Documente Academic
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12 CLOSET CASE
Playwright Siegmund Fuchs looks behind the closed
doors of the closeted mind.
By André Hereford
By Sean Maunier
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Ben’s Chili Bowl is at 1213 U St. NW. Tickets to the gala at the Lincoln Theatre are $60 to $150.
Call 202-733-1895 or visit benschilibowl.com.
BEACH HOUSE
Like much of their music, the Baltimore-
based dream-pop duo’s success has been
a slow build. And 7, Beach House’s new-
est album, is the culmination of years
of precisely refining technique, doubling
down again and again on a now unmis-
takable sound and aesthetic and striving
to perfect it. The synths, soft guitars,
and Victoria Legrand’s haunting voice
make it impossible to mistake this for
anything other than her band with Alex
Scally. Beach House’s soundscapes have
always been dreamy, escapist fantasies,
but with 7, the duo has also put forth a
hopeful message of rebirth, a simple per-
fection rising out of darkness and chaos.
Beach House supports the stellar five-
star album on tour with fellow Sub Pop
labelmate Papercuts, the “soft indie pop”
four-piece founded and fronted by Jason
Robert Quever. Saturday, Aug. 25. Doors
at 6:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St.
WIKICOMMONS
SW. Tickets are $38 to $55. Call 202-888-
0020 or visit theanthemdc.com. (Sean
Maunier)
BLAZING SADDLES
Mel Brooks is a master of shtick-heavy, knee-jerk comedy, the kind that often doesn’t require much in the way of intellec-
tual heavy-lifting. Several of his best-known works have been deemed by the American Film Institute among the funniest of
the last century. Chief among these, coming in at No. 6 on the AFI’s 100 Years...100 Laughs list, is this 1974 farcical Western
caper co-written with Richard Pryor. A satire about the racist mythology of the American West, Blazing Saddles stars
Cleavon Little as a black sheriff in an all-white town. Gene Wilder plays a gunslinging, alcoholic everyman sidekick, with a
cast aided and abetted by a bevy of Brooks’ scene-stealing regulars, including Dom DeLuise, Harvey Korman, and the late,
great Madeline Kahn. Blazing Saddles could never get made in today’s climate — and yet it seems the perfect statement for
our times. The film returns to the big screen as part of Landmark’s West End Cinema Capital Classics series. Wednesday,
Aug. 23, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m., 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $12.50. Call 202-
534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.
Compiled by Doug Rule with their own food and drink. It’s starring Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $5.
all designed as a benefit for NIH Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/
FILM Children’s Charities. On the lawn
near the Mansion, 10701 Rockville
Warren, and Michael McKean. The
original theatrical release featured
Silver.
COMCAST XFINITY Pike, North Bethesda. Call 301-581- three different endings. It’s likely METRIC: DREAMS SO REAL
OUTDOOR FILM FESTIVAL 5100 or visit strathmore.org. they’ll show all three. Screenings This meticulously conceived and
The chief draws at this year’s free begin at sundown, around 8 p.m. constructed feature-length con-
screening series under the stars CLUE Off the parking lot of the Blairs cert documentary focuses on the
at Strathmore are two of cinema’s Every Friday night through August Shopping Center, 1290 East-West Toronto-based synth-pop/rock
biggest, most progressive superhe- 31, the AFI Silver Theatre co-pres- Highway. Call 301-495-6720 or visit quartet Metric, stadium-filling
ro tales: Black Panther (Aug. 24) ents a free outdoor film series at afi.com/Silver. rock stars in Canada. The footage
and Wonder Woman (Aug. 26). The nearby Sonny’s Green, where is of a 2016 concert at Vancouver’s
series launches Thursday, Aug. 23, patrons can bring blankets and low- LOONEY TUNES Thunderbird Arena, exhaustively
with Coco, the latest Oscar-winning rise chairs as well as their own food The AFI Silver Theatre is current- captured by filmmakers T. Edward
animated adventure from Disney- and beverage. Screening Friday, ly running several programs, each Martin and Jeff Rogers through
Pixar. Disney’s classic, The Lion Aug. 17, is Game Night, the offbeat roughly 45 minutes long, with selec- the use of a twenty six 4K cam-
King, screens on Saturday, Aug. comedy released earlier this year tions of Warner Bros.’ classic car- eras. Intended as a stunning rec-
25. Each film is screened, start- starring Jason Bateman and Rachel toons featuring the Looney Tunes reation of the concert, Dreams So
ing at 7:30 p.m., on a nine-story- McAdams as a hyper-competitive, gang — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Real screens once next week at the
tall, 52-foot-wide inflatable movie games-mad married couple, whose Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Porky AFI per its “Canada Now” series of
screen. The festival features bar- interactive murder mystery game Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, films. Friday, Aug. 24, at 7:20 p.m.
becue and beverage options avail- night gets hijacked by actual crimi- Tweety, and more. Program 5 is AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville
able for purchase from Ridgewells nals. Next week, Aug. 24, the series Saturday, Aug. 18, and Sunday, Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $13.
catering, although patrons are screens Clue, Jonathan Lynn’s 1985 Aug. 19, at 11 a.m., while Program Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/
welcome to bring picnic blankets, zinger-filled comedy based on the 6 is Saturday, Aug. 25, and Sunday, Silver.
low beach chairs, and small coolers classic murder-mystery board game Aug. 26, at 11 a.m. 8633 Colesville
CLOSET CASE
brating the days of EC Comics, with
and school. 3107 Mount Pleasant St.
an assortment of short, creepy stories
NW. Tickets are $5. Visit sunscin-
in which people tend to rise from the
ema.com.
dead to eke out revenge. The best of
the lot is a tale involving a very hun-
VENUS
Playwright Siegmund Fuchs looks behind gry monster in a box, and featuring
A trans woman’s life is thrown for
the closed doors of the closeted mind. a brilliant performance from Fritz
Weaver. The fine cast includes Hal
another, wholly unexpected loop
T
when a 14-year-old boy, seeking to
Holbrook, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson,
connect with his biological father,
HE METAPHYSICAL COMEDY IN THE CLOSET IS E.G. Marshall and even King himself,
shows up on her doorstep proclaim-
set inside a closet — and not just figuratively. All four in arguably the film’s weakest segment.
ing to be her son. Eisha Marjara’s
Creepshow screens Friday, Aug. 24,
characters, men of varying ages, crowd into that hiding at 9:40 p.m., Monday, Aug. 27, at 9:05
gender-shifting, heartwarming
space with their own baggage and stories to share. The concept comedy focuses on the immediate
p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 29, at 9:30 p.m.,
aftermath of this bombshell devel-
grew out of playwright Siegmund Fuchs’ desire to do something and Thursday, Aug. 30, at 9:15 p.m.
opment and the multi-faceted fam-
8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring.
different with the traditional coming out story and “try to write Tickets are $13. Call 301-495-6720 or
ily dynamics and drama at play,
one that would be interesting.” including the involvement of the
visit afi.com/Silver for the full series.
parents and cisgender lover of lead
The play, currently having its World Premiere courtesy character Sid (Debargo Sanyal).
the Rainbow Theatre Project, started out as a one-man show. SCOTTY AND
Part of the “Canada Now” series.
THE SECRET HISTORY
“Those are really hard to write,” says Fuchs. “They are difficult OF HOLLYWOOD
Monday, Aug. 27, at 7:05 p.m. AFI
to sell. Audiences just find them torturous. So I thought, ‘Why Silver Theatre, 633 Colesville Road,
Those rumors of secretive trysts,
Silver Spring. Tickets are $13. Call
don’t I put a [few] people in a closet, and make the whole stage extramarital lovers, and rampant
301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/
promiscuity among many Hollywood
a closet, and just make it this weird, magical, metaphoric place.” heartthrobs in the postwar mid-cen-
Silver.
