72 HOURS Jan. 19, 2023

ATTENTION VINYL FANATICS

The first Record Riot took place in Brooklyn, New York, in 2008, but its organizers have since hosted popups in multiple cities — including Frederick. On Jan. 21, Record Riot will be at the Frederick Fairgrounds inside Building 13. Early admission is $15 at 9 a.m., and regular admission is $5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shop CDs, LPs, 45s and music memorabilia till you heart’s content. In related news, The Record Exchange is gearing up to reopen in the next few weeks at its new location, 410 N. Market St. in downtown Frederick, after water damage from a fire destroyed its original Frederick location last summer. Connect with the beloved record store via social media for the latest updates.

GET A TASTE OF THE NEW 7TH STREET CAFE

As restaurants scrambled to work out new business models at the onset of the pandemic, the 7th Street Cafe was busy totally reinventing itself. Tucked away inside the College Park Plaza Shopping Center on — you guessed it — Seventh Street, the restaurant got its liquor license and started serving drinks like The Painkiller (spiced rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and cream of coconut) and their Cranberry Margarita, while also transforming the interior to be perhaps the closest thing you can find in Frederick to a beachside, boardwalk spot. In its new iteration, it has drawn crowds from Frederick Community College, Frederick Health hospital and Fort Detrick, quickly solidifying its reputation as a go-to spot for not just sandwiches but drinks and community.

THE MET WELCOMES KATHERINE DUBOIS

TO ITS TEAM

Maryland Ensemble Theatre recently announced its new managing director, Katherine DuBois, who will bring years of experience in leadership roles in theater, dance and film to the Frederick theater. She is a film producer and director best known for her documentary “Space to Explore,” which ran in the international festival circuit for 18 months. Let’s give her a warm welcome!

NAME THAT BASEBALL TEAM

Frederick’s new minor league baseball team announced a naming contest last week. How fun is this? Fans can suggest names at frederickatlanticleague. com/nametheteam — and vote on suggested names — through Jan. 27. The new team begins its season this year at Nymeo Field. If you suggest a name, you’ll be entered to win two 2023 season tickets, and the fan who submits the winning name will be awarded two 2023 season tickets, an official team jersey and the opportunity to throw a first pitch during the season.

WATCH ‘AVENGERS’ IN ONE HOUR

Charles Ross, aka the “Master of the One Man Show,” will perform his one-man shows at New Spire Stages this weekend, featuring his condensed versions of “Avengers,” “Stranger Things” and “Lord of the Rings” in three separate productions. Think of them as the CliffNotes versions of your favorite stories.

THE ART OF MIXING DRINKS

If you haven’t already, watch and be enamored by the science and art of mixing cocktails and mocktails in the Netflix series “Drink Masters,” released last fall. Then check out our conversation with the “Drink Masters” winner, D.C. mixologist and entrepreneur Lauren “LP” Paylor O’Brien, in this week’s UnCapped podcast.

Meet Bob & Freddie. When it comes to local businesses, businesspeople and organizations in Frederick, they know best. Here is a personal interview with a 2022 Best of the Best winner or finalist about why they love what they do, helping those they serve and working in Frederick.

Law Office of Lena A. Clark

2022 FINALIST FOR BEST LAW FIRM – ESTATE

129 W. Patrick St, #11, Frederick 301-696-0567 lenaclarklegal.com

Legal Tax Breaks for Older Couples Who Sell Their Homes

Consider Irene, who recently became a widow when her husband, Henry, died. Like many married couples, they held the title to their home as Tenants by the Entirety. As a surviving Tenant by the Entirety, Irene automatically acquires all ownership and needs to update the Deed with an Estate Planning attorney.

Irene is uncertain what to do with her highly appreciated home. However, Irene should go slowly when it comes to major decisions such as home sales.

Irene wants to know the tax consequences of selling or staying. First, she needs to understand the tax breaks for individuals who sell their principal residences.

Exclusions. The law authorizes “exclusions” that allow home sellers to sidestep income taxes on most of their profits when they unload their principal residences. The profit exclusions are as much as $500,000 for couples filing joint returns and as much as $250,000 for single persons. Sellers are liable for taxes on gains greater than $500,000 or $250,000.

Irene decides to sell. Can she exclude $500,000 or $250,000? The answer depends on the sale date and whether she remarries. Though she’s no longer married, recently widowed Irene still qualifies for the higher amount – as long as she sells within two years of Henry’s death.

Irene remarries. If her new husband, Steve, then lives in the place as his principal residence for at least two years out of the five-year period that precedes the sale date, the profit exclusion will once again be $500,000 (with caveats).

Step-up in basis. some good news that the government authorizes exceptional condolence gifts for Irene, the basis of inherited assets “steps up” from their original basis.

On Henry’s death, a step-up in basis for their home benefits Irene when she sells her dwelling. What happens if she never sells?

On Irene’s death, there’s a step-up of her adjusted basis. When the heirs sell the home, they’re liable for capital gains taxes only on post-inheritance appreciation.

The bottom line for Irene and her heirs: Whereas a sale by Irene of a home that has appreciated immensely can trigger sizable federal and state taxes, a sale by the heirs dramatically shrinks or even erases those taxes. Irene – and others in similar positions – should work with an Estate Planning lawyer and a CPA to ensure they’re making the best decisions for their long-term plans. Please call us at 301-696-0567 or self-schedule at lenaclarklegal.com if you would like help protecting your assets and loved ones in the event of death or disability.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://join.industrynewsletters.com/signup/ LawOfficeofLenaAClarkLLC

D.C. mixologist and entrepreneur Lauren ‘LP’ Paylor O’Brien

In this episode of the UnCapped podcast, host Chris Sands talks with mixologist and entrepreneur Lauren “LP” Paylor O’Brien about how she got into bartending, her time on the Netflix series “Drink Masters,” no- and lowalcohol beverages, as well as her business LD Drinks and her ready-to-drink cocktail business Siponey Spritz. Here is an excerpt of their talk.

UnCapped: Today we are recording at McClintock Back Bar [in Frederick] with Lauren “LP” Paylor O’Brien. If you’ve watched “Drink Masters” on Netflix, you’ll know her as LP. I’m very excited to talk to you because I enjoyed that show way more than I thought I would.

Lauren Paylor O’Brien: Amazing! That’s great. That’s exactly what we wanted.

UnCapped: A lot of those reality competition shows are just … they are what they are. But Netflix kept showing it to us [me and my wife], so I think we watched four episodes that night, didn’t go to bed, and of course, we started rooting for you right away because you were from D.C. We wanted the hometown gal to win. So absolutely, congratulations.

O’Brien: Thank you. I appreciate that.

UnCapped: How did you get into bartending?

O’Brien: That’s a longwinded story. I actually moved from the Bronx to D.C. to attend nursing school, but that quickly ended to pursue a career in bartending, naturally. I would frequent a bar called The Passenger, where my best friend worked as a server at the time. I grew up with a family of seven siblings, so I was very accustomed to

noisy, chaotic environments, aka bars. I would find myself going there to do homework. I wasn’t ordering anything; I don’t think I was even 21 at the time, so maybe I’d order a chicken sandwich and a CocaCola to get me through the night. But can you imagine going to a bar, ordering nothing, and people still being nice to you?

UnCapped: There are very places I can think of where that would happen.

O’Brien: Exactly. So, very naturally, I was like, wow, everyone’s so kind, so nice, so hospitable, and I started to pay a little bit more attention to what they were doing. I was so entranced by what they were doing. It was such a symphony, the way they moved behind the bar, their presence, their knowledge, really embracing themselves very authentically and what they loved about the craft. I went up to the owner one day and was like, “Hey, can I have a job?” Like, I want to do this. This looks amazing.

UnCapped: Watching a true mixologist is entertaining.

O’Brien: It is.

