Jesse J. Perez as Florindo and Steven Epp as Truffaldino in Yale Repertory Theatre’s 2010 production of The Servant of Two Masters, directed by Christopher Bayes. Photo by Richard Termine.

When the lights at the Lansburgh Theatre go down and The Servant of Two Masters begins, you know within seconds you’re at a play. Gone is the predictable 9-5 workday, the awkwardness of happy hour networking, the pressures of politics and power struggles. It’s play time, and as such you are invited to loosen your tie, let your hair down, and prepare for an ab workout only laughter can provide.

As a classic example of commedia dell’arte by Italy’s beloved Carlo Goldoni, The Servant of Two Masters relies on only the basic outline of a plot: a young couple wants to get married, but complications arise that prevent them from tying the knot. When a servant arrives to help sort out the problem, he inevitably makes everything worse by attempting to work two jobs at once.

The production arrives at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC after a sold out run at the Yale Repertory Theatre. Under the imaginative direction of Christopher Bayes, the show combines every element you could hope for from a night at the theater. It spans the gamut from breathtaking theatricality and poetic abandon to musical numbers and crass improv comedy.

An incredibly physical show, The Servant of Two Masters is not a relaxing affair. Actors end scenes drenched in sweat, and jokes happen so quickly you sometimes have to hold on for dear life. The night I attended, a wardrobe malfunction split Pantalone’s pants. Allen Gilmore, in and out of character as Pantalone, used the moment to show off his improv chops. As the audience wailed with laughter, the other performers on stage, including the musicians, took a moment to figure out how they could possibly get back into character and end the scene. The moment served as a reminder of how physically demanding the show really is, and thus how unpredictable too.

The staging requires intense control over one’s movement, and most of the performers have it in droves. In particular Steven Epp, in the lead role of Truffaldino the servant, shows great body control in his very physical role and uses such a range of comedy throughout the night that at some points he plays the standup comedian and at others the slapstick buffoon. As Beatrice – a woman in disguise searching for her lost love – Rachel Spencer Hewitt also shows tremendous control and has a commanding presence as a result. It was hard not to watch her every moment she was on stage. In the role of her flamboyant lover, Jesse Perez masters Florindo with hilarious and absurd heights of passion.

Any show with this many attempts at comedy would be unbearable if done poorly. Fortunately for us, the cast’s timing is impeccable. They play with expectations so well and so constantly that you’re forever on your toes wondering what will come next. Their use of DC-relevant comedy particularly stands out, and two the onstage musicians have a few scene-stealing moments as well.

By the end of The Servant of Two Masters, most everyone is exhausted. The cast runs out for the curtain call with a large sigh while beads of sweat shine off their faces; but it’s the good kind of tired. For a few hours, nothing else matters but the wondrous distraction on stage. Sure your abs hurt and the jokes, which entranced you moments before, have already been lost in a sea of memories and other concerns; but for that short time in the Lansburgh Theatre, you get to join in the chaos and be reminded that love, as in life, is best when unpredictable.

The Servant of Two Masters runs through June 24, 2012 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre. The Lansburgh Theatre is located at 450 7th St. NW. Closest Metro: Archives (Green/Yellow). For more information, call 202-547-1122.

courtesy JCM - joannacastlemiller.com

If you happened to visit the Czech Republic last Saturday during the EU Open House, you may have seen a few cases with books and other odd items inside, unmarked and unexplained. Those actually belong to an art show called Samizdat: The Czech Art of Resistance 1968-1989, which opened on Tuesday at the Embassy of the Czech Republic

Samizdat means “self-published.” A Russian term, it refers to any underground publication banned during Communist rule in the USSR and Soviet bloc. It includes essays, books, art, and poems. From Sex Pistols lyrics to indie rock, it was all illegal.

The exhibit is part of a broader project at the embassy called Freedom of Expression in the Contemporary World that focuses on the fight for democracy and freedom in modern-day Burma, Belarus, and Cuba.

I recently reviewed the show and encourage anyone interested in art, activism, or Eastern Europe to check it out. Visits are by appointment only, but the staff is extremely friendly and will provide you with a guide to the exhibit if you ask.

Samizdat: The Czech Art of Resistance 1968-1989 runs through June 8 at the Embassy of the Czech Republic. Address: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008. Nearest Metro: Cleveland Park and Van Ness (both Red). Open Monday-Thursday 10 am-4pm and Friday (10 am to 2 pm). Call 202/274-9105 to schedule an appointment and ask for the exhibit guide.

When you’re technically on Spanish soil, the parties instantly improve.

