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IN THIS ISSUE
ON THE COVER
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
GEORGETOWN HOUSE TOUR
Saturday, April 18
Since 1931, St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3240 O St. NW, has organized and hosted the Georgetown House Tour to raise money for ministry and outreach. This year’s tour will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $70 in advance and $75 on the day of the tour. Visit georgetownhousetour.com.
GEORGETOWN FRENCH MARKET
Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, a French-style open-air market will extend along Wisconsin Avenue from O Street to Reservoir Road. Over 40 locally owned boutiques, galleries and cafés will hold sidewalk sales and offer specials. Also: live music, face painting and book sales by Carpe Librum and the Friends of the Georgetown Library. Visit georgetownfrenchmarketdc.com.
COMMUNITY RECYCLING EVENT
Saturday, April 25
The NTB Group invites area residents wishing to discard and recycle paint cans, TVs, computers, DVDs and similar items to bring them to Rose Park at 26th and P Streets (near the baseball field) between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
GOVINDA GALLERY LIVE
Tuesday, April 28
As part of the Govinda Gallery Live series, gallery director Chris Murray will present a photo-by-photo journey through the book “Rolling Stones 50x20,” published in honor of the Stones’ 50th anniversary, at 1310 Kitchen & Bar, 1310 Wisconsin Ave. NW, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets, including a family-style dinner, are $76.54 on Eventbrite. Visit govindagallery.com.
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INTERNS
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On the cover: (L to R) Malcolm Dilley and Azali Kassum, co-chairs of the Georgetown House Tour and Laura Will and Amy Kuhnert, co-chairs of the Georgetown Garden Tour. Photo by Andy Cline. Photographed at historic Tudor Place.
WHAT’S ONLINE GEORGETOWNER.COM
MAIN STREET CHEERS JENN CROVATO AND AWARDS 8 GRANTS BY ROBERT
DEVANEY
Georgetown Main Street’s annual “State of the Street” meeting on March 31 at Fathom Gallery buzzed with energy as business owners and community supporters gathered to celebrate the momentum of Georgetown’s commercial district.
ARTEMIS ADDRESSES THE MOON MISSION—AND HUMANITY BY
ROBERT DEVANEY
A press release from Mount Olympus was received April 1. The following is an official statement on the NASA moon mission by the goddess Artemis.
CITY WILDLIFE SAVES D.C.’S URBAN ANIMALS BY MIA PECH
Washington, D.C. may be known for its monuments and busy streets, but it’s also home to an incredible variety of wildlife.
THOUSANDS RALLY IN D.C. FOR ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST MOVEMENT BY THE GEORGETOWNER
Thousands gathered downtown on Saturday for the “No Kings” rally, joining a wave of demonstrations across the country.
SO LONG, SAKS: LUXURY CHAIN LEAVING FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS BY MIA PECH
The Saks Fifth Avenue store in the Friendship Heights section of Chevy Chase will close, including the Tysons Galleria location. Closing dates have not been announced.
GEORGETOWNERS CHEER BROOKE PINTO AT CITY TAVERN FUNDRAISER BY ROBERT DEVANEY
Prominent Georgetowners gathered at the historic City Tavern to raise money for Democratic candidate Brooke Pinto who is running for D.C. delegate to Congress.
Ritz-Carlton Residences Georgetown 3150 South St NW, Apt 1A | 3 BD | 3.55 BA | $4,000,000
The light-filled, open layout is designed for entertaining, features a dramatic custom bar and private terraces. The primary suite offers a spa-like bath, private sauna, and custom closets. Residents enjoy 24-hour concierge and security, valet parking, and convenient access to the Georgetown waterfront, parks, dining, and shopping.
ANC Report
BY THE GEORGETOWNER
The Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E held its “April” meeting on Monday, March 30.
METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATE
The meeting began with an update from MPD, which reported that the neighborhood had two robberies, no burglaries and 11 thefts from automobiles in the last month. There were also 27 theft-related incidents unconnected with motor vehicles.
Of the two robberies, one was an attempted carjacking of a scooter. Lexuses have been stolen more often than other automobiles, due to a weakness in the brand’s security system in certain model years. The issue is being investigated.
Thefts are down 18 percent from last year at this time.
ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES
Student Commissioner Knox Graham is going abroad in the fall. He stepped down a few weeks ago and his seat is vacant. Nominating petitions will be available, and prospective candidates are welcome to step forward and get them signed. If only one individual does so and gets sufficient signatures, he or she will become a commissioner.
Since Graham was secretary, a new one was
needed. Commissioner Paul Maysak volunteered and was appointed.
UPDATE FROM THE MAYOR’S OFFICE
Mayor Muriel Bowser was to release her fiscal 2027 budget at the beginning of April. A representative from her administration will attend the May ANC meeting to present the budget and answer questions.
Sunday, April 19, will be the 21st annual D.C. Emancipation Day celebration at Franklin Park. The Ward 2 spring community cleanup will be on Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. at Garrison Elementary School. The mayor’s office is seeking volunteers.
BUDGET CHAT
There have been changes to the upcoming budget regarding child care. Child care programs, specifically day care subsidies, are on the verge of being reduced or cut. It was stressed how important the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP) is for Ward 2 residents.
Jamika Williams, Ward 2 liaison for the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services, said she would speak to leadership the next day about these concerns.
UPDATE FROM BROOKE PINTO’S OFFICE
It is going to be a difficult budget season, with
cuts across the board. With 22,000 federal jobs cut in D.C., commercial property tax revenue is expected to be at or below inflation for the foreseeable future. The Iran conflict is also putting pressure on the District economy.
The Council will hold agency budget hearings throughout April. Council member Pinto is planning on holding hearings on April 9, 22 and 29.
The Council will be voting on a measure to make it illegal to run onto the court or the ice during sporting events at Capital One Arena, as there was recently an incident at a Washington Wizards game. Currently, it is illegal to do so at Nationals Park and Audi Field.
There will also be a vote to extend the MPD chief’s ability to declare youth curfew zones, as the current authority is temporary, expiring April 15, when spring break begins for D.C. public schools. Pinto believes the curfew is a preventative tool that helps teens avoid being arrested.
AIRBNB PROPOSAL
Commissioner Gwen Lohse brought up the mayor’s Airbnb proposal. She hopes that, if it gets scheduled for review by the Council, the Council will ask for ANC input.
“We are a small area with housing problems and a lot of visitors,” Lohse said. “The proposal could drastically impact the area, including the many hotels we’ve recently opened that help employ people and bring in taxes.”
Concerns included individuals buying
up multiple properties and turning them into Airbnbs, shrinking the available housing stock and impacting the community by reducing the numbers of park volunteers, students, etc.
The current proposal as written would allow an individual who is not in the home but somewhere in the city to rent out the home every weekend of the year except two.
PRESENTATION ON A PROPOSED MURAL
The Department of Public Works and Georgetown Heritage, along with the mayor’s office, the Embassy of Spain and Grace Episcopal Church, introduced a project celebrating America’s 250th.
A temporary mural providing historical context about Spain’s influence on and participation in U.S. independence would be mounted on a retaining wall at Grace Episcopal Church, 1014 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Funded by the Embassy of Spain, the mural would most likely be up for one to two years.
M STREET CORRIDOR SAFETY PROJECT
Nicole Hentrup, project manager, spoke about the M Street Corridor Safety Project, currently in the concept planning and community engagement phase. The project’s focus is from Thomas Circle to 28th Street NW, a high pedestrian activity corridor. There are gaps in the protected bike lane that
currently exists. There was discussion about safety issues, including how to bike across Georgetown safely. More information should be available in the coming months.
ILLEGAL CANNABIS SHOPS
A few years ago, there were a lot of illegal, unlicensed pot shops in Georgetown (an issue The Georgetowner covered). The ANC worked on a strategy to try and encourage legal shops to come forward and obtain licenses. The effort was successful and there are currently around five legally licensed and regulated shops in Georgetown.
D.C. HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE UPDATE
Kim Williams, from D.C.’s historic preservation office, sought support for a nomination for historic landmark designation submitted for 3340 P St. NW. The nomination is to honor Doris Fleeson, a pioneering female journalist who lived at the home for 14 years. The homeowner supports the nomination.
CAG Spring Update
Spring is a busy time of year as residents recover from the winter and social calendars fill up with gatherings that bring residents together. The beauty of this season reminds us of why we chose to make Georgetown our home.
At the Citizens Association of Georgetown, we work to protect and enhance the vibrancy of our special village. This is why CAG has entered this year with strong momentum and a clear focus to strengthen connections, elevate community voices and advocate on local issues that impact our daily life.
CAG will continue working closely with the city on priorities that matter most to residents. On the policy front, CAG will stay actively engaged in major planning and infrastructure conversations — from bike lane proposals to the ongoing challenge of parking.
CAG will also be discussing new ideas, including resident-focused parking solutions that have proven effective in other parts of the city.
CAG advocated for a permit review cycle for streateries rather than “forever” permits — an important step toward creating more consistency and accountability to ensure that outdoor dining respects the historic character of Georgetown.
Ensuring the community has a voice in these discussions, particularly through ANC 2E meetings and other forums, will remain a top priority.
To provide more opportunities for the collective resident voice to be heard with city and community leaders, we have expanded our engagement to include Community Dialogues
MAY, WE CELEBRATE 2 YEARS ON PROSPECT STREET!
WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU + WE’RE SO GRATEFUL TO BE PART OF THIS INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY.
JOIN US MAY 4TH - 8TH AS WE THANK OUR NEIGHBORS + CELEBRATE TOGETHER. SHOW YOUR 20007 ZIP CODE TO ENJOY A COMPLIMENTARY INFRARED SAUNA SESSION!
Scheele’s Market on the Chopping Block
BY FRANCIS RIENZO
Scheele’s Market, a longtime neighborhood landmark in Georgetown, is set to close. The contract for the 130-year-old grocery store at 1331 29th St. NW ends in November, with owner Daniel Hong being asked to vacate the space when the store’s lease expires this coming July.
Georgetowner John Lindsay is spearheading a campaign to save Scheele’s. His website, savescheelesmarket.com, urges residents to sign an online form, showing their support for the effort to find a buyer who will keep Scheele’s operating. “Georgetown is worth preserving, and Scheele’s Market is worth saving,” reads the site (in bold).
The market has been a community hub for many years. “We encourage and support the continuation of this tradition across our community,” said Tam Bayoumi, vice president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown. Bringing to light the benefits of a local anchor such as Scheele’s, he explained: “These small establishments encourage walkability, reducing the need to drive to pick up a quart of milk.”
Proprietor Daniel Hong was a 2024 Georgetowner of the Year for his optimism and work ethic. Losing the market could disrupt a community with a strong attachment to both Hong and Scheele’s.
to cover key topics like elections, zoning and neighborhood priorities, bringing in expert perspectives and fostering thoughtful, productive conversations about Georgetown’s future. Speaking of events, CAG has a full calendar planned for the year. Highlights include our annual meeting on May 13, a Concert in the Park on May 17 and the annual fundraiser on Sept. 17. In addition, CAG hosts the popular monthly Bar Take Over series, which offers a welcoming way for neighbors to connect with and support local businesses.