UnCapped: Like on the show, watching all these techniques that you wouldn’t think would matter but actually do.

O’Brien: Yeah, and I think [what I liked] about being a part of this series is that we could all really showcase what we do respectively. The traditional term “bartender” has changed so much. I don’t

tend bar anymore. I have an event production company, a consulting business, a few dinner series and popups. Natalie [Migliarini, a contestant on the show] is a home bartender. I think having people like her and me and your traditionally defined bartender who’s behind the bar every day was really cool.

UnCapped: We predicted that Natalie would get voted off first.

O’Brien: I was so sad about that! But, you know, she represented.

UnCapped: She was completely set up to fail though.

O’Brien: The thing that’s

cool about Natalie is that’s her career. She’s an entrepreneur, a businesswoman [as a cocktail stylist, photographer and recipe developer]. What I hope to see is more representation in that realm. More home bartenders, people who started untraditionally. At the end of the day, we all have a

common thread, which is our love for education, showing a consumer something they may not typically be introduced to in the world of drinks. So, yeah, I was really sad she got eliminated first.

UnCapped: It was cool to listen to the thought process behind why certain things were combined, because there are so many times that I read an ingredient list and think, “That sounds repulsive.” And then you try it, and they just work so well together.

O’Brien: Yeah. My focus has always been to pay it forward. People who are up and coming and even my peers, I don’t want to look down at them; I want them up here with me. If I can continue to create programs that very effortlessly allow others to be successful or gain a bit of knowledge, I’m gonna do that.

But I think it’s interesting because we’re in this moment where everyone has the opportunity to share their story, and it’s like, do you know what your story is?

UnCapped: Yeah, a lot of people don’t, or don’t know how to articulate it.

O’Brien: My hope is that there’s a lesson in everything we do, even if it’s a competition on TV. I think the biggest takeaway for me was to focus on that innovation but also storytelling in an authentic way, where we can invite someone in on an experience that they typically otherwise wouldn’t get to be a part of.

This excerpt has been edited for space and clarity. Listen to the full podcast at fnppodcasts.com/uncapped. Got UnCapped news? Email csands@newspost.com.

LAUREN ‘LP’ PAYLOR O’BRIEN

Chris Sands

Lauren “LP” Paylor O’Brien at McClintock Back Bar.

Still ‘Mad About’ Paul Reiser

BY CRYSTAL SCHELLE Special to The News-Post

Paul Reiser has rekindled the spark with his first real love: standup comedy. Standup is where Reiser forged his comedic chops before he got cast in his first acting role in Barry Levinson’s 1982 flick, “Diner.” In fact, being a standup comedian, not necessarily an actor, was his career goal.

But the Baltimore-based “Diner” was the catalyst that forged a new career path for him, from standup to acting.

About nine years ago, he said by phone recently, he made his way back to performing standup regularly. He’ll be onstage Jan. 21 at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races to do just that and share his funny observations on life.

What should the audience expect from his standup set?

“I always get that specific question, and I’ve never come up with an answer,” he said from his Southern California home. “I don’t know how to describe it. The best I can do is if you’ve seen Cirque du Soleil, it’s the exact opposite of that.”

But, he said, fans who watched him as Paul Buchman in his hit ‘90s sitcom “Mad About You” with Helen Hunt will see a familiar Reiser.

“Nobody who watched ‘Mad About You’ would come to my show and be surprised that I’m so different, because I’m exactly that guy,” he said. “But I don’t think that anybody who watches ‘Stranger Things’ are going to go, ‘Oh, he’s just like Dr. Owens.’ No one watches ‘Stranger Things’ and thinks, ‘Oh, that doctor’s funny — I’m going to go see his show.’”

He’s referring to Dr. Sam Owens, a recurring character on the megahit Netflix series, but anyone who watches TV series will have a lot of characters of his to choose from: Gordon, a TV writer, on Hulu’s “Reboot” co-starring Rachel Bloom, for instance, or his Emmy-nominated turn as Martin Schneider in Netflix’s “The Kominsky Method” with Michael Douglas, or even as a superhero, when he portrays The Legend in Amazon’s “The Boys.” And, of course, a return to Paul Buchman in the 2019 reboot of “Mad About You.”

Over the years, Reiser has bounced back and forth between TV and film effortlessly. He can be seen in blockbuster hits, such as 1994’s “Beverly Hills Cop” and 1986’s “Aliens,” as well as on the small screen in “Mad

PAUL REISER

When: 8 p.m. Jan. 21

Where: Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, W.Va.

Tickets: $62 to $136

Info: hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com

About You.” But even after 11 Emmy Award nominations, as well as four Golden Globe nominations, Reiser still yearns to be onstage with a mic in front of an audience.

“It wasn’t just my first love; it was my only love. I was just lucky to be an actor,” he said. “I wasn’t a film buff. I was a comedy buff. In college, I started doing comedy clubs, and my dream was to get on “The Tonight Show” — and that happened pretty readily about the same time ‘Diner’ came out.”

He calls it an “interesting trajectory” after “accidentally” landing a role in “Diner.” He found that one thing led to another, and next thing he knew, he was a working actor. But when he started “Mad About You” in 1992, Reiser said he got busy and stopped standup altogether for a while.

“And then the show was over, I was settled and wanted to be home, we had a new baby and we had a new house, so I just took a couple of years off,” he said. “But my goal was to always get back to standup, and I realized it took me longer than

[expected]. I had to push myself to go back.”

Since he’s returned, it’s as fun as he remembers.

“I try to do it as much as I can,” Reiser said. “ It’s truly the thing I love the most.”

He’s loved performing on all the shows — “Stranger Things,” “The Boys,” “Reboot,” and they were all fun, but nothing compares to standup.

“I love how uncomplicated it is. People come to a place. They sit down. We talk for about an hour and a half, we laugh, and then we all go home. There’s no commitment after that. You don’t have to tune in [every week]. For me, you don’t have to pitch it to the network, you don’t have to raise funds, you just go and do it. So, this tour is as many days and weekends I can find free to go out and do it.”

Since he’s been back in the arms of standup again, Reiser thinks it will be a long time before he takes another long hiatus.

“There’s something about standup that calls me back,” he said. “There are people I know who just wanted to be a comedian to get noticed so they could be an actor or something else. That was never meant for me. I never meant to take a break.”

Three years into the pandemic, Reiser said there’s an extra excitement in performing live for audiences.

“You know, you’re not laughing on Zoom. They’re actually there in their chairs. You’re actually getting

together,” he said. “People forget how interactive and communal the experience standup is. You’re getting together with strangers, and you’re all laughing at the same things.”

Reiser’s standup routine is really about him talking about things that are happening to him that members of the audience often relate to, and he said there is something very powerful about that experience.

Last year, “Diner” celebrated its 40th anniversary, and Reiser still remembers the experience of his first job ever with fondness. “I couldn’t believe I was in a movie. The script had the MGM Lion on the cover, and I went ‘Wow, this is a big deal,’” he recalled.

It was his first time on a film set, and he said he was amazed at the behindthe-scenes action, which included hauling a diner set on a flatbed truck. The cast starred other up-and-coming actors, such as Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern and Ellen Barkin, to name a few. Reiser said they all got along famously.

When he saw the film at the premiere, Reiser was blown away about how beautiful the movie was.

“I certainly didn’t think it was gonna be the classic that it is because I didn’t even have a framework to think in those terms. I just though, well, it looks good,” he said.

At a cast reunion in 2022, Reiser along with Guttenberg, Bacon and Daly got together as a group for the first time in four decades. As they were having dinner and reminiscing about the days on the set, Bacon leaned over and asked his fellow cast-mates, “Have you guys noticed that we’re the oldest guys on the set now?” (Reiser does notice this.)

Reiser continues to keep busy with multiple projects. Early last spring, he completed filming of an original feature, “The Problem with People,” which he wrote, produced and starred in, alongside Colm Meaney and Jane Levy.

