E2 at Rep Stage - Metro Weekly - October 31, 2019

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OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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October 31, 2019

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CONTENTS

VITAL VIRGINIA VOTE

As Election Day approaches, LGBTQ rights depend on whether Democrats gain control of Virginia’s General Assembly.

By John Riley

THE KING’S MAN

Playwright Bob Bartlett reimagines the queer classic Edward II as a modern scandal of sex, lies, and video.

Interview by André Hereford Photography by Todd Franson

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Volume 26 Issue 26

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BLOOD AND KLUTZ

Christian Montgomery and a bloodthirsty plant lead a stunning ensemble in Constellation’s Little Shop of Horrors.

By André Hereford

SPOTLIGHT: SUPERFINE! ART FAIR p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.10 HOT WAX: MADAME TUSSAUDS DC p.12 COMMUNITY: FORWARD MOMENTUM p.19 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p.19 SCENE: WHITMAN-WALKER’S WALK TO END HIV p.22 FILM: HARRIET p.33 FILM: TERMINATOR: DARK FATE p.34 STAGE: THEORY p.36 OPERA: OTELLO p.37 NIGHTLIFE: HELLBENT AT 9:30 CLUB p.41 NIGHTLIFE LISTINGS p.42 NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS p.43 LAST WORD p.46 Washington, D.C.’s Best LGBTQ Magazine for 25 Years Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrators David Amoroso, Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Bailey Vogt, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla Patron Saint Edward of Carnarvon Cover Photography Todd Franson Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830 All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

© 2019 Jansi LLC.

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Spotlight

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Superfine! Art Fair

LEX MITOW AND HIS PARTNER JAMES MIILLE have cultivated a devoted following since starting the first Superfine! Art Fair in Miami in 2015. The couple is now readying the fair’s return to Union Market next weekend, bringing together 85 independent artists and galleries under one roof. The second D.C. edition debuts a large-scale experiential art installation, Superfine! X, while significantly expanding in size from last year’s offering of over 2,000 works of art for sale — notably, with price tag included. The fair is “highly curated,” thanks to a dedicated 10-person

team that works to ensure a good representation of female, minority, and LGBTQ artists that goes well beyond what’s on offer at other established art shows. The event includes a full slate of programming ranging from film screenings to panel discussions to music and DJ performances. Thursday, Oct. 31, from noon to 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 2, from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 3, from noon to 8 p.m.

Dock 5, 1309 5th St. NE. Tickets are $12 to $15 per day, with multi-day passes available starting at $25. Call 800-680-9095 or visit www.superfine.world.

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Spotlight REBIRTH BRASS BAND

Formed in 1983, this New Orleans band has evolved from playing the streets of the French Quarter to festivals and stages all over the world, in the process leading a revival in the Crescent City’s brass band tradition. The band returns to The Hamilton, which will set up a dance floor in front of the stage so patrons can get down and into the groove. Friday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 2, at 8 and 10:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

CARMEN & LOLA

From Spain comes a modern-day, same-sex take on Romeo and Juliet, focused on two star-crossed teens from Madrid’s marginalized Roma community. Arantxa Echevarría won Best New Director at this year’s Goya Awards, Spain’s version of the Oscars, for her powerful debut starring Rosy Rodríguez as the daughter of street vendors preparing for her upcoming wedding — until she meets a rebellious graffiti artist played by Zaira Romero.

The AFI Silver Theatre offers a special screening presented in collaboration with Spain Arts & Culture. In Spanish with English subtitles. Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7:15 p.m. 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $11 to $13 per screening. Call 301-495-6720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

THE DC BIG FLEA & ANTIQUES MARKET

The Dulles Expo Center once again plays host to what is billed as the Mid-Atlantic’s largest indoor antique and collectibles flea market, with booths offering unique, quality antiques for home and office. This is not the flea market of yore, according to promoters, but one where you can find sophisticated, sleek, and sturdy furniture and designs, from fine antiques to vintage clothing and handbags to mid-century modern artworks.

Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Va. Admission is $10 for both days. Call 757-4304735 or visit www.thebigfleamarket.com.

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OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Spotlight DEATH IN VENICE

Selected as the “No. 14 Best Arthouse Film of All Time” in The Guardian’s ranking from 2010, this 1971 adaptation of Thomas Mann’s novella of homosexual desire was overseen by renowned — and gay — Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti. Dirk Bogarde stars as a celebrated composer who travels to Venice and becomes, per The Guardian, “overtaken by an unrequited passion for an unattainable boy,” played by Björn Andrésen. Death in Venice is the next offering in the Capital Classics series at Landmark’s West End Cinema. Wednesday, Nov. 6, at at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. 2301 M St. NW. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 each. Call 202-534-1907 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

MARYLAND LYRIC OPERA INSTITUTE FALL CONCERT

Rising young talents from the MDLO Institute will perform excerpts from six classic operas in three different languages in a showcase supported by the full 50-member MDLO Orchestra on stage. Music Director Louis Salemno will conduct sopranos Alexandra Razskazoff and Sarah Joyce Cooper, mezzo-soprano Olga Syniakova, tenors Joseph Michael Brent, Yi Li, and Mauricio Miranda (pictured, clockwise from top left), baritone Christian Bowers, and bass Michael Pitocchi. The evening’s program includes Beethoven’s Fidelio, Gounod’s Faust, Verdi’s Falstaff, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Bizet’s Carmen, and Strauss’s Der Rosenkavlier. Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md. Tickets are $10 to $75. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

WAGS MEDIA.

CABARET MACABRE

The multi Helen Hayes Award-winning devised theater ensemble Happenstance offers another run of its popular annual show that the company’s co-founder Sabrina Mandell once described to Metro Weekly as ”a series of dark comic vignettes inspired by the works of Edward Gorey.” The premise and most of the content of each year’s Cabaret Macabre is different, though there’s always an overture, a closing ”danse macabre,” ”absurd” scenarios featuring an actor mannequin — and a ”dangerous croquet battle.” Mandell stars alongside Happenstance’s co-founder Mark Jaster, Gwen Grastorf, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, Alex Vernon, and special guest artist Ellen Cherry. Remaining performances are Thursday, Oct. 31, and Friday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, at 3 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 3, at 3 p.m. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 West Preston St. Baltimore. Tickets are $15 to $25. Call 410-752-8558 or visit www.theatreproject.org.

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DIM SUM MEDIA

Out On The Town

EMPORIYUM

Union Market is a haven for foodies year-round, but one weekend every November it becomes a veritable foodie’s paradise. In addition to the regular merchants and food stalls inside the Market proper, over 100 artisans, producers, chefs and restaurants from around the Mid-Atlantic and beyond set up booths behind the market to sample and peddle their latest wares and fares. It’s a good assortment of tasty edibles and thoughtful gifts, for friends and family — and yourself.

Top vendors participating this year include Spoken English, Sfogliatella, Swizzler, the Fermented Pig, Brewer’s Crackers, Zesty Z Spreads & Condiments, The Dough Jar, Modern Bar Cart, South Mountain Creamery, Fraktured Sauce, Ella May Candy and Confections, Petitpot, Don Ciccio & Figli liquors, Laoban Dumplings, the Neighborgoods, and Capitol Cider House. The Emporiyum launches with a Preview Party and Cocktail Battle among D.C. bartenders, presented by Happied, on Friday, Nov. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, and Sunday, Nov. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dock5 at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. General admission is $15 to $25, while VIP is $40 offering early access plus special bites and sips, and a gift bag; the Friday Preview Party is $50 plus fees, or $80 with an All Access Weekend Pass. Visit www.theemporiyum.com.

Compiled by Doug Rule

FILM FRANKIE

Three years after Little Men, Greg Kinnear returns to work with Ira Sachs, the gay filmmaker also known for standout gay-themed films including 1996’s Delta and 2014’s Love Is Strange. This time out, Sachs has cast Kinnear opposite Marisa Tomei as a New York couple summoned along with several extended family members of a somewhat famous and rich actor on a holiday to celebrate her life now that she’s dying of cancer. An American/ French co-production, the drama Frankie stars Isabelle Huppert, Jérémie Renier, Brandon Gleeson, and Pascal Greggory, the latter playing the actor’s gay ex-husband.

Opens Friday, Nov. 1. Area theaters.

Visit www.fandango.com.

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THE LODGER: A STORY OF THE LONDON FOG

A few days after Halloween, the Atlas Performing Arts Center presents a screening of one of Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest films accompanied with live music composed

by Andrew Earle Simpson. Focused on the hunt for a serial killer in London inspired by the real-life Jack the Ripper, The Lodger is a silent film thriller from 1927, nearly two decades before Hitchcock became widely and internationally known as the Master of Suspense — and a dozen years before he uprooted for Hollywood. Sunday, Nov. 3, at 4 p.m. Sprenger Theatre, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $16 to $20.

Call 202-399-7993 or visit www. atlasarts.org.

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STAGE AIRNESS

Billie Krishawn stars as Nina, who discovers there’s more to air guitar than playing pretend when she enters an air guitar competition. Christina A. Coakley directs the D.C. premiere of Chelsea Marcantel’s comedy also featuring Dani Stoller, Drew Kopas, Harrison Smith, Chris Stezin, Gary L. Perkins III, and Forrest A. Hainline IV. The show is a co-production between Keegan Theatre, where the show will run for most of November, and Virginia’s 1st Stage, which takes up the mantle in December. Previews begin Nov. 8. Runs to Nov. 30. 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $41 to $51 plus fees. Call 202-265-3767 or visit www.keegantheatre.com.

AMADEUS

Genius and jealousy collide in 18th-century Vienna as the medi-

ocre Antonio Salieri does everything in his power to destroy his musical rival, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Folger Theatre offers a production of Peter Shaffer’s Tony Award-winning play directed by Richard Clifford and featuring a 13-person cast led by Ian Merrill Peakes as Salieri and Samuel Adams as Mozart. Previews begin Nov. 5.

Runs to Dec. 22. 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $27 to $85. Call 202544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu.

DISNEY’S NEWSIES

A band of underdogs become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in New York in this musical featuring a score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Harvey Fierstein, and based on a 1992 film that initially bombed at the box office. Molly Smith puts her stamp on the show in a production at Arena Stage.

Previews begin Friday, Nov. 1. Runs

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to Jan. 12. Fichandler Stage in the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org.

EVERYBODY

JASON DIXSON

HOT WAX

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Madame Tussauds DC invigorates the storied wax museum with groundbreaking augmented reality tech.

ROM SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE BUZZ OF INVITED PRESS TOURING MADAME Tussauds DC’s new Alive in AR Augmented Reality Experience, an enthusiastic voice calls out, “Oh look, it’s Rihanna!” A quick swivel around reveals a smiling wax figure of RiRi, while the excited voice turns out to be Madame Marie Tussaud herself — or, rather, an actress decked out as the 18th-century wax sculptor. But, like Rihanna, Tussaud is not actually in the building. She’s a lively character dancing in space around museum visitors, visible through smart-glasses, audible via headphones, a playful virtual reality tour guide through Tussauds. Thanks to technology provided

by Richmond-based ARtGlass, virtual 3-D incarnations of Tussaud and other historic figures inside the museum narrate broad summaries of their famous accomplishments and noteworthy events.

And they’ve brought visual aids. While the voice of Thomas Jefferson describes the Founders’ philosophies of liberty, his nickel-minted visage and an intricate hologram of his Monticello estate hover overhead. Wax-figure Lincoln invites visitors to his Ford’s Theatre box to hear tales of the Civil War, while 3-D images of battle float past. Stand next to the figure of MLK at his podium, and the glasses act as a teleprompter, scrolling the “I Have a Dream” speech for anyone eager to deliver their own March on Washington oration. Inside the recording studio-meets-nightclub where Rihanna, Miley, and Beyoncé await, a perky virtual choreographer is ready to teach adventurous museum-goers a hip-shaking dance combination to perform for their selfies and TikTok clips.

Along the fairly linear path through Tussauds, Alive in AR users can opt-in or out of such gaming-style interactive prompts by operating a one-button, battery-powered controller that hangs on a lanyard worn around the neck. Gearing up in the comfortable AR smart-glasses, wired earbuds, and controller will feel cumbersome to some, and, for others, like a giant technological leap forward in the Madame Tussauds experience.

Fresh tech or no, the wax figures themselves are as un-alive as ever, guests of honor in an eery, funhouse atmosphere augmented by their lifelike eyes and the fact that most are arranged in lifelike poses, just stiff and waxen. Still, Warren Harding looks ready to reach out and grab some ill-fated passerby. Hillary Clinton resembles a right-wing cartoon of Hillary Clinton who might come alive at any moment to launch a presidential campaign. It’s easy to bump into statues along the way, while searching the air for virtual 3-D clues and arrows towards the next exhibit.

