Jenn Larsen – We Love DC https://www.welovedc.com Your Life Beyond The Capitol Tue, 10 Nov 2020 20:12:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 Why I (Still) Love DC: Jenn https://www.welovedc.com/2015/04/21/why-i-still-love-dc-jenn/ Tue, 21 Apr 2015 17:00:27 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98628

At the end of 2013, I wrote what I thought was my ultimate love letter to DC, filled with the moments that had sustained me during my struggle with a life-threatening illness. It was a thank you to the city I’d lived in for over two decades, yet I also suspected, at the time, that it might be a farewell – not because I was losing that struggle, but because I thought I was moving. Of course, I was incorrect, life being a lesson in derailment and the power of creative disruption. My DC in 2013 turned out to be the penultimate love letter, and while I spent most of 2014 investigating another city, by the end of that year I was back where I started.

So here we are. DC, you still have me. And yet, the time to leave our beloved site has come to pass. So I find myself writing another love letter, one that’s slightly bittersweet. But don’t worry. I always rally by the end.

If there’s any lesson I’ve learned over the past three years of incredible life change and regeneration, it’s this: the story never ends. You may think you have come to the end of your journey, but it’s only a chapter, or an act in a play that continues on and on. Just as cities never stop evolving, never stop rising, only to fall, and rise again. If not in actuality, then in the mind.

Maybe that’s why there are so many discarded drafts of my Why I (Still) Love DC. They litter my mind, my desk, my laptop, piling up like sediment in an archeological site. Rather as my discarded selves litter the city itself, so many experiences, haunting this corner and then the next. I feel like Scheherazade, and worry that if I ever finish the tale, I’ll lose my head.

I began to wonder if all the difficulty writing it meant that I no longer loved DC the way I used to, and frankly, yes, it’s true. But isn’t that as it should be, after so many years? Love’s not an ever-fixed mark, no matter what Shakespeare said. He knew better, anyway. Love must change – always. Otherwise, it calcifies, and your city crumbles into dust.

There’s a narrative to my love story that’s already established here in other pieces at We Love DC. I moved here for the architecture. The cherry blossoms. The subculture politicos ignore. The fact that it wasn’t New York or Boston, the other cities which courted me, but provided an escape from my New England youth. That DC was supposed to be just a way station on the way to London. That I didn’t leave, because I unexpectedly fell in love, with its music scene, with its theaters and a thriving community of artists. Bought a house, brought it back to life. That was the first act. In another act, life went haywire. My heart stopped several times. I regenerated in many ways, but haunted my old life in others. I was poised to escape, but grounded in limbo. I wasn’t as certain about my love anymore.

We’ll talk about that chapter another time, somewhere else.

I could tell you about all my other selves wandering DC. There’s one sitting at Fox and Hounds, founding We Love DC with this merry band, where another self had sat earlier, reeling from 9/11. There’s one eavesdropping on the Brown brothers outside at Room 11 as they brainstormed The Passenger, which catalyzed some of the greatest friendships I’ve had in DC, a place of many marvelous conversations and adventures. The selves at places that then had multiple selves themselves (whoa): the Asylums, the Black Cats, the 9:30 Clubs. The corners change; men in suits now wander Shaw scouting for development, where once they told me I made “the worst financial decision of your life” to buy an old Victorian there. That Victorian which saved my life. I walk by it now on my way to a coffee shop on a corner I always said should have a coffee shop. Magic.

I could tell you all of that, and so much more. But what I really want is for you to tell me about your selves. Your DC. The greatest gift writing for We Love DC gave me, was the rediscovery of my essential self – the little girl whose first word was “Hi!” Interviewing and connecting with the people who make this city vibrant and alive, helped me break back out of my shell and develop my own life manifesto. Be open. Be curious. Talk to everyone. Listen, respond, respect. Don’t judge. Be joyful. Connect with people, constantly learn about them. Why not? You never know the impact you may have or that others may have on you.

Maybe I had so much difficulty writing this, because there’s nothing comfortable about my love for DC currently. It’s conflicted. Aren’t all great love affairs? In many ways I’m thrilled that a once much-maligned city is now increasingly seen as a cool city. Suddenly it seems the maker culture is about to truly thrive here, suddenly there’s a renewed empowerment to be creative, to strike out and do something. In other ways I’m worried that parts of this chapter come at the price of continued segregation and marginalization. But that’s a far longer, more complex conversation than we can have in this space.

Most of my tribe here are entrepreneurs. They have roots in the city, some have families, houses, storefronts, restaurants, or just a virtual presence, but they all share a common motif. They consider DC their HQ. Home base. The landing and the launching pad. They don’t crow much about being entrepreneurs, they just do it. By its very nature a created city, a capital city, DC has a natural affinity for wanderers and risk-takers. But it also has families who’ve lived here for generations, sole owners of houses since the Civil War. We can’t forget that.

An HQ by its very definition implies the existence of outposts. I live above a Metro station. Twenty minutes to DCA. I often tell myself, especially in moments of panic, “You can leave at any time.” And I do. Maybe that’s why I still love DC. I still love DC because it lets me breathe. Let’s me be who I am. Let’s me leave. Dally with other cities. Return.

Oh, there’s so much more to say! And I’m struggling still to say any of it. But this is like that cab ride I always seem to have, with the interesting driver who tells me all about his life and struggles and dreams and I’m fascinated but suddenly we’re at my corner and I have to get out and meet friends at the bar and there’s no more time to finish the story and…

Well. The story won’t end. We’ll just have to talk again. On and on, somewhere else, some other time.

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Retrospective: Why We (Still) Love DC https://www.welovedc.com/2015/03/23/retrospective-why-we-still-love-dc/ Mon, 23 Mar 2015 20:06:50 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98544

Since our founding in 2008, every writer who joined We Love DC was asked to pen a love letter to the city. Our original Why I Love DC series became a running manifesto for how we wanted to engage with our readership and our lives beyond the capitol. We were unabashedly cheerleading for the District, with no agenda other than to challenge the dominant opinion at the time that DC wasn’t worthy of abiding love. The litany we fought against was: “It’s a transient city;” “No one wants to stay here;” “It’s just a political city;” “It’s boring.”

We felt differently. We still do. All those myths we set out to bust.

Over the subsequent years, we’ve asked nothing more of our writers than to speak the truth about their experiences living here, to be positive, and to write about what they loved. Now that we’re winding down the site, it felt appropriate to ask alumni to revisit their Why I Love DC pieces and take their current pulse on the city’s heartbeat.

While many of the articles written the first time around focused on what it meant to find yourself in love with a city unexpectedly, a city at the time maligned and misunderstood by many, our revisitation comes at a different time for DC. It seems almost overnight the District went from punchline to cool, but of course, it was a far more organic process than the hype would lead you to believe. Those of us who’ve directly experienced the waves from murder capital to millennial chic are thrilled by the District taking its rightful place as a cosmopolitan nexus, a gateway to the world, its beauty fully appreciated, while at the same time some can feel a conflicted nostalgia for those other days.

Like all great love affairs, it’s complicated. That’s what makes passion interesting.

So please join us as we launch our retrospection on Why I (Still) Love DC with articles by past writers over the next several days. Sift through the original Why I Love DC archive for some memory lane action. Join the dialogue #WhyIStillLoveDC and let everyone know your own pulse.

We’re still curious. And that’s as it should be.

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Share Your DC with LiveArt in a Day https://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/04/share-your-dc-with-liveart-in-a-day/ https://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/04/share-your-dc-with-liveart-in-a-day/#comments Tue, 04 Mar 2014 14:00:16 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96468 logo w sponsors and date

Get ready to share your love for DC. On Saturday, April 5 at the Anacostia Arts Center, We Love DC is joining collaborative theater company LiveArtDC in holding the first annual LiveArt in a Day. We want your ideas to help create this unique presentation of five 10-minute plays that will be written overnight by local playwrights, rehearsed the next day, and performed twice that night only.

LiveArt in a Day will feature two performances of the plays, at 7pm and 9pm, in addition to three sets by local bands The Iris Bell, South Rail, and Clarence Buffalo, and a silent auction. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. All proceeds from the evening will benefit LiveArtDC (that rhymes with “Give Art DC”), a DC-based company of artists who believe in the power of collaboration to create engaging stories for theater. You may have seen their inaugural show I Heart Hummels at the Capital Fringe Festival. Now it’s your chance to join in the collaborative fun.

During the LiveArt in a Day event, plays will explore the sites, personalities and events that make DC the special place it is. But, we need your ideas to make it happen.

What are your quintessential DC experiences, the stories that make living here so unique? What locations or personalities would you want a play built around? How about that time you entered the annual High Heel Race? Or pelted an ex at the Dupont Circle Snowball Fight? Proposed at the DC World War I Memorial? Cried at the Eastern Market fire? Sat next to Kojo Nnamdi at the Kennedy Center? Started a family in Brookland? Shadowed Ian MacKaye at the Black Cat? There are so many possibilities. From simply telling us your favorite landmark or your favorite local character, to sharing more complex stories, we want to hear them all.

Share your ideas on We Love DC in the comment section below with Leave a Reply, or tweet your ideas with hashtag #liveart24 to @liveartdc. We’ll select the most promising and creative ideas for the LiveArt in a Day playwrights to choose from, and they’ll craft their plays from your themes.

Your love for DC, your life in DC. All in a day. Let’s go.

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My DC in 2013: Jenn https://www.welovedc.com/2013/12/31/my-dc-in-2013-jenn/ https://www.welovedc.com/2013/12/31/my-dc-in-2013-jenn/#comments Tue, 31 Dec 2013 22:09:19 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=95725

If 2012 was the year of upheaval, then 2013 was the year of recovery. I had a seemingly simple goal: to take time to pause, reflect, and allow my body to heal after a traumatic experience of complete heart block and two operations. I sold my house in Logan Circle, and moved temporarily to Petworth, hiding away in a Batgirl Cave on a street where sweet kids played on their bikes and friendly neighbors cooked out on the sidewalks. It felt like another city, one of families, far away from my usual frantic mid-city pace.

It felt like exile, too.

