CONTENTS

September 20, 2018 Volume 25 Issue 20

12 VOCAL PROWESS
Morgan Fairchild will get a chance to show off her
pipes at APO’s season opening concert this Saturday.

By Randy Shulman

DESIGNING LIFE
Vern Yip has built a career on making other people’s
living spaces better. At the Capital Home Show,
he’s ready to help you too.

Interview by Doug Rule

24
35 STUNT MAN
Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9 takes aim at Trump,
the GOP, the DNC, and everything off-kilter
in post-election America.

SPOTLIGHT: THE WASHINGTON BALLET p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.10

By André Hereford

VOCAL PROWESS: MORGAN FAIRCHILD p.12

GUILTY PLEASURES: BRIAN CALHOON’S MARIMBA CABARET p.14 THE FEED p.19
COMMUNITY p.21 COVER STORY: DESIGNING LIFE p.24
HOME STYLE: CAPITAL HOME SHOW p.30
GALLERY: WENTWORTH GALLERY AND PAUL STANLEY p.33 FILM: FAHRENHEIT 11/9 p.35
STAGE: IF I FORGET AND THE PIANIST OF WILLESDEN LANE p.37 NIGHTLIFE p.39
SCENE: COBALT p.39 LISTINGS p.40 PLAYLIST: DJS BACK2BACK p.44 LAST WORD p.46

Real LGBTQ News and Entertainment since 1994

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley
Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks
Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Bailey Vogt, 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 Vera Yip Cover Photography Courtesy Vern Yip Designs

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4 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Spotlight
DEAN ALEXANDER
The Washington Ballet
T
HERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO THINK BALLET
is this thing or that thing,” says Julie Kent, Artistic
Director of The Washington Ballet. “But it’s actually
so many things. I always love when an audience’s opinion is
expanded about what our art form can be, how it can make
you feel, and what it looks like.”
Kent, busy rehearsing her company for its season opener
next week, recently took a break to discuss her approach to
dance. “I’m at heart a storyteller,” she says. “So I always look
for beginning, middle, and end [to the pieces I choose]. I think
about setting up the dancers. What do they need to dance, and
what will highlight their incredible talents? The pieces are
handpicked to showcase the dancers and their strengths, and
to show the spectrum of the artform.”
Since taking the helm of The Washington Ballet in the fall
of 2016, Kent, who had a 30-year career as a principal dancer
with New York’s American Ballet Theatre, has pushed the
company to new limits.
“The repertoire of a ballet company is a real indicator of
the caliber of the institution,” she says. “We have brought this
TWB Welcomes runs Wednesday, Sept. 26 to Sunday, Sept. 30 at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.
Two rotating programs. For more information and tickets call 202-467-4600 or visit washingtonballet.org.
organization the full spectrum of masterworks from Tudor,
Fokine, Balanchine, Ratmansky, Cranko, Robbins. These are
very difficult ballets that have been danced by the greatest
companies in the world, and so right away you’re able to
develop a standard of measure for your own company.”
Next week’s season opener, “TWB Welcome,” will include
Serenade, the first ballet made by George Balanchine after
the legendary choreographer arrived in America in 1934,
and Ravel’s Bolero, a work for six dancers choreographed
by Alexei Ratmansky. Additionally, guest artists Katherine
Barkman, Connor Walsh, Stella Abrera, and Marcelo Gomes
will perform a series of pas de deux. Later in the season, the
company will perform works by contemporary masters Mark
Morris, Paul Taylor, and Merce Cunningham, and in February
will unveil a new world premiere production of Sleeping
Beauty.
“We’re working very hard to invigorate the dance follow-
ing here in Washington,” says Kent. “Our goal is that The
Washington Ballet becomes the greatest artistic pride of the
city.” —Randy Shulman
September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 7
 Spotlight
ELTON JOHN
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road
Tour is as it sounds: The last trip
around the world’s stadiums for
the gay piano man, who comes
to town for a last hurrah this
weekend. The 71-year-old inter-
national superstar plans to go out
with a bang, promising a full band
and a new stage production tak-
ing fans on a musical and visual
journey spanning his half-century
career of hits “like no one has
ever seen before.” Friday, Sept.
21, and Saturday, Sept. 22, at 8
p.m. Capital One Arena, 601 F St.
NW. Available tickets are $199 to
DAVID LACHAPELLE

$555. Call 202-628-3200 or visit

capitalonearena.com.

THEATREWEEK
More than two dozen theater companies offer discounted
tickets to their current offerings as part of the TheatreWeek
promotion, organized by TheatreWashington. For only
$12, you can snag a seat to see Mosaic Theater’s Marie
and Rosetta, while $15 gets you into Woolly Mammoth’s
Gloria, Theater Alliance’s The Events, Ford’s Theatre’s
Born Yesterday, and Rep Stage’s Sweeney Todd, to name
four. Round House’s Small Mouth Sounds, GALA’s Like
Water for Chocolate (pictured), Shakespeare Theatre’s The
Comedy of Errors, Olney’s South Pacific, and Signature’s
Heisenberg and Passion are among those that can be seen
for $35. This year’s promotion also includes several free
special events, including a Tour de Theaters Bike Ride

DANIEL MARTINEZ
with Theater J’s Adam Immerwahr on Saturday, Sept. 22,
at 9:30 a.m. For more details, call 202-337-4572 or visit the-
atreweek.org. Discount tickets available at TodayTix.com.

FORTUNE FEIMSTER
One of the funniest alums of the Chelsea
Lately comedy family, this North Carolina
native has been out as lesbian from her
very first TV appearance as a contestant on
NBC’s Last Comic Standing. More recently
Feimster played the lovable nurse Colette
on The Mindy Project, and she’s been a
regular guest on Chelsea Handler’s Netflix
show Chelsea. In addition to writing, her
main focus is stand-up, where she’s reliably
funny as all get out. Friday, Sept. 28, at 7:30
and 10 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 29, at 7 and
9:30 p.m. Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse,
2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. Tickets are
$25. Call 703-486-2345 or visit arlington-
drafthouse.com.

8 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Spotlight
LOVE, GILDA
Back in the ’70s, when Saturday Night Live was in
its infancy — and still fresh — Gilda Radner stood
out as one of the show’s most vibrant light. Her most
iconic characters — Emily Litella, Lisa Loopner, and
Roseanne Roseannadanna — were nuggets of explosive
comic joy, although her transition to movies was less
than smooth, with several of them directed by and
co-starring her husband, Gene Wilder. (Radner had
better success with a one-woman show on Broadway.)
Without question, her untimely death in 1989 robbed
the world of one of the greats. The film features inter-
views with Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Laraine
Newman, Paul Shaffer and Martin Short. Opens Friday,
Sept. 21, at Landmark’s E Street Cinema.

WANG CHUNG
BOW BOW BOW
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (PICTURED)
Bearing the title “Lost ’80s Live,” this concert features a
parade of performers presumed left behind in the ’80s,
including the headliners, with hits including “I Ran (So
Far Away),” “Dance Hall Days,” “Everybody Have Fun
Tonight,” and “I Want Candy.” Additional acts set to hit
the stage include Animotion (“Obsession”), Farrington
and Mann (original vocalists of When In Rome UK’s “The
Promise”), Gene Loves Jezebel (“Jealous”), and Naked
Eyes (“Promises, Promises,” “Always Something There To
Remind Me”). Friday, Sept. 21, at 9 p.m. Warner Theatre,
513 13th St. NW. Tickets are $53 to $91.46. Call 202-783-
4000 or visit warnertheatredc.com.

LINCOLNESQUE
Keegan Theatre remounts a thoroughly Washington play it
first presented in 2009, about a speechwriter for a mediocre
Congressman headed for defeat who enlists his brother, a
psychiatric outpatient convinced he is the reincarnation of the
16th U.S. president, to write great oratory. Directed by Colin
Smith, Keegan’s remount of John Strand’s comedy features
original cast members Susan Marie Rhea, Stan Shulman, and
Michael Innocenti. Opens Saturday, Sept. 22, with a post-show
discussion featuring Strand on Sept. 30. Runs to Oct. 14. 1742
MIKE KOZEMCHAK

Church St. NW. Tickets are $36 to $46. Call 202-265-3768 or

visit keegantheatre.com.

September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 9

 Out On The Town

THE LARAMIE PROJECT

Iron Crow Theatre, billed as “Baltimore’s award-winning queer theatre,” marks the 20th anniversary of Matthew
Shepard’s death with a production of Moisés Kaufman’s groundbreaking research-driven examination into the Wyoming
murder and its aftermath, developed with the Tectonic Theater Project. John Knapp directs the Iron Crow production fea-
turing Kecia A. Campbell, Yvonne Erickson, William Goblirsch, Jr., Jonas David Grey, Warren C. Harris, Lezlie T. Hatcher,
Johnna Leary, and Nicholas Miles. Post-performance talkbacks are planned for Thursday, Sept. 20, with Cathy Renna, the
former communications director for GLAAD, sharing her experiences on assignment in Laramie 20 years ago, and Friday,
Sept. 21, with Jeffrey LaHoste, co-founder of Tectonic Theater, providing rare insights into Moment Work, the company’s
technique used to develop the play. Through Sept. 23. Theatre Project, 45 West Preston St. Baltimore. Tickets are $20 to
$35. Call 410-752-8558 or visit ironcrowtheatre.org.

Compiled by Doug Rule
FILM
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
A filmed version of the recent
Broadway stage musical, adapt-
ed from the 1951 film. Director
Christopher Wheeldon, who
snagged a Tony for Best
Choreographer for his efforts, wise-
ly retained much of Gene Kelly’s
moves from the movie, most notably
the 17-minute ballet set to the first
composition that George Gershwin
titled “An American in Paris.”
Wheeldon cast Robert Fairchild
of the New York City Ballet and
Leanne Cope of the British Royal
Ballet. The pair returned to the
show last year for a West End
debut. And it’s a taped performance
from the London run that will grace
movie screens on Sunday, Sept. 23.
Showtimes vary, but most are either
at 11 a.m. or 12:55 p.m. Participating
area theaters include Landmark’s
E Street Cinema (555 11th St.
NW), Regal Majestic Stadium (900
Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring) and
the AMC Hoffman Center (206
Swamp Fox Road, Alexandria). Visit
anamericaninpariscinema.com.
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
HHHHH
Another opportunity to see Stanley
Kubrick’s masterpiece during its
50th Anniversary celebration.
The film is a landmark, not mere-
ly for its special effects — which,
pre-CGI, are often seamless and
astonishing (how do they get that
pen to twirl mid-air?) — but for
its chilling encounter with a par-
anoid, soft-spoken supercomputer
named HAL. Kubrick takes his time
telling his story, which is at once
transfixing and irritatingly impen-
etrable, but there’s no denying that
watching 2001 is akin to experi-
encing a rapture of cinema; it’s the
ushering in of a new age. The film
screens as part of the next selec-
tion in the Capital Classics series
at Landmark’s West End Cinema.
Wednesday, Sept. 26, 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. (Randy Shulman)
LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
The AFI Silver presents a festival
celebrating the best in contempo-
rary Latin American cinema, fea-
turing entries from 22 Spanish-
speaking countries. Notable titles in
the 43-film event include The Angel,
Luis Ortega’s stylish, true-crime
thriller about one of Argentina’s
most notorious serial killers, pro-
duced by Pedro Almodovar; El
Salvador’s Pablo’s World, a noir-
tinged adaptation of Shakespeare’s
Othello; and Another Story of the
World, a political comedy set in
rural Uruguay. The festival con-
cludes Oct. 3 with Panama’s Ruben
Blades is Not My Name, celebrating
the man at the center of the New
York Salsa revolution in the 1970s.
Tickets are $15 general admission,
or $200 for “Pase Especial” with
priority access to every film in the
festival, including closing night
and festival happy hours. 8633
Colesville Road in Silver Spring.
Call 301-495-6700 or visit afi.com/
silver/laff.
THE CHILDREN ACT
Emma Thompson stars as a British
High Court judge who must decide
on the case of a teenage boy, a
Jehovah’s witness, who is refus-
ing to undergo a life-saving blood
transfusion on religious grounds.
Adapted by Ian McEwan from his
novel, and directed by Richard
Eyre (Notes on a Scandal), the film
also stars Stanley Tucci and Fionn
Whitehead. Opens Friday, Sept. 21.
Visit fandango. Com.

10 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 a lyric soprano.”
Fairchild will join Ari Shapiro, Rayshun
LaMarr, and MILCK in a rousing celebra-
tion of singer-songwriters. APO’s music
director and founder Luke Frazier has
crafted a medley specifically for the actress
that includes Carole King’s “It’s Too Late”
and Carly Simon’s “Haven’t Got Time for
the Pain” “You’re So Vain.”
“She has a great voice,” says Frazier.
“It’s a very deep voice, a really beautiful,
rich colorful voice. I wanted to bring up
the characters that she’s played so fre-
quently over the years — that strong feisty
woman. They’re such great strong songs for
a woman.”
“Morgan Fairchild embodies glam-
our,” says Shapiro, who co-hosts NPR’s
All Things Considered and moonlights as
a crooner, often appearing with the group
Pink Martini. “I’m excited, awed, and
slightly terrified about sharing the stage
with her, singing these immortal songs that
I grew up listening to on my parents’ vinyl
records.”
Frazier also asked Fairchild because
he felt “it’s important to draw attention
to Morgan’s commitment to the LGBTQ
community.” A self-avowed “science nerd”
with a specific interest in viruses, Fairchild
was one of the first celebrities to advocate
for AIDS funding before congress in the
early days of the epidemic.
“It was a very scary time, and I felt it
was important to put a face on it, some-
body that people felt they knew,” she says.
“I took a lot of heat for it in Hollywood. I
lost work because of it. People told me,
‘You’re too controversial because of the

VOCAL PROWESS
AIDS stuff.’ I lost friends because I vis-
ited hospices — people didn’t want me
around their kids, they didn’t want me to
come over to their place for dinner. But
Morgan Fairchild will get a chance to show off her pipes at APO’s it was the best thing I ever did with my
season opening concert this Saturday. By Randy Shulman life. I know I helped get funding for the

W
research. I know that I comforted the
HEN YOU THINK OF ’80S ICON MORGAN FAIRCHILD, YOU MIGHT patients that I visited. I can still see the
think of her starring roles on the era’s popular primetime soaps, Flamingo look in their eyes to this day.”
Road and Falcon Crest. Or you might recall her as one of the first celebri- In 1987, at the first unveiling of the AIDS
ties to publicly and compassionately address the burgeoning AIDS crisis. Maybe you Quilt on the National Mall, Fairchild recalls
remember her stint as Sandra Bernhard’s bisexual girlfriend on the first go-around for that a man “covered in Kaposi’s sarcoma”
Roseanne. What you likely don’t think of her as is a singer. Think again. approached the stage. “He said, ‘Would
“I’ve never really made a career out of singing,” says Fairchild in her familiar sul- you give me a hug?’ I said, ‘Of course I will.’
try low-register. “I don’t bill myself as a singer, but I’ve sung in shows since I was 10 I gave him a big hug and he just held onto
years old.” me. Then he pulled back and he looked up
Fairchild will get a chance to show off her vocal prowess this weekend when at me and said, ‘I just want you to know
she appears as a special guest at the American Pops Orchestra’s first concert of the I am a dead man. And I love you.’ Those
season. She’s spent the past several weeks getting into shape with a vocal coach. “I things stick with you beyond any fame or
have a baritone voice,” she says. “Everything always has to be lowered for me. I ain’t any movie part.” l

Morgan Fairchild will appear in the American Pops Orchestra’s “You’ve Got A Friend: A Singer-Songwriter Celebration” on Saturday,
Sept. 22, at 8 p.m., at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $25-$75. Call 202-599-3613 or visit theamericanpops.org.