Reflecting on his body of work over the years, Reiser is grateful for his career journey. He said even today, after his standup shows, people will tell him how much one of his TV shows or movies meant to them.

“It’s been a great ride,” he said, “and it’s great to be part of something that touches so many people,” he said.

Crystal Schelle is a journalist whose work has been published locally, regionally and nationally. She enjoys trivia, cats and streaming movies.

Courtesy photo

Paul Reiser

Charles Ross brings pop culture to Frederick with three one-man parodies

BY CRYSTAL SCHELLE Special to The News-Post

Charles Ross is sort of a one-man TV and movie pop-culture version of CliffNotes.

He has a knack for taking movies and TV shows, such as “Avengers,” “Stranger Things” and “Lord of the Rings,” and condensing them into a hilarious one-hour show, complete with signature quotes and props.

He’ll perform three distinct shows this weekend, one on each of the aforementioned titles, at New Spire Arts in downtown Frederick.

Ross started staging one-man shows out of necessity. He needed a job.

“When you come out of university, that place where you don’t have to worry about making a living, that’s exactly what you’re met with when you get out into the real world,” the 48-yearold said during a phone interview from his home in Victoria, British Columbia.

“I was stuck in Canada trying to find anything to do for work and going across the country from one place to another.”

He had some friends who were trying their hand at one-man shows. They were inexpensive to stage and produce and only required one person to cast: themselves. He thought about writing one about his life but figured at 23 he didn’t have enough life experience that could sustain a show. Instead, he looked to what other people his age might be interested in and landed on “Star Wars.” It was 2001, and because the prequels were coming out at that time, he wanted to ride the publicity that was already built in. His stripped-down version paid homage to the earlier films.

“I think it kind of harks back to the analog way that the original ‘Star Wars’ films worked. They weren’t all dependent on special effects to overshoot the acting — or lack thereof. It was just sort of kind of concentrating on that,” he said.

It became such as success that Ross decided to use the template to write and produce additional one-man shows. In 2004, he staged “Lord of the Rings,” which did even better than “Star Wars.”

In 2018, he wrote “Pride and Prejudice” because of his lack of gender di-

Courtesy photos

Charles Ross portrays his pop culture personas.

By the time you read this, it will be a few weeks into 2023. The dead of winter. The perplexingly mundane time between the most socially demanding holidays of the year and, well, warmer weather.

Some people might call it some of the saddest times of the year, and those people might not be wrong. A new year is here. Optimism is rampant until you try to hit the gym for the third time in a week and all those resolutions suddenly feel less resolute.

It also means we just completed a year. In this case, that year was 2022. And for the longest time at the FNP, I submitted lists of my favorite music of the year as the years wound down. There was a local list and two national lists. It was all in good fun. It would also take about 6,000 hours to write. Therefore, when it came time to carve out hours for figuring out what I wanted to be on the lists, figuring out what order in which the selections would be and then writing the thing, I would have to start thinking, writing and everything in between far before Dec. 31.

Which means what? Well, it means that typical year-end best-of lists, I’ve always argued, are flawed. They don’t actually encompass the previous year. Instead, they encompass about 10 or 11 months of it. Considering the time it takes to ruffle through everything, you’re taking nearly a quarter of the year away from consideration.

And so, with that in mind, I proudly present to you my top albums of 2022, in no particular order:

Chvrches — “Screen Violence”

Wet Leg — “Wet Leg”

Oh, wait. You were expecting more, right?

Sorry. But I can’t.

You see, if nothing else (and honestly, nothing else), 2022 taught me that the music you love shouldn’t be the music confined. For some of us, we are in constant search of that great new band, that infectious new record, that favorite new singer. But that’s not how it works sometimes.

In fact, sometimes, we’re late — we pick up what we love far after it was deemed successful or cool. Conversely, sometimes, we’re early — nobody else is into what we’re into at the time, and by the time they are, we’re already over it. If time can be a narrator, it’s sometimes unreliable.

Such is why I decided to internally take that approach to my 2022 year in music. The Wet Leg album found its way onto a lot of 2022 year-end lists anyway, so I’m not too egregious in that. Plus, well, it’s great. But that Chvrches album? Well, that was out in August 2021. The Scottish trio (live quartet) toured the album three times (three times!) around this very country before I found it (by which time, I had missed any opportunity of seeing those songs performed live).

But, if you look at my iPod, my YouTube searches or my prayers (that they’ll come back to the States one more time on this album cycle), you’d see that those songs dominated my life for pretty much all of 2022. Sure, I tried out new artists and yeah, I liked more recent records, but nothing held my attention the way that set of songs did — and, three weeks into 2023, still does. It’s Lauren Mayberry’s self-effacing stories. It’s the sweet-tooth electro-pop. It’s the space in between. It’s a million and one things. It’s an album I found too late and have yet to get over.

And here’s the thing: For the first time, I’m OK with that. I could have crammed in five to 10 more records to check out in the final quarter of 2022, but what’s the point? Most year-end lists fall victim to recency bias anyway (unless it’s something really, really special and features four to five absolute chart-topping singles that are released super strategically for the next 10 months, how often do you see a February release on a year-end list?). And most of the time, it’s hard to find true love if you’re constantly looking for the next pretty person to smile your way. So, hell, why not fall hard?

In fact, fall really hard. Give

yourself away to it. If there’s an album that you couldn’t get enough of in 2022, I suggest you name that your Album of the Year. Forget Pitchfork. Forget the Grammys. Forget Rolling Stone. Forget Spotify’s most-streamed list. Consider what moved you the most, what songs you needed to hear to calm down, feel less lonely, sing with joy or fall asleep to. They could be from 2022 or 1972; it doesn’t matter because it’s the art that shaped your year — no matter what the copyright date says on its Wikipedia page.

And when it’s time to move on, you’ll know it’s time to move on. Those songs might be replaced by others, but the memories you’ll make with the ones you fell for will stick with you forever. A simple lyric or chord sequence will remind you of that passion you once felt, and

it will remind you of what it’s like to be head over heels in love again. So, perhaps you’ll press play, and perhaps you’ll take that love on one more date, and perhaps you’ll remind yourself that true connection in music doesn’t come around all that often.

So, when it does, embrace it — and embrace it by taking the time it takes to truly appreciate the timeless.

Colin McGuire has been in and out of bands for more than 20 years and also helps produce concerts in and around Frederick. His work has appeared in Alternative Press magazine, PopMatters and 72 Hours, among other outlets. He is convinced that the difference between being in a band and being in a romantic relationship is less than minimal. Contact him at mcguire.colin@gmail. com.

COLIN MCGUIRE

versity (most of his shows had featured “guy nerds,” as he put it). He landed on the 1995 TV miniseries version of “Pride & Prejudice” that starred Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.

CHARLES ROSS

When: “One Man Avengers” at 3 p.m. Jan. 21; “One Man Stranger Things” at 8 p.m. Jan. 21 and “One Man Lord of the Rings” at 3 p.m. Jan. 22.

“It’s almost like every other story has used Lizzie and Darcy as their model for fillin-the-blank,” he said, using Princess Leia and Han Solo in “Star Wars” as one example.

Where: New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick Tickets: $16.75 to $25 Info: weinbergcenter.org

Ross pokes fun at the originals in all of his shows, but it comes from a place of love, he said. “Sometimes, it’s just the ridiculousness of it. I think it’s obvious because with ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘Avengers,’ I’m standing there in a pair of black overalls pretending to be all these things. It’s like a mad mechanic or a crazy 8-year-old kid doing this.”

Terry Crews will be in town to motivate all of Frederick

There are motivational speakers, and then there are motivational do-ers.

Terry Crews is the latter.