But if having Harriet Tubman materialize to describe her travails along the Underground Railroad helps bring history and culture alive for Madame Tussauds patrons, then it might all have been worthwhile — especially since the Alive in AR Experience is included with the price of admission. —André Hereford Madame Tussauds DC is at 1001 F St. NW. Tickets are $18 for general admission to $58 for a platinum package with souvenirs. Call 202-942-7300, or visit www.madametussauds.com/washington-dc.

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The Shakespeare Theatre Company offers a radical adaptation of the 15th-century morality play Everyman by Obie- and MacArthur “Genius” Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon). In his revamped and rechristened Everybody, Death (Nancy Robinette) pays a visit to the overly optimistic and sanguine titular character to help knock some realistic sense into them. Everybody will be played by anybody and somebody among the other nine members of the cast, chosen at random, by lottery live on stage before every performance. Will Davis directs the resulting “irreverent, rollicking” comedy also touted as remixing “the archetypal medieval morality play into an explosive experiment of wit and emotion.” To Nov. 17. Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit www.shakespearetheatre.org.

WHAT TO SEND UP WHEN IT GOES DOWN

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company partners with New York’s Movement Theatre Company to offer the D.C. debut of a theatrical work by Aleshea Harris that uses parody, song, and movement to show, through a series of vignettes, the resilience of black people despite “the pervasiveness of anti-blackness” in our culture. The audience is asked to not only observe, but participate in a boundary blurring production directed by Whitney White and featuring a cast including Alana Raquel Bowers, Rachel Christopher, Ugo Chukwu, Kambi Gathesha, Denise Manning, Javon Q. Minter, Beau Thom, and newcomer Nemuna Ceesay. This weekend’s performances are at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE. To Nov. 10. 641 D St. NW. Call 202-393-3939 or visit www.woollymammoth.net.

MUSIC ARRIVAL FROM SWEDEN W/THE NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC

“The Music of Abba” is the name of the game from a group that has been called “the No. 1 ABBA tribute band in the world.” You can expect to hear all the hits you know and love from the original Swedish pop group, from “Dancing Queen” to “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo” to “Take A Chance On Me.” And all of it presented and accompanied by Strathmore’s resident orchestra led

by Piotr Gajewski. Given this takes place two days after Halloween, patrons are encouraged to “come in your favorite ABBA costume.”

Saturday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md. Tickets are

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Theater. Tickets are $36. Call 202467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA: THE MAGIC FLUTE

The WNO will alternate November performances of its first production of Othello in 20 years with Mozart’s enchanting quest for love and truth via a whimsical production designed by the late Maurice Sendak, the acclaimed children's author and illustrator (Where the Wild Things Are). A production “for all ages” from Portland Opera led by conductor Eun Sun Kim and director Christopher Mattaliano, The Magic Flute will be performed in English with projected English titles. Opens Saturday, Nov. 2. To Nov. 23. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $25 to $299. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

PUNK THE CAPITAL: BUILDING A SOUND MOVEMENT

Some of the earliest punk shows in D.C. are seen via Super-8 footage in a new documentary examining the period when punk rock exploded the city — roughly 1976 to 1983. The AFI Silver Theatre offers special screenings next weekend of Punk The Capital, featuring performances by Bad Brains, Minor Threat, the Slickee Boys, and Black Market Baby, and with interviews of key punk leaders, including Ian and Alec MacKaye, Henry Rollins, and Cynthia Connolly. The movement is a model for DIY culture around the world, according to filmmakers Paul Bishow, James June Schneider, and Sam Lavine, who will be on hand for discussions after the last screenings on Saturday, Nov. 9, and Sunday, Nov. 10. Additional programming includes a discussion with several musicians after the first screening on Nov. 9 about the original Madam’s Organ, in honor of the venue’s 40th anniversary. Screenings are Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 and 10 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 10, at 6 and 8:30 p.m., and Monday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $11 to $13 per screening. Call 301-495-6720 or visit www.afi.com/Silver.

$29 to $79. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

DC DIFFERENT DRUMMERS FALL CONCERT

“For The Children” is the title of this year’s fall concert by the organization’s Capitol Pride Symphonic Band, performing music exploring the early phases of life as well as offering hope for the future, particularly the next 50 years of the LGBTQ community. The band, led by Anthony Oakley, will perform a wide range of music, from classic pieces

by Julius Fucik and Percy Grainger to those by contemporary composers Anthony J. O’Toole, Omar Thompson, and Yukiko Nishimura.

Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $25 plus fees. Call 202269-4868 or visit dcdd.org.

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

NSO Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conducts a dance-inspired program, spinning through a waltz

by Strauss — Tales from the Vienna Woods — Circus Polka by Stravinsky, Duke Ellington’s jazzy interpreta-

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tion of Tchaikovsky’s lush ballet score, Nutcracker Suite, and tango from Piazzolla, with Libertango and his tango-inspired Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, performed with NSO Concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef, and more. Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m.

Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $99.

Call 202-467-4600 or visit www. kennedy-center.org.

OLNEY BIG BAND: SWING, SWING, SWING XI

The “Golden Age of Big Band Radio” is revived this weekend on the mainstage at Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center. Expect many of the historic tunes made famous by big band directors Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, and Woody Herman. Saturday, Nov. 2, at 1:30 p.m. 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Tickets are $10 to $25. Call 301-924-3400 or visit www.olneytheatre.org.

STEEP CANYON RANGERS

A Grammy-winning progressive bluegrass/rock sextet based in the liberal oasis of Asheville, North

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Carolina, Steep Canyon Rangers is going on two decades in the business. On a break from its decadelong work collaborating with actor/ banjoist Steve Martin, the group tours in support of last year’s Out In The Open, produced by the famous Grammy-winning folk producer Joe Henry. Kaia Kater opens. Friday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St. Frederick, Md. Tickets are $23.75 to $38.75 plus fees. Call 301-600-2828 or visit www.weinbergcenter.org.

THE KENNEDY CENTER CHAMBER PLAYERS: FALL CONCERT

Comprised of principal players of the National Symphony Orchestra, this acclaimed ensemble toasts the 250th birthday of Beethoven in a program with two popular sonatas from the German giant, the Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major “Spring,” featuring soloist Ricardo Cyncynates, and Cello Sonata No. 1 in F Major featuring soloist David Hardy. Hardy will also perform Jaffe’s Sonata For Cello and Piano accompanied by Lambert Orkis.

Sunday, Nov. 3, at 2 p.m. Terrace

COMEDY WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: LIFE AND DEATH WITH WIT

No two performances are alike when performed by the Washington Improv Theater — D.C.’s answer to those comedy star-making groups such as Chicago’s Second City and L.A.’s Groundlings — especially since they’re spurred on by the audience. That’s as true as ever with the troupe’s latest performance series, which nods to the Latin American holiday Day of the Dead. Select performances will include a remount of In Lieu of Flowers, a show that comes with an improvised funeral as it works to memorialize the life of a particular audience member, with POPville’s Dan Silverman the special guest of honor during the late show on Friday, Nov. 1, and the Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri getting her due during the late show on Friday, Nov. 8. Each performance also features a different mix of the improvised ensembles that comprise WIT, from on-the-spot musical creations courtesy of iMusical, to the clever antics of the all-female-identifying group Hellcat, plus the groups Poetic Resistance, Nox!, Madeline, Uncle Gorgeous, and Lizard Girl.

Weekends to Nov. 23. Spooky Action Theater, 1810 16th St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $18. Call 202-248-0301 or visit www.witdc.org.

READINGS & DISCUSSIONS ANNABELLE SELLDORF OF SELLDORF ARCHITECTS

The New York-based architect Selldorf will share her vision and key projects, with a particular focus on her company’s first two forays into D.C.: from the Liz, the soon-toopen building at 14th and R Streets

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PHOTO COURTRESY OF GALA THEATRE

live discussion at the Hill Center.

Interviewing the native of Guyana and star radio host and producer will be Sherwood, the veteran local news reporter who is also the “Resident Political Analyst” on The Politics Hour, and Segraves of NBC4 News. The conversation comes as part of the “All Politics Is Local” series, supported by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.

Thursday, Nov. 7, at 8:30 p.m. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free but advance registration recommended.

Call 202-549-4172 or visit www.

HillCenterDC.org.

FOOD & DRINK DC BEER FESTIVAL

FUEGO FLAMENCO XV: FLAMENCO APARICIO DANCE COMPANY

Rafael Peral and Maria Adame, two of Spain’s most distinguished flamenco artists, will perform in the second week of this two-week festival, now in its 15th year. GALA Theatre’s festival launches next weekend with a reimagining of Entresueño from Edwin Aparicio, the festival’s co-founder and director. Aparicio’s namesake company will perform the work, which explores the frontier of consciousness where memories blur and mix with imagination, and reality gives way to dreams, as revised by the gay choreographer and Aleksey Kulikov, his longtime collaborator and also his husband. Thursday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $55. Call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org.

NW overseen by Fivesquares Development and Whitman-Walker Health, to the new greenhouse and educational building at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, their design of which was recently selected for approval. The discussion comes as part of the National Building Museum’s “Spotlight on Design” series. Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m.

National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $20, or $12 for members. Call 202-272-2448 or visit www.nbm.org.

AMERICAN RESISTANCE: FROM THE WOMEN’S MARCH TO THE BLUE WAVE

In partnership with the University of Maryland’s Be Informed Lectures and Libations Series, Kramerbooks hosts a discussion led by a sociology professor at the University of Maryland and focused on her sixth and latest book, which explores the anti-Trump “Resistance” movement.

Dana Fisher uses innovative survey data and interviews with key players to analyze the movement and demonstrate its success as well as extrapolate what it “all means for the future of American democracy.”

Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m. 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-3871400 or visit www.kramers.com.

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MJ RODRIGUEZ

Best known to date as the fiercely lovable house mother Blanca from FX’s Pose, the trans actress and singer also known for playing Angel in the 2011 Off-Broadway revival of Rent will deliver the keynote address at the 5th annual summit organized by the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement at George Washington University, with the appropriate theme “Be Bold.”

And not only is the presentation open to the general public — and, you know, fans of the House of Evangelista — tickets are also free (limit two per transaction), and as of press time, still available. Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. GW Lisner, 730 21st St. NW. Call 202-994-6851 or visit www.gwutickets.com.

PAMELA NEWKIRK IN CONVERSATION WITH JONATHAN CAPEHART

In Diversity, Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business, a New York University journalism professor looks at the separate failings of Hollywood, corporate America, and academia to diversify their predominantly white-run operations, despite great effort and expense.

Newkirk shows where such programs failed and also suggests bet-

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ter ways to achieve similar goals in her book as well as in a conversation with the Washington Post’s Capehart. Monday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m.

Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit www.politics-prose.com.

STORY DISTRICT: HORROR SHOW

The area’s preeminent storytelling organization purportedly makes its “beyond-the-Beltway debut” with a special Halloween-themed show a day after the holiday. At Amp

by Strathmore in the Pike & Rose area of North Bethesda, eight storytellers will share personal tales of real-life horror, or “situations that went oh-so-very wrong.” The lineup includes Graham Campbell, Christina Jones, Coby Jones, Jean Kamara, Mike Kane, Vijal Nathan, Nick Semanko, and Danish Shah.

Friday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. 11810 Grand Park Ave. Tickets are $18 to $26.

Call 301-581-5100 or visit www. ampbystrathmore.com.

TOM SHERWOOD & MARK SEGRAVES W/KOJO NNAMDI

The host of WAMU 88.5’s The Kojo Nnamdi Show and The Politics Hour gets put in the interviewee seat for once as the featured guest at a

Eighty breweries fill the concourse at Nationals Park to help spread beer cheer the first Saturday in November — pouring 200 varieties of beers, with a particular focus on fall seasonal offerings. Atlas, Red Bear Brewing, Right Proper, and 3 Stars are among the D.C. craft breweries represented. Over a dozen of D.C.’s top food trucks will also be on hand at the annual beer fest, also offering Bobby McKeys Dueling Pianos, lawn games, DJs and more.

Saturday, Nov. 2, from noon to 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 1500 South Capitol St. NE. Tickets are $45 per session and include unlimited drink tastings.

Visit www.dcbeerfestival.com.

ART & EXHIBITS ARTY QUEERS: D.C.’S LGBTQ+ ART MARKET

The DC Center for the LGBT Community offers the chance for local LGBTQ and queer-identified artists to showcase and sell their works on the second Saturday of every month, including Nov. 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prospective art buyers can expect to see original artworks in a range of media, including painting, pottery, photography, jewelry, glasswork, textiles, and clothing. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Call 202-682-2245 or visit www.thedccenter.org.

MCLEAN ANTIQUES SHOW & SALE

The McLean Community Center hosts this annual event featuring a group of dealers representing American, Continental, and Asian antiques, decorative accessories, furniture, folk art, porcelain, silver, paintings, prints, linens, and Oriental carpets and rugs. Saturday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1234 Ingleside Ave., Mclean, Va. Admission is $10 for both days.