12 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

STAGE
BORN YESTERDAY
A sharp-edged screwball comedy
focused on an opportunistic tycoon
seeking to game the Washington
system — yet those plans are sabo-
taged by his girlfriend Billie Dawn
and her alliance with an idealistic
reporter pushing back to end the
corruption. This Ford’s Theatre
production stars Edward Gero as
bad guy Harry Brock, Kimberly
Gilbert as Billie the heroine, and
Cody Nickell as muckraker Paul
Verrall, part of a cast also featur-
ing Evan Casey, Matt Dewberry,
Eric Hissom, Naomi Jacobson,

PHOTO COURTESY VERONNEAU

Todd Scofield, and Jamie Smithson.
Garson Kanin’s play may be 70 years
old, but it resonates all too well with
the Washington of today. Aaron
Posner (Who’s Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?) directs a lavish production
bolstered by Daniel Lee Conway’s
set, a glamorous two-level hotel
suite with striking architectural
details, and Kelsey Hunt’s smart-
ly tailored conservative attire for
everyone but Harry and Billie, cos-
tumed in a cacophony of color and
daring, very non-Washington fash-
ions. Previews begin Friday, Sept.
21. Opening night is Wednesday,
Sept. 26. Through Oct. 21. Ford’s,
511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $17
to $64. Call 800-982-2787 or visit
fords.org.
GLORIA
A play focused on the cutthroat
world of New York’s publish-
ing industry, and specifically the
Millennial editorial assistants chas-
ing the dream of getting a book deal
before they turn 30. Through Sept.
30. Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St.
NW. Tickets range from $20 to $69.
Call 202-393-3939 or visit woolly-
mammoth.net.
HEISENBERG
A chance encounter at a London
train stop changes the course of
life for two people in this tender,
funny, intimate comedy from Tony
Award-winner Simon Stephens
(The Curious Incident of the Dog in
the Night Time). Michael Russotto
and Rachel Zampelli star. Joe
Calarco directs. In previews. Opens
Wednesday, Sept. 25. Through Nov.
11. Ark Theatre, 4200 Campbell
Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771
or visit sigtheatre.org.
HOW TO WIN A RACE WAR
A parody of white supremacist
“race war” fiction, Ian Allen’s play
spans more than three centuries
of civilization for an epic journey
that is part-satire, part-exposé,
and part horror show — depicting
slave rebellions, skinheads, and a
liberal dystopian future, and even
featuring song-and-dance numbers.
Presented by the D.C. theater col-
lective The Klunch, the world-pre-
miere production has a large 12-per-
VERONNEAU
Led by married couple Lynn Veronneau and Ken Avis, the Wammie-winning interna-
tional jazz fusion quartet — also featuring David Rosenblatt and Bruno Lucini — drops by
Blues Alley in support of its new third album Love & Surrender. The multilingual collec-
tion of originals and standards features songs with the French accordion, the traditional
Senegalese kora, fusion violin, and a touch of harmonica and electric guitar. Tuesday,
Sept. 25, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $31, plus $12
minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.
son cast including Kevin Boudreau, Christopher Annas-Lee’s lighting songs highlighting the talents of
Kim Curtis, Tony Greenberg, design, keeps the narrative flow- Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight,
Connor Padilla, and Ned Read, with ing with grace and imagination. two under-appreciated black
voice work by Christopher Henley Decades pass, but scenic design- music legends. Sandra L. Holloway
and B. Stanley. Weekends to Oct. er Mariana Fernández’s set stays directs a production starring Helen
20. District of Columbia Arts Center mostly the same, serving faultlessly Hayes Award-winning actress Roz
(DCAC), 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets as the homestead of the familia at White (Studio Theatre’s Bessie’s
are $25 to $40. Call 866-811-4111 or the heart of the tale. In Spanish Blues) as Tharpe, the queer black
visit theklunch.com. with English surtitles. Now to Oct. woman who all but invented rock
7. GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, ‘n’ roll, while Ayana Reed takes on
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 the role of Tharpe’s young protege
to $48. Call 202-234-7174 or visit Knight. Music direction comes from
Love, sorrow, and longing are galatheatre.org. (Andre Hereford) e’Marcus Harper-Short. To Sept.
folded into the plot and into 30. The Lang Theatre in the Atlas
each delectable dish described in LYSISTRATA Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St.
Mexican author Laura Esquivel’s Sarah Ruden’s adaptation of the NE. Tickets are $50 to $68. Call
beloved 1989 novel Como Agua para Greek farce by Aristophanes focus- 202-399-7993 or visit mosaicthe-
Chocolate. That bittersweet recipe es on the titular heroine’s ploy to ater.org.
produced an equally popular film, end a never-ending cycle of war by
directed by Esquivel’s ex-husband convincing the women of Greece PRAMKICKER
Alfonso Arau, and now begets a the- to withhold sex until the men An unflinching look at what it
atrical adaptation, care of Spanish agree to a truce. Michael Blum and means to be a modern woman is
playwright Garbi Losada. Making Darlene Harris co-direct a cast of the tagline to Sadie Hasler’s play
its U.S. premiere at GALA Hispanic local amateurs led by Amy Heller about two sisters who are both
Theatre under the assured direction as Lysistrata. Opens Friday, Sept. childless and burdened, to differ-
of Olga Sánchez, Como Agua para 21, with a post-performance catered ent degrees, by that status. A hit
Chocolate captures the poetry and reception. Weekends to Oct. several years ago at the Edinburgh
magical realism that have stirred 14. Spotlighters, 817 St. Paul St., Fringe Festival, it comes to D.C. in
fans of the story’s previous incar- Baltimore. Tickets are $21 to $24, or a Taffety Punk Theatre production
nations. Sánchez and company dive just $10 for “Ten Spot Thursday” on directed by Linda Lombardi and
passionately into the multi-gener- Sept. 27. Call 410-752-1225 or visit starring company members Tonya
ational epic romance, spiced with spotlighters.org. Beckman and Esther Williamson.
dashes of narration and fantasy. The show tackles serious issues,
Employing a keen sense of where MARIE AND ROSETTA including discussions of sexual
to move the actors, and of transi- Mosaic Theater Company launch- assault and abortion, with humor
tioning the action across time and es its fourth season with George and wit. Now to Sept. 29. Capitol
space, Sánchez, greatly abetted by Brant’s empowering play with Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE.

September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 13

 Tickets are $15. Call 202-547-6839
or visit chaw.org.

SOUTH PACIFIC
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
South Pacific has its dated aspects,
in form as well as content, but it
is also brimming with early pop
hits-cum-American Songbook stan-
dards (“Some Enchanted Evening,”
“Bali Ha’i”). And then there’s the
show’s anti-racist messaging, which
remains satisfying and notable,
particularly in light of the contrast
of how provocatively ahead-of-
their-time they were back in the
day — and a key reason the show
won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
in 1950. It was the second of only
nine musicals to be so honored to
date. Through Oct. 7. Olney Theatre
Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring
Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-
3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

Shakespeare’s early comedy of mis-
taken identities involves two sets
of twins and an ocean of confu-
sion. Veanne Cox, Nancy Robinette,
Tom Story, Ted van Griethuysen,
and Gregory Wooddell lead the
ROBERT TORRES

large cast, while other famil-

iar faces include Sarah Marshall,
Eleasha Gamble, and Matt Bauman.
Directed by Alan Paul. Previews
start Tuesday, Sept. 25. To Oct. 28.
Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW.

GUILTY PLEASURES
Call 202-547-1122 or visit shake-
spearetheatre.org.

THE EVENTS
In the wake of a mass shooting,
Brian Calhoon’s mission is to spread the gospel of the marimba. a lone survivor yearns to find the

T
compassion, understanding, and
peace she needs to overcome her
HE WARM, TINKLING TONES OF THE MARIMBA MIGHT USUALLY BE trauma — but thoughts and visions
associated with beach bands covering “Kokomo,” but Brian Calhoon sees a bright- of the shooter haunt her every
er future for the xylophone’s laidback cousin. The tall, talented percussionist step. David Greig’s The Events
is another socially conscious,
is eager to “spread the marimba gospel,” first and foremost through his quirky, musi- thought-provoking work present-
cal-comedy showcase, Brian Calhoon’s Marimba Cabaret. ed by Theater Alliance, featuring
Fresh off his second annual summer run in Provincetown, Calhoon plants his marim- Regina Aquino as the survivor and
ba centerstage at the DC Arts Center for a one-night-only performance alongside fellow Josh Adams as the shooter, sup-
ported by a nine-member ensem-
singer-musician Erika Johnson. “We are putting together a show of basically all of our ble. Colin Hovde directs. Through
guilty pleasures,” says Calhoon. “It’s cheesy ballads, it’s some sing-a-long, it’s some songs Oct. 7. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020
from our favorite musicals, like Avenue Q and Hamilton.” Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $35
to $40. Call 202-241-2539 or visit
Calhoon believes that he and Johnson play so well together, because “we’re cut from theateralliance.com.
the same cloth. We’re both classically trained, professional percussionists, who love the-
ater and pop songs and singing. I kind of call her the lesbian version of me.” THE PAINTED ROCKS
A Bay Area native who currently resides in Boston, Calhoon has honed his version of AT REVOLVER CREEK
MetroStage, which launched in 1987
cabaret over several years. He serves as Director of Admissions at Boston Conservatory, with Blood Knot by Athol Fugard,
and was encouraged by his musical mentors “to explore this as an actual art form, com- kicks off its 30th Anniversary Season
bining singing while playing the marimba.” Now, Calhoon just wants to share his art with with the latest play by the South
African master. The Painted Rocks
more and more audiences. at Revolver Creek was inspired by
“This show to me is about giving permission to your dorky, guilty pleasure self,” he the life of outsider artist Nukain
says. “So that anyone who feels torn between one [thing] or the other, or hiding some Mabuza and shows apartheid’s lin-
part of themselves — whether it be their gender identity, sexuality, or taste in music — to gering effects in the country today.
MetroStage Artistic Associate
really come out of whatever closet they’re in. This is my little musical contribution to that Thomas W. Jones II directs Doug
mission.” —André Hereford Brown, Marni Penning, Jeremiah
Hasty, and Jeremy Keith Hunter.
To Sept. 30. MetroStage, 1201 North
Brian Calhoon’s Marimba Cabaret is Thursday, September 27, at DCAC, 2438 18th St. Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are
NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-462-7833, or visit marimbacabaret.com. $55. Call 703-548-9044 or visit
metrostage.org.