This Saturday, May 19 at 8:30pm, Things to Do DC is hosting a black tie cultural gala for young professionals at the Embassy of Spain’s Former Ambassador’s Residence.

$109 ($65 if affiliated with Capital Hill) gets you a flamenco show, open bar (where the specialty will be, of course, sangria), dessert buffet, DJ and dancing. An optional film on Spain and fine art pieces provided by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain will offer more insight about your embassy hosts. The VIP pass adds a dinner buffet and champagne reception.

You’ll also get to see the newly renovated building, which appeared at the EU Open House event last Saturday. The interior Andalusian patio is worth a view, dessert and drink in hand or not.

The Embassy of Spain’s Former Ambassador’s Residence is located at 2801 16th Street NW. Nearest Metro: Columbia Heights (Green/Yellow). To get a special $40 discount on the price, purchase using the coupon code “caphillspain”.  Contact: events(at)thingstododc.com or 301-519-8030.

Joan Miró - The Farm, 1921-1922 - oil on canvas / National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary Hemingway / © 2012 Successió Miró/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

Whatever your preconceived notions of Miró might be, put them on hold and head to the National Gallery of Art.

The NGA is the sole U.S. venue for Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape. A massive exhibit, it highlights the artist’s political side and undying loyalty to Catalonia throughout a lifetime of hardship under two world wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Franco dictatorship. I had the chance to visit when it opened on Sunday.

Entering the exhibit, quaint gently slips into surreal. Surrounding The Farm – one of Miró’s most celebrated pieces – we see the painter mature from a sentimental youth into the experimental adult artist Andre Bretón called “the most ‘surrealist’ of us all.”

The Catalan peasant paintings that follow in the next room display Miró’s fierce love for his homeland even and especially as it was threatened. Because this is a Miró exhibit visitors can expect a good deal of whimsy, and even with a political theme it doesn’t disappoint. The rich Dog Barking at the Moon gives us a glimpse into the “ladder of escape” we will see reappear again and again throughout the exhibit, connecting earth and heaven with an element of playfulness uniquely Miró.

Of course as any artist living in a world of turmoil, Miró had an angry side, too. The second floor of the exhibit delves a good deal into art expressing that anger. During the early to mid 1930s, his paintings became more crass and despairing, including the crude Still Life with Old Shoe, Man and Woman In Front of a Pile of Excrement and a series he simply titles “Paintings.”

Joan Miró - Still Life with Old Shoe, 24 Jan - 29 May 1937 - oil on canvas / The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of James Thrall Soby, 1970 / © 2012 Successió Miró/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

After the Spanish Civil War broke out, Miró’s work became more violent. In a room of dark paintings wholly different from the quaint landscapes on the first floor, I felt the artist’s frustrations build. In Woman Fleeing from a Fire, for example, the ladder connecting us to the celestial realm reappears; but a fire blocks access to the ladder and thus, presumably, to salvation.

At the same time, though, Miró wanted and needed an escape. Constellations – the series that secured Miró’s fame in the US – provided that escape. Containing the show’s title piece, this collection of paintings hangs clustered together on the second floor. It’s a stunning must-see.

When you go (that’s when, not if), make sure to leave time for the 17-minute film, and take breaks when needed. The show is so comprehensive it can be overwhelming, so pace yourself.

Hopefully that strategy will help prepare you for the last leg of the exhibit, which shows the artist’s experimentation, as well as frustrations, late in his life through paintings like Fireworks I-III and his Burnt Canvas phase.

Joan Miró - Toward the Rainbow, 11 March 1941 - gouache and oil wash on paper / Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, 1998

As a whole, this show is an incredible treat for art lovers and newbies alike. Walking from room to room…to room…to room…, I realized it would probably be the only chance in my life to see a collection of Miró pieces this extensive and to observe, from start to finish, how the painter evolved through hardship to become a fanciful political icon.

It left me with a sudden urge to fight for something, or play on a playground, or maybe do both.

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Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape runs through August 12, 2012 in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art at 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Hours: Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Nearest Metro: Judiciary Square (Red), Archives (Yellow/Green), and Smithsonian (Blue/Orange).

In case you haven’t noticed, the DC theater community is growing, and fast; but what kind of plays can we look forward to down the road? If you’re interested in the future of DC theater, there’s no better place to look than toward our youngest playwrights.

Next Monday and Tuesday, April 23-24 at 7:30pm, Young Playwrights’ Theater (YPT) will present 12 new plays by area youth at their annual New Play Festival at GALA Hispanic Theatre.