Though billed as a comedy, In the Closet finds room to tury era? Little surprise that many,
explore serious topics, such as age discrimination, mid-life cri- perhaps even most, turn out to be true, STAGE
ses, even rape: One of the younger men struggling with coming and mostly stemming from the same
source: Ex-Marine Scotty Bowers, DAVE
out is a victim of sexual violence. Tinseltown’s chief pimp/undercover Drew Gehling (Broadway’s
“The character in his twenties is raped,” says Fuchs. “And the sexual matchmaker at the time. Vanity Waitress) is a high school teach-
lawyer who is prosecuting the rape case tells him that he is being Fair writer and documentary filmmak- er and presidential doppelgänger
er Matt Tyrnauer (Valentino: The Last thrust into the Oval Office to avoid
too feminine on the stand and wants him to rein it in. So for the Emperor) relates the true story of the a national scandal in this musical
period of the rest of the trial, he goes back into the closet.” man whose gas station on Hollywood adaptation of the 1993 hit comedy
During the day, Fuchs, who has written two other plays prior Boulevard doubled as a rendezvous starring Kevin Kline. Tina Landau
to In the Closet, practices Constitutional law for the civil division spot for his friends and actors and directs the world premiere at Arena
actresses on the down-low. Based on Stage. Book by Thomas Meehan
of the Department of Justice. While he has worked with victims Bowers’ 2012 tell-all bestseller Full (The Producers) and Nell Benjamin
of sexual abuse and has researched the issue, he is emphatic that Service, the documentary is said to be (Mean Girls), lyrics by Benjamin,
In the Closet is not a memoir. “full of jaw-dropping reveals,” with and music by Tom Kitt (Next to
eye-opening tales about icons ranging Normal). To Aug. 19. Kreeger
“In all of my works, I pull things from my past to give back- from Cary Grant to Spencer Tracy, Theater in the Mead Center for
ground to the characters,” says Fuchs, who identifies as a mem- Katharine Hepburn to Ava Gardner. American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW.
ber of the LGBTQ community. “But my plays are not meant to be Opens Friday, Aug. 17. Landmark’s E Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenas-
autobiographical at all.” —André Hereford Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call tage.org.
202-452-7672 or visit landmarkthe-
atres.com.
In the Closet runs through September 15 at DCAC,
2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-462-7833,
or visit rainbowtheatreproject.org.
NEEDTOBREATHE
This South Carolina-rooted, four-
piece rock band, fronted by the
Rinehart brothers, puts on an
impressive and stirring live show,
courtesy of strong group cohesion,
SHEILA E. uplifting music, and especially Bear
Sheila Escovedo came to fame more than three decades ago as Prince’s drummer, song- Rinehart’s powerhouse pipes, show-
cased to greatest effect in a recent
writer, musical director, and paramour. In recent years, Sheila E. has toured through pairing with R&B belter Andra
the area with her electrifying solo show featuring her Latin-flavored soul/pop hits Day on the band’s rousing anthem
(“The Glamorous Life,” “Love Bizarre”) as well as the-hits-that-should-have-been — “Hard Love.” A more recent power-
with a focus on songs from 2013’s Icon. Her first studio album in 13 years, Icon fully house anthem from Needtobreathe
is “Forever On Your Side,” a col-
displays the artist’s skill at songcraft and prowess in percussion, even the vocal kind laboration with Abner Ramirez and
known as beatboxing, per the impressive, all-vocal track “Don’t Make Me (Bring My Amanda Sudano Ramirez, known
Timbales Out).” Her timbales will definitely be out and used to full effect in her return together as Johnnyswim. The mar-
ried, L.A.-based duo tours as an
to the Howard Theatre next weekend. Saturday, Aug. 25, at 8 p.m. 620 T St. NW. Tickets opening act for Needtobreathe along
are $49.50 to $79.50, plus $10 minimum per person for all tables. Call 202-588-5595 or with Billy Raffoul, a promising Joe
visit thehowardtheatre.com. Cocker-esque 22-year-old from
Canada. Friday, Aug. 17. Doors at
5:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St.
SW. Tickets are $46 to $76. Call 202-
H.M.S. PINAFORE theater experience or event venue. THE COLOR PURPLE 888-0020 or visit theanthemdc.com.
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE After two politically inspired caba- In addition to Hamilton, the
ret shows, TBD significantly alters
The Hypocrites and the House
Theatre of Chicago, two innova- course by offering three courses
Kennedy Center is playing host to
the other big winner from the 70th READINGS
tive theaters in the Windy City, as part of a “culinary pop-up the- Annual Tony Awards in 2016, the
have teamed up to stage two of ater experience” at Slim’s Diner adaptation by Marsha Norman and RISK!
Gilbert & Sullivan’s best-loved in Petworth, devised and directed composer/lyricists Stephen Bray, Risk! True Stories People Thought
comic operettas in rotating rep at by Strother Gaines in collabora- Brenda Russell, and Allee Willis They’d Never Dare to Share is a
Olney Theatre. Celebrated for being tion with Jenny Splitter and the that won as Best Musical Revival. diverse collection of uncensored,
immersive and family friendly, the show’s cast. Based on responses to To Aug. 26. Kennedy Center confessional, and at times funny
productions are presented prome- a preliminary questionnaire, the- Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are personal stories compiled by Kevin
nade style, with some seats on stage atergoers are matched with one of $69 to $149. Call 202-467-4600 or Allison of MTV’s comedy troupe,
with the actors. These silly tales nine performers — all portraying visit kennedy-center.org. The State. The stories are most-
of scurvy pirates, modern Major- supernatural “Legends” charged ly drawn from the podcast and
with keeping order in the universe live show Allison created and that
MUSIC
Generals, and star-crossed lovers
were both directed by Sean Graney, — sitting with and guiding patrons Rolling Stone has touted as “The
who co-adapted The Pirates of through a meal starting with salad Moth’s scrappier, freakier little sib-
Penzance with Kevin O’Donnell, and offering choices for entree CREATIVE CAULDRON CABARET ling.” Allison will read from and
and H.M.S. Pinafore with Andra (Shrimp and Grits, Meatloaf, or The 9th annual summer cabaret sign copies of the book next week,
Velis Simon and Matt Kahler. To Ratatouille) and dessert (Apple or series at ArtSpace Falls Church two days before a Risk! show fea-
Aug. 21. Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Key Lime Pie). Each experience, continues with: Jim Van Slyke in turing D.C.-area storytellers to
Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring lasting roughly 90 minutes, will be two different shows: a tribute to the be recorded for the hit podcast.
Road, Olney, Md. Tickets are $30 to slightly different, affected by indi- pop music of Neil Sedaka in “Sedaka The reading is Thursday, Aug. 16,
$64 each. Call 301-924-3400 or visit vidual engagement and interaction is Back!” offered Friday, Aug. 17, at 8 at 6:30 p.m. Kramerbooks, 1517
olneytheatre.org. as well as external variables such p.m., and “Just Me and the Boys,” a Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-
as “chaos, gluten, and uninvited toast to Mel Torme, Nat King Cole, 387-1400 or visit kramers.com. The
LEGENDARY: guests.” Clearly, this isn’t theater Bobby Darin, and Sammy Davis Jr., live show is Saturday, Aug. 18, at the
SWEET SLICE OF LIBERTY nor dinner as usual. “Think of the on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 8 p.m. 410 Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. Doors
Partly inspired by New York’s Sleep show as a world to explore rather South Maple Ave. Tickets are $18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. Call 202-
No More and nurtured at Capital than a play that you watch,” reads to $22 per show, or $55 for a table 667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.