14 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

MUSIC Michael Lowry — will be joined by
Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, another
connected to its roots in political
protest. The weekend of Trump’s
Him), the veteran liberal TV/
radio host surveys all the damage
neo-new wave synth-pop act from Inauguration, for example, they put wrought by Trump, from debasing
BALTIMORE SYMPHONY
Baltimore. Friday, Sept. 28. Doors together “Songs of Protest, Songs of the political system to degrading
ORCHESTRA: STAR WARS: A
at 6:30 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf Triumph,” a program of folk stan- the presidency. East City Bookshop
NEW HOPE
St. SW. Tickets are $41 to $76. Call dards that had galvanized activists in will sell copies of the book. The
Jack Everly conducts the BSO in a
202-888-0020 or visit theanthemdc. earlier times of struggle. Here’s to the discussion will be followed by a free
live performance of John Williams’
com. (Sean Maunier) group keeping up that fight by main- reception with wine and light hors
score to 1977’s Star Wars, which
taining their level of quality musi- d’oeuvres. Thursday, Sept. 27, at 7
will screen overhead as the orches-
NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC: cianship and signature soaring har- p.m. Hill Center at the Old Naval
tra plays. The space epic introduced
ON THE WATERFRONT monies, which have been known to Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave.
the world to Luke Skywalker,
Elia Kazan’s iconic Oscar-winning inspire sing-alongs. Who could argue SE. Free, but reservations recom-
Han Solo, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan
film plays in remastered high-defi- with that? Saturday, Sept. 22. Doors mended. Call 202-549-4172 or visit
“Ben” Kenobi, R2D2, Chewbacca,
nition while Leonard Bernstein’s at 5 p.m. Jammin Java, 227 Maple HillCenterDC.org.
and Darth Vader. Originally per-
only work composed specifically Ave. E. Vienna. Tickets are $20 in
formed and recorded by the London
Symphony Orchestra — under the
for film is rendered live, shown in advance, or $25 day-of. Call 703-255- GAUTAM RAGHAVAN:
baton of Williams himself — the
high-definition with the original 3747 or visit jamminjava.com. INSIDE THE OBAMA WHITE
Oscar-winning soundtrack is as
dialogue intact. Bernstein acolyte HOUSE
Piotr Gajewski conducts this pro- URBANARIAS: THE LAST Having served as President Obama’s
highly regarded as the film, ranking
gram featuring Strathmore’s resi- AMERICAN HAMMER liaison to the LGBTQ, Asian-
at the top of the American Film
dent orchestra, which he also leads, The local short opera company American, and Pacific Islander
Institute’s list of best film scores.
and it’s the opening concert in a sea- opens its season with a topical communities from 2011 to 2014,
Friday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m., and
son largely focused on the late, great work by composer Peter Hilliard Raghavan had a front-row view
Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday,
American music legend. The con- and librettist Matt Boresi with stars at the movers and shakers in the
Sept. 30, at 3 p.m. Joseph Meyerhoff
cert itself will open with a perfor- Elizabeth Futral, Timothy Mix, and Obama Administration, and partic-
Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.,
mance of the Star-Spangled Banner Briana Elyse Hunter. Holed up in ularly behind-the-scenes looks into
Baltimore. Tickets are $35 to $85.
conducted by Eliot Pfanstiehl, the the basement of a Toby Jug Museum the handling of Obamacare, mar-
Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomu-
just departed CEO and founder of on an abandoned Main Street, a riage equality, and the Charleston
sic.org.
the Strathmore Hall Foundation. conspiracy-theorist YouTube celeb- shooting. The anthology he edit-
Saturday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. Prior to rity eagerly awaits a visit from the ed, West Wingers: Stories from the
DIANA ROSS
the performance, there will be a dis- FBI to explain his theory about Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and
Even after all these years, Ross still
play of behind-the-scenes images the “original” 13th Amendment Hope Creators Inside the Obama
has the pipes, the power, and the
from filming, as well as other books and bringing about justice. His White House, presents a diverse
stage charisma to bring an audi-
and memorabilia about Bernstein prized piece of evidence: the last group of former staffers and testifies
ence to its knees or to its feet. The
and the cast on the Promenade American hammer. Performances to the power of committed public
Lady returns to the area for another
Level, courtesy of Second Story are Saturday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m., servants to make a true and lasting
glorious opportunity to relive her
Books. There’s also a pre-concert Sunday, Sept. 23, at 3 p.m., Friday, difference. Among those staffers
Motown hits and disco classics —
lecture with associate conductor Sept. 28, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, joining Raghavan at this discussion
for her and her fans, especially those
Victoria Gau at 6:45 p.m., and a Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. Sprenger Theatre are Heather Foster, former director
of the LGBTQ variety. And there are
panel discussion and Q&A with film in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, of African-American outreach and
few places better or more acous-
experts Linda DeLibero and David 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $25 to advisor in the White House Office
tically perfect to savor the sound.
Sterritt, at 7 p.m. Music Center at $45. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atla- of Public Engagement, and Brad
Tuesday, Sept. 25, and Wednesday,
Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, sarts.org. Jenkins, advisor on youth media
Sept. 26, at 8 p.m. Music Center at
North Bethesda. Tickets are $35 during Obama’s 2008 campaign and
Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,
to $80. Call 301-581-5100 or visit VIVA VERDI - THE PROMISED END also former White House liaison to
North Bethesda. Tickets are $69
nationalphilharmonic.org. The InSeries, D.C.’s passionate and the creative community. Thursday,
to $239. Call 301-581-5100 or visit
eccentric concert/cabaret produc- Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose
strathmore.org.
NEW WORLDS: BILL MURRAY, tion company, opens its new sea- at the Wharf, 70 District Square
JAN VOGLER, AND FRIENDS son with an original work blending SW. Call 202-488-3867 or visit pol-
FUTURE ISLANDS
And now for something complete- Verdi’s Requiem with a one-woman itics-prose.com.
This Baltimore electro-indie act
ly different: Bill Murray branch- meditation on Shakespeare’s King
rose to national fame with a per-
formance on David Letterman in
es out with this classical-minded, Lear. Timothy Nelson, the compa- STORY DISTRICT:
2014, when lead singer Sam Herring
mixed-genre program “mash- ny’s new artistic director, developed MIXTAPE VOLUME 4
up.” Designed to “showcase core the show through imagining what D.C.’s local storytelling organiza-
began beating his chest, punching
American values in literature and an opera based on Lear might have tion closes out a four-show series
the air and dropping to his knees,
music,” Murray narrates the pro- sounded like from Verdi had the on the Wharf with a program fea-
belting out the lyrics to “Seasons.”
gram and reads from Hemingway, Italian composer actually realized turing “some of its funniest, weird-
It’s hard to think of a band that made
Whitman, and Twain, among oth- his dream project. Helen Hayes est, and most moving tales from
a bigger impression on a late-night
ers, as well as sings lyrics from Award-winning powerhouse Nanna past shows.” Storytelling perform-
talk show. Herring’s bombastic per-
Bernstein, Gershwin, and Foster, Ingvarsson takes on the role of ers for this show are: Joseph Price,
formance resonated on TV just as
accompanied by a piano trio fea- Verdi/Lear in a production featuring Cody Pomeranz, Jenny Splitter,
it does live — with Consequence of
turing German-born cellist Jan eight area vocal artists as “Spirits Michael Zhuang, Mike Kane, Sara
Sound referring to them as “one
Vogler, former Chinese child violin of the Future Singers” and music Armour, and the company’s own
of the best live bands around.”
prodigy Mira Wang — Vogler’s wife director Paul Leavitt, performing an executives Amy Saidman and
Herring’s gruff, idiosyncratic voice
— and Venezuelan-American pia- intimate, chamber arrangement of Stephanie Garibaldi. Vijai Nathan
invites comparisons with Isaac
nist Vanessa Perez. Co-conceived the Requiem for piano only. Directed hosts. Monday, Sept. 24, at 7:29 p.m.
Brock of Modest Mouse, or perhaps
by Murray and Vogler, the New by Steven Scott Mazzola. To Sept. Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW.
a darker, grittier Brandon Flowers,
Worlds ensemble tours in sup- 23. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets Tickets are $20. Call 877-987-6487
but set amid his band’s warm, poi-
port of a companion Decca Gold are $20 to $45. Call 202-204-7763 or or visit storydistrict.org.
gnant arrangements, he is unlikely
recording. Friday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m. visit inseries.org.
to be mistaken for anyone else. His
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301
MUSEUMS
voice is what gives Future Islands
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
their sense of immediacy and raw-
ness, as he shouts and bellows one
Tickets are $68 to $148. Call 301- READINGS
minute and quavers over some tear-
581-5100 or visit strathmore.org. & GALLERIES
ful realization the next. When they & LECTURES
SHENANDOAH RUN OUTSIDER ART
headline the Anthem next week,
This nine-member, D.C.-based BILL PRESS: TRUMP MUST GO INSIDE THE BELTWAY
Herring and co. — keyboardist
ensemble focuses on “keeping folk Subtitled The Top 100 Reasons to Billed as the area’s largest showcase
Gerrit Welmers, guitarist William
music alive and fresh” — yet also Dump Trump (And One to Keep of self-taught and folk art, this 12th
Cashion, and touring drummer

16 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

annual exhibition features work by
local artists as well as others liv-
ing and working throughout the
U.S. as represented by art groups
who responded to an open call
for art. Presented by Art Enables,
a gallery dedicated to artists with
disabilities, participating organiza-
tions this year include New York’s
Pure Vision Arts, Kansas’ Imagine
That!, Minnesota’s Interact Center
for Visual and Performing Arts,
and New Jersey’s Matheny Arts
Access, in addition to local entities
Saint Elizabeth’s, Studio In-Sight,
Bethesda Health and Rehab, Arundel
Lodge, VisAbility Art Lab, CREATE
Arts Center, and Make Studio. On
display through Oct. 19. 2204 Rhode
Island Ave. NE. Call 202-554-9455
or visit art-enables.org.

QUEER(ING) PLEASURE

Inspired by Audre Lorde, this
exhibit of works in various media is
focused on illustrating “the radical
queer potential of pleasure” and the
ways in which pleasure is an “unex-
pressed and unrecognized” feeling.
Curated by Andy Johnson, per the
District of Columbia Arts Center’s
Curatorial Initiative, Queer(ing)
Pleasure goes beyond the standard
“limited, white, hetero-centric logic
of the erotic” with works of per-
formance, photography, embroi-
dery, video, and sculpture by artists
including Antonius Bui, Monique
Muse Dodd, Tsedaye Makonnen,
John Paradiso, and Jade Yumang.
To Oct. 14. DCAC, 2438 18th St.
NW. Call 202-462-7833 or visit
dcartscenter.org.
FOOD & DINING
DENIZENS BREWING: MAKE IT
FUNKY WILD BEER FEST
Silver Spring’s lesbian-owned
brewery hosts the 4th annual fes-
tival celebrating the unique style of
wild and sour brews — from briny
goses to barnyardy brett beers. Over
100 funky beers from more than 30
craft breweries, most of them local,
will be available for tasting at this
event, with the band Soul Witness
performing in the beer garden and
DJ Kenny M. in the brewery. A spe-
cial festival menu will also be avail-
able. Among the participating brew-
eries in addition to Denizens: D.C.’s
3 Stars, Atlas, Bluejacket, Craft
Kombucha, Hellbender, and Right
Proper, Maryland’s Black Flag,
Brewer’s Art, Franklin’s, Manor
Hill, Union Craft, and Waredaca,
and Virginia’s Black Narrows, Mad
Fox, and Port City. Saturday, Sept.
29, from 1 to 5 p.m. 1115 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring. Tickets are
$62.50 online or $75 at the door
and include a souvenir tasting glass
and unlimited sample pours. Call
301-557-9818 or visit denizensbrew-
ingco.com.
PHOTO CREDIT
MOUNTAIN MARYLAND PLEIN AIR
This 10th annual arts event, taking place next week in Western Maryland, is a celebra-
tion of the region’s mountainous landscape and of the longstanding French philosophy
of “painting in the open air.” Produced by the Allegany Arts Council, the festival selects
a total of 30 artists from around the country to spend the week painting the scenery
surrounding a particular area spot of their choosing. Among the D.C./Baltimore area
artists participating this year are Lissa Abrams, Claudia Brookes, Henry Coe, David Diaz,
Raymond Ewing, David Finnell, Jane Knighton, Mike McSorley, Chris Rapa, and J. Stacy
Rogers. On Friday, Sept. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m., all participating artists will unveil their
works during the 2018 Collector’s Reception and Awards, where $11,000 will be given
out to winning artists and patrons will have the first opportunity to purchase the festi-
val-created works. The general public gets that opportunity the next day, Saturday, Sept.
29, which also ushers in a judged Quickdraw competition, concluding with an awards
ceremony, at the downtown Cumberland pedestrian mall. Proceeds of artwork sales go
toward the Arts Council, based in Cumberland, Md. Call 301-777-2787 or visit mmpleinair.
org for more information.
a concoction of Tito’s vodka, mud- motion includes a loyalty punch
LEGAL SEA FOODS: 10TH dled cucumber, lime, and grape- card, with each liter of beer earning
ANNUAL OYSTER FESTIVAL fruit bitters. Available at lunch and one punch — those with 10 punch-
The Massachusetts-based seafood dinner daily now through Oct. 10. es will win an Oktoberfest-themed
chain celebrates all things bivalves. All three area locations: 704 7th St. das boot to take home. Daily from
Fried oysters are available in the NW, 2301 Jefferson Davis Highway, 4 p.m., weather permitting. Begins
following styles: Buffalo with blue Arlington, and 2001 International Saturday, Sept. 22. Saturday, Sept.
cheese, celery hearts, and radish; Drive in Tysons Galleria, McLean. 29, offers a DJ playing German
BBQ with coleslaw and BBQ mayo; Visit legalseafoods.com. pop hits from 2 to 5 p.m. Through
Sriracha Lime with roasted corn Oct. 22. Radiator, Mason & Rook,
salsa and crispy shallots; or as an RADIATOR BIERGARTEN 1430 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Patio
“Oyster BLT” with chipotle mayo. The cocktail bar and cafe in seating on a first-come, first-served
Baked Oysters are prepared as a Kimpton’s Mason & Rook hotel basis. Call 202-742-3150 or visit
Lobster Spinach Oyster bake with will celebrate cooler temperatures radiatordc.com.
cheese and herbed crumbs; Oyster and Oktoberfest traditions with an
Scampi with shrimp, garlic butter, autumnal festival on the patio, com-
and white wine; Crab & Cheese
Oyster with Jonah crab, horserad-
plete with outdoor fire pits. The ABOVE
highlight is German fare on com-
AND BEYOND
ish, cheddar, and cream cheese; munal tables, from the traditional
or Roasted Oyster with smoked (Bavarian-themed lagers poured
chorizo, butter, and fresh herbs. A into steins) to reimagined bier-
variety of oysters will also be avail- DC STATE FAIR
garten bites from Executive Chef
able raw, served on the half shell, Now in its ninth year, this is a free,
Jonathan Dearden, including pret-
with selections and prices changing all-volunteer, non-governmental
zels and beer cheese dip, grilled
daily depending on what’s available. showcase of the region’s agricultur-
bratwurst with charred onion and
Wash it all down with this year’s al and artistic talents, named with
sauerkraut, and chicken schnitzel
official festival drink, the Deadrise, a wink to efforts for D.C. state-
sliders on a pretzel bun. The pro-

September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 17

 Magik*Magik Orchestra. Tuesday,
Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m. Warner
Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Tickets
are $29 to $39. Call 202-783-4000
or visit warnertheatredc.com.