Out of over 800 students from DC and Arlington, YPT chose 12 to participate in this year’s festival. Professional actors and directors will present the winning scripts over two nights.

Monday night will premiere works appropriate for all ages and cover a wide range of family-friendly themes. On Tuesday night, some of the older students’ work will highlight more serious themes and may not be appropriate for children under 13.

Young Playwrights’ Theater brings together area directors and playwrights to teach students creative expression through the art of playwriting. The New Play Festival celebrates that effort and honors some of the students’ latest pieces from their in-school playwriting program.

Free admission; donations welcome. Book compilations of the evenings’ plays will also be on sale in the lobby.

GALA Hispanic Theatre is located at 3333 14th Street NW. Nearest Metro: Columbia Heights (Green and Yellow lines). For more information, call 202-387-9173.

Song Byeok - Take Off Your Clothes - acrylic on hanji; courtesy of www.songbyeok.com

When Korean contemporary artist Song Byeok exhibits his work, he uses a pseudonym. That’s because he’s actually North Korean: his satirical paintings of the “Dear Leader” could result in execution or lifelong sentences in a gulag for the relatives he’s left behind.

This weekend, “The Departure” – an exhibit of his work at The Dunes – brings that dangerous satire to DC.

North Korea selected Song to be a state propaganda artist when he was only 24. According to an interview with Reuters, Song practically worshiped Kim Jong-il at the time, although he never met the dictator during his duties. Instead, he was handed a sketch every morning of daily propaganda to paint.

Song Byeok - Beloved Leader - acrylic on hanji; courtesy of www.songbyeok.com

The severe famine in North Korea during the 1990′s eventually led Song to escape. He defected to South Korea, where he lives now.

While Song’s work retains the flatness of propaganda, his mockery of Kim Jong-il gives it new dimension. The acrylic paintings perfectly balance a tension between life and death, liberty and repression. He honors the North Korean people even as his dishonors the late dictator, and in doing so has become a bit of a pop art sensation.

Song Byeok - Messenger of Good News - acrylic on hanji; courtesy ofwww.songbyeok.com

It’s exciting to see such powerful images from the paintbrush of an artist who only recently obtained freedom of expression. The pieces look like they could explode any minute with energy, hope, youthfulness, and certainly some anger. You can sense that Song is still in process – and may always be – following his experiences in North Korea.

“Departure” invites us to learn more about the situation and people of North Korea; but in a larger sense it challenges us to feel deeper gratitude for artistic freedom and to use that freedom extravagantly.

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Song Byeok’s “Departure” opens tonight at 7pm at The Dunes in Columbia Heights and runs April 13-30, 2012. Hours vary – check the venue calendar for specific dates and times. Recommended donation of $5. The Dunes is located at 1402 Meridian Place NW, Washington, DC 20009. Closest Metro: Columbia Heights (Yellow/Green line). For more information call 202-436-9118.

(Sponsored by the US-Korea Institute at SAIS and The Dartmouth Asian Pacific American Alumni Association, SB-DC’s project partner.)

Rummagers unite! The Arlington Flea Market opens its season tomorrow for the first of eight monthly events.

A NoVa tradition since 1986, the market takes up five floors worth of space in the I-66 garage in North Arlington next to Washington-Lee high school.

That’s four floors of saucers, necklaces, antique miniature spoons and other amazing crap.

Also known as The Civitan Flea Market, the event’s proceeds go to support the causes espoused by the Civitan Club of Arlington. So not only are you stocking up on obscure used goods and promoting recycling – you’re also benefiting volunteerism and helping people with developmental disabilities.

The market usually offers donuts and coffee for a small fee; and that’s a good thing, since shopping opens at 7am (some regulars tell me they start as early as 6am). Arrive in the first couple of hours if you want a chance at the best stuff. Arrive late if you want to haggle down to as low as 50%.

The Arlington Flea Market takes place every first Saturday of the month from April-November and is open 7 AM-1:30 PM.

Free parking located across the street at Quincy Tech Park (entrance at 15th and N Quincy Street); additional street parking available.

Cash preferred by most vendors.

This weekend the National Cathedral reopened their central tower for the first time since the August earthquake, and Brian and I were there to climb it. Saturday’s dreary weather meant you could see clouds passing through the windows at the top; still, it’s the highest point in DC, the bells can ring in any weather, and even in the fog the views are exquisite.