Call 703-790-0123 or visit www. www.aldentheatre.org.

OOTT continues on page 39

JOE MAHONEY

theFeed

Ebbin

McClellan

VITAL VIRGINIA VOTE

As Election Day approaches, LGBTQ rights depend on whether Democrats gain control of Virginia’s General Assembly. By John Riley

T

WO YEARS AGO, VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS shocked the nation when they bested Republicans in the gubernatorial, lieutenant governor, and attorney general races, and changed the House of Delegates from a 2-1 deficit to coming within a hair of sharing control with the GOP. In dramatic fashion, control of the lower chamber literally came down to chance, with the Virginia Board of Elections forced to draw names from a bowl to determine a victor in an impossibly tight race. Republican David Yancey ultimately won, putting Republicans in control by a slim two-seat margin — and cementing two more years of LGBTQ rights being continually sidelined by GOP lawmakers.

This year, there are no statewide offices on the ballot, but Democrats are determined to wrest control of the General Assembly from Republican hands — not only in the House, but in the Senate, where the GOP enjoys a narrow 21-19 edge. Should Democrats pick up even one Senate seat, any party-line votes during the 2020 or 2021 legislative sessions would be broken by the lieutenant governor, a Democrat.

Eager to take control in a state where they’ve effectively been shut out of power for the better part of two decades — and, aided by a court-ordered redistricting that resulted in a reshuffling of Democratic and African-American voters into some Republican-held downstate districts — Democrats appear poised to strike this year. And that means potentially

life-changing results for LGBTQ Virginians.

On the campaign trail, Democrats have begun offering up promises about the type of bills they will pass if allowed to set the agenda, including one that would prohibit antiLGBTQ discrimination in the state. While lawmakers in the Senate have voted in a bipartisan fashion to approve standalone bills tackling housing discrimination or protections for LGBTQ public employmees, such measures have been bottled up in key House subcommittees — stacked, of course, with Republican delegates from rural or conservative districts — under the leadership of Speaker Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), Majority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock), and Tim Hugo (R-Clifton).

Frustrated at the lack of change, equality advocates are no longer content to settle for piecemeal bills. In advance of next year’s legislative session, they’ve begun touting a bill, introduced previously by Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria), that would bar anti-LGBTQ discrimination not only in public employment or housing, but private employment, banking, insurance, public contracting, and public accommodations.

Most Democrats have embraced the idea of a comprehensive nondiscrimination bill, and have even used it in their pitch to LGBTQ and Democratic-leaning voters to help get people excited about turning out for an off-year election.

“As always, in any election, it really comes down to

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theFeed turnout,” says Kathryn Gilley, communications director for the Democratic Party of Virginia. “When turnout is higher, Democrats tend to do better.”

Gilley notes that in “off-off-year” election years, like 2019, where no statewide office is on the ballot, turnout tends to drop significantly, particularly among Democratic-leaning voters. But she says that in the wake of the 2016 election, a number of voters, fueled by their dislike of President Trump and the Republican Party, appear to be energized in a way they weren’t in 2015 or 2011.

Rachel Bitecofer, assistant director of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., describes the phenomenon as “negative partisanship.”

“Negative partisanship refers to the emotions that partisans feel towards members of the opposition party, and the general notion that people are motivated to vote, at least in part, by fear of the other party winning the election,” says Bitecofer.

And while age-old political wisdom says that candidates must promote a positive message to motivate potential supporters to the polls, negative partisanship — taking the form of outright dislike of the opposition party or fear of its agenda — can also be a strong motivator in a polarized political atmosphere. In fact, Bitecofer criticizes Democrats, saying they should have done more to have a unified message for all of their candidates to rally around, as well as try to “nationalize” the election by playing on Democrats’ dislike of President Trump and tying local Virginia Republicans to the national GOP. “It’s not like the Democratic Party of Virginia is especially inept at that messaging. This is a partywide ineptness,” says Bitecofer. “Research shows voters respond to nationalized messaging. These voters that are iffy about turnout because they don’t give two shits about state politics or state legislative politics, you have to give them a reason to care. Republicans do everything nationalized. That’s why Donald Trump comes in to campaign. That’s why Mike Pence comes in. That’s why Republicans typically have better turnout.”

Based on the makeup of legislative districts and the overall political atmosphere in Virginia, Bitecofer says that 2019 should ideally be a successful year for Democrats, who have multiple paths to pick up the one Senate seat and two House seats they need to take control of each chamber.

“We see Democrats with a natural enthusiasm advantage in survey data,” she says. “We see Democrats saying that they’re more likely to vote. We see Democrats really having a much more robust fundraising experience.... We see a big, big surge in registration data where the off-year registration data for September was on pace to match last year's midterm, which is basically unheard of. And we see strong activity amongst young people, especially in absentee ballot requests. So those things all suggest that Democrats are at a pretty good spot heading here into Election Day. But we’ll see. Democratic fortunes hinge completely on whether or not they have successfully turned out Democratic voters. End of story, full stop.”

In short: If Democrats can’t excite enough people to actually vote, advancing LGBTQ rights in Virginia will be dead in the water for another two years.

It’s why the Human Rights Campaign has gotten involved

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OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

in the fight to flip the Virginia General Assembly, based on the premise that a comprehensive nondiscrimination bill will only be brought up for a floor vote if Democrats are in control.

The LGBTQ rights organization has made an undisclosed six-figure investment in the state to fund canvassing, digital, and direct mail programs aimed at encouraging self-identified “pro-equality” voters to show up on election day.

In the Senate, HRC is backing seven Democratic challengers, all in competitive seats held by Republicans, as well as incumbent Democrats Jennifer McClellan in Richmond and Adam Ebbin, the commonwealth’s only out LGBTQ senator, in Alexandria.

In the House, HRC is backing ten Democratic challengers and eight incumbents, including all four currently out LGBTQ delegates: Mark Levine, Mark Sickles in Franconia, Dawn Adams in Richmond, and in Manassass Danica Roem, who in 2017 became the first out transgender person to be elected to a state legislature.

Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (Fairfax Station), the Democratic leader in the House of Delegates, believes enthusiasm among Democratic-leaning voters is even greater than it was two years ago. She points to volunteers who have come out to knock on doors and speak with voters in the middle of 100-degree heat or torrential downpours as just a few of the many indicators pointing to Democratic enthusiasm.

Filler-Corn attributes part of this to frustration with the General Assembly for killing Democratic bills to prohibit discrimination, promote gender equality, address environmental issues, or institute gun reform.

“I think a lot of folks are fed up with what they’ve seen, when bills are getting killed because certain issues come up, and never making it to the floor,” she says. “Virginians are ready for Democrats to govern, because we’re on the right side of the issues and they feel that we are going to move Virginia forward and make a difference. And they feel strongly that the other side has failed to lead.”

With respect to LGBTQ people, Filler-Corn casts Democrats as the champion of issues the community cares about.

“Equality is one of the cornerstones of who we are as Democrats. We are the party that has introduced nondiscrimination legislation year after year. House Democrats have pushed for reforms to ensure Virginia LGBTQ residents can live their lives without fear of discrimination. The Republicans have fought us on those bills, thereby leaving many pople vulnerable to housing discrimination, employment discrimination, insurance discrimination against transgender individuals. We’re very excited because in the majority we can pass those bills to ensure everyone is treated equitably.”

Gilley, the Democratic spokeswoman, is more blunt in her assessment.

“If Republicans were going to do something to help the LGBTQ community, they would have done it by now,” she says. “They have had a majority in the House of Delegates for 20 years.... We’ve seen their stance on LGBTQ rights, and it’s not good.” l Virginia elections will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. To check if you are registered to vote and find out where to go to vote, visit www.elections.virginia.gov.

Community FRIDAY, NOV. 1 GAY DISTRICT, a group for

GBTQQI men between the ages of 18-35, meets on the first and third Fridays of each month.

8:30-9:30 p.m. The DC Center.

2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

Visit www.gaydistrict.org.

Weekly Events ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH

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

BET MISHPACHAH, founded

by members of the LGBT community, holds Friday evening Shabbat services in the DC Jewish Community Center’s Community Room. 8 p.m. 1529 16th St. NW. For more information, visit www.betmish.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds

a practice session at Howard University. 6:30-8 p.m. Burr Gymnasium, 2400 6th St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-

Walker Health. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW. For an appointment, call 202-7457000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker Lane, Suite 210, Alexandria, Va., offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and counseling by appointment only. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special appointment if seeking testing after 2 p.m. Call 703823-4401. www.kiservices.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER

offers free, rapid HIV testing.

Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an appointment, call 202-8498029. www.metrohealthdc.org.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBTaffirming social group for ages 11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW. Contact Tamara, 202319-0422, www.layc-dc.org.

SATURDAY, NOV. 2 ADVENTURING outdoors

group sponsors a moderately strenuous 9-mile hike with 1400 feet of elevation gain for scenic panoramas from the Kennedy Peak Fire Tower atop Massanutten Mountain, near

FORWARD MOMENTUM Creating Change offers activists a chance to celebrate successes and take back power from those who oppress the LGBTQ community.

T

HE ORGANIZERS OF CREATING CHANGE 2020 have a simple mantra for the upcoming event: “Everything is bigger in Texas.” That’s according to Andy Garcia, director of the National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual conference, which takes place January 15-19 in Dallas.

“We’re expecting a larger attendance than last year,” he says.

“We have a lot more space at the hotel, and we plan to use it in some really exciting and fun new ways.”

Organizers are placing greater emphasis on participant enjoyment, particularly on the conference’s final day. “We are really focusing on fun,” says Garcia. “We’re putting in place some new activities, including a send-off celebration that looks different from years past. We have two game nights and a film screening series.”

Garcia is also excited about the keynote speaker, angel Kyodo williams, a Buddhist sensei and the second-ever black female Zen teacher, as well as a plenary focusing on immigration issues ahead of the 2020 election. And during Executive Director Rea Carey’s “State of the Movement” address, there will be a specific focus on the increasing number of murders of trans women of color and how to combat that trend.

The overall theme of this year’s conference, “Love, Learning, and Liberation,” marks a shift from the past two years — which were largely focused on resisting the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ actions and keeping alive the spirit of the Stonewall Uprising by persisting in the fight for full, lived equality.

“We want to emphasize what we can do as a movement and as a movement leader to really focus on lifting one another up, and directing our activism and energy towards the folks in power who are making us feel powerless,” says Garcia.

“We want to reclaim that power and celebrate what people are doing that's working.”

It’s Creating Change’s ability to be tailored to each participant’s individual interests that Garcia says makes it such a rewarding experience. With more than 200 workshops focusing on a variety of topics, there is truly something for everything.

“Creating Change is one of the most uplifting experiences I've ever had, and I know that there are thousands and thousands of people over the past 33 years who would agree with that,” says Garcia. “It is a fantastic place to recharge, to get fed with new information, to build new relationships. It is really a magical space that is all about queerness and love. It's a space where you can be you.” —John Riley Creating Change runs from Wednesday to Sunday, Jan. 15 to 19, at the Sheraton Dallas, 400 N. Olive St. in Dallas, Tx. “Early Bird” registration ($390 per person) ends at midnight on Oct. 31. Regular registration, which runs through the start of the conference, costs $550, and the rate for limited-income participants is $175. To register, and for more information, visit www.creatingchange.org.

Luray, Va. Bring beverages, lunch, sturdy boots, and about $20 for fees. Carpool at 8:30 a.m. from the East Falls Church Metro Kiss & Ride lot. Optional dinner on the way back. Get an extra hour of sleep to recover as we “fall back” to Standard Time. For more information, contact Joe, 202-276-5521 or visit www.adventuring.org.

CENTER GLOBAL, a group that

advocates for LGBTIQ rights and fights against anti-LGBTIQ laws in more than 80 countries, holds its monthly meeting at The DC Center. 12-1:30 p.m.

2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

CHRYSALIS arts & culture

group sees exhibitions in the newly-opened DC History Center in the historic Carnegie Library, across from the Washington Convention Center. Free admission. Lunch in the neighborhood follows.

Meet at 11 a.m. inside the main entrance at 801 K St. NW. For more information, contact Craig, 202-462-0535 or craighowell1@verizon.net.

FCPS PRIDE, a professional,

advocacy and social group for FCPS employees, both LGBTQ and allied, as well as LGBTQ students and parents, holds a coffee house social. All ages welcome. Look for the people with rainbow stickers upstairs! 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Breeze Bakery Cafe, 4125 Hummer Rd., Annandale, Va. For more information, visit www.fcpspride.org.

Weekly Events DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

practice session at Montgomery College Aquatics Club. 8:3010 a.m. 7600 Takoma Ave., Takoma, Md. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/ walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards. Route distance will be 3-6 miles. Walkers meet at 9:30 a.m. and runners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW. For more information, visit www. dcfrontrunners.org.

