. And just like anybody
whos willing to be super-honest, sometimes you believe certain
things more than at other times. And I think thats always fluc-
tuating in everyones lives. I have friends who are atheists who
sometimes say, Maybe there is a god. Sometimes we put too
much stock in [labels or] saying something rather than actually
[questioning]: How does this affect how I live my life? Am I
choosing to put my faith into believing that its good to love my
neighbors? That its good to care for the poor? That its good to
care about each other?
MW: How is your connection and relationship with your family?
PEARSON: Its okay. Certain times are better than others. Time
has definitely healed some things, and then there are a lot of
things that I wish could be different and better. I have this deep
desire for my family to love me for who I am and not in spite of
who I am, and hoping that they can see that theres a huge differ-
ence in what kind of love that is and what that means. I know my
family loves me, and I love them, but if I got married tomorrow,
I dont know who would all be there. And I think that says a lot
about how deep that love runs or what that love means.
MW: Is it possible that they will eventually come around with more
time? After all, theyve had much less time than you have had to
grapple with the adjustment.
PEARSON: True. Because my storys been so talked about when
I came out, there have been so many people that have reached
out to me over this last year and a half since I came out publicly
literally thousands and thousands of people continue to reach
out to me. And I see story after story, a lot of people that have
been through what Ive been through, and some of them have
really good endings, and some of them dont. And I realize that
it could go either way and that it always comes down to people
having the freedom to choose whats most important to them
and whether theyre going to open their hearts or not. I remain
optimistic. Ill keep trying and loving well.
Im very passionate about helping as many people as possi-
ble from having to go through what I did. Anything I could do
to help people to feel loved as they are, as a queer person, thats
definitely a huge passion of mine, especially for everything Ive
been through.
MW: How many siblings do you have?
PEARSON: I have two older sisters. My oldest sister, Angela
DeAngelis, is my biggest ally and supporter. She was actually a
huge ally to the LGBTQ community long before I could accept
myself. I think something within her really was able to be chal-
lenged by a lot of that stuff way before I was able to be. And so
Ive been extremely grateful for just how much she has meant to
me, going through all of this. Shes been my rock for sure.
MW: How has your ex-wife been in your coming out process?
PEARSON: When I told my wife, in that moment, she really set me
free. She actually hugged me and cried and told me how proud
she was for me being able to be honest with myself. This thing
that I had been so burdened by my entire life, I just knew right
away, one, how much it had hurt our lives, but two, how much I
was excited to find my own life and be a voice for other people
and hopefully a voice that could help set other people free.
DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 29
MW: Growing up, what impact did music have on you?
PEARSON: I grew up with a lot of 80s synth pop Michael
Jackson to Billy Joel and Elton John and George Michael. Ive
always loved music since I was a child. My parents had vinyl
records, and they had a record player in our basement that I
would love to go down and play, from Phil Collins to Pet Shop
Boys to David Bowie to Whitney. I just loved it all. That had
a huge influence on me. We had a piano in our basement, and
I learned how to play chords as a young kid. And then getting
involved in theater and doing musicals, getting to do profession-
al theater in downtown Columbus as I got into adolescence and
up into high school, being on stage and performing for people,
the combination of those things just gave me this great desire
and passion to do what I do. So starting a band when I was
turning 16, that was the most natural thing in the world for me.
But in some ways, it was definitely a relief to get to write music
and perform, and at the same time, its interesting that there are
these parts of me that I didnt know how to write about.
MW: Did that change after you came out?