I’d lived in the same house for twelve years. It seems a luxury in urban living to have had the same address for that long. Then there I was, holding the splintered remains of my former life, feeling raw and broken and alone. Only I wasn’t. My city was still there for me. Eventually I would leave my little sanctuary and move back to Shaw, able to walk by my old house without flinching, happy it was loved by someone new. My mind can now be filled with snapshots of my DC in 2013: of a sunny patio, an audience’s gasp, passionate conversations, and much happiness over friends’ successes. Art, cocktails, and coffee. A lot of coffee. And late nights. Too much, probably, for someone struggling with major arrhythmia. For every moment I tried to rest and heal, I also pushed my body to deny it had failed.

Until finally, I forgave it.

It’s spring, and I’m sitting at a wooden picnic bench outside. A warm, yet breezy day. The sound of a coffee grinder, the smell of roasting beans. It’s Qualia Coffee’s back patio, with mischievous cats begging for scraps of my smoked salmon. A writing sanctuary. Or it’s autumn, and I’ve moved back to mid-city, writing with a friend on the rooftop at my new apartment. We’re laughing about statistics and checking off to-do boxes. I can see my old house’s peaked roof from this new roof, and it feels all right to finally let it go. The west of the city is spread out before us, illuminated by sunset.

It’s night, and fairy lights are twinkling in a secret garden. Adams Morgan, a wood-burning grill piled with Argentinian beef cuts, and bread to drench with duck fat. Or it’s day, and the grill is covered with cast-iron pans holding eggs, the table spread with sherry bottles. One of my early interview subjects at the start of We Love DC, my friend Ben Eisendrath, is treating us to another amazing feast. A gathering of local entrepreneurs laughing, teasing each other, raising glasses. We all can’t believe our luck.

A rooftop party, filled with costumed revelers. A cellist plays in the corner. We’re eager to hear a music lecture on Stravinsky, on Nijinsky, on the anniversary night of a performance that electrified the art world. Jason McCool leads us all in loudly clapping out one of the most difficult rhythms in musical history. It feels explosive, chaotic, subversive. Just as it should. A communal experience validating the importance of art.

A theater, and an actor is coming towards me with a question whose answer sucks the air from the room. It’s dog & pony dc’s Beertown, and we audience members are part of the show. I’m asked if I’ve ever thought about dying, and though I’m honest and sincere in my response, I’m also performing, as it’s too raw not to coat in calmness. I realize I do this all the time, hold the full horror of my near-death experience back from others. I can see my friend on stage look pale as it unfolds. But we both know, theater holds the mirror up to life, and it’s a moment of true power. It is also the moment I resolve to forgive my heart.

Bars. Many bars. Am I a barfly? Or a butterfly? It’s Spirits in Black at the Black Cat, packed with people, metal mayhem, pyrotechnic drinks. I’m trading Star Wars quips and resurrection tricks, feeling magnetically alive. It’s The Passenger’s anniversary party, and I’m laughing with delight watching brothers Tom and Derek Brown belt out “My Way” – proud of their success and grateful for their friendship. It’s 80s Night at Black Whiskey, with a malfunctioning HVAC leaving old friends all swimming in sweat as we dance dance dance to the radio – or rather, the DJ prowess of Neal Keller, who keeps us forever young. But it’s also the times outside the bars with the people I’ve met there. A day of sailing on the Chesapeake, lazily drifting in the warm water, the boat captained steady and true. 

I’m alone in front of a masterpiece. Van Gogh has painted his tiny bedroom, the colors so cheerful I want to cry. His lonely life humbles me. I feel selfish and honored, that my life affords me the privilege to see such beauty, created from such pain. Wandering the rooms of the Phillips Collection, surrounded by quiet magnificence. I can feel my heart beating, regulated by a defibrillator, another privilege. “…for here there is no place that does not see you,” Rilke’s poem echoes in my mind, “You must change your life.” So. I take a deep breath. And I finally forgive.

The more I sift through these moments, the more others accumulate, until I’m overwhelmed by the richness of the year. Panic too, that I’ll forget, or have forgotten, or cannot fully capture everything, everyone – for that is the nature of touching your own mortality. Not all moments are happy, either. Some are embarrassing, ridiculous, humiliating. That’s only right. Acceptance of failure is a kind of triumph, after all. Thank you, my city, for reminding me that the value of experience is not a burden. It is an honor to live among you. Ever onward then, to another chapter, another year.

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We Love Arts: Man in a Case https://www.welovedc.com/2013/12/13/we-love-arts-man-in-a-case/ Fri, 13 Dec 2013 21:00:28 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=95427 Mikhail Baryshnikov in Man in a Case. Photo credit: T. Charles Erickson.

Mikhail Baryshnikov in Man in a Case. Photo credit: T. Charles Erickson.

It would be easy for Mikhail Baryshnikov to rest on his laurels. It would also be easy to recommend that you see him in Man in a Case, at Shakespeare Theatre Company as part of their Presentation Series, simply for the novelty of seeing one of the greatest performers of our time on stage. Doing anything. What a pleasure then, that this is not an easy piece. Instead, you have the privilege of witnessing charisma at the service of experimental theater. It’s truly extraordinary.

Man in a Case is adapted and directed by Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar of Big Dance Theater, who use their innovative approach on two short stories by Anton Chekhov: “Man in a Case” and “About Love.” Parson also choreographs the production (she’s worked with David Byrne on several projects, and with St. Vincent on her upcoming tour). Though it runs just under ninety minutes, the piece has an elegiac pace which allows the seamless combination of video, sound, dance, and narration to unfold with a hypnotic beauty.

There’s a haunting immediacy to the production from its first moments, as hunters begin swapping stories in a manner evoking the folksy banter of a late night radio show. The onstage presence of sound designer Tei Blow and associate video designer Keith Skretch seems entirely natural as they execute cues from their laptops right alongside the actors. It’s that dichotomy between the natural and the artificial that gives Man in a Case an eccentric edge, which only expands as projections reminiscent of surveillance cameras appear on surfaces both expected and unexpected. It has the quality of immersive theater – even though we are watching from our stationary seats in the Lansburgh, we feel included. There’s a hint of voyeurism which expands and continues to the end.

Man in a Case begins with the story of professor Belikov (Baryshnikov), who lives a heartbreakingly restrictive and proper existence almost devoid of air to breathe. He is imprisoned in rigidity, a fact Baryshnikov makes clear with economical physical precision. A dreaded dinner guest, he’s perceived as a bore by the other townspeople and only comes momentarily to life when the possibility of love with the delightfully brash Barbara (Tymberly Canale) is presented. Ultimately, he’s undone by his inability to escape the narrow confines of the rules and regulations he’s encased himself in. We know the precise moment that love is doomed, because we’re complicit – when a shower of terrible (and terribly funny) caricatures falls over the audience, Belikov’s shame is made painfully real.

It’s a perfect theatrical moment, one of many that illuminate the production. When Belikov confronts Barbara’s menacing brother Kovalenko (Aaron Mattocks) in a deceptively simple scene on a staircase, the two actors build tension to an almost unbearable breaking point, as the music rises and the projection brings us in close. That tension inherent in “Man in a Case” is shaken off by Baryshnikov in a gentle dance before beginning “About Love,” and here Parson is allowing us to hope that the next story will end happily.

It doesn’t. It is Chekhov, after all.

“About Love” is almost a tone poem on the exquisite pain of impossible desire, and it features a daring dance duet performed flattened to the ground by Baryshnikov and Canale, as their moves are transformed by a birds-eye projection view the audience sees dead on. It’s a stunning moment, accompanied by Chris Giarmo’s live singing in plaintive falsetto and Jess Barbagallo’s melancholic narration. Giarmo’s music direction, the video direction of Jeff Larson and Keith Skretch, and the sound design of Tei Blow, combine to create an environment throughout that is truly special. As the doomed couple, Baryshnikov and Canale again delineate their emotion through strict economy of gesture, capturing the essence of illicit chemistry, and the ensemble reacts with perfect integration. Shorter than the first segment, “About Love” still packs a powerful erotic charge, and its final line, delivered with wistful sincerity by Barbagallo, left me wanting more.

Baryshnikov Productions’ Man in a Case performs as part of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Presentation Series, at the Lansburgh Theatre through December 22, 2013, located at 450 7th Street NW, Washington DC 20004. Tickets $45-105. Closest Metro stop: Archives-Navy Mem’l-Penn Quarter (Yellow/Green lines) or Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Red/Yellow/Green lines). For more information call 202-547-1122.

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We Love Arts: Van Gogh Repetitions at The Phillips Collection https://www.welovedc.com/2013/10/11/we-love-arts-van-gogh-repetitions-at-the-phillips-collection/ https://www.welovedc.com/2013/10/11/we-love-arts-van-gogh-repetitions-at-the-phillips-collection/#comments Fri, 11 Oct 2013 21:00:38 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=94377 Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles, 1889, Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Vincent van Gogh, The Bedroom at Arles, October 1889. Oil on canvas, 22 11/16 x 29 1/8 in. Musée d’Orsay, Paris. © RMN-Grand Palais/Hervé Lewandowski/Art Resource, NY.

If all you got from it was the opportunity to stand in front of Vincent van Gogh’s heartbreakingly beautiful painting The Bedroom in Arles, the upcoming exhibition at The Phillips Collection would be well worth the visit. After all, this will be DC’s first van Gogh exhibition in fifteen years, and the first in the Phillips’ history.

There’s more, however. This exhibit is an exquisite study of the artist’s process.

In 1889, Vincent van Gogh set up his easel on a village road and hastily painted an oil sketch of the scene on an improvised canvas of stretched fabric. Later that year he would paint it again, on a proper canvas sent by his brother Theo.

Vincent van Gogh, The Large Plane Trees (Road Menders at Saint-Rémy), 1889. Oil on fabric, 28 7/8 x 36 1/8 in. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Gift of the Hanna Fund, 1947

Vincent van Gogh, The Large Plane Trees (Road Menders at Saint-Rémy), 1889. Oil on fabric, 28 7/8 x 36 1/8 in. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Gift of the Hanna Fund, 1947.