SUNDAY, NOV. 3 ATLANTIC STATES GAY RODEO ASSOCIATION holds its monthly “Saddle Up!” trail rides on the first Sunday

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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of each month. Rides begin at Piscataway Stables. Rides are limited to 20 riders, so RSVP is required. Cost is $30 for ASGRA members, and $35 for non-members. 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 10775 Piscataway Rd., Clinton, Md. To RSVP, call or text Patrick at 202352-2356 before 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Weekly Events BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive and radically inclusive church holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, www.betheldc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

practice session at Wilson Aquatic Center. 9:30-11 a.m. 4551 Fort Dr. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards.

Route distances vary. For meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman

Catholic Mass for the LGBT community. All welcome. Sign interpreted. 6 p.m. St. Margaret’s Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave. NW. For more information, visit www.dignitywashington.org.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

welcomes all to 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW. For more info, visit www.firstuccdc.org or call 202628-4317.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes GLBT community for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130 Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria.

Visit www.hopeucc.org.

Join LINCOLN

CONGREGATIONAL TEMPLE – UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST for

an inclusive, loving and progressive faith community every Sunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW, near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood. Visit www.lincolntemple.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

multi-ethnic Christian Community” offers services in English, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m. 1525 Newton St. NW. For more info, call 202-232-0900 or visit www.saintstephensdc.org.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING

invites LGBTQ families and individuals of all creeds and cultures to join the church. Services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. 10309 New Hampshire Ave. For more info, visit www.uucss.org.

MONDAY, NOV. 4 The DC Center holds a monthly VOLUNTEER NIGHT for those interested in giving back to the local LGBTQ community. Activities include sorting through book donations, taking inventory, or assembling safe-sex packets. 6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more information, visit www. thedccenter.org.

Weekly Events DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

practice session at Dunbar Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW. For more information, visit www. swimdcac.org.

DC’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS

welcomes musicians of all abilities to join its Monday night rehearsals. The group hosts marching/color guard, concert, and jazz ensembles, with performances year round. Please contact Membership@DCDD.org to inquire about joining one of the ensembles or visit www.DCDD.org.

The DC Center hosts COFFEE

DROP-IN FOR THE SENIOR LGBT COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 2000

14th St. NW. For more information, call 202-682-2245 or visit www. thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black

gay men’s evening affinity group for GBT black men. Light refreshments provided. 7-9 p.m. 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

Visit www.ushelpingus.org.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9

by Rev. Emma Chattin. Children’s Sunday School, 11 a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax. For more info, call 703-691-0930 or visit www.mccnova.com.

p.m. Newcomers with at least basic swimming ability always welcome.

Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504 or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit www.wetskins.org.

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH, inclusive church with

TUESDAY, NOV. 5

GLBT fellowship, offers gospel worship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional worship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW. For more info, call 202-232-0323 or visit www.nationalcitycc.org.

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ST. STEPHEN AND THE INCARNATION, an “interracial,

Weekly Events DC AQUATICS CLUB practice

session at Takoma Aquatic Center.

7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, visit www. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards.

Route distances vary. For meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds prac-

tice. The team is always looking for new members. All welcome. 7-9 p.m.

Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For more information, visit www.scandalsrfc.org.

THE GAY MEN'S HEALTH COLLABORATIVE offers free

HIV testing and STI screening and treatment every Tuesday.

5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480 King St. 703746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. www.inova.org/gmhc

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS

holds an LGBT-focused meeting every Tuesday, 7 p.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from Virginia Square Metro. Handicapped accessible.

Newcomers welcome. For more info, call Dick, 703-521-1999 or email liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.

STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and the Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for those without symptoms. For an appointment call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

Support group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 meets at SMYAL. 4-7 p.m. 410 7th St. SE. For more information, contact Dana White, 202567-3156, or visit www.smyal.org.

US HELPING US hosts a support

group for black gay men 40 and older. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. Call 202-446-1100. www.ushelpingus.org.

Whitman-Walker Health holds its weekly GAY MEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC. Patients are seen on a walk-in basis. No-cost screening for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing available for a fee.

Testing starts at 6 p.m, but should arrive early to ensure a spot. 1525 14th St. NW. For more information, visit www.whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6 BOOKMEN DC, an informal men’s gay-literature group, discusses Martin Duberman’s Has the Gay

Movement Failed? at the Cleveland Park Library. All are welcome to attend. 7:30 p.m. 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. Visit www.bookmendc. blogspot.com.

Weekly Events AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-

versation, meets about 6-6:30 p.m., Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome. For more information, call Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH offers free HIV testing

and HIV services (by appointment).

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center, 1400 Decatur St. NW. To arrange an appointment, call 202-291-4707, or visit www.andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a

group for LGBT people looking to quit cigarettes and tobacco use, holds a weekly support meeting at The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH

offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. All welcome.

118 N. Washington St., Alexandria.

703-549-1450, www.historicchristchurch.org.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support program for job entrants and seekers, meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more info, email centercareers@thedccenter.org or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9

p.m. Newcomers with at least basic swimming ability always welcome.

Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504 or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit www.wetskins.org.

THURSDAY, NOV. 7 The DC Center holds a meeting of its ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER QUEER SUPPORT GROUP. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more information, visit www. thedccenter.org.

The DC Center’s LGBTQ FIRST

RESPONDERS AND MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS SUPPORT GROUP seeks to help active duty

military members, Reservists, and present or former firefighters, EMTs, and law enforcement officers. Due to the sensitive nature of this group, discussions, names, and attendance will be kept confidential. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org. l

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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Scene

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Whitman-Walker’s Walk to End HIV - Saturday, Oct. 26 - Photography by Ward Morrison See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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The Kin Playwright Bob Bartlett reimagines the queer classic Edward II as a modern scandal of sex, lies, and video.

W

Interview by André Hereford Photography by Todd Franson

HEN ASKED BY AXIOS ON HBO HOW HE would respond to critics who claimed he was “too gay to be Commander-in-Chief,” Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg struck just the right tone of bitch, please in replying, “I would imagine we’ve probably had excellent presidents who were gay. We just didn’t know which ones.” We do know about lifelong bachelor James Buchanan, who installed niece “Hal” Lane in the White House to serve as First Lady, but Mayor Pete is correct: no American president has ever led the nation with a male romantic partner openly at his side.

Buttigieg might have grown impatient with questions about whether this country is ready for a gay leader, but history and literature teach that it’s been a valid question for centuries. England’s medieval King Edward II famously flaunted his devotion to male favorite Piers Gaveston,

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OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

ng’s Man and wound up deprived of both his man and his kingdom.

Edward and Gaveston’s true story might not have been a romantic one, but they’ll be forever remembered as lovers, thanks to Christopher Marlowe’s Renaissance-era tragedy Edward II, which portrays a leader accused of being “too young, too liberal, too gay” to be trusted with power.

“If Edward and Gaveston had just been fucking and kept it on the quiet, no one would have cared,” says Bob Bartlett, who took Marlowe’s play and reimagined it as E2, a modern parable of queer love and persecution opening this week at REP Stage. “No one would have cared, but when they started to make it public, when they started to flaunt their love in front of [Edward’s queen] Isabella, in front of the children, in front of the country.... That he's now taking Gaveston out in public instead of his wife would have pissed people off royally.”

Fascinated by Edward and Gaveston’s story since he studied the Marlowe play at Catholic University, Bartlett didn’t get around to writing his spin until relatively recently. In those ensuing years, while teaching playwriting and screenwriting at Maryland’s Bowie State University, Bartlett has seen several of his other plays produced, including Bareback Ink, a sensual adaptation of Greek myth, the 2017 O’Neill finalist The Orbit of Mercury, and the six-time 2019 Helen Hayes Award-nominated comedy Swimming with Whales.

Along the way, Bartlett found a fellow fan of Edward II in Joseph Ritsch, artistic director of REP Stage. “We met...years OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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ago in Baltimore at a small queer company called Iron Crow Theater,” Bartlett recalls. “[Bareback Ink] was being produced there, a queer reimagining of the Zeus and Ganymede myth. I knew that we shared an artistic sensibility, so he was somebody that I wanted to work with.”

The feeling was mutual, as Ritsch more or less commissioned E2 over a conversation. “I've always really loved the Marlowe play,” says Ritsch. “And when Bob approached me and said, ‘Hey, I'm thinking about this adaptation of Marlowe's Edward II, what do you think?’ I was like, ‘I think it could be really exciting to do a modern reimagining/adaptation.’ So in essence, I commissioned a piece for the season, because he had nothing on paper at that point. It was just an idea.”

As the idea evolved to become a Millennial update of the classic play, the collaborators “set the rules up at the top of the piece that this is not the Marlowe,” Ritsch says. “It's inspired by the Marlowe, and also inspired by history. Because Edward actually existed. So I think Bob has done a wonderful job at speaking to both the Marlowe, as well as the history.”

Bartlett and Ritsch also acknowledge the myriad ways E2 speaks to the current cultural moment — as it relates to Mayor Pete’s candidacy, and the general treatment, or mistreatment, of LGBTQ people in nations and kingdoms worldwide.

“As we started to dive into the project, I was saddened by how current so many of the themes of the Marlowe feel for our community today,” says Ritsch, citing the violent state-sanctioned persecution of queer people in countries like Chechnya and Uganda, and the frightening number of trans women of color being murdered in the U.S. “Those are the things that have risen to the surface for me with the piece.”

After more than a year and a half spent deconstructing and reinterpreting the historic and political themes that resonate within E2, Barlett is ready to see the show break the surface.

“We're in tech this weekend, so everything is costume, sound, light, projection all coming in, and the design is just beautiful,” the playwright says. “It couldn't be better. And that's one of the reasons I wanted to work at REP Stage, because I've been a fan for so long. I don't live that far from the theater, so I've been going there for 10, 15 years, and I've always been blown away by their production aesthetic. So [this] has gone beyond my high expectations.”

METRO WEEKLY: It’s less than a week before E2 opens. Is the play-

writing side of things finished, or are you still fine-tuning?

BOB BARTLETT: It's funny you should ask that, because there's one scene I still have not been able to crack, and the cast and the director and the team have been so generous. They understand what a world premiere means, and I don't think they pay it lip service, because you hear companies and directors say, "We're not afraid to make changes in previews," and those sorts of things. Sometimes they mean it. So we’re going to be making changes to this really important scene. Otherwise, I'd just be

sitting in the back of the room enjoying the process and sneaking out to watch the Nats game.

MW: Without saying exactly what that scene is, what are you looking for in order to recognize “We've got it”? What is that feeling or knowledge going to be for you?

BARTLETT: That's a good question, because sometimes it can be a little elusive. The scene has to serve the play and the moment where it happens. So really it's about examining the scene's function. Let me just say, it's not only me who recognizes the deficiency in the moment. All of us are kind of scratching our heads as to why this particular moment might not be what it needs to be, but we're all confident that it will be.

MW: The confidence that it will be — that's like every night of theater, right?

BARTLETT: It is theater. And I know what I'm about to say is true.

With a first production, sometimes you just want to put it out there and see how audiences respond. Certainly we are thinking about just leaving the scene the way that it is and seeing how audiences respond to it. But a writer, and especially one who's kind of neurotic — are all writers neurotic? I don't know — but if you can always have one more edit, I think you will take it.

Obviously with live theater, we're dealing with a team and really smart actors and really smart designers and a brilliant director, with all of us coming together to break apart, to rip apart, to build back together, and then to put something up on its feet for an audience who are also part of the process.

MW: What was the process behind E2 being commissioned by REP Stage?

BARTLETT: It was an informal commission. I had been pitching plays to Joseph Ritsch for a few years. He did a reading of a couple of my plays at REP Stage, but we didn't quite find the right fit.

A year and a half ago I texted him out of the blue and said, "I've wanted to write an adaptation of Edward II for a long, long time.

Have you ever thought of a contemporary adaptation of Edward II?" Because I had read a review of Coriolanus at the Stratford that, while it wasn't a contemporary reimagining of Coriolanus, they'd brought in contemporary technologies like cell phones and texting and text bubbles and all of that. I'm like, "I want to do that!” I revisited Edward II with him, and by text I pitched the shape of the play, which relationships and which characters I was interested in working with, because Marlowe's play is huge.

It's 43 characters and lots of doubling. I really wanted to focus on three relationships, and primarily Edward and Gaveston.

We've taken Marlowe's really big play and gotten it down to 90 minutes, and from 43 characters to five characters.