First things first: This is not the tour for you if you’re claustrophobic or afraid of heights. The first half of the climb takes you up narrow winding passages, and because of people stopping in front, you might end up stranded in tight places for a bit. The last third of the climb takes you up an open spiral staircase that wobbles as you walk. In other words, don’t test your fears this way. That’s what trapeze school is for.

National Cathedral – Tower Climb – Between Sections – 03-24-12
courtesy of mosley.brian

That said, if you get the opportunity to climb the central tower you won’t be disappointed.

The tour meanders for 300 steps through attics and dark passageways until it opens up onto balconies and peal bells. You pass statues stored in crannies and ladders leading down to shadowy crevices. Tour guides throughout answer questions about each room’s history and architecture.

National Cathedral – Tower Climb – Bell Ringers 2 – 03-24-12
courtesy of mosley.brian

On Saturday, the Washington Ringing Society gave us a bell demonstration while we enjoyed panoramic views of the city through the fog.

National Cathedral – Tower Climb – Viewing South – 03-24-12
courtesy of mosley.brian

Along with the peal bells, we heard from carillonneur Edward M. Nassor about his experiences in the bell tower and love for the instrument. Nassor plays the Cathedral’s Kibbey Carillon – the third heaviest carillon in the world. He treated us to some Handel and Luther before we started back down.

National Cathedral – Tower Climb – Carillon Player – 03-24-12
courtesy of mosley.brian

Throughout the tour, we could still see serious signs of the earthquake’s damage: netting across the nave to catch stray mortar or stone dust, scaffolding outside, dislodged pinnacles, etc. The Cathedral expects stabilization efforts to take years, and the costs have already exceeded $1 million. The visit was a great reminder of how much work needs to be done and why the Cathedral is a building worth protecting.

National Cathedral – Tower Climb – Man-sized Damage – 03-24-12
courtesy of mosley.brian

Learn more about the many tours available at the Cathedral, including tower climbs; and if you want to help with earthquake repairs, donate toward the National Cathedral’s restoration efforts.

KING ME, Studies in the Uncivilized World, Installation View. Photo courtesy The Fridge.

Tucked back in an alley off of 8th Street in Eastern Market, The Fridge is an unimposing gallery space; and perhaps it’s that quiet intimacy that makes it such an interesting location for KING ME: Studies in the Uncivilized World – a show about authority and domination.

Showcasing works by DC artists, KING ME is at once political and quirky. It deals with power struggles over everything from gay marriage to consumerism and uses a variety of media, including thread, film, acrylic, and Tyvek.

Highlights include Seleshi Feseha’s obsessively-crafted thread collages, Stanley Squirewell’s striking use of mixed media, and numerous pieces by Laura Elkins, whose first lady self-portraits particularly stand out.

I sat down with Elkins to talk about some of her work on display at KING ME, and the inspiration behind it.

Laura Elkins, Self as Ladybird with Catfish, Acrylic on canvas with wood frame. Photo courtesy The Fridge.

JCM: A lot of these pieces are from your White House collection. When did you start that collection, and where did it come from?

LE: When I first moved here 2000, a friend came up to visit who had tickets to a White House tour. She invited me along – I’d never been to the White House – and I saw the collection of the official first lady portraits. The official style was a mature woman with no determinable age whatsoever. You look like yourself, but you have no wrinkles, and there’s no sense of who you really are.

I was doing some portraits at the time, and I thought this could be a really interesting device for a self-portrait.

JCM: It seems like you’re still very much living in the process with these first ladies.

LE: Oh yes. Now what I’m working on is trying to combine imagery from HOMEwRAP with these first lady paintings.

It goes through phases, but I keep coming back to the first ladies because it’s so flexible that as time goes on it allows me to address so many issues. It started out personal, about being middle aged, aging as women in our society, and then as time went on they were just perfect for political issues – although the first ladies and the issues don’t necessarily have anything to do with each other.

Laura Elkins, "Self as Hilary in Black Face, Self as Barack in White Face," Oil on Canvas. Photo courtesy The Fridge.

JCM: “Inspector Vindictivenessisnotinthelaw” from your HOMEwRAP series really stood out to me.

LE: The theme of this show – domination – that’s really what this painting epitomizes.

I started the series HOMEwRAP in response to an illegal search and seizure of our home by the DC government. And they’re painted on HomeWrap,  because it all had to do with the renovation of our home and I had all this Tyvek around. I often try to have the painting support somehow relate to the content, and it turns out Tyvek is a really good painting material. Plus, it’s archival.

They are, in some instances, ‘portraits’ of people I know. The titles come from actual quotes during the debacle.

Laura Elkins, Inspector Vindictivenessisnotinthelaw, Acrylic on Tyvek. Photo courtesy The Fridge.

