metro weekly - 06-02-16 - maulik pancholy

8/16/2019 Metro Weekly - 06-02-16 - Maulik Pancholy

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8 JUNE 2, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRandy Shulman

ART DIRECTORTodd Franson

MANAGING EDITORRhuaridh Marr

SENIOR EDITORJohn Riley

CONTRIBUTING EDITORDoug Rule

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERSWard Morrison, Julian Vankim

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORScott G. Brooks

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSGordon Ashenhurst, Sean Bugg, Fallon Forbush,Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingeld

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHERRandy Shulman

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVERivendell Media Co.

212-242-6863

DISTRIBUTION MANAGERDennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINTJonathan

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYCourtesy of The Shakespeare Theatre Company

METRO WEEKLY1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150Washington, DC 20006

202-638-6830MetroWeekly.com

All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not bereproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes noresponsibility 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 ne advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claimsmade 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 oradvertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation ofsuch person or organization.

© 2016 Jansi LLC.

8

JUNE 2, 2016Volume 23 / Issue 5

NEWS 10

J AIL FOR ANAL by John Riley

12 D IAL P FOR PR EP by John Riley

SCENE 15 H ELEN H AYES AWARDS AFTER PARTY photography by Ward Morrison

16 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SCENE 20 FOOD & FRIENDS ’ 26TH ANNUAL CHEF ’S BEST DINNER AND AUCTION

photography by Ward Morrison

FEATURES 22 M AULIK ’S PANOPLY Interview by John Riley

28 COVER W ORTHY by Doug Rule

OUT ON THE TOWN 32 DOLLY PARTON

by Doug Rule

34 STONEWALL R EGATTA by John Riley

STAGE 42 T HE T AMING OF THE S HREW by Kate Wingeld

MUSIC 44 CONCERTED CANCELLATIONS by Frank Carber

NIGHTLIFE 47 BLACK PRIDE PARTY I CONIC (W ET DREAMZ R ELOADED ) AT ECHOSTAGE

photography by Ward Morrison

54 LAST W ORD


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Jail for AnalThe use of forced anal examinations to prosecute men suspected of being

homosexual persists in some countries

I T’S BEEN CONDEMNED BY THE UNITED NATIONSas a form of torture, has its roots in a nearly two-century-old medical myth, and has been rejected by generationsof physicians. But the use of forced anal exams on mensuspected of receiving anal sex shows no signs of abating.Despite overwhelming evidence against the destructive prac-tice and growing criticism of its use, some countries continueto subject men to it regardless. Why? To prosecute them forhomosexuality.

As part of the examinations, which often occur after neigh-bors or relatives of the accused report their suspicions to thelocal authorities, subjects are arrested and taken to hospitals.Once there, doctors penetrate their rectums with ngers andoften other objects, allegedly to determine the tone of the analsphincter. But even worse than the treatment that the menreceive is that these “tests” are based on junk science — anyevidence gathered through the examinations is specious at best.

The root of anal examinations to determine homosexu-ality comes from a now-discredited theory promulgated in1857 by Auguste Ambroise Tardieu, a French forensic doctor.Tardieu published a paper, “Forensic Study of Assaults AgainstDecency,” which alleged that there were six signs that wouldpoint to whether a man had engaged in receptive anal sex. Some

of those signs included well-developed buttocks, a “funneling”of the tissue around the anus, and even the presence of stulasor hemorrhoids.

“These are ideas that were very quickly discredited by otherEuropean forensic specialists,” says Neela Ghoshal, a seniorLGBT rights researcher for Human Rights Watch, a nonprotorganization that monitors and ghts against human rightsabuses across the globe. “The next generation of forensic doc-tors completely discarded this idea, because it wasn’t based onany actual studies. It was just theorizing. But in the meantime,this theory made its way to Egypt. And somehow, from there,the idea spread to other parts of the world.”

Ghoshal says it’s unclear why the practice took root in somenations, but not in others. There’s also no religious link, asthe known practitioners are essentially split in half betweenChristian- and Muslim-majority nations. One commonality isthat most of the countries in question typically enforce theirhomosexuality laws with some regular degree of frequen-cy, most notably Egypt, where nearly every person arrestedfor “debauchery” has been taken to the Forensic MedicineAuthority, which is part of the country’s Ministry of Justice.However, Ghoshal notes that there are some exceptions to thatrule, such as Kenya, which has very few prosecutions of homo-

L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comWalmart won’t discuss its trans bathroom policyFourth Circuit upholds trans student ruling

by John Riley


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11METROWEEKLY.COM JUNE 2, 2016


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LGBTNews

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sexuality yet had a prominent case last year where anal examswere used against two men in 2015.

“That particular case, the police caught two guys. Therewas a particular scandal related to pornography,” Ghoshal says.“They were looking for scapegoats. They were under pressureto come up with some way to nail these guys, and my specula-tion is that police in Kenya had heard about the use of analexams in Uganda, and thought, ‘There, we’ve got them. Thisis how we’re going to pin this on these guys.’ So I think there’ssometimes cross-pollination between neighboring countries.”

The two Kenyans have since brought a lawsuit challengingthe constitutionality of anal exams, and are seeking a court rul-ing to stop the practice. That challenge is currently working itsway through the courts.

Tunisia was another recent target of criticism, after theUnited Nations Committee Against Torture last week con-demned their use of forced anal exams. But human rightsadvocates have reported incidents of similar tests being done onmen suspected of homosexuality in at least ve other countriesin the past ve years. Those countries are: Cameroon, Lebanon,Turkmenistan, Uganda and Zambia. There are also reports ofthe practice occurring in the United Arab Emirates, though

there have been no known incidents since 2010.Of those nations, Lebanon has come closest to stopping the

practice. Lebanese grassroots activists, led by the group LegalAgenda, began an effective campaign that labeled anal exams as“tests of shame” and called their practice a form of rape. In 2012,

due to their efforts, the country’s National Medical Councilbanned the use of anal examinations as evidence of homosexu-ality, which remains criminalized. The country’s Minister ofJustice subsequently made a statement calling the practice aviolation of human rights and calling on prosecutors to stoprelying on them for convictions.

However, the decision of whether to order an anal exam isoften left up to the discretion of individual prosecutors. And,Ghoshal notes, there have been cases where police have insteadtraded anal exams for another form of torture: beating peopleseverely until they confess to being homosexuals.

In addition, eliminating anal exams in these countries wouldnot end prosecutions for homosexuality, Ghoshal warns. Evenin cases where anal exams have not been performed, LGBTpeople have been convicted on circumstantial evidence such asphotos, text messages, conversation or witness testimony thatis often speculative. In one of the more egregious cases out ofCameroon, the prosecutor claimed that the fact that two menhad been drinking Bailey’s, dubbed a “woman’s drink,” was usedas evidence that the men were homosexual.

“When you have courts that don’t really care if objectiveevidence is there to convict someone, or the courts are inu-

enced by homophobic beliefs, it’s very difcult to rely on theend of anal exams to eliminate homosexuality prosecutionsaltogether,” says Ghoshal. “But basically what it would do is takeone tool out of their arsenal, to make the prosecution that muchmore difcult.” l

JUNE 2, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM

Dial P for PrEP Dedicated apps could make accessing PrEP easier than ever

By John Riley

T HE BATTLE AGAINST HIV TRANSMISSION ISgoing digital. With the advent of PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, gay and bisexual men haveyet another option to help protect themselves fromacquiring the virus. It’s been lauded as a wonder drug, sup-ported by health professionals, and touted as an important partof securing an AIDS-free generation. The only problem is that alarge number of people still aren’t aware of it — and even morehave trouble simply accessing it.

Enter The DC Center’s HIV Prevention Working Group,which has been brainstorming ways to make PrEP available toas many people as possible. Two years ago, the Center proposedcreating a mobile app that would not only connect people toresources that offer PrEP, but would remind them when to gettheir prescription relled and guide them along the process ofobtaining Truvada, the drug’s brand name.

“At the time it was very forward-thinking,” says Brant Miller,former program manager for The DC Center. “There weren’tas many media campaigns around PrEP, but there certainlyweren’t any that were very specic to D.C.”

The DC Center applied and was approved for a $10,000grant as part of The George Washington University’s “Learningby Giving” student philanthropy program, where studentsselect local charities or nonprots deserving of nancial sup-port. The Center also received a sponsorship from the Districtof Columbia Department of Health’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STDand TB Administration (HAHSTA) and nancial support fromStonewall Kickball to help fund the development of the mobileapp, called “bePrEPed.”