PEARSON: Honestly, I dont think I was able to go that deep with
so much of this until I was able to go there myself, and so thats
definitely added another element to where I was able to go with
this record, this first solo thing that Ive done. I hope people can
feel that when they hear it. Its been beautiful just to see the
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, I
SAID TO SOMEBODY, I THINK I MIGHT BE GAY.
And when I said that, I just bawled and lost it
because it was this thing I had suppressed and
had not been able to admit my entire life.
response Ive gotten so far from people. Its been wonderful.
MW: Are you inspired by other contemporary singer-songwriters?
PEARSON: Im inspired by a ton of people. There are a lot of cur-
rent artists that Im obsessed with, from The Killers to Coldplay
to The 1975 to Jack Antonoff with Bleachers and fun. I love
so much what theyre doing. And Jack also produced the new
Lorde album and Taylor Swifts new album. I think hes brilliant.
A lot of whats happening in pop is very smart and cool right
now, and I love that, but I also have been able to bring a lot of
those influences I had growing up, from Michael Jackson to a lot
of that kind of 80s hip-hop stuff, like Headshotboyz. Or Duran
Duran or Tears For Fears. Honestly, Im just a huge Freddie
Mercury fan and Queen and George Michael and David Bowie.
Seeing where culture was then and what a lot of those queer
artists had to get through, and a lot of times couldnt even be who
they were publicly, and just to see how far weve come since then
and the impact that so many artists are making today by being
able to be fully out and fully themselves, I have a great respect
for what people did that came before us.
MW: Youve lived in and around Columbus your whole life. I take it
you still feel at home there?
PEARSON: Yeah, its a great city. Theres actually a wonderful
30 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY
LGBTQ community here. Its interesting: When I came out to
myself and my family, I lost pretty much everybody in my life. I
had to start over completely. Even though I didnt move cities,
even though I didnt leave Columbus, it felt like I had moved to
an entirely new city, because I just hardly had anybody in my
life, and I had to start over. And it was extremely difficult at first,
navigating that.
Theres this gay bar here in Columbus called Union, and its
been a refuge for me. Thats where I built my new community.
Its where I met my friends who I have now. And when I lost
pretty much everybody when I came out, it was beautiful to
have a space like that that I could go to and be a part of and find
community.
MW: How old are your kids?
PEARSON: My daughter just turned eight, and my son just turned
four.
MW: So not quite old enough to fully understand your situation.
PEARSON: Theyre pretty great. They hang out with all of my gay
friends, and thats very normal for them. They were just out with
my friends Chad and Matthew last night at their apartment. And
two doors down from us, theres lesbian moms, and their little
boy is right between my kids ages, and theyre all best friends.
And down the street from me is gay dads with twin boys who
are nine. I live in a very forward-thinking community, which Im
very grateful for. I moved here right before my story came out,
and I was very lucky to end up where I did.
MW: Do you share custody of your children?
PEARSON: Yeah. Its 50/50. Theyre my world. As kind of shitty
as everything has been to be able to get to the point where I
could accept myself and a lot of times I grieve of what I missed
out on, not ever getting to experience so many things that teens
and young adults get to, those first crushes, those dances, the
young love at the end of the day, I know that I wouldnt trade
it all for my two kids.
I think its part of what I mean by the good grief, sometimes
its okay to grieve those things, but its also good to see what I
do have, that I have the two best kids in the world, and theyre
my life. And Im very passionate about that, and excited to get to
raise them in a way that they get to see their dad living his truth,
and they get to see me being the best me that I can be, and to
encourage them to be their best selves as well, and to know that
theyll always be accepted and loved for who they are. l
Love is Love is available now on Amazon.com and iTunes, and on
streaming services. For information on his upcoming tour, visit
treypearson.com.
JOSEF PERSSON Movies