Crews has inspired countless individuals to “do something about it.” “It” can mean many different things to many different people: a difficult career choice, a seemingly unattainable goal, an addiction, an abusive relationship or just life in general.

He had to do a lot of cutting and condensing for his “One-Man Avengers.” His show is based on the second half of the 2019 film “Avengers: Endgame”

His most recent show is based on the Netflix sci-fi series “Stranger Things.” Ross said TV shows are harder to re-create as one-man shows because they keep evolving as more seasons come out.

Ross doesn’t find performing oneman shows difficult and said, for him, it’s all about the connection with the audience.

“It’s really about trying to share your love for something with people. You’re preaching to the choir, right? You’re not having to find new audiences — not usually, when you’re doing this kind of show. In so many ways, it’s just a joy to find those people that share the same kind of love of something that I have.”

An actor, artist, author and activist, Crews will be onstage at the Weinberg Center in Frederick at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20, as part of the Frederick Speaker Series.

Crews speaks from his experience, but in the process, he can relate to universal stories of struggle. Having endured childhood abuse, Crews managed to turn his passion for art into a prestigious scholarship at a young age, a path that

would lead to an athletic scholarship at Western Michigan University and, eventually, Crews’ storied career in the NFL. Not content to slow down after retiring, Crews set his sights on Hollywood and launched the career for which he is most famous today. However, Crews will be the first to tell you that it was no easy ride.

Between financial difficulties, confronting the challenges of a toxic masculine culture that included treatment for pornography addiction and an initial hesitance to talk about his experience with sexual assault to heal, Crews could have given up many times over. But he refused. Crews believes that “whatever is meant to destroy you can be your salvation.” With a combination of radical honesty, effortless charisma, and infectious enthusiasm, Crews inspires audiences to overcome fear and shame, be honest, do the work, and live life to its highest potential.

Tickets start at $70 and are available at weinbergcenter.org, by calling the box office at 301600-2828, or in person at 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Courtesy photo

Terry Crews

I spent my divorcemoon at a dying honeymoon hotel in the Poconos

BY ALLISON ROBICELLI The Washington Post

If the commercials were to be believed, in 1988 the epicenter of American romance was nestled within the heaving peaks of the Pocono Mountains in northeast Pennsylvania. At 8 years old, I had a limited understanding of sex and relationships, but it seemed as if the cathode rays from my TV emitted an undercurrent of lust every time an ad for one of the area’s honeymoon resorts lit up the screen.

I would have given anything to be a sophisticated adult taking my pick of allinclusive pleasures: romantic candlelit dinners, glamorous disco dancing, sensuous miniature golf.

“At beautiful Mount Airy Lodge, all you have to bring ... is your love of everything …”

One day, I would love everything so hard. I’d love someone so hard. We’d paint the Poconos velvet red while drunk on strawberries and cream. Our love would be titanic. It would feast on prime rib and all-you-can-eat salad bar. It would be worthy of the most colossal feat of erotic engineering the world has seen: a 7-foot-tall champagne coupe hot tub.

“For lovers only ... You’re never lonely ... You’re so close …”

When you’re 8, you believe everything you see on TV. You internalize visions of those happy couples, smiling as they water ski, holding hands as they horseback ride. You’ve been told that love is patient, love is kind; it endures all things and never fails.

But love can also be fickle. Love can be cruel. It endures what it can, but sometimes it burns out, too. That’s the part they don’t tell you on TV.

I grew up and got married, but by the time I made it to the Poconos this fall, my husband and I had split. My best friend had just dissolved her marriage,

too, and we needed to run away: Away from the homes we held together while we were falling apart. Away from the jobs that demanded focus while our brains could do nothing but dissect our tragedies. Away from our kids. Away from ourselves.

The property we found was so far past its prime, full of reminders that without proper maintenance, love is destined to spoil. A mirror-covered bedroom was a kaleidoscope, forcing you to face yourself from every unflattering angle. The garbage-filled gazebo is a shed of emotional neglect.

When you come to a dying honeymoon resort to celebrate the end of a marriage, you can’t help but think everything is a metaphor.

It was the perfect place for our divorcemoon.

I didn’t think about the Poconos much during my marriage. I knew that most of the resorts had closed down, their shag carpets left to be reclaimed by nature. I wanted the image of the sexy, swinging honeymoon hotel to be preserved in my memory.

But when I got divorced, imagining a champagne glass hot tub infested by raccoons was a beautiful thought. I, too, was a feral animal mired in trash. Maybe there was still a place to stay amid the decay, where my brethren would welcome me with open paws.

I scrolled through the photos of abandoned buildings while crying under the covers. Penn Hills Resort, Mount Airy Lodge, Pocono Gardens, Strickland’s Mountain Inn — all left to rot in indignity while vandals and drunk teenagers had their way with the ruins. Ghostly shells of swimming pools, slick with mold and stagnant water. Round mattresses ripped to shreds, surrounded by crumbling columns of plaster and paint.

I was certain that love was dead in the Poconos, but I was wrong. By some miracle, Cove Haven — the couples-only

The giant squirrel at the miniature golf course knows you’ve been canoodling, and he approves.

resort where both the heart-shaped hot tub and the champagne glass hot tub were invented — clings to life by its chipped press-on fingernails.

Everything about Cove Haven was exactly what I expected. It was glorious and tragic, a forsaken oasis of dilapidated magic.

The food was abysmal, the water pressure lousy. The lobby was devoid of bustle and hum. The tennis courts were empty; the arcade silent; the miniature golf pavilion dark and desolate.

In another time, the heart-shaped outdoor pool would have been the place to be for the young and in love, overflowing with couples sipping frozen daiquiris. In our time, the bar was closed, and the only thing floating in the pool was a dead rat.

In place of the lovebirds that once strolled goo-goo-eyed around the property, there are now hundreds of

deer who never take their goo-goo eyes off you; they lurk in the shadows, they circle your car, they greet you at your door like sylvan sentries looking for crackers.

Cove Haven was once able to keep the woods at bay; the wilderness limited to shirtless men from New Jersey pounding buckets of Bud. But the deer are reclaiming the land, and Cove Haven accepts this. The gift shop sells bags of deer food alongside campy T-shirts, pocket vibrators and gift boxes of lube.

Despite the deer outnumbering humans 18-to-1, we were still advised to make reservations for dinner in the Colosseum Dining Room.

At dinner we finally saw other people, most of whom looked old enough to remember a time when the dining room buzzed with coos and sweet nothings. In our time, though, there was silence. There comes a point in some relationships where you run out of things to say to each other. Every couple in the room seemed to have passed that benchmark at least 15 years ago.

We hit the salad bar and loaded our plates with tiny cubes of cheese. I wondered how many guests were silent because the spark was gone, and how many couldn’t speak because their mouths were busy working through the steak teriyaki.

In stark contrast to the bachelorette parties that ushered in our marriages, divorcemoon was uneventful, and was beautiful. We have aged past the point where we need to impress each other. We communicate in glassy eyes and exasperated sighs.

We are newly single moms to teenage boys. We don’t need to sit around and talk about our feelings. We needed to unpack the six different types of cookies we brought with us and soak in a hot tub until our fingers turned pruney.

BARB CLINE

TRAVEL

240-575-5966 barbclinetravel.com

Photo for The Washington Post by Allison Robicelli

7th Street Cafe

This sandwich shop brings

BY JOSEPH PETERSON Special to The News-Post

7th Street Cafe is transforming. The popular lunch spot known for extensive sandwich options has expanded its hours and menu and has even added a small bar featuring daily drink specials.

These changes come as the familyowned and operated business looks beyond the lunch rush and aims to offer itself as something more: a little watering hole with memorable food that’s just outside of the bustle of downtown Frederick. As one employee told me, having a place nearby Fort Detrick, especially, presents a convenient weeknight option for a lot of base workers to unwind and fill up.