To celebrate Georgetown’s 275th anniversary alongside America’s 250th, CAG is partnering with Georgetown University and Georgetown Heritage to offer a series of community-focused events. On June 28, from 1 to 4 p.m., CAG will present “Georgetown: Get Involved” on the Georgetown waterfront, an opportunity to meet local nonprofits focused on civic engagement. Georgetown University will offer a lecture on civic engagement on May 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Georgetown Heritage will lead guided walking tours throughout the season. For a full list of our events, and the neighborhood community calendar, visit our website at cagtown.org/events.
When you visit our new website, you will have the opportunity to sign up on our new community platform Hivebrite. This platform is free and open to all Georgetown residents. At the heart of all our work is making Georgetown more connected, informed and engaged. Together we can preserve the past while shaping the future.
Amy Titus is the president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown.
Multiple generations of Lyndon Abell’s family have shopped there. “It is so sad to me to contemplate no longer having Scheele’s as part of our neighborhood,” Abell said.
It is unknown what will replace Scheele’s if it closes. Lindsay’s campaign notes “the commercial creep that’s already diluting M Street and threatening peaceful blocks with inappropriate development.”
“If it is replaced with another business, I would hope it would be one that could be a part of the community in a positive way,” said Abell. In the May Georgetowner there will be community comments on Sheele’s. Send your comments to sonya@georgetowner.com
Daniel Hong of Scheele’s Market. Georgetowner photo.
A photo of a Georgetown property currently on Airbnb. A proposal regarding Airbnbs was discussed at the meeting. Photo courtesy Airbnb.
Resident-Only Parking: Proposals, Discussions Begin
BY SONYA BERNHARDT AND ROBERT DEVANEY
While the Advisory Neighborhood Commission is charging ahead, other Georgetown civic groups are chiming in with their own evaluations of Georgetown’s perennial issue: parking your car on your own block.
The solution? Designate one side of the street for cars with Zone 2 stickers only, all the time, as do most other congested D.C. neighborhoods.
But it isn’t that simple. The commercial district is popular and parking in Georgetown is limited and expensive, especially for hourlywage workers at area businesses. On the other hand, residents fear they won’t be able to find a spot when they return from a grocery run.
THE RESIDENTS’ POINT OF VIEW
At its March meeting, Chair Topher Mathews reports: “ANC2E adopted a resolution stating our intention to pursue a request to the city to evaluate and implement resident only parking (ROP) in Georgetown. As we discussed at the meeting and in the resolution, the process as described to us by the Department of Transportation is this:
• The ANC will generate a map of blocks within the ANC that we would like
DDOT to consider for ROP.
• We will submit this map informally to the DDOT staff for pre-review.
• This pre-review is designed to make sure that the blocks we are requesting are feasible for the study and implementation.
• This process may require the exchanging of a few drafts until we reach a suitable map.
• At that point, the ANC will consider the adoption of a formal resolution requesting that DDOT study and implement ROP on the blocks of that map.
Following that resolution, it will be in DDOT’s hands. The regulations state that they need to conduct a study of the blocks under consideration. The staff must observe that the blocks are 85 percent full with at least 50 percent of the cars not having Zone 2 parking permits. As mentioned in the March ANC meeting, this may require some amount of pressure from the ANC to make sure these observations are done during appropriate hours, not, say, 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning.”
“Residents are very frustrated with the parking situation,” said Citizens Association of Georgetown President Amy Titus. “Many of the
license plates are from other locations, from as far away as Texas. I can say the residents really want a solution.” About resident-only parking, she commented: “I’m not saying that we’re 100-percent fighting for it. I want to say that we’re very interested in really understanding it and seeing if it’s a solution or not a solution. But I think at the end of the day, we all say if there were enforcement, all these problems would go away.”
THE BUSINESSES’ POINT OF VIEW
“We are anxious about resident-only parking,” said Georgetown Main Street Executive Director Rachel Shank. “We’re working with the Advisory Neighborhood Commission and look forward to conversations with DDOT about alternate solutions, such as metered parking throughout Georgetown — and, hopefully, an opportunity to engage with the parking garages to identify alternative parking solutions for employees in particular.
My number-one concern is where our small business employees will be able to park, because right now, parking garages are not an accessible option for hourly workers. The enforcement from the city is causing this friction between the business community and
the neighbors. And we could avoid this largely, if the city would enforce more strictly.”
In a statement, Georgetown Business Improvement District CEO Deborah Kerson Bilek said: “We acknowledge that the frustration around parking in Georgetown is real. However, resident-only parking will only exacerbate the problem by limiting access for employees, customers and service providers without addressing the underlying issues of under-enforcement and limited capacity. Georgetown welcomes over 13 million visitors annually and depends on flexible curb access to sustain its businesses and neighborhood vitality. This is a complicated and multifaceted issue, and the Georgetown BID is eager to collaborate with residents, businesses, ANC and DDOT to craft a comprehensive parking management strategy that offers a more effective solution for everyone.”
This is the first article in a series. Send your comments to sonya@georgetown.com
Community Leader Jonda McFarlane, 1939-2026
BY GRACE BATEMAN
Jonda Riley McFarlane died on March 29 at her home in the Watergate apartment complex after a short illness. She was 87 years old.
A longtime Georgetown resident, Jonda played a major role in establishing Francis Scott Key Park and Georgetown Waterfront Park. Both are now part of the National Park Service system. She also served two terms on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, one of them as chair, and helped pave the way for the first Georgetown University students to serve on the ANC.
She and her husband, Robert C. “Bud” McFarlane, a national security advisor to President Ronald Reagan, lived in Georgetown for more than 25 years before moving to the Watergate in 2014. They met in a church youth group when they were in high school, Jonda at Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Bud at Woodrow Wilson.
Jonda went on to Pennsylvania State University, earning a degree in English, and Bud went to the U.S. Naval Academy, joining the Marines upon graduation. The high school sweethearts married shortly
after college; their marriage lasted 62 years, until Bud’s death in 2022. Accompanying Bud on tours of duty, Jonda and the children lived in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1965, and in Okinawa, Japan, in 1978. Returning to the U.S., she taught English at her high school alma mater, Bethesda-Chevy Chase.
As empty nesters, Jonda and Bud moved to a townhouse on Prospect Street in 1988 and became parishioners at Georgetown Presbyterian Church, where Jonda volunteered to support various outreach ministries.
Soon after she arrived in Georgetown, Jonda and a small group of residents established the Francis Scott Key Park Foundation with the goal of creating a memorial near the site of Key’s house, demolished in 1948 to make way for a highway ramp. Under her leadership as president, the foundation raised the $1.5 million needed to construct the park at 34th and M Streets and install a bronze bust of Key there. The park officially opened on Sept. 14, 1993, the 179th anniversary of the date Key wrote “The Star-Spangled
Banner.” Sen. John McCain, a family friend, gave the dedication address.
In addition to serving on the ANC during the late 1990s, Jonda served on the Georgetown Waterfront Park Commission, a community organization working to transform the asphalt-covered Georgetown waterfront into a public park. She was one of the founders of the successor organization, Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park, which helped design the park and raise the $23 million needed for its construction. The park opened in 2010. Jonda remained on the board of the Friends until her death. In recognition of her community service, she was selected as a “Georgetowner of the Year” in 1995 by The Georgetowner.
We will long remember Jonda McFarlane for her warm “can do” spirit, and for making Georgetown a better and more beautiful place than it was when she arrived here. It was an honor to have known her. She is survived by three children, eight grandchildren and a large extended family. Services will be in early summer at Georgetown Presbyterian Church.
SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH•10:00AM 2:00PM ROSE PARK (at 26th and P ST -near the baseball field)
nancy.taylorbubes@wfp.com
Jonda Riley McFarlane
Turn, Turn, Turn
Don’t be alarmed, but while you were sleeping, half a million birds flew over the District of Columbia. A more exact estimate, and related stats, can be found on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s BirdCast Migration Dashboard at birdcast.org.
Between The Georgetowner’s March issue and this one, several of spring’s signature events have come and gone: the National Cherry Blossom Festival, April Fools’ Day, Passover and both Easters. Still ahead are three neighborhood favorites: the Georgetown House Tour (April 18), the Georgetown French Market (April 24 to 26) and the Georgetown Garden Tour (May 9).
But another sign of the season manifests more than a thousand feet above our pedestrian lives: bird migration. From mid-February to mid-June, the northbound Atlantic flyway is a nocturnal mob scene.
It’s a transformative season for birds. PerkyPet, maker of the Squirrel-Be-Gone Squirrel Resistant Metal Wild Bird Feeder, enumerates “8 Ways Birds Change in Spring.” Not unlike some of us, they change their appearance, find their voices, break up flocks, start dating, change their diets, grow more aggressive, grow more secretive and become architects.
According to DC Bird Alliance (formerly DC Audubon Society, but that’s another story), the District “is located at the juncture of the piedmont and the coastal plain and at the confluence of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. Our location and beautiful parks make DC a great city for bird watching.”
On Sunday, April 26, from 8 to 10 a.m., the Alliance will lead a free bird walk in
Dumbarton Oaks Park. Other upcoming walks will take place in Rock Creek Park, at the National Arboretum and at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (details on Eventbrite).
The date of the Georgetown Garden Tour is also World Migratory Bird Day. D.C.’s official bird, the wood thrush, didn’t make this year’s list of seven ambassador species: the cinnamon teal, the merlin, the ruby-throated hummingbird, the barn swallow, the American oystercatcher, the spoon-billed sandpiper and Adbim’s stork.
The latter, Ciconia abdimii, is named for stork observer Bey El-Arnaut Abdim, early 19th-century Turkish governor of Wadi Halfa in Sudan.
On Saturday, May 9, before or after you go on the Garden Tour, why not celebrate World Migratory Bird Day by visiting the Smithsonian’s National Zoo? From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the zoo is offering guided birding walks, keeper demos, interactive learning stations, bird-themed children’s programming and “Bird Friendly coffee tastings.”
With the natural world in mind, plan to take part in Earth Day (officially Wednesday, April 22) and Earth Month events. The Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition is hosting an Alternative Vehicle Display & Green Expo on the National Mall on Saturday, April 18. At the Hirshhorn Museum, the 21st Century Consort will perform a concert titled “Wilderness Dreams” that Saturday evening and the following Sunday afternoon. In addition, the District’s 10th annual Spring Cleanup is set for Saturday, April 25, and the National Museum of the American Indian will present its Living Earth Festival on April 25 and 26.
To everything there is a season.
AI: Where Are We Going?
We’re racing towards Arti8icial General Intelligence and most Americans barely know what that means. We see headlines and warnings, but even the researchers who are building these tools barely understand them. They refer to them as a black box: a question goes in the box and an answer comes out. But how exactly that answer is achieved is becoming increasingly unclear. As the CEO of Anthropic recently said: “We don’t know if the models are conscious.”
It’s important that we start to wrap our heads around this technology, because, right now, a few small companies are dictating our future without our say in it. They weren’t democratically elected and our current government was propped up by Silicon Valley in the last election to reduce regulations on this technology.
That uncertainty wouldn’t be as concerning if the stakes were low. But they aren’t. What gives them the right to decide our future — especially when they don’t even fully understand the systems they’re building?