atively as he pleased, but with the gleaming

Leathered Up
Sibling rivalry and gay sexual liberation fuel an iconic artists
fire in Tom of Finland By Andr Hereford
smiles and affable good looks of characters
hawking coffee or soap.
The film makes clear, if any viewer wasnt
already aware, that Touko has the skills
and vision to pull off this risqu marriage
of wholesomeness and porn. Also clear is
Toukos preference in making the choice

E
between art, which springs from his essence,
NTERING THE EROTICALLY CHARGED WORLD OF TOM OF FINLAND and advertising, which he describes as pro-
( ), a viewer might expect to be piqued or titillated by the films moting the consumption of useless things by
dimly-lit, cruisy exploration of gay sexual liberty in post-war Europe. unethical means.
However, what comes as a surprise is the movies poignant depiction of sibling rival- Karukoskis storytelling is largely visual.
ry, between the Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen (Pekka Strang), and his younger Several scenes play out wordlessly, shot in
sister, Kaija (Jessica Grabowsky). the noir-style of 40s spy thrillers, of men in
Kaija, like her brother Touko (known as Tom), was a talented artist and illus- boots, hats, and overcoats cruising the dark.
trator, but, according to the excellent script by Aleksi Bardy and the films director Revealing the secretive world of homosexu-
Dome Karukoski, she lacked something that makes a good artist a great one. To als in Helsinki and Berlin, the camera roves
put it bluntly, maybe she didnt have the balls, both in terms of confidence, and as with Touko through red-tinted backroom
regards the male privilege that her brother enjoyed as a decorated ex-Army officer. bars and smoky private parlors. The action is
The movie loads an eras worth of meaning into the arc of Toukos career progress furtive, and the sex onscreen is shot sugges-
at the advertising agency where Kaija gets him a job alongside her as an illustrator. tively, but not at all graphically.
He quickly and quietly advances to management, while Kaija remains in the pool. Guided to the underground scene by his
Its merely a background plot to Karukoskis decades-spanning biography of army captain Alijoki (a wonderful Taisto
an artist whose influence on the culture of masculinity could hardly be measured, Oksanen), Touko finds a home there. For
but the point is made. Avenues of opportunity opened to Touko, some that Kaija the curious or uninitiated, the film itself
or any other woman at the time might not have accessed as freely. But then, Kaija, will serve as a guide to closeted gay culture
portrayed brilliantly by Grabowsky as a woman seething with ambition and uncer- before men were gay, before Stonewall,
tainty, also stands in her own way. Worse, she might have stood in the way of her before Tom of Finland.
gay brother, whom she calls totally confused. Where the film missteps is in its muddled
Portrayed by Strang as a quick wit and quiet charmer, Touko isnt confused. He portrayal of the world after Toms art lands
is as brazen as the pictures he draws in his spare time of voluptuously muscular, in gay America like a tidal wave. As Touko
well-endowed men, in and out of uniform, engaged in hot sex. At his job, he dares to is tossed from his 50s European milieu to
infuse ad concepts and illustrations with an undercurrent of sensuality and eroticism. swinging 70s San Francisco and L.A., the
Then, in his art, hes clever enough to bring the approachability of advertising movie piles on period signifiers and uncon-
into his homoerotic drawings. Toms innovation is to draw his figures as provoc- vincing old-age makeup, but doesnt wring

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 33

 rivalry over a roommate,
Veli (Lauri Tilkanen, in
a warmly engaging per-
formance) unspools as a
conventional and murky
aside to the main show,
which always is Touko,
the man who became
Tom.
Tom of Finland
became an icon creating
enduring images of male-
ness, including his sig-
nature leatherman char-
acter Kake, who in the
film appears to the artist
as a muse in the well-
cast guise of Swedish
actor and former figure
skater Niklas Hogner.
Karukoskis film cap-
tures the spark of inspi-
JOSEF PERSSON

ration that moves Tom to

draw whenever he sees,
or imagines, a man like
much story out of the popular artists immediate influence on the Kake. More delicately, the film brings to life the desire that lit
self-image of men-loving men. the artists genius, until hed filled the entire world with leather
Similarly, the plot involving Touko and Kaijas romantic gods and muscle studs. l

Tom of Finland is rated R, and opens at the Landmark E Street Cinema on Friday, December 8. Visit landmarktheatres.com.