The former work, The Large Plane Trees, was acquired by The Cleveland Museum of Art in the 1940s, as was the latter work, The Road Menders, by The Phillips Collection founder Duncan Phillips. The two works are reunited for the first time in DC at Van Gogh Repetitions, opening at The Phillips Collection on October 12.

Vincent van Gogh, The Road Menders, 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/2 in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC. Acquired 1949

Vincent van Gogh, The Road Menders, 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/2 in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC. Acquired 1949.

That seems a very straightforward introduction. But it’s an intense experience for the arts viewer to stand in front of these two works, to think of them and their journey across time, the improbability of their survival and reunion given van Gogh’s tortured end. Van Gogh, famously unappreciated during his life, is so beloved now that any exhibition of his work is bound to be popular. Here, co-organizers The Phillips Collection and The Cleveland Museum of Art seek to present a new view of van Gogh. It’s an investigation of his process through comparison of what he termed “repetitions.” Van Gogh’s practice of repeatedly painting the same subject, either by revisiting his own treatment of it or by copying the works of other artists, was a reliable technique by which he honed his craft. By focusing on the artist’s methods, rather than the man’s madness, the exhibit succeeds as a thoughtful study providing a new appreciation for his work.

Over thirty paintings and works on paper will be on view at The Phillips Collection through January 26, 2014. Given the meditative aspect of both the Phillips (one of my favorite places to just quietly wander) and the exhibit itself, entry for non-members will be by dated and timed reservation. With tickets at only $12, return visits over the four months are entirely feasible, and I think you’ll want to see such pieces as The Bedroom at Arles (on loan from the Musee d’Orsay) repeatedly. There’s much to ponder about van Gogh’s process, such as in the permutations of portraits of the Roulin family – postman Joseph, his wife Camille, their baby Marcelle – who seem to breathe again as you observe van Gogh’s attempts to capture their likenesses and personalities.

Vincent van Gogh, L'Arlésienne (Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux),1888–89. Oil on canvas, 36 x 29 in.The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.Bequest of Sam A. Lewisohn, 1951

Vincent van Gogh, L’Arlésienne (Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux),1888–89. Oil on canvas, 36 x 29 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Bequest of Sam A. Lewisohn, 1951.

There’s also an intimacy to this exhibit that rises unexpectedly. I experienced this first hand upon viewing the two perspectives of Madame Ginoux (“L’Arlesienne”), first in van Gogh’s copy of Gaugin’s sketch, and then in the further repetition of his own work. Familiar with the profile version of L’Arlesienne from many Metropolitan Museum of Art visits as a child, it was a revelation to see Madame straight-on in Rome’s National Gallery of Modern Art acquisition of van Gogh’s copy of a Gaugin sketch. To see the kindness in her eyes that van Gogh captured, completely different from the look Gaugin saw, was a happy surprise. She came vibrantly alive for me, as did a strong sense of van Gogh’s technique and artistry.

Vincent van Gogh, L’Arlesienne,1890.Oil on canvas,23 5/16 x 19 3/4in.Rome, National Gallery of Modern Art. By permission of Ministero dei Beni, delle Attività Culturalie del Turismo

Vincent van Gogh, L’Arlesienne, 1890. Oil on canvas, 23 5/16 x 19 3/4in. Rome, National Gallery of Modern Art. By permission of Ministero dei Beni, delle Attività Culturalie del Turismo.

 

Van Gogh Repetitions will be on view at The Phillips Collection from October 12, 2013 through January 26, 2014. Admission (for non-members with a dated/timed ticket): $12. The Phillips Collection is located at 1600 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009. Closest Metro stop: Dupont Circle (Red line). For more information visit the exhibition website. 

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We Love Arts: Red Speedo https://www.welovedc.com/2013/10/04/we-love-arts-red-speedo/ Fri, 04 Oct 2013 22:28:59 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=94239 Frank Boyd (Ray) and Laura C. Harris (Lydia) in Studio Theatre's production of Red Speedo. Photo: Teddy Wolff

Frank Boyd (Ray) and Laura C. Harris (Lydia) in Studio Theatre’s production of Red Speedo. Photo: Teddy Wolff

Chlorine. It’s an unmistakable, pervasive odor that greets audience members climbing the stairwell up to the Studio Lab’s production of Red Speedo. It’s one of those scents that taps instantly into memory, permeating everything. For some it brings to mind the leisure of a summer swimming pool, for others the heady competition of swim meets. Here it’s the latter that’s being evoked, and with it, a dose of ethics. There’s a queasy sensation that rises up when your sense of what is right is pitted against your sense of what is wrong. In the heat of competition, moral and physical fiber can be in opposition.

Red Speedo dives into a pretty deep pool of complex arguments, and in doing so owes a great deal to Greek drama, both in its format and in its unabashed way of piling on those arguments ever higher. From the first segment, when a lengthy monologue gives way to a staccato two-character exchange, to the final striking betrayals, it has a Sophoclean air. Lucas Hnath’s play is having its world premiere at Studio Theatre’s Studio Lab, and with all tickets at twenty dollars it’s well worth the eighty minutes of heavy moral quicksand. For the most part, Hnath sticks to scenes between two characters as they continually delude themselves and each other through dilemmas that warp the moral compass. Over it all, that whiff of chlorine heightens the queasy feeling right to the end.

Unless you love the smell of chlorine. In which case, the ends may justify the means. Who can say? It’s that kind of play. 

It’s the day before the Olympic trials, and competitive swimmer Ray (Frank Boyd), his brother Peter (Thomas Jay Ryan), his coach (Harry A. Winter), and his ex-girlfriend Lydia (Laura C. Harris) embark on a twenty-four hour journey through the hottest argument in sports ethics – where is the line between fair and unfair advantage? As with her brilliant work on The Aliens at Studio Theatre last year, Lila Neugebauer directs this strong cast in a style of heightened, painful naturalism. It’s uncertain whether the play’s merits would stand as strong with a lesser production team, however, as the rising ethical stakes might seems too melodramatic in other hands. Here, everyone effectively conveys their personal struggles of deception and perception, with Winter especially striking the keynote of perfect, almost Pinteresque nuance as the coach.

The production design is as unforgiving as it is inspired. The combination of set designer Mimi Lien’s pale blue swimming pool tiles and lighting designer Dan Covey’s gymnasium fluorescents is as unforgiving as the real thing. It’s a background that fittingly puts performance front-and-center, with no room for anything but truth from the quartet. A sea serpent tattoo in Meghan Raham’s costume design, the occasion swimming pool echo by sound designer Christopher Baine, and sickeningly realistic fight choreography by Robb Hunter, round it all out. It’s deceptively simple.

Though the plot’s density of moral dilemmas may stretch credulity, overall it’s an experiment in naturalism that I admire. Studio Lab certainly continues to impress with its commitment to producing new plays at low ticket prices with a high caliber of cast and design.

Studio Lab’s production of Red Speedo performs at the Studio Theatre now through October 13. The Studio Theatre is located at 1501 14th Street NW, Washington DC 20005. All tickets $20. Closest Metro stop: Dupont Circle (Red line), McPherson Square (Orange/Blue lines), U Street/Cardozo/African-American Civil War Memorial (Yellow/Green lines). For more information call 202-332-3300.

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Fringe 2013: Week Three in Review https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/30/fringe-2013-week-three-in-review/ Tue, 30 Jul 2013 17:00:12 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=93191

It’s been one wild ride for our intrepid team as we immersed ourselves in the Capital Fringe Festival this year. Here are the last few shows for Patrick and Joanna from the final weekend, and look for everyone’s final thoughts on the whole festival experience later. We need a theater detox first. Buttons off!

Recapped: OkStupid’s Secret Math Lab, Nephrectomy, Legal Tender, A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup

OkStupid’s Secret Math Lab
Reviewer: Patrick

As a sad, lonely reviewer I’m often asked, “Patrick, have you ever tried online dating?” Of course I have. I believe almost everybody in today’s digital generation has tried online dating to varying degrees of success. In a world of online pizza delivery, instant navigation, and the answer to almost any trivia answer right at our fingertips, why can’t we figure out a way to streamline love? According to Erin Bylander’s OkStupid’s Secret Math Lab, it should be possible to boil attraction down to a math equation, personified by the stylishly dressed Chris Andersen. As a personification of a site eerily similar to one of the most popular free dating websites out there, he helps Lucy (Colleen Sproull) find true love through the power of math. Bylander’s script and direction by Maria O’Connor come together to create a very entertaining comedy full of sharply written lines that take great aim at the hoops we jump through in the online dating game. Andersen’s Al Gorithm and fellow OkStupid minions (Donta Hensley, Rebecca Korn, Morgan Sendek, Ben Church) live and die by arithmetic to an alarming degree. In the end the comedy asks the question we all have asked after another unsuccessful online match: is attraction something that can be quantified and measured with computers?

Nephrectomy
Reviewer: Joanna

A group of three mall shop workers navigate love, loss, and kidney surgery in Staunch Theatre Company’s ambitious dark comedy about 20-something angst. The small cast gave a valiant effort on Saturday afternoon and kept the audience’s interest with the help of a fairly original and dynamic script by playwright/director Elizabeth Hagerty. The script, which teeters around romcom for the first half of the show, meanders until it eventually devolves into farcical horror, where it thrives. While some of the characters’ choices seem unrealistic and either too good (or too bad) to be true, the show advertises itself as an exaggeration – and that it is.

Legal Tender
Reviewer: Joanna

In this well-polished reflection on the value of a dollar, Sanctuary Theatre’s Performing Knowledge Project presents Elizabeth Bruce’s flash fiction collection-in-progress “50 Dollars.” A five-person cast explores nine short vignettes without any editing to the original text. The company’s inventive staging is a delight. However, without any changes to the work of fiction that serves as its base, the script can feel tedious and distracting at times. Tiny adaptations would greatly serve the piece as a whole. The short stories are great, but they remain great short stories rather than theater at its finest.