They then partnered with JEL Creative, which designed thetechnical aspects of the app, and local video production rmBennett Street Media, which produced various videos for theapp. Those videos function as tutorials for users, teaching themthe basics of what PrEP is, who is eligible for it, and when totake it.

The app contains a map of clinics and health providers inD.C., Maryland and Virginia who are willing to prescribe PrEP,and a tab where users can set reminders to take their daily dose,rell their prescription, or make appointments for lab work orregularly scheduled checkups with their physician. It also con-


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plans to expand to other major metropolitan areas in the com-ing months. Asked about the out-of-pocket costs of the medica-tion, which can make PrEP unattainable to low-income users,Gangeskar said Nurx tries to connect patients with co-pay ormedication assistance programs, such as the one run by GileadPharmaceuticals, the company that creates Truvada.

To reach out to certain at-risk populations, Nurx is advertis-ing on Grindr and other social apps. Gangeskar hopes makingNurx widely available can help lower barriers to low-income orminority populations, while also affording them the opportunityto avoid uncomfortable conversations with doctors who maynot be as familiar with PrEP.

“The thing I always stress is that every request is reviewedmanually by a real doctor,” Gangeskar says. “And that doctoris free to make whatever decision they think is best, based onthe information available to them. The only thing that reallychanges is how the information is collected.”

He adds that Nurx has learned lessons from its foray into theworld of at-home delivery of birth control, and is applying thoselessons to inform how it deals with PrEP.

“With birth control, this has been studied in quite a bit ofdetail. It turns out that women, when you ask them the ques-

tions that are needed to receive birth control, are more honestwhen those questions are answered in a survey form than theyare if they’re asked face-to-face by a doctor,” Gangeskar says.“And looking at the questions you have to ask to prescribe PrEP,we have every indication to believe that the same is true there.People are not comfortable discussing their sexual history andsafe-sex practices with strangers. Making this a seamless pro-cess is something that will make this a lot easier.” l

tains information on condom use, along with a reminder thatPrEP does not prevent other sexually-transmitted infections.Miller says this was added to give users a more comprehensiveeducation on safer sex.

But he also acknowledges that The DC Center’s app largelyserves as an educational and referral service, with users havingto take the initiative to approach their own doctors or medicalproviders about PrEP. The aim, he says, is to have both doctorand patient knowledgeable of the subsequent steps they have totake, including testing and regular checkups.

For those reticent to speak about their sexual history andpractices, another, more discreet option may be on the horizon.A Californian app called Nurx, originally designed to deliverbirth control to women, has started offering access to PrEP.

According to Hans Gangeskar, a co-founder of Nurx, thecompany’s new PrEP outreach connects users directly to a realmedical doctor who can prescribe PrEP without having to gothrough a face-to-face conversation. Users answer 17 screeningquestions related to Truvada or PrEP, which are then sent toand reviewed by a licensed doctor. The doctor then orders a fullrange of testing, and the app refers patients to a laboratory, oftentrying to connect low-income or uninsured people to places

where they can nd free testing, such as the San Francisco CityClinic. If the patient’s test results come back HIV-negative, thedoctor then prescribes PrEP and the prescription is mailed tothe user.

“We’ve crafted this service very carefully so that we canidentify any PrEP indication that the CDC recognizes,” saysGangeskar.

Although the app is only available in California, Nurx has



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Helen Hayes Awardsafterparty at the

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4ADVENTURING outdoors grouphikes 10 moderately difcult mileswith about 1000 feet of elevation gainon Catoctin Mountain near Frederick,Md., to see mountain laurel in full bloom. Bring plenty of beverages,

lunch, sturdy boots, bug spray andabout $12 for fees. Carpool at 9 a.m.from Grosvenor-Strathmore MetroStation. Jeff, 301-775-9660. adventur-ing.org.

CAPTURING FIRE, an internationalspoken and poetry festival for queer-identied writers that consists ofthree days of panels, workshops andpoetry slam performances, takesplace at Keegan Theatre. 11 a.m.-mid-night. $10 Cover or free with registra-tion on Friday evening. 1742 ChurchSt. NW. For more information, visitcapreslam.org.

CENTER GLOBAL, a group focusingon LGBT rights abroad that workswith LGBT asylum seekers and refu-gees, holds its monthly meetings onthe rst Saturday of each month atThe DC Center. 12-2 p.m. 2000 14thSt. NW, Suite 105. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

The DC Center hosts a meeting ofKHUSH DC, a support group forLGBTQ South Asians. 12-2 p.m. 200014th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTHoffers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707 or andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded bymembers of the LGBT community,holds Saturday morning Shabbatservices, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddushluncheon. Services in DCJCCCommunity Room, 1529 16th St. NW. betmish.org. BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includ-ing others interested in Brazilian cul-ture, meets. For location/time, email [email protected].

FRIDAY, JUNE 3CAPTURING FIRE, an internationalspoken and poetry festival for queer-identied writers that consists ofthree days of panels, workshops andpoetry slam performances. Takesplace at Coffy Cafe. 8 p.m.-12 a.m.Registration at 6 p.m. $10 Cover orfree with registration. 3310 14th St.NW. For more information, visit cap-reslam.org.

GAY DISTRICT, a group for GBTQImen between the ages of 18-35, meetson the rst and third Fridays of eachmonth. 8:30-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit gaydistrict.org.

LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP foradults in Montgomery County offersa safe space to explore coming outand issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,Gaithersburg, Md. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

The DC Center hosts a meeting ofits TRANS SUPPORT GROUPfortransgender people and those whoidentify outside of the gender binary.7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.For more information, visit thedc-center.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-afrming social group for ages 11-24.4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHTprovidesa social atmosphere for GLBT andquestioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].

THURSDAY, JUNE 2GAMMA, a condential supportgroup for men who are gay, bisexual,questioning and who are marriedor involved with a woman, meets inFrederick, Md., on the rst Thursdayof every month. GAMMA also offers

additional meetings in Northern Virginia and Washington. 6:30-8:30p.m. Grace United Church of Christ,25 E. 2nd St., Frederick, Md. Formore information or to RSVP, visitGAMMAinDC.org or meetup.com/ GAMMAinDC.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and les-

bian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City ChristianChurch, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLESNorthern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810Sunrise Valley Drive, second-oor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155

or [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group isindependent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIPINSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL YouthCenter, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,[email protected].

Metro Weekly’s Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-areaLGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.Event information should be sent by email to [email protected] for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursday’s publication.Questions about the calendar may be directed to theMetro Weekly ofce at 202-638-6830 orthe calendar email address.

LGBTCommunityCalendarDC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org. DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club welcomes all levels forexercise in a fun and supportive envi-ronment, socializing afterward. Meet9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for awalk; or 10 a.m. for fun run. dcfront-

runners.org. DC SENTINELS basketball teammeets at Turkey Thicket RecreationCenter, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4p.m. For players of all levels, gay orstraight. teamdcbasketball.org. DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more info, visit dig-nitynova.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discussescritical languages and foreign lan-guages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St. NW.RVSP preferred. [email protected].

SUNDAY, JUNE 5CAPTURING FIRE, an internationalspoken and poetry festival for queer-identied writers that consists ofthree days of panels, workshops andpoetry slam performances, takesplace at Keegan Theatre. 2-10 p.m.$10 Cover or free with registration onFriday evening. 1742 Church St. NW.For more information, visit capre-slam.org.

CHRYSALIS arts & culture grouptakes walking tour of Old Town Alexandria. Free. Optional brunchfollows. Meet at 10 a.m. inside KingStreet Metro Station near stationattendant’s kiosk. Craig, 202-462-0535. [email protected].

DC Strokes Rowing Club seeks volunteers to help out with theannual STONEWALL REGATTA. 6:30a.m.-5 p.m. Report to the AnacostiaCommunity Boathouse at 1900 MSt. SE. For more information, visitstonewallregatta.org or contact BachPolakowski at [email protected].

WEEKLY EVENTS

LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULSMEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m., HighMass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave.NW. 202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DIGNITYUSAoffers Roman CatholicMass for the LGBT community. 6


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p.m., St. Margaret’s Church, 1820Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.Sign interpreted. For more info, visitdignitynova.org.

FRIENDS MEETING OFWASHINGTON meets for worship,10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,Quaker House Living Room (next toMeeting House on Decatur Place),2nd oor. Special welcome to lesbi-ans and gays. Handicapped accessiblefrom Phelps Place gate. Hearingassistance. quakersdc.org.

HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORTGROUP for gay men living in the DCmetro area. This group will be meet-ing once a month. For informationon location and time, visit H2gether.com.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUALDEVELOPMENT, God-centered newage church & learning center. SundayServices and Workshops event. 5419Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OFREFORMATIONinvites all to Sundayworship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare isavailable at both services. WelcomingLGBT people for 25 years. 212 EastCapitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday Schoolat 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373, mccdc.com.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,a Christ-centered, interracial, wel-coming-and-afrming church, offersservice at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OFARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-and-afrming congregation, offersservices at 10 a.m. Virginia RainbowUU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd.uucava.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONALMEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-ing and inclusive church. GLBTInterweave social/service groupmeets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,

Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.

MONDAY, JUNE 6The DC Center hosts a VOLUNTEERNIGHTfor community membersto lend a hand with various duties,including cleaning, keeping safe-sexkit inventory, and sorting through book donations. Pizza provided.6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUALmeets 6:30-8 p.m. atQuaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. [email protected].

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.

NOVASALUDoffers free HIV testing.5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

SMYALoffers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or [email protected].

THE DC CENTERhosts Coffee Drop-In for the Senior LGBT Community.10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

US HELPING UShosts a black gaymen’s evening afnity group. 3636Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATE

POLO TEAMpractices 7-9 p.m.Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 VanBuren St. NW. Newcomers with atleast basic swimming ability alwayswelcome. Tom, 703-299-0504, [email protected], wetskins.org.

WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTHHIV/AIDS Support Group for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].

TUESDAY, JUNE 7Google and Automatic/WordPress areteaming up to host ACCELERATE.LGBT, a free conference focused onhelping LGBT-run or LGBT-focusedorganizations grow their online pres-ence. The event will take place online.Participants may also sign up for20-minute one-on-one sessions with aWordPress or Google expert. To regis-ter, visit accelerate.lgbt/events/dc.

Join Capital Pride and Center Faithfor the annual CAPITAL PRIDEINTERFAITH SERVICE, featuringrepresentatives and speakers from various religious traditions. 7:30-9p.m. Covenant Baptist United Church


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of Christ, 3845 S. Capitol St. SW. Formore information, visit dccenterfaith.org or capitalpride.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTHoffers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly din-ner in Dupont/Logan Circle area,6:30 p.m. [email protected], afwash-ington.net.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/ walking/social club serving greaterD.C.’s LGBT community and allieshosts an evening run/walk. dcfront-runners.org.

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVEoffers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].

HIV TESTINGat Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

THE HIV WORKING GROUPof THEDC CENTER hosts “Packing Party,”where volunteers assemble safe-sexkits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green CourtNW. thedccenter.org.

IDENTITYoffers free and conden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg at 301-300-9978 orTakoma Park at 301-422-2398.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTERoffersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focused meeting everyTuesday, 7 p.m. St. George’sEpiscopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave.,

Arlington, just steps from VirginiaSquare Metro. For more info. callDick, 703-521-1999. Handicappedaccessible. Newcomers welcome. [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. CathyChu, 202-567-3163, [email protected].

US HELPING UShosts a supportgroup for black gay men 40 and older.7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

Whitman-Walker Health’s GAYMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 1701 14thSt. NW. Patients are seen on walk-in basis. No-cost screening for HIV,syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.Hepatitis and herpes testing availablefor fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8DODPRIDE, the Department ofDefense’s LGBT employee resourcegroup, hosts its annual PRIDEMONTH EVENT at the Pentagon.Event will feature a video presentationwith individual and group seles. 11:30a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pentagon Courtyard. Visitors must be accompanied by a badge holder. For more information, visit facebook.com/DoDPrideEvents.

RAINBOW RESPONSE, a coali-tion dedicated to combating LGBTQintimate partner violence, holds itsmonthly meeting at The DC Centeron the second Wednesday of everymonth. 6-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitrainbowresponse.org.

The DC Center holds a meeting ofFREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a sup-port group for LGBT people who arelooking to quit cigarettes and tobaccouse. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite

105. For more information, visit thedc-center.org.

The DC Center holds a monthly plan-ning meeting of its HIV PREVENTIONWORKING GROUP. 6-8 p.m. 200014th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB meetsfor Duplicate Bridge. 7:30 p.m. DignityCenter, 721 8th St SE (across fromMarine Barracks). No reservationsneeded. All welcome. 202-841-0279 if you need a partner. l

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A N ASSIGNMENT FOR A CLOWN CLASS AT THE Yale School of Drama prompted Maulik Pancholyto come out to his parents.

“It was about nding your inner-clown, thething that’s funny about you,” he says. “We had to

sing these songs about dreams in our life, just jump up on stageand start singing. I started singing about how I need to come outto my mom. That night, I went home and called my mom. It’smoments like that made me realize how intensely personal act-ing is, how your own life is so intricately tied to your ability tobring something to the character.”

It’s a life lesson Pancholy is bringing to his interpretation andportrayal of Katherina in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s

production of The Taming of the Shrew . Calling upon his awk-ward teenage years and his feelings of being different, Pancholysees similar parallels with his character.

“I just had, especially in my teen years, this sense I wasn’tthe same as everyone around me. I knew that I was a little bitdifferent, and that other people were aware that I was a little dif-ferent, and I don’t know why that was,” he says. “I think there’selements of that that are part of the play. Kate is someone whodoesn’t t into society in the way they want her to, and as muchas she is unwilling to yield to that, I think it leaves her very lonelyand sad that she can’t nd a place to t in.”

As a child, Pancholy was always drawn to the arts. After highschool, he majored in theater at Northwestern University, beforemoving to Los Angeles to try and jumpstart his career. He latermoved east to attend Yale School of Drama, before nally set-tling in New York, which he now considers home.

It was there, almost twelve years ago, that he met his hus-band, Ryan. They’ve been married for two years, but Pancholy’sacting career, which takes him to Los Angeles, Washington, andelsewhere, often leads to navigating the challenges of a long-distance relationship.

“We have this rule where every three weeks, if we’re away,one of us will go out to visit the other,” he says. “Right before Iwas doing this play, I was in L.A. for six weeks and home for two.I was like, ‘I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t do it. I’ve been awayfor so long.’ You’d think it’d get easier the longer you’ve beentogether, but actually, it gets harder to be away.”

During the course of his career, Pancholy has appeared bothin movies, from Hitch to See You in September , and one-timeroles in major television dramas like Charmed , Law & Order:Criminal Intent , and The Good Wife . He also voiced recurringcharacter Baljeet Tjinder in Phineas and Ferb . But his mostnotable roles are those of Sanjay Patel in Weeds and Jonathan,Jack Donaghy’s assistant, on 30 Rock. Both series, as well as afour-episode run on Web Therapy and a two-episode stint onThe Comeback , have allowed him to work with actors like AlecBaldwin, Tina Fey, Mary-Louise Parker, and Lisa Kudrow —opportunities for which he is grateful.

“It’s such a gift,” he says. “Honestly, when you’re acting withthem, you can just empty out and play along, because they’re

bringing so much to the table.”Pancholy is eagerly embracing his role as Kate in a pro-duction where the actors must transition seamlessly betweenShakespeare’s original text and modern-day musical numbers.

“The difference with TV is that you don’t have a 200-pagescript. You have the rst episode and you’re building, or thewriters are building, the character as you go on,” he says.“Whereas, with a play like The Taming of the Shrew and espe-cially with Shakespeare, there’s so much textual information.

“Shakespeare is constantly having characters play with theaudience, and in some ways, it’s like getting the audience on

your side, especially when you’re in a two-person scene,” headds. “In the wooing scene between Kate and Petruchio, there’sa big sense of him being like, ‘Can you believe her?’ and her beinglike, ‘Can you believe him?’ and trying to get the audience to seewho’s going to come out on top. They both leave that scene feel-ing like they’ve won.”

His time at Shakespeare Theatre Company has also intro-duced him to the Washington theater scene and a number ofD.C.-based actors, with whom he stars in Shrew. While the playis running, he’s living in the same building as other out-of-townactors and creative team members, a situation he compares toa stayover at summer camp. Being in the same location helpsincrease the familiarity and on-stage chemistry, particularlywith co-star Peter Gadiot, who plays Kate’s suitor-turned-hus-band Petruchio.

“This play has been emotionally and physically quite demand-

Maulik’s Panoply Refusing to be typecast as the Asian-American sidekick, Maulik Pancholy has racked up an

impressive number of credits on television, including 30 Rock and Weeds . Now he’s tackling hisbiggest challenge yet — playing Katherina in an all-male production of

Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew.

Interview by John Riley


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ing, so it’s not like we’re going out together every night, but wewalk home together and chill for a little bit,” Pancholy says.“Even doing 30 Rock in New York, you work with the peopleyou’re working with, and then you go home. There’s somethingnice about being a part of something that lives a little bit outsidethe workplace.”