34 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY

 Movies

audiences gasp (and gasp we do), recall-

Water World
ing a time not so long ago when African
American people were treated by some as
less than human and gays were on a rung
one step lower.
Guillermo del Toros The Shape of Water is a luxurious period fantasy If the magnificent, hulking Amphibian
Man and yes, it is a man, we soon
where the beast finally gets the girl. By Randy Shulman
discover at the center of the story is
a metaphor, hes an awfully magnificent

T
HERE ARE GOOD GUILLERMO DEL TORO FILMS, THERE ARE BAD one, beautifully, elegantly, expressively
Guillermo del Toro films, and there are great Guillermo del Toro films. The one portrayed by Doug Jones, who has made
kind of film Guillermo del Toro never makes, however, is a boring one. A direc- a career of acting under massive wads of
tor who defiantly refuses to cleave to ordinary convention, del Toro has a specific fond- latex. The tangibility of the creature and
ness for the horror genre, which, in his gifted hands, elevates what might have been at the poignant veracity of Jones perfor-
one time regarded as a B picture into the A-plus category. Hes one of those visionary mance is just another example why
filmmakers who gathers up the odds and ends of whats come before and smashes them sometimes its better to go with real than
together into something unexpected, something weird, something new. bits and bytes. All the performance majes-
As for examples: Both Hellboy films are good. Pacific Rim is best left forgotten, as is ty Andy Serkis brings to his CGI-capture
his blitheringly idiotic television series, The Strain. But Pans Labyrinth well, that was roles doesnt hold a candle to the expres-
great. Perhaps greatest of all. Nearly everything del Toro has made since has been held siveness Jones brings to a mask molded
against that 2006 masterpiece of dark fantasy amid an even darker reality. from one-inch thick rubber.
So where does that leave The Shape of Water (HHHHH), del Toros eagerly antici- The Amphibian Man is, naturally, mis-
pated homage to creature features of the 50s? Somewhere between good and great. Its understood by its sadistic, immoral captor,
not quite fully formed, even though it feels complete while youre experiencing it. But Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon, in
for all its luxurious camera work and deep, resonant performances, the movie is just a performance of blazing intensity), who
this side shy of fully blowing you away. It misses its mark by an inch. calls the creature an affront, and fails to
Still, it comes close enough. And if this mash-up of the 1954 chiller Creature from see it for the rare, unique being that it is.
the Black Lagoon with good old-fashioned movie musicals isnt enough of a wild and Such has often been the case with classic
wondrous mix for you, well, lets have some From Russia, With Love thrown in for good movie monsters, and with the exception
measure. of Frankenstein, most are viewed as mur-
On top of the films core romance between a silent beauty and an amphibious derous beings that feed off human blood
man, del Toro layers on social outrage that, sadly, is more relevant in todays world (Dracula), flesh (Wolfman), or revenge
than when he likely first penned the screenplay. Yet, even the social commentary is, (Mummy).
on reflection, window dressing rude, inappropriate utterances tossed in to make The Shape of Water skirts all that by

