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WORD PLAY

ONE MOMENT YOU’RE SINGING karaoke-style, the

next you’re delivering a famous speech. These fun ways to engage with language are part of the interactive exhibits at Planet Word, a museum that opened in October 2020 in the historic Franklin School building in Washington, D.C.

The brainchild of Bethesda philanthropist and former reading teacher Ann Friedman, Planet Word features hightech and immersive learning experiences and is geared toward kids ages 10 to 12, though teens and adults will find plenty to fill a couple of hours. In one gallery, learn about the origin of words by interacting with a 22-foot-tall talking word wall. In another, try conversing with native speakers of many languages at small monitors that surround a large illuminated globe. Step up to a microphone in The Paul Simon Gallery and belt out songs while learning about songwriting techniques. Find the door disguised as a bookshelf in the library, where dioramas of popular books dot the walls; on the other side of the door is the poetry nook, where recordings of famous poets reading their works are played as their lines appear on a screen. On the lighter side, practice your skills at delivering jokes. Finish a visit by recording a historically significant speech in an acoustically sealed room.

Planet Word, 925 13th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-931-3139, planetwordmuseum.org. Admission is free; a $15 donation is suggested.

GET OUTSIDE

SKIP DINNER STRESS BY roasting a simple meal of hot dogs and s’mores, or relax in a rocking chair on a shaded deck while your kids listen to a story or learn about the great outdoors. At the Maydale Nature Classroom in Colesville, families can sign up for activities ranging from scavenger hunts and campfires to hands-on natural history programs— or just enjoy the view of the 22-acre Maydale Conservation Park from a rocking chair or picnic table on the wraparound deck. The revamped one-story classroom building, which formerly housed administrative offices, offers its own lesson through its sustainability features, including solar panels that cover the deck and the use of rainwater collected from the roof to flush toilets.

The Nature Classroom is only open to the public when it’s hosting an activity or event, but you can visit the park from sunrise to sunset, and the campfire ring near the classroom building is available to rent for three hours for $100. Keep an eye out for wildlife while meandering on a trail through the forest, or follow a grass path through the meadow— a designated habitat conservation area—to the pond, where turtles sunbathe on logs and fish swim beneath the lily pads.

Maydale Nature Classroom, 1638 Maydale Drive, Colesville, 301-962-1496, montgomeryparks.org/ parks-and-trails/maydale-conservation-park/ maydale-nature-classroom n

—Julie Rasicot

good life BEST BETS

Our picks for things to see and do in January and February

BY STEPHANIE SIEGEL BURKE

Jan. 5-30

DEARLY DEPARTED

After someone dies, people might hold a wake or sit shiva. Jamaicans (and other Caribbean communities) have a ritual called Nine Night, a dayslong period of mourning and celebration when family and friends gather to share memories, condolences and food. That’s the setting for Nine Night, the debut play by British playwright Natasha Gordon, which will make its U.S. premiere at Round House Theatre. The drama centers on a British Jamaican family grieving the loss of their matriarch through the Nine Night tradition. Although the story is about how family members deal with their grief, it’s told with warmth and lots of humor.

$34-$71, Round House Theatre, Bethesda, roundhousetheatre.org

Jan. 22

THE PIGEONS ON THE BUS A BUNCH OF QUACKS

If you have kids, chances are you’re familiar with award-winning children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems and his long-suffering “Pigeon” character. Willems’ first picture book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, published in 2003, won a Caldecott Honor and was inducted into the Picture Book Hall of Fame. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical) sets the story—about a bus driver who takes a break from his route and the bird who volunteers to substitute for him—to a jazzy score and incorporates actors and puppets. Recommended for ages 4-7.

11 a.m., $5, Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Rockville, mcblogs.montgomerycollege.edu/reppac Feb. 4 through March 6 BIBLE STORY

What do you get when you mix the Bible with Disney’s High School Musical? Maybe something like A.D. 16. The world premiere musical centers on a teenage Mary Magdalene who falls in love with the boy next door, Jesus, and sets it all to an R&B score. Expect songs inspired by En Vogue, TLC and Prince, and a story that will appeal to believers and nonbelievers alike. The music and lyrics were written by Cinco Paul, who co-created Schmigadoon! and wrote the screenplays for the animated movies Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets. Bekah Brunstetter, a writer and producer for This Is Us, wrote the script. According to the theater’s content guidance, the show would be rated PG if it were a film, for “unrequited romance, biblical punishments and irreverent humor.”

$37-$85, Olney Theatre Center, olneytheatre.org

Feb. 4 through March 27

A lot has changed since Robert McCloskey’s children’s book Make Way for Ducklings was published in 1941. The classic story of a duck family that makes its home in Boston’s Public Garden gets new life in Adventure Theatre’s musical adaptation, co-written by playwright Sandra Eskin and former Adventure Theatre Artistic Director Michael Bobbitt. More than 80 years after the story was written, parents in 2022 Bethesda may still identify with Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, the duck couple on the hunt for the perfect piece of real estate to raise their family. And kids will still be amused by the line of ducklings who stop traffic, aided by friendly police officers, as they waddle through downtown Boston. The show is appropriate for all ages.

BEST BETS

Ira Glass (left) and Jad Abumrad are coming to Strathmore.

Feb. 19 TALK TALK

NPR listeners are used to hearing the distinctive voices of Ira Glass, host of This American Life, and Jad Abumrad, host of Radiolab. The two radio shows and their podcasts are known for their blend of journalism, entertainment and experimental storytelling. Now listeners can see the two public radio personalities live during An Evening with Ira Glass and Jad Abumrad. Expect audio and video clips, behind-the-scenes insights into the making of radio shows, including material that was never put on air, and plenty of funny and moving stories.

8 p.m., $38-$88, The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda, strathmore.org

Feb. 19, 20 A VIRAL SONGWRITER

Known for her personal and introspective songs, Gen Z indie pop sensation Clairo (whose real name is Claire Cottrill) began making music when she was just 13 years old. In 2017, Pretty Girl, a song she wrote and recorded when she was still in high school, exploded on the internet and made her famous. While quarantined with her family during the pandemic she created many of the songs on her recent album, Sling, which received attention from media outlets including Rolling Stone, The New York Times and NPR. Cottrill worked on the album with Jack Antonoff, who has collaborated with Taylor Swift and Lorde. During Cottrill’s tour, she performs with British singersongwriter and poet Arlo Parks.

7 p.m., $43.50-$48.50, The Fillmore Silver Spring, fillmoresilverspring.com Feb. 22

THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND

Picture it: Four older women sit around a Florida kitchen table sharing jokes and insults and eating cheesecake. Only they’re puppets. Although it’s absurd, That Golden Girls Show! A Puppet Parody will give fans of the 1980s NBC series The Golden Girls lots to love. The puppet versions of Blanche, Rose, Sophia and Dorothy are as sassy as ever as puppeteers re-create their signature personalities, voices and mannerisms in this loving send-up of the sitcom. While the main characters onstage resemble friendly Muppets, the show contains some mature humor and isn’t meant for children.

8 p.m., $34-$54, The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda, strathmore. org n