METRO WEEKLY: Did you always have the “theater bug,” or was act-ing something you gravitated to as an adult?MAULIK PANCHOLY: No, I always had it. When I was ve, I wastelling my parents that I wanted to be an actor. My cousins andI, we’d always put on shows for our family. Every summer, whenwe’d all get together, we put on these musical and dance shows.We actually charged our parents money. By junior high, I wasdoing community theater. I played the piano as a kid. The artswere always the thing that I just gravitated towards.

I wasn’t the most comfortable in my own skin growing up.I was kind of awkward. I was denitely a nerd. I didn’t evenknow how to frame my sexuality at that point, but I think otherpeople were aware of it, so that made me uncomfortable. I wasa scrawny, little Indian kid living in the Midwest, and then inTampa, Florida. I feel like watching movies, or even playing thepiano, it gave me this outlet, this thing to, in a way, disappear

into. For a long time, I thought that the joy of acting is that youget to disappear. Now, as a hopefully more mature actor, I actu-ally think that the joy of acting is that you get to show up, thatyou get to bring so much more of yourself to it. I would say that’sprobably one of the bigger journeys that I had to take as an actor,is learning that it’s not about losing yourself in a character, butit’s about bringing yourself to the character.MW: When did you nally come out?PANCHOLY: It took me a while. I didn’t really admit it even tomyself until my mid-twenties. For me, it was a little bit of dip-

ping my toe in the water, doing what I wanted. Then, nallyhaving my rst boyfriend, which gave me the courage to ownit to myself and to most of the people around me. But of coursecoming out is a always a gradual process.MW: How did your family take it?PANCHOLY: It took them a little while, but my mom is incrediblysupportive. My dad’s been incredibly supportive. They bothcame to my wedding. My mom walked me down the aisle. Theylove my husband, Ryan. All my cousins, who I grew up with likesiblings, my sister, they’re so incredibly loving and supportive.I’ve had some family members who have not been on board,which has been challenging. For the most part, I would say 98percent of the people around me have been really incredible.

Ryan and I actually took a trip to India in 2013. We gotengaged at the Taj Mahal. We met family and they all knew whoRyan was, and they all treated him like he was part of the family.In some ways, they were even more into it than some of my fam-ily in America, which is so interesting.MW: Where did you and Ryan rst meet?PANCHOLY: We met at a pool party on Fire Island. It is not neces-sarily the place you’d think you’re going to meet your future hus-band. Certainly, when we rst met, I think we thought it was justa fun day at the beach. But we met at a pool party and, this July,

it’ll be twelve years we’ve beentogether and in September we’llbe two years married. So, yeah,it worked out. I do remember,after we had this awesome daytogether, leaving Fire Island andbeing like, “Oh, man. I wonder ifanything’s going to happen withthis.” Then, I think the very nextweekend, we went on our rstreal date. He’s incredible.MW: Whose idea was it to getengaged at the Taj Mahal?

PANCHOLY: We kind of pre-planned it. We bought rings inNew York and took them withus. We’ve been together for solong and at that point, we’re like,we’re going to ask each other atthe Taj Mahal. Then, our tourguide was like, “Don’t take any-thing of value with you becausethey’re going to throw all yourbags.” We didn’t end up takingour rings to the Taj Mahal. Thetour guide, I don’t know if heknew we were gay or a couple,but he gave us this tour and then,at the very end of it, he was like,“Alright. I’m going to leave you

guys alone for twenty minutes. Walk around. Do whatever youwant.” Then, he looked right at us both. “If there’s any promisesyou need to make to each other, now is the time to do it.” Wewere like, what is going on? He left us alone and suddenly, wewere there. We’ve been together for so long, but we were sud-denly both quite vulnerable and we didn’t really know what todo.

I think I asked rst, “So, will you marry me?” It was quitebeautiful. The Taj Mahal, I don’t know if you’ve ever been,but it’s massive. I’m sure there were 10,000 people, but what I

S C O T T S U C H M A N

Pancholy (center) inThe Taming of the Shrew


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remember of that moment is being quiet, alone with each otherin a really nice way. He said yes and I said to him. Then, we wentback to our hotel that night and exchanged rings outside of thehotel. The tour guide part of that is one of my favorites. I haveno idea what he was thinking, or what he thought after he cameback to get us.MW: Where did you get married?PANCHOLY: East Hampton. We have a house up there, and so wehad a party at our house. We’re actually on a harbor, and acrossthe harbor, there’s this really good venue which you can see fromour house. We got married across thewater, which is so cool.

We talked about getting marriedbefore we did. We had said that wewere going to wait, we’re going towait until it’s legal in New York.But when we got married, we’d beentogether at that point for ten years.So we just thought of it as a party.And when it actually happened, Iwas like, “Oh, I get why this traditionhas lasted for so long.” It does meansomething to have 140 people saying,

“We love you and support you, andare witness to your relationship.”MW: Let’s talk about The Taming ofthe Shrew . What should an audiencemember take away from your por-trayal of Kate?PANCHOLY: I’m hoping that it’s really complex. To be honest, Ithink sometimes it’s a little hard to articulate. The thing thatpeople have so much trouble with in this play is Kate’s nalspeech. In this production and the way I’ve seen it, and the waythat we’ve staged it, I think the truth that I’m nding is herability to let go of her ego, her anger at the world, her envy ofher sister, and her need to be right all the time. I think in that

speech, she gets the chance to forgive. She forgives her father.That speech starts off as, “Okay, you’re betting on me. Can I dothis? Is this an opportunity for me to win?” And it becomes thisintensely personal thing for her, where although the words are“This is what a woman owes her husband,” I think that she’sactually talking about a very specic journey for herself, that ithas taught her that she has the opportunity to be happy and to beloved, and to love, and to forgive, and that feels so much betterfor her than to be angry, and jealous, and vindictive.

I think that’s a truth that I get. That it’s not easy to forgive. Ifeel like that anger that we hold on to actually ends up hurtingourselves more than it ever hurts anyone else. That’s somethingthat I don’t think I would’ve understood maybe ve or six yearsago.MW: What have you had to let go of that’s been freeing for you?PANCHOLY: I’d say a lot of things, to be honest. As an actor, Ilearned to let go of anger around certain things, the need tocompete with others.MW: It’s interesting that you say that, because acting is considereda dog-eat-dog world.PANCHOLY: I think that is part of one of the things that I’ve seen,is you can ght, ght, ght and be like, “Motherfucker. Whydidn’t I get this job?” or “That’s not fair.” Or you can say, “Oh,that’s what the world is. You get this one but you’re not going toget the next one.” You get the choice on how you want to live. Ifeel like Kate gets that choice in the end. It’s like, “Okay. This isthe society that I’m in. This is society’s betting on what women

are going to do. Am I going to win in this moment, or am I goingto go back to my old way of being?” I think she actually wins.

At the end of the play, she has found true love, which very fewpeople in that play have. She’s escaping that society. She’s nottied to the riches of Padua, the way the she was in the

beginning, and even though she abhors it, I think she wasstill so tied into it. She says, “Then vail your stomachs, for it is noboot,” which to me, means “put away your pride, because it’s nota big deal.” It’s not a big deal to, in any given moment, say, “Youknow what? I’ll do this because it gives me more freedom than

holding onto something that I have to hold onto so strongly.” Ithink she wins in that moment.MW: In the program for the show, it mentions that today, and evenmore than a hundred years ago, in the time of George BernardShaw, Kate’s speech would be interpreted as, “Oh my God. This isso degrading to a woman. It’s so awful.” PANCHOLY: It’s interesting. I feel like one of the things the direc-tor wanted to do in casting all men is to take away the idea of

what it’s like to hear a woman say these words. “Shakespearein the Park” in New York City is doing an all-female productionright now, which I wish I could see.

For me, I see Shrew as an independent journey about thisone particular woman in this one particular situation. The morespecic that becomes, I’m hoping it has greater resonance. Idon’t think of her as the leader of all women. But I will say thatthe way we have worked this play, the women in the play ndsolidarity in the end.

I think that’s another way that Kate wins, because in thebeginning, she has no female friends. In fact, there are only threewomen in this entire play. For her to leave with these other twowomen on her side is huge. It’s interesting to me that in this play,I don’t know if people see this, but there’s no mother. There’sliterally no other woman for Kate to have a connection to.MW: What are some of the challenges faced by actors of color?PANCHOLY: When I rst started acting right out of college, thelimitation on the kind of roles that were available to me feltreally challenging. I had early TV gigs. I did roles where I’m theforeign exchange student in a turban, eating weird food, burningincense, and just having to do roles that felt very two-dimen-sional at best, one-dimensional often, and feeling like there isreally no possibility to play other things. Doing this production,and getting to play a woman, but also the lead of a Shakespeareplay who’s got such a huge, emotional life, versus the foreignexchange student whose job is to make you laugh because hehas an accent, that feels really important to me. Obviously, I

“I left college thinking the world wasopen to me. When I got to L.A., people

were like, ‘OH, YOU’RE BROWN. YOU CAN COME IN FOR THE SIDE

CHARACTER WITH THE FUNNY

ACCENT.’ IT WAS SUCH A SLAP TO THE FACE.”