JCM: I know a lot of people also respond to “Self as Lady Bird with Catfish.”

This was one of the earlier ones, but I did repaint it to respond to Katrina. You never know. I like them all one way or another, but I’m always surprised at people’s response.

JCM: “Self as Lady Bird <3ɛ> Jackie” has really taken off.

LE: Who would’ve guessed?

JCM: That wasn’t something you expected?

LE: The irony for me is that I sort of pride myself that all these self-portraits I do from life. They’re performative. Sometimes I find myself up on a ladder to get the right angle, or I hold a pistol or have on a snorkel. And I think it provides an immediacy. This one – because I can’t paint myself in profile – I took an iPhone and tried to figure out how do I do this? But then for some reason, that’s the one the press picked up on.

You know, I don’t spend a lot of time reading about the first ladies. It’s really a visual device. People think it’s about the first ladies, but it’s about me.

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KING ME: Studies in the Uncivilized World runs through March 29.

The Fridge is located at  516 1/2 8th Street SE, Rear Alley, and is open Thursday – Saturday, 12-8pm & Sunday 1-5pm.
Questions? Contact Emma Fisher: 202-550-2208

If seeing cherry blossom buds makes you impatient for late March, the US Botanic Garden has you (and your date…or camera…) covered with their annual display of orchids - Orchid Mystique: Nature’s Triumph.

I visited last weekend on an extremely affordable date (admission is always free), and decided that the Botanic Garden must have some of the best curators in the city.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japan’s cherry blossom gift to DC this year, the orchid show has a distinctly Japanese flair. Archways span the garden court’s fountains, which take on new character with steam and floating flowers. Orchids snake through the building and hang in all colors from bridges overhead. The East Gallery houses a Japanese rock garden with near-perfect bonzai. On a less crowded weekday visit, the quiet space would complement midday meditation.

The photo exhibits in the East Gallery offer selections of native orchid photographs from photographer Hal Horwitz and North American Japanese gardens by photographer David Cobb. The images fall a little flat next to the real thing, but hanging bamboo helps weave together the photography and rock garden into a cohesive look.

Along with a series of events related to caring for orchids, Cobb will lead photography tutorials in March.

Some of the most beautiful orchids hide in the back rooms of the conservatory, so take your date through the whole garden to get the full effect. Most importantly, take a date in the first place: this is a show for lovers more than for friends.

Orchid Mystique: Nature’s Triumph runs through April 29.

Last weekend the National Gallery of Art reopened the Nineteenth-Century French Galleries, which contain works by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Modigliani and Picasso.

The gallery now organizes the paintings thematically and provides textual panels to help visitors understand the reasoning behind the new groupings. In addition, thirteen of the paintings have been restored.

I went last Saturday and was blown away by both the beauty on display and the enthusiasm of the visitors around me. In fact, I was so amazed by the Cézanne pieces that I ran out of time and missed Monet. However that shouldn’t be a problem: the NGA’s price tag (always free) and nearness to Metro mean I can always…Gauguin. Yes, that’s a little Post-Impressionist humor for your Friday.

If you’ve ever wanted to run a marathon but worry about whether your beer gut will slow you down, Washington Wine Academy‘s DC School of Beer has a perfect solution: the Beer Walk!

The beer walk took place last Saturday and Sunday – a week after the wine walk – in the underground maze of the Crystal City Shops. Both “Beer Walk” and “Wine Walk” are pretty self-explanatory.

After you sign in and show ID, you pick up your race number, t-shirt, glass, and drink tickets. With twenty tickets and generous pours, a $20-$35 ticket (depending on the day/time of the heat you sign up for) will get you feeling pretty good – especially if it’s only 2pm when you start, like it was for me.

Volunteers stand at stations all over the mall ready to pour you anything from Duvel to Sam Adams. Some local and nearby breweries sent their own reps – like Port City, which had a station all to itself and a crowded room of eager fans. Others hoped the free food at their stations – provided by Authentic Memphis Barbeque in Crystal City, Cabot cheese, and The Perfect Pita – would gather crowds to them.

Cabot
courtesy of jcm_DC

(On a side note, did you know people who are lactose intolerant can eat cheddar cheese? I didn’t. Thanks, Cabot!)

Personally, I enjoyed Station Four the most. There I met some other Memphians (the owners of Authentic Memphis Barbeque, of course), tried their pulled pork (not bad), and drank Ommegang and Duvel.