Fringe, TBD Immersive is a devised, an official note. To Aug. 25. 4201 for two with wine and $110 for four
participatory theater company that Georgia Ave. NW. Tickets are $45, with wine. Call 703-436-9948 or
intentionally blurs the line between including three-course meal. Visit visit creativecauldron.org.
audience and performer, while also TBDImmersive.com.
straying far afield from the usual
POP: RECALL
Paintings and sculptures reminis- BREWERS ON THE BLOCK
cent of popsicles, ice creams, and Gina Chersevani, one of D.C.’s longtime leading mixologists, hosts this fifth annual event
other frozen treats from childhood
are the focus of a solo exhibition
at Buffalo & Bergen’s outdoor beer garden in Union Market as a Spotlight event of DC
by a nostalgia-steeped pop culture Beer Week (see entry under Food & Drink). Guests can get unlimited pours in a souvenir
artist who teaches at the Corcoran tasting glass from nearly 40 participating area craft brewers, with representatives on hand
School of the Arts and Design in a “Meet The Neighbors”-themed event. The lineup includes popular DMV breweries,
and American University. Corey
Oberndorfer’s works are set up in including 3 Stars, Atlas, Blue Jacket, the Brewer’s Art, DC Brau, Denizens, Evolution,
the window displays of the exper- Manor Hill, and Port City, cideries, from D.C.’s own Anxo to Bold Rock from Virginia,
imental Metro Micro Gallery in and Jack’s from Pennsylvania, and meaderies such as Baltimore’s gluten-free Charm City
Arlington that, among other things,
bills itself as “a 24/7 viewing space”
Meadworks. Saturday, Aug. 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. Suburbia, 1309 5th St. NW. Tickets are
— with exhibited works visible at $55, or $75 for VIP including entrance at 5 p.m. with exclusive food and reserved seating.
night via the gallery’s interior spot- Call 202-543-2549 or visit 5thbrewersblock.eventbrite.com.
lights. Founded by and adjacent to
the studio of visual artist Barbara
Januszkiewicz, the gallery further
styles itself as a shared space nur-
turing a community of emerging
PICTURES OF THE YEAR:
75 YEARS OF THE WORLD’S BEST
cionados with a dream. Now there
are a dozen breweries in D.C.
DRAG
artists and curators. To Aug. 24. PHOTOGRAPHY proper and the whole region has
Metro Micro Gallery, 3409 Wilson BAR ROUBAIX:
The Newseum celebrates one of the seen an explosion in the craft. DC
Blvd., Arlington. Visit metromicro- SASSY DRAG BRUNCH
world’s oldest and most prestigious Beer Week has grown by leaps and
gallery.com. Over the past year, the local Hilton
photojournalism competitions with bounds, with more than 50 events
brothers have expanded well
a show featuring just a sampling of taking place over the course of the
FRACTAL WORLDS beyond Marvin and The Brixton
the more than 40,000 award-win- next week, all kicking off with the
BY JULIUS HORSTHUIS and their original U Street base.
ning images in the archives of 8th Annual Cask Night on Friday,
The latest installation at D.C.’s None of the additions, however,
Pictures of the Year International. Aug. 17, and the 4th Annual Cask
unique art-meets-technology gal- stand out as much as Bar Roubaix
Tracing the evolution of photojour- Day on Saturday, Aug. 18, both at
lery ArTecHouse is billed as the in Columbia Heights with its racing
nalism from World War II to today, the Brewer’s Lounge at the District
first immersive art exhibition bike theme, complete with chains
the images on display depict the Chophouse. Other notable events
bridging the gap between the real dangling behind the bar and wheels
people and events that have defined on tap: the 1st Annual Lager Fest
and the virtual world. This visu- serving as light fixtures. Named
the times, capturing war and peace, at City Winery on Sunday, Aug. 19;
al “journey of discovery” explores after the French city sponsor-
disaster and triumph, and the social Churchkey’s Total Tap Takeover
mind-bending sci-fi worlds and ing one of the world’s oldest and
and cultural shifts that have shaped featuring all-D.C. brews, on
infinite 3D geometric patterns, most iconic professional bike races
the past 75 years. Founded in 1944 Tuesday, Aug. 21; Beers and Brats
transporting viewers to another and housed in the former Acre 121
at the University of Missouri, POYi at Denizens Brewing Company on
dimension. Horthuis, whose work space, Roubaix features a menu of
recognizes excellence in photo- Thursday, Aug. 23; DC Beer Royale,
was featured in the 2016 Oscar- European-inspired bites from Chef
journalism as well as multimedia a battle for the title of D.C.’s “Most
winning film Manchester by the Sea Rafael Nunez. And now, Roubaix
and visual editing. To Jan. 20. Beloved Beer” presented by Roofers
and has been seen in collaborations stands out even more thanks to a
Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. Union on Thursday, Aug. 23; a guid-
with American EDM duo Odesza drag brunch the third Sunday of
NW. Tickets are $22.95 for general ed tour of three D.C. breweries
among other musical artists, incor- each month, organized by Josael
admission. Call 888-NEWSEUM or organized by City Brew Tours DC
porates both projection and virtual Abraham Gutierrez. Sassy Drag
visit newseum.org. on Saturday, Aug. 25; and Brewers
reality elements. To Sept. 3. 1238 Brunch features Desiree Dik as the
on the Block outside Union Market
Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets for “master of sassiness” along with
on Sunday, Aug. 25. Runs to Sunday,
timed-entry sessions are $8 to $15, FOOD & DRINK Aug. 26. Visit dcbeerweek.net for a
her sassy sisters Laronica Vegas
and Paula, in addition to special
with evening admission for those full schedule of events.
over 21 years of age, including DC BEER WEEK guests, next round Rose and Mariah
exhibit-related Augmented Reality When this promotion was launched Black. Drink specials include $18
Cocktails available for purchase. 10 years ago, there weren’t any Bottomless Mimosas, Bloody
Visit artechouse.com. breweries based in D.C. — just a Mary’s, and Bloody Maria’s, $9
dedicated crew of craft beer afi- Margaritas, and $9 Irish Coffees.
Sunday, Aug. 19, from noon to 2 of Cirque Italia. Dubbed the “Water front-row spectators are liable to which will be enhanced by patrons
p.m. 1400 Irving St. NW. Ste. 109. Circus,” it’s a first-of-its-kind trav- get a little wet. Thursday, Aug. 16, donning glow-in-the-dark brace-
Tickets are $21 inclusive of show, eling production currently touring and Friday, Aug. 17, at 7:30 p.m., lets. Mark Shufflemaster Anduss
one entree, and 18-percent gratuity, the states. Although unaffiliated, and Saturday, Aug. 18, and Sunday, helms the production lights and
or $10 for show with no food. Call comparisons between the Florida- Aug. 19, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. sound and Dr Torcher serves as
202-560-5721 or search “Sassy Drag based Cirque Italia and Quebec- Under the White & Blue Big Top host for the whole spectacle, with
Brunch” on eventbrite.com. based Cirque du Soleil often arise, Tent near Marshalls, 2700 Potomac highlights including a glowing
given their similar focus on present- Mills Circle, Woodbridge. Tickets belly dance from Rin Ajna, fire play
ing multi-varied and animal-free are $10 to $50. Call 941-704-8572 or with Coryn Rose and Pyrate, Lottie
ABOVE staged shows. Additionally, Cirque visit cirqueitalia.com. Ellington’s Blacklight Burlesque,
Italia’s gravity-defying physical Coffin & Eon of OhYesYo perform-
AND BEYOND artists — including clowns, contor- THE DC WEIRDO SHOW: ing Blacklight Yo-Yo Stunts, and
tionists, trampolinists, and roller SPECTROCIRCUS! Blaq Milk’s Liquid Performance
CIRQUE ITALIA skaters — often perform in or with Held the third Friday of every Art Friday, Aug. 17, at 9 p.m. Bier
“The water, it kind of gives us a new water via a “custom-built, high-tech month, the Weirdo Show bills Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St. NW.