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think my career has shifted a lot from those early days to whatit is now.

One of the big challenges for a person of color — and I thinkactually, actors who were openly gay often face this, though it’shappening less and less now — is to be able to let people knowthat you can play other things than the thing that they immedi-ately see in you. I talk about this a lot when I get to colleges, butwhen I was at Northwestern, I was really young and the theaterprogram was not as diverse as it probably is now. We werestudying Moliere and Shakespeare, and Ibsen and Chekhov, all

white playwrights, and I left thinking the world was open to me.When I got to L.A., people were like, “Oh, you’re brown. Youcan come in for the side character with the funny accent.” It wassuch a slap to the face. It was like, “The world doesn’t see me theway I see the world.” It was challenging. We still face it.

MW:Why do you think there is still that bias in Hollywood and intheater, particularly against Asian-Americans?PANCHOLY: You know, I don’t know. I wish I knew, because Ifeel like if we knew exactly what it was, we could eradicate it.I will say that when I rst started auditioning for TV, I wouldhave a hard time seeing myself in the role because there wereno other brown actors on TV. We just think, “Oh, that’s the waythe world is,” and no one’s willing to change it. There’s a level ofacceptance around that that is really damaging.

And then if you take someone who’s not a person of color,who’s much older, or is running a studio, if they can’t see it,they’re not going to allow that to happen in their lm or theirTV show or their theater gig. Part of it is this subtle mindset that just says, “We don’t see you.” Then, they further that by white-washing things, like with Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stonegetting to play Asian characters, and literally saying, “Well, thatcharacter doesn’t need to be Asian anymore. We’d rather see thisperson.” We perpetuate this idea that the world is just all white,when in fact it isn’t.

I think there’s good proof that when shows like Fresh Off the Boat or Black-ish do really well, it’s like, “Oh, look. People actu-ally do want to see a representation of the world they live in.” We just have to be risky enough to give it to them.MW: Is there a difference between live theater and TV in terms ofcasting and the limitations that are placed on you as an actor ofcolor?PANCHOLY: I think that theater people would like to think the-

ater’s more open, but I don’t think it necessarily is. Certainly intheater and in a lot of Shakespeare, there’s a history of color-blind casting, but I don’t think it happens nearly as much aspeople would like to think it happens. In fact, because I’ve doneso much TV in the last decade or so, I haven’t had the oppor-tunity to do as much theater as I would’ve liked to, but I haveactor friends in New York who complain of the same thing that Icomplain about in TV happening in theater all the time.MW: Would you ever or have you ever thought of branching outof comedy and going into a serious drama?

PANCHOLY: Yeah, 100 percent. I love doing comedy.When I’m handed a TV script and it’s for a comedy, Ifeel like I understand the rhythms of it, like that makessense to me, but I would 100 percent do a drama.MW: If you could do any role, Shakespeare or otherwise,what would it be?PANCHOLY: I am drawn to characters who seem hardon the outside, but are quite emotionally vulnerableon the inside. I think that’s true of Kate. I think that’sone of the reasons when [director] Ed [Iskandar] pres-sured me about doing the play and I read it, I was like,“I want to have a go with this.” So I’d be interested inthat.

I will say this, I’m working on writing a TV projectwith one of the writers from 30 Rock and creating arole for myself. I can’t say too much about it, but I’mhoping that that’ll move forward, too. I’m trying tobring a lot of personal stuff into it, in a comedic, buta darkly comedic way. We’re in the midst of workingon that script. That’s the next thing that I’m actuallyreally excited about. Also, I think as an actor, so often

waiting for the role to come along and then, when it does, youstill have to deal with the director. The idea of writing and creat-ing something where you can actually put what you want on thepage is exciting.MW: Was there a role that created a pivotal moment for you in the

way you approach acting?PANCHOLY: At the beginning of Season 3 of Weeds , my charactercame out of the closet. No one told me that was going to hap-pen. I was sitting in my apartment in New York and got mailedmy script. I was like, “Oh, God. My character is going to comeout of the closet. What is that going to be like?” I was pretty outthen, but I hadn’t really been out in a very public — I mean, likein print — kind of way. I remember just having anxiety aroundwhat it’s going to be like to play an openly gay character on TV.

It was actually one of the best things that could’ve happened,because suddenly, this character had so much life on the showand got to play some really interesting things. It’s one of thosegreat things about facing your fears and all will be okay. I’m sograteful that they wrote that for me. Now I don’t think twiceabout a gay character. I mean, I do think about how that charac-ter is being used in the same way that I would think about if anIndian character is solely there to be the butt of jokes with hisaccent. I wouldn’t want to do it if the gay character is there to bemade fun of for being gay. It’s not interesting to me. If the gaycharacter is there to further the story and have an interestingemotional journey, yeah, hands down. Give it to me. l

William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, runs through June 26 at the ShakespeareTheatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Fortickets and more information, call 202-547-1122 or visit shake-spearetheatre.org.

“When we got married, we’d been together for ten years. We just thought of itas a party. When it actuallyhappened, I SUDDENLY WAS

LIKE, ‘OH, I GET WHYTHIS TRADITION HASLASTED FOR SO LONG.’”


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been illustrating covers for the magazine since 2011.“I think the simpler covers are usually the best,” Brooks says

of his work, which has depicted everything from issues of potlegalization to marriage equality at the Supreme Court. “It reallydoes sum up the recent gay and lesbian history of D.C. That’sthe luxury of illustration as opposed to photography. I can putin anything I want.

“I do a lot of shows and this is a different way to get my workout there and express myself,” he points out. “I’ve had a reallylong relationship with Metro Weekly — it’s an honor to work onthese covers.”

“Diversity has always been very important at Metro Weekly ,”Franson says. “In choosing the images for this show, I wanted toreect that, as well as the wide variety of tones and styles of myimages. I have fond memories from all these shoots.”

— Doug Rule

W HAT MAKES A GOOD COVER? IT HAS TOengage the viewer. It has to make them want topick up the magazine,” says Todd Franson. “It’salso about balance. The image has to be strong

enough to grab attention, but also hold up visually with text anda logo on it.”

And if anyone should know, it’s Franson, who has been pho-tographing covers for Metro Weekly since 1995 (his rst was ashot of empty pie-shells awaiting lling at Food & Friends). Asart director, Franson has photographed “at least 500” covers forthe magazine, an astonishing amount by any measure.

For the next six weeks, the Anacostia Arts Center will show-case a dozen of Franson’s favorite Metro Weekly cover photos,sans logo and text, in “Uncovered.” The exhibit, which opens onSaturday, June 4 with a public reception, also features ten richlydetailed works by Scott G. Brooks, a world-class artist who has

Cover Worthy Todd Franson and Scott Brooks join forces with a new exhibit

showcasing their years of cover work for Metro Weekly


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BOB MOULD“Bob and I thought it would be cool to pose him in front ofhandwritten lyrics,” Franson says. “He used chalkboard painton a wall of his home studio and wrote out the lyrics. I had oftenused long exposures with a ashlight in my personal work, andthought it would be cool to have Bob write his name in light.After a few tests, we realized that to have his hand land in theright spot, he would have to write his name backwards, andfrom bottom to top of the last ‘B.’ Getting a nice portrait of himand right light effect in the same exposure took many, manytries. But Bob was very patient and eager to make it work.”

GOPROUD“The pink elephant is one of the rst covers I did, and you get themessage right away,” says Brooks. “I tried to treat [Chris Barronand Jimmy LaSalvia] from GOProud with respect and dignity,despite our political differences. It was a fun way to do it.”


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KENDRA KULIGAWhen it was published in 2004, the popular drag king’s photowas cropped at the waist with readers unaware that there wasmore to it. “I remember thinking, ‘We’ll never use this, but wemight as well just shoot it,’” laughs Franson. “It was shot to becropped in the rst place, but now it’ll nally be seen in full.”

THE POT ISSUE“The Pot Issue was fun to do,” Brooks recalls. “I’m certainly anadvocate of legalization. To sneak in the Alice in Wonderlandmotif was fun, too.”

CLINTON AND DOMA“This was based on the Schoolhouse Rock video I’m Just a Bill ,”Brooks says. “I initially thought it would be easy to draw Clintonbut it was actually very difcult. It’s one of the simpler designsI’ve done, which helps make it work.”