A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup
Reviewer: Joanna

After loving the short preview I saw of her last year, I was thrilled to see for my own eyes what all the fuss was about with Miss Hiccup. And this 2012 festival success did not disappoint in year #2. Beloved Japanese clown Yanomi is an endearing, exciting presence on a mostly bare stage. When she invites us to experience a typical day with her, she offers up a world of fantasy, fun, and surprise. To do that is to succeed already, but Miss Hiccup goes further: she takes the audience on an unexpected emotional journey that feels at once breathtaking, heartbreaking, hopeful, and hilarious. This was my last show at Fringe this year, and also my favorite. I hope Yanomi will come back to DC soon, ideally with new tricks up her sleeve.

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Fringe 2013: Week Two in Review (Part 3) https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/23/fringe-2013-week-two-in-review-part-3/ https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/23/fringe-2013-week-two-in-review-part-3/#comments Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:00:38 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=93077

Sex, politics, and social media invites make for a very “official DC” finish to our week two round up of the Capital Fringe Festival. Ok, there are also puppets and Shakespeare. Work with it! Soldier through our previous reviews with Patrick, Joanna, Kristin, and Jenn, and look for our final thoughts on the whole mad business next week.

Recapped: The Clocks, STATUS – A Social Media Experiment, Romeo & Juliet, Married Sex, The Politician

The Clocks
Reviewer: Jenn

Not A Robot Theatre Company’s mission is to “explore the possibilities and conflicts that arise from human and object interactions.” That pretty much sold me on attending their performance of The Clocks. It’s a shame that the venue they’ve been slotted into is the very traditional Studio 4, because this mash-up of sound, projection, and puppetry really ought to be in a challenging industrial space that disorients the viewer into a dreamlike state. But, don’t let that be a block to your suspension of disbelief. Jacy Barber and Jason Patrick Wells have created something unique, a delicately quirky exploration of memory that’s performed with the straightforward naivete of children’s purposeful games of make-believe. And it is challenging. At first I didn’t know what to make of the poker-faced duo and their cardboard cutouts, the repetitive movements, the sad puppet who slowly became more real than anything else. By the time the two slow-dance with all the awkward charm of youth, you realize that you’ve accepted their world of childlike simplicity. Despite having to work against the space to create the intended immersive world of magic and pain, The Clocks is a very interesting theatrical experiment. 

STATUS – A Social Media Experiment
Reviewer: Patrick

Dancer Kathryn Elizabeth Kelly is the kind of Facebook friend you would constantly be jealous of when she pops into your news feed: endless photos of her at lavish parties, status updates humble bragging about her latest exploits (limo rides, yacht parties, skydiving), a friend list full of people you know and many others you don’t (but wish you did). How did this Alexandria local go from nobody to DC socialite? By simply saying yes. Kelly walks us through a year where she decided to live life by one rule: when presented with an invite, just say yes. The words “social media” in the title mainly apply to the Facebook-themed presentation that makes up the visuals as she tells us story after story of charity balls, lounge parties, and other things beautiful and/or rich and powerful people do. A bell is rung whenever she decides to “say yes” and the audience will pick up valuable socialite tips such as befriending bouncers and avoiding red wine at a white party. On the surface the show is a gab session full of amazing stories that sound pulled out of a Bravo reality show. However Kelly hints that her year of yes wasn’t all roses. While it’s exciting to become a member of DC high society, what does it all mean without deep and meaningful friendships? Yes, Kelly leads an amazing life that is always on-the-go, but this show is best left for the type of person who enjoys hearing about high society adventures…which isn’t always my cup of tea.

Romeo & Juliet
Reviewer: Kristin

Verona my be a fair city, but it’s still a man’s world! Young Juliet’s life has been planned out for her while she’s locked away in her bedroom waiting for it to begin. To bring this point home, Juliet is the only female in We Happy Few Productions’ Romeo and Juliet.  The cast is phenomenal. The sets are minimal. The story flies by at ninety minutes traffic on the stage. I admit I spent portions of the play wondering what, if anything was missing. The fast pace heightens Juliet’s desperation to break free. The play explodes when her father, mother and nurse make it clear she is to marry Paris in three days. The scene is terrifying, violent and brilliantly acted. It is easy to believe the only way out of Juliet’s balconied prison is to feign death. Easily the most polished production I’ve seen at Fringe.

Married Sex
Reviewer: Patrick

Laura Zam headlines a one-woman show about her real-life (for the most part) story of getting married in her middle age years and struggling to be intimate with her husband after suffering from sexual abuse as a child. From therapists of all kinds to brunches with other women, Zam searches everywhere for the answer. The topic is endearing and the resolution touching, however, this is a show that hits best with a certain audience, one that perhaps isn’t 29 and single. Zam delivers with great energy and enthusiasm, yet her positive gloss felt a bit off when talking about darker subjects in the first half. You can tell from the get-go that Zam loves to talk in accents – almost every character in her show gets a different ethnic/regional accent, giving the audience the impression that she must be friends with the entire UN Delegation. The show feels like it wants to be Eat, Pray, Love with descriptions of elaborate travels to Italy and elsewhere, but it’s missing the food (as well as other things) to make this a complete package.

The Politician
Reviewer: Kristin

Pundit Peter Peters makes his living in the vague generalities of sound-bites. His verbal prowess has made him a regular in the world of the 24-hour news cycle and helped short list him to a political post that he is hungry for, yet in a matter of hours his life comes undone. The Politician is a tight-paced geopolitical thriller. Writer John Feffer understands Washington and foreign policy from experience, and he skewers the world he knows well. Feffer sucks the audience in with satire as we get to know his self absorbed protagonist. He then keeps them with a finely plotted story. Though it doesn’t break any new ground, it’s good theater that I’d recommend.

See you next week for our final thoughts…

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Fringe 2013: Week Two in Review (Part 2) https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/23/fringe-2013-week-two-in-review-part-2/ Tue, 23 Jul 2013 17:36:59 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=93075

Continuing on with our coverage of the Capital Fringe Festival‘s second week with Patrick, Joanna, Kristin, and Jenn getting splattered by blood and learning how to dance naked under hot sweaty lights. It’s Fringe, people, what else do you expect?

Recapped: Dementia Melodies: “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over,” Polaroid Stories, 43 and a 1/2: The Greatest Deaths of Shakespeare’s Tragedies, I tried to be normal once, it didn’t take., A Guide to Dancing Naked, Social Media Expert

Dementia Melodies: “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over” 
Reviewer: Joanna

Solo performer Steve Little presents some of the lessons he’s learned from playing music in the dementia ward of an elder care home. I may be biased because of my own experience singing in the geriatric psychiatric ward of a hospital, but I found his stories incredibly touching. While comedic moments poke fun at aging and our own fear of death, more serious tales question the connection between music and mortality.Little confuses some of his accents, and the musical interludes don’t serve the larger narrative. Still, this piece offers a unique perspective on a universal experience and helps us understand better what is lost and kept when our minds start to fail us.

Polaroid Stories
Reviewer: Jenn

It’s The Warriors meets Metamorphoses in Blind Pug Arts Collective’s production of Naomi Iizuka’s exquisitely written riff on Ovid’s tales. You might be put off by the length, at roughly 105 minutes in the stuffy confines of The Shop, but the urban poetry of the language and the committed cast is worth it. The Greek myths mingle well with the hard lives of homeless street kids. The old stories never feel forced into the new construct, as it’s entirely believable how desperately legends are needed when your life is so dark. There’s a lot of raw talent here guided by director/actor Jonelle Walker, with several young performers to be on the lookout for in the future – especially notable are Chris Carillo as a preening yet damaged Narcissus and Sheen Mercado as a quietly dangerous Dionysus. Both are strongly rooted in an easy naturalism that was very appealing. There’s some teetering into melodrama but overall it’s a very promising piece by a young company whose work I’m interested in following further.

43 and a 1/2: The Greatest Deaths of Shakespeare’s Tragedies
Reviewer: Kristin

This production has it all: British sock puppets, Rick Astley, death, death, and 41 and a half more deaths. That Shakespeare was pretty gruesome. The title effectively sums up this comedy from Nu Sass Productions. The ensemble cast works hard and they deliver the goods. There are puns, word play, parodies, a few sword fights, and a lot of funny Shakespearean death scenes. I don’t know who had more fun, the cast or the audience.  The show goes eighty minutes and they still don’t have enough time to get to King Lear or some of the lesser known tragedies. If you sit in the front row you get a nifty button for braving the last ten minutes watching Titus Andronicus from under a plastic tarp to protect you from blood splatter. Probably important to note, Titus Andronicus was an extremely bloody play.

I tried to be normal once, it didn’t take.
Reviewer: Patrick

Actor Stephanie Svec examines her journey into the performing arts world starting with the discovery of her comedic skills in the 7th grade. From there Stephanie has gone through summers of theater camp, living in New York at 16, and getting divorced before turning 27. All along the way she struggles with the pressure to live a more stable, “normal” life. Fellow actors can relate when I say that the life of a performer is anything but stable or normal. Svec’s performance is cute, entertaining and heartwarming and delivers a message that will resonate with all the busybodies out there.

A Guide to Dancing Naked
Reviewer: Jenn

Brynn Tucker is determined to spread the gospel of dancing naked (solo! alone in your room! what did you think she meant?), and her adorable energy is so irresistible she might just convert any shy wallflowers out there to try it. Her fierce rendition of Beyoncé’s Freakum Dress certainly convinced me. As an admirer of Tucker’s performances with Synetic Theater, I was expecting at the least some beautiful dancing in her one-woman show, but what I didn’t expect was to be moved by her very personal stories about body image. Tucker fearlessly relays her battle with dysmorphia after thoroughly entertaining the audience with tales of her cheerleading days and love of Singin’ in the Rain – the switch from joy to sorrow is heartrending. The night I saw it, there were two young girls in the audience, and I thought how important it was to see Tucker’s performance at their age. It’s really just a simple monologue about her life mixed with dancing and audience participation, but it’s a lovely and inspiring piece.

Social Media Expert
Reviewer: Patrick

From the mind of John Krizel, Social Media Expert is a fresh comedy that is amazingly polished for Fringe piece. Backed through a Kickstarter campaign, it is one of the best prospects I’d like to see developed for a larger DC audience out of all the Fringe shows I’ve seen so far. The show focuses on the marketing department of burger chain Jingleburger where their social media guy David (Nathan Wolfson) is challenged to manage the restaurant’s presence amongst a number of PR nightmares (ripped from the headlines stuff, like horse meat.) David also has a lot on his plate outside of work: feelings for the new Intern, a roommate who is afraid of technology and his girlfriend who thinks social media is a scam. The ensemble delivers laughs and what could have been a heavy handed commentary on the digital age takes keeps thing delightful and light. If you work anywhere near Twitter (like me) then you will surely love this play.