Let’s get some definitions out of the way.
Large Language Model (LLM) refers to a type of AI that learns from large amounts of text to recognize patterns and generate human-like language.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is AI that can understand, learn and perform any task a human can, including most forms of work.
The Large Language Model era began on Nov. 30, 2022, when OpenAI launched ChatGPT as a research preview. They thought it was going to be a small niche demo for researchers and developers. It turned into one of the fastest-growing consumer products of all time, with one million users in five days.
Today, according to Brookings, 28 percent of Americans use these tools at least once a week. Among teenagers, according to Pew, that usage is even higher, with 28 percent using AI chatbots daily.
If the technology didn’t progress any further, these tools would continue to have a profound impact on our lives and work. But the technology is progressing and we’re now
Send Your Feedback, Questions or Concerns, Tips and Suggestions to submissions@georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833.
Black Georgetown Foundation Marks 164 Years of D.C. Emancipation
BY LISA FAGER
On Saturday, April 11, the Black Georgetown Foundation hosted DC Emancipation Day: Learning and Service Day at the Mt. Zion–Female Union Band Society Cemeteries in Georgetown, marking the 164th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the nation’s capital.
The program opened at 10 a.m. with a libation ceremony led by Nana Malaya Rucker, grounding the day in ancestral remembrance.
At its center was a live performance of a sermon delivered in Georgetown on April 13, 1862 — just days before President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Emancipation Act.
“Welcome to the Ransomed; or, Duties of the Colored Inhabitants of the District of Columbia” was preached by Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church, two blocks from the cemeteries, and published in 1862 at the congregation’s request. It survives as a rare primary source documenting the moment emancipation unfolded in the nation’s capital.
The morning after delivering the sermon, Bishop Payne became the first Black person to visit President Lincoln at the White House, where he asked the president directly whether he intended to sign the D.C. Emancipation Act. Lincoln signed it two days later, freeing more
than 3,100 enslaved persons in Washington, D.C. At this year’s event, D.C.-based stage and screen actor JaBen Early — whose work spans Arena Stage, Folger Theatre and the film “Harriet” — performed excerpts from Payne’s 1862 text in the cemetery setting where that history unfolded. Violinist Justin Silvey accompanied the simultaneous reading of the names of all 3,100plus individuals freed under the Act.
Following the ceremony, participants took part in a volunteer service component led by Patrick Tisdale: cleaning headstones, removing invasive weeds and caring for the historic grounds.
“The people buried here were living through that moment,” said Executive Director Lisa Fager. “This program allows us to hear what was said just days before freedom became law — and to stand in the place where that history happened.”
The Mt. Zion–Female Union Band Society Cemeteries, dating to 1808 and 1842, are the oldest remaining intact Black cemeteries in Washington, D.C. The individuals buried in the cemeteries include free Black Washingtonians, those born into slavery and those who lived to see emancipation. The site preserves the history of Georgetown’s Black community and serves as a place of remembrance, research and public education.
approaching the era of AGI.
Some argue we’ve already crossed the “event horizon” — a point of no return, like the boundary of a black hole where escape becomes impossible. But nothing is ever so clearly defined, especially today.
The truth is that we have some powerful tools that are really good at some knowledge work. They aren’t perfect and they don’t know us nearly as well as they pretend to. But the companies selling this technology act like they are ushering in gods of their own creation.
The problem is the same one that Dr. Frankenstein faced, uttering in disbelief: “I never considered what would come after creation.” We’re blindly subscribing to a narrative dictated by the companies that stand to benefit most.
We still have an opportunity to reshape this story. The future isn’t written in stone. Though it may sound like a cliché, it’s important that we start to take ownership of the future we want to create.
That doesn’t mean that we need to discard
form, AI can be a really amazing tool, but we need to understand that it isn’t a replacement for human intelligence. Use it as a tool to augment and expand your thinking, to test ideas, break them and rebuild them. Then maybe there’s a chance that we can empower people to become agents of their own future, not passive participants in someone else’s.
An opportunity to learn more is coming up in D.C. The Walter E. Washington Convention Center is hosting the AI+ Expo 2026 on May 7 to 9. Information is available at expo.scsp.ai.
BILL NYE
BOW TIES, SPACE FIGHTS & SAVING SCIENCE
BY KATE OCZYPOK
Georgetowner Bill Nye likes to remind people that the U.S. Constitution, specifically Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8, empowers Congress “To promote the Progress of Science.”
Best known for hosting the ’90s children’s show “Bill Nye, the Science Guy” on PBS and Disney, Nye — science advocate, author, actor and comedian — doesn’t want everyone to become a scientist. But he stressed the importance of appreciating it.
Nye is the chief ambassador of the Planetary Society, serving as the public face of the world’s largest nonprofit space organization.
“The Planetary Society is 42,000 people around the world who have an enthusiasm for a scientific exploration of space,” Nye told The Georgetowner. “For example, somebody in the administration had this great idea to cut NASA funding by a fifth and NASA science funding by almost half.”
The decision was reversed after the Planetary Society led a letter-writing campaign by 20 science organizations. According to Nye, someone at the Office of Management and Budget is trying to cut NASA funding again. “We’ll push back again,” he said.
When he spoke to The Georgetowner in February, Nye mentioned that the Artemis II
moonshot was on hold for repairs. “You can only go to the moon from Earth in desirable fashion for a few days each month, so [the mission] will be put off another almost two months,” he said. Note: The four-astronaut mission splashed down safely last Friday.
Nye called the 1968 Apollo 8 moon mission a “Hail Mary” pass, referencing the current science-fiction film “Project Hail Mary.”
“Politically, the U.S. has got to put people back on the moon. It’s been 60 years,” he said emphatically. “For crying out loud, get this done!”
He had high praise for NASA Administrator Jared “Rook” Isaacman, who was sworn in on Dec. 15. Nye called him “the right guy,” and said that the hardest part of the job is to deal with Congress.
With April being Earth Month, Nye talked about the importance of getting people in the habit of mind to recycle. He hopes that D.C.’s current Food Waste Collection program expands. Seattle, where Nye lived for nearly 30 years, has a very successful composting program, as does Los Angeles, where he spent over 20 years.
Nye recalled canoeing on the Potomac River near the Potomac Electric Power Company as a Boy Scout and seeing the banks of the Potomac
replete with dead fish.
“The effluent from the power plant was so hot, it just killed fish,” he said.
When Nationals Park was built, it was done so as not to contaminate the Potomac River or the Anacostia River, a move Nye called “progress through regulation.”
“Everybody’s running around with the perception that all regulation of any kind is bad,” he said. “I disagree with that as much as you can disagree with anything.”
A native Washingtonian, Nye is celebrating his fourth anniversary as a Georgetown resident. He loves the accessibility of the neighborhood and how easy it is to walk around and go to stores, dinner, the post office and the gym, all without getting in your car.
“When I was in high school [at Sidwell Friends], Georgetown, especially east of Wisconsin Avenue, was a little sketch,” he said. “It was run-down. And now to see it coming back in such gentrified, cool fashion is very nice.”
Before attending Sidwell, which he tries to get back to about once per year, Nye attended Lafayette Elementary School and Alice Deal Middle School.
Touching on the 250th birthday of the U.S., the 275th birthday of Georgetown and his hopes
for the future, Nye paraphrased a friend of his, Wally Hoosier (who has since died), who would put the difficult decades of the 1960s and the 2000s in perspective.
“Those were bad, but he pointed out things were really bad in 1865,” Nye said. “So, if we can get through that, we can get through this. But, boy, is it a troubling time. Georgetown will be part of it, a nexus and another center for opinions about how the U.S. should conduct itself in the future.”
Of course, we couldn’t let Nye go without asking him about his bow tie collection. There was nothing better for millennials than when teachers would roll the old televisions on a cart into the classroom and “Bill Nye, the Science Guy” would appear on screen, bright bow tie and all.
His impressive collection numbers over 500, on racks that slide out and are on display.
“They’re part of the décor of the bedroom,” Nye said. “It’s not for everybody, but my wife is quite supportive.”
His ties are arranged by color and occasion, meaning which ones you’d wear with a tux, which ones you’d wear with jeans and so on. Also, when doing science experiments, they’re easier than dealing with traditional ties, which tend to get in the way in a lab.
INS & OUTS
BY ROBERT DEVANEY
Georgetown’s retail and restaurant ascendance continues. The well-known PopUp Bagels opened to long lines last week. A Meta store and a Me & Em clothing store have set their sights on Georgetown. Sad to report: Longtime favorites Everard’s Clothing, Random Harvest and Calligaris are closing. Happy anniversary, Liz Baker and Pure Sweat!
IN: POPUP BAGELS
Connecticut-based bagel-and-schmear shop PopUp Bagels opened on April 10 at 1078 Wisconsin Ave. NW, formerly the space for Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls and, before that, Paul Bakery. “Best Bagel” at Brooklyn Bagelfest two years in a row, PopUp Bagels also offers specialty cream cheeses with its “no frills, perfect” creations. On opening day, the fresh bagels got rave notices; the line snaked around the corner down to Clyde’s.
IN: OX & OLIVE IN EARLY MAY
Chef Ryan Ratino and his Hive Hospitality will open Ox & Olive at 3201 Cherry Hill Lane NW, formerly the home of Johnny Spero’s Reverie, in early May. We’re told: “The intimate, 50-seat restaurant will blend timeless steakhouse traditions with Ratino’s signature refined yet playful approach. Tucked into a hidden alleyway space in Georgetown, Ox & Olive reflects both a return to the chef’s Midwestern roots and an exciting new chapter for one of the region’s most dynamic culinary voices.”
IN: HYOU FINE JEWELRY
Based in Mumbai, India, and founded by Aakrosh Sharma and Kinnari Shah in 2023, Hyou Fine Jewelry at 3251 M St. NW is a direct-to-consumer brand that specializes in rings, hoops, studs and necklaces designed for self-expression — and building confidence. Hyou tells us: “We’ve chosen lab-grown diamonds as the stars of our jewelry … because they resonate with our unwavering commitment to sustainability.”
IN: PROVENANCE BOURBON
1787 Provenance Bourbon has a home at 1048 Wisconsin Ave. NW along the C&O Canal. The building and premium blended whiskey brand are owned by Viyas Sundaram of the Middleburg Barrel Company. The free-standing retail property was formerly a Patagonia store. Sundaram will occupy part of the space, which offering the rest as experiential retail.
IN: BOUTIQUE LUV, ROSE
A coastal-style boutique from Newport, Rhode Island, is now open in a former hemp shop at 1432 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Happy to pull off the previous occupant’s logo from the window, the business owners wrote on social media: “We couldn’t be more excited to announce that we are expanding! Luv, Rose is coming to Georgetown this April! This has been a hard secret to keep with you all! We love you already, Georgetown!”
COMING: POP MART
Pop Mart, a Beijing-based toy company, is heading to 3221 M St. NW, the former spot of Barbour, which is moving around the corner to Wisconsin Avenue. Think Hello Kitty and beyond: designer toys like Labubu, Harry Potter and the Powerpuff Girls.
COMING: SKILLETTE TO PROSPECT ST.