DJ MANDRILL

“DJ Mandrill is an early conceptual color cover and possibly therst where I used Photoshop,” Franson says. “I hadn’t conceivedthe shot before I arrived at his house. He had these colored vinylrecords and a pedestal. I wasn’t sure of my naive Photoshopskills at this time, but it came together effortlessly — you’d neverknow he was sitting on a plaster pedestal in his kitchen.” l

The opening reception for Uncovered is Saturday, June 4, from 6to 9 p.m. The exhibit runs to July 16 at Vivid Solutions Gallery in

the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE.Call 202-631-6291 or visit anacostiaartscenter.com.


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JUNE 2 - 9, 2016Compiled by Doug Rule

C O U R T E S Y O F W E B S T E R P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S

Hathaway, the Isley Brothers, Al B.Sure, SWV, Blackstreet, and a tributeto late Earth, Wind & Fire founderMaurice white. Toni Braxton, Tamiaand Rick James’ Original Stone CityBand are among the R&B headlinerson Day Three. David Sanborn, Piecesof a Dream, Take 6 and Will Downingare some of the true jazz attractions.Friday, June 3, to Sunday, June 5.Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia.Tickets are $59.50 to $192. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit capitaljazz.com.

CAPITAL PRIDE’SMUSIC IN THE NIGHTThe Hamilton Live presents the fth

annual Capital Pride musical cabaret

show. Hosted by Joshua Morgan, itspotlights local vocalists, many of themfamiliar to area theatergoers, includingNova Payton, Shayna Blass, MichaelMainwaring and Jobari Parker. Specialout-of-town Broadway regulars KyleDean Massey and Wesley Taylor will join in the glee. Monday, June 6, at 7:30p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW.Tickets are $20. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

HEDDA GABLERMark O’Rowe’s contemporary adapta-tion of Henrik Ibsen’s classic intendsto provide a nuanced portrait of one ofthe most fascinating gures in moderndrama, with a mesmerizing study ofpower, control and self-deception. Matt

Torney directs Julia Coffey in the titlerole in this Studio Theatre production,also featuring Avery Clark, KimberlySchraf, Michael Early, Kimiye Corwin,Shane Kenyon and Rosemary Regan.To June 19. Studio Theatre, 14th & PStreets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visitstudiotheatre.org.

ROYAL SWEDISH BALLETThe world’s fourth oldest ballet com-pany returns with a bang, offering theNorth American premiere of Mats Ek’s Juliet and Romeo , a provocative take onShakespeare’s immortal tragedy. Led by artistic director Johannes Ohman,the piece is set in a stark, violent 21stCentury and told from a feisty Juliet’spoint of view. The Royal Swedish

SPOTLIGHTCAPITAL JAZZ FESTThe music of New Edition and last year’s Capital Pride performers En Vogue is certainly inuenced by jazz, yet you wouldn’t traditionally expectthese former R&B/pop hitmakinggroups to headline a jazz festival. Yethere they are, headlining Day Oneof the three-day 24th Capital JazzFest, held the rst weekend in Juneat Merriweather Post Pavilion. Andthey’re hardly alone. As ever, soul andfunk acts are mixed in with the name-sake genre — and are the most popu-lar draws, such as the sold-out, soul-heavy Day Two lineup featuring Lalah

Non-committalDolly Parton may — or may not — speak out agains

legislation Friday in North Carolina

I ’ve seen all that commotion,” Dolly Parton says, referring to the controversysurrounding HB2, North Carolina’s blatantly anti-gay bill. “But I don’t seeany need to be canceling the show.” That show would be this Friday’sappearance in the state, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. It kicks off thecountry legend’s rst major U.S. tour in 25 years.

“I think everybody should be treated great and with respect, and everybodyknows that about me,” she says. “I can address whatever my thoughts are, if needbe, from the stage.”

Let’s hope she does. The most honored female country artist of all time haslong gone against the grain in the conservative-leaning country music world byexhibiting support for the LGBT cause, including marriage equality years beforeit became the law of the land. “Through the years, everybody has known that Ihave an open, generous heart,” she says. “But I really don’t like to get caught upinto controversial issues, and I certainly don’t think it’s fair to the public.”

Parton brings her Pure & Simple Tour — which promotes the late summerrelease of a new album by the same name — to our area on Wednesday, June 8, atWolf Trap’s Filene Center. She’ll be joined by three musicians for what she her-alds as a “scaled down” production. “[It’s] not a lot of loud music,” she says. “We

don’t have a bunch of videos or anything going on in the background. It’s prettymuch just us.” She’ll perform a bevy of hits — “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,”“Coat of Many Colors,” “Here You Come Again,” “Islands in the Stream” and “9to 5” — as well as numbers from the new album. And more.

“We’ll do our little gospel thing, and we’ll have our corny jokes,” she says.“There will be fun things for everybody.” — Doug Rule

Dolly Parton performs Wednesday, June 8, at 8 p.m., at the Filene Center at WolfTrap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $45 to $150. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or

visit wolftrap.org. Her new album, Pure and Simple, will be released on August 26.


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Ballet dances the piece to a com-posite score of Tchaikovsky’s works— rather than the typical Prokoev— performed by the Kennedy CenterOpera House Orchestra. The piecewon a 2015 Olivier Award for BestNew Dance Production after a runin the U.K. Remaining performancesThursday, June 2, through Saturday,June 4, at 7 p.m., with an additionalperformance Saturday, June 4, at 1p.m. Kennedy Center Opera House.

Tickets are $29 to $129. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

FILMHEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCHTo help kickoff Pride season,Landmark’s E Street Cinema offers ascreening of John Cameron Mitchell’squirky gender-bending tale. And likeits monthly Cine Insomnia screeningof The Rocky Horror Show — whichscreens next weekend during CapitalPride — Hedwig and the Angry Inchcomes with a live shadow cast featuringthe Sonic Transducers. Don’t forget theGummibärchen and the wig on the shelf.Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4, atmidnight. Landmark’s E Street Cinema,555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

POPSTAR:NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING Years after they stopped being cultur-ally relevant on SNL, comedy trio theLonely Island are back with their sec-ond feature lm. Andy Samberg takesthe lead as rapper Connor4Real, whosealbum bombs, forcing him to reform his boy band. Judd Apatow is on board asproducer and Sarah Silverman co-stars.Opens Friday, June 3. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

STAGE FRAMED ILLUSIONBaltimore-based, science-informedtheater organization La PetiteNoiseuse Productions — LittleTroublemaker in French — presentsa world-premiere drama by its co-founder and scientic and artisticdirector Monica Lopez-Gonzalez. Framed Illusion is billed as a grip-ping psychological thriller wranglingover what’s fact and what’s ction.

Performed in English and Italian withlive music instrumentation. OpensThursday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m. To June12. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 WestPreston St. Baltimore. Tickets are $30.Call 410-752-8558 or visit lpnproduc-tions.com.

THE MAN IN THE MASK Although known for its dialogue-free,movement-focused fare — most notablyits “silent Shakespeare” productions — Virginia’s Synetic Theater offers a rareshow with dialogue, an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ follow-up to TheThree Musketeers . Husband-and-wifeduo of director Paata Tsikurishvili and

choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili lead

C O U R T E S Y O F D C S T R O K E S


Paddle Play Stonewall Regatta kicks off 25th anniversary season for the

DC Strokes Rowing Club

T he Stonewall Regatta is not only the start of the sprint racing season, buta celebration of our proud history,” says Bach Polakowski. “It’s reallykind of spectacular to see the regatta grow year after year, and to see somany non-LGBT rowing clubs join us to celebrate LGBT access to this sport.”Polakowski, director of this year’s regatta and a member of the DC StrokesRowing Club, can’t wait for the oars to hit the water on Sunday, June 5. The23rd annual Stonewall Regatta will feature a variety of races for different boattypes, with 450 entrants from 200 teams, representing more than 20 rowingclubs from across the United States.

The regatta is named after the historic Stonewall Inn, and was rst held inNew York City in 1994 as part of Gay Games IV, before moving to Washingtonthe following year. Following the day’s racing, DC Strokes will host an after-party for all participants and spectators.

This year also marks a signicant milestone for the DC Strokes RowingClub, which celebrates its 25th anniversary at a gala to be held this fall. Thatmilestone makes it the longest-running LGBT rowing club in the United States.

“I’m grateful that the DC Strokes have been around for 25 years introducingthe sport of rowing to hundreds of people in our community,” Polakowski says.“Honestly, there’s not a whole lot of other LGBT clubs that have that distinc-tion. To exist for this length of time really speaks to how the sport is growing.”