Still more to come today…

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Fringe 2013: Week Two in Review https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/23/fringe-2013-week-two-in-review/ Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:00:56 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=93073

Are you fringe-ified yet? The Capital Fringe Festival is well underway, and our weekly round-ups continue. Check in with Patrick, Joanna, Kristin, and Jenn as they tweet on the fly and share their thoughts on this year’s experimental madness. If last week didn’t stop them from indulging in sweaty, passionate theater, then nothing will.

Recapped: A Commedia Romeo and Juliet, The Elephant in My Closet, The Afflicted, What’s in the BOX?!, The Tragical Mirth of Marriage & Love: Short Scenes by Anton Chekhov, How to Have It All: The Musical 

A Commedia Romeo and Juliet
Reviewer: Joanna

Commedia dell’Arte company Faction of Fools doesn’t disappoint with this comedic retelling of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, which captures the notable funny moments in the Bard’s original work while adding a commedia flair that promises a lot of laughs. In an ambitious attempt to play all characters with only five actors, the small cast moves constantly and never lets the energy waver. At the same time, this adaptation retains Shakespeare’s tragic ending and stays true to the original text. So while it’s not the most original show at Fringe this year, it’s certainly one of most entertaining.

The Elephant in My Closet
Reviewer: Jenn

David Lee Nelson has a shocking revelation for his father. As he builds up his courage to reveal the ultimate filial divide, the audience squirms in sympathy with this likable, appealing actor. He has a guilty secret. He’s turned to the other side. He’s now a Democrat! A clever slideshow and self-deprecating humor highlight this classic tale of the inevitable day when you break with your parents’ tradition. It benefits greatly from the suspense Nelson builds as he takes an increasingly uncomfortable audience through his wide-eyed childhood love of Ronald Reagan to his bombastic Republican radio loving twenties. The night I was in the audience, many were shaking their heads vehemently as Nelson passionately relived his youthful zeal, admiring George H. W. Bush’s “kind eyes,” only to safely breathe again when finding out he lost his political religion under George W. Bush. His Republican father will have the opposite experience, and Nelson deftly holds the mirror up to the audience’s own prejudices. The manipulation of the audience’s preconceived notions is what makes this one-man show more than just a coming-of-age tale.

The Afflicted
Reviewer: Kristin

The Afflicted, a production from The Wandering Theatre Company about the Salem Witch Trials, is a story told across time. Events that happen in the past have a distinct physicality to them. When the young girls of Salem are moving together in one voice or coming undone the play takes off. We gain glimpses into the hysteria that they were feeding, however, there is not a definitive answer as to why they made their accusations of witchcraft. Trying to make sense of it all falls to a present day writer researching the trials. This nameless character editorializes the action through text books and current sensibilities. It felt preachy, and I would have preferred to have seen a more fleshed out story set in the 1690s that trusted the audience to draw their own conclusions.

What’s in the BOX?!
Reviewer: Patrick

The folks at Burlesque & Belly Laughs have been bringing shows combining improv and burlesque dancing to venues around the District for some time. For Fringe, the group have set up shop at Source where patrons get to see alternating sets of comedy and scantily clad women. Audience participation isn’t just limited to the improv – at the start of the show an audience member randomly selects one of the seven deadly sins that then becomes the overarching theme of both the improv and the burlesque. The dancers know how to tease and do so very well. The improv performers at my performance didn’t have the chemistry that a well oiled WIT troupe would have, but they were fun and made sure the audience were laughing too. Overall a solid choice and worth the trek away from Fort Fringe.

The Tragical Mirth of Marriage & Love: Short Scenes by Anton Chekhov
Reviewer: Jenn

Pallas Theatre Collective’s rationale for producing several short plays by Anton Chekhov dealing with the subject of marriage might be considered timely given DOMA. However, The Tragical Mirth of Marriage & Love doesn’t really add much to the marriage debate mix. It seems a bit traditional and therefore out-of-place at Fringe, not breaking any new ground. It’s damn funny at times, with a vibrant, dedicated cast that chews scenery with great gusto, but it starts at too high a level of histrionics to give their talent anywhere to go, and it’s repeatedly the same level. If you’ve never seen Chekhov’s short pieces, it’s a good introduction and a lighthearted romp. But with all this talent on hand, I wish the company had aimed for more than just a traditional staging of a collection of scenes.

How To Have It All: The Musical
Reviewer: Patrick

As the lights go up on Fully Charged Productions’ How To Have It All, the cast wants to let you know that they are sorry. They are sorry that we are stuck in the hotbox that is known as The Shop at Fort Fringe. They are sorry that there is no intermission. They are sorry for a lot of things, a lot of reasons that life isn’t perfect. But we all want our lives to be perfect. The new musical explores our overachieving society where we expect to be able to balance a successful family and work life and whatever other curve-balls life throws you.  A divorced mother of two (Alanna Mensing) hopes to have it all as well and answers an infomercial from a self-help evangelist named Barbara (Susan S. Porter) who claims to have the perfect system to optimize your entire life. The concept is intriguing and the earlier songs show a lot of promise. However, the musical styling is all over the place, going from traditional showtune to dubstep to rap. Refinements are needed, but there could be something there.

More to come…

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Friday Happy Hour: Pineapple Cardamom Gin Rickey https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/19/friday-happy-hour-pineapple-cardamom-gin-rickey/ Fri, 19 Jul 2013 19:00:14 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=93023

A hot, humid, rainy evening. An Indonesian evening, without the benefit of actually being in Indonesia. I was rushing from the Silver Spring metro, pushing my cyborg heart to the limit in a race to get to Jackie’s Sidebar in a break between Fringe shows. I arrived drenched. If ever I needed “air-conditioning in a glass,” otherwise known as the Rickey, it was then.

I’d never been to Sidebar, and I felt a bit ashamed of that as I spilled into its cool, dark interior. Sidebar has a quirky, kitschy feel with black walls, chandeliers, and mismatched furniture. Its charm is elevated by the presence of bartender Jung-Ah Park, whose entry in the Rickey Month Contest I was there to sample. When I saw the name on the chalkboard – Pineapple Cardamom Gin Rickey – I knew it would be perfect for that monsoon night.

All month long, our local mixology talent stir up their versions of the deceptively simple cocktail known as the Rickey, for the DC Craft Bartenders Guild contest culminating on August 4th at Jack Rose. A few years ago I attended a seminar about its history taught by Derek Brown, who was instrumental in getting the Rickey its “DC’s native cocktail” status. It’s remained one of my favorite drinks ever since: gin or bourbon, lime, soda water, ice.

Heading to Maryland for DC’s native cocktail? Blasphemy, right? Wrong. Park’s riff on the classic was instantly reviving. Maybe that’s because cardamom contains linalool and linalyl acetate, compounds which reduce stress (as I recently learned from Amy Stewart’s invaluable book, The Drunken Botanist). The cardamom in Park’s Rickey has been toasted, simmered, pureed, boiled, cooled, and strained. It’s gone through quite a journey to get to your palate, and it’s married perfectly with gin, fresh pineapple juice, lime juice, and soda water. There’s a refreshing clarity to the drink. It’s just a little tart, not sweet, and very tropical. Park experimented with using bourbon instead of gin at first, but she decided that gin “behaves better” with cardamom. It truly does: cardamom is a common ingredient in gin, as well as lavender and citrus peel which also contain those same stress-relieving compounds.

By the time I finished, I was as cool as can be. Park’s Rickey is a delightful homage to the classic. Plus she’s super amazing. Now there’s a very good reason to visit Silver Spring.

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Fringe 2013: Week One in Review (Part Three) https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/16/fringe-2013-week-one-in-review-part-three/ Tue, 16 Jul 2013 22:41:39 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=92989

Earlier today we brought you parts one and two of our first week of Fringe, with Patrick, Joanna, Kristin and Jenn yapping about theater as usual. At long last, it’s the final installment, at least for this week’s go-around. Time for a beer. Hit the tent.

Recapped: Mark Twain’s Riverboat Extravaganza!, Violent Delights: A Shakespearean Brawl-esque Sideshow, Recovery, 21 King, Pitchin’ the Tent: Tia Nina Live at Baldacchino

Mark Twain’s Riverboat Extravaganza!
Reviewer: Jenn

Easily the wittiest, most enjoyable show I’ve seen at Fringe so far, Pointless Theatre’s romp through the tall tales of American history mixes Vaudeville with puppetry to create something quite unique, not to mention, truly hilarious. I laughed from the pre-show interactions right on through to the end, and even sniffled a bit – who really can stay dry-eyed through the story of John Henry struggling against the evil might of the Industrial Revolution? You cry too, people, I know you do! The cast is spot-on, seamlessly embodying icons both real and imaginary, from Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer to Johnny Appleseed and Casey Jones, as they enliven the mythology of American history with a sincere wink. These were the stories we created to make sense of our tumultuous, rapidly changing nation. Pointless Theatre is a passionate, smart company that delights in experimentation. That’s what Fringe should be all about.

Violent Delights: A Shakespearean Brawl-esque Sideshow
Reviewer: Jenn

Great fight choreography. Ambitious aspiration. Cloudy execution. When Off the Quill sticks to the “brawl-esque” aspects, highlighting the physical and stage combat talents of its cast, it’s a fun ride. When it meanders into murky dialogue or Shakespearean scenes cobbled together like the greatest hits of audition class, it fails. I saw a midnight show and maybe because of that I really expected a blood-spewing, scenery-chewing piece of epic theater Grand Guignol. Instead, it took itself far too seriously. These are clearly talented movement performers. So drop the Shakespeare, kill the self-indulgent philosophy. Pump in some freaky Fellini and have more fun with it.