Sadly I missed Synetic Theater‘s mini-performances, which took place at Station Six in their lobby every 30 minutes. Hopefully next year they’ll bring that element back (and advertise it better), because a free Synetic performance is another big perk.

If you aren’t familiar with the Crystal City Shops the beer walk makes for a good intro, although the route can get a little confusing. The whole event must help area businesses: by about Station Eight I was deciding whether to buy a marionette puppet from Puppet Heaven or a whale-shaped snuggle pillow from Rite Aid. Plus I left with a plethora of coupons, gift cards, and freebies from shop owners.

Academy faithful
courtesy of jcm_DC

I wish I could tell you more about Station Ten, the last station of the walk and the one containing the most beers (well, “beers,” since it included Pabst and Old Milwaukee). But I don’t really remember Station Ten all that well… I remember really, really, really liking the Leinenkugel Berry Weiss, and then I remember drunk dialing my husband.

Point is, come down to Crystal City next year and try your hand at walking with either wine or beer to slow you down. And just like with any big race, bring some friends to keep you motivated, drink plenty of water, and eat some carbs beforehand.

I moved to DC (okay, NoVa to be exact) from New York via my hometown of Memphis, and love the fact that here I can get moonshine and fried pickles but still have winter sports and a subway system.

I love that DC is misunderstood and can play the victim. The city as a whole doesn’t deserve the conniving (or worse! boring) name it gets in the debates. On the same avenues as the “Washington elite” you’ll meet incredible actors, vocalists, writers and some of the most innovative designers and techies in the business – not political elites, just gifted go-getters who are passionate about their work and more creative than 10 Congresses.

I love that DC is filled with activists who volunteer their rare free time to stand up for things that matter; and I love that people come to DC from all over the world to make their voices heard.

As a dramatic writer, I love DC for the theaters that reflect old and new with equal fondness. I love seeing Shakespeare so readily available, well-produced and approachable; and I love seeing original, daring works that honor the fringe (pun intended) or showcase world premieres with flair.

Fringe and Pole
courtesy of M.V. Jantzen

But I’m not being entirely honest. The real reason I love DC is because I chose to.

Before my husband and I started packing to move here, I thought about this bureaucratic, beautiful, polished, imperfect city and decided “I want to love that place.” Because who wants to live somewhere they hate? I don’t want to take, take, take from a city; I want a place to call home.

So I decided to give some love, at least feebly. And DC has given back. For every effort I put in, I receive threefold in creative, thoughtful friends who can carry on a conversation about anything at all. I get good happy hour deals, world famous museums, flea markets and (relatively) clean public transit. I get to gawk with the tourists and brunch with the locals.

I came here believing DC is worth loving for love’s sake, and I still believe that. But this city has charmed me even more than I expected. So I write to you smitten, and hope you enjoy.

love is too big to fail
courtesy of ekelly80

If you were surprised by all the underwear-clad Metro riders on Sunday, don’t be one of those people surprised by the orange and black human chain during lunch break on Wednesday.

On Jan. 11, activists from around the country will be locking arms from the White House to the Capitol to protest the 10th anniversary of Guantanamo Bay prison. Organizers need/expect at least 2,771 people to complete the chain, which equals the number of detainees still held at Guantanamo and Bagram.

The protest starts at 12pm with a rally at Lafayette Park and is sponsored by Amnesty International and a bunch of other organizations. To get involved, register with any of the sponsoring groups, wear black or orange on Wednesday, and keep up with the campaign via the hashtag #closegitmo.

Oh yeah and eat an early lunch. I doubt it’s polite to break the human chain for a Chop’t run.

It’s been the year of the protestor in DC, and that’s after a 2010 filled with Tea Parties and Rallies for Sanity. We’ve seen protestors on our walks to work, outside and inside our memorials, sitting in the middle of the street and, yes, in our jails. Some protests have gone really well: they’ve raised awareness or made for some badass photo opps, or both.

Others have utterly flopped: did you hear about the Occupy The Art Institute of Washington protest? Yeah neither did anyone else.

So here they are! Relive the all the obnoxious traffic, repetitive catchphrases and handcrafted signage of the most memorable protests of 2011!

6. Silence = Death!

courtesy of Max Cook

Last January protestors took to the streets after the Smithsonian removed David Wojnarowicz’s controversial film from the National Portrait Gallery’s “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” exhibit. The decision and resulting outcry made national news and reopened the ever-exciting debate on censorship in national museums. Secretary G. Wayne Clough has since stated that the museum needs to have better communication, even though he claims his decision would be the same now. Seems to me that communication is just fine, at least from the Republicans to the Smithsonian: “We threaten funding; you do whatever we say; the public freaks out; repeat.