One of the things, as a gay man, that always sort of bothered me about the play was that Edward falls deeply, madly in love with Gaveston and then, spoiler alert, Gaveston gets murdered brutally. Then Edward finds another guy pretty quickly in Marlowe's play, and he falls in love with that guy, and then that guy is murdered brutally. For me, the heart of Marlowe's play ended for me when Gaveston dies. So that was the part of

“I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WRITING A PLAY WITH AN ALLWHITE CAST. THAT'S NOT THE WORLD THAT I LIVE IN. So whenever I look at a story, I look at it through a lens of the America that I live in and that I love.” – Bob Bartlett 26

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Dane Figueroa Edidi as Isabella

“I FELT SAFER WALKING THE STREETS FIVE YEARS AGO THAN I DO TODAY, AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE THE CASE. Something has changed, something is changing. Not just here in America, but all over the world.” – Bob Bartlett Marlowe's play that I wanted to put on stage, just focusing on their love, and then the love triangle — or quadrangle if that's a word. That whole foursome of Edward, Isabella, Gaveston, and Mortimer. You've got three really rich relationships there.

MW: Do you view Edward and Gaveston’s story as more of a tragic romance, or a treatise on the historic persecution of gays in general?

BARTLETT: I think it's both. When I started writing the play, we were in year two of the Trump administration. I don't have to go into all of that, but the play has a contemporary resonance, I think. I've said this in other interviews, and I really believe this, I felt safer walking the streets five years ago than I do today, and that shouldn't be the case. Something has changed, something is changing. Not just here in America, but all over the world. A few years back, I wrote a play about America's exporting of violent homophobia to Uganda. Now we see Uganda back in the news again, and Chechnya. So I consider it both.

I had one central question in mind as I was writing the play, and this was before Mayor Pete. It was, "Are we ready for a gay king? Is England ready for a gay king today? Is America ready for a gay president?” And up until the last couple of weeks, people didn't seem too pissed off that an openly married gay man was running for president. Now, maybe that's because we live in the Washington, D.C. area. But you didn't really see conservative voices out railing about a gay married man running for president. In the last week there have been some. I'm sure you've seen them.

MW: They coincided with news that his polling is up.

BARTLETT: Exactly. About six or eight months ago I said to Joseph, "You know, if Mayor Pete is still in the race in November" — because I kind of thought he might not be — “that's a really interesting backstory to the story that we're telling." Because ultimately, in my play, and again not to give away spoilers, but Edward is certainly persecuted more and more as his orientation and as his love for Gaveston becomes more public. I wondered as I was writing, if England suddenly had a gay king today, how would that go over? We like to think it would be okay, but I don't know.

MW: Talk for a second about how you contemporized the story — adding cell phones, video games, social media. How did you measure what to update and what to leave alone?

BARTLETT: It ended up being situational for the most part.

Marlowe opens his play with a long letter between Gaveston and Edward, where Edward is calling Gaveston home. I take that really medium-sized letter and reduce it to a text that opens the play, where Edward texts, "My dad died. Come home. E2.” I really use technology as a dramatic device and tool to make the play and this Elizabethan love story relevant to contemporary audiences. I think the use of video games in the play is really quite compelling. I don't play video games. I used to play video games, but when I really started to take writing seriously, they had to go because I was spending too much time on NBA 2K and whatever. But I love the fact that Edward and Gaveston play 28

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video games, and that Edward’s son plays video games.

The scene late in the play where Edward and his son play Mario Kart together has turned into one of the most beautiful and human and touching moments of the play, because how many parents and their children have connected while playing video games. Here they are playing this video game and having this incredibly urgent dialogue about what it means to be a king and what it means to be a king who's in love. So that's how I use technology in the play. I think it's really effective and it's a part of their lives. The use of technology in the play mirrors the use of technology in our own lives. Ten years ago I couldn't have imagined picking up my cell phone and shooting a live video of myself for the whole world to see. When you're the king of England, and a young king of England, and a young, sexy, beautiful king of England — as this family is very young — they would have been on the news every day, like Edward says. If Edward livestreamed something, it would be major, major, major breathtaking news.

MW: The script specifies that Gaveston is a person of color. Are we to read that race is another reason that certain people in the kingdom would not be able to support their relationship, in addition to the issues of sexuality and class?

BARTLETT: Right. The way race came into play is, Edward and Mortimer are white and Gaveston and Isabella are people of color, and then Edward III is mixed. I am a writer who writes diversely, so I can't even imagine writing a play with an all-white cast. That's not the world that I live in. It's not the community that I live in — I teach at a historically black college. So whenever I look at a story, I look at it through a lens of the America that I live in and that I love.

When I started to crack open the story, historical Edward II and then Marlowe's Edward II, Isabella and Gaveston are French, so they're foreigners. That became a focus in the early drafts of my play, and up until this summer in our last workshop, there was a theme of immigration and foreigners in the play that sort of was echoing the times that we're living in. Now, slowly I backed off of that, but I did not back off the fact that Isabella and Gaveston were "the other" and what that meant to them to be in positions of power — even Gaveston, whose position is tenuous, but Isabella's too, she's the queen consort. And what that meant, to have two people of color in positions of power like that, and confronting, in one case Mortimer, who's sort of the embodiment of toxic masculinity in some ways, and Edward, who's just the opposite. It becomes another layer for the play altogether, and I think the play leaves us in a hopeful situation with Edward III, who's not only racially mixed, but who's also politically mixed of all of these people who've been a part of his life, and it's beautiful. I think we cannot ignore race in America. I didn't want to do that in this play, even though this play is not set in America.

MW: Your play Bareback Ink is described as unapologetically queer, which I guess might also apply to E2. Does it always suit you as an artist to be considered unapologetically queer, or does it ever feel limiting?

BARTLETT: No. I would say, five or ten years ago you would

Playwright Bob Bartlett

Zachary L. Powell as Edward II

probably have heard me say, "I'm not a very good gay writer," and I'm really not sure that I was. In E2, their sexuality does not feel radical to me at all. It feels just everyday normal. In Bareback Ink, it was a bit radical. But right now I'm in a place where I'm just really interested in writing about the LGBTQ+ experience. The last year, I've really been writing history plays and plays inspired by historical figures. I just had a reading of a new play that's not at all queer at Mosaic Theatre, called Anacostia Flats, which is about the Bonus Army's march on Washington, and I'm about to have a reading of a play about Walt Whitman's queer years living in D.C. People forget that Walt Whitman lived in D.C. But he lived here for 11 years and he wrote two editions of Leaves of Grass while he was here, and he worked for the federal government, and he served as a nurse, or a one-man USO in the Civil War hospital camps. But he also cruised 30

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Pennsylvania Avenue here.

He also picked up boys here.

He also fell in love here with a young Irishman, a horsedrawn street car operator who drove from Georgetown to the Treasury Building every day. I dove into that history and that play, I think, is pretty radical.

You see Walt Whitman giving a guy a blow job on the 6th Street dock. I'm really excited about that play. And first of all, I love Walt Whitman. I've been reading Walt Whitman since I was in middle school.

I think history and academe have stripped him of some of his sexuality. My play is called Union because it's set in the spring of 1865, at the end of the Civil War and during Lincoln's assassination. Lincoln's assassination changed Whitman radically, but it's also the time where he met Pete Doyle and fell in love with Pete. His relationship with Pete lasted ten years or longer. In my play, we just deal with the spring of 1865. I think people don't know that about Whitman's life, so I'm excited about that.

And then I'm working on a fantasy about J. Edgar Hoover's love life, which I'm really having a lot of fun with, because he was a monster, but by all accounts he was deeply in love with this guy, Clyde Tolson. But I'm just getting started on that one. And I'm working on a gay horror screenplay, because when is the last time we saw a horror film with openly gay characters when it wasn't Walking Dead? This is an actual relationship story about two men who are caught up in a ghost story. So, yeah, I think I am getting to be a better gay writer.

MW: I was going to ask you about Union, actually, because I'm very curious about it. I have Leaves of Grass sitting right over my shoulder.

BARTLETT: I'm blown away by this love affair that he had.

Whitman was 45 in the spring of 1865 in my play, and Pete Doyle by all accounts was 21.

They didn't cohabitate, but did cohabitate. They were kind of inseparable. They spent every night at the Willard Hotel sitting in the lobby. They couldn't afford to stay at the Willard, but they hung out in the lobby. Whitman had a literary circle here in the city.

If he had not had a stroke, by all accounts he would never have left D.C. But when he had his first stroke, Pete tried to take care of him and it didn't go so well. And then he had a second stroke, so he ended up heading to Camden to live with his brother, and that was sort of the de facto end of his relationship with Pete.

Again, here I have another play that really focuses on this love affair between him and Pete. Of course, there's a second plot line that I absolutely love, which is Whitman going into the Civil War hospitals, and taking care of soldiers, visiting soldiers. The play's having a reading at the D.C. Queer Theater Festival on December 7, and it's a fundraiser for the D.C. Center. It's a threehander, so it's very producible.

MW: Segueing to another Pete, we were talking about whether or not the world is ready for a gay leader. Are you ready for a gay leader?

BARTLETT: Wow. That's not a fair question. I am. I obviously am. I don't think there needs to be a distinction. I don't think who we love and who we marry should have anything to do with whether we're fit for leadership, political office, to be CEO of a major company, or president of a university, a professor, or whatever. It just shouldn't matter at all.

But the reality is that it does. Obviously, I've just spent a year and a half fantasizing about gay leadership and what it means and the unique challenges that a gay leader faces, but they’re not unlike the ones that President Obama faced.

I think as we came out of Obama's eight years, and even during those years, thinking racism is dead in America, we

Alejandro Ruiz as Gaveston

found out that it was insidiously growing, and we didn't necessarily know it at the time. Certainly we found out quickly afterwards.

In previous drafts of my play, there was an undercurrent of that in the population as Edward was being outed more and more. It ended up getting in the way of the story that I was telling, so I backed off of it. But I think a good part of the population, if Mayor Pete is president, will just not give a shit. They just won't care. They’d be like, "Are you doing a good job? Okay, great.” l E2 runs through November 17 at REP Stage, The Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center's Studio Theatre, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Maryland (near Merriweather Post Pavilion). Tickets are $15 to $40. Call 443-518-1500, or visit www.repstage.org.

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Movies

Breaking Free

Cynthia Erivo’s commanding performance towers over the otherwise formulaic biopic Harriet. By André Hereford

C

ONSIDERING THAT, AS OF THIS SEASON, HOLLYWOOD HAS TALLIED five big-screen Jokers, just as many iterations of Little Women, and more Terminator movies than James Cameron could name off the top of his head, it’s about damn time Harriet Tubman, American hero, abolitionist, and spy for the Union Army, got her close-up in a big-budget, handsomely produced epic.

Born into slavery on a plantation in the Eastern shore of Maryland, Tubman lived to see the advent of cinema but she might never have imagined she’d one day feature as the subject of a major motion picture like Harriet (HHHHH), directed and co-written by a black woman, Kasi Lemmons. Then again, the woman who was born Araminta Ross and took the name Harriet Tubman when she took her freedom, might well have foreseen her daring 1849 escape played out on screens across the nation. As portrayed in this film, diminutive but determined young Tubman made her way on foot over 100 miles to freedom guided not just by the North Star, but by clarion premonitions sent by God. Reportedly, divine intuition is how the real Harriet Tubman interpreted the spells and seizures she experienced after suffering a traumatic skull injury as a teen, and the Harriet script by Lemmons and Gregory Allen Howard (Ali) takes her at her word.

So, occasionally, whether in solitary repose or running for her life along the Delaware River, Harriet — played by Tony and Grammy winner Cynthia Erivo — slips into a spell, and glimpses some fleeting but definitive sign of which direction to take in her journey, or in her life.

Monochrome flashes of the future, Harriet’s visions might in lesser hands inch too close to supernatural hokum, but Lemmons adds those strokes delicately to underline the freedom fighter’s unyielding faith in her God, in her mission, and in herself.

Harriet’s spirituality is a fundamental element of her strength.

So Harriet might well have foreseen Harriet, and that one day Erivo — who followed her acclaimed turn in Broadway’s The Color Purple with the potent one-two punch of supporting roles in movie thrillers Bad Times at the El Royale and Widows — would

come along as the ideal performer to play the part. A magnetic presence onscreen, Erivo captures Tubman’s nerve and guile, her iron will despite, or because of, the tremendous pain she carries in the scars on her body and in her psyche.

The film also makes excellent narrative use of Erivo’s marvelous singing voice, a tool Harriet uses to deliver messages from her hiding places. And, as Erivo proved playing a track star-turned-thief in Widows, she has already mastered the Cruise-ian art of sprinting with feeling through a long camera take. From her furrowed brow to her fleet feet, she physically inhabits the role of savior, leaving no doubt why Harriet was called Moses for leading so many to the promised land. There’s an undeniable fierceness to Harriet’s sense of rebellion, and her utter dismissal of the notion that she’s less than equal to any man — be it her loving husband John Tubman (Zackary Momoh), a freedman, or her callous master Gideon Brodess (Joe Alwyn).