7TH STREET

CAFE

903 W. Seventh St., Frederick 301-663-1516 7thstreetsandwich.com

“We have been known as a lunchtime spot since we opened,” said founder and owner Tom Hix. “Prior to the pandemic, there would be a line out the door just to order, not to mention a full dining room of men and women in uniform enjoying lunch over from the base.

“But as everyone is aware, things have changed since the pandemic,” Hix added. “More people work from home, cook at home, and going out for lunch isn’t as common — at least for some — as it used to be.”

Like many restaurants navigating difficult realities in the wake of COVID-19, challenges are met with creative adaptations, which, for 7th Street Cafe, meant creating more options and upping the ante with ambience.

“We’ve always known we had potential to become a sweet little hangout for Hood students, nurses getting off long shifts and military personnel from the base, but nothing really gave us the drive to do it until we were giving it everything we had to fight back from the pandemic,” said Lexi Wittstadt, Hix’s daughter and restaurant manager.

And fight they did. As an owner-operated business, the family and their loyal team got busy. They introduced skimboards, their unique take on flatbread pizza, and got their liquor license to expand their lunch-spot reputation to a place offering food, drinks and a vibe that invites customers to relax at the end of the day, Wittstadt said.

7th Street Cafe, in the College Park Plaza Shopping Center in Frederick, has undergone major renovations and now offers mixed drinks.

Lexie Wittstadt, manager.

reinvents itself

brings beach vibes to Frederick

The updates are eye-catching, especially to those who haven’t been inside for a while. Upon entering, the first thing you see is the small bar display directly behind the counter, which is sparse but artfully adorned. You’re also met with a distinct beachy surf vibe not only in the decor but in the naming conventions on the menu: short boards (smaller sub sandwiches) and long boards (bigger sandwiches), boogie boards and beach clubs, as well as the aforementioned skimboards. Even their website background is a video loop of ocean waves crashing against the shore.

There’s a nostalgic reason for the surf-inspired decor. The theme of the restaurant is inspired by the Outer Banks, Hix says. “My first restaurant was in Duck, North Carolina, and since we can’t move to the beach, we brought it here to Frederick.”

Asked whether any menu items originated as family favorites before they made the cut to diners, Wittstadt replied, “A better question is what isn’t a family recipe! From the bread that is the foundation of all our sandwiches to the little chocolate chip cookies that come wrapped inside them, we make it all from recipes that have been part of our family long before they were 7th Street staples.”

Their homemade bread is the real star of what makes lasting fans of their sandwiches. The same goes for their handmade crust on their house pizzas — er, skimboards. But it’s the toppings and fillings that build their reputation

MY PICK

I keep returning for the Cowabunga, a turkey pesto sandwich with a heap of veggies, including marinated artichoke, shredded summer squash and sprouts. I like it on toasted wheat bread, but it comes standard on a hoagie.

for creative and delicious ingredient combinations.

The 7th Street Steak and Cheese, the Godfather (ham, pepperoni, hard salami, capicola, provolone, sweet red peppers, olives, lettuce, tomato, onion and vinaigrette) and the Turkey Club have been popular staples for years. And while not always available, their takes on a Cubano and a Vietnamese Banh Mi make frequent rounds on the specials menu, due to popular demand.

So, yes, the little cafe with a lot of heart and tiny cookies is transforming, but it might be more accurate to say it’s becoming. That has more of a sense of something growing into its idealized expression. And what 7th Street Cafe is becoming isn’t just a place with great food, as it’s already that. It’s becoming a place to go for a while, to meet with friends and grab a drink. For college students, healthcare workers, base personnel and other neighbors, it’s more than just a lunch spot; it’s a place to belong.

Joseph Peterson can usually be found reading the weathered plaques of obscure monuments he sees while wandering the city. He counts public libraries, public lands and places where local community is fostered among his favorite kinds of places.

Staff photos by Bill Green

Jean Cushwa College accepting internship applications

Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is accepting applications for the Jean Cushwa College Internship.

The Jean Cushwa College Internship is offered to one qualified college student who is majoring in fine art, art history, art education, museum studies or a similar field of study.

The intern will become familiar with the day-to-day operations of the museum and contribute to a variety of museum projects and functions under the supervision of staff. The work of the intern will support the museum’s collections management and care, exhibition planning and/or art education program activities.

All interns, regardless of prior experience, will receive an overview of the museum operations, as well as specific museum training in collections, exhibitions or art education management and museum best practices. Interns will benefit from an introduction to behind the scenes work of a professional art museum and from the opportunity to develop professional skills. The intern must submit to a background check and drug test.

The intern will be chosen through an interview process involving museum curatorial and education staff. The internship is funded through the Jean Cushwa Art Internship Fund.

The intern will receive a stipend of up to $1,000 upon completion of about 74 hours.

To apply, submit a resume, official transcript, letter of interest (cover letter) and one letter of recommendation from a professor or advisor by March 3 to educator@ wcmfa.org with the subject line “Cushwa Internship Application.” Zip files are not necessary. Maximum email size is 10 MB. Official transcript may be sent by your school separate from your application packet.

If selected for an interview, you will be contacted by the museum no later than April 30.

For more information, go to wcmfa.org/internship-andscholarship, or email Kellie Mele at educator@wcmfa.org with any questions.

”Relief From the Heat” — through Jan. 22, Kentlands Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. Works by the Washington Water Color Association. Viewing is by appointment 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 301258-6425 to schedule an appointment. gaithersburgmd.gov.

“Beneath the Forest” — through Jan. 27 at the FAC Art Center at 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Pamela Moulton’s solo show makes use of textiles and found materials to weave a narrative about connectivity and environmentalism. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 301-662-4190, frederickartscouncil.org.

”Winter Nights, Winter Lights” — through Jan. 29 at The Mansion House Art Center & Gallery, 480 Highland Ave., City Park, Hagerstown. Valley Art Association members’ show. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. valleyartassoc. org or 301-797-2867.

“Concinnity” — through Jan. 29, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Artist talk from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 19. Paintings by Kesra Hoffman and photographs by Teke Hoffman that consider those moments that arrest our attention and call us to stop and take a breath. 301-471-7124.

Frederick County Art Association Members Exhibition — through Jan. 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Artworks in a variety of media, including fiber, photography, sculpture, and more from their approximately 100 members, who range from casual artist to full–time professionals. Vote for your favorite piece at the front desk; the artwork with the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

”Dimensions In Between” — through Jan. 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. In this exhibition, Virginia Warwick creates work with familiar materials combined with themes inspired by the natural world to elevate nature and animals to a human level, and create a bridge connection the two worlds. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

”From the Pages of PAN: Art Nouveau Prints, 1895-1900” — through Jan. 29, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Features brilliant lithographs, etchings and woodcuts by renowned artists such

as Auguste Rodin, Henri de ToulouseLautrec, Paul Signac, Georges Seurat, Käthe Kollwitz, Peter Behrens and Aubrey Beardsley, among others. Works encompass the art nouveau movement, expressionism, post-impressionism, and symbolism and give a view of the both artistic and intellectual life of this period. From the collection of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions. Free admission. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Go to wcmfa.org.

“Crosscurrents: Works by Emma Barnes, Madeleine Speicher-Willis, and Billy Friebele” — through Feb. 3, King Street Gallery at Montgomery College, 930 King St., Silver Spring. Includes a broad range of mediums, from traditional painterly processes to cast concrete to video. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-567-1374, cms.montgomerycollege.edu/arts-tpss/ exhibitions.