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 35

redefining who, in fact, the movies real monsters are. The movie
glides, waltz-like and with elegance, toward a conclusion that,
while not wholly unanticipated (its virtually telegraphed from
the opening shot), is at least deeply satisfying and emotionally
fulfilling. Del Toro leaves several questions unanswered mys-
terious scars on a characters neck point to signs of childhood
abuse, but might be something else and leave the notions
for audiences to feast upon later. Hes the kind of director who
knows not only which buttons to push, but the precise place-
ment for those buttons and exactly when to push them.
Sally Hawkins gives a sumptuous, wordless performance
as Elisa Esposito, a cleaning woman who works the night shift
at a top secret lab facility outside Baltimore. Born mute, Elisa
lives a lonely, but highly structured, repetitive existence. Her
daily waking routine, mined for gentle comedy by the filmmak-
er, includes boiling eggs for lunch, preparing dinner for her
reclusive, closeted neighbor, Giles (Richard Jenkins, funny and
moving in a dazzling supporting role), and masturbating while
submerged in the bath. That last bit is critical to laying the foun-
dation for Elisas full, watery sexual awakening later in the film.
That awakening, of course, transpires with the Amphibian
Man, and the emergence and development of their romance is
as natural and guileless as those that have developed between
on-screen lovers since moving images were first committed to
celluloid. The difference here is that instead of running from the
monster, Eliza runs toward it, assuredly and seductively. He
doesnt know what I lack, or that I am incomplete, she signs
to Giles, in an effort to convince her reluctant neighbor to help
The Shape of Water is rated R for violence, language and sexuality of an altogether different kind.
Opens Friday, Dec. 8, at area theaters.
36 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY
steal the labs most sensitive asset ever. The bond between
Elisa and the Amphibian Man is forged in boiled eggs and the
music of Glenn Miller. They were clearly destined to find one
another, and del Toro plants seeds to bolster his case for their
unexplained attraction. In his eyes, theyre soulmates, pure and
true. Love for this pair is secondary to the need they have for
one another, two solitary beings that find strength in union and
peace in one anothers embrace.
A subplot involving a Russian spy whose mission it is to kill
the creature at first feels a bit like a MacGuffin. We dont need
to learn, his handler says with the kind of ominous portent
ripped from cold war spy movies of the early 60s. We need
the Americans not to learn. But the subplot serves a mechani-
cal purpose by giving Elisa and her work friend Zelda (Octavia
Spencer, delightfully smart and sassy) a means of getting the
creature out of the lab. The character also provides the movie
with one of two unbearably grisly, squirm-inducing moments.
Set in 1962, the movie is rich with symbolism much of it
derived through del Toros fastidious eye for design and color,
including various shades of green and, after romance blooms,
warm, glowing reds. Del Toro is gifted at making the unimag-
inable seem, if not commonplace, then at least remotely plausi-
ble. Things happen that defy description, and yet the director,
who has said that he made The Shape of Water because he want-
ed to see the monster finally get the girl, brings a romantic clo-
sure to the creature features of yore. Maybe the Creature from
the Black Lagoon wasnt a murderous, monstrous beast after all.
Maybe he was just horny. l
TERESA WOOD
Stage

Post-modern
band, Rudys no-good son is the thread
that runs between all three generations of
family. Somehow, hes at the root of the
different shades of pain that Felix, Linda,

Family
and Rudy each bear.
Jackson, bound by his love for Felix,
brings his own pain to the funeral party.
Yet, they can all laugh off whatever anger
A family struggles towards the light in Studio Theatres compact but and resentment they feel, and try to
powerful drama Curve of Departure. By Andr Hereford enjoy each others company for the night.
Donahues cast coalesces beautifully, cap-

L
turing the natural-sounding rhythms of a
IKE A PLAINTIVE WHISPER PACKING THE FORCE OF A SEISMIC ROAR, family making small talk, spilling secrets,
Rachel Bonds contemporary drama Curve of Departure (HHHHH) presents life or enduring the awkwardness of deafen-
on a small scale, but with a mighty impact. Set entirely within a New Mexico ing silence.
hotel room, the play provides four meaty roles for the quartet of actors starring in As the family member who orches-
Studio Theatres new production, directed by Mike Donahue. And, just as thrilling, trates much of the action, Jones wraps the
Bonds story offers the excitement of seeing a skilled dramatist work out the thorny entire room in Lindas concerned mater-
realities of a kind of modern family thats new to the stage. nal embrace. Still, she carves out Lindas
A twentysomething gay couple, who only in this day and age could legally marry and personal journey independent of her
legally adopt children, contemplate whether or not theyll do so. To further point out divorce, or motherhood, or acting as nurse
that Felix (Justin Weaks) happens to be biracial, and Jackson (Sebastian Arboleda) is to her father-in-law, Rudy. Its searing
Latino, is to get more bogged down in identity politics than Bonds seems interested in whenever Jones unleashes Lindas need to
plunging these characters. assert her true strength. All the shit that
Class does enter the fray, at least when Jackson mentions hes from a trailer park in counts comes from me, she insists of her
Bakersfield. But the more pressing issues hanging over the lovers night of reckoning son Felix.
are the timing and location. Theyre hunkering down in that hotel room for the night Felix is the least assertive, the most
with Felixs inquisitive mother, Linda (Ora Jones), and his barely continent elderly confused of the four, and Weaks turns the
grandfather, Rudy (Peter Van Wagner), all of them in town for the funeral of a deadbeat young mans unease into a physical trait
named Cyrus. thats both comical and relatable. Perhaps
Though never seen, and universally scorned, Cyrus Felixs dad, Lindas ex-hus- the characters negativity is overstated,