Skillette, a popular cooking school popup at Union Market, is headed to larger digs in Georgetown in the fall, according to the
Washington Business Journal. Reports WBJ: “D.C. entrepreneur Kelly Singer has inked a deal to relocate the 2-year-old business, which seeks to empower home chefs to gain more confidence in their own kitchens, from just 400 square feet in Northeast D.C. to a 1,525-squarefoot space at 3246 Prospect St. NW.
“Singer expects to expand her offerings from between six and eight classes a month to between 20 and 25 classes spread out over two floors,” continued the Journal. “She’ll be adding new features, expected to cost about $750,000 to design and build out, including an atelier and gathering room for shared meals and experiences. Singer anticipates closing the smaller Union Market location at some point after the Georgetown location opens this fall.”
COMING? META STORE
Facebook’s parent company is scouting sites in Washington, D.C., for a new retail store like the one Meta is planning next to Manhattan’s St. Regis hotel, according to the Washington Business Journal.
Meta Platforms Inc. “has homed in on Georgetown, where it’s seeking between 3,000 square feet and 5,000 square feet, according to one source familiar with the search. Meta has retained a team from CBRE Group, Inc., per three sources familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity.”
Georgetown already has an Apple Store and a Google Store.
COMING? ME & EM STORE
London-based Me & Em, a direct-toconsumer producer of luxury clothing and accessories for women, is considering opening a store in Georgetown, according to various sources. Its fashionable items are favored by the likes of Kate Middleton and Victoria Starmer. Founded by Claire Hornby and Emma Howarth in 2007, Me & Em has locations across the U.K. and the U.S.
MOVED: COMPASS TO FOUNDRY BUILDING
The Georgetown offices of Compass Real Estate departed Hamilton Court on 31st
London-based Me & Em, producer of luxury clothing and accessories for women and co-founded by Claire Hornby (pictured above) is considering opening a store in Georgetown.
D.C. entrepreneur Kelly Singer has inked a deal to relocate Skillette to Georgetown.
Chef Ryan Ratino and his Hive Hospitality will open Ox & Olive at 3201 Cherry Hill Lane NW.
Street and moved to the Foundry Building on Thomas Jefferson Street, facing the C&O Canal. Michael Brennan of Compass wrote on social media: “We moved! … just one block, but a whole new vibe.”
OUT: EVERARD’S CLOSING TOMORROW
Everard’s Clothing at 1802 Wisconsin Ave. NW will close on April 16. Owners Louis Everard and wife Jennifer Nygard are shutting the doors “after 27 wonderful years.”
OUT: RANDOM HARVEST CLOSING ON MAY 2
Random Harvest Home Furnishings, the standout store at 1313-15 Wisconsin Ave. NW with displays of handpicked furniture and accessories, will close on May 2 after 40 years — but, until then, everything is 40-percent off. Owner Beth Aberg spoke of her decision to shut down the business: “It’s a combination of high rents, costs and tariffs and old age. All things in their time.”
Italian furniture is holding a sale.
HAPPY 2ND ANNIVERSARY: PURE SWEAT + FLOAT STUDIOS
Pure Sweat + Float Studios opened at 3345 Prospect St. NW, next to Down Dog Yoga, two years ago on May 13. The studio provides clients with Epsom salt float therapy and Sunlighten infrared sauna treatments, in addition to selling a variety of wellness retail products.
“It’s an honor to be able to facilitate a space for the general population to come in and heal,” said Pure Sweat owner Elizabeth “Liz” Baker.
Located in the heart of Washington, DC, Ingleside at Rock Creek is a vibrant community where culture thrives With inspiring arts programming, including thought-provoking performances, live music, and engaging lectures, every day offers new opportunities for growth and creativity At this not-for-profit life plan community discover a place where meaningful experiences make it easy to feel right at home
Claire Wilder, co-owner of La Bonne Vache, whose business team is setting up a new restaurant at Hamilton Court on 31st Street, and Liz Baker of Pure Sweat + Float Studios, celebrating its second anniversary, on the cover of the June 12, 2024, Georgetowner Newspaper.
93RD GEORGETOWN HOUSE TOUR INVITES A NEW GENERATION
Malcolm Dilley and Azali Kassum
BY ZOE SHIELDS
As the United States marks its semiquincentennial, the Georgetown House Tour, one of the city’s oldest living traditions, approaches a milestone in its own right.
This spring, the 93rd annual Georgetown House Tour will open doors to historic homes that have witnessed centuries of Washington life, from early figures like John Adams and Lafayette to modern design innovators thoughtfully preserving the city’s architectural landscape.
Believed to be the nation’s oldest and most prestigious public showcase of homes, the Georgetown House Tour welcomes over 1,800 guests each year. In doing so, it has raised millions of dollars to support charities serving both Georgetown and the broader D.C. community.
Anchored by and in support of St. John’s Episcopal Church, the tour is not only a celebration of history and design, but a living example of intergenerational investment: the homeowners who open their doors and the volunteers who sustain the tradition pass along a legacy of stewardship and civic engagement year after year.
Beyond the homes themselves, the tour offers immersive experiences that invite attendees to engage more deeply with the history and design of Georgetown. Prospect House, at 3508 Prospect St. NW, designed by William
Thornton, architect of the Capitol, will host the Patrons’ Party on Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m., with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres served in a garden setting. On Thursday, April 16, from 6 to 8 p.m., a Designer Lecture by renowned interior designer Barry Dixon at Ateliers Jacob, 3330 Cady’s Alley NW, will offer insight into creating homes that are both beautiful and livable.
Co-chaired by Azali Kassum and Malcolm Dilley, this year’s tour, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, features a curated mix of homes illustrating Georgetown’s architectural evolution and the neighborhood’s commitment to honoring its heritage.
At 3417 P St. NW, a 19th-century carriage house was sensitively transformed into a garden-connected home that preserves exposed beams and original brickwork, complemented by a modern kitchen with pool
views. The home once belonged to organist Wesley Steele, whose music animated it decades ago. Approaching from the east along P Street, note the original carriage doors and well-preserved brick carriage tracks.
3127 N St. NW is a Victorian residence where journalist Andrew Cockburn raised his family, including actor Olivia Wilde. The kitchen cabinet doors, still marked with childhood heights, offer a glimpse of the family life that shaped Wilde and her siblings. The current owners acquired the property in 2022 and undertook a thoughtful renovation to modernize the home while preserving its historic character, completed in 2025.
City Tavern, another stop on the tour, is D.C.’s last surviving Federal-era tavern and was a hub for social, political and civic life in early Georgetown, hosting figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. After decades as an inn and a tavern, the building at 3206 M St. NW was restored in 1962 as a private club and later listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Following its 2024 closure, new ownership continues its preservation, maintaining its role as a gathering place that connects visitors with over two centuries of Georgetown history.
The Parish Tea at St. John’s Episcopal Church, available from noon to 4:30 p.m., provides a pause during the self-guided tour for refreshments and conversation. For those who attend, the tour reveals the stories behind
Georgetown’s homes and the people who have shaped them, inviting guests to play a role in preserving the neighborhood’s legacy. Zoe Shields, who writes on art, interiors and culture, leads Bramble & Cane, a studio crafting concept-driven visual identities.
Tickets are $70 per person. More information here:
3301 N Street NW
PHOTO BY CATHERINE MEALE
GEORGETOWN GARDEN TOUR TURNS 96
Laura Will and Amy Kuhnert Co-Chair May 9 Event
BY KATE OCZYPOK
Georgetown is known for many things, from its historic homes to its chic shopping district. Among the community’s less familiar charms are its lush gardens.
The neighborhood is home to Dumbarton Oaks, a 10-acre, Harvardowned estate, and 27-acre Dumbarton Oaks Park, both designed by famed landscape architect Beatrix Farrand. There’s also the Tudor Place estate on five and a half acres, its 1816 mansion surrounded by abundant gardens. And the Georgetown University campus is dotted with gardens open to the public.
Besides these noteworthy gardens, Georgetown comprises countless, colorful, meticulously landscaped private gardens. Guests are invited to have a peek into these gardens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, during the 96th annual Georgetown Garden Tour.
Landscape architect Laura Will, who is co-chairing this year’s Garden Tour with Amy Kuhnert, relocated to Georgetown from Chevy Chase in 2015. She was lucky enough to move to a home across from Dumbarton Oaks, with Tudor Place just around the corner. Montrose and Book Hill Parks are both just a block away.
“These are my favorite gardens in Georgetown, but there are lots of others to choose from, including Volta Park, Rose Park and the Waterfront Park,” Will said.
She had heard about the Georgetown Garden Tour before then, but had never attended.
“The first time I went, I just loved it,” she said. “The next year, a neighbor asked if I could help and volunteer the day of the tour.”
Will got to know several members of the Georgetown Garden Club and soon after was asked to become a member. “I jumped right in to helping organize the tour, and I’ve been doing that ever since,” she said.
A Georgetowner since 2007, Kuhnert began attending the Garden Tour with friends. The tour has since become an annual Mother’s Day gift to herself, a way to be inspired and connect with the community. She became a member of the Georgetown Garden Club in 2023.
“I began volunteering on the tour and realized the impact that the tour proceeds have on our local parks and green spaces and wanted to be involved,” she said.
Georgetown gardens come in all sizes; many feel, in Will’s words, like “little jewel boxes.”
“It can be amazing to see what people do with some of the smaller spaces, and it’s incredible to see how many of Georgetown’s back gardens have pools,” she said.
It’s often hard to predict what will be in full bloom from year to year at the time of the tour. A lot depends on how early or late spring arrives, but most attendees can expect to see tulips, azaleas, roses, hydrangeas, dogwood and wisteria.
Classic Georgetown gardens are generally designed with straight lines and right angles. Providing additional structure are boxwood and other evergreens, softened a bit with perennials and annual plantings.
“That being said, there are many variations on [that style], which is exactly what always makes the tour surprising and delightful,” said Kuhnert. Unexpected touches that Kuhnert and Will have seen in neighborhood gardens include a stumpery, a moss garden on P Street and even a fountain that doubled as a hot tub. “Outdoor kitchens and greenhouses are always unexpected and inspiring garden additions,” said Will.
A self-described traditionalist, Will prefers
plants that are “easy” and “always show up,” like peonies, lilacs, hellebores, hydrangeas and boxwood.
“I like to mix native plants like aronia, clethra and certain viburnums,” she added. “Yellowwood is a beautiful native tree, as are dogwoods.”
Two gardens on the 2026 tour have recently been redesigned by local landscape architects.
One on 29th Street north of Q Street is the work of Leslie Gignoux of Fritz & Gignoux Landscape Architects. Another notable garden designed by Fritz & Gignoux is at 1645 31st St. NW, better known as the Williams-Addison House.
The second is a garden on 30th Street south of Q Street, redesigned by Richard Arentz Landscape Architects. Arentz’s boutique firm has been in business for over two decades, with offices in D.C., Warrenton, Virginia, and Rochester, New York. He stresses the importance of lifelong stewardship of the gardens and environments that his firm helps create, as well as the relationships that develop.
If you don’t have a green thumb, so to speak, but aspire to one, Kuhnert and Will both advise asking your neighbors, as Georgetown is full of experienced and creative gardeners who love to share tips — and even plants.