John and Gideon are, for all intents and purposes, the two poles of her bleak existence in bondage on that Maryland farm. Yet, the film feels more alive once she and the action have escaped the failing Brodess plantation. Partly, that’s because the characters Tubman encounters further north, from dashing abolitionist William Still (Leslie Odom, Jr.) to refined Philadelphia boarding house proprietress Marie Buchanon (Janelle Monáe), are engaged in more vibrant lives.

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And partly it’s just that the film’s time on the farm leans like an old woodshed towards a stock depiction of Them Ol’ Plantation Days. Steve McQueen’s 2013 feature 12 Years a Slave raised the bar high enough on realistic cinematic portrayals of America’s original sin to practically shut down the business of antebellum movie epics, unless a film is going to up the ante on insight or verisimilitude. Harriet doesn’t necessarily meet that standard with the one-note villainy of Gideon and his batty mother, Eliza (Jennifer Nettles), and the underdrawn family of enslaved folks who toil on the Brodess property, including

Harriet’s mother Rit (Vanessa Bell Calloway) and sister Rachel (Deborah Ayorinde).

What the movie does accomplish beautifully, aided by lovely exterior cinematography and Terence Blanchard’s sweeping score, is convey how it might feel for Harriet to finally step into the land of the free, and to feel like she can’t rest until others know freedom too. A tireless crusader, she hiked, ran, and waded hundreds of miles in her lifetime to help deliver that taste of liberty to dozens of men, women, and children. It’s about time that movies caught up to her. l

Harriet is rated PG-13, and opens in theaters everywhere on Friday, Nov. 1. Visit www.fandango.com.

Hit and Run

The Terminator series is finally revitalized in this invigorating, action-packed sequel to T-2. By Randy Shulman

R

EMEMBER “RULE NO. 1” SHOULD YOU EVER ENCOUNTER A Terminator: Run. Fast. Like really, really fast. This rule is especially important if you are confronted by a Rev 9, a particularly vicious model whose carbon-black endoskeleton is coated with a gleaming black ooze that can operate independently.

They’re like two peas in a violence-inducing pod. To be honest, the Rev 9 does pretty much what the T-1000 model did, but in a much more sophisticated way and with far less reflective gleam. No need for Windex on this guy. He’s already streak-free.

In the simplest of terms, the Rev 9 (Gabriel Luna) is the bad terminator sent from the surprisingly not-too-distant future to eradicate Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) from existence for fairly obvious reasons. Grace (Mackenzie Davis) is the protector sent back in time to keep Dani from being sliced and diced by the single-minded Son of Cuisinart. Along the way, the pair pick up welcome assistance from Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who had her own war with the machines in 1984’s The Terminator and 1991’s vastly superior (and visually groundbreaking) Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Also on hand: The T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who now goes by the name of Carl and runs a drapery business. “I’m reliable. I’m a very good listener. And I’m extremely funny,” he deadpans at one point.

This is about all I can reveal about Terminator: Dark Fate (HHHHH) without spoiling its small yet significant pleasures. It’s a pretty straightforward movie, with a strong linear narrative, but the devil, as they say, is in the details. The storyline devised by originator James Cameron and master scribe David S. Goyer, among a few others, is unimpeachable in its elegance. It heaves the plotlines of the preceding Terminator movies into the trash, and picks up where T-2 left off, literally dispensing with the need

for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), and Terminator Genisys (2015). Good riddance.

And welcome back.

Directed by Tim Miller (Deadpool), Terminator: Dark Fate is a vast, popcorn-chomping entertainment vehicle that more than delivers the goods — those goods being explosive, nail-biting, heart-pumping thrills. (Sitting through the film should qualify as a two-hour aerobic workout.) The action sequences are fast and furious showstoppers, each outdoing the next. One particularly marvel-worthy moment takes place aboard a military cargo jet and its utter insanity leaves your head giddily spinning. There are occasional breathers that allow for a surprising amount of humor, some social consciousness-raising (notably with regard to immigrants and border detainees), and explanations for “How did we get back in this position?” Cameron and Miller provide a logical purpose for the series to continue without completely rejiggering its DNA. It’s smartly done.

Both Hamilton and Schwarzenegger settle comfortably back into their roles with some noticeable alterations.

Hamilton’s Connor is now a full-on badass and Schwarzenegger, realizing he’ll never be a real actor, simply leans into the cult of Arnie and has a damn good time of it. He’s never been better.

Reyes and Davis make fantastic additions, with Davis, resembling a young Robin Wright, flinging open the door to a promising career. With his intense glower, Luna makes a menacing killing machine, but even he is awarded a few light moments that render him almost likeable. You kind of wish he’d give up on his mission, crack open a Corona with an arm that could easily double as a can-opener, and shoot the breeze with the T-800 and Sarah. My Dinner with T would be a movie we’d all pay good money to see. l

Terminator: Dark Fate is Rated R for intense violence. Opens nationwide on Friday, Nov. 1. Visit www.fandango.com.

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CAMERON WHITMAN

Stage

Blood and Klutz T

Christian Montgomery and a bloodthirsty plant lead a stunning ensemble in Constellation’s delightful Little Shop of Horrors. By André Hereford

HE GLORIOUS SIGHT OF A GIANT, ALIEN FLYTRAP CHOMPING DOWN on unsuspecting human victims is just one of many joys to be had in Constellation Theatre Company’s Little Shop of Horrors (HHHHH). The greedy, green potted menace known as Audrey II also sings, shouts, and seduces with the plush, soulful baritone of Marty Austin Lamar, while flapping its copious gums and snaky tendrils courtesy of puppeteer Rj Pavel’s spot-on manipulation.

In successive, applause-worthy reveals, Audrey II — ingeniously designed by Matthew Aldwin McGee — grows and grows to fill scenic designer A.J. Guban’s cartoon-colorful take on Mushnik’s Flower Shop, where the strange and unusual plant commands most of the attention.

However, Audrey II isn’t the only star rising over this spunky, funky rendition of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s doo-wopping, Off-Broadway classic. Christian Montgomery offers a perfectly charming Seymour — meaning, he’s an endearing mess of strong emotions and klutzy conniptions who rises to take unlikely romantic lead in his pairing with scarlet-haired coworker Audrey, performed wonderfully by Teresa Quigley Danskey.

Green thumb Seymour, the former orphan taken in and put to work by shop owner Mushnik (Robert John Biedermann), raises odd sapling Audrey II to full-blown man-eater, as the lady Audrey raises the courage to find her way out of an abusive relationship with gleefully sadistic boyfriend Orin (Scott Ward Abernethy). Montgomery

and Danskey each deliver abundantly in the solo spotlight of numbers like Seymour’s desperate, puppet-assisted plea “Grow for Me,” or Audrey’s persuasive “Somewhere That’s Green,” but the spirit of Ashman’s script speaks to the importance of the group effort, of which this Little Shop, directed by Nick Martin, is a sterling example.

Seymour, Audrey, Mushnik and their Skid Row neighbors are all trapped living seemingly dead-end lives, but trapped together on these foul, vibrant streets.

Togetherness is their key to pushing forward from misery, just as it’s integral to the rousing harmonies hit by the show’s inseparable, irrepressible girlgroup Greek chorus Ronnette (Alana S. Thomas), Crystal (Chani Wereley), and Chiffon (Selena Clyne-Galindo). The tuneful trio are snarky, sassy, and delightfully costumed, whether dressed up or down in designer Frank Labovitz’s duds.

And, while Thomas particularly pops with a well-timed comedic performance, again it’s the group effort of their powerful three-part harmony that best serves the dynamic score.

Music director Walter “Bobby”

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McCoy and the production’s live seven-piece band serve up that score brilliantly from the sha-la-la-la loveliness of the opening title tune, to the smooth, suspenseful strains of “Suppertime” — surely the hottest vamp ever written about feeding a man to a carnivorous houseplant. This is, as the song warns, a little shop of horrors, and Martin’s production brings the proper amount of campy, stylized murder and mayhem to its tongue-in-cheek amalgam of aw-shucks romance and kitschy, B-movie sci-fi. The story might also gain traction as a vehicle for subtle observations on class warfare, domestic violence, and the seediness of celebrity, but the director mostly steers around the musical’s heavier elements, sticking to a path of pure, escapist fun.

For the insatiable Audrey II, the fun’s only just begun when the show rounds the corner to a conclusion that feels logical yet

too hasty to resolve our interest in these characters. Seymour, Audrey and the denizens of Skid Row end up overshadowed by the mean, green plant from outer space, both by design of the script and the direction, which doesn’t totally nail the tone of Little Shop’s tough landing.

Yet, getting to that point is a nonstop good time, so what does it matter if the ends don’t all justify the plot’s ghastly means? This cast is a sheer pleasure to watch, and Ashman and Menken’s score sounds as finger-snappingly fresh as ever, while the crew at Constellation have done superb work rendering every campy, kooky, spooky detail of this inviting Little Shop.

Sure, the potted plants hanging upside-down from the theater ceiling don’t necessarily make narrative sense, but even they help sink the house further into the fabulously rundown gutter of this beautiful, beloved Skid Row. l

CHRISTOPHER BANKS

Little Shop of Horrors runs through Nov. 17 at the Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $55.

Call 202-204-7741, or visit www.constellationtheatre.org.

Troll Call

Mosaic’s Theory slices through P.C. culture and progressive piety, but could use a sharper blade. By André Hereford

A

N ONLINE TROLL PROWLING A UNIVERSITY CLASS DISCUSSION board sends fear rippling throughout the campus in Norman Yeung’s suspense-drama Theory ( ). The rising threat this harasser poses to classmates — and in particular to the progressive-minded professor, Isabelle (Musa Gurnis), who created the discussion board — propels an intriguing mystery.

But what actually propels the play, and the new, somewhat stilted production directed by Victoria Murray Baatin at Mosaic Theatre, are Professor Isabelle’s quixotic attempts to both challenge and liberate her students by allowing them space to speak their minds with absolute freedom. She tosses out the anodyne syllabus for her Intro to Film Theory class, declares she’ll be showing controversial titles like D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation, and invites the kids onto her anonymous discussion board, vowing

never to censor nor delete anything they write. Regardless of how offensive, profane, or hurtful a comment might be, she’ll take nothing down.

Isabelle’s students, and her wife Lee (Andrea Harris Smith), a professor at the same university, argue that creating a space for “absolute freedom” is not a good idea. Of course, it’s a great idea for theater, a forum with as profound an interest as any classroom in creating a space to share ideas freely. If only the arguments for and against policing language didn’t pour out like screeds from the mouths of Isabelle, Lee, and understanding department head Owen (Tony K. Nam).

The students, too, sound like mouthpieces for respective sides of a standard political correctness debate. Although, Benairen Kane, as queer student Davinder, and Tyasia Velines, as easily triggered student Safina, reveal other engaging dimensions while providing solid comic relief.

Gurnis is not entirely convincing as the well-intentioned firebrand at the center of the debate, but does persuasively sketch Isabelle’s rising panic once the troll’s online harassment starts to invade hers and Lee’s life together.

The foul-mouthed troll gets angrier, the language they use gets nastier, and words most nice people don’t like to hear, or be called, pile up on video screens mounted over the stage. Race, politics, and gender are practically all these characters are about — yet, the production treads too safely to provoke. All the script’s strongly-worded arguments feel too tastefully arranged and presented, fussed over rather than lived-in, like the set’s characterless, coordinating lime decor. l

Theory runs through Nov. 17 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $50 to $65.

Call 202-399-7993, ext. 2 or visit www.mosaictheater.org.

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OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

SCOTT SUCHMAN

Opera

Gloom and Doom With Otello, the Washington National Opera offers an extremely satisfying, grim telling of a timely classic. By Kate Wingfield

D

ELICIOUSLY BLEAK, GIUSEPPE VERDI’S OTELLO (HHHHH) IS UNCEASingly pessimistic, the kind of Washington National Opera production (via the English National Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, and Teatro Real Madrid) that befits a jaded eye and a cynical soul. Seen amid the untamed rapids of the political climate and an angry, polarized populace, it suits a gloomy mood.

Setting the action somewhere in or about the early 20th century, Otello still resides in his Cypriot castle, but the mammoth walls are aging, and the light is stark, suggesting already that this will be no place for tender mercies. Lighting designer Andrew Cutbush’s work becomes ever more pivotal in the intense atmospherics of this piece, allowing a man’s shadow to grow ominous, filling a room with unforgiving clarity, or casting a single shaft on its prey. It’s the perfect complement to the sinister hum and abrupt cries of Verdi’s beautiful, angry, and finally tragic score.