”Natural Selection: Experiencing Change” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Paintings by S. Manya Stoumen–Tolino. The idea of natural selection belongs to human ideas about how organic forms evolve and endure, or not. In this series, Stoumen-Tolino reflects on major forms, lines, and color experienced in the natural world that express the inherent changes constantly occurring in all living things. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

”Drifting Through Deep Time” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography by Keith Kozloff. A reflection on “deep time,” a term applied to how we conceive of geological timescales. Constructing a photographic narrative loosely based on the protocontinent Avalonia, his work is a reflection on human attention and humanity’s capacity to understand Earth’s life support systems. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” — through Feb. 26, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Features nine artists from the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association. Call 301-473-7680 for gallery hours or visit frederickuu.org.

”Structures 2023” — through May 5, Crestwood Center, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original works of art, including oil, watercolors, mixed

media, acrylic, photography, and wood carvings from some of Frederick’s most talented artists. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-215-1460 or frederickhealth.org.

“The Hot Button” — through August, Hot Button Gallery, 129 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Carol Williams exhibits textiles and poster art that reflect her passion for social responsibility through artistic communication. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The artist will be available for conversation at these times. anothercarolwilliams.com.

”Behind the Fold” — Jan. 21 through March 5, BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Showcasing the works of nationally known sculptor, amateur magician, and former Carnegie Melon professor, Dan Droz. Artist talk Feb. 25. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. 301-528-2260 or blackrockcenter.org.

“Community Threads: Connectivity through Creativity” — Feb. 1 to 26. This exhibition was curated as a vignette showcase that reflects the array of creativity within the Frederick County Art Association, with work by 16 members. Opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 11. DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick. Districtarts. com.

Amazing Tablescapes — Feb. 3-12, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts Atrium, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Creative tablescapes displays. People’s Choice Award announced on Facebook at 5 p.m. March 1. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

Cumberland Valley Artists and Photographers Exhibitions

— Feb. 7 through April 23, Washington

County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This juried exhibition features 95 pieces of art and photography from artists who live in the Quad-State area. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

”Scents of It All” — Feb. 8 through March 3, Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. Explore the artists interruption of scent, evoking emotional memory and transporting self through space and time. Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 301-215-6660 or bethesda.org/bethesda/gallery-bexhibitions.

Katherine Dubois joins Maryland Ensemble Theatre

Amid a celebratory 25th-anniversary MainStage season, Maryland Ensemble Theatre welcomes Katherine DuBois as the theater’s new managing director. DuBois is responsible for the stewardship of MET’s continued growth through strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, community relations, operations and organizational development.

With an award-winning career in theater and film production, DuBois offers a fresh perspective. She assumed the role in early November.

“Frederick is blooming with activity and camaraderie. I can think of no better place to bring my collected expertise,” DuBois says. “In a world flooded with digital offerings, I find myself drawn to MET’s quality craftsmanship and long-standing chemistry with the community.”

During MET’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol” at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, Katherine DuBois introduced herself to the audience and led MET’s Season of Giving Campaign, which provided contributions to MET and several local nonprofits.

DuBois’ leadership in the arts spans theater, dance and film, uniquely pulling artistry and process across mediums. Most recently, she served as a producer at Synetic Theater and led the creation of Synetic Motion Pictures and Madloba Physical Theater Conference, two pivotal programs in Synetic’s evolution.

She is a film producer and director best known for her documentary “Space to Explore,” which ran in the in-

ternational festival circuit for 18 months.

She has often worked in the hybrid space, including virtual performances and film content collaborations with performing arts organizations, symphonies and dance groups, with distribution on MarqueeTV, Netflix, Vimeo OTT and Synetic Streaming.

DuBois studied drama at Ithaca College, The Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute and The Russian State Institute of Performing Arts.

“Her passion for ensemble theater, her understanding of administration and management, and her desire to connect to our community brings an exciting energy to our team,” says Tad Janes, producing artistic director at the MET.

Auditions for comedy play

Shepherd University’s Department of Contemporary Art and Theater will hold open auditions for the spring production of Steve Martin’s comedy “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” on Jan. 24 and 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Marinoff Theater. Callbacks may be held Jan. 26, if necessary. Director kb saine will cast four to five women and six to seven men of all races and abilities to play characters ranging in age from 20 to 70.

This long-running off-Broadway absurdist comedy features Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in 1904 at Parisian café Lapin Agile just before the famous scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter inflamed the art world with cubism.

In his first stage comedy, Martin plays fast and loose with fact, fame and fortune as the two geniuses muse on the century’s achievements and prospects and other fanciful topics with infectious dizziness. Other characters adding to the absurdity are Picasso’s

agent, the bartender and his mistress, one of Picasso’s lovers, a countess, elderly philosopher, idiot inventor, and charismatic dark-haired singer appearing from a later era.

All those who audition are asked to prepare a 45- to 90-second comic monologue and a joke of their choice. Those without prepared monologues will be provided with a passage to read from the script. Shepherd theater majors and minors should be prepared with headshots and resumes; all others are encouraged to bring a photo of themselves. Everyone will receive an audition form to fill out onsite. No appointments are necessary. Actors will be seen as they arrive. Comics and Elvis impersonators are especially encouraged to audition. Production dates are April 6, 8, 13 and 16.

Questions about auditions should be directed to kb saine at ksaine@ shepherd.edu. Those interested in technical theater roles should contact Chase Molden, technical director, at cmolden@shepherd.edu.

Courtesy photo Katherine DuBois

WAREHOUSE CINEMAS

NEWS AND EVENTS:

BRUNCH CLUB: LABYRINTH

Sunday, January 22nd @ 11:30 AM & 12:30 PM

TAPPY HOUR WEDNESDAYS

50% OFF all beers and ciders on the self-serve beer wall. All Day.

FILM LEAGUE PRESENTS: "Ferris Buellers Day Off" Wednesday, January 25th @ 7 PM & 7:30 PM

SPECIAL FEATURES

Back to the Future

UPCOMING MOVIES

"That Time I Got Reincarnated As Slime" and "Missing"

‘Living’: Finding out what lasts, before it’s too late

BY MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN The Washington Post

The central character in “Living” is nearly always addressed formally, as Mr. Williams. A longtime functionary in the public works department of the London County Council — played with masterful subtlety by Bill Nighy, who evinces hints of deep feeling beneath an outward frostiness — he is sometimes informally called Williams, but only behind his back. And he’s Dad to the stuffy son and daughter-in-law (Barney Fishwick and Patsy Ferran) who share a suburban house with the widowed paper pusher.

(Perhaps stonewaller would be a more apt job description. Most days, Williams’s duties appear to include polite obstructionism for citizens petitioning for assistance from a giant municipal agency that seems designed to thwart anything that might actually benefit the public.)

Warehouse Cinemas is an independently owned cinema that offers a unique, premium movie going experience by providing first-run movies + retro films, leather recliner seating w/ seat warmers, high-quality picture and sound, including Dolby Atmos, a modern-industrial décor, and premium food and drink options, including movie themed cocktails, wine and a 28-tap self-serve beer wall. Visit us at warehouscinemas.com or scan the QR Code for this week’s feature films.

But it’s his secret office nickname, discovered by Williams in this achingly poignant drama of regret, that best characterizes the film’s theme of carpe diem: Mr. Zombie. That succinct evocation of Williams’s condition — not quite alive, not quite dead — is the unkind but not inaccurate moniker that Williams learns a young co-worker (Aimee Lou Wood) had been calling him, before she quit — and before she develops the touching, outside-theoffice friendship with her old boss that forms the emotional heart of the film. Her confession coincides with an announcement by Williams that he is gravely ill. It’s a bit of news that has forced him to reconcile two seemingly irreconcilable things: He wants to live a little with the time he has left, yet he doesn’t remotely know how.

Set in 1953, and directed by Oliver Hermanus from a screenplay Kazuo Ishiguro adapted from Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film “Ikiru,” “Living”

is a quiet, nearly weightless story, well suited to Ishiguro’s elegant, almost restrained storytelling style. That style was showcased to great effect in “The Remains of the Day,” the 1993 film version of Ishiguro’s book, in which Anthony Hopkins delivered a memorable performance as a butler whose romantic reticence prevented him from being happy. Here, it is Nighy who gently guides a similar story of inertia, without sentimentality, ultimately delivering a message about what lasts, and what one loses when one waits too long to wake up.