type of animal in the business, I like design stage.” The setup features a itself as a “cult favorite for freaks, Tickets are $15 in advance, or $20 at
to say,” says Chanté DeMoustas, the digital water curtain, used to dis- geeks, and exposed buttcheeks.” the door. Call 202-293-1887 or visit
chief operating officer and producer play graphics and images while Lights and zany visual treats are the dcweirdoshow.com. l
the artist is performing. Naturally, guiding theme of the latest romp,
A
N OKLAHOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS CAN- he is still using the girls. REALLY ... Looks like it’s gonna be
celled classes after parents made threats to harm a long year.
and castrate a 12-year-old transgender student. The “We have made school board meetings over this situation
threats, made on social media, were so serious that law last year but nothing seems to be changing,” the post contin-
enforcement agencies are now involved. ued. “This is the same kid that got an [sic] trouble as soon as
According to the Sherman, Texas-based CBS affiliate he transferred two years ago for looking over the stalls in the
KXII, Superintendent Rick Beene of the Achille (Okla.) girls (sic) bathroom. Enough is enough.”
Public Schools agreed to cancel classes on Monday and Jamie Crenshaw’s post was subsequently shared on a
Tuesday, at the suggestion of the Bryan County Sheriff’s relative’s Facebook page, which prompted other community
office. The sheriff’s office wanted to avoid confrontation members from Achille, southern Oklahoma, and northern
should parents, community members, and outside agitators Texas to pile on, referring to the 12-year-old as “it,” “thing,”
protest over the transgender student’s use of the girls’ bath- and a “half-baked maggot.”
room. “Why are parents letting their kids be transgender?”
The student in question, known as Maddie, has been wrote one Facebook user on the relative’s page. Another
attending school in the district since fifth grade, and has responded: “Parents and Churches need to shut this down,
used the staff bathroom at Achille Elementary School during the Bible says God created man, and woman ... not any trans-
that time. But her gender bs ... Hell with
mother, Brandy Rose new laws and new
— who has declined rules, this is what our
to use her last name future is if WE don’t
out of fear for her stop it!!!”
family’s safety — says Other Facebook
her daughter was users suggested par-
unfamiliar with the ents allow their chil-
location of the staff dren to beat Maddie
restroom in the dis- up, including one
trict’s middle school who wrote: “Just tell
building, which only the kids to kick ass in
recently reopened. the bathroom and it
Because her won’t want to come
daughter could not back!!”
hold her bladder, she A second posted:
resorted to using the “If he wants to be a
girls’ restroom. Rose female make him a
says Maddie only female. A good sharp
used the facilities one knife will do the job
Achille Public Schools, via Facebook
time — but that was really quick.”
apparently enough for the lynch mob of parents who took to A third said: “You know we have open hunting seasons
Facebook to air their grievances and threaten Maddie with on them kind. Ain’t no bag limit in them neither.”
harm. Some of the comments have since been deleted or made
While Maddie was using the bathroom, another student private, but pro-LGBTQ advocates and allies saved screen-
accused her of peeping under a bathroom stall. “My daughter shots of the comments.
leans very far forward to use the bathroom,” Rose explained. “That’s a threat against her life–that’s scary,” Rose told
“I can understand why someone seeing her lean forward KXII. “These are adults making threats against a child. I
would think, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s trying to look under.’” don’t understand it.”
The gossip mill in the small town began to churn, and The sheriff’s office has confirmed that Rose has since
a parent complained on the Achille ISD Parents Group on obtained a protective order against a parent who has the
Facebook (which has since been deleted). same surname as one of the Facebook posters. KXII reports
“Heads up parents of 5th thru 7th grade girls,” Jamie that the FBI has gotten involved to see if the comments con-
Crenshaw wrote. “The transgender is already using the girls stitute a hate crime.
(sic) bathroom. We have been told how the school has gone Beene, the superintendent, told KXII that there haven’t
above and beyond to make sure he has his own restroom yet been any problems with Maddie over the past two years
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
LGBQ youth twice as likely to use illegal drugs as straight youth. By Rhuaridh Marr
A
new study has found that LGBQ youth are twice as teens — half of LGBQ youth reported having tried it, versus
likely to use illegal drugs compared with straight almost 38% of straight teens.
youth. The study, Substance Use Among Lesbian, Smoking and alcohol use were also higher among LGBQ
Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning Adolescents in the United teens — 47% had tried smoking at least once, and 72% had
States, was published by researchers at San Diego State drank at least once. That compares with 31% and 63%
University in California last month, Reuters reports. respectively for straight youth.
By analysing data from almost 15,000 high schoolers, John Ayers, senior study author, told Reuters that
researchers examined both lifelong substance abuse in addi- stress factors such as isolation “may make drugs foolishly
tion to use within the past month. The substances included appear attractive as a coping mechanism. Even exper-
illegal drugs, alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes. imentation with these harder drugs can derail a teen’s
Lifetime substance abuse among LGBQ teens (the study future.”
didn’t account for gender identity) was 12% higher than A first-of-its-kind national survey recently found high
their straight peers, while the number of students who levels of stress, depression and fear due to daily challenges
reported substance abuse in the month prior to the survey among LGBTQ-identifying youth.
was 27% higher than for straight teens. The Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 LGBTQ Teen
LGBQ youth were three times as likely to try heroin Survey highlighted a number of problem areas for LGBTQ
(6.6% versus 1.3%) or methamphetamines (8.6% versus youth, including at home, where two-thirds have heard a
2.1%), and twice as likely to try ecstasy or cocaine. family member make anti-LGBTQ comments, and in school,
Comparatively, marijuana use was much higher for all where only a quarter of youth feeling safe. l
Weekly Events
ANDROMEDA
TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing and HIV
services (by appointment). 9
T
Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van
Buren St. NW. For more infor-
HE 17TH STREET FESTIVAL IS SMALL BUT MIGHTY,” SAYS NATALIYA mation, visit swimdcac.org.
Andreyeva. “It’s really like a big block party.” A local artist who will sell her wares
during the Aug. 25 festival, Andreyeva says the festival does a good job of finding a DC FRONT RUNNERS run-
ning/walking/social club
variety of artists and creators who want to showcase and sell their works, which range from
welcomes runners of all ability
pottery to jewelry to oil paintings. levels for exercise in a fun and
Andreyeva will be selling collages dedicated to the evolution of the D.C. Metro system, supportive environment, with
her pop-art renditions of the D.C. flag, and pieces chronicling historical events or honoring socializing afterward. Route
distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at
groups like the District’s LGBTQ community. “I try to have the viewer ask a question or 7 p.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW.
elicit an emotion,” she says. “I want people to probe deeper and find their own meaning.” For more information, visit
Now in its ninth year, the 17th Street Festival will also feature street vendors represent- dcfrontrunners.org.
ing local businesses or nonprofit organizations, and a “Kids Zone” with an inflatable slide,
DC LAMBDA SQUARES, D.C.’s
snow cones, and a soccer demonstration. Mandy Warfield, the past president of the Rotary gay and lesbian square-dancing
Club of Dupont Circle, says this year’s festival will include new street entertainers, includ- group, features mainstream
ing a funk band, a New Orleans jazz band, a Chinese lion dancer, a mariachi band, flamenco through advanced square
dancing at the National City
dancers with guitars, and a performance by drag queen Brooklyn Heights at 5 p.m. Christian Church. Please dress
Organized by Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets, with support from the D.C. casually. 7-9:30 p.m. 5 Thomas
Department of Small and Local Business Development and local community organizations, Circle NW. 202-930-1058,
dclambdasquares.org.
the festival not only promotes the cultural and economic life of the Dupont neighborhood,
but encourages attendees to patronize local businesses, particularly the 16 restaurants that DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
line the 1500 and 1600 blocks of 17th Street NW, including mainstays Floriana, Dupont practice. The team is always
Italian Kitchen, Trio’s, Hank’s Oyster Bar, and Annie’s Paramount Steak House. looking for new members.