— John Riley

The 23rd Annual Stonewall Regatta will take place on Sunday, June 5, withraces every 8 minutes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. All races start just north of the 11th

Street Bridge and nish at the Anacostia Community Boathouse, 1900 M St.SE. Volunteers are also needed to help any time from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more

information, visit stonewallregatta.org.


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BRANDY CLARK A great, lesbian country singer-song-writer, Clark has established herselfas a preeminent Nashville songwriter,writing smart, sophisticated songs,many of which have become majorhits — from “Mama’s Broken Heart”for Miranda Lambert to the twangy,gay-afrming anthem “Follow Your Arrow” for Kacey Musgraves. Three years ago, Clark released her tremen-dous, and tremendously entertaining,

album 12 Stories. “My songs are kindof dark comedy, a lot of them,” she told Metro Weekly in 2014. “Tough subjectmatter but really delivered a little bittongue in cheek.” Her sophomore set Big Day in a Small Town is set forrelease June 10, and if the rst single“Girl Next Door” is any indication,it’s every bit as fun and feisty as herdebut. Sunday, June 4, at 2 p.m. Ram’sHead On Stage, 33 West St., Annapolis.Tickets are $25. Call 410-268-4545 or visit ramsheadonstage.com.

CONGRESSIONAL CHORUS“Young, Hip & Global: The Musicof America’s Millennial Composers”

is the name of the two-hour sea-son nale concert featuring the fullCongressional Chorus, along withits American Youth Chorus andNortheast Senior Singers, specialguests the Grace Chorale of Brooklyn,and a nine-piece orchestra. It’s allpart of a program of works by a newgeneration of American composers,reecting an increasingly global anddiverse society. Saturday, June 4,

Smith returns once again to her home-town of D.C. “You want to do good athome,” she told Metro Weekly a few years ago. “Whenever I go, and there’speople there, somehow it’s always alittle surprising, but it’s also alwaysreally exciting.” Saturday, June 11.Doors at 7 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St.NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

BALTIMORE

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAJack Everly conducts the BSO anda full cast of Broadway vocalists inan encore SuperPops productionof Hairspray In Concert with JohnWaters. The ever-eccentric Watersserves as entertaining narrator in asemi-staged concert, directed andchoreographed by Jennifer Ladnerand featuring Laura Marie Rondinellaas Tracy Turnblad, Paul Vogt as EdnaTurnblad, George Wendt as WilburTurnblad, Julie Kavanagh as PennyPingleton, NaTasha Yvette Williamsas Motormouth Maybelle, MatthewScott as Link Larkin, and Kristen Scottas Amber von Tussle, among others.

The Baltimore School for the ArtsSingers serve as the chorus. Thursday,June 2, at 8 p.m. Music Center atStrathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,North Bethesda. Also Friday, June 3,at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 4, at 3 p.m.and 8 p.m., Sunday, June 5, at 3 p.m.Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall,1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Ticketsare $43 to $110. Call 410-783-8000 or visit bsomusic.org.

this swashbuckling and high-pageantry bombastic adventure, following heroD’Artagnan and the corrupt King LouisXIV. To June 19. Theater at CrystalCity, 1800 South Bell St., Arlington.Tickets are $15 to $55. Call 800-494-8497 or visit synetictheater.org.

THE WHO & THE WHATRound House Theatre presents a erceand funny new play from Ayad Akhtar( Disgraced ) about identity, religion

and inherent human contradictions,focused on a Pakistani-Americanwriter struggling between her modernlife and traditional heritage. EleanorHoldridge directs a cast includingOlivia Khoshatefeh, Brandon McCoy,Tony Mirrcandani, and Anu Yadav.To June 19. Round House Theatre,4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda.Tickets are $50 to $60. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.

MUSICALICE SMITHSoul-pop singer-songwriter AliceSmith is understated, sophisticat-ed and every bit as vocally talentedas Christina Aguilera — except hermusic, including astonishing sopho-more set She, is better. Released in2013, She charts the ups and downsand ins and outs of love, even justfriendship, with musical twists andlyrical turns as sharp and surprisingas they come. The Brooklyn-based


at 7:30 p.m. National City ChristianChurch, 5 Thomas Circle NW. Ticketsare $28. Call 202-347-2635 or visitcongressionalchorus.org.

GREGORY PORTER A bright light in contemporary American jazz, Grammy- winning baritone vocalist Gregory Porter folds blues, soul and gospel into his jazz base to create, with his ve-piece backing band and support from three

other musicians, a thoroughly capti- vating modern sound. This Blue NoteRecords signee last year even workedwith cutting-edge duo Disclosure onthe disco diva-styled house jam “HoldOn.” Porter returns to the HowardTheatre after helping celebrateHoward University’s homecomingin 2014. Monday, June 6, at 8 p.m.The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW.Tickets are $95 to $125. Tickets are$42.50 to $95. Call 202-588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.

JANE MONHEIT After last fall’s tribute to her rst hero,Judy Garland, Jane Monheit returns

to Blues Alley with a tribute to herforemost idol — “Above all, beyond anyother artist, I loved and revered Ella,”Monheit says about Ella Fitzgerald.She’s touring in support of The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald , therst release on Monheit’s Emerald CityRecords. Thursday, June 2, throughSunday, June 5, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW.Tickets are $40 to $45, plus $12 mini-


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mum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

MARCIA BALLEast Texas blues meets south-west Louisiana swamp rock in theGrammy-nominated pianist and sing-er-songwriter, who offers tastes ofroadhouse rock, jump blues, R&B, souland zydeco. Saturday, June 4, at 8:30p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW.Tickets are $35 to $40. Call 202-787-

1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

NATIONAL ORCHESTRALINSTITUTE AND FESTIVALThe Clarice Smith Performing ArtsCenter at the University of Marylandpresents its annual month-long fes-tival of professional developmentand music-making for young classi-cal musicians, culminating in severalconcerts pairing students with world-renowned conductors. Upcomingperformances include: “OrchestraUnbound,” a program featuringworks by Tchaikovsky, Haufrecht andMozart that showcase certain sec-tions of the orchestra, from strings to

woodwinds to percussion, on Friday,June 3, at 8 p.m.; “Take The Reins,” aperformance by the chamber orches-tra without a conductor, on Saturday,June 4, at 8 p.m.; and a FrenchHorn Masterclass with HoustonSymphony’s William VerMeulen, onMonday, June 6, at 7 p.m. Saturday,May 28, at 8 p.m. University ofMaryland, University Boulevard andStadium Drive. College Park. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit theclarice.umd.edu.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONICPiotr Gajewski conducts Strathmore’sresident symphony and chorale inTchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 , the

romantic Russian’s moving and dra-matic “Pathetique” symphony, alongwith two stunning pieces for chorusand orchestra by Brahms, Song of the Fates and Nanie . Saturday, June 4, at 8p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.Tickets are $39 to $89. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

WASHINGTON JEWISHMUSIC FESTIVALNow in its 17th year, the WashingtonJewish Music Festival will showcaseover a dozen acts. In addition, the4th annual WJMF Day in the Parkis an outdoor, free event featuringgames and events and music fromthe Mama Doni Band, Josh & TheJamtones and Michael WinogradKlezmer Ensemble, all set for Sunday,June 5, at 11 a.m., at Stead Park. The band Yemen Blues kicks off this year’sevent with its mix of funk, mambo,soul and ancient chanting techniqueson Saturday, June 4. Other highlightsinclude Basya Schechter of Pharaoh’sDaughter and Zion80. Festival runs toJune 15. Various venues. For ticketsand more information, visit wjmf.org.


WHO’S BAD:THE ULTIMATE MICHAELJACKSON TRIBUTE BANDFounded a decade ago in NorthCarolina, Vamsi Tadepalli’s Who’sBad: The Ultimate Michael JacksonTribute Band didn’t explode in pop-ularity until after the King of Pop’sdeath in 2009. Ever since, this infec-tious tribute production to the King ofPop has regularly offered fans a treat,putting on a show recreating Jackson’s

precise synchronized dance routines,in full regalia, from glitzy jackets toglittery gloves. Saturday, June 4. Doorsat 10 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St.NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

DANCE2016 NATIONAL COLLEGEDANCE FESTIVAL American College Dance Associationoffers a showcase of some of the nestdance works created at and selected by 31 participating dance schools and

universities, presented in three distinctprograms. Thursday, June 9, throughSaturday, June 11, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.Tickets are $25. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

COMEDYAWKWARD SEX...AND THE CITYComedians from New York relive theirmost awkward sex/dating/relation-ship moments on stage at the raun-chy storytelling event. Natalie Wallhosts a show featuring, among oth-ers, Bobby Hankinson of Towleroad,Emmy Harrington of Reno! 911, and Aaron Benoit. Saturday, June 4. Doorsat 9 p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW.Tickets are $15. Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.