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 37


TERESA WOOD
for the sake of a writer needing someone to play devils advo-
cate, but in Weaks hands, Felixs discomfort feels genuine. So
too does Jacksons optimism cast a natural glow via Arboledas
well-calibrated performance.
As Rudy, hale of spirit, but with a sickly body, Van Wagner
Curve of Departure runs until January 7, at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St., NW. Tickets are $20 to $85.
Call 202-332-3300, or visit StudioTheatre.org.
38 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY
must manage the feat of delivering
the plays broadest comedy, as well
as some of the dramas most dev-
astating blows. His comic timing
rarely fails him, and when Rudys
failing health is no longer a laughing
matter, Van Wagner ensures that
the old man maintains his dignity,
even if he has to grasp it with all his
might. They might be a family that
hasnt often crossed the stage, but
they are recognizable.
Set designer Lauren Halpern
plants their evenings unrest in a
very recognizable chain hotel
room, with the right touches of
Southwest decor. Likewise, the
passion between Felix and Jackson,
the tension between mother and
son, and resignation between a
dying man and his caretaker, all ring
true.
Theres a fresh sound to this old
story about two fags, as Felix calls them, possibly becoming
parents. But, even as updated laws allow for new definitions
of family, and new cultural avenues for playwrights to explore,
its old-fashioned absentee-dad drama that anchors this sharp
reflection of real life. l
NightLife Photography by
Ward Morrison

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 39

 Scene
Dirty Goose- Saturday, December 2
Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 41

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42 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY

to 50% off Micro Brew Shaw Nuff Trivia, with
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DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 43

GREEN LANTERN
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44 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY

DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY 45
 LastWord.
People say the queerest things

We dont bake cakes for gay weddings.

A hypothetical sign that could appear in bakeries across the nation, depending on the outcome of the Supreme Courts
Masterpiece case. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sander confirmed this week that Donald Trumps
definition of religious liberty would include the usage of such signs.

Im a heterosexual. I have a wife. I love my wife.

I dont like men as you might...
stop touching me all the time.
Pennsylvania State Rep. DARYL METCALFE (R.), complaining about Rep. Matt Bradford (D.) lightly touching his arm during a
committee meeting. Metcalfe, who has a history of homophobic actions as a representative, brought proceedings to an abrupt halt
for an inexplicable rant, telling Bradford, who is married to a woman, Keep your hands to yourself. Like, if you want to touch
somebody you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it. I dont.

Marriage equality would mean so much.

I honor these people, and in particular my late son Binni.

LINDA BURNEY, a Member of the Australian Parliament, in an emotional speech detailing her support for marriage equality
in the country. Burney lost her son, Binni, earlier this year, after he struggled with mental health and addiction.
I support marriage equality as someone who has and has had loved ones who identify as LGBTI, she said.

At its core, this case is a cynical effort to manipulate the First Amendment in order to
provide a license to discriminate against LGBTQ
people and our families.
HRC President CHAD GRIFFIN, in a speech about the Supreme Courts Masterpiece Cakeshop case, which could legalize anti-
LGBTQ discrimination nationwide. HRC called it one of the most significant Supreme Court cases of the year,
one that could have sweeping consequences for every single LGBTQ American.

If they cant cope with a few naked bums,

then frankly thats quite sad.

ANGUS MALCOLM, producer of the Warwick Rowers calendar, speaking with the Independent. The calendar, which features
naked images of Warwick Universitys rowing team and raises thousands of dollars each year for a campaign to remove
homophobia from sport, has been banned in Russia for promoting gay propaganda, which is illegal in the country.

46 DECEMBER 7, 2017 METROWEEKLY