5. We’re Just Dancing!

If I Can’t Dance I Want a Revolution
courtesy of ep_jhu

I personally think people should be allowed to dance in front of memorials as long as it doesn’t distract from other people being able to use and enjoy the space, but that’s not the only reason I’m listing the Jefferson Memorial dancing arrests as a memorable 2011 protest. I’m also including it because of the additional protest launched in the comments section to Don’s original post on the topic. People really didn’t like Don… The video in his post contains a sub-saga: watch for the police officer’s respectful warning, then his sighed acceptance that he’s going to have to arrest these folks, then his eventual and quite literal throwdown.

A week later, dancers came back to the Jefferson Memorial and danced without arrest:

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. Stop the Pipeline!

army of sit-ins
courtesy of philliefan99

When protestors first took on the Keystone XL Pipeline, no one had really heard much about it besides the people working on the project and devout environmental activists. After weeks of arrests, marches, hand-holding, hymn-singing and White House sit-ins, the pipeline became part of a national debate. Perhaps the protests were too successful: while most of the activists involved demanded the project be stopped, Republicans have taken on its furtherance as a 2012 election issue.

3. Not in Our Name!

Predator
courtesy of ryochiji

In October a large group of activists marched on the National Air and Space Museum to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the related exhibits at the museum about drones and other military machinery. This particular assembly included mass pepper spraying and arrests, brought together multiple grassroots organizations and emergency response teams and required one of the most popular museums in America to shut down. The sheer drama makes this one of the most awesome protests of 2011.

2. Taxation Without Representation!

2011 04 11 – 7869 – Washington DC – DC Rights Protest – Robert Vinson Brannum
courtesy of thisisbossi

When the mayor of a major metro area shuts down a city street, gathers hundreds of protestors and gets himself arrested, it makes the list. What will his actions come to? That we don’t know yet, but we’re waiting.

1. We Are the 99%!

Yes, we camp………
courtesy of LaTur

You knew it was coming. The most memorable protest of 2011 is obviously the Occupy DC protest that has become a loved and hated part of our everyday lives. Of course, this includes mini protests like bridge-storming and structure-building. It also includes the protestors’ relatively respectful use of McPherson Square, the endearing way they adapted to practicing religious and national holidays from a tent city, and their stunning dedication to assembling even in the freezing cold. They shaped the way we talk about economics this year and inspired some of the biggest local news stories of 2011.

For that reason, among many others, I name them the most memorable protest of 2011. Here’s to even wilder protests next year, but with better traffic…

When picking a restaurant for your next meal out, why not choose a place where workers haven’t coughed all over your dinner because they’ve been forced to work with the flu?

Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) and their local branch ROC-DC just released their first annual Diners’ Guide: a Zagat-like booklet that scores national and local restaurants based on how they treat their workers. The guide includes the 150 highest revenue restaurants in America as well as some local spots already working toward better standards for their employees.

Some of the results aren’t exactly shocking (no, Hooters doesn’t lead the industry in fair treatment of their workers). Others may be more of a surprise: Capital Grille, for example, makes it onto a special list of shame for restaurants charged with discrimination and wage theft.

Congrats to the DC area restaurants that won the Gold Prize (the highest recognition offered by the guide):

• Busboys and Poets
• Jack Rose
• José Andrés / Think Food Group (TFG): Jaleo, America Eats Tavern, Zaytinya, Oyamel

And congrats to the local Silver Prize winners:

• Ben’s Chili Bowl
• Inspire BBQ
• Yola

To top off our local successes, burger heartthrob Five Guys was the only national fast food chain to win the Gold Prize. (Don’t worry displaced Californians. In-and-Out won Silver.)

Foodies: Get your copy of the guide. Restaurant owners/workers: Place your business in the next guide by contacting ROC.

This Friday Blanket the Earth plans to donate blankets, coats, socks and other warm gifts to protestors all over the country.

If you’re interested in donating to the Occupy DC crowd to help them endure the coming winter, you should meet on the southeast corner of Freedom Plaza (that’s 13th and Pennsylvania) at 2 pm on Friday. Violetta Shekinah, Blanket the Earth’s local contact, will be there to lead the distribution.

Occupy DC keeps a wish list going by using the Twitter hashtag #occupydcneeds. So along with bringing warm clothes and blankets, you can check there for other items to donate. At the time of this posting the list includes everything from office space to sugar.