It also charges the atmosphere in a way that helps surmount a particular challenge of the opera: turning Shakespeare’s wordy study of a jealous, increasingly unhinged mind into something expressed far more through suggestion. As rich and compelling as the music is — and as tightly-crafted the libretto — there is a stretch in showing Otello’s progression to such a murderous frame of mind. Each moment and aria may allow its own expression but getting a sense of the unraveling is not easy. In using light to suggest emotion, be it anger, terror, or the dimensionless confines of a nightmare, it goes some way in describing more of the psychological territory.

That said, for any production to truly work, the deadly triangle of Otello, the scheming Iago, and the hapless Desdemona must convince on some visceral level, or all will fall flat. Here, though in some ways tempered, it does.

Playing it with satisfying menace and an interesting suggestion of the misogynistic bully, George Gagnidze is credible as the mean-spirited Iago, hellbent on driving Otello into a jealous rage over Desdemona’s supposed infidelity.

Occasionally bolder than he is precise, Gagnidze nevertheless sings with a rich, driving baritone that delivers this ruthless man with a relentlessness that works well.

As Desdemona, Leah Crocetto sings with much fulsome sweetness and proves capable of reaching the rafters in some of her most plaintive moments of cri de coeur. But — and this is thanks to director David Alden — Crocetto offers this softly convincing woman with the submissive nature she needs. She may be keening with misery at her unjust lot, but in her gentle movements, her occasional turns of despair, she is true to character.

Desdemona was a lover, not a fighter, and that perhaps is why (at least in the day in

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which this was written) she so beguiled the bellicose Otello.

At the center of the storm is Otello himself, and Russell Thomas arrives invested, expressive, and offering an exciting sound. If there is some unevenness at times, a few places where he is swallowed by the orchestra, it is balanced out by attractive, nuanced singing. Although he delivers it vocally, his handling of the challenge of showing Otello’s undoing over the course of the drama isn’t always as convincing. It can’t be easy to be a character who flies off the handle, when the “handle” has to wait for someone else to finish an aria or drawn-out phrase. Though deeply intense and brooding, Thomas doesn’t always bridge the gap to increasingly murderous, despite throwing some furniture.

Some of this restraint is in the nature of the production itself.

In a noticeable choice, director Alden brings an interestingly chaste and gentle aspect to this Otello and Desdemona. In their moment together in the moonlight — our chance to see what all the passion is about — Crocetto and Thomas move almost in slow motion as they carefully embrace and caress one another.

It’s lovely and affecting, but it doesn’t suggest the immensity — and, frankly, the indignity — of a passion that might become unbridled. Similarly, when they later tussle, some of the choreography is confusing — is she being strangled, hugged, or stabbed? Another misstep is the concept of Roderigo (handled ably by Alexander McKissick), who seems anachronistically over-costumed and inadequately choreographed.

But there is more here that works than not and there are other strengths such as the use of the chorus, often gathered in crowds, where hands emerge with intriguing timing and pat-

terns. If the street-woman Solo Dancer (danced and mimed with power and fluidity by Claudia Aguero Marino) remains a mystery, she perhaps foreshadows the coming fever of madness. And her presence is thought-provoking in another way: as a wild, “fallen” woman, she is an outsider. As such she suggests all that Desdemona has to lose without her status as Otello’s bride and it casts another layer onto her emotional subservience. Her symbol as perpetual outsider also reflects the other theme here — seen in both play and opera — of the simmering prejudice against Otello, called so disparagingly The Moor. Either way, there is no way to watch a current production without contemplating not only what it might have meant to past audiences, but how it can be viewed now, given all that society struggles with.

In smaller roles, if Zach Borichevsky’s Cassio is not a particularly convincing drunk, he later rings true as Iago’s harmless dupe and is sung with appealing energy. As Desdemona’s handmaiden and wife to Iago, Deborah Nansteel’s Emilia relies on the vibrato, but brings some genuine fear and outrage. Finally, Wei Wu as Lodovico, the Doge’s emissary, brings much presence and sings with just the right touch of gravitas. Conductor Daniele Callegari draws the right energy from the orchestra yet keeps the magical nuance intact. There is something affecting in the way Thomas’ Otello tends to sit just feet from Callegari at times — as if communing with the unsettled music in his soul.

Otello may not be a bloodcurdling experience, but it is nevertheless a satisfyingly grim telling of a classic that continues to resonate. It’s also a reminder that, as lofty an art as opera may be, it thrives on home truths. l

Otello runs through Nov. 16 at the Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $45 to $299.

Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

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OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

POETRY & PASTIES

Every second Saturday of the month, the new Anacostia location of Busboys and Poets plays host to a diverse open mic/burlesque event over brunch explicitly designed as a “queer-affirming, POC-centered, femme-focused space.” Poetry & Pasties is organized as well as hosted by poet and sex educator Jennifer Eden, who identifies as a Black queer femme. Saturday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m. 2004 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. Free. Call 202889-1374 or visit www.busboysandpoets.com.

CHRISTOPHER MUELLER

RAVEN’S NIGHT: CREATURE FEATURE

A CHORUS LINE

Touted as “the best musical ever,” this meta-musical was also one of the first to explicitly address gay issues and feature gay characters, most famously Paul, who movingly relates his personal story of inadvertently coming out to his parents when they see him perform in drag. Jeff Gorti takes on the role in a new production at Signature Theatre that comes a half-century after the show debuted on Broadway and subsequently went on to win a Pulitzer Prize and nine Tony Awards. Matthew Gardiner directs a large, 26-member cast and oversees a crew including Denis Jones, who has developed new choreography that nods to the original by Michael Bennett and Bob Avian. “One (Singular Sensation),” “What I Did for Love,” and “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three” (aka “Tits and Ass”) are three standout standards from the show, which was conceived by Bennett and developed by a team led by composer Marvin Hamlisch, lyricist Edward Kleban, and book writers James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante. In previews. Runs to Jan. 5. MAX Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit www.sigtheatre.org.

OOTT continued from page 16

MID-CENTURY MASTER: THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

Nearly 50 photographs and ephemera from the Life Magazine artist known for capturing larger-thanlife personalities and those among the most notable people of the 20th century — from Marilyn Monroe to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

This special exhibition at Hillwood explores the relationship that evolved over the course of photo sessions between Eisenstaedt and Hillwood founder Marjorie Merriweather Post. Concurrently, on the second floor of the mansion, Hillwood features a special display celebrating Adelaide Close Riggs, the eldest of Post’s three daughters, in recognition of her dedication and contributions to the museum as well as the 20th anniversary of her passing. To Jan. 12. 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $18. Call 202-686-5807 or visit www.HillwoodMuseum.org.

POTTERY ON THE HILL SHOW AND SALE

Twenty of the nation’s top ceramic artists collaborate in the annual functional pottery show sponsored

by East City Art, offering something for both the most avid pottery collector and the casual observer, from table platters to fanciful mugs to cooking pots. Potters with works on display this year include Michael Hunt and Naomi Dalglish of Bandana Pottery, Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke of Bulldog Pottery, Dan Finnegan, Warren Frederick, Richard Hensley, Matthew Hyleck, Michael Kline, Matthew Krousey, Katherine Maloney, Matthew Metz, Lisa Orr, Donna Polseno, Mark Shapiro, Stacy Snyder, Hitomi and Takuro Shibata of Studio Touya, Sam Taylor, and Catherine White. A Preview Reception is Friday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m. The show is Saturday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Call 202-549-4172 or visit www.HillCenterDC.org.

ABOVE & BEYOND LA-TI-DO: SONGS OF THE BRITISH INVASION

Regie Cabico and Don Mike Mendoza’s variety show features higher-quality singing than most karaoke, often from local musical theater actors performing on their night off, and also includes spoken-word poetry and comedy. Mendoza and Anya Randall Nebel host the next La-Ti-Do, an evening of songs from the British Invasion of a half century age and featuring Paige Rammelkamp, the organization’s longtime accompanist, with guest performers Joseph Benitez, Larry Grey, and Michael Santos Sandoval, plus spoken word from Patti Ross. Matthew Dohm serves as music director. Monday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. Le Mirch, 1736 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-629-3577 or visit www.latidoproductions.com.

Raven’s Night, which doubles as a masquerade ball, is the sort of event you’re going to experience only around this time of year.

This year’s theme is centered on the most iconic movie monsters and billed as “a sci-fi and fantasy fueled feast fit for all fandoms.”

Saturday, Nov. 2, starting at 5 p.m. with an All Hallows Eve Exposition, including palm readings, photo ops, games, and live performance, followed by a “Salon Lunaire” dinner concert featuring the collective of Eastern European folk artists called RODYNA, starting at 6:30 p.m., and finally the main event, Cabaret Melancholia, a theatrical belly dance program with fusion dancers from across the nation, at 7:30 p.m.

The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $25.

Call 703-549-7500 or visit www. ravensnight.com.

STRATHMORE’S MUSEUM SHOP AROUND HOLIDAY MARKET

The annual Museum Shop Around is one of the best and most convenient places in town for finding unique, artsy holiday gift ideas. Next weekend, 16 museums and art organizations will be represented at the event selling memorabilia and merchandise, including the Audubon Naturalist Society, International Spy Museum, the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the National Geographic Museum, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Phillips Collection, the Supreme Court Historical Society, and Tudor Place Historic House & Garden. Each museum is given its own space, often its own room, in Strathmore’s historic Mansion. That’s enough for most shops to display as much as 40 percent of their normal inventory.

The Mansion also offers a café with food and drink available throughout the event, including hot apple cider.

Opens Thursday, Nov. 7, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 10, starting at 10 a.m. each day. 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Free, but suggested donation is $10. Call 301-5815100 or visit www.strathmore.org. l

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OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

NightLife Photography by Ward Morrison

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Scene

HellBent at 9:30 Club - Saturday, October 26 - Photography by Ward Morrison See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DrinksDragDJsEtc...

Thursday, October 31 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE Halloween Sing-a-long, 8pm • Sing along to 3 Halloween Classics: Nightmare Before Christmas at 8:30pm, Rocky Horror Picture Show at 10pm, Little Shop of Horrors at midnight • $4 Rail and Domestics for everyone in Costume, or in Leather, Uniform, Rubber, or Fetish Gear • Costume Contest at 11:45pm • $50 Tab for Winner in each category: Nightmare Before Christmas, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Shop of Horrors, and Best Overall Costume • $5 Cover

DUPLEX DINER Drink Specials all night long • $3 Spooky Squeezes all night FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Halloween with Cher, featuring Steven Andrade, 8-10pm • Tickets available via www.eventbrite.com • Karaoke, 10pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • Men in Underwear Drink Free, 12-12:30am • DJs BacK2bACk NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets of Bud Products all night • Sports Leagues Night • Disco of Dread, featuring DJ Lemz, 8pm • Costume Contest at 10pm, judged

by DJ Lemz and Chanel

Destinations A LEAGUE OF HER OWN 2317 18th St. NW 202-733-2568 www.facebook.com/alohodc AVALON SATURDAYS Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW 202-789-5429 www.facebook.com/ AvalonSaturdaysDC 42

Devereaux • Grand Prize: $200, Runner-Up: $100 Gift Card, Second Runner-Up: $50 Gift Card • $15 Bud Buckets • $5 Absolut Cocktails NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • RuPaul UK Viewing Party, 9pm • ThurSlay with VJ Jack Rayburn, 10pm PITCHERS Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Halloween Drag Show, 11pm-12:30am • Dancing until 1:30am SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Half-Priced Bottles of Wine, 5pm-close • Tricks

and Treats Drag Show and Costume Contest, hosted

by Kristina Kelly, 8pm • Grand Prize $150 • Music

by DJ Jill • No Cover TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 • Church presents KULT, 10pm • Hosted

by JaxKnife Complex • Music by Wess the DJ and The Barber Streisand • Performances by Kunj and JaxKnife U STREET MUSIC HALL White Reaper, with Nude Party and Wombo, 6:30pm • U Hell featuring Weiss with Kai b2b Khalifeh and Colin Jeske, 10:30pm • $20 Cover • Best Costume Contest at midnight — must enter by 11:30pm to win ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers,

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR 555 23rd St. S. Arlington, Va. 703-685-0555 www.freddiesbeachbar.com GREEN LANTERN 1335 Green Ct. NW 202-347-4533 www.greenlanterndc.com

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

9pm-close • Horror at Half Street, 9pm-close • Music

by DJ Don T. • Kristina Kelly’s Drag Spooktacular • Costume Contest, 11:30pm • $5 Cover • 21+

Friday, November 1 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports BLACK CAT Negritude DC presents Fright Night: A Queer Pan-African Halloween Party, 10pm • Featuring DJs Kryptk, Muse(o)fire, NAÍOME • $10 Cover DC EAGLE Leather Sabbat: Day of the Dead Edition, 8pm • DJ Sean Morris and DJ Popperz • Birds of Prey Drag Show, hosted by Brooklyn Heights, 10:30pm

• Costume Contest at midnight with $100 Cash Prize for the best Day of the Dead costume • Amateur Drag Contest with $50 Cash Prize • $5 Cover in advance, $10 at door FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 Rail and Domestic • $5 Svedka, all flavors all night long • Davon Hamilton Events presents District 1st Friday: Jocks & Leather Party, 10pm-close • All Body Types Welcome — Underwear Attire Encouraged but Not Required • Music

by DJ Tryfe • $10 Cover (includes clothes check) • GoGoDancers • $5 Margaritas and $8 Long Islands all night NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Open 3pm • Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR 900 U St. NW 202-332-6355 www.nelliessportsbar.com NUMBER NINE 1435 P St. NW 202-986-0999 www.numberninedc.com PITCHERS 2317 18th St. NW 202-733-2568 www.pitchersbardc.com

NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS Compiled by Doug Rule

LEATHER SABBAT: DAY OF THE DEAD EDITION Still itching for more holiday tricks and treats? Pining for a second Halloweekend?