“Living” mostly avoids sappiness. And it shows an actor at the peak of his powers.

Wood, a relative newcomer to film who first made her mark in the Netflix series “Sex Education,” is a perfect foil to Nighy. Her character Margaret’s appetite for living, as Williams calls it, gradually inspires him to try to make a

small dent in the world — specifically, in the form of a tiny urban playground that three women have been asking for, but that has become encumbered by red tape. Wood’s warm and easily moved character makes for a lovely counterpoint to the passivity of the public works staff.

Other performances also leave an impression: Tom Burke (“Mank”), as the writer Williams meets while skiving (playing hooky) from work, and who shows the old man how to let loose a little, and Alex Sharp (“How to Talk to Girls at Parties”) as the new hire in Williams’s office, and from whose point of view the story is told.

But it is the memory of the unexpected and tender platonic friendship that grows between Williams and Margaret that lingers after the closing credits. And it is the chemistry between Nighy and Wood that makes this otherwise slightly chilly story glow from within.

Ross Ferguson/Number 9 Films/Sony Pictures Classics Bill Nighy in “Living.”

Conversing on comics

I had a thought-provoking interview on my good friend and co-creator Tony Esmond’s “Never Iron Anything” podcast, along with guests, muralist Sarah Harris and comic artist Simon Russell, at the end of 2022.

We were there to wrap up the year in comics, but also it was a chance for Esmond and I to reminisce about tabling at Heroes, the Charlotte, North Carolina, convention, and wandering wide-eyed and over-stimulated around the New York Comic Con. (An amazing experience, but once was enough, to be honest.)

Esmond asked us the following multiple-choice question:

What’s in store for comics? One: It’s the end of the world as we know it. Two: Are you feeling fine? And three: Are you pretty psyched? (No prizes for guessing which lyrics were the source for these questions.)

have been years of work on a single book and the lack of support from publishers when it comes to selling it.

Where I most distinctly don’t feel fine is seeing larger comic companies — Marvel and D.C., for example — seemingly self-implode, in stark contrast to the success of their cinematic counterparts. Well, Marvel, anyhow. D.C.’s cinematic output is a dumpster fire I’ll leave you to discuss among yourselves.

There are numerous reasons why the Big Two are in a mess that are too lengthy to go into here. Let’s just say that if either of those companies fold, the impact on comics fandom will be devastating.

COLIN MCGUIRE

2023 is already shaping up to be an interesting, if uncertain year, especially for art, with yet another disruptive element provoking debate and ire in equal measure: AI art.

Inside the industry and among fans, these questions and more have been driving much of the debate about comics and their future. I’ve broadly touched on that debate in this column — in fact, part of the motivation for the column is to create a home for the ongoing debate about what comics are and could be in this era of disruptive digital technology.

Back to those questions above. Of course, the answer depends on who you ask. I gave a not super helpful “I feel fine.” Yeah, I agree. Kinda meh fence-sitting.

In truth, I am psyched about comics and its future as an art form that will grow, adapt and change in ways we can’t even anticipate.

From my perspective, the industry has never been busier and is thriving, with more creators than ever pushing out a diversity of work for just about every taste. The rise of digital press has allowed anyone to create, publish and distribute their work, and print on demand is cheap and available.

Also, in truth, I’m worrying that it’s the end of the world as we know it. Or the way that I know it and have grown up with it.

The diversification of self-publishing or working in small collectives is that most creators have the onerous lift of being marketers, publishers and sales people on top of their creative work — and barely making ends meet. Can you make money in comics? Yes, but you can also play the lottery and win with about the same success rate.

Even writers and artists who have “made it” — i.e., have signed to a publishing house, had some sales successes and positive critical attention — bemoan the tiny advance and returns on what might

If you use TikTok, you’ll have seen the filters that transform your face into an anime character. More broadly, platforms such as Midjourney, StableFusion and DALL-E, allow non-artists, with the use of a few prompts, to produce often stunning “art.” I use quotes for a reason, as the software is really an advanced system of collage drawn from already existing art scraped from the internet.

One brave user even created an entirely AI-generated comic (and faced the combined social media wrath of fans and creators).

Why is this such a big deal? Because creators who already feel embattled in an industry with low returns are feeling even more under siege. What’s the point of being an artist when a machine can effectively produce art to spec for free — from other human-produced art that was stolen?

As you may be able to tell, I’ve yet to form a cohesive opinion on this emerging tech — except my middle-aged tendency to want to shake a stick at it from my porch and tell it to get off my lawn. No doubt I’ll be heading down this rabbit hole again in the near future.

Find the interview at neverironanything.podbean.com.

RECOMMENDATION … I have to confess, I’ve been hard at work putting pencil and pen to paper for a top secret project, so I haven’t had a lot of time for reading, sadly. So, my recommendation and New Year’s resolution is to get myself to a local comic-book store and drop some significant cash.

If you have a recommendation, I’m all ears. Shoot me a note at cgcumber@ gmail.com or via Instagram, Twitter or (god help me) TikTok, where you can find me under the handle @cgcumber.

Thursday Jan. 19

CLASSES

Calligraphy 101 — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kentlands Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. This class is for beginner calligraphers, brides and all those who wish to learn calligraphy for any occasion. Acquire the skills needed to address invitations beautifully, personalize your gift giving, and create masterpieces in your own home. Materials are provided. Recommended for ages 15 and up. Registration required. $35/$40. 301-258-6425. Rachel.Holmer@ gaithersburgmd.gov. gburg.md/3hCY81I.

Frederick County Civil War Roundtable Meeting and Presentation — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Ranger Anthony Trusso presents “Francis Barlow and the 61st New York Infantry,” focusing on the early days of one of the hardest fighting regiments in the U.S. Army during the War, the 61st New York Infantry. Free for members, $5 suggested fee for nonmembers. gldyson@comcast.net. frederickcountycivilwarrt.org.

ETCETERA

Pour House Trivia — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Champion Billiards Sports Bar, 5205 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick. Come on out with the team and play some Pour House Trivia. 7 p.m. start. Extended Happy Hour from 4 to 8 p.m.  301-846-0089.

frederickchampions.com/weekly-specials.

GALLERY

Docent-led Tours — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Public tours of the exhibitions with a trained docent. Special-themed tours are also available for $5 per person and must be scheduled two weeks in advance.Please call 301-739-5727 or email educator@wcmfa.org to schedule private tours.

301-739-5727. cschelle@wcmfa.org. wcmfa.org.

HEALTH

Mindfulness in Middletown — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at MIddletown Branch Library, 101 Prospect St., Middletown. Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress while helping us to feel more aware of ourselves and connected to the world around us. Join Ray Manyoky from the Frederick Meditation Center who will provide instruction and then lead us in a mindfulness practice. This will be followed by a Q&A session. Group meets every Thursday

in January.  301-600-7560. lgrackin@frederickcountymd.gov. fcpl.org/calendar.

Friday Jan. 20

ETCETERA

Sass Magazine Girl’s Nite Out — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Orchid Cellar Meadery and Winery, 8546 Pete Wiles Road, Middletown. Celebrate the newest issue of Sass while mixing and mingling with other smart and savvy women. You’ll get a chance to meet the ladies who bring you Sass Magazine, win door prizes, shop our merch table, and more. Light fare included. Cash bar. $20. 301-473-3568. katy@sassmagazine.com. events.humanitix.com/ sass-magazine-january-2023-girl-s-nite-out.