THE DC WEIRDO SHOW:

WEIRDOS FOR LIFE
Held the third Friday of each month,
the DC Weirdo Show bills itself as
the longest-running variety show
in the city — and also, as “Queen
Weirdo and Producer” Dr. Torcher
puts it, “increasingly the D.C. go-to
show for local performers of color,
queer performers, and womxn in
the circus, sideshow, and variety
performance arts.” In recognition
of Suicide Prevention Month, the
September show, co-produced and
co-hosted with drag king Phoenix
King, aims to open the conversa-
tion about our collective mental
PHOTO CREDIT

health and the ways community,

connection, and oppression affects
us — shared through personal stories
from performers in various styles of
variety art, who have also contribut-
ed to a free, take-home resource zine
NSO: SEASON OPENING GALA CONCERT featuring artwork, poetry, stories,
and ready-to-use tools for suicide
The NSO will be spacing out next weekend as the company launches its new season with prevention. Friday, Sept. 21. Doors at
salutes to NASA’s recent 60th Anniversary and the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the 8 p.m. Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd
moon landing. Naturally, one of the spaciest symphonies, Gustav Holst’s The Planets, is St. NW. Tickets are $15 in advance,
or $20 at the door. Call 202-293-1887
a prominent part of the program, which also presents the soaring new work Voyage by or visit dcweirdoshow.com.
Michael Giacchino (pictured), the prolific Oscar-winning composer behind the recent
Star Trek titles. This year’s celebrity soloist is perennial gala favorite and superstar violin- UNCENSORED COCKTAIL
ist Joshua Bell, joining for “Song to the Moon” from Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka, as well as PARTY: BANNED BOOKS WEEK
FUNDRAISER
Manuel Ponce’s Estrellita, and Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy. Saturday, Sept. 22, at Lovers of literature and the First
7 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $65 to $175. Call 202-467-4600 or visit Amendment have a chance to raise
kennedy-center.org. a glass to their favorite books as
they commemorate Banned Books
Week. Now in its fifth year, the
425 M St. SW. Visit dcstatefair.org. annual cocktail party, hosted by the
hood rights. Co-presented by the tions,” with hands-on demonstra- DC Public Library Foundation, is
Southwest BID, the fair returns to GAME OF THRONES EXPERIENCE tions and vendor consultations in designed to celebrate those books
the streets outside a main intersec- Ramin Djawadi, the Emmy Award- restoring historic windows and that have been banned or chal-
tion in Southwest D.C. Festivities winning German composer behind flooring, roof repair, and repointing lenged by censors, from the politi-
include a Pet Parade circling the Game of Thrones, Iron Man, and Clash at this free event co-presented by cally motivated to the prudish, for
Southwest Duck Pond, educa- of the Titans, presents the return the DC Preservation League and a host of reasons. For the party,
tional sessions on topics ranging of his immersive “Live Concert the DC Commission on the Arts the DC Public Library Foundation
from flower arranging to finger- Experience” bringing the world of & Humanities. Saturday, Sept. 22, brings in some of D.C.’s top bar-
painting to public space recycling. Westeros to life through live music from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Souls tenders and mixologists to create
The chief draw is the day’s many plus cutting-edge video technology, Church, 1500 Harvard St. NW. Call cocktails based on their favorite
contests, including victuals such filmed footage from the series, and 202-783-5144 or visit dcpreserva- book. The party also features live
as ice cream, pies, biscuits, donuts, exclusive imagery created for the tion.org. musical acts, crafts, and a pop-up
dumplings, pickled foods, Mumbo concert. Djawadi will lead a touring market with local retailers. Friday,
Sauce — and even home-brewed group of soloists alongside a traveling POP-UP MAGAZINE: FALL ISSUE Sept. 28, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Blind
beer, wine, cider, and pot — will orchestra and choir in a performance “A Night of Live Stories” is the Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW.
be evaluated by a panel of judges. of music from the hugely popular subtitle for this event, billed as Tickets are $60. Call 202-869-4099
Naturally, there will be various art HBO series, which airs its eighth and bringing a magazine to life on stage, or visit dcplfoundation.org.
and craft competitions, prizes for final season next year. Tuesday, Sept. through storytelling, photography,
the most unusual homegrown fruits 25, at 8 p.m. Capital One Arena, 601 F film, radio, and original music. The ZOOFIESTA
and vegetables (including heaviest, St. NW. Tickets are $24 to $161. Call D.C. stop of the nationally tour- Subtitled “Un día de diversión
longest, and funkiest), and live con- 202-628-3200 or visit capitaloneare- ing fall show features Ed Young of animal para toda la familia,” this
tests from Hula Hoop and Double na.com. The Atlantic, Yowei Shaw of NPR’s free Hispanic Heritage Month
Dutch, to Sloppy Joe and Ice Cream Invisibilia, Rebecca Skloot, author event at the National Zoo features
Eating sessions and Watermelon HISTORIC PRESERVATION of The Immortal Life of Henrietta talks, feeding, and demonstra-
Seed-spitting, to various catego- COMMUNITY DAY Lacks, Ann Friedman, cohost of tions by zookeepers highlighting
ries in Tattoo and Whisker Wars. Local leaders and government offi- the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, animals including Andean bears,
Performances by local bands, DJs, cials offer lectures and discussions Emily Dreyfuss and Jason Parham sloths, golden lion tamarins, and
and dance troupes, and food trucks about the architectural history of of Wired, photographer Landon Panamanian golden frogs. ZooFiesta
and other food and drink vendors D.C., the history of the preserva- Nordeman of the New Yorker also features live music and cuisine
round out the fun and frivolity. tion movement, and city regulations and the New York Times, Rowan from performers and vendors rep-
Sunday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 8 for historically designated sites, Jacobsen, author of A Geography resenting Latin America. Sunday,
p.m. Outside the Waterfront Metro, plus advice on how to research a of Oysters, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
house or building’s history. There poet/playwright of We Shall Not Be National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut
will also be “preservation sta- Moved, and original music from the Ave. NW. Free. Call 202-633-4800
or visit nationalzoo.si.edu. l

18 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 theFeed
DAY IN COURT
More than 60 LGBTQ and HIV advocacy organizations are demanding a full
investigation of the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. By John Riley
O
N TUESDAY AFTERNOON, THE SENATE
Judiciary Committee cancelled a planned vote
on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett
Kavanaugh, following recent sexual assault allegations
lodged against him.
Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to replace
the seat being vacated by retiring Justice Anthony
Kennedy, had originally seemed all but certain to
be confirmed. Then, on September 13, Sen. Dianne
Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced that she had sent the
FBI a letter from a woman claiming that she had been
assaulted by Kavanaugh during high school.
On Sept. 16, California professor Christine Blasey
Ford came forward and told the Washington Post that,
when she was 15 years old, Kavanaugh, then 17, and
a friend, Mark Judge, had corralled her into a room
at a house party in Maryland. She claims Kavanaugh
pinned her down and attempted to undress her, put-
ting his hand over her mouth to stifle any screams. She
eventually escaped, but the trauma she experienced
ultimately forced her to seek therapy as an adult.
Senate Republicans have scheduled a hearing on
Monday to investigate the allegations, and expect both
Ford and Kavanaugh to testify. Ford, meanwhile, has
requested that the FBI be allowed to fully investigate
before any hearing is held.
Ford’s allegation — corroborated by therapist’s
notes from sessions long before she came forward pub-
licly — not only threatens to derail Kavanaugh’s nom-
ination, but also gives hope to LGBTQ organizations
and activists who have been monitoring Kavanaugh
with particular interest.
When Trump first announced his name, alarm bells
rang over a judicial record that included views oppos-
ing same-sex marriage, his opposition to the Affordable
Care Act (including guaranteed coverage for people
with preexisting conditions, such as those living with
HIV), and views on civil rights that will likely endanger
members of the LGBTQ community.
Prior to the Senate vote being cancelled, more than
60 LGBTQ and HIV advocacy organizations had writ-
ten to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Feinstein
demanding a halt to any activity related to Kavanaugh’s
nomination until Ford’s claims are fully and thorough-
ly investigated.
“Scheduling a hearing on Monday allows no time
for any such investigation to occur, undermining the
credibility of the entire exercise,” the groups wrote in a
letter. “Moving ahead on such an artificially expedited
schedule will do lasting and irreparable damage to the
legitimacy of not only the United States Senate but the
Supreme Court as well.”
The groups say that the assault allegations against
Kavanaugh add to a mounting number of concerns
about him, not the least of which is his trustworthiness
and veracity.
“[T]hese new charges are serious and potentially
disqualifying for any person being considered for a
position of authority and trust,” they wrote. “This is
particularly so for someone nominated to serve on the
nation’s highest court, thus making the need for a fair
and independent investigation even more critical.
“Nearly twenty-seven years ago, Professor Anita
Hill was vilified for coming forward to tell her story,”
the letter adds, referring to allegations of sexual harass-
ment lodged against Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas. “But even she was given a fuller hearing than
what is currently being contemplated here. This is sim-
ply unacceptable. We urge the Senate not to repeat the
grave mistakes of the past when it comes to addressing
serious allegations of sexual misconduct by a nominee
to the Supreme Court.”
Individual signatories weighed in on Senate
Republicans rapidly pushing to dispense with the alle-
gations against Kavanaugh.
“Professor Blasey Ford’s allegations demand a full
and thorough vetting,” Sharon McGowan, the chief
strategy officer and legal director of Lambda Legal,
said in a statement. “Since the announcement of Judge
Kavanaugh’s nomination [on] July 9, LGBT advocacy
groups have repeatedly asked the Senate Judiciary
Committee to release his full record so that the Senate
and the public have full information about the man
who has been nominated for a lifetime appointment to
the Supreme Court.”
McGowan accused Senate Republicans of rushing
ahead with the nomination, which she called “tainted
from the start by the failure by both the nominee and
Republican leadership to disclose key information in
Kavanaugh’s record.”
She added: “The evidence suggesting that
Kavanaugh has provided untruthful testimony under
September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 19
 theFeed
oath — about his substantive views, as well as his con-
duct while in the George W. Bush White House — only
exacerbates our already grave concerns.”
Lambda Legal previously filed several FOIA
requests and at least two lawsuits to compel the release
of documents related to Brett Kavanaugh’s position
as White House Staff Secretary during the George W.
Bush administration. Lambda Legal particularly asked
for documents relating to any role Kavanaugh may
have played in crafting or pushing for policies that
discriminated against LGBTQ couples, their children,
and families.
Shannon Minter, legal director of the National
Center for Lesbian Rights, said that Ford’s allegations
were “detailed, credible, and corroborated by reports
to third parties,” and thus merit further investigation.
The Human Rights Campaign, which did not sign
BED FELLOWS
Gay Sesame Street writer based Bert and Ernie’s storylines
on his own relationship. By Rhuaridh Marr
A
gay scriptwriter who worked on long-run-
ning children’s show Sesame Street has con-
firmed that he based Bert and Ernie’s char-
acter dynamic on his own relationship.
Mark Saltzman, who won an Emmy for his work
on the show, told Queerty that writing the charac-
ters as gay was the only way he could “contextual-
ize” them.
“I remember one time that a column from The
San Francisco Chronicle, a preschooler in the city
turned to mom and asked ‘are Bert & Ernie lovers?’”
he said. “And that, coming from a preschooler was
fun. And that got passed around, and everyone had
their chuckle and went back to it. And I always felt
that without a huge agenda, when I was writing
Bert & Ernie, they were. I didn’t have any other way
to contextualize them.”
Rumors have surrounded Bert and Ernie for
years, aided by their close relationship and their
even closer living situation — the pair sleep in sep-
arate beds, but in the same bedroom.
Their oft-rumored love even led the New Yorker
to show the puppets cuddled on the couch, watch-
ing news that the Supreme Court justices had
struck down anti-gay Proposition 8 and parts of the
Defense of Marriage Act.
20 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
onto the letter, also called for a delay of any vote and a
full vetting of the charges against Kavanaugh.
“Christine Glaser Ford is brave to come forward
with her story, and she must be treated with respect
and dignity,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a
statement. “Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination process has
been anything but transparent, and now with this grave
charge of sexual assault, this process must be halted
immediately.
“Moving forward with this confirmation process
without conducting a thorough investigation would be
deeply troubling and offensive to the American people,
but more importantly to survivors of sex crimes across
the country. It would communicate their trauma isn’t
worthy of justice if a person sitting on the nation’s
highest court can be confirmed without being investi-
gated for alleged sexual violence.” l
Though apparently originally based on the
friendship between puppeteers Jim Henson and
Frank Oz, by the time Saltzman began writing
the characters, he was drawing inspiration from
his own life for Bert and Ernie — specifically his
relationship with the late documentary filmmaker
Arnold Glassman.
“More than one person referred to Arnie and
I as ‘Bert & Ernie,’” Saltzman said. “I was Ernie.
I look more Bert-ish. And Arnie as a film editor
— if you thought of Bert with a job in the world,
wouldn’t that be perfect? Bert with his paper clips
and organization? And I was the jokester.”
Glassman and Saltzman were a couple when he
joined Sesame Street, and as such, he didn’t know
“how else to write them, but as a loving couple.”
“That’s what I had in my life, a Bert & Ernie
relationship,” he said. “How could it not permeate?
The things that would tick off Arnie would be the
things that would tick off Bert.”
However, Saltzman revealed that he didn’t dis-
close to the show’s higher-ups that he was writing
Bert & Ernie based on his own relationship, instead
keeping his inspiration to himself while giving the
characters the soul — and the friction — of a real
same-sex couple. l