Recovery
Reviewer: Jenn

The language of illness is fraught with difficulty. If you have cancer, for example, are you “battling” it? If you die, do you “succumb”? And if you live, are you a “survivor”? Playwright Mark Jason Williams had leukemia, and his work Recovery uncovers all those possibilities, including the human need to define ourselves in the face of illness, and the human desire to connect despite the uncertainty of our fate. Exploring what happens when two people tentatively delve into each other’s wounded psyches, interwoven with the testimony of other patients (not always likable) and pulling back to the viewpoint of doctors, it’s a piece that could easily dive into the maudlin. But in the hands of a capable and committed cast, it mostly avoids sentimentalism. Actors like Rachel Manteuffel and Marcus Salley seem effortlessly natural. It’s a shared human belief that hope triumphs, even in the face of death, and that belief comes across strongly in Williams’ work. If anything, it might be too hopeful. Would it benefit from more experimentation, more diving into the hell that is hospital life, forcing the audience to become truly as uncomfortable as someone facing a disease that could kill them? Maybe that would be more Fringe, but the fact that I’m still debating the play in my mind makes it a success to me.

21 King
Reviewer: Jenn

Awkwardly paced, slow-moving and ultimately baffling, I just couldn’t get into this tale of a commercial real estate Jezebel taking no prisoners as she wrangles daddy’s company. Is it meant to be a cautionary tale about using feminine wiles in the business world? A sexual harassment HR nightmare training video? Is it supposed to be funny? Ironic? Serious? Literal? The intention didn’t register, and could use a lot more sharpening.

Pitchin’ the Tent: Tia Nina Live at Baldacchino
Reviewer: Jenn

As sweat slowly rolled down my face, I thought, “This might just be the best Fringe show I’ve ever seen.” The tent should be packed to see the three fiercely committed dancer-choreographers embodying rock band Tia Nina – Leah Curran Moon, Ilana Silverstein, and Lisi Stoessel – as they explode and subvert the iconography of modern music legends. They ripped through the metal, punk, and rock genres with sly/wry/sexy wit, and by the time they were doing unspeakable acts to a poor blow-up goat doll, I was beyond hooked. This is dance theater at its absolute best, using movement to explore concepts like objectification, idolization, fetishization – just go see it, please, suffer the heat for these dance goddesses. You won’t regret it.

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Fringe 2013: Week One in Review (Part Two) https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/16/fringe-2013-week-one-in-review-part-two/ Tue, 16 Jul 2013 19:26:29 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=92983

After a quick bite at the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent catching up with part one of our first week of Fringe reviews (I personally vouch for the hamburger), it’s time to dive back in with Patrick, Joanna, Kristin and Jenn.

Recapped: H Street Housewives, Lore, Double Freakquency, Tragedy Averted, Big River (and Other Wayfaring Ballets), Tell-Tale

H Street Housewives
Reviewer: Patrick

With a show title like that you will certainly get some local pre-festival buzz. Nothing like pandering to DC residents: it’s as effective as pandering to theater people at Fringe. While there are a lot of DC-centric jokes including gluten-free free-range food obsessions, overachieving professionals, and the odd love for Whole Foods and Cheesecake Factory, there’s not a whole lot about the show that’s unique to H Street. Sure there is a Toki Underground or H Street Country club name drop here and there, but this show is really more “Real Housewives of Capitol Hill.” As a show it’s a funny sketch that could have been condensed to a three minute YouTube video. You’ll laugh, but the show runs out of steam over the 70 minutes. Also as a Clarendon resident I can laugh along with the rest during the many jokes about Arlington: I get it nobody wants to trek out here. But hey, at least it’s not Fairfax. Now that’s a hike.

Lore
Reviewer: Kristin

I love stories and I love improv for the same reason. Both can go anywhere. Washington Improv Theatre (WIT) successfully combines these pleasures in Lore. Audience members yell suggestions from a list of predetermined words to see what type of story is to be told. The prompts don’t always mean what you think they mean, but that’s part of the charm. The night I went we heard love letters between a couple separated across the miles by irreconcilable differences, advice from a geriantologist, and a quasi-super hero story about a slightly vain man who smelled really nice. That last one was far funnier than it sounds. Every sketch had its moments, but two prompts pushed the actors to the top of their game. DOC felt like a short Christopher Guest mockumentary without any flat notes. How can I describe the prompt Bazooka? The best I can do is: physical poetry laced with menace and ennui. If you like improv, see Lore and be sure to scream “BAZOOKA!”

Double Freakquency
Reviewer: Jenn

Wireless two-channel headphones broadcasting two separate music streams? What’s going on here, you may ask yourself as you enter the theater and are handed one of the best true wireless earbuds under 100. A little taste of interactive audio theater, that’s what. Adventure Productions has created a piece that’s light on actual plot but heavy on innovation. As a play about a caustic living situation between two eccentric roommates gone rogue and the two men pulled into their gravitational pull, it’s light on substance, but that’s not why you should go. By wearing a headset that allows you to switch between two separate channels of content, you can eavesdrop on private thoughts and between walls. It’s a fascinating concept, and I’d love to see it utilized in service of a more interesting plot. Quibble aside, the roomie battle royale is brought to life by a very funny cast who keep the action sharp and defined as you switch at will (or not at all, as I saw many audience members just stick to one angle). This kind of innovation is exactly what Fringe should be all about.

Tragedy Averted
Reviewer: Kristin

Cordelia and Desdemona are the apples of their fathers’ eyes, but they fight with them non-stop. Juliet moons over vampires and Twilight fan fiction. Ophelia can’t quite figure out what her odd but very deep boyfriend is going on about. They all can agree that Lady M is absolutely terrifying. It’s summer camp crammed full of canoe races, campfires, scary stories and silly games. Tragedy Averted asks: can they change their storied fates for the better? It also makes an interesting case about who Lady M actually is. I really enjoyed this one. The young cast is fantastic. They glide effortlessly between modern teen angst and Shakespearean prose. The jokes and dialogue fly fast, very fast. The few obvious gags drew the audience in even with the occasional groan: “Ophelia are you in tent 2B?” If your Shakespeare is rusty you might want to do a quick brush up. It will be worth it for the extra laughs.

Big River (and Other Wayfaring Ballets)
Reviewer: Jenn

Blue jeans, pointe shoes, and Johnny Cash. That was what drew me to see Big River (and Other Wayfaring Ballets). Performed by MOVEiUS Contemporary Ballet in the historic Tivoli, it’s a lovely showcase of a local company helmed by choreographer Diana Movius and also featuring the choreography of Shelley Siller, Katya Vasilaky, and Kimberly Parmer, with two premieres – Siller’s Renforce and Parmer’s Big River. The pieces are beautifully danced by a talented all-female company. I’m frankly a pushover when it comes to dance performances, however, pretty much guaranteed to cry as Cash sings Trent Reznor’s Hurt while Catherine Roth moves fluidly across stage, or Sarah Waldrop simply evokes Cash’s unabashed love during First Time Ever I saw Your Face. Less successful, to my mind, were the Broadway smiles during Folsom Prison Blues Live. The standout piece of the evening seems to me to be Movius’s 2011 Learning to Run, mixing ballet and athleticism in a very striking way. I’m eager to check out more MOVEiUS.

Tell-Tale
Reviewer: Kristin

“Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” I apologize, I can’t find the definitive source for that quote. I happened upon it just before heading into this adaptation of The Tell-Tale Heart from Grain of Sand Theatre. The quote feels appropriate on many levels. Tell-Tale is great! Yes, the play steals from Poe but the result is nothing like the story you read in school. It has been splintered, broken and rearranged into something far bigger than the tale of a crazed murderer tormented by his crime. Tell-Tale is a haunting look at intangible things. It contemplates ideas like love, generosity, desire and betrayal. I was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. The writing had a first person literary feel which helped explore characters’ thoughts as well as actions. The cast was always present and involved even when they were not center stage. I walked away challenged to consider if the lies I tell myself can ultimately hurt those I care about. In the end, I think good plays tell a story well, while great plays challenge your world.

Still more to come…

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Fringe 2013: Week One in Review https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/16/fringe-2013-week-one-in-review/ Tue, 16 Jul 2013 18:19:15 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=92978

The chaotic artsy madness that is the Capital Fringe Festival is well underway. Patrick, Joanna, Kristin and Jenn are dashing from venue to venue, soaking up some experimental theater (and just soaking). We’re sharing our thoughts on Twitter as we go, and have some thoughts on how to get the most out of your experience. Here’s part one of our massive brain dump from the first week.

Recapped: Kubrilesque, Dark House, Our Boys, The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs: The Musical, Apples & Oranges, Impossible to Translate But I’ll Try

Kubrilesque
Reviewer: Patrick

If you are expecting Kurbrick references, you’ll find them here. If you are expecting something classy, go elsewhere. Between the catcalls and the music that is blasted at you to let you know somebody is about to take off their clothes, I felt kinda trashy. The tongue-in-cheek show about a director creating a film gives the show a structure to include dance numbers, either real or imagined, but that’s about the only thing coherent about the piece. The numbers are all over the place as they take you through the epic filmography of Stanley Kubrick. Lady riding the atomic bomb from Dr. Strangelove? Check. People in masks a la Eyes Wide Shut? Check. Gorilla outfits? Check. Some of the numbers, particularly the group numbers, are passable, but the overall show is in need of a major re-edit. The comedic bits in between the dance numbers fall flat and the acting makes most late night movie rentals look like Best Picture nominees. For a show that runs 75 minutes, I felt like they could easily trim it down to 60. The scene changes are so long you could run to the concession stand and get another drink to help you get through the show (which some patrons actually did). The idea of a Kubrick-themed burlesque is interesting, and the Gala Theatre is a great venue to catch a Fringe show, however I’d rather sweat it out in Redrum on L St if that’s what’s going on over in Columbia Heights.

Dark House
Reviewer: Kristin

Dark House is a retelling of William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! set in Logan Circle. It’s a very ambitious play that touches on racism and sexism through one family over the past fifty years. Most of the play, like the book, is told in flashbacks. There are some truly beautiful and moving moments throughout the production. The small but capable cast doubles up on several characters. At times this works very well and we see the same actors vainly repeating the same actions while playing different people. Ultimately, I’m on the fence about paring down a Faulkner epic to 75 minutes. There was too much story for the pace. Characters blurred together and I didn’t really attach to most of them. If you are in the mood for a straight forward gothic drama and you like Faulkner you’ll probably appreciate Dark House. Did I mention it’s dark – really, really dark?