All welcome. 7-9 p.m. Harry
“There’s many streets that make up the Dupont neighborhood, but 17th Street is sort of Thomas Recreation Center,
the soul of Dupont Circle,” says Warfield. “It’s the area where everyone wants to go and 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For more
hang out.” —John Riley information, visit scandalsrfc.
org or dcscandals@gmail.com.
The 17th Street Festival is Saturday, Aug. 25 from Noon to 6 p.m. in the 1500 to 1600 blocks THE DULLES TRIANGLES
of 17th St. NW. There is no entry fee. Rain or shine. For more information, Northern Virginia social
group meets for happy hour at
call Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets at 202-656-4487 Sheraton in Reston. All wel-
or email Bill McLeod at execdirector@dupontcircle.biz. come. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise
Valley Drive, second-floor bar.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5 The DC Center hosts a month-
p.m., by appointment and walk-in, ly LGBT ASYLEES SUPPORT
for youth 21 and younger. Youth MEETING AND DINNER for LGBT
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567- refugees and asylum seekers. 5-7
3155 or testing@smyal.org. p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, visit thedc-
STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker center.org.
Health. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3
p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and The DC Center holds a meeting of
the Max Robinson Center, 2301 its LGBTQ PEOPLE OF COLOR
Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. SUPPORT GROUP, facilitated by
Testing is intended for those with- Dakia Davis. 1-3 p.m. 2000 14th St.
out symptoms. For an appointment NW, Suite 105. For more informa-
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit- tion, visit thedccenter.org.
man-walker.org.
Weekly Events
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics
Anonymous Meeting. The group DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a prac-
is independent of UHU. 6:30-7:30 tice session at Montgomery College
p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. For Aquatics Club. 8:30-10 a.m. 7600
more information, call 202-446- Takoma Ave., Takoma, Md. For more
1100. information, visit swimdcac.org.
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ walking/social club welcomes run-
women, 13-21, interested in lead- ners of all ability levels for exercise
ership development. 5-6:30 p.m. in a fun and supportive environ-
SMYAL Youth Center, 410 7th St. ment, with socializing afterward.
SE. For more information, call 202- Route distance will be 3-6 miles.
567-3163, or email catherine.chu@ Walker meet at 9:30 a.m. and run-
smyal.org. ners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets
NW. For more information, visit
FRIDAY, August 17 dcfrontrunners.org.
S
INCE CHILDHOOD, SGT. NICK HARRISON of my time — or the most honorable way to do it — would be to
seemed destined to be in the Judge Advocate go and do something in the military.”
General’s Corps, a branch of the military dedicat- For three years, Harrison was stationed at Fort Richardson
ed to military law and justice. Growing up in Del outside Anchorage, Alaska, where he was an airborne infantry-
City, Okla., the 41-year-old attorney and indepen- man. Afterwards, he announced his intention to commission as
dent defense consultant possessed many of the an officer, and was sent back to school to finish his degree. Over
traits that make good lawyers: a strong interest in public service, the next decade, as a member of the Oklahoma National Guard,
a spirit of perseverance, and a sharp, inquisitive mind. Harrison served two tours of duty — one in Afghanistan, one in
“Back in elementary school, I was always the one who was Kuwait — separated by a stint in law and graduate school, where
really interested in government and social studies and wanted he earned both his Juris Doctor and an MBA. In short, he was on
to know all about the Founding Fathers,” he says. “The teacher track to realize his dream of becoming a JAG officer.
would ask a question, and I’d be the kid that would hop up out That dream came to a crashing halt shortly after his second
of his chair, run back, grab an encyclopedia, open it up, and go deployment. Harrison, who came out at 28 and survived the mil-
to the section of the Constitution to try to figure out what the itary’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era, had come down with flu-like
answer to the question was.” symptoms. He went to a clinic for treatment, where the clinician,
His life took a more determined step towards entering the puzzled at the symptoms, likened them to something she would
JAG Corps when, midway through college at the University of see in a person who was HIV-positive. A few weeks later, with
Central Oklahoma, Harrison decided to enlist in the military. some additional bloodwork, Harrison was officially diagnosed
“I kind of got to a place where I didn’t think I was making with the virus.
enough progress forward in my degree, so I decided to take a That diagnosis — and his subsequent antiretroviral therapy
break,” he says. “And thinking about it, the most productive use — meant that Harrison quickly ran afoul of the military’s policy
reached out to me, and her initial concern was whether I was mission-oriented organization. I think we can deal with that.
all right, because most people are devastated by the news. She It’s just the leadership or the headquarters has to expend the
talked to the chain of command, and told me about who needed effort to do it, to do the training and the education, as part of the
to be notified. Then she moved to me to the office of Joint Force change in the overall policy.
headquarters, where I currently serve because I’m not consid- MW: Is there a cost concern for the military, given that HIV medi-
ered deployable. cations can carry a large price tag?
MW: Besides having an outdated understanding of HIV, why do HARRISON: I don’t think cost is really a legitimate issue. They
you think the military classifies people with HIV as non-deploy- have HIV-positive service members now. They’re just not fully
able, since the condition is now treatable with a daily medication? utilizing them. They’re not deploying them, they’re not allowing
HARRISON: At the time the policy was written, back in the ‘80s or them to be advanced and to be promoted, and so they already
’90s, it made a lot of sense and it was actually a very compassion- have that expense as well, but I mean that’s an expense that is
ate policy. That was before they really had effective treatments. everywhere else too. It’s in the federal government. It’s in the
You weren’t expected to live that long, and so the military was civilian sector.
doing a very compassionate act at the time, saying, “Okay, we’re MW: Why did you decide to move forward with a lawsuit?
gonna identify these people. We’re gonna make sure they get the HARRISON: I was graduating law school, and I’d been offered a
best medical treatment that’s available.” The scientific under- commission in the National Guard or the Reserves. I wasn’t able
standing of HIV has changed dramatically, but they haven’t to pursue that at that time, because I was being deployed and
rewritten the policy. couldn’t take the bar exam. When I came back, I did an interview
The interesting thing is that some branches of the military are with the D.C. National Guard, and was offered a position in the
rewriting the policy. If you look at the Navy or the Marine Corps, Legal Services Office supporting the Director of the National
they’ve changed their policy. In others, like the Army and the Air Guard Bureau. So I decided to start the process and go through
they said, “Go to each leader through the level of your organi- sense of urgency. It was seen as a target of opportunity, some-
zation and get them to sign off that says, yes, I’ve seen this, I thing else that needs to be fixed, that needs to be added to the
concur, or I don’t concur.” lawsuit because fundamentally, the problem is the HIV poli-
MW: How did you hear you had been rejected for a waiver? cy. People who are HIV-positive shouldn’t have deployment
HARRISON: I was originally offered the commission back in limitations. They shouldn’t have these bars that limit their
November of 2013. But then I didn’t hear back until July 2015, advancement, or compromise their ability to continue to serve.
and they sent me a form letter saying no. “We’ve looked at the Fundamentally, it’s a problem with the HIV policy itself. The
packet that you put together, and we’ve determined that it is not “Deploy or Get Out” policy is kind of a complication because
in the best interest of the Army.” That’s all it was: a one-para- they want to kick everybody out who’s non-deployable, and at
graph answer. the same time, you have people in the Army that are not expend-
The D.C. National Guard had assigned a JAG attorney, Capt. ing any effort to rewrite the HIV policy as they should.