THURSDAY, Sept. 20
LezBeSocial and City
Promotions present the first
of three “RAYCEEN, FIX ME
UP!” mixers for single LBT
women, hosted by Rayceen
Pendarvis. Icebreakers, games,
prizes, and light refreshments
included. 6-8 p.m. Shaw
Neighborhood Library, 1630
7th St. NW. For more info, visit
teamrayceen.eventbrite.com.
The DC Center holds a meet-
ing of its POLY DISCUSSION
GROUP, for people interested
in polyamory, non-monogamy
or other nontraditional rela-
tionships. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thedc-
center.org.
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
distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at
7 p.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW.
For more information, visit
dcfrontrunners.org.
DC LAMBDA SQUARES, D.C.’s
gay and lesbian square-dancing
group, features mainstream
through advanced square
dancing at the National City
Christian Church. Please dress
casually. 7-9:30 p.m. 5 Thomas
Circle NW. 202-930-1058,
dclambdasquares.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
practice. The team is always
looking for new members.
All welcome. 7-9 p.m. Harry
Thomas Recreation Center,
1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For more
information, visit scandalsrfc.
org or dcscandals@gmail.com.
THE DULLES TRIANGLES
Northern Virginia social
group meets for happy hour at
Sheraton in Reston. All wel-
come. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise
Valley Drive, second-floor bar.
Community
For more information, visit
dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-
Walker Health. 9 a.m.-12:30
p.m. and from 2-5 p.m. at 1525
14th St. NW, and 9 a.m-12
p.m. and 2-5 p.m. at the Max
Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr.
Ave. SE. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
man-walker.org.
IDENTITY offers free and
confidential HIV testing at
two separate locations. Walk-
ins accepted from 2-6 p.m.,
by appointment for all other
hours. 414 East Diamond Ave.,
Gaithersburg, Md. or 7676
New Hampshire Ave., Suite
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 test-
ing@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
without symptoms. For an
appointment call 202-745-7000
or visit whitman-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.
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ
women, 13-21, interested in
leadership development. 5-6:30
p.m. SMYAL Youth Center, 410
7th St. SE. For more informa-
tion, call 202-567-3163, or email
catherine.chu@smyal.org.
FRIDAY, Sept. 21
GAY DISTRICT, a group for
GBTQQI men between the ages
of 18-35, meets on the first and
third Fridays of each month.
8:30-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more infor-
mation, visit gaydistrict.org.
The DC Center’s TRANS AND
GENDERQUEER GAME NIGHT
features board and card games
and a chance to socialize with
other people from across the
LGBTQ spectrum. All welcome.
7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. Visit thedccenter.org.
WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES
(AND THIRTIES), a social
discussion and activity group
for queer women, meets at The
DC Center on the second and
fourth Friday of each month.
Group social activity to follow
the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For
more information, visit thedc-
center.org.
SATURDAY, Sept. 22
ADVENTURING outdoors
group hikes a moderately stren-
uous 8 miles on Great North
Mountain to scenic overlooks
on the Virginia-West Virginia
State Line. Swim in nearby
Trout Pond Recreation Area
afterwards, then dinner on
the way home. Bring plenty
of beverages, lunch, sturdy
boots, sunscreen, bug spray,
about $20 for fees, and money
for dinner on the way home.
Carpool at 8:30 a.m. from East
Falls Church Metro Station
Kiss & Ride lot. Return after
dark. For more information,
contact Joe, 202-276-5521, or
visit adventuring.org.
ADVENTURING outdoors
group hosts a guided walking
tour of Katherine Graham’s
Washington. Bring beverages,
a snack, comfortable walking
shoes, and a $2 trip fee. Meet
at 10 a.m. atop the escalators
of the Dupont Circle Metro
Station at 20th and Q Streets
NW. For more information,
contact Elaine, 215-510-6121, or
visit adventuring.org.
CHRYSALIS arts & culture
group visits the Kreeger
Museum, a 1960s home
designed by gay architect
Philip Johnson converted into
a museum of modern art, to
view the recent reinstallation
of its permanent collection.
Admission $10 for adults, $8
seniors. Meet at 11:30 a.m.
inside the entrance lobby, 2401
Foxhall Rd. NW. Contact Craig,
202-462-0535 or craighow-
ell1@verizon.net.
September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Join The DC Center as it vol-
unteers for FOOD & FRIENDS,
packing meals and groceries for
people living with serious ail-
ments. 10 a.m.-noon. 219 Riggs
Rd. NE. Near the Fort Totten
Metro. For a ride from the
Metro, call the Food & Friends
shuttle at 202-669-6437. For
more information, visit thedc-
center.org or foodandfriends.
org.
THE GLOSSARY DC, a group
to provide a safe space for mas-
culine of center, non-binary,
or trans-masculine people of
color, holds a discussion and
support group session at The
DC Center. 12-2 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thedc-
center.org.
SUNDAY, Sept. 23
ADVENTURING outdoors
group offers an evening walk-
ing tour of the iconic memo-
rials and monuments of the
National Mall, led by a licensed
D.C. tour guide, under the light
of a full moon. Bring beverages,
snacks, comfortable walking
shoes, and $2 trip fee. Walk
begins at 6:30 p.m. at the top
of the escalators of the Mall
entrance of the Smithsonian
Metro Station. End will be
at the Foggy Bottom Metro
Station around 9 p.m. Contact
Craig, 202-462-0535, or visit
adventuring.org.
Weekly Events
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS
MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL
CHURCH celebrates Low Mass
at 8:30 a.m., High Mass at 11
a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave. NW.
202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds
a practice session at Wilson
Aquatic Center. 9:30-11 a.m.
4551 Fort Dr. NW. For more
information, 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
will be a distance run of 8, 10
or 12 miles. Meet at 9 a.m. at
23rd & P Streets NW. For more
information, visit dcfrontrun-
ners.org.
DIGNITYUSA offers Roman
Catholic Mass for the LGBT
community. All welcome.
Sign interpreted. 6 p.m. St.
Margaret’s Church, 1820
Connecticut Ave. NW. For
more info, visit dignitywash-
ington.org.
21
 FAIRLINGTON UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH is an open,
inclusive church. All welcome,
including the LGBTQ commu-
nity. Member of the Reconciling
Ministries Network. Services at
9:30 and 11:00 a.m. 3900 King
Street, Alexandria, Va. 703-671-
8557. For more info, visit fairling-
tonumc.org.
FRIENDS MEETING OF
WASHINGTON meets for worship,
10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,
Quaker House Living Room (next
to Meeting House on Decatur
Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome
to lesbians and gays. Handicapped
accessible from Phelps Place gate.
Hearing assistance. quakersdc.org.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT
GROUP for gay men living in the
DC metro area. This group will be
meeting once a month. For infor-
mation on location and time, visit
H2gether.com.
INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL
DEVELOPMENT, God-centered
new age church & learning center.
Sunday Services and Workshops
event. 5419 Sherier Place NW. isd-
dc.org.
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF
REFORMATION invites all to
Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m.
Childcare is available at both ser-
vices. Welcoming LGBT people for
25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE.
reformationdc.org.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpret-
ed) and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday
School at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW.
202-638-7373, mccdc.com.
RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,
a Christ-centered, interracial,
welcoming-and-affirming church,
offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St.
SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF
ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcom-
ing-and-affirming congregation,
offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia
Rainbow UU Ministry. 4444
Arlington Blvd. uucava.org.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL
MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-
ing and inclusive church. GLBT
Interweave social/service group
meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,
Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.
NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.
MONDAY, August 24
The DC Center hosts a FOSTER
PARENT AND ADOPTION
INFORMATION NIGHT, which will
include presentations by LGBTQ
foster parents and representatives
from the Latin American Youth
22 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Center Child Placement Programs.
A question-and-answer session on
how to become a foster parent will
follow. All welcome. RSVPs are
encouraged. 6:30-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more infor-
mation, visit thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a
practice session at Dunbar Aquatic
Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW.
For more information, visit swim-
dcac.org
NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-
ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite
200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-
789-4467.
The DC Center hosts COFFEE
DROP-IN FOR THE SENIOR LGBT
COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 2000
14th St. NW. For more information,
call 202-682-2245 or visit thedc-
center.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gay
men’s evening affinity group for
GBT black men. Light refreshments
provided. 7-9 p.m. 3636 Georgia
Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.
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.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH
HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP
for newly diagnosed individuals,
meets 7 p.m. Registration required.
202-939-7671, hivsupport@whit-
man-walker.org.
TUESDAY, Sept. 25
GENDERQUEER DC, a support and
discussion group for people who
identify outside the gender binary,
meets at The DC Center on the
fourth Tuesday of every month.
7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite
105. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
DC AQUATICS CLUB practice
session at Takoma Aquatic Center.
7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van Buren St. NW.
For more information, visit swim-
dcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
walking/social club welcomes run-
ners of all ability levels for exercise
in a fun and supportive environment,
with socializing afterward. Route
distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at 7 p.m.
at Union Station. For more informa-
tion, visit dcfrontrunners.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds prac-
tice. The team is always looking
for new members. All welcome.
7-9 p.m. Harry Thomas Recreation
Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For
more information, visit scandalsrfc.
org or dcscandals@gmail.com.
THE GAY MEN’S HEALTH
COLLABORATIVE offers free
HIV testing and STI screening
and treatment every Tuesday.
5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow Tuesday
LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health
Department, 4480 King St. 703-
746-4986 or text 571-214-9617.
james.leslie@inova.org.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS
holds an LGBT-focused meet-
ing every Tuesday, 7 p.m. at St.
George’s Episcopal Church, 915
Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps
from Virginia Square Metro. For
more info. call Dick, 703-521-
1999. Handicapped accessible.
Newcomers welcome. liveandletli-
veoa@gmail.com.
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.
Support group for LGBTQ youth
ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL. 5-6:30
p.m. 410 7th St. SE. For more
information, contact Cathy Chu,
202-567-3163, or catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a support
group for black gay men 40 and
older. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.
NW. 202-446-1100.
Whitman-Walker Health holds its
weekly GAY MEN’S HEALTH AND
WELLNESS/STD CLINIC. Patients
are seen on walk-in basis. No-cost
screening for HIV, syphilis, gon-
orrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis
and herpes testing available for fee.
Testing starts at 6 p.m, but should
arrive early to ensure a spot. 1525
14th St. NW. For more information,
visit whitman-walker.org.
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26
The DC Center’s HEALTH
WORKING GROUP holds its
monthly meeting, this month focus-
ing on suicide prevention as part of
Suicide Prevention Month. Learn
about ways to prevent suicide and
support LGBTQ health initiatives.
All welcome. 6:30-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more infor-
mation, visit thedccenter.org.
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.
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.
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.
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
September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 23
VY
W
HEN IT COMES TO THE
Designing Life
Vern Yip has built a career on making other
people’s living spaces better. At the Capital
Home Show, he’s ready to help you too.

humble candle, Vern Yip has a

rather curious problem: “I don’t
like to look at a burnt wick.”
Far from eccentricity, tak-
ing issue with a candle’s burned
wick speaks to the way the
50-year-old architect and designer approaches all aspects of his
work. “I make my way through the world by seeing things and
thinking to myself, ‘That could be better. That could be designed
better for no extra cost, or for less cost.’”
That’s why, when Yip was asked to develop a home fragrance
collection, the wick problem became part of his inspiration for
a set of candles.
“The candles, they all have lids on them, so that you don’t
have to look at a burnt wick,” Yip says. “And the containers are
proportioned to be useful after the candles are finished — they’re
a perfect tumbler size, or the perfect size for Q-tips. We have
some that are perfect candy dishes. The idea is that by giving
Interview by Doug Rule

designers who oversee a redesign in a stranger’s house, working

something the right proportion, the right scale, you give it use-
fulness.”
That practical-minded, problem-solving approach has guided
Yip throughout his career, which began its upward trajectory at
the turn of the millennium through his role on TLC’s home dec-
orating show Trading Spaces. Yip is one of a number of interior
alongside the homeowner’s neighbors to make their renovation
dreams a reality.
The enormous popularity of the show, which originally ran
from 2000 to 2008 and was revived earlier this year on TLC,
helped fuel changes in the design industry as well as in society at
large. For one thing, in part because of the show and the spread
of design-themed television in its wake, design is no longer
thought of as literal window dressing, or a luxury that only the
well-heeled can afford. Rather, it’s become more accessible,
more affordable, and more valued in everyday life. And Yip
couldn’t be happier that Trading Spaces has returned to provide
more design inspiration.
“Trading Spaces launched my television career, and I’m obvi-
ously indebted to that opportunity,” he says. “It holds a special
place for people. So it’s really exciting that it came back, and that
we’re doing a second season of it.”
Prior to Trading Spaces, Yip had found success as an architect
in Atlanta. He had no experience or even much interest in TV,
and didn’t foresee it as a tool for design. Certainly he had no
inkling that TV would become the springboard for his career
and his various design pursuits — including books, fabrics, and
lectures at events like the Capital Home Show this weekend at
the Dulles Expo Center. And everything Yip does, regardless of
medium, is focused on helping people solve problems in both