“Keep at it, as gardening is a process of constantly trying new things and seeing how they do,” Kuhnert said. “I find new gardeners get discouraged when something doesn’t thrive or doesn’t come back, but experienced gardeners know that it’s part of the fun.”
Will echoed Kuhnert’s sentiment, advising to “keep experimenting.” “When you find the perfect plant for the perfect spot, that is the feeling that gets you hooked on gardening,” she said.
The self-guided tour visits both sides of Georgetown. Guests are encouraged to take a break at the club’s tea at Christ Church
Georgetown from 2 to 4 p.m., and to browse the club’s boutique in the courtyard. Kuhnert and Will hope that attendees will be inspired after the tour to visit local home-and-garden shops. In addition to the tour, the Garden Club stays busy. Last year, the club worked on the landscaping and plantings at the public library at R Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Garden Club members attend the Tudor Place Spring Garden Party, to be held this year on Wednesday, May 20, and Trees for Georgetown holds a garden party that Kuhnert and Will look forward to attending.
Funds raised from the Georgetown Garden Tour go to parks and green spaces in Georgetown. The proceeds also support Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy, the gardens at Tudor Place and Trees for Georgetown.
Tickets are $50 per person at georgetowngardenclubdc.org and the day of the tour at Christ Church, 3116 O St. NW, or any tour site. Tickets purchased online will be available the day of the tour at Christ Church.
Preserving Georgetown’s Historic Character
BY ALISON SCHAFER
Like living in Georgetown? The beautiful Federal houses, the brick facades, the green spaces? The balance of residential and commercial space? The front gardens and occasional cobblestone street?
While there are individuals and other organizations working to preserve Georgetown’s historic character, one institution at the forefront is the Foundation for the Preservation of Historic Georgetown, often referred to by its acronym, FPHG.
By the mid-1960s, development was tearing its way through Georgetown. Old houses were being torn down, green spaces were being developed and the line between commercial and residential areas was blurring. A group of neighborhood residents saw that the Old Georgetown Act of 1950 did not have the bite to protect the community they loved.
So they went to work.
In 1965, a small group of locals established FPHG, a nonprofit devoted to preserving, conserving and protecting historic Georgetown. FPHG helped pave the way. In 1967, Georgetown was designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The list of illustrious Georgetowners who have sat on FPHG’s board of trustees includes a secretary of state, an admiral, a head of the National Gallery, copious lawyers and architects and yours truly.
The foundation focuses its work in three main areas. The first is protecting historic buildings by buying them, obtaining preservation easements on them and funding
their restoration. The second is using legal action to protect residential areas from being taken over by businesses and institutions. And the third is preserving open space via grants and other preservation easements.
Today, FPHG holds preservation easements on 114 significant properties. Those easements were donated to FHPG by property owners who wanted to protect and maintain their neighborhood’s charm.
The foundation also supports other Georgetown nonprofits, such as Tudor Place (built by a granddaughter of Martha Washington). It has helped maintain the Mount Zion Cemetery and the Female Union Band Society Cemetery near 27th and Q Streets. FPHG also monitors institutions seeking to acquire and take over residential areas.
The Georgetown that helped draw 27.2 million visitors to Washington, D.C., in 2024 is a fragile place. It depends on the vigilance and support of the people who live here and love it. Organizations like FPHG, started and run by local advocates, are what make the neighborhood so special. More information is available at preservegeorgetown.org.
More Spring Events in Georgetown
BY THE GEORGETOWNER
Georgetown House Tour Saturday, April 18
Since 1931, St. John’s Episcopal Church has organized and hosted the Georgetown House Tour to raise money for ministry and outreach. This year’s tour will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. See page 14 for more information or visit georgetownhousetour.com.
Georgetown French Market
April 24 to 26
The Georgetown French Market transforms Wisconsin Avenue into a lively, openair celebration of spring with a distinctly Parisian Flair. Now in its 23rd year, the three-day event will once again turn Book Hill into a bustling street market, with live music, face painting and more than 40 local boutiques, galleries, salons and restaurants offering seasonal discounts, adding to the charm of Washington’s most historic neighborhood.
White House Correspondents’ Dinner
April 25
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner returns to the spotlight at the Washington Hilton, blending its signature mix of politics, media and pageantry. Hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association, the annual event remains a cornerstone of the capital’s social and journalistic calendar, raising funds for scholarships and celebrating the importance of a free press. Despite evolving formats and political tension, the dinner continues to serve as a rare moment in which Washington’s power players and the press come together.
Georgetown Heritage
All Aboard Gala
April 30
Georgetown Heritage’s All Aboard Gala is a festive spring evening celebrating the history and cultural legacy of Georgetown while supporting the organization’s preservation work. Held under a tent in the Mule Yard along the historic C&O Canal, the event brings together community leaders, preservationists and supporters for a lively soirée. Known for its stewardship of the canal and efforts to connect the public with Georgetown’s past through programming and restoration projects, Georgetown Heritage uses the gala as a key fundraiser to advance its mission.
Georgetown Village Gala
May 7
The annual Georgetown Village Gala is a warm, community-centered evening at which neighbors, supporters and local leaders celebrate and help sustain one of Georgetown’s most impactful nonprofits. The annual spring gala serves as a key fundraiser for Georgetown Village, highlighting the organization’s mission to provide services, social opportunities and volunteer support
for adults 55 and older across Georgetown and surrounding neighborhoods. This year’s honoree is author and Georgetown resident
Georgetown Garden Tour
Saturday, May 9
The Georgetown Garden Club was founded in 1924. The 96th annual tour will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine. See page 14 for more information or visit georgetowngardenclubdc.org
Georgetown University Commencement
May 15 and 16
Commencement Weekend will once again make the Hilltop the scene of a celebration of tradition, achievement and forwardlooking optimism. The ceremonies reflect both the rigor of a Georgetown University education and the close-knit community that defines the university experience. The Class of 2026 will mark this milestone amid a continuation of long-standing traditions, including formal academic processions and symbolic elements rooted in Georgetown’s Jesuit heritage.
Jackson Art Center Open Studios
May 17
Each spring, Jackson Art Center opens its doors to the public for its much-anticipated Open Studios, offering a behind-the-scenes look at one of Georgetown’s unique creative communities. Housed in a historic former school building, the center is home to more than 40 local artists working across a wide range of media, from painting and photography to ceramics, textiles and sculpture. Visitors are invited to wander through three Floors of working studios, meet artists in their creative spaces and gain insight into their processes.
Tudor Place Garden Party
May 20
A highlight of the social season, the Spring Garden Party at Tudor Place Historic House & Garden blends elegance, philanthropy and a deep appreciation for preservation. Attendees arrive in festive spring attire — think dapper suits, Flowing dresses and statement hats — to gather under the stars for what has become the organization’s most significant annual fundraiser. The event not only serves as a glamorous kickoff to late-spring entertaining, but also plays a vital role in supporting Tudor Place’s mission: proceeds fund the conservation of thousands of historic objects, the upkeep of the landmark estate and a wide range of educational programs that connect visitors to the site’s rich history.
3127 N Street NW
The Cultural Ledger: April in New York City
BY ZOE SHIELDS
Spring in New York is refreshing. Layers are shed; evenings extend. Darwin tulips line the Park Avenue Malls. The season suggests a palette of peach and French blue, the colors of afternoon light and the year’s first crocuses, and with it, much to see, do, buy and try.
A selection to inspire the season: a read on color-forward interiors, Edward Weston’s “Red Cabbage Halved” — a study in form as bracing as the first bite of spring — and the perfect drink at the Commerce Inn.
LILLIAN BASSMAN:
BAZAAR AND BEYOND
This exhibition, drawn from a remarkable gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, traces Bassman’s career from design apprentice to art director and pioneering photographer. Known for abstracting midcentury fashion into “atmospheric blur,” she transformed magazine photography, using darkroom techniques — tissues, brushes, bleach — to evoke what the camera didn’t capture. Rare vintage prints, collages and maquettes chart her audacious
reinvention of the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, bridging Manhattan’s New School and Paris’s “New Look.” 1000 Fifth Ave.
THE COMMERCE INN
The bounty of spring produce is on full display. Try the artichokes poached with herbs or the leafy greens with buttermilk. The Commerce Inn’s Contratto Spritz with rhubarb and grapefruit bitters is perfect for the season’s first patio apéro. Other highlights: a spring salad with peas and sheep’s curd, and pickled beets flecked with goat cheese and red onion.
50 Commerce St.
A MOOD, A THOUGHT, A FEELING: INTERIORS
This new Rizzoli release offers a carefully
curated look at contemporary interiors, beginning with an airy Park Avenue residence. The book’s final section turns to designer Young Huh’s recently completed historic country house in upstate New York, revealing how personal history and architectural heritage shape a home’s atmosphere.
CHRISTIE’S SPRING PHOTOGRAPHS AUCTION
An online auction of more than 250 lots runs from April 3 to 17, offering a broad survey of photography. Highlights include a dye transfer print of Irving Penn’s iconic “Ginkgo Leaves, New York” of 1990, two striking portraits of O’Keeffe by Stieglitz and vintage works by Eugène Atget, Edward Weston, Paul Strand and Man Ray. Particularly rare: a multi-process pigment and silver print by Edward Steichen and a unique photogram by László Moholy-Nagy.
20 Rockefeller Center (select highlights only, April 10 to 15)
TUCKERNUCK HOME’S SPRING ARRIVALS
Shop Madison Avenue’s latest selections or
discover the brand’s new Georgetown flagship, designed by CeCe Barfield Thompson, a former designer at Bunny Williams. The store’s homeware edit is particularly strong: a set of Ginori 1735 dinner plates in the Pervinca hue makes a spring dinner party feel effortless, while Flamingo Estate’s night blooming jasmine and damask rose soap brick is a fresh, seasonal addition, made with ingredients sourced from fully traceable growers. 1121 Madison Ave. (1267 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown)
THE SECRETS OF PAINTING: THE HIDDEN ART OF THE MASTERPIECE FROM PREHISTORY TO TODAY
Lachlan Goudie offers a sweeping survey of painting, from Chauvet Cave pigments to contemporary oil, acrylic and digital works. He traces how materials and technique shape expression, nodding to how each generation reinvents the possibilities of art.
Zoe Shields, who writes on art, interiors and culture, leads Bramble & Cane, a studio crafting concept-driven visual identities.
Spring, in palette and form.
Make What You Wear Count for Earth Day
BY PATRICIA E. LANGAN AND JAVIER “JAVI” MULÉ
Every morning we get up and choose what to wear. That choice not only protects us from the elements but also signals to the world who we are and what we care about.
If you care about the environment, then how you buy, maintain and dispose of clothes matters more than you might think. Textiles, apparel and shoes emit more hazardous chemicals and greenhouse gases than international flights and shipping combined, with plastics from fossil fuels woven into 69 percent of what we wear.
Fashion is among the world’s five dirtiest industries, built on a business model of overproduction that encourages Americans to throw away or donate 80 pounds of clothes a year. Most of those donations don’t get a second life: 85 percent are incinerated or end up in landfills.