If so, you’re in luck. The DC Eagle is one of several venues keeping the spooky holiday spirit alive (and the spirits flowing) this weekend. On Friday, Nov. 1, the spacious leather and fetish complex in Northeast D.C. hosts a party in honor of Dia De Los Muertos. DJ Popperz kicks off the festivities at 8 p.m. on the main level, with the party ramping up as celebrants flock upstairs by 10:30 p.m. to catch the weekly Birds of Prey Drag Show hosted by Brooklyn Heights. That will be followed by a contest at midnight offering $100 cash for best Day of the Dead costume, plus an amateur drag contest drawing $50 cash. The party will then carry on well into the dead of night with one of D.C.’s most prolific house DJs, Sean Morris. The Eagle is at 3701 Benning Rd. NE. Cover is $10 at the door, or $5 in advance. Call 202-347-6025 or visit www.dceagle.com.

(7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Weekend Kickoff Dance Party, with Nellie’s DJs spinning bubbly pop music all night NUMBER NINE Open 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • Friday Night Piano with Chris, 7:30pm • Friday Night Videos, 9:30pm • Rotating DJs PITCHERS Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail

glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 • Otter Happy Hour with guest DJs, 5-11pm ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Daryl Wilson Promotions presents Fright Night, 9pm-close • Hip-Hop and House Music with DJ Sedrick DJ UNKNYC • Men of Secrets, 9pm • Guest dancers • Kristina Kelly’s Diva Fev-ah Drag Show, 11:45pm • Costume Contest at midnight • First Place $500, Second Place $250, Third Place $100 • Cover 21+

Saturday, November 2 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-3am • Video Games • Live televised sports

SHAW’S TAVERN 520 Florida Ave. NW 202-518-4092 www.shawstavern.com TRADE 1410 14th St. NW 202-986-1094 www.tradebardc.com ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS 1824 Half St. SW 202-863-0670 www.ziegfelds.com

DARYL WILSON PROMOTIONS: FRIGHT NIGHT The day after Halloween also conjures up another edition of the first Fridays mega-party at the LGBTQ mega-plex in Southwest organized by the veteran Black Pride promoter. All those who haven’t tired of playing dress-up are in luck, with yet another opportunity to make some coins for their habit, as the party Friday, Nov. 1, features a costume contest at midnight offering prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second, and $100 for third. Those who prefer to leave the dressing up to professionals will enjoy the usual drag show on the Ziegfeld’s level, while those who prefer a good male dressing down — all the way down — can peep all they want at the troupe of all-nude male dancers that Secrets is famous for, and then some, with the promise of a super-sized show featuring additional guests courtesy of Wilson. DJs Sedrick and UNKNYC spin hip-house and house starting at 10 p.m. Ziegfeld’s/Secrets is at 1024 Half St. SW. Call 202-863-0607 or visit www.secretsdc.com.

QREW: HALLOQWEEN Another option for a belated Halloween party on Friday, Nov. 1, comes courtesy of QREW, the roving queer womyn-centered “safe and inclusive” shebang co-founded by Kristen Voorhees and Danylle Kightlinger. HalloQWEEN is a special intimate affair at Songbyrd in Adams Morgan geared to provide “all the thrills, chills, trills, and (dancing) skills your queer lil hearts can bear.” This 21+ party starts at 10 p.m. with a “hang sesh” upstairs for an hour before all the queer queens move to groove downstairs to tunes pumped out by “LL Cool” DJ Tezrah. San Francisco’s polyamorous sex educator Andre Shakti and D.C.’s black burlesquer GiGi Holliday will also be on hand. Songbyrd Music House is at 2477 18th St. NW. Cover is free before 11 p.m., $10 after. Call 202-450-2917 or visit www.songbyrddc.com.

FRIGHT NIGHT: A QUEER PAN-AFRICAN HALLOWEEN PARTY The Black Cat plays host to a day-after Halloween party promising some “Black queer magic” and presented by Negritude DC, which is “dedicated to carving out and curating a space for queer black and brown people to celebrate our identity.” Dressing up is encouraged at the party, which starts at 10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, and features DJs Kryptk, Muse(o)fire, and NAÍOME. Black Cat is at 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-667-4490 or visit www. blackcatdc.com.

FREDDIE’S: NIGHTMARE ON TWENTY-THIRD STREET COSTUME CONTEST The peak of the year’s second Halloweekend arrives on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Virginia’s colorful Freddie’s Beach Bar, which will host a costume contest.

Naturally, you could make a day of the festivities, enjoying the Saturday Breakfast Buffet starting at 10 a.m., followed by cheap drinks during the “Crazy Hour” promotion starting at 4 p.m. and not ending until the queens, led by Miss Destiny B. Childs, come out at 8 p.m. for the famous Freddie’s Follies Drag Show. The contest itself starts at 10 p.m. and earns prizes of gift cards for the top three entrees. Patrons, ages 21 and up, are encouraged to dress in their “most clever, scary, silly, or sexy Halloween” best. If you aren’t all spooked out after that, Scareoke starts at 10:30 p.m. Freddie’s Beach Bar is at 555 South 23rd St., Arlington. Cover is $5 for the contest. Call 703-685-0555 or visit www.freddiesbeachbar.com. l OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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AVALON SATURDAYS @Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW LGBTQ Dance Party, 10pm-close • $15 Cover, $20 VIP • Drink specials • Drag Show, 10:30-11:30pm, hosted by Ba’Naka and a rotating cast of drag queens • $4 Absolut Drinks, 10pm-midnight • 21+ FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Saturday Breakfast Buffet, 10am-3pm • $14.99 with one glass of champagne or coffee, soda or juice • Additional champagne $2 per glass • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Freddie’s Follies Drag Show, hosted by Miss Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm • Nightmare on 23rd Street Halloween Costume Contest, 10pm — 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place win gift card prizes • Karaoke, 10pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5 Bacardi, all flavors, all night long • REWIND: Request Line, an ‘80s and ‘90s Dance Party, 9pm-close • Music by DJ Darryl Strickland • No Cover NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted

by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-3am • Buckets of

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Beer, $15 • Guest DJs playing pop music all night NUMBER NINE Doors open 2pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • Power Hour and Time Machine, featuring DJ Jack Rayburn, 9:30pm PITCHERS Open Noon-3am • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with $15 Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Noche Latina, 11pm-2am • Drink and Food Specials TRADE Doors open 2pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets upstairs, 9pm-close • Guest dancers • Ladies of Illusion Drag Show with host Ella Fitzgerald in Ziegfeld’s • Doors open at 9pm, Show

at 11:45pm • Music by DJs Keith Hoffman and Don T. • Cover 21+

Sunday, November 3 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-12am • $4 Smirnoff and Domestic Cans • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Fabulous Sunday Champagne Brunch, 10am-3pm • $24.99 with four glasses of champagne or mimosas, 1 Bloody Mary, or coffee, soda or juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Zodiac Monthly Drag Contest, hosted by Ophelia Bottoms, 8-10pm • Karaoke, 10pm-close • No Cover GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Karaoke with Kevin downstairs, 9:30pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted

by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-1am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • Pop Goes the World with Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open Noon-2am • $4 Smirnoff, includes flavored, $4 Coors Light or $4 Miller Lites, 2-9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Dinner and Drag with Miss Kristina Kelly, 8pm • No Cover • For reservations, email shawsdinnerdragshow@gmail.com TRADE Doors open 2pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 • GLAM BOX: A Monthly Dress-Up Party, 10pm • Come in a look or find one in our house glam boxes • Walk-Off Contest at 10:30pm • Music by Joann Fabrixx • Special guest hosts and performers

Monday, November 4

Tuesday, November 5

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Singles Night • Half-Priced Pasta Dishes • Karaoke, 9pm

A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Singing with the Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke Night with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, 9:30pm-close

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco Tuesday • Karaoke, 9pm

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Half-Priced Burgers • Paint Nite, 7pm • PokerFace Poker, 8pm • Dart Boards • Ping Pong Madness, featuring 2 PingPong Tables NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Shaw ‘Nuff Trivia, 7:30pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Tito’s Tuesday: $5 Tito’s Vodka all night NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Drag Bingo with Sasha Adams and Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close NUMBER NINE Open at 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers •

Half-Priced Burgers and Pizzas, 5-10pm • The Little Mermaid Live Watch Party, Second Floor, 7pm

Drag Bingo Night, hosted

by Ms. Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes • Karaoke, 10pm-1am

TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm • Bear Yoga with Greg Leo, 6:30-7:30pm • $10 per class • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Karaoke, 9pm

Wednesday, November 6 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6 Burgers • Beach Blanket

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR SmartAss Trivia Night, 8-10pm • Prizes include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30 Club • Absolutely Snatched Drag Show, hosted by Brooklyn Heights, 9pm • $3 Bud Light, $5 Absolut, $15 Buckets of Beer NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover

PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Piano Bar and Karaoke with Jill, 8pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

Thursday, November 7 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • Men in Underwear Drink Free, 12-12:30am • DJs BacK2bACk NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets of Bud Products all night • Sports Leagues Night

NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • ThurSlay, featuring DJ Jack Rayburn, 10pm PITCHERS Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Thirst Trap Thursdays, hosted by Venus Valhalla, 11pm-12:30am • Featuring a Rotating Cast of Drag Performers • Dancing until 1:30am

Wine, 5pm-close • Paint Nite, Second Floor, 7pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers, 9pm-close • “New Meat” Open Dancers Audition • Music by DJ Don T. • Cover 21+ l

SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Half-Priced Bottles of

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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LastWord.

People say the queerest things

“[You] can have a great life filled with joy.

Gay is not a limitation.”

— Apple CEO TIM COOK, speaking with People en Español about what he would tell LGBTQ youth who are concerned about the future. Cook said he wants youth to know that “life gets better,” adding that being LGBTQ is “a characteristic that I hope they view, like I do, that it’s God’s greatest gift.”

“My identity isn’t something to be attacked.”

— ALI BROWN, openly bisexual Democratic candidate for city council in Indianapolis, speaking to IndyStar after her Republican opponent Adam Cox posted an ad that appeared to attack her sexuality by highlighting an endorsement from the LGBTQ Victory Fund. “You want to push back on me on something else, that’s fine, but we’re in a state where we don’t have any protections for people who identify as LGBTQ,” Brown said. “And to see somebody use that as a dog whistle, that’s where my thought was — how is this hurting kids?”

“How can any sane person watch this non-sensical, homophobic, racist crap?”

— ANA NAVARRO-CÁRDENAS, Republican strategist and political commentator for CNN, The View, and Telemundo, in a tweet responding to a segment on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show in which he and guest Dave Rubin debated whether the California wildfires started because utility company PG&E was more focused on being “woke” and hiring LGBTQ people and people of color than on its own infrastructure. “It takes particularly stupid, bigoted jerks to connect gender, sexuality & race to CA fires,” Navarro tweeted.

“We have a president in the White House and a secretary of HUD who are just not ignoring us, they’re weaponizing a nation and programs against us.”

— Human Rights Campaign President ALPHONSO DAVID, while appearing before the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, the Advocate reports. David was appearing at a hearing focused on discrimination against LGBTQ people seeking housing or credit, which advocates claim is worsening under the Trump administration.

“LGBT people listening to my testimony today face discrimination in almost every facet of their lives, and we need the federal administration to actually protect them, not to subject them to further discrimination,” David said.

“To have social media platforms create these barriers...is really hindering the national goal of ending the HIV epidemic.”

— PHILLIP MINER, Director of Grants and Communications for Apicha Community Health Center in New York City, speaking to Vice after Instagram blocked an advert about PrEP for being “too political.” Apicha was advertising the drug, which can prevent transmission of HIV, to gay and bisexual API men. “They said the copy was the problem but were unable to tell us what part of the copy was too political,” Miner said. “It’s incredibly frustrating to encounter these sort of road blocks.”

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OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

OCTOBER 31, 2019 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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