The Laogai Museum may be small, but it packs a punch. Tucked away in the old Real World DC house off Dupont Circle, its one-floor exhibit explores the dark underbelly of Chinese labor camps and human rights policies.

“Laogai” means “reform through labor” and refers to oppressive tactics the museum claims China has used to punish political prisoners since 1949. Harry Wu, a survivor of the Laogai camps, founded the museum in 2008 as part of the larger Laogai Research Foundation. The museum moved into its current location last April, where they now offer free admission and guided tours.

Being such a young museum, it still has room for improvement. The stark red and black winding hallways can be a little confusing. I had trouble knowing where to start on my visit and in what order to look at everything. The first half of the museum feels one-dimensional, and the amount of text on the walls overwhelmed me a bit.

But it’s such a small space that getting through the information doesn’t take very long. The second half has more interactive features, including a series of films that gave some faces to the stories I’d just read and, frankly, made them more believable. The museum also has a model of a solitary confinement cell and garments worn in the Laogai.

‘Laogai Museum 2′
courtesy of ‘jcm_DC’

The most fascinating part of the exhibit for me was the section on products made by the Laogai prisoners. The list includes clothing, toys and even wine that allegedly come from forced labor by political prisoners. The Laogai Research Foundation starkly shows their biases in this part of the exhibit: while they want to raise awareness first, they also hope people will stop buying any products made in China (yes, that’s any) until the Laogai system ends.

The museum also includes educational space and a small bookstore with resources on human rights in China.

The foundation’s one-sided message may not suit everyone, and the space could improve with a few more creative features. Still, the Laogai Museum reflects that part of DC that always grapples with policy and makes you think. It would add new dimension to your tour around Dupont Circle and provide some great conversation fodder for a meal nearby.

Hours: M-F 10am-6pm and Sat 10am-5pm. Admission always free.
The Laogai Museum is located at 1734 20th Street NW. Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle (Red Line).

Since moving to DC, I’ve been wanting to play a socialite a la Real Housewives, but every time the opportunity arises my limo’s in the shop and my bank account is empty. Sigh.

If you face the same problem, why not check out the Capital City Ball this Saturday night? For $150 you get an open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and a dance floor for the evening at The Washington Club. Not a bad deal.

But the gala also supports local charities that fight human trafficking (also known as modern-day slavery). This year the charities include Courtney’s House, Bridge to Freedom, HIPS, and WEAVE. All four groups assist victims of trafficking in DC who need education, legal help, counseling and other services.

The regular “Advocate” ticket price covers the event itself. So if you want to support the charities directly or add to your karma, visit the silent auction or purchase an “Angel” ticket. For $250, an Angel ticket gives you access to a sponsor lounge and private after-party, plus a $125 tax deduction.

Remember this is a black tie affair, so no jeggings. And don’t wreck your gown schlepping through Metro Center for your transfer: valet parking is provided with your ticket.

With Republican debates underway and the growth of both Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Occupy Wall Street, it appears most of America is angry, frustrated, or confused. And we’re all pretty much broke.

What better time, then, to look back on the legacy of a president who saw the country through its most traumatic era?

This month, Ford’s Theatre launches the Lincoln Legacy Project, a 5-year effort to create dialogue around the issues of tolerance, equality, and acceptance.

You read that right: it’s a 5-year project. And yes, they know that 5 years in DC time is about 2.5 generations of staffers moving in and out. By the time they’re finished, we’ll be entering primary debates again.

“Lincoln’s legacy is vast—far more than can be explored even in a 5-year initiative. For that reason, we are focusing The Lincoln Legacy Project on the foundation of his legacy: equality,” says Paul Tetreault, director of Ford’s Theatre. “We seek to present work that is both meaningful and motivational; to showcase the courageous men and women who pursued equality against extraordinary odds, as well as investigate moments in our nation’s history when we failed to live up to our ideals.”

Each year, Ford’s Theatre will present one centerpiece show around which they hope to start a dialogue. The theater will host special events to highlight the centerpiece show, including post-performance discussions and panel presentations.

The project’s first year also coincides with the February 2012 grand opening of the Center for Education and Leadership, a renovated campus for the theater’s educational programs.

We Love DC’s Rachel Levitin reviewed Parade – this year’s centerpiece production – back in September. Parade tells the true story of Leo Frank, who was wrongfully accused and ultimately lynched by a mob in early 20th-century Atlanta. It runs through October 30.

Related panel discussions end next Monday, October 24 at 7pm with the event “And the Young Shall Lead Us: A Conversation with Operation Understanding DC.” Tickets are free and available at the box office. Arrive early for the best seats.