Our Boys
Reviewer: Joanna

The writeup for this show in the Fringe brochure almost read like a tongue-in-cheek description of a new comedy poking fun at Victorian theater traditions. Instead, it’s actually a remake of an 1875 play. Once I realized that, I thought to myself, “They’d better really reinvent this wheel.” But the Victorian Lyric Opera Company did what its name would suggest: it kept the show very Victorian. Is this show cute? Sure. Is it fresh, fabulous, or Fringe? No.

The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs
Reviewer: Patrick

The show that first received much praise then much criticism has taken on a new form: as musical theater. Amazingly the show still works, with less sitting down at a desk and more dancing and singing. Who knew the witty lines of Daisey would translate into melodic lyrics so well? The Junesong Arts production is helmed by writer Tim Guillot and director Ronee Penoi, who crowdsourced funding for the show through Indiegogo. The ensemble of Steve Isaac, Mikey Cafarelli, Emily Kester, Phil Dickerson, and Gillian Han are stellar and do a great job splitting work into individual roles. Guillot is also very clever in addressing the cloud of controversy that hangs over the original piece, particularly in one exchange between Daisey and an engineer at Foxconn. The rock score and other touches give new dimension to Daisey’s original work. Sure not everyone can deliver humor like Daisey, but the idea of putting his words into song delivers the laughs in a different way. So far this show is the highlight of my first weekend of Fringe.

Apples & Oranges
Reviewer: Kristin

We’ve heard it. We know it. Relationships are hard. For some reason men and women have trouble communicating. Apples & Oranges does not seek to solve this problem. It is more of an experiment on listening and understanding that tries to pull the audience into the frustration of one couple’s arguments. Two teams of actors play Rex and Dana. One pair speaks English and the other speaks American Sign Language. The play intercuts between the couples so you are never sure what’s happened until a scene ends. Both couples are likable and expressive. They felt real. Apples & Oranges is more of a drama-dy than an comedy. The action unraveled a bit in the middle with some direct interpretation and audience participation. Was it effective? Yes. I felt confused from time to time, and I walked away with an urge to listen and understand others.

Impossible to Translate But I’ll Try
Reviewer: Joanna

Noa Baum performed a lovely set of stories from her upbringing in Israel. As a traditional storytelling piece, the theater lights stay up and the performer speaks with the audience like a friend. It’s intimate and feels somewhat precious, especially as Baum infuses the stories with songs and lullabies.

Her six stories focus less on life in Israel specifically than on the general cycles of life, from childhood to love to parenthood. If you’re looking for a comment on Israel as a nation or political identity, you won’t find it here. But if you’re interested in meeting one very thoughtful Israeli woman and learning from her life experiences, you will leave very satisfied.

More to come…

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We Love Weekends: July 4th and beyond! https://www.welovedc.com/2013/07/04/we-love-weekends-july-4th-and-beyond/ Thu, 04 Jul 2013 19:00:12 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=92759

Happy Independence Day!

From all of us at We Love DC, we wish you a fantastic Fourth of July, and very special thanks for reading us. Our own humble founding was on July 4, 2008, and after five years we still love this city and strive to share our experiences of DC life with you. Here’s what some of us are up to this weekend, as we all celebrate the birthday of our country, and what it means to be free.

Mosley: Ah, the Fourth of July weekend that’s nearly as long as a week!  If I had a job I’d be in heaven. Anyways, I’m planning on spending the morning of the Fourth either going to the parade on Independence Ave or to the 11am Nats game. And then the fun begins with the fireworks! I’m setting up next to the Reflecting Pool on the Lincoln side of the Mall; if you see me, say hi. Friday I’m planning on continuing the patriotism by seeing Gettysburg at the AFI in Silver Spring; it’s going to be an all day event.  Saturday and Sunday will be interchangeable; one will be going back down to the Mall for the Folk Life Festival and the other will be a pool day. Which will hopefully be the hardest decision I make for the week.

Alexia: Friday night is a long-anticipated night for me – The Torches are finally releasing our first full-length album, “The Authority Of,” and we’re throwing a big ol’ album release party at Iota! Joining us for this celebratory occasion are The Green Boys (RVA), The Nighttime Adventure Society (NY), and locals Two Ton Twig will be providing foot-stomping musical interludes between bands! Show starts at 9pm, admission is $10. Saturday The Torches play a free show at noon at the DC Meet Market, on 15th & P as part of the summer kid-friendly rock show series Rock-n-Romp! Saturday night I’m thinking of heading to Old Town Alexandria for a chill evening. Sunday I’ll be celebrating the birthday of my favorite 2-year-old in a park in Arlington. Hoping the weather isn’t too swampy for that!

Tom: As much as I love a good Independence Day on the Mall, with an expecting wife and a badly strained neck, I’ll be staying close to Brookland for this July 4th. I might be up for a quick jaunt to Hyattsville for an Elevation Burger, or maybe down to Boundary Stone to celebrate with my favorite Philly transplants. Of course, there’s a fireworks vendor on Rhode Island Ave, and that means it’s time for (safe, legal) sparklers and some little fireworks. Happy Independence Day, America. Long may your flag wave.

Patrick: Normally I would be watching the Fireworks from Rosslyn, but this year I’ll be in Chicago. I prefer watching the Fireworks from Arlington because you can avoid the tourists and still see some pretty lights. Iwo Jima is the most popular place but if you are adventurous, you can find some great views in Court House if you know your geography. The apartment buildings behind the Arlington Justice Center have great views across the river. You may think Georgetown maybe a good spot but I find it to be too far away and it’s full of Georgetown-type preps. I don’t want to see this kind of stuff happening while I’m watching fireworks.

Joanna: I’m trekking north for the holiday; but oh, the things I’d do if I was here… First off, there’s the obvious fireworks, which we always watch from the Mt. Vernon Trail south of Memorial Bridge. You can get there easily walking from the bridge, Pentagon or Pentagon City. The viewing spots aren’t too crowded and have a real family feel. Then there’s the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall. I’d also see a whole lot of art/exhibits this weekend. On my wish list: David Levinthal: War Games and Mia Feuer: An Unkindness at Corcoran, The Robben Island Shakespeare at Folger Shakespeare Library, and NGA’s Kerry James Marshall exhibit. And in those cool, still-sunny hours around dusk? Sangria at Jazz in the Garden and bourbon on our roof. Fireworks will be going all weekend, and we can usually see a bunch in Maryland from up top.

Fedward: Surprise four day weekend! Somehow I looked at the wrong year’s holiday schedule at my office and didn’t realize I’d have Friday off. The bad news, though, is that this is the last weekend the Social Chair and I have to get our apartment ready to move out, and as we all know, packing expands to fill the time allowed for it. We’re getting the jump on the long weekend tonight with drinks for a friend’s birthday. Thursday we’re starting our day with, of all people, our realtor (and new neighbor) participating in his tradition of watching the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. We’ll then walk over to the Soldiers’ Home for the July 4 Celebration, and then walk back to our apartment and make one last trip to the roof for the view of fireworks on the Mall and in the neighborhood. And if we’re energized after that we’ll salmon our way to the Hamilton for HariKaraoke. Friday we’re showing off our new house to a few friends before we mess it up with our furniture, and then Saturday and Sunday will be consumed by packing. All packing, all the time. Sunday we’ll wrap up the weekend by taking our sweaty, dusty selves to brunch at the Passenger, because our corpses will definitely need reviving by then. Even people who are moving need to eat waffle sandwiches and chilaquiles.

Don: We’ve got family in town so we’d intended to go try doing some fireworks-peeping that’s a little less Lord of the Flies than the time on the mall – a little event Arlington is doing at Long Bridge Park with food carts and craft vendors and so on. But some unexpected hospitalization has put the kibosh on that and we’ll be doing our usual cowering in the air conditioning and watching the fireworks on TV. If you’ll forgive the sacrilege, we might just watch the NY show. The haze is less awful and they don’t follow it up with racially questionable taped material. Plus, to the best of my knowledge, no American Idol winners or Dancing with the Stars hosts like we get.

Jenn: “Hey baby, it’s the Fourth of July”…yes, that lyric is my annual earworm today, all day long. You’re welcome. Independence Day always makes me miss my brother – as kids we would spend the long afternoon watching 1776, imitating the big fight scene between Adams and Dickinson (“Madman!” “Landlord!” “LAWYER!” Yes. We were geeks.). My DC Independence Day memories revolve around rooftop deck grilling, sweltering heat, and marveling at the neighborhood fireworks that erupt privately and joyfully after the official fireworks end. Today will be no different, and this weekend will be spent with friends in simple moments, just enjoying their company and being grateful for being alive, safe, and free. That’s it, really. That’s all there is.

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We Love Arts: Rosemary Feit Covey’s Red Handed https://www.welovedc.com/2013/06/26/we-love-arts-rosemary-feit-coveys-red-handed/ https://www.welovedc.com/2013/06/26/we-love-arts-rosemary-feit-coveys-red-handed/#comments Wed, 26 Jun 2013 19:00:51 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=92573

Sometimes we experience works of art that embody both beauty and horror. The old word for this, now sadly devalued, was “awesome.” I hope artist Rosemary Feit Covey will forgive me for using that word to describe her current complete gallery installation, Red Handed. It is simply awesome.

Recently I visited Morton Fine Art to watch as Covey installed the work under the gentle eye of curator Amy Morton, spreading vinyl pieces across the floor. Even in that unfinished state before opening, it had undeniable power. Swirling vortexes of bald, nude figures, mouths open and arms red to the fingertips, soon covered the floor. I stepped gingerly over their faces, having no other option but to participate in their torture. It’s impossible to look away from the unsettling mass of bodies under your feet. It feels disrespectful. Jarring.

Guilty.