24 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

VERN YIP DESIGNS

Y
form and function.
“Whether it’s a project — a home, a business — or a product,
there always has to be a confluence of function and aesthetic,” he
says. “Something can be beautiful, but if it doesn’t function cor-
rectly, to me it’s a failure. Similarly, if something just functions
and it’s not aesthetically pleasing, it’s also a failure.”
A native of McLean, Va., Yip recently took time out of his
busy schedule to discuss his life and career, and why he con-
siders himself “the world’s luckiest guy” — a realization that hit
after he turned 50 earlier this year.
“I get to work on the things that I really want to work on,” he
says. “I get to pursue my passion and I get paid for it. I’m a family
man, which I always wanted to be. And I have a great husband, I
have great kids. Not only do I love my kids, I really like my kids.
I feel incredibly lucky, truly grateful — grateful for everything I
get to do.”
METRO WEEKLY: This weekend you return to the D.C. area for the
Capital Home Show. What about that are you looking forward to?
VERN YIP: I’m really excited to be back in my hometown and
to be talking to people about what’s happening in the world of
design and how to inculcate design into their homes. It’s always
special for me to be back in the D.C. area. It’s still my favorite
part of the country, for a couple of reasons. Number one, I love
that it’s such an international town. I grew up in the public
school systems of Fairfax County, and had the opportunity to
go to school with kids from all over the world, and I don’t think
that happens almost anywhere else. It has a huge impact on you
growing up. We send our kids to international school here in
Atlanta for that reason, just the ability to be exposed to a broader
variety of people.
And then I find people in D.C. incredibly interesting. It’s a
very educated population, and a really informed population.
People in D.C. love the news. It’s probably where I got my addic-
tion to the news. Growing up, I remember, at the dinner table,
we discussed what was happening in the world. We discussed
politics — and back then you could have a differing opinion. You
just had to be able to defend it.
MW: You left the area and put down roots in Atlanta, where you
found early success as an architect. How did Trading Spaces come
about?
VERN YIP: In the year 2000, I was named Southeast Designer of
the Year [by Veranda magazine]. And it happened to coincide
with when they were casting Trading Spaces. That award put my
name and face in a bunch of magazines, and one of them land-
ed on the desk of a production company that was in charge of
putting together the first season, casting all of the designers and
the carpenters. They asked me to come in and interview for the
show. I have to admit I was reluctant initially. I was afraid that
doing a show like this would torpedo my design career, because
it had never been done. Back in 2000, there wasn’t this huge
prevalence of shows that were design-focused. There weren’t a
ton of shelter publications. It was a different world back then.
I eventually decided to seize the opportunity because it
resonated with me — this concept that great design belongs in
everybody’s home, that everybody should have the ability to
benefit from great design in their lives. It’s easy to forget, but
back in the early 2000s, it was mostly just the top rung on the
socioeconomic ladder that could afford to have design in their
homes. I thought, here’s an opportunity where we can really do
a lot of good. I don’t think anybody anticipated that the show
would take off the way that it did. It really resonated with folks.
26 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
People really responded to it. And the rest is history.
MW: Has design become more accessible?
YIP: I think it has gotten significantly better. And I think a lot of it
happened as a result of Trading Spaces and the launch of HGTV
and of design programming. Also, I think people now realize the
benefit of great design. Your home is the place where you spend
the most important moments of your life with your friends and
your family. People began to see real value in putting time and
energy into the way their home looks, so that their home reflects
who they are aesthetically and who they are functionally.
It also coincided with this movement away from having your
home look like everyone else’s in your neighborhood, having to
live up to somebody else’s standard, having to buy things in sets
— the dining room set with the matching chairs and the match-
ing china cabinet, or the living room set. It coincided with this
time in history of embracing individuality, and the idea that hav-
ing your own style is okay — not only okay, but preferable. And
retailers responded accordingly. They responded to the popular-
ity of Trading Spaces, the popularity of HGTV, and the increased
demand they saw from people wanting more options that were
well-designed and well thought-out, but also accessible.
MW: How has the show changed over its original version?
YIP: It’s a completely different world that we live in today. Doing
Trading Spaces in the reboot version is really interesting because
of that. When we initially did Trading Spaces, we didn’t have
access to online shopping. We didn’t have things that could
be delivered in 24 hours or 48 hours. We didn’t have all these
sites offering such a wide array of things. Of course, that’s also
daunting for the consumer. On the one hand, it’s wonderful that
everybody has access to so much. But on the other hand, I think
people sometimes get paralyzed by all the different options.
Another thing that makes it different is that people have a
completely different point of view on design. Back when Trading
Spaces first launched there was no Pinterest, there was no social
media, there was no sharing of ideas like there is today. Certainly
back then, we found that in straight married couples, the male
oftentimes didn’t [express] an opinion. He often felt like he sort
of had to say, “Happy wife, happy life. Whatever she wants.” In
this rebooted version, everybody has an opinion, everybody feels
like they have the ability to have a say, and I think that’s great.
MW: Does that make the process more contentious?
YIP: I think it’s made it more interesting and certainly more
valuable. I always say the best design comes out of compromise.
When one side gets their way and the other side just relents, it
may look aesthetically pleasing, but it’s never going to last. And
there’s always some sort of built-up resentment that will prob-
ably bubble-up down the road in some other form. So I love the
idea that, no matter how disparate your partner’s point of view
may be from yours, no matter how unappealing aesthetically you
may think their point of view is, it’s worthy. And it should be
taken into consideration.
MW: When did you become such a fan of design?
YIP: I have been a fan of design since the moment I came out of
the womb. It was hard for me, being a kid of immigrants, espe-
cially Chinese immigrants, to think about pursuing a career in
design, because Chinese culture really prizes the medical pro-
fessions. I was always encouraged, like so many Asian-American
kids, to grow up and become a doctor. My parents basically said,
“You have two choices in life: You can grow up and become a
doctor, or you can grow up and become a doctor. Completely
up to you.” So I did my undergraduate at the University of
Virginia, studying chemistry and economics — pre-med — and
then applied to med school. I’d spent spring, summer, and
winter breaks working at the National Institutes of Health in
the transmitted and transfused viruses laboratory, working on
asymptomatic HIV and hepatitis C.
Everyday I would go into work and I would think to myself,
“Man, I’m so not interested. Why do we have to work with these
horrible yellow walls? How come the lighting is so bad?” My
mind was clearly not where it was supposed to be. Before medi-
cal school was about to start, I finally had the nerve to talk to my
mom and say to her, “I can’t do this. I’ve known I’m supposed
to design in one way or another my entire life.” And of course
she knew that, too. She was so great about it. She said, “Well,
then just go do it. You should have said something.” So I entered
graduate architecture school at Georgia Tech. I got my masters
in architecture and my MBA. I felt like I needed that MBA to
give my mom the security that I was going to be okay. Because I
“I think people now realize the benefit of great design.
YOUR HOME IS THE PLACE WHERE YOU SPEND THE
MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS OF YOUR LIFE WITH
YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR FAMILY.”
think that was always her fear. It’s not that she didn’t want me
to pursue something that had more of a creative bent, she was
always fearful that I wouldn’t be able to support myself and sup-
port a family. And I understand that, now that I have kids myself.
You want to leave this earth knowing that you’ve set your kid up
to be okay, that they’re going to be fine.
MW: How was coming out for you?
YIP: Well, I think it’s daunting for everybody, no matter how
completely open and accepting you think your family might be,
because we still live in a world where being part of the LGBTQ
community isn’t entirely accepted by everybody. But I was
extremely fortunate to have a really supportive, loving mom, and
a really loving, supportive older sister. My sister’s 10 years older
than I am. My dad left when I was seven, so he wasn’t really in
the picture. It ended up being fine. It was similar to working
up the nerve to finally be able to say to her, “Hey I don’t want
to be a doctor, I want to be an architect instead.” It was sort of
the equivalent — though not nearly as bad. I was more fearful
of disappointing her that she wasn’t going to have a doctor son,
than she wasn’t going to have a straight son. She was lovely and
great about it. I’m always so thankful because I know that that’s
not everybody’s experience.
MW: What did you come out as first, a designer or as gay?
YIP: I told her architect because that’s what I wanted to be. I
sort of fell into design. But yes, that preceded coming out as gay.
So much of that was just having a difficult time really under-
standing where I fit in on the whole [LGBTQ] spectrum. It’s a
different day and age that we live in today. If you rewind back
25, 30 years ago, there were very few portrayals of gay people in
the media. And the portrayals that were out there fell into a very
specific stereotype that I didn’t personally identify with. And
that made it very confusing.
Of course once I came out, I realized that the spectrum of gay
people is just as broad as the spectrum of straight people. But I
didn’t know that until I was in the community. After meeting
other gay men, I came to realize it’s different for everybody —
there are some people who know really early on, and there are
other people like me who take a second to figure it out.
MW: Were you out during the original run of Trading Spaces?
YIP: No, I wasn’t. I was still struggling to figure it out. In fact,
my husband is the only man that I have ever been with, which
I know is unusual. But it just happened to work out that way.
MW: I’ve met gay people who have little to no design sensibility.
Yet, as an avid viewer of the original Trading Spaces, there was
something about your discerning approach and overall tasteful
style and aesthetic that just really appealed — and also read as gay.
Did anyone ever make that connection?
YIP: Actually, I have never heard that before. My design point of
view has always been informed primarily by two things. Number
one, going to school, and having that architectural background
and training. I’ve become kind of famous on the show for doing
diagrams, which I do down to the 32nd of an inch. I like precise-
ness, and I like the cleaner line. That’s informed by the architec-
tural training, but also, number two, by my cultural heritage. We
moved to the States when I was two months old, but I was raised
in a very traditional Chinese household, and always around lots
of beautiful things — primarily from China, but from other parts
of Asia as well. And my mom always had a great design sensibili-
ty. The Chinese aesthetic tends to be a little cleaner-lined.
MW: There is something about your style and amiable way that is
widely appealing and seemingly hard to argue with. Have you ever
had a homeowner on the show be unhappy with your work?
YIP: You know, I have been super fortunate. If they weren’t
happy, I really didn’t hear about it. I kind of try to put my per-
sonal point of view to the side and give the homeowners the best
possible version of what it is that I think they want. Because at
the end of the day, I don’t have to live there. It’s not my home.
It’s probably the biggest investment they’ve made in their life-
time, buying a home. So I want to be super respectful of that.
And it’s really important to be invested in them and what they
want. I get a big kick out of pleasing people — I have my entire
life. It’s just part of my makeup. And so I try very, very hard to
figure out who they are, what they’re about, and how I can help
them in the best possible way. That’s always been something
that is the primary driver behind my designs.
It’s sometimes difficult for me to figure out why I do [certain]
things. Is it just the way I was born? Is it because I was raised in
an Asian household? Is it because I’m gay? I mean, people are so
complex, and we’re made up of so many different components,
and influenced by so many different areas. It can be difficult to
figure out, but it is definitely something that has been part of me
since the beginning.
MW: Is it true that a lot of your initial passion for architecture and
design was nurtured in the museums of D.C.?
YIP: I grew up in McLean, and spent a lot of time at museums.
I’ve always loved museums and became super-influenced by
their design. And I am a huge I.M. Pei fan. In fact, he is the rea-
son why I ended up going to Georgia Tech for graduate school.
When I told my mother that I [wanted] to go to architecture
school, she put me on a train — we both went up to New York
[to see Pei]. He’s a family friend. We walked into his office and
he said, “You should go to Georgia Tech, that’s where all my best
interns are coming from.”
September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 27
 I grew up marveling at museums — specifically the East say, but it’s the truth for me. I don’t think everybody’s meant to
Building of the National Gallery of Art, which [Pei] designed. I
be a parent, and I don’t think everybody who is a parent loves it.
remember being in that space and thinking, it’s amazing that a I feel incredibly fortunate for what I’m experiencing.
physical space can have so much power to impact somebody’s We love to travel, and we’ve taken the kids all over — they’ve
experience and bring people together. And it is still to this day
been to Asia three times, they’ve been to Paris, they’ve been to
one of my absolute favorite spaces. So that really kind of planted
London, they’ve been to all different parts of Italy. We’re going
the seed in me early on — if I didn’t have to be a doctor, this is
to Australia with them later this year. So they love to travel, they
what I would do. I want to design buildings. I want to be an love adventure. They’re foodies like we are — they are really
architect. adventurous eaters. It’s what I mean when I say, not only do we
MW: Let’s talk about your home life. How old are your kids? love them, we actually like them. They’re fun to hang out with.
YIP: Our son Gavin is eight, and our daughter Vera is seven. And
MW: And you’ve still got years to go before they become teenagers.
they’re both so much fun. They love to do all the things that we
It might be a different story then.
YIP: It very well could be, but we’ve had all kinds of warnings
love to do, so it’s been a really joyful experience. It’s not like
from people: Wait until they’re two, the terrible twos, wait until
every day is easy — it’s a lot of work. It’s an incredible amount of
they’re five. We never had terrible twos. They were never diffi-
work to be a parent. But at the same time, it’s the best thing that
I’ve ever been involved in. Hands down. It sounds so cliché to cult or horrible to deal with. They haven’t had a bad age. And I
feel so incredibly grateful to

Home Style
be able to say that. But who
knows? It might all catch up
with me, like you say, when
This weekend’s Capital Home Show offers “one-stop shopping” they’re teenagers, but I some-
and expert advice for all your home remodeling needs. how don’t think so.
MW: Do they take after you with

L
ooking for some fresh ideas for your home? The Capital Home Show offers an eye for design?
inspiration and advice on the “latest home and remodeling trends, as well YIP: Yeah, they have really
as tips and tricks,” says show manager Lisa Gardon. good design eyes. I remember
Many of those tips will be dispensed from the show’s Main Stage at the before they were born, a cou-
Dulles Expo Center, where local experts will present on specific topics including ple of friends came over and
“Luxury Design on a Budget” per Daniels Design and Remodeling on Friday, said, “Look at your house, all
Sept. 21, at 3 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 22, at 4 p.m.; “Straight Answers to this stuff that’s on the coffee
Essential Kitchen & Bath Remodeling Questions” via NVS Kitchen & Bath on table, its got to go. Everything
Friday, Sept. 21, at 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m.; “How to Select that’s breakable that they can
Window Treatments for Your Home” by Frank Giglio of Value Blind & Heirloom reach, its got to go.” But I
Draperies on Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, at 11 a.m.; and “Kitchens wasn’t raised that way. I was
That Wow!” by Dory Clemens of Foster Remodeling Solutions on Saturday, raised in a really beautiful
Sept. 22, at 3 p.m. Marlo Furniture will sponsor a new source for soliciting one- household that was appointed
on-one advice: the Ask An Expert station. with a lot of valuable, break-
But the leading dispenser of knowledge and know-how this year will be able things. And I was expect-
the show’s national headliner, designer Vern Yip. The Atlanta-based home ed to understand what should
remodeling TV star will offer an hour-long presentation “Design Wise: Essential just be looked at, versus what
Elements to Make Your House a Home” on Friday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m., and again could be touched gently, ver-
on Saturday, Sept. 22, at noon and 2 p.m. To get even more of the Yip experi- sus what was no big deal to
ence, Gardon notes that “we will also have some of Vern’s fabrics and pillows handle. I broke a few things
in the Design Home from Calico Corners.” for sure, but at the end of the
That interactive, custom-built Design Home, taking up 1,400 square feet right day, it exposed me to these
on the show floor, is meant to highlight the latest trends and ideas in design and things. I lived with them and I
decor by showcasing products, features, and accessories from local purveyors became very visually sensitive
including Revitalized Design, NVS Kitchen & Bath, ClosetAmerica, Happy Feet as a result. So we decided to
International, and Blue Sky Landscaping. take the same approach with
Finally, Stylish Patina sponsors a series of free, hands-on workshops at the our kids. And I don’t know if
Falls Church-based company’s Make-It, Take-It DIY Station. There, attendees can that’s why they’re design-ori-
sign up to make a painted picture frame or to learn how to use Chalk Paint by ented, or if it’s for another rea-
Annie Sloan, among other scheduled craft-related activities (supplies provided). son. But yeah, they have really
“We have over 270 exhibitors who are the experts in their field, all in one good design sense.
room,” says Gardon. “It’s one-stop shopping to find great deals for your MW: I understand you also have
home.” —Doug Rule four big dogs. I imagine you
have to keep some things out of
The Capital Home Show is Friday, Sept. 21, and Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10 their way.
a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Dulles Expo YIP: Yeah, we live with over
Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, in Virginia. Tickets are $10 per day. Call 500 pounds of dog. We don’t
703-378-0910 or visit capitalhomeshow.com. let them go upstairs, but that’s
not because of things that are
breakable. They have full abil-