Cravins, to help me through the process. He was working at the MW: How is it affecting day-to-day life in the military?
National Urban League as his civilian job. He introduced me to HARRISON: I think everybody in the military right now is in a
people at the Human Rights Campaign and said, “Maybe you state of limbo because of the “Deploy or Get Out” policy. All of us
should talk to these people.” They set up a bigger meeting with a are very concerned about what that means because the HIV pol-
bunch of HIV advocacy groups, one of which was Lambda Legal. icy hasn’t been rewritten and because we’re waiting to see how
They said that this policy was something that they’d been trying that broad statement that’s been put out there is implemented by
to change for a while, that they’d gotten some language included the services. It’s possible at some point that the military might
in the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act] back a few just try to kick all of us out. There are about 1800 of us in the
years, but hadn’t seen any movement forward since then, so they military right now with this condition.
were very interested in the case. Lambda Legal, in particular, It continues to put me in a certain level of uncertainty. I know
thought that my case and the circumstances surrounding my where I can put my skills to best use in the military, serve on
situation were the ideal test case to challenge the policy. JAG office, but I’m precluded from doing that. So I’m basically
Damon Arhos
T
HE D.C.-BASED INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST DAMON the stigma and shame associated with being HIV-positive, as
Arhos attempts to show the contradictory feelings and well as with taking Truvada as an HIV preventative measure.
circumstances he often experiences as a gay man in Yesterday’s 30, filmed on Super 8, mourns the tragic loss of 30
today’s world: both proud and shamed, affirmed and reviled. transgender people in the United States in 2017. Finally, with
Such a disorienting state of affairs is represented or reflected in Trapped, Arhos has constructed a lustrous tower out of rat traps
“I Love To Hate You,” a series of artworks currently on display enhanced with metallic paint, intended as a metaphor for how
at the contemporary art gallery now known as IA&A at Hillyer. many LGBTQ Americans feel when facing both embrace and
In his painting series The Antidote, for instance, Arhos evokes disdain. —Doug Rule
Now to Sept. 2. IA&A at Hillyer, 9 Hillyer Court NW. Call 202-338-0325 or visit athillyer.org.
Cents
soundtrack of fizzy pop and jazz, most of
it sung in Mandarin or Cantonese, adds
to the siren appeal of all the glamour and
and Sensibility
opulence.
Rachel experiences culture shock ven-
turing into Nick’s rarefied world, but she,
as Chu also must intend for the audience,
is too dazzled to be mad that Nick hid his
Crazy Rich Asians is an enjoyable rom-com with a spring in its step wealth from her. He had his decent-guy
and money on its mind. By André Hereford reasons for the deception, and the movie
sticks with him as a sincere love interest
C
for Rachel, who otherwise is thrown to the
RAZY RICH ASIANS (HHHHH) ANNOUNCES WITH ITS TITLE AND wolves — Nick’s rude or condescending
opening scene its mission — brazen for Hollywood — to center a mainstream relatives, conniving exes, jealous stalkers,
film around a predominantly Asian cast. Then the film, based on the wildly and various blockers who have their rea-
popular best seller by Kevin Kwan, quickly gets down to the business of being a lively, sons, too.
luxurious, oft-hilarious romantic comedy. The film acknowledges but doesn’t
Playing up the light farce of a bigot getting served his comeuppance by the regal pick apart the intricacies of large-scale
Michelle Yeoh, the brief London-set prologue introduces the sometime action star as class warfare. Instead, it focuses on Rachel
the imperious Eleanor Young, grande dame of a crazy rich, old-money Singapore fam- standing up to relentless pressure, and a
ily. Eleanor’s son, Nick (Henry Golding), grows up to be a fine man, in more than one parade of put-downs, intended to break
sense of the word. her spirit and her engagement to Nick.
Nick happens to be the favorite grandson of Eleanor’s mother-in-law, Ah Ma (Lisa Yet, for all the weight of tradition and
Lu), the Young family’s true grande dame. Due to his status as the chosen one to classism driving the drama, the film is as
eventually control the family’s vast real estate fortune, all hell breaks loose after Nick frothy and fun as it could be.
returns to Singapore with his new fiancée, Rachel. Not only is Rachel an American-born Wu anchors an ensemble that boasts
Chinese, but she’s the humble daughter of a working-class, immigrant single mom. quite a few rapid-fire jokesters, including
Of course, as an Economics professor at NYU, Rachel is no slouch, and she’s also comedians Ken Jeong and Ronny Chieng,
delightfully embodied by Constance Wu, star of the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. Wu who deliver consistently. As Rachel’s
smoothly adjusts her comic rhythms to light romance, essaying a sweet and resilient best friend, Peik Lin, rapper and actress
heroine attuned to the peppy energy that director Jon M. Chu draws out of the story, continues on page 32
Disenchanted
as she tries to live free and command her
own destiny. On this journey she’s joined
by Elfo, an elf who fled from a land where
everyone is always happy, and Luci, a
Matt Groening’s newest animated show fails to justify demon who has been eternally bonded to
the need for its existence. By Rhuaridh Marr Bean by mysterious, faraway forces.
It’s a curious setting, and one rich
M
with comedic potential — class squab-
ATT GROENING DIDN’T NEED TO MAKE A NEW TV SHOW. AS CREATOR bles, mythological and fantastical crea-
of The Simpsons, he has an estimated half a billion dollars in personal wealth, tures, the plague — but the end result is
holds the record for the longest-running primetime show in U.S. television scattered, overstuffed, and frequently dull.
history, and has helped create a multi-billion dollar entertainment powerhouse that Each episode runs close to half an hour in
encompasses movies, games, music, theme park rides, and an almost ludicrous amount length, and Disenchantment — like a lot
of merchandise. of Netflix’s comedic output — feels like it
The last time he tried creating something new, it was a decade after The Simpsons could use the editing restrictions of broad-
first aired on Fox. Futurama was more daring than its yellow-tinged cousin. It was cast television to economize its joke-tell-
snappier, zanier, but no less brilliant. Criminally underappreciated by audiences, it ing. What’s worse is that the opening epi-
was canceled twice on two different networks, but stands tall alongside the first eight sode is frequently laugh-out-loud funny,
seasons of The Simpsons as proof that Groening knows what he’s doing. despite its need to establish Bean, Elfo,
That’s why the prospect of a new animated show from Groening is pretty tantaliz- Luci, and the myriad other characters in
ing. With enough wealth to last multiple lifetimes, he isn’t doing it for the money. And this zany kingdom. But what follows just
by partnering with Netflix, he isn’t catering to the demands of broadcast restrictions fails to match that momentum. Sure, you’ll
and advertisers. A new show, dropping on a streaming platform, from the man who has laugh, but it’s the exception, not the rule.