The issue is also one of fairness. The workers in fashion’s value chains — 80 percent of whom are women — need better working conditions and protections against the ravages of extreme heat and flooding. In Bangladesh, from which the U.S. imported $8.2 billion of apparel in 2025, heat waves of 104 degrees Fahrenheit are common and most factories lack air conditioning.
SPRING MILL ROAD
Better policy can incentivize better practices. Women for Women’s Wear advocates for a more ethical and sustainable industry. Two congressional caucuses, the Slow Fashion Caucus and the Recommerce Caucus, are promoting national circulareconomy laws to reduce overproduction, increase the use of natural fibers, strengthen recycling infrastructure and pay garment workers a living wage.
At the state level, California passed a 2024 law that makes companies that put apparel on the California market responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, from creation to disposal, known as “textile extended producer responsibility.” Producers and sellers are financially responsible for the collection, repair, recycling and reuse of textiles. Two other states, New York and Washington, have introduced similar EPR laws.
Under the Sustainable DC plan, the District of Columbia government has committed to an ambitious zero-waste goal of diverting 80 percent of the citywide waste stream from landfill and incineration. The Department of Energy and Environment’s ReThread DC initiative aims to reduce textile waste going into landfills.
Ready for a sustainable clothing revamp?
Shop at boutiques carrying sustainable brands such as the Phoenix or Bitter Grace, or at thrift, vintage and consignment shops such as Fia’s Fabulous Finds, Femme Fatale, Vintage Vintage Vintage and Secondi. Support local designers such as Jackalo, Troy Anthony and Love Stories Vintage.
When buying new, choose brands with take-back programs. Athleta, Patagonia, Reformation, Faherty, Madewell and Marine Layer all have Georgetown storefronts.
And download the rating app Good On You (goodonyou.eco), which rates brands along three pillars: People, Planet and Animals.
If you want to learn how to repair your own clothes, take advantage of free mending workshops offered at local libraries through ReThread DC, along with free clothing swaps for all ages, sizes and genders featuring gently
used items. If you are feeling creative, head to the Fabrication Lab (Fab Lab) at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. For more tips, visit Reuse DC, the District’s hub to help residents repair, donate and buy secondhand household items, including textiles.
Sustainable fashion will be in the spotlight on Tuesday, April 21, with two events at Lutron’s Commercial Experience Center, 455 Massachusetts Ave. NW. In the morning, “Want to Work to Clean Up Fashion? Career Choices in a Challenging Environment” will bring together professionals who have built careers integrating sustainability and fashion. That afternoon, “Fashion and the Climate Crisis: Policy and Innovation for a Cleaner Industry” will convene policymakers, tech innovators, local fashion brands and advocacy groups for a panel, a D.C. designer fashion showcase and networking.
The future of fashion is being written right now. We’d love for you to be part of the conversation. What do you want your fashion statement to say about you?
Patricia E. Langan is the founder of Women for Women’s Wear. Javier “Javi” Mulé, a co-founder of Loop Labs, is a sustainable fashion business advocate.
MAPLE CREEK
MORELAND ROAD
COURT
Cocktail of the Month: Calle Ocho Old-Fashioned
BY JODY KURASH
There’s one street in Miami that moves differently than the others. People sashay to a salsa beat. Men in guayabera shirts and straw hats play dominoes with tiles that number up to nine per square. Cigar shops with seasoned torcedors hand-rolling stogies in the windows line the sidewalk.
Welcome to Calle Ocho (Southwest Eighth Street) in Miami’s Little Havana. Cuban music rules and the watering holes specialize in Cuba Libres, daiquiris and mojitos. Perhaps one of the most storied places to find live music and cocktails is the Ball & Chain bar, often referred to as the heart of this district.
The Ball & Chain opened in 1935, not long after Prohibition. The bar has changed hands over the years, but perhaps the most interesting chapter in its history started in the 1950s, when it was purchased by Ray Miller and Henry Schechtman. According to his sons, Schechtman dealt in stolen liquor and bootleg cigarettes, was part of a Jewish mob and served prison time.
At that time, the Ball & Chain was a pioneering entertainment venue. Among the stellar Black performers who headlined were Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Lena
Horne. Trumpeter and singer Chet Baker appeared in 1957, the year the club closed, only to reopen in 2014.
The neighborhood also changed during this era. By the end of the 1950s, a large number of Cubans, fleeing the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and, later, Fidel Castro, poured into the area. By 1967, the strong Cuban presence in the community prompted Miamians to refer to the area as Little Havana and to its main thoroughfare as Calle Ocho.
I stumbled into this legendary bar last November during a quick stopover in the Magic City, where I met up with two of my besties: Roger Krisko, a Homeland Security executive, and Mari Garcia, a partner in one of Miami’s top advertising agencies. As we rambled along this cultural avenue, we were drawn in by the live music, the festive vibes and a 2-for-1 happy hour special.
While my friends went for the Ball & Chain’s signature mojitos, I was attracted to the bar’s intriguing version of an Old-Fashioned, which fuses three Cuban staples — rum, tobacco and demerara sugar — into a single cocktail.
One thing I noticed was the precision of the bartenders. Men with deep lines etched into their smiles (not the Botox-smooth, Mar-a-Lago
faces of South Florida) blended and muddled our drinks with care. Each glass felt like it was served with a meticulous, authentic vibe.
The main component was Bacardi 8 rum. Originally a Cuban brand, Bacardi moved to Puerto Rico and became a global conglomerate, producing some rather mediocre spirits. However, their eight-year-aged rum works well in cocktails with its oakiness and hints of apricot and nutmeg.
Tobacco was represented in two ways: with infused bitters and a dried leaf (mostly likely from one of the neighboring cigar factories) to serve as a garnish. While the bitters are made in house, similar products can be purchased online.
The third element was demerara sugar, a type of natural, unrefined cane sugar often imported from the Caribbean. Its large, crunchy, light-brown crystals and molasses flavor made it a perfect foil for the rum and the bitters. Cuba is sometimes called “The Sugar Bowl of the World,” highlighting its historical role as a leading sugar producer.
The result was an alluring tipple with a smoky earthiness from the tobacco and a cutting smack from the rum, tempered by the candied sugar — something delightful to sip on languidly as we played catch-up while
grooving to the Latino beats.
“What I really enjoyed about Little Havana is that you can tell you’ve entered a totally unique neighborhood,” said Roger, a first-time visitor. “Music floats into the streets and the smell of strong Cuban coffee lingers in the air. Cuban tradition is something you can taste, hear and feel.”
Calle Ocho Old-Fashioned
2.5 oz. Bacardi 8 rum
1.5 oz. demerara sugar
3 dashes tobacco bitters
Place sugar and bitters in a rocks glass and muddle until dissolved. Add rum and a large ice cube. Let sit for 20 seconds to chill. Garnish with a tobacco leaf.
Spring in Middleburg
BY KATE OCZYPOK
Saturday, April 18
MIDDLEBURG SPRING RACES
Scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at Glenwood Park, the Middleburg Spring Races mark the sanctioned kickoff to Virginia’s spring steeplechase season. Often called a “quintessential rite of spring,” the event is famed for its picturesque setting, where the blooming dogwoods and daffodils frame some of the country’s most competitive jump racing.
Sunday, April 26
MIDDLEBURG HUNT POINT-TOPOINT RACES
Also at Glenwood Park, the Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point Races will take place on Sunday, April 26. Considered a more relaxed and community-focused precursor to the sanctioned spring races, this event features a mix of timber and brush races in which amateur and professional riders compete over the rolling hills of Virginia’s hunt country.
The Upperville Colt & Horse Show.
Saturday, May 2
VIRGINIA GOLD CUP
The 101st running of the Virginia Gold Cup is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at Great Meadow in The Plains. “Virginia’s answer to the Kentucky Derby,” this prestigious steeplechase event draws over 30,000 spectators for a day of world-class racing, set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Saturday, May 9
ART IN THE BURG
Art in the Burg, on Saturday, May 9, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., transforms Middleburg’s South Madison and Federal Streets into a vibrant pedestrian gallery. The annual open-air arts festival features more than 30 local and regional artists and artisans.
Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17
BOXWOOD ESTATE WINERY SPRING SOCIALS
The Boxwood Estate Winery Spring Socials on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, are exclusive, members-only events designed around the season’s wine allocation. Held at the Middleburg winery’s sleek, modern estate, the weekend serves as a “pickup party,” with club members collecting their spring packages while enjoying a sophisticated social atmosphere.
Monday, June 1 through Sunday, June 7
173RD UPPERVILLE COLT & HORSE SHOW
The 173rd Upperville Colt & Horse Show will take place from Monday, June 1, to Sunday, June 7. The oldest horse show in America, it remains a cornerstone of Virginia’s horse country, held under the historic oaks of Grafton Farm and Salem Farm Showgrounds.
LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO STAY OR EAT AS YOU HEAD TO THE GOLD CUP OR UPPERVILLE COLT AND HORSE SHOW?
The recently opened Hotel Burg is a great option. Its elegance, sophistication and intimate vibe are perfect for travelers headed to Middleburg for the town’s vibrant spring social scene. The Hunton Restaurant at the Hotel Burg includes a menu inspired by bounties of the hunt. While it’s open to the public, reservations are recommended. The Diana Lounge at The Hotel Burg offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails and is open to the public with walk-ins welcome.
Also, beginning April 22, The Rooftop at Hotel Burg will be open to the public on Wednesdays from 4 to 10 p.m. and every first Friday of the month from 4 to 11 p.m. Previously, except for Wednesdays, it had been reserved for members of the private social club The Chase only.
Evermay is an Embassy for the Future — harnessing the wisdom of the past with the tools of the future, for the benefit of humanity.
The Listening Room is a series of intimate concerts that blend classical, jazz, theatrical, and contemporary sounds. More than a concert, it’s a portal to connection, relaxation, and reflection –providing a soulful start to the weekend.
Join us for our concert series!
April 24 — Songs of the Night
May 8 — Four Hands are Better than Two May 22 — A Night at the Opera
Concerts are 6 –8 p.m., with a 6 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. concert. Tickets include food, beverage and parking.
Register at listeningroom.evermay.org
Evermay — 1623 28th St NW, Washington, DC 20007 embassyforthefuture
Evermay’s Mind and Meaning program offers events and experiences designed to explore the connections among personal growth, creativity, and community.
Join us for our speaker series! Events are 6 –8 :30 p.m., including food, beverage and parking. You’ll have the option to include a signed book with your ticket. Register at evermay.org/mind-and-meaning
6
10
May
Hakeem Oluseyi
June
Jodi Kantor
The Virginia Gold Cup.
The exterior of Hotel Burg. Courtesy Hotel Burg.
Enjoy a meal on the patio at Hotel Burg. Courtesy Instagram/hotelburgva.
Coming up at
Eliades Ochoa
Sun, April 19
Legendary guitarist and founding member of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club
Renée Fleming Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene
Wed, May 27
International opera star is the voice of nature
Andrew Bird with National Philharmonic 20th Anniversary of The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Wed, June 3 & Thu, June 4
Full album performance with sweeping orchestral arrangements
Cécile McLorin Salvant Book of Ayres with the Brandee Younger Trio
Thu, June 11
Grammy-winning vocalist blending jazz, folk, and baroque influences
Patton Oswalt Live!