28 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

ity to roam downstairs, and they’re around tons of breakable
things. And it’s sort of like with the kids — our kids have broken a
few things, and the dogs have broken a few things. But at the end
of the day, I view it as, those are just things. I would much rather
have the experience of being in a home that I really appreciate
and that I love the look of, and allow my family to enjoy the same.
MW: Is your mother still with you?
YIP: No. She passed away about 12 years ago. I am saddened that
she never got to meet our kids, because I’m convinced that she
would absolutely adore them. But you know, I still feel her pres-
ence. She was such a strong influence on me. She was my best
friend until she passed. I find myself parenting in a very similar
way to the way that she did.
MW: Did she meet Craig, your husband?
YIP: She did, and I feel really lucky about that. She had a long
battle with cancer at the end of her life. I remember one specific
day she mustered up enough energy to take [Craig] for a walk
around the neighborhood. Which was a big deal for her, because
she was kind of bedridden at that point. And she gave him a stern
warning: “You better take care of him.” So she knew that he was
going to be the one, and I love that.
MW: I understand that Craig works with you to some extent. Is he
also a designer?
YIP: He is not, though he has a great design eye. I don’t ask for
many people’s design opinion, but his is one that I will ask for,
and that I have great respect for. If he wanted to be, he could be
an amazing designer. But he was one of the very first people in
the country to start dog daycare boarding and grooming. He has
a company called Wag-A-Lot with several stores in the Atlanta
area. And then he’s also in charge of a lot of my career — from
“WHEN YOUNG DESIGNERS ASK ME FOR
ADVICE, I TELL THEM TO TRAVEL AS MUCH
YOU CAN. It’s really important to see the world — to
touch it, to smell it, to meet the people, to eat the
food. You have to be immersed in it.”
licensing for products to show appearances and the like.
MW: You originally moved to Georgia for grad school. Did you end
up staying because you fell in love with Atlanta?
YIP: No. I ended up staying because I graduated from architec-
ture and business school at the bottom of the recession when
very few people were landing jobs. In fact, I was one of the very
few people in my graduate architecture school to land a job. And
I landed it because I had two masters degrees. It was for the larg-
est firm in the southeast, Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback, and
Associates, TVS&A. I was hired as an architecture intern. I guess
they sort of felt like if work got too slow because of the recession,
they could always use me for business purposes.
It was a really good job, especially considering how difficult it
was at that time economically, so I ended up staying. It’s not that
I didn’t fall in love with the South. I had sort of envisioned that I
would move to New York or LA, or San Francisco or Chicago —
somewhere where things seemed to be happening more rapidly
from an architectural standpoint, from a design standpoint. But
the opportunity was here, and I’m really glad I stayed. I think it’s
an incredible place to live. It’s a wonderful place to raise a family.
I travel a tremendous amount for work, and having access to the
world’s busiest airport is a huge plus. I can fly pretty much any-
where direct. And I wouldn’t have met my husband if I hadn’t
30 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
been based here. So it all worked out.
MW: Do you watch much TV on your own, or have any thoughts
about TV beyond your own work?
YIP: I watch a variety of things. I love watching people at their
creative best, so I’m still a huge fan of Project Runway, I’m still a
huge fan of Top Chef. I love those kinds of shows where people
are given the opportunity to demonstrate their creative thought
under duress. But I also watch a bunch of other stuff on Netflix.
And I’m a newshound — a byproduct, I think, of growing up in
the D.C. area. I read a physical newspaper in addition to watch-
ing the news online — and I still watch all three national news
broadcasts. I’m probably showing my age, but I get something
out of it.
When young designers ask me for advice, I tell them to
travel as much you can. It’s really important to travel and see
the world, not just images via the internet, but to be there, to
touch it, to smell it, to meet the people, to eat the food. You
have to be immersed in it. And the second thing I tell them
is, get as educated as you can and be as informed as you can.
Stay on top of what’s happening in the world. Stay on top of
the news. I just feel like it’s critical for being a good designer.
It’s not like there’s a direct translation — I see something on
the news and it somehow inspires me to design. I don’t think
it works that way, but the mind is a complex thing. And I
think it’s part of being a designer, understanding the world
and being tuned in.
MW: What’s in store for your future?
YIP: I’m incredibly grateful for the life that I live, and the oppor-
tunities that I’ve been given. I really look at my future and I
think I would just love to keep doing the same things that I’ve
been doing, and doing more of it. But no matter what I do or
accomplish professionally, I can truly say my most favorite thing
is being a dad and being a husband. For me it’s unquestionably
the most special, meaningful aspect of my life. And to be able to
say that as a gay man is incredible, because that was one of my
major stumbling blocks [to coming out]. I always knew I wanted
to be a dad, and for that to be a huge part of my life. And I didn’t
really see that in the gay community.
I’m incredibly thankful to be able to be a gay man in this day
and age where I have the right to be married. I have the right to
raise a family. Is it perfect where we are in this country with gay
rights? No. It’s not perfect. But have we made huge advances?
Yes. I think we have, because a lot of people have sacrificed a
lot to make that happen, and I’m super-grateful for those people
doing what they’ve done to allow me to live the life that I’m
living. l
The Capital Home Show is Friday, Sept. 21, and Saturday, Sept.
22, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 6
p.m., at the Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center,
in Virginia. Vern Yip will appear on Friday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m., and
again on Saturday, Sept. 22, at noon and 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 per
day. Call 703-378-0910 or visit capitalhomeshow.com.
 Gallery
Wentworth Gallery and
Paul Stanley
T
HE STARCHILD,” IT TURNS
out, doesn’t just paint his face: The
co-lead singer of Kiss also paints
on canvas. In fact, Paul Stanley created
the rock band’s iconic logo and had a hand
in its album covers, stage designs, and
apparel. A decade ago, Stanley returned to
painting colorful and dramatic self-por-
traits and color-saturated abstract com-
positions with evocative titles such as
“Purple Haze,” “Green Planet,” and
“Infinite Solitude.” This weekend, Stanley
appears at Wentworth’s two locations to
discuss and sell his works. Friday, Sept. 21,
from 6 to 9 p.m. at Westfield Montgomery
Mall, 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda.
Call 301-365-3270. And Saturday, Sept.
22, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tysons Galleria, 1807
U. International Dr., McLean. Call 703-
883-0111. Visit wentworthgallery.com.
September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 33
 Movies

Moore isn’t above a good stunt. He

pulls off a clever one by gleefully flipping

Stunt Man
Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9 takes aim at Trump,
the GOP, the DNC, and everything off-kilter in
post-election America. By André Hereford
through the number of #MeToo creeps
Hillary Clinton had to face in order to
not win the presidency. A montage of
Bill O’Reilly, Matt Lauer, Mark Halperin,
Charlie Rose, Roger Ailes, and Les
Moonves all praising Trump, or challeng-
ing Hillary’s character, is pretty rich.
A creepier stunt, but just as effective,

H
is a bizarre interlude that jokingly exam-
AVE THESE TOPSY-TURVY CULTURAL AND POLITICAL TIMES DRIVEN ines Trump’s history of leering comments
reliably liberal filmmaker Michael Moore so far around the bend that he’s a and gestures directed towards his favorite
9/11 Truther now? The Bowling for Columbine Oscar-winner’s latest documen- daughter. His defenders surely will assail
tary, Fahrenheit 11/9 (HHHHH), raises that and many other thorny questions, mostly Moore’s take as a low blow. But is it?
prompted by the results of the 2016 presidential election. The best stunt Moore pulls with
The query that seems foremost on Moore’s mind, as he surveys the landscape of a Fahrenheit 11/9 is baiting his audience for
United States presided over by Donald J. Trump, is “How the fuck did this happen?” a takedown of #45, when really his sights
How did the transparently unscrupulous real estate mogul, who in 1998 appeared are set elsewhere. The politician who gets
alongside Moore as a C-list guest on Roseanne Barr’s failed daytime talk show, get pilloried here is Michigan’s Republican
elected to the highest office of the land? And what can “real Americans” do to protect Governor Rick Snyder, the elected official
the values of democracy, civility, and compassion from being completely eroded by any most responsible for causing, then cover-
popular demagogue with racist, sexist, and nationalist tendencies? ing up, the deadly and disabling crisis of
Moore, who definitely shares the showmanship gene with DJT, performs his lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint.
patented comic narrator routine to swell effect as he pursues enlightenment from Given what the world already knows
Philadelphia to Flint, and from Trump Tower to Stoneman Douglas High. about what happened in Flint, it’s astound-
Following a brutal prologue, that allows viewers to relive the agony/ecstasy of ing that Snyder still holds office (until
Hillary Clinton’s loss and Trump’s victory on election night, the film digs in by decon- he’s term-limited out in November). After
structing the stunt that started it all: Trump’s slow descent down that gilded escalator what is shown in this film of his handling
to announce his candidacy for president. Without providing much evidence, Moore of the crisis — based on official documents,
casts the campaign launch as a publicity stunt and NBC salary negotiation tactic that and Snyder’s own statements and press
happened to backfire into political success. conferences — it should be next to impos-
The outline and details of that argument are credibly presented, and fit Moore’s sible for him to attain any future elected
(and the Left’s) narrative about Trump, but the sequence amounts to an amusing stunt office. But stranger things have happened.
on Moore’s part to set the table for what comes next. The film intriguingly posits Snyder, a

September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 35


GETTYIMAGES-608645626 COURTESY OF FAHRENHEIT 11/9
Trump associate, as the ur-Trump, a rich, right-leaning busi-
nessman elected in 2010 to public office, despite being demon-
strably more inclined to serve corporate financial interests than
Fahrenheit 11/9 is rated R, and opens in theaters everywhere September 21. Visit fandango.com.
36 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
those of his most vulnerable constituents. The film convincingly
points out Snyder’s and Trump’s similar affinity for autocratic
governance. And it’s not all laughs.
Some of the movie is intentionally quite scary, and infuriat-
ing, like a sequence documenting how Snyder and other local
officials allowed the city of Flint, still suffering the effects of a
poisoned water supply, to be used by the U.S. military for war
games in 2015. Without informing the already stressed and
traumatized citizens, the army dropped bombs on city streets.
Cowering in fear, folks genuinely thought the end was nigh. The
callous disregard for the people of Flint does look and sound a lot
like Puerto Rico in 2017.
Fahrenheit 11/9 firmly lays blame for much of what feels
broken in the system at the hands of the folks elected to govern,
with Moore taking all sides to task, including Barack Obama
and the DNC. There are few heroes on display, except for con-
scientious voters, the kids of Stoneman Douglas, and the mostly
female “insurgent candidates,” like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
and Rashida Tlaib, who offer liberals like Moore some glimmer
of hope.
Moore has said that this documentary was born not of hope,
but of his despair and dispiritedness after the election. Yet, he
still entertains and inspires through skillful filmmaking. Often
he needles and picks at his prey, using humor or innuendo, and
occasionally, he just comes right out and throws a haymaker
punch, like comparing Trump to Hitler. He makes a sturdy case
that perhaps no one should ignore that comparison, even if it is
a bit of a stunt. l
CAROL ROSEGG
Stage

have festered, all will soon be revealed. In

Never Forget
the midst of secrets spilling, the siblings’
differences over money, responsibility,
character, parenting, politics, and religion
play out as they likely have for decades,
Pondering the ghosts of Jewish family past and present in If I Forget since long before their mother’s recent
and The Pianist of Willesden Lane. By André Hereford illness and death.
Levenson sets great traps for each of

S
the characters, granting them all the tools
TUDIO THEATRE’S STAGING OF STEVEN LEVENSON’S IF I FORGET to foil or free themselves. They’re good
(HHHHH) offers a moving, if uneven, production of a powerful play. The at getting themselves into trouble, and
gripping D.C.-set Jewish family drama, ignited by fierce political debate, seems full of surprises, too, with the exception
designed by Levenson, a Bethesda native, to cajole and discomfort in equal measure. It’s of Holly and Howard’s teenage son, Joey
up to director Matt Torney to keep the intra-familial mudslinging not just emotionally (Joshua Otten). The saggy-jeans-wear-
ripe but entertaining, and he and the cast are up to the task. Opening mood music that ing Nintendo-bot amounts to a fairly lazy
sounds disconcertingly like the theme of a treacly TV drama casts doubt at the outset, depiction of youth, and Otten’s shrill per-
but Torney and company prove to know their way around the Tenleytown home of the formance doesn’t add much dimension
play’s Fischer family. to it.
Three adult siblings — Holly (Susan Rome), Mike (Jonathan Goldstein), and Sharon Rome reveals boundless facets of
(Robin Abramson) — gather at the home of their father, Lou (Richard Fancy), ostensi- motherhood and sisterhood in her turn
bly to celebrate dad’s 75th birthday. Of course, no one is ever really just home to pop as Holly. And mingled with that is the
bubbly. It’s the summer of 2000, and much fuss is made over the storefront property almost wholly separate part of her being
that Lou owns on swiftly up-and-coming 14th Street. The eldest sibling, Holly, wants to that’s concerned with her marriage. Rome
take over the location for her new business venture, financed by her attorney husband, brings it all together beautifully, and with
Howard (Paul Morella), and she’s willing to pay market rate rent to occupy the space. lacerating humor. Abramson’s Sharon,
Sharon, the youngest, has grown close to the Latino immigrant family who currently however, probably gets the show’s best
leases the store and wants to help them by maintaining the generously below-market punchline (about an ex), and the actress
rent they pay her father. She lobbies in the interest of preserving the diverse character delivers it perfectly.
of the rapidly changing neighborhood. Or so she says. At a certain point, the line blurs
Mike, who has come from Brooklyn with his wife Ellen (Julie-Ann Elliott), isn’t so between Sharon being insistent and needy,
consumed with what to do about the store. He’s preoccupied more with the upcoming and Abramson pushing too hard in the
election, and with the breakdown in peace talks between Arafat and Barak, given that performance. But there’s good counterbal-
their 19-year old daughter is touring Jerusalem on a two-week heritage trip with “the ance in the ensemble. Elliott is intriguing
Birthright people.” Most profoundly, Mike’s bothered that dad Lou never responded to watch as Ellen, the quietly constant
after Mike sent a manuscript of his new book to read. wife who accepts that in the Fischer house
That was six months prior to the birthday dinner, and while Mike’s frustrations she’s a family member who’s not a “real”

September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 37

Fischer. In a similar boat, Howard starts out as sort of a dud,
then gets more interesting as the story moves along, thanks in
large part to Morella’s emotional range to go where the charac-
ter’s odd disclosures might lead.
Range barely describes the breadth of Goldstein’s gutsy
performance as Mike, who rants, rages, listens, and persuades.
Mike seems to care deeply about everyone and everything, while
seeming equally as self-involved as Holly or Howard. He shows
charming humility, but he’s also self-righteous, a strident ideo-
logue who’s not entirely wrong about all his ideas.
Mike is the drama’s trigger for an argument about modern
Jewish identity that involves everyone at the table, and just
about anyone else who believes that peace matters in this world.
All too appropriately for a Leftist intellectual university profes-
sor, Mike talks too much and bloviates occasionally. Goldstein
appears unafraid to bare every bit of the man, even if members
of Mike’s own family find it offensive that he’d condemn fellow
Jews for, in his point of view, exploiting the memory of the
Holocaust for political, cultural, or financial gain.
Mike argues for his right to be anti-religious without being
labeled an anti-semite. His father doesn’t answer for or against
what Mike is right to do. But Lou does share with the family a
tale of the horrors he and his army unit witnessed when they
arrived as liberators at the Dachau concentration camp. The
soldiers searched each wretched structure there and only found

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERSHEY FELDER PRESENTS

misery.
It’s a dark vision of hate and cruelty, molded by keen direc-
tion and Fancy’s fine performance into a stunning speech. Mike
shouts that he doesn’t believe in ghosts, but this is a play with the
power to raise a few.