gifted the world two of TV’s best animated shows? What’s not to love? Whether it’s Bean trying and failing
A lot, as it transpires. Disenchantment (HHHHH) isn’t just a disappointment, it begs to get a normal job, ultimately winding
the question why Groening ever felt the need to make it. As a grand return to television, up as the kingdom’s executioner, or her
it proves that the third time definitely isn’t the charm. attempts to throw a party in the castle
A medieval fantasy described by one of the cast as “the offspring of The Simpsons while King Zøg and stepmother Queen
and Game of Thrones,” Disenchantment is set in the kingdom of Dreamland, an ironi- Oona are at a spa — only for gatecrashing
cally named city filled with death, depression, and drinking galore. It centers on Bean, land vikings to try and seize the throne —
an alcoholic princess desperate to escape the tedious trappings of her royal life, and the premise of each episode is sound, but
Awkwafina makes a stronger impression here than earlier this Content to forgo heated clenches, the movie derives its sex
summer alongside Sandra Bullock and crew in Ocean’s 8. appeal from the conspicuous consumption on display, the man-
Partly it’s Peik Lin’s colorful, outrageous style that sets the sions and supercars, jewels and fashions. Chu even dishes up a
character apart, but really it’s Awkwafina’s bouncy swagger. fashion makeover montage that, at least in this context, makes
Unlike other characters in Nick and Rachel’s circle, Peik Lin is sense for a girl who packed a suitcase full of what one charac-
one-hundred percent authentically herself, yet always still jovi- ter calls her “Gap look.” Luckily for Rachel, she’s welcomed by
ally flexible, ready for whatever life or the party throws at her. Nick’s clotheshorse cousin Astrid (Gemma Chan).
Ever-resourceful, she keeps an impressive array of wardrobe As the family’s unhappy princess, Chan swans through scenes
choices in the trunk of her Audi. swathed in Dior and warmly sells the idea that people so fla-
The film’s side-trips to the ostentatious crib of Peik Lin’s grantly wealthy might be caring and generous. However, she and
nouveau riche family are the best satire that Chu and the script, Pierre Png, as Astrid’s husband Michael, don’t really sell the cou-
by Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli, have to offer. Those scenes ple’s side-drama of infidelity and resentment. Crazy Rich Asians
also set up a loving surrogate home for only-kid Rachel in a story is not about tearing down the fantasy, but about the extravagance.
that’s so expressly concerned with living within, or without, the And that extravagance surrounding Rachel is a lot for her to
embrace of family. live up to. The same could be said of the film, which must live
It’s worth noting that Crazy Rich Asians might challenge a up to the expectations of author Kwan’s legions of fans. Readers
few conventions that older generations hold dear, but it’s a fam- have continued to follow the romance and adventures of Rachel
ily-friendly flick. Nick and Rachel’s romance is chaste enough and Nick, and their families and friends, through two sequels,
for grandma, with the two pictured waking up in bed together which easily could beget sequel films to this soapy, smile-induc-
wearing pajamas and underwear. ing soon-to-be hit. l
Crazy Rich Asians is rated Pg-13, and opens in theaters everywhere August 16. Visit fandango.com.
Melancholy Baby
As with most of the cast, Montgomery
shares a fine rapport with Krishawn,
whose Tilly has to be a muse to many.
Certainly she has the effect of discom-
bobulating all who meet her, including a
Constellation opens their Epic Love season with the lovely longing of lesbian couple, Frances (Mary Myers) and
Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce. By André Hereford Joan (Lilian Oben). Desiring Tilly delivers
a pleasurable shock to the ladies’ systems
I
that Myers makes quite funny, and Oben
T’S WISTFUL AND POETIC, BUT SARAH RUHL’S MELANCHOLY PLAY: A conveys especially well with her richly
Contemporary Farce ( ) is no sob story. In fact, Nick Martin’s fresh stag- arch turn — her lingering pause or side-
ing of Ruhl’s first full-length play lives up to the comedic spirit of its subtitle. The eye would make Eve Arden proud.
production likewise lives up to the adventurous spirit of Constellation Theatre, a com- Struck by an urge to console Tilly, so
pany that consistently takes playful risks with high-concept material. beautiful when she’s sad, Joan epitomizes
This farce revolves around Tilly, an inadvertent enchantress who longs to feel the questionable tendency of some roman-
melancholy and cries perfect rivulets of woeful tears in her all-out effort to achieve tics (or masochists) who seek out messes to
sadness. Maybe she just wants to dance with gloom and heartache, or merely feign the clean up and care for. Ruhl relays the con-
depth of someone who’s substantial enough to be miserable. But Tilly can’t quite shake nection explicitly by making Joan a nurse,
her upbeat air to bring herself totally down. And in the process, she attracts the ardor someone who cares for the broken and
of a raft of admirers, women and men, all drawn to her bright-eyed sadness. sick for a living. Adding a nice visual touch
Described as a river her admirers have yet to swim in, Tilly is played by the aptly to the joke, Joan is dressed by costume
appealing Billie Krishawn, who does cry angelically and on-cue. If a person can seem designer Kitt Crescenzo in the white uni-
like a Tilly, then her performance captures it, amusingly so. Krishawn’s Tilly swans form of a WWII-era army nurse, complete
across her therapist’s couch, or atop her tailor’s step-stool, leading an ensemble that with starched hat and jaunty blue cape.
stirs up slapstick with romance and repartee. Joan is here to save Tilly’s day — as
John Austin supplies passion and innocence as Frank, the tailor who falls hardest long as the object of her affection stays
for Tilly. Christian Montgomery goes broadest with his performance as Tilly’s therapist darlingly despondent. Tilly discovers, as
Lorenzo, who hails from an “unspecified European country” and wields an exaggerat- others have before her, that her admir-
ed, vague accent to match his indeterminate origins. Montgomery swings big with the ers like her best when she’s forlorn and
characterization, and hits more than he misses elaborating Lorenzo’s obsessions with radiating need. They demonstrate little
Melancholy Play runs through September 2 at the Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $19 to $45.
Call 202-204-7741, or visit ConstellationTheatre.org.
8. FROZEN (1998)
Birthday Girl!
Among Madonna’s many turning points
and personal reinventions, Ray of Light
was the most pronounced. The album was
heavily influenced by her experience of
In honor of the Queen of Pop’s 60th birthday, we round motherhood and her newfound spiritu-
up the ten best songs from her long, iconic career. By Sean Maunier ality. Madonna had been leaning heavily
on religious themes and imagery for over
O
a decade by this point, but the uncharac-
N AUGUST 16, THE ORIGINAL, UNIMPEACHABLE QUEEN OF POP teristically intimate, introspective single
celebrates 60 years. Madonna has been a superstar for the better part of those “Frozen” conveyed a sense of spiritual
six decades, and her influence on the modern pop landscape is by now unmis- forces bigger than her.
takable and inescapable. A true diva, her different eras, and the looks that have accom-
panied them, are every bit as iconic as her music — but even these are only a sideshow 7. SORRY (2005)
to her politics, activism, and consistent, unapologetic sex positivity. In honour of her While it’s hard to imagine Madonna need-
60th, we pay tribute to the Material Girl with a countdown of her most iconic and ing a self-empowering pick me up, “Sorry”
essential songs. is about as close as she gets. Addressed to a
man who has finally gone too far, the song
10. BORDERLINE (1983) has an appropriately fierce energy about
Given the explosive success of Like a Virgin, we can probably forgive Madonna for it. Like the rest of Confessions on a Dance
brushing off her debut album. But for the rest of us, her self-titled album is well worth Floor, it hearkens back to the hits of her
revisiting for its sincerity and confidence, not to mention the catchiness of early hits early career, lending another layer to its
like “Borderline.” This Madonna was not yet the headline-grabbing provocateur that self-congratulatory sense of hindsight.
would be a household name by the end of the decade, but the simplicity and instant
relatability of “Borderline” did much to define the rest of her career, not to mention an 6. MUSIC (2000)
entire generation of dance music. Cowboy hats can be deceiving. Although
Madonna may have dressed up in western
9. INTO THE GROOVE (1985) garb and copped selectively from folk and
Evita notwithstanding, Madonna’s short-lived acting career is mostly notable for the country for Music, its title track is all cas-
material she produced for her films’ soundtracks. It’s hard to recall much about 1985’s cading synths and futuristic dance beats.