Sat, June 20
Smart, incisive wit and personal storytelling
Straight No Chaser Beach Bash
Tue, June 23
A cappella renditions of summer hits
Jesse & Joy El Despecho Tour
Wed, June 24
Latin pop blends with folk and acoustic influences
Chris Botti
Fri, June 26
Lush, jazz-pop sound and bold arrangements
Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
Indigo Park Tour
Wed, July 29
Timeless hits and new material come together in a genre-spanning rock and roots set
From the top: Cécile McLorin Salvant, Patton Oswalt, Andrew Bird, Straight No Chaser, Renée Fleming by Marvin Joseph, Eliades Ochoa by Massimiliano Giorgeschi, Andrew Bird, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
The Georgetowner’s 2026 Spring Theater Guide
BY RICHARD SELDEN
THIS MONTH ONLY ...
“O, how full of briers is this workingday world!” Timothy Douglas directs an envisioning by Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels of “As You Like It” at Folger Theatre (through April 19).
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” in Old Town? Todd Kreidler’s adaptation of the Tracy-Hepburn-Poitier-Houghton film is at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, directed by Adam Konowe (through April 18).
Felicia Curry honors the High Priestess of Soul in “I Put a Spell on You: Nina Simone,” part of Signature Theatre’s Cabaret Series (through April 19).
“Young Americans,” Lauren Yee’s roadtrip play, has pulled into 1st Stage in Tysons. Nikki Mirza directs (through April 26).
Farther out, Herndon’s NextStop Theatre presents “Guards at the Taj” by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Mekala Sridhar (through April 19).
Pulitzer winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins takes Olney Theatre Center audiences to Arkansas in “Appropriate,” directed by Jason Loewith (through April 26).
Back in D.C.: Taylor Reynolds directs Rachel Bonds’s “Jonah” at Studio Theatre, telling the story of Ana, who meets the title
character in boarding school (through April 19); and Hexagon invites area residents to “Join us for a night (or afternoon) guffawing at political slime” at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. The 70-year-old company’s 2026
revue is “Lollapalosers!” (April 17 to 26).
Also at the Atlas: New Renaissance Arts’ “Drowning,” a touring show about “mental health, motherhood and fatherhood in addition to loss and grief” (April 19).
On the 90th anniversary of the so-called “Voodoo Macbeth,” Orson Welles’s Caribbeanset, all-Black production of the Scottish play, Adjoa Andoh directs a staged reading of her adaptation at the Folger (April 25).
OPEN OR SOON TO OPEN AND PLAYING ON ...
In repertory at Staunton’s American Shakespeare Center: “A Bold Stroke for a Husband,” Hannah Cowley’s 1783 comedy, directed by Emily Lyon (through May 2); “Twelfth Night,” directed by Nana Dakin (through May 3); and “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” a Sherlock Holmes spoof directed by Brian Isaac Phillips (through May 17).
Arena Stage presents “A Good Day to Me Not to You,” Lameece Issaq’s one-woman show about a dental lab tech’s midlife crisis, directed by Lee Sunday Evans (through May 3).
Ancient Rome on your mind? Craig Wallace and Hannah Taylor star in George Bernard Shaw’s “Caesar and Cleopatra,” adapted and directed by Washington Stage Guild Artistic Director Bill Largess (through May 3).
More politics, national and local (through May
“Jonah” at Studio Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman.
3): Reg Douglas, artistic director of Atlas resident partner Mosaic Theater Company, directs “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest,” with a book and lyrics by Psalmayene 24 and music by
Kokayi. Take a seat at the Keegan Theatre for an unruly public meeting in Big Cherry. Artistic Director Susan Marie Rhea directs Tracy Letts’s dark comedy “The Minutes.”
Natural-Lee! Ford’s Theatre celebrates the semiquincentennial with “1776,” directed and choreographed by Luis Salgado (through May 16).
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre is hosting “44: The Musical,” Eli Bauman’s Obama Era flashback, spiked with songs like “Filibusters” and “Just Ask Joe” (April 18 to May 10).
With composer-lyricist Ari Afsar, Lauren Gunderson transformed her play about Walt Whitman homework into “I & You: The Musical.” Sarah Rasmussen directs the world premiere at Olney (April 22 to May 24).
More for all you musical-lovers: “The
Book of Mormon” at the National Theatre (April 28 to May 3).
“Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders,” by Luis Salgado (book, lyrics
Nick Westrate, with Lucy Owen as Blanche (April 20 to May 4).
COMING IN MAY ...
and choreography), who directs, and Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez (music and lyrics), will have its world premiere at GALA Hispanic Theatre (April 30 to May 24).
The Streetcar Project drops into Dupont Underground with its prop-less, set-less “A Streetcar Named Desire,” directed by
“Get Down Tonight: Classic Funk” at Signature features Isaac “Deacon Izzy” Bell and Shayla S. Simmons (May 5 to 17).
Studio presents Ossie Davis’s “Purlie Victorious,” directed by Psalmayene 24. Named for its preacher protagonist, the 1961 comedy had a hit Broadway revival in 2023 (May 6 to June 14).
Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe exhibit. Photo by Norwood Photography.
“1776” at Ford’s Theatre. Photo by Scott Suchman.
“Young John Lewis” at Mosaic Theater Company.
Photo by Teresa Castracane.
In Christopher Chen’s “The Motion,” four scholars “wrestle with profound and unsettling questions.” Arena Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif directs (May 6 to June 14).
May-blooming musicals: “The Great Gatsby” at the National (May 12 to 24); “Pippin,” directed by Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, at Signature (May 12 to July 26); “Cabaret,” directed by Theatre Lab co-founder Deb Gottesman, in Dupont Underground, with choreography by Sarah Frances Williams and music direction by Steve McBride (May 14 to 17); and “The Drowsy Chaperone,” directed by Krissy McGregor at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, with choreography by Benjamin Simpson and music direction by Owen Posnett (May 16 to June 6).
Constellation Theatre Company presents “Or,” Liz Duffy Adams’s play about Restoration playwright Aphra Behn, at the Atlas, its new H Street home. Artistic Director Allison Arkell Stockman directs (May 15 to June 7).
Wendell Pierce, Det. Bunk Moreland in “The Wire,” tackles “Othello” in Harman Hall. Artistic Director Simon Godwin directs STC’s season-capper (May 19 to June 28).
An Irish musician and a Czech immigrant cross paths in Dublin in Enda Walsh’s “Once,” with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, directed at NextStop by Heather Lanza (May 21 to June 21).
At Bethesda’s Round House Theatre: “Sally & Tom” (as in Hemings & Jefferson) by Pulitzer
winner Suzan-Lori Parks. The production, directed by Timothy Douglas, comes with a content advisory (May 27 to June 28).
ASC puts a Staunton spin on “As You Like It” (May 28 to Aug. 8).
NEW IN JUNE ...
At Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Raymond O. Caldwell directs “A Fine Madness,” in which Justin Weaks recounts his “personal journey as a Black gay man living in Washington, D.C., and newly diagnosed with HIV” (June 2 to 21).
Olney presents the world premiere of chef Carla Hall’s solo show, “Please Underestimate Me,” written by Hall, Lori Kaye and Leslie Thomas and directed by Lilli-Anne Brown (June 3 to July 12).
Another world premiere: motherdaughter comedy “Precarious” by Steph Del Rosso, directed by Jaki Bradley at Mosaic (June 4 to 28).
In Marcelo Dos Santos’s “Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going to Happen,” directed by Matthew Xia at Studio, the Comedian “meets Mr. Right — and then does everything wrong” (June 4 to July 12).
Baroque instruments mingle with Indian classical instruments in Artistic Director Tim Nelson’s score for “The Song of Sakuntala,” In Series’ world-premiere dance-opera, directed and choreographed
by Hari Krishnan based on Kalidasa’s fifthcentury play (June 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14).
The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society catastrophically mounts a murder mystery in Keegan’s season-closer, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields (June 6 to July 12).
At the Folger, Jacob Ming-Trent shares “How Shakespeare Saved My Life,” directed by Tony Taccone. Also rescuing MingTrent: “a host of genius rappers, half-crazed preachers and soulful poets” (June 9 to July 5).
Alternating casts, “each from a different diasporic background,” appear at Signature in Shayan Lotfi’s “What Became of Us,” about two siblings, one born in the “old country.” Ethan Heard directs (June 16 to July 26).
What, exactly, is a scrub? “A scrub is a guy that can’t get no love from me, hanging out the passenger side of his best friend’s ride.” Find out more at Arena’s production of “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Musical,” written and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah and choreographed by Chloe O. Davis (June 12 to Aug. 9).
At the National, “Suffs” shows us how to get it done (June 15 to 29); and “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” can-cans into the opera-less Kennedy Center Opera House (June 17 to July 5).
Grover’s Corners, N.H., comes to Staunton, Va., when ASC presents Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” (June 25 to Aug. 9).
Scena offers “No Exit,” Jean-Paul Sartre’s
1944 antidote to hopefulness, at the Atlas (June 27 to July 19).
FOR THE KIDS ...
Kathryn Chase Bryer is directing two shows at Imagination Stage in Bethesda: Doug Robinson’s “Good Morning, Good Night,” for ages 1 to 4 (through April 19), and — based on the books by James and Kimberly Dean — “Pete the Cat: A Live Rock Musical,” for ages 4 to 10, with a book and lyrics by Sarah Hammond and music by Will Aronson (June 17 to July 26).
The curtain goes up at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center at 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. Spring Discovery Theater shows: “Mother Earth & Me,” for ages 7 to 11 (April 28 to May 1), and “Under the Baobab Tree,” for ages 3 to 8 (June 3 to 5).
At Glen Echo Park’s Adventure Theatre MTC, Ray Ficca directs Mike Kenny’s “Aesop’s Fables” adaptation (April 24 to May 24) and Janet Stanford directs “Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler,” with a book by Stanford, music by Deborah Wicks La Puma and lyrics by Andrea Dodds (June 18 to Aug. 23).
THE LAST SNIP ...
Will “Shear Madness” come to an end at The Kennedy Center on Oct. 4 or July 5?
Tennessee Williams’s ‘Streetcar’ Pulls Into Dupont, April 20
BY RICHARD SELDEN
On March 31, the candy-apple streetcars that stopped and started along H Street and Benning Road NE stopped for good. It was the second time that Washington, D.C., lost its streetcars. A citywide system operated until its replacement by bus service was complete, early in 1962.
But on Monday, April 20, thanks to the kindness of strangers, Dupont Circle will welcome a new streetcar ... named Desire.
In a remarkable case of synchronicity, the Streetcar Project’s set-less, prop-less version of the classic Tennessee Williams play will pull in for a two-week run in Dupont Underground, the abandoned subterranean streetcar station that became an arts center in 2016.
Since 2023, the four-actor production has brought Blanche, Stella, Stanley and Mitch to life in, among other above-ground venues: a Hudson Valley barn, a Baptist church near the Empire State Building, a Rachel Comey store in SoHo, a carousel building in Asbury Park, an airplane hangar in East Los Angeles and several locations on the Yale campus.
“The only elements that are needed are the actors, the text and the audience,” declares director Nick Westrate, Streetcar Project co-founder with Lucy Owen, who plays Blanche DuBois.