GALLERIESA COLLECTOR’S VISION:WASHINGTONIANA COLLECTIONIn addition to incorporating theTextile Museum, the recently openedGeorge Washington UniversityMuseum also houses the Albert H.Small Washingtoniana Collection. Theexhibition A Collector’s Vision servesas a perfect introduction to the collec-tion, featuring maps and prints, rareletters, photographs and drawings doc-umenting the history of Washington,D.C. and donated by Small in 2011.Ongoing. The George WashingtonUniversity Museum, 701 21st St. NW.Call 202-994-5200 or visit museum.gwu.edu.

ART OF THE AIRPORT TOWERThe images of Smithsonian photog-rapher Carolyn Russo offer a journeyexamining contemporary and historicair trafc control towers in this exhibition at the Air and Space Museum.


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LUMINOUS LANDSCAPES:PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAN WARDThe National Building Museum offersan exhibition focused on large-for-mat photographs, mostly in black andwhite, by Alan Ward, a renownedpractitioner of both landscape archi-tecture and photography. Ward hascombined his dual interests in theseworks, visually deconstructing thefundamental elements of the land-scape in stunning ways. The museum

also displays some of his photographyequipment and large-format cameras.Through Sept. 5. National BuildingMuseum, 401 F St. NW. Call 202-272-2448 or visit nbm.org.

NATIONAL ZOO: WASHEDASHORE: ART TO SAVE THE SEA All summer long, the National Zoohosts an exhibit of colorful marineanimal sculptures, each made fromplastic debris collected from beachesrepresenting the more than 315 bil-lion pounds of plastic in oceans today— underscoring the need for wildlifeconservation. Sculptures on displayinclude a 12-foot-long shark, a 16-foot-

long parrotsh, an 8-foot-wide octo-pus, and a 20-foot-long coral reef.Through Sept. 5. National Zoo, 3001Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. Call 202-633-4800 or visit nationalzoo.si.edu.

OUT OF THE ASHESSubtitled New Library for Congressand the Nation , this exhibition marksthe 200th anniversary of the acquisi-

Hope Road SE. Call 202-365-8392 or visit honeurgallery.com.

KONSTANTIN MAKOVSKY:THE TSAR’S PAINTERThe Hillwood Museum presents aspecial exhibition on the 19th CenturyRussian painter who captured thecolor, romance and extravagance ofthe feudal Russian elite. KonstantinMakovsky’s A Boyar Wedding Feast will serve as the exhibition center-

piece, with exquisite objects anddetails from the painting brought tolife through groupings of 17th Centuryobjects drawn from Hillwood’s col-lection, as well as loans from othermuseums including the Met andBaltimore’s Walters museums.Through June 12. Hillwood Estate,4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggesteddonation is $12. Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.

LANDSCAPE:ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT ITTouchstone Gallery’s latest member artists group show sets out on ametaphorical “road trip” to exploreland or psychological forms in mediaincluding photography, painting,hand-pulled prints, sculpture, collageand drawing. Opening reception isFriday, June 3, from 6 p.m. to 8:30p.m. Exhibit runs through June 26.Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Ave. NW Call 202-347-2787 or visittouchstonegallery.com.

Through November. National Air andSpace Museum, Independence Ave at6th St. SW. Call 202-633-2214 or visitairandspace.si.edu.

EXPLORING YELLOWSTONE’SGREAT ANIMAL MIGRATIONSPart of the National Park Service’scentennial celebration. This Invisible Boundaries exhibition, in conjunc-tion with the May issue of NationalGeographic , uses stunning photo-

graphs, immersive video, interactivemigration maps, cultural objects, andoriginal artwork to explore the com-pelling story behind some of the mostamazing animal migrations on theplanet. Through Sept. 30. NationalGeographic Museum, 1145 17th St.NW. Free. Call 202-857-7588 or visitngmuseum.org.

HEAR/HEREJarvis DuBois curates a group showat Anacostia’s Honeur Gallery, fea-turing poet Fire Angelou and soundartist Andrew Paul Keiper, both fromBaltimore, as well as D.C.-based activ-ist Omolara Di Molinha Williams

McCallister and New York-basedpainter Daphne Arthur. Throughdiverse media, these artists explorecontemporary urban issues of dis-placement, violence and social injus-tice. Opening reception, featuringa special live performance by Fire Angelou, Saturday, June 4, from 6p.m. to 9 p.m. Exhibit runs throughJuly 16. Honeur Gallery, 1241 Good


tion of Jefferson’s library of books, thefoundation of the modern Library ofCongress. The Jeffersonian concept ofa universal library covering all subjectsis the basis of the library’s compre-hensive collecting policies. ThroughNov. 12. Second Floor of the Library ofCongress’s Thomas Jefferson Building,10 First St. SE. Call 202-707-8000 or visit loc.gov.

THE BIG HOPE SHOW

Baltimore’s American Visionary ArtMuseum offers its 21st annual exhibi-tion, featuring over 25 artists offeringworks in various media that cham-pion the radiant and transformativepower of hope. It’s an original andunabashedly idealistic exhibition,curated by Rebecca Alban Hoffberger,founder and director of this originaland unabashedly unusual 20-year-oldmuseum. Through Sept. 4. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 KeyHighway. Baltimore. Tickets are$15.95, or $20 for the preview party.Call 410-244-1900 or visit avam.org.

THE OUTWIN 2016: AMERICA

PORTRAITURE TODAYEvery three years the Smithsonian’sNational Portrait Gallery presentsnalists of the Outwin BoocheverPortrait Competition, named for a late volunteer and benefactor. The por-traits are works drawn from all over America, mostly featuring unheralded,everyday citizens and generally pre-sented in innovative ways through


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Shrew-ishBoasting an all-male cast, Shakespeare

Theatre’s Taming of the Shrew is anintriguing experiment that doesn’t work

FIRST THE GOOD NEWS.

There is always room for a wildly innovative takeon Shakespeare. Be it Hamle t on motorcycles or aSpace 1999 King Lear , there is something exciting

in watching it work, no matter the context. The themes, thepathos, the humor never get old, nor can they be subverted.Outré interpretations can be intellectually and emotionallystimulating because they force us to grapple with the director’svision — why motorcycles? Why space suits? What’s the point?What do they add?

In Ed Sylvanus Iskandar’s Taming of the Shrew ( HH HHH ),the vision is, quite simply, have all the parts played by men. Notin an Elizabethan we-don’t-let-women-act kind of way, but ina men-in-twenty-rst-century-drag kind of way. Whether you

will see this as a “gay” Shrew or perhaps a “gender uid” Shrewis likely a personal question. The fact that the question is askedat all is part of what makes it interesting.

It’s even more intriguing when it comes to the main themeof Shrew — Petruchio’s wedding of the strong-willed and intel-ligent Katherina and his use of physical and social deprivationto turn her into a submissive wife. It is, of course, traditionallyplayed male-female, with all the attendant associations. ThisShrew , being all male, rousts this primary gender dynamic and indoing so asks a slew of intriguing questions: Do two men changethe power balance? What does that say about gender? What doesit say about being gay or gender uid? And while we’re at it: isPetruchio gay, or is he straight and in love with a man he thinksis a woman?

Add Iskandar’s choice to play Katherina’s nal monologue onthe joys of obedience “straight” — as in without the usual ironyseen in modern interpretations — and he raises the idea (as dis-cussed in his program notes) that Katherina has experienced a“transformation.” It’s a stretch, but an interesting one.

Looking at the production as a whole, there is somethingquite liberating in Iskandar’s determined inconsistency: the mendress in costumes that combine shades of Elizabethan pomp, Mad Men mid-century, modern grunge, mock medieval and even

by KATE WINGFIELD

stage


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’70s pimp. There are regular interludes of unashamed musicaltheater in the contemporary words and music of Duncan Sheik.There is a uid fourth wall, disappearing when the actors runthrough the audience and when the audience is invited ontothe stage during intermission. And yet when the Shakespeare isfront and center, there is no lack of skill and intent.

This urge to experiment, to open the mind, is stimulating towatch and think about. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really work.

First of all, you will either love or loathe the music. Thereare fully-miked pseudo-rock musical theater numbers (sadly notalways on key) and interludes of Millennial whining in the formof folky ballads (a few long enough to make the Guinness Book ofWorld Records). Put simply, for some it will be what Hell soundslike, for others, the soundtrack of their lives. As for

metro weekly - 06-02-16 - maulik pancholy

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