WHILE THE FISCHER FAMILY argues about a distinction

between remembering the Holocaust and exploiting the mem-
ory of the Holocaust, Hershey Felder’s biographical drama
The Pianist of Willesden Lane ( ) eschews any such
cynicism.
Instead, Felder opts for pure sentimentality in telling the
story of young Jewish pianist Lisa Jura’s perseverance through
her darkest hours. Based on Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen’s
book about Jura, eulogized here as “the world’s most wonderful
mother,” The Pianist of Willesden Lane adopts music and memo-
ry as the formats for an old-fashioned tale of survival.
Golabek, a Grammy-nominated pianist, is the dramatic and
musical vehicle for her mother’s story in this D.C. premiere
production, directed by Felder. Golabek both portrays Jura
addressing her first-person chronicle to the audience, and plays
the compositions for piano that shaped Jura’s artistry and ambi-
tions. Born in Austria in 1924, Jura’s middle class childhood
was largely dedicated to her love of the piano and her dream
to one day perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor onstage
at Vienna’s Musikverein concert hall. But the Nazis and World
War II intervened.
Even before the war, when fascist oppression began to bear
down on the daily lives of Austrian and German Jews, Jura was
forced to give up her weekly piano lessons. It would be the first
of many deeply felt losses, yet, importantly, she held onto her
life. Separated from her parents and two sisters, Jura escaped
Austria via the Kindertransport before it was too late. She found
herself living in a hostel on London’s Willesden Lane, which
proved a safe haven until war struck London in the devastating
form of the Blitz.
Golubek relays the details of Jura’s tumultuous journey in
a refined storytelling style that maintains empathy but doesn’t
excite the imagination as does her piano playing. While clearly
admiring of her mother’s strength and determination, Golubek
doesn’t come close to inhabiting Jura as a distinct character. Nor
do the other figures in the story feel embodied onstage. Instead,
they are described and discussed with the delicate care of a
collector reciting the history of a roomful of beloved keepsakes.
The presentation, abetted by projected photos and docu-
ments, conveys empathy and soul, but evokes little of the horror
and ugliness present in the story. It’s when Golubek takes to the
keys, backed by pre-recorded orchestral tracks, that the story
and storytelling come alive. Golubek plays as her mother taught
her, as she was taught by her own mother, Malka, and here the
performance truly channels the power of heritage, hope, and
creativity that helped sustain Jura through what, at times, must
have seemed like the end of the world. l

Theater J’s The Pianist of Willesden Lane runs through September 30, at the Kennedy Center Family Theater.
Tickets are $44 to $74. Call 202-777-3210, or visit theaterj.org.

If I Forget runs through October 14, at the Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $90.
Call 202-332-3300, or visit StudioTheatre.org.

38 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

NightLife Photography by
Ward Morrison

September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 39

Scene Cobalt - Friday, September 14 - Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DrinksDragDJsEtc... and Select Appetizers FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR PITCHERS Saturday,

Thursday, NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
September 20 — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN of Beer all night • Sports
2319 18th St. NW Leagues Night
Doors open, 5pm-2am •
Happy Hour: $2 off every- NUMBER NINE
thing until 9pm • Video Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
Games • Live televised drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
sports
PITCHERS
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR 2317 18th St. NW
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Open 5pm-2am • Happy
Karaoke, 9pm Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
GREEN LANTERN • Foosball • Live televised
Happy Hour, 4-9pm sports • Full dining menu
• Shirtless Thursday, till 9pm • Special Late
10-11pm • Men in Night menu till 11pm •
Underwear Drink Free, Visit pitchersbardc.com
12-12:30am • DJs
BacK2bACk SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
• All You Can Eat Ribs, Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
5-10pm, $24.95 • $4 Karaoke, 9pm
Corona and Heineken all
night • Coco Social: Pasta GREEN LANTERN
Making Class, Second
Floor, 6:30pm
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3
Rail and Domestic • Free
Pizza, 7-9pm • $5 Svedka,
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS all flavors all night long •
All male, nude dancers • Rough House: Hands On,
Open Dancers Audition • Lights Off, 9pm-close •
Urban House Music by DJ Featuring DJ Lemz • $5
Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+ Cover (includes clothes
check)
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Friday, Open 3pm • Beat the
Clock Happy Hour — $2
September 21 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4
(7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer,
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN $15 • Weekend Kickoff
2319 18th St. NW Dance Party, with Nellie’s
Doors open, 5pm-3am • DJs spinning bubbly pop
Happy Hour: $2 off every- music all night
thing until 9pm • Video
Games • Live televised NUMBER NINE
sports Open 5pm • Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
• No Cover • Friday Night
Piano with Chris, 7:30pm
2317 18th St. NW
Open 5pm-3am • Happy
Hour: $2 off everything
until 9pm • Video Games
• Foosball • Live televised
sports • Full dining menu
till 9pm • Special Late
Night menu till 2am • Visit
pitchersbardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers •
Colonel Shaw’s Comedy
Show, Second Floor, 7pm
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm •
Guest dancers • Rotating
DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva
Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors
at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm
and 1:45am • DJ Don T. in
Ziegfeld’s • Cover 21+
September 22
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN
2319 18th St. NW
Doors open, 2pm-3am •
Video Games • Live tele-
vised sports
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Saturday Breakfast Buffet,
10am-3pm • $14.99 with
one glass of champagne
or coffee, soda or juice •
Additional champagne $2
per glass • World Tavern
Poker Tournament, 1-3pm
• Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Freddie’s Follies Drag
Show, hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm
• Karaoke, 10pm-close
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long • JOX: The
GL Underwear Party,
9pm-close • Featuring

40 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

DJs Chaim and C-Dubz •
$5 Cover (includes clothes
check)
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted
by Chanel Devereaux,
10:30am-12:30pm and
1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
• House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-3am • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • Guest DJs
NUMBER NINE
Doors open 2pm • Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5
Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close
• Jawbreaker: Music
of the ’90s and 2000s,
featuring DJs BacK2bACk,
9:30pm
PITCHERS
2317 18th St. NW
Open Noon-3am • Video
Games • Foosball • Live
televised sports • Full
dining menu till 9pm •
Special Late Night menu
till 2am • Visit pitchers-
bardc.com
SHAW’S TAVERN
Brunch with $15
Bottomless Mimosas,
10am-3pm • Homme
Brunch: One Year
Anniversary, Second Floor,
12pm • Happy Hour,
5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Blue Moon, $5 House
Wines, $5 Rail Drinks •
Half-Priced Pizzas and
Select Appetizers
September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 41
 TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
2-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm-4am
• Guest dancers • Ladies
of Illusion Drag Show
with host Ella Fitzgerald
• Doors at 9pm, Shows
at 11:30pm and 1:45am
• DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s
• DJ Steve Henderson in
Secrets • Cover 21+
42 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Sunday, 1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
September 23 • House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Beer and Mimosas, $4,
2319 18th St. NW 11am-1am • Buckets of
Doors open, 2pm-12am • Beer, $15 • Guest DJs
$4 Smirnoff and Domestic
Cans • Video Games • NUMBER NINE
Live televised sports Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on
any drink, 2-9pm • $5
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Absolut and $5 Bulleit
Champagne Brunch Buffet, Bourbon, 9pm-close • Pop
10am-3pm • $24.99 with Goes the World with Wes
four glasses of champagne Della Volla at 9:30pm •
or mimosas, 1 Bloody No Cover
Mary, or coffee, soda or
juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm PITCHERS
• Karaoke, 9pm-close 2317 18th St. NW
Open Noon-2am • $4
GREEN LANTERN Smirnoff, includes flavored,
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $4 Coors Light or $4 Miller
Karaoke with Kevin down- Lites, 2-9pm • Video
stairs, 9:30pm-close Games • Foosball • Live
televised sports • Full din-
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR ing menu till 9pm • Visit
Drag Brunch, hosted pitchersbardc.com
by Chanel Devereaux,
10:30am-12:30pm and
SHAW’S TAVERN
Brunch with Bottomless
Mimosas, 10am-3pm •
Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers
• Dinner-n-Drag, with
Miss Kristina Kelly, 8pm
• For reservations, email
shawsdinnerdragshow@
gmail.com
TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
2-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Monday,
September 24
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Singles Night • Half-Priced
Pasta Dishes • Poker Night
— 7pm and 9pm games •
Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm •
$3 rail cocktails and
domestic beers all night
long • Singing with the
Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke
Night with the Sisters
of Perpetual Indulgence,
9:30pm-close
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of
Beer, $15 • Half-Priced
Burgers • Paint Nite, 7pm
• PokerFace Poker, 8pm •
Dart Boards • Ping Pong
Madness, featuring 2 Ping-
Pong Tables
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers •
Shaw ’Nuff Trivia, with
Jeremy, 7:30pm
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 43
 Playlist
DJs

BacK2bACk

Youngblood
5 Seconds of Summer

God is a Woman
Ariana Grande

SOS/Gimme Gimme
Gimme
Cher

Tequila (R3HAB Remix)

Dan & Shay

Made For Now

Janet Jackson
ft. Daddy Yankee

Ring Ring
Jax Jones & Mabel
ft. Rich The Kid
Love Lies
Khalid & Normani
Almost Love
Sabrina Carpenter
Back to You
Selena Gomez
Side Effects
The Chainsmokers
ft. Emily Warren
DJs BacK2bACk currently
spin every Thursday at the
Green Lantern and play
their latest remix videos
at Number Nine every 2nd
and 4th Saturday of the
month. Follow them on
Twitter at @DJsBacK2bACk
and on Instagram at
back2backpro.
Tuesday, PITCHERS Wednesday, Heights, 9pm • Tickets
2317 18th St. NW available at nelliessports-
September 25 Open 5pm-12am • Happy September 26 bar.com
Hour: $2 off everything
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN A LEAGUE OF HER OWN NUMBER NINE
until 9pm • Video Games
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
2319 18th St. NW • Foosball • Live televised 2319 18th St. NW
Doors open, 5pm-12am • sports • Full dining menu Doors open, 5pm-12am • drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
Happy Hour: $2 off every- till 9pm • Special Late Happy Hour: $2 off every-
thing until 9pm • Video Night menu till 11pm • thing until 9pm • Video PITCHERS
Games • Live televised Visit pitchersbardc.com Games • Live televised 2317 18th St. NW
sports sports Doors open, 5pm-12am
SHAW’S TAVERN • Happy Hour: $2 off
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR everything until 9pm •
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6 Video Games • Foosball
Tuesday • Poker Night — $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Burgers • Beach Blanket • Live televised sports •
7pm and 9pm games • Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas Drag Bingo Night, hosted Full dining menu till 9pm
Karaoke, 9pm and Select Appetizers • by Ms. Regina Jozet • Special Late Night menu
Half-Priced Burgers and Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes till 11pm • Visit pitchers-
GREEN LANTERN Pizzas all night with $5 • Karaoke, 10pm-1am bardc.com
Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm House Wines and $5 Sam
• $3 rail cocktails and Adams GREEN LANTERN SHAW’S TAVERN
domestic beers all night Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm • Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
long TRADE Bear Yoga with Greg Leo, Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
Doors open 5pm • Huge 6:30-7:30pm • $10 per $5 House Wines, $5 Rail
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Happy Hour: Any drink class • $3 rail cocktails Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
Beat the Clock Happy Hour normally served in a cock- and domestic beers all and Select Appetizers •
Piano Bar and Karaoke
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), tail glass served in a huge night long
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of glass for the same price, with Jill, 8pm
Beer $15 • Drag Bingo 5-10pm • Beer and wine NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
with Sasha Adams and only $4 • SmartAss Trivia Night, TRADE
Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm • 8-10pm • Prizes include Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
Karaoke, 9pm-close bar tabs and tickets to
shows at the 9:30 Club • normally served in a cock-
NUMBER NINE $15 Buckets of Beer for tail glass served in a huge
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any SmartAss Teams only • glass for the same price,
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover Absolutely Snatched Drag 5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4 • Women’s Crush
Show, hosted by Brooklyn
Wednesday, 5-10pm l

44 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 LastWord.
People say the queerest things

“If you don’t put ‘No Asians’ in your profile,

that doesn’t mean you have to fuck Asians now.
It just means I don’t have to see it.”

— JOEL KIM BOOSTER, a contributor to Grindr’s Kindr project, discussing sexual racism in the gay community. Kindr is the gay
dating app’s new initiative to stamp out racism, body-shaming and other negative behaviors, and launched with a YouTube video
featuring Grindr users discussing racism they’ve experienced. “It is not racist to not be attracted to me personally,” Booster added.
“But for you to say, ‘I know what every Asian guy looks like and I know for a fact that I would not be attracted to any of them,’
that comes from a racist place.”

“I feel like
the business is much more embracing
of all types of people
than they were when I was coming up.
”
— Television producer and director RYAN MURPHY, speaking with Vulture after Monday’s Primetime Emmy Awards, where a num-
ber of LGBTQ productions and artists picked up awards — including Murphy for directing a limited series for American Crime
Story. “I always felt I was an outsider but if you look at tonight and you look at Versace and RuPaul and Drag Race and Queer Eye,
I feel like the business is much more embracing of all types of people than they were when I was coming up,” he said.
“So I was very moved.”

“[LGBTQ advocates demanded] lessons that outline in detail how kids can engage in
anal and oral sex, the sex practices
of homosexuals.”
— LINDA HARVEY, the anti-gay founder of Mission: America, in an anti-sex education and homophobic article for right-wing website
BarbWire, seemingly believing that oral sex is exclusively practiced by gay people. As one Facebook Comments user noted:
“How I pity her husband!”

“Transgender youth are more visible today

than ever before,
empowered by others they see on the internet or in their communities.
”
— ILANA SHERER, MD, executive committee member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Health and Wellness, in a statement announcing AAP’s new policy urging support for transgender and gender-di-
verse children and adolescents, including recommendations on healthcare practices and family support. “[Trans youth] need our
continued support and love,” Sherer added, “and those of us in the medical community stand prepared to help them.”

“I met some actors I really wanted to work with, and I just said,
‘Let’s do it. Let’s throw out the rulebook.’”
— Director WASH WESTMORELAND, speaking to Gay Star News about casting transgender actors in cisgender roles in his new film
Colette. “I talked to a lot of trans actors and all they wanted was for cisgender roles to be available to them,” he said, adding,
“I have people come up to me about our trans actors and ask: ‘Which one was he?’ And I say: ‘Bingo.’”

46 September 20, 2018 • METROWEEKLY