Westrate learned of Dupont Underground and its 200-seat theater from János Szász, director
of
“The Trumpeter,” which opened this spring’s Drama in Your Face series. Szász directed Arena Stage’s 2023 production of “Angels in America, Part One,” in which Westrate played Prior Walter.
Who could pass up the opportunity to perform “Streetcar” where streetcars once rumbled?
When Stella Kowalski tells Blanche, her sister, who is shocked by her husband Stanley’s behavior, “there are things that happen between a man and a woman in the dark — that sort of make everything else seem — unimportant,” Blanche responds:
“What you are talking about is brutal desire — just — Desire! — the name of that rattle-trap street-car that bangs through the Quarter, up one old narrow street and down another ...”
“Blanche is Mount Everest for actors,” says Owen, instigator of the Streetcar Project. “She is Hamlet.” Though she had not previously tackled the role, originally played by Jessica Tandy, in acting school she worked on Blanche’s scene-nine confrontation with former suitor Mitch. The scale of the challenge drew her to the part during Covid.
Owen interprets Blanche as a strong, if embattled, woman, rather than a fragile victim (notwithstanding Blanche’s frequent hot baths, she jokes). And though initially she “thought it was a play about Stanley” — or, as the 1951 film with Vivian Leigh and Marlon Brando made indelible,
Blanche and Stanley — Owen discovered it was about sisters “attempting to be a life raft for each other.”
Mallory Portnoy plays Stella. Also in the cast: Brad Koed as Stanley and James Russell as Mitch.
The Streetcar Project describes itself as “an independent commercial theater producer dedicated to centering the actor as the most crucial member of the process.” Unlike nonprofit theater, there is “a direct-to-artist funding model,” says Westrate.
What’s meant by “centering the actor”? Per Westrate, actors are typically “invited in last” — after a play is conceived by author, director and designers — for “our own little sliver of humanity.”
But it is the actors who “move poetry through their bodies.” The two founders came to feel that “Williams is actually a language playwright.” Their goal: to see “if we could treat Williams like Shakespeare.”
Though “one does think about the ’40s and New Orleans,” continues Westrate, the play is performed without Southern accents (“People who live in a dialect also don’t hear a dialect”) and in contemporary clothes, in part to keep the relationship between actors and audience “very porous.”
“It’s really an aural experience,” he explains, referring to the use of recorded music and sound effects. There is “a nod toward costumes,” says Owen, adding that the clothing shifts depending on the space, as does the lighting.
Moving from one nontraditional venue to another, with neither set nor props, “we are asking so much of our performers,” she says. The cast will be together in Dupont Underground for the first
time just three days before opening night.
“When we removed some of the trappings,” Owen shares, “things about the play were revealed to us.” Westrate agrees. “The play ... started to seem very modern.” Though “people think they know” the play, few would sum it up in one harsh sentence as he does: “It’s a play about a homeless sex worker.”
Beyond the streetcar connection, Dupont Underground’s windowless expanses, with audience members proceeding through a curved tunnel to the theater, will enhance the experience. “The best plays really take us to hell in a certain way,” remarks Westrate.
“I think there’s something for all of us in this play right now,” says Owen. As for Blanche, “she is a prophet, I think.”
April 20 to May 4
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Dupont Underground, 10 Dupont Circle NW Tickets: $85 and $125 Thestreetcarproject.com
In an airplane hangar in East Los Angeles: Lucy Owen as Blanche DuBois and Brad Koed as Stanley Kowalski in the Streetcar Project’s “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
Photo by Walls Trimble. Courtesy Streetcar Project
GALA GUIDE HERE:
BY THE GEORGETOWNER
HEART
BALL HONORS PROGRESS
AND HOPE
Hundreds of supporters of the American Heart Association Greater Washington Region gathered at the Waldorf Astoria on March 28 for the annual Heart Ball, an evening that celebrated lifesaving progress, honored community leadership and renewed a shared commitment to advancing health and hope as the organization enters its second century.
N STREET VILLAGE GALA SPOTLIGHTS JOURNEYS FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOPE
N Street Village hosted their annual “Gathering for Good” gala on March 5 at the Marriott Marquis in D.C. N Street Village is the largest provider of housing and supportive services for women experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C. The event welcomed more than 700 leaders and community members in support of housing, healing and hope.
Katie Yanushonis Senior Vice President, TMG
Alex Okafor & Caitlin Murray
N Street Village Board Vice Chair Hillary Baltimore, N Street Village Board Chair Peter Shields, N Street Village Board Vice Chair and Founders’ Award Recipient and NOTUS CEO Arielle Elliott, DC Mayoral Candidate Kenyan McDuffie, N Street Village Board Vice Chair Ruth Sorenson. Photo by Tony Powell.
The Sheehy team. Photo by Uzi Photography.
‘Strong Passions: A Scandalous Divorce in
Old New York’
REVIEWED BY KITTY KELLEY
An excessively detailed, not-so-titillating tale of 19th-century Manhattan.
All the little girls — now mothers and gThe title of this book is a clever double entendre.
“Strong Passions” refers to the scandalous divorce of a 19th-century couple named Strong, whose ruptured marriage scars their families and sears their social standing.
The first few pages offer a who’s-who of high society à la Edith Wharton. In fact, Barbara Weisberg introduces her narrative by quoting from Wharton’s short story “A Cup of Cold Water,” tantalizing readers with the promise of prose from the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (in 1921, for “The Age of Innocence”).
Caveat emptor: Wharton’s only connection to the story told in this book is that she is 2 years old and living in New York City when the marital travesty involving Peter Remsen Strong and Mary Emeline Stevens Strong unfolds.
The first part of this melodrama reads like a social history of the mid-1800s. Travel by ship from New York to Le Havre took three weeks and “gentlemen” of a certain class enjoyed gambling houses, cafés and bordellos, while a few — very few — “ladies” traveled abroad. (And when they
did, they were always chaperoned and shopped in Paris for “fabulous wardrobes.”)
Such details anchor the story in its era. But without much access to diaries, journals or letters, Weisberg tells her tale in unsatisfying hypotheticals: “[Mary] would have imagined herself in the roles of wife and mother”; “She might have been eager to hear”; “Her wedding night surely was revelatory”; “Her activities … in an affluent household most likely included”; “She most likely feared.”
Weisberg, whose first book was “Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism,” informs readers in this work that breastfeeding reduced the chance of pregnancy and was considered in the 19th century a form of birth control. This, the author “supposes,” is why Mary refused to wean her third daughter a few months after she was born.
That baby, Edith, dies of influenza at 14 months old. On the day of the baby’s funeral, Mary, in a distraught state, admits to her husband that she’d been having an affair with his widowed brother Edward, who conveniently enlists to fight for the Union in the Civil War. Oh, and P.S.: Mary is five months’ pregnant, but neither she nor Peter knows by whom.
Determined to salvage his marriage, Peter insists that his wife terminate the pregnancy. To do so, he visits his “alleged” mistress, who happens to be a “mid-wife” renting one of his properties on Waverly Place, where she advertises herself as a “woman doctor.” The author explains this is “a euphemism for a woman who did abortions.”
Readers are then treated to several pages on abortion in the 1800s, as well as on adultery, the only basis for divorce in New York until 1922.
Pages later, Peter moves back to his mother’s estate in Newtown, Queens, with his elder daughter Mamie, then sues his wife for divorce on grounds of adultery.
Mary countersues, claiming her husband forced her to have an abortion at the hands of an abortionist with whom he was having an affair. Mary then runs away with Allie, their younger daughter. The scoundrel brother of the humiliated husband remains at war, safe from the drama.
Weisberg has presented a legitimate scandal by 19th-century standards: adultery, abortion and abduction. “Because of the social relations and the position of the parties, and the singular charges and counter charges,” reported the New York Times, “no case before our courts for many years has attracted greater attention.”
Unfortunately, the story becomes more tabloid pottage than Whartonesque prose. An appropriate comparison might be Mark Twain’s definition of “the difference between the almost right word and the right word” as the difference between a lightning bug and lightning.
Without conclusive evidence of what happened, the author, like the 19th-century journalists covering the case, had more questions than answers: “Where was Mary? Had she kept her little one safe? Had she indeed committed the dreadful offenses of which she was accused? Was she a victim? A seductress?”
And where was Edward, the errant brother, in this “near-biblical tale of fraternal betrayal”?
After a six-week trial — the author devotes a dense, detail-laden chapter to each week — the reader is exhausted. The jury does not reach a unanimous verdict, and so Mary, who never appears in court, remains Peter’s lawfully wedded wife. At this point, patience expires, along with sympathy for either party: the wronged husband seeking revenge or the adulterous wife who
escapes with her younger child.
Months later, Mary’s attorneys sue for lawyers’ fees and alimony, and the court rules in her favor. Then, in a magnanimous change of heart, Peter, “desirous of … avoiding the scandal of a second public trial,” petitions the court to provide tuition and other money to care for Allie until her 18th birthday. After six years, the divorce is finalized. Peter resumes his life as a gentleman of society, while Mary, ostracized by that society, remains in France with her daughter.
Weisberg insists in her afterword that Strong v. Strong is relevant social history; on that point, she may be correct. But her attempt to weave the Civil War, the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution and the 1868 impeachment of President Andrew Johnson into her protracted narrative proves to be “more lightning bug than lightning.”
Kitty Kelley is the author of seven number-one New York Times Best Seller biographies, including “Nancy Reagan,” “Jackie Oh!” and “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.” She is on the board of the Independent and is the 2023 recipient of Biographers International Organization’s BIO Award, given annually to a writer who has made major contributions to the advancement of the art and craft of biography.
Courtesy Washington Independent Review of Books.
THE IRELAND FUNDS RAISES OVER $1.5 MILLION AT D.C. NATIONAL GALA
The Ireland Funds, a global philanthropic network which supports the work of hundreds of nonprofit organizations each year across the island of Ireland, has hosted its 34th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. In its most successful Washington D.C. gala to date, over $ 1.5 million was raised in support of The Ireland Funds’ work across Ireland.
LOMBARDI GALA GATHERS FRIENDS, SUPPORTERS TO ‘BE THE BREAKTHROUGH’
A lineup of acclaimed performers took the stage at the 38th Annual Lombardi Gala for an evening of music, reflection and celebration in support of cancer research at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. The March 14 event was held at the beautiful Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium and raised nearly $33 million to dLombardi-2Nick Van Dyke and his wife, Kim Strassel, share their story of hope and perseverance during the Lombardi Gala program. The couple live in Alaska and journeyed to Georgetown Lombardi so that Van
could receive life-saving treatment for his kidney cancer.
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dyke
Photo courtesy
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Kathleen Matthews.
Photo by Tony Powell.
Ambassador Ed Walsh, Secretary Sean Duffy, Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason. Photo by Tony Powell.
Guests participate in the Lombardi Gala fundraising appeal to support innovative cancer research. Photos courtesy Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Nick Van Dyke and his wife, Kim Strassel, share their story of hope and perseverance during the Lombardi Gala program. The couple live in Alaska and journeyed to Georgetown Lombardi so that Van Dyke could receive life-saving treatment for his kidney cancer. Photo courtesy Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