There’s no rest for your eyes on the walls either, which are also covered in variants of the twisting, stumbling figures. It’s difficult not to continually look down and dive into the pit. The vinyl floor pieces began as drawings, then printed both commercially and by hand, and finally overlaid in places with paint. Some prints were also made into wall paintings or just printed on basic paper. Covey got “housemaid’s knees” working on them (an old Victorian term that struck me as a cheeky metaphor for this quietly contained artist serving to bring these figures to life).

"Red Handed." Art installation by Rosemary Feit Covey at Morton Fine Art. Image courtesy of Rosemary Feit Covey/Morton Fine Art.

“Red Handed.” Art installation by Rosemary Feit Covey at Morton Fine Art. Image: MFA.

It’s an intensely visceral piece. Covey hopes it compels strangers visiting the gallery to engage with each other, to open up about their own distinct reactions. Though the work has its genesis in ideas of guilt, both individual and collective, viewers (or rather, participants) are encouraged to let their own interpretations germinate. Suicide, depression, isolation amongst the many, illness, the Holocaust, even zombies…whatever the dialogue that ensues, it has value to the artist.

"Red Handed." Art installation by Rosemary Feit Covey at Morton Fine Art. Photo credit: Sophia Guerci/Morton Fine Art.

“Red Handed.” Art installation by Rosemary Feit Covey at Morton Fine Art. Photo credit: Sophia Guerci.

Emotional reactions ran the gamut at last Friday’s opening (the crowd also went through “40+ bottles of wine,” Morton noted, and you may feel the need for a cocktail after visiting!) and will no doubt continue. The installation is on view now through July 5, and I encourage you to immerse yourself in the beautiful horror, facing the abyss both internal and external. Covey’s work is well worth the discomfort.

Rosemary Feit Covey’s Red Handed, now through July 5 at Morton Fine Art, located at 1781 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009. Gallery hours: 11am-6pm Tuesday-Saturday, 12-5pm Sunday. For more information call 202-628-2787.

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Drinks Preview: Mockingbird Hill https://www.welovedc.com/2013/06/07/drinks-preview-mockingbird-hill/ Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:34:17 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=92280

Derek Brown was describing the concept behind Mockingbird Hill one lazy, sherry-soaked afternoon. The name came from a line in Spanish Bombs, by The Clash (“The Only Band That Matters”) and the motif was inspired by the casual wine bars of Spain. It would feature some 54 sherries selected by his wife (and famous sherry proponent) Chantal Tseng, who was leaving Tabard Inn to work with him running the bar.

“So basically,” I said, “it’s a love letter to your wife.”

Opening tonight, their new bar is a love letter to a lot of things. To sherry and time spent in Spain. To family and friends. To both self-professed “sherry addicts” and to those who don’t know anything about sherry but are happy to learn. Located on 7th Street NW in a section of Shaw that’s primed to become one of the most exciting areas in the city, Mockingbird Hill feels like a new chapter in bar life for DC. It’s a casual spot to sip and learn, eat ham, listen to punk rock, and talk. It’s, dare I say, adult, in a very sexy way. I’m sure it’ll be packed for a bit, as new places always are in our city starved for more density, but eventually it’ll settle into that perfect third space bar.

It’s simple, really, a long room of white-washed brick walls with a stainless steel bar running its length, ending in a ham carving station where you can watch as a leg of ham gleaming with fat gets sliced up. There’s a smaller bar and a communal table in the rustic wood-walled back room.

Sherry is the focus. If you don’t know anything about it, never fear, the staff of incredible sommeliers are dedicated to helping you explore this spirit that’s more than its sweet reputation. I tried a dry fino on the preview night that would kill anyone’s idea of sherry as dessert only, plus the gorgeous classic cocktail Bamboo, made with fino, vermouth, orange bitters and lemon that is so delicate and aromatically perfect you may want it as perfume. American cured ham is highlighted, most of it local as with DC’s own Red Apron, and the menu will be mainly the snacks you’d expect with sherry: olives, walnuts, manchego, and anchovies.

Besides the sherry, and four sherry-based cocktails, there’s a Green Hat gin and tonic on tap, created by Brown and JP Fetherston, and two taps dedicated to DC Brau and 3 Stars Brewing Co. The rest of the drinks menu will be a small selection of wine and liquor.

Think of Mockingbird Hill as a curated bar, run by passionate people who want to share their love with you. They want you to eat more ham and drink more sherry. I’m happy to oblige.

Mockingbird Hill is located at 1843 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. Closest Metro stop: Shaw/Howard University (Green/Yellow lines).

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Friday Happy Hour: Almost Home https://www.welovedc.com/2013/04/05/friday-happy-hour-almost-home/ Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:00:25 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90865

For this week’s edition of Friday Happy Hour, a road trip is necessary. Given how many excellent bartenders we are lucky to have here in our city, you might object, but this is for one of our own. The lovely Katie Nelson, formerly of the Columbia Room, is currently at Rappahannock Restaurant in Richmond, VA helping to establish their bar program. Having been an ardent fan of Katie’s craft in the past, I simply had to travel down south to see what she’s up to – plus she’s a wonderful friend.

You can enjoy Rappahannock’s oysters right here in DC at Union Market with a very fine drink program helmed by the talented J.P. Fetherston, also a Columbia Room alum. But if you have the time, take the train for an easy trip to see Katie at Rappahannock’s restaurant in downtown RVA. The space is industrial warehouse chic, dominated by a concrete bar, and the food is top-notch (especially a cured salmon dish which frankly I would’ve ordered twice in a row that same night).

The cocktail menu features highballs in a variety of styles – classic, Southern, Spanish (gorgeously garnished with a twiggy licorice root), and Japanese – and cocktails crafted with Katie’s mixture of botanical whimsy. The Almost Home is made with Yamazaki 12-year-old Japanese whiskey, La Gitana Manzanilla sherry, lavender honey, and grapefruit zest.

To my mind, a great cocktail invokes memory, and enjoying one is the essence of sensuality. Sipping Almost Home, I was reminded of a sunny day touring the rooftop garden of The Passenger, among the honeybees. Of all sunny summer days, relaxing on a blanket in the park with a good book. It’s a beautiful drink. The combination of the Japanese whiskey and the Manzanilla sherry is a tricky one to describe, it’s so very light – nut, floral, apple – and they are both delicately balanced against the lavender honey, which slowly mellows as you finish.

It’s worth a lazy train ride.

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We Love Arts: Mary T. & Lizzy K. https://www.welovedc.com/2013/04/01/we-love-arts-mary-t-lizzy-k/ Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:00:29 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=90700 Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris and Naomi Jacobson in Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater’s production of Mary T. & Lizzy K. Photo credit:  Scott Suchman.

Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris and Naomi Jacobson in Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater’s production of Mary T. & Lizzy K. Photo credit: Scott Suchman.

It’s hard to imagine in these days of cheaply manufactured clothes that there was once a time when getting a new outfit was a laborious and artistic process. Only in the worlds of high fashion or in the theater is the art of dressmaking still practiced to that level (and even there, machines have almost eradicated the particular craft of hand sewing). In the prudish Victorian era, no one knew your body more intimately than your dressmaker, from the crafting of a muslin mock-up perfectly fitted to your body to the execution of a dress that suited you alone.

Giving yourself that intimately to another person requires absolute trust, and that ultimately is the subject of Tazewell Thompson’s new play Mary T. & Lizzy K. The world premiere of a work commissioned between Thompson and Arena Stage, as the first production of Arena Stage’s American President’s Project its primary subject is the relationship of Mary Todd Lincoln (Naomi Jacobson) and her dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly (Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris). It can’t entirely escape the long shadow of the president, but it attempts to give two women who both suffered from marginalization (in two very different ways) their due.

It’s both gorgeously written and acted with a cool intellectualism that counterpoints the deep emotions that permeate any work to do with the Lincolns. Though the overall conceit – a prelude to that dreadful assassination night at Ford’s Theatre – may feel contrived, so indeed is a beautiful dress.

“Meticulous. Is my brand. My middle name,” freed slave Elizabeth (Lizzy) Keckly states authoritatively. A talented dressmaker, she’s determined through her craft to make the wife of the American president the fashion equal of the Empress Eugenie. Which is to say, to make America the equal of Europe, and more importantly, to make former slaves the equals of their former masters. The pride the two women share is intense, and their ambition is their common thread.

Thompson calls this play “a work of the imagination,” and it meanders from Mary’s haunting institutionalization to Lizzy’s creation of the dress to be worn at Ford’s, and back again. Even with the inclusion of the stories of Lizzy and her assistant Ivy, the audience can’t escape the familiarity of the Lincolns. That makes the beauty of Thompson’s language the necessary star.

Moments such as Lincoln meeting Mary for the first time (“I was the inexpressive he. Parched.”) or Lizzy’s assistant Ivy (Joy Jones) remembering a brutal rape, are potent both in the execution by strong actors and in the exquisite phrasing. It’s a powerful acting quartet – Jacobson, Luqmaan-Harris, Jones, and Simpson all deliver. Jones in particular is especially moving as the assistant who will rise above adversity, and she captures the rhythm of Thompson’s script perfectly.

The characters struggle with intimacy, betrayal, loss and love as the dress is molded from muslin to gold. The Lincolns continually revisit the tortured path they took to become husband and wife, their love haunted by the death of their son, Lincoln’s intimacy issues, and Mary’s mental health. Mary and Lizzy’s alliance is just as delicate, as continually threatened as Lizzy and Joy’s is by the underlying dynamic of proper payment for work. Debts both emotional and practical, as well as the evil of past slavery, haunt all of them.

In the end, it’s the remembrance of glory that remains – as when Mary and Lizzy’s words intertwine as they recall with shared reverence a jewelry collection. The production design rightly gives the costumes the main focus, and Merrily Murray-Walsh’s creations are the key – note how each character’s clothes are the clues to their essential selves.

Clothes protect and shield the self. They are “loyal,” as Mary says. Mary T. & Lizzy K. is more than just a re-imagining of the world of the Lincolns – it’s a beautifully poetic work exploring the nature of intimacy, and relationship dances of complex power.

Mary T. & Lizzy K. performs through April 28 in Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, located at 1101 6th Street SW, Washington DC 20024. Closest Metro stop: Waterfront (Green line). Tickets $40-85. For more information call 202-488-3300.

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