Desperately Seeking Susan, other than that it gave us “Into the Groove,” easily one of Just two years after Ray of Light, her glee-
Madonna’s most memorable and enduringly popular songs. fully campy, Americana-inflected eighth
Turn to page 43 in the Nightlife section to see DJ Ed Bailey’s Ultimate Madonna Playlist.
DrinksDragDJsEtc... • Special Late Night menu Friday, On, Lights Off, 9pm-close • Special Late Night menu
till 1am • Visit pitchers- • Featuring DJ Lemz and till 11pm • Visit pitchers-
bardc.com August 17 The Barber Streisand • bardc.com
$5 Cover (includes clothes
Thursday, GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
SHAW’S TAVERN 9 1/2 check) SHAW’S TAVERN
August 16 • Shirtless Thursday,
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
Open at 5pm • Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
10-11pm • Men in
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail 5-9pm • Friday Night Open 3pm • Beat the $5 House Wines, $5 Rail
9 1/2 Underwear Drink Free,
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas Videos, 9:30pm • Rotating Clock Happy Hour — $2 Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any 12-12:30am • DJs
and Select Appetizers DJs • Expanded craft beer (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 and Select Appetizers •
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple BacK2bACk
• All-You-Can-Eat Ribs, selection • No Cover (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, Comedy Show, Second
TVs showing movies,
$24.95, 5-10pm • $4 $15 • Weekend Kickoff Floor, 7pm
shows, sports • Expanded NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Heineken and Corona A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Dance Party, with Nellie’s
craft beer selection • Beat the Clock Happy Hour
all night 2319 18th St. NW DJs spinning bubbly pop TRADE
Music videos featuring — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Doors open, 5pm-3am • music all night Doors open 5pm • Huge
DJ Wess $4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets
TRADE Happy Hour: $2 off every- Happy Hour: Any drink
of Beer all night • Sports
Doors open 5pm • Huge thing until 9pm • Video NUMBER NINE normally served in a cock-
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Leagues Night
Happy Hour: Any drink Games • Live televised Open 5pm • Happy Hour: tail glass served in a huge
2319 18th St. NW
normally served in a cock- sports 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm glass for the same price,
Doors open, 5pm-2am • NUMBER NINE
tail glass served in a huge • No Cover • Friday Night 5-10pm • Beer and wine
Happy Hour: $2 off every- Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
glass for the same price, FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Piano with Chris, 7:30pm only $4 • Otter Happy
thing until 9pm • Video drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
5-10pm • Beer and wine Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Hour, 5-11pm
Games • Live televised
only $4 Karaoke, 9pm PITCHERS
sports PITCHERS
2317 18th St. NW ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
2317 18th St. NW
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS GREEN LANTERN Doors open, 5pm-3am Men of Secrets, 9pm •
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Doors open, 5pm-2am
All male, nude dancers • Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 • Happy Hour: $2 off Guest dancers • Rotating
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • • Happy Hour: $2 off
Open Dancers Audition • Rail and Domestic • Free everything until 9pm • DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva
Karaoke, 9pm everything until 9pm •
Urban House Music by DJ Pizza, 7-9pm • $5 Svedka, Video Games • Foosball Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors
Video Games • Foosball
Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+ all flavors, all night long • Live televised sports •
• Live televised sports •
• Rough House: Hands Full dining menu till 2am
Full dining menu till 9pm
TRADE: GAY/BASH
Josh Vogelsong started his monthly alternative drag-focused party more
than six years ago at the Black Cat, but it wasn’t until it moved to Trade
that it became what he had long envisioned it could be. “People show up
in looks, everybody comes dressed up,” Vogelsong says. “Everybody gets
crazy during the show. You can just spray beer on the crowd, and they’d
cheer and love it. It’s wild.” Miss LaBella Mafia is the featured guest
performer at this month’s event, with additional shows to come from
Vogelsong per his drag alter-ego Donna Slash, Jaxknife Complex, Salvadora
Dali, and Jane Saw, with jams from Diyanna Monet. Saturday, Aug. 18.
Doors at 10 p.m., with shows at 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. 1410 14thSt. NW.
Call 202-986-1094 or visit facebook.com/gaybashdc. – By Doug Rule
“RAY OF LIGHT”
Ray Of Light (1998)
“KEEP IT TOGETHER”
12” REMIX
Like A Prayer (1990)
“HOLIDAY”
Madonna (1983)
“4 MINUTES”
Hard Candy (2008)
“MUSIC”
Music (2000)
“GET TOGETHER”
Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005)
“EXPRESS YOURSELF”
12” REMIX
Like A Prayer (1989)
“EVERYBODY”
Madonna (1983)
“HUNG UP”
Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005)
Wednesday, FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6
shows at the 9:30 Club •
$15 Buckets of Beer for
Full dining menu till 9pm
• Special Late Night menu “LIKE A PRAYER”
August 22 Burgers • Beach Blanket SmartAss Teams only • till 11pm • Visit pitchers-
CLASSIC 12” EXTENDED MIX
Drag Bingo Night, hosted Absolutely Snatched Drag bardc.com
9 1/2 by Ms. Regina Jozet Show, hosted by Brooklyn Like A Prayer (1989)
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes Heights, 9pm • Tickets SHAW’S TAVERN
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple • Karaoke, 10pm-1am available at nelliessports- Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 “MILES AWAY”
TVs showing movies, bar.com Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, Hard Candy (2008)
shows, sports • Expanded GREEN LANTERN $5 House Wines, $5 Rail
craft beer selection • Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm • NUMBER NINE Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
No Cover
“BEAUTIFUL STRANGER”
Bear Yoga with Greg Leo, Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any and Select Appetizers •
6:30-7:30pm • $10 per drink, 5-9pm • No Cover Piano Bar and Karaoke Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN class • $3 rail cocktails with Jill, 8pm (1999)
2319 18th St. NW and domestic beers all PITCHERS
Doors open, 5pm-12am • night long 2317 18th St. NW TRADE “RAIN”
Happy Hour: $2 off every- Doors open, 5pm-12am Doors open 5pm • Huge Erotica (1993)
thing until 9pm • Video NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR • Happy Hour: $2 off Happy Hour: Any drink
Games • Live televised SmartAss Trivia Night, everything until 9pm • normally served in a cock-
sports 8-10pm • Prizes include Video Games • Foosball tail glass served in a huge
DJ Ed Bailey is the co-owner of Trade and
bar tabs and tickets to • Live televised sports • glass for the same price, Number Nine. His Madonnarama party has not
5-10pm • Beer and wine only been a legendary DC event since the early
only $4 l 90s, but has also toured all over
the U.S. and Europe. l
“The George W. Bush White House was one of the most homophobic administrations in recent history, and
Brett Kavanaugh was at the center of the action.”
— SHARON MCGOWAN, Legal Director and Chief Strategy Officer at Lambda Legal, in a statement announced that the organization
has filed eight freedom of information requests seeking documents related to Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh’s involvement
in Bush administration policies that impacted the LGBTQ community. “The American people deserve to know the whole truth
about Judge Kavanaugh’s record on LGBTQ rights and other important civil rights issues,” McGowan said.