The Frederick Speaker Series: Terry Crews — 7:30 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. There are motivational speakers, and then there are “motivational do-ers.” Terry Crews is the latter. This bonafide powerhouse — actor, activist, best-selling author, former athlete, and beyond — has inspired countless individuals to “do something about it.” “It” can mean many different things to many different people: a difficult career choice, a seemingly unattainable goal, an addiction, an abusive relationship, or just life in general. Crews speaks from his experience — something he encourages everyone to do — but in the process, he is able to relate to universal stories of struggle. $70-$80. 301-600-2828. bhiller@cityoffrederick.com. weinbergcenter.org/shows/terry-crews.

FAMILY

Christmas at the Roundhouse — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. See the trains of Christmas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 29. $6 for adults, $1 for children 4 through 16 Free for children 3 and under.

240-674-1882. davem301@yahoo.com. roundhouse.org.

FILM

January Documentary Series: “The Spy Behind Home Plate” (2019, NR) — 7:30 p.m. at Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. Also at 1 p.m. Award-winning filmmaker Aviva Kempner tells the real story of Moe Berg, major league baseball player turned spy. In this first ever feature-length documentary about the enigmatic Berg, Kempner focuses her camera on a little-known Jewish hero. From the streets of Newark, to

five major league teams during baseball’s Golden Age, to his secret life spying for the OSS during WWII, Berg’s improbable story is told with rare historical footage and revealing interviews with family and an All-Star roster from the worlds of history, sports and spy craft.

$7 for adults, $6 for ages 25 and under and 60 and up. 410-848-7272. carrollcountyartscouncil.org.

Mountainfilm on Tour — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, Pa. Now enjoying its third season in Gettysburg, Mountainfilm on Tour is an evening of adventure-packed, culturally rich, and inspiring documentary short films curated from the annual Mountainfilm festival held each May in Telluride, Colorado. Films explore themes connected to Mountainfilm’s mission to use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world.

$15 in advance, $20 at door. 717-337-8200. majestictheater@gettysburg.edu. gettysburgmajestic.org.

MUSIC

Morgan’s Coffeehouse Concert — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Morgan Chapel United Methodist Church, 6750 Woodbine Road, Woodbine. Musicians, Joe Ginorio, Stephen Darnell and Sammie J in three sets. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., music begins at 7 p.m. Free admission, donations encouraged. Food and beverages will be for sale throughout the evening. 410-970-2485. revjim@morganchapel. church. morganchapel.church/coffeehouse.html. Legends of Jazz — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Knott Auditorium, 16630 University Way, Emmitsburg. A faculty jazz concert. 301-447-5150. venzin@msmary.edu.

PERFORMER

MET Comedy Night: Oh Crit! ‘22-’23 — 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Celebrate with this D & D inspired improv comedy crew at Maryland Ensemble Theatre for their 5th anniversary! 18 and older. $15. 301-694-4744. zcallis@marylandensemble.org.

THEATER

Lerner & Loewe’s “Camelot” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick . An idealistic young King Arthur hopes to create a kingdom built on honor and dignity, embodied by his Knights of The Round Table. His ideals, however, are tested when his lovely queen, Guinevere, falls in love with the young Knight,

Lancelot, and the fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance. The legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Guinevere and Sir Lancelot leaps from the pages of T.H. White’s novel in Lerner and Loewe’s award-winning, soaring musical. See website for prices; doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner, shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; doors open at 12:30 p.m. for buffet, shows 2:15 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 15. 301-662-6600. wayoffbroadway.com.

Saturday Jan. 21

CLASSES

Wired Up: Choosing Electricity for Climate Change — 1 a.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 101 Prospect St., Middletown . Join Kathleen Rall and Barb Trader from the Multi-Faith Alliance of Climate Stewards of Frederick County and learn about health, financial and climate-changing reasons to choose clean and renewable sources of electricity as well as discuss choices we can make in our use of appliances, lawn equipment and vehicles that affect our planet. Many energy incentives offered by the local and federal governments will be explained. 301-600-7560. wgagne@frederickcountymd.gov. fcpl.org.

Fox Haven Farm’s Winter Dried Herb CSA — 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Fox Haven Farm, Retreat & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Fox Haven will be offering a Dried Herbs CSA to keep you well-nourished during the winter months.Our Fresh Herb CSA may be at the end of its season, but the herbal fun doesn’t have to stop now!

Fox Haven’s third annual Dried Herb CSA will keep you well-nourished during the winter months.

$268. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org.

New Year Sound Bath & Tea Ceremony

with Lauren Dodge — 10 a.m. to noon at Fox Haven Farm, Retreat & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Using singing bowls and other vibrational instruments, this 90-minute sound bath utilizes frequency, vibration and stillness to create a meditative and relaxing environment–promoting a sense of calm and peace.

$35. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org.

Kombucha Class — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Walkersville Public Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Liz Dodson (aka The Kombucha Lady) from Dodson’s Promised Land Farm, will present a program on the benefits and making of kombucha. She will teach you how

CALENDAR

to make it at home and give suggestions on the best ingredients. And, yes, there will be an opportunity to taste many of their flavors. 301-600-8200. fcpl.org.

“Winter Pruning” — 10 a.m. to noon at UME Extension Office, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick. Presented by Frederick County Master Gardeners. Learn what to prune in the winter and early spring and how to prune to get the most out of your plants. Register online: https://bit.ly/FCMG23WinterPruning Zumba Saturdays at the Library — 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Ready to exercise! Ready to dance! Ready to shake off the pounds? Come on in for Zumba at the Library on Saturday mornings! 18 and older. 301-600-7004.

marchange-desir@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ zumba-saturdays-library-8.

Mindfulness Amongst the Vines — 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Hidden Hills Farm and Vineyard, 7550 Green Valley Road, Frederick. Discover how mindfulness can help you find ease in the cozy, welcoming environment of the beautiful Hidden Hills Farm & Vineyard.  Plus, enjoy a glass of wine as part of your registration. Pre-registration is required, 21 and older. $55. 703-625-1239. cassidywellnesscoaching@gmail.com.

DIY Mending & Clothing Repair with Natalie Love & Mardelle Poffenberger — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Fox Haven Farm, Retreat & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Learn basic hand-sewing techniques to mend small tears, sew on buttons and repair fallen hems through lots of hands-on experience and practice. The first part of class will focus on learning a variety of hand-stitching techniques. Then, you’ll put your new skills to use by mending a piece of clothing from home. $27. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org.

ETCETERA

The Frederick Record Riot! — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Frederick Fairgrounds, 797 E. Patrick St., Frederick. A giant vinyl record store lands in Frederick for one day only. At The Frederick Fairgrounds, building 13. The Frederick Record Riot returns in a new location. 35+ vinyl dealers (CDs too) from all over MD/ PA and beyond. Great music and family fun. Come dig with us! Early admission starts at 9 a.m. ($15). Enter off East Patrick Street. Plenty of free parking. $5. 609-468-0885. recordriots@gmail.com. recordriots.com/frederick-md.

“Grace of Monaco: Princess in Dior” — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hillwood Museum, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW, Washington, DC. Explore the longstanding collaboration between Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, and Marc Bohan, artistic director at Christian Dior, through clothing, accessories, photos, and more, on special loan from the Palace of Monaco. Continues through Jan. 28, 2023. Exhibit open

Golden Pond’ author Ernest Thompson returns to Westminster

Ernest Thompson will appear for an author talk and book signing for his latest work, “The Book of Maps,” at 2 p.m. Jan. 21 at Carroll Lutheran Village Chapel.

“It’ll be good to be back in Westminster and prove Thomas Wolfe wrong; you really can go home again,” Ernest Thompson says. “I’m looking forward to revisiting my old haunts and reconnecting with long lost friends and hearing their stories and sharing my newest one, ‘The Book of Maps.’”

“The Book of Maps” tells the story of Brendan Tibbet, a filmmaker whose luck has run low. In 2022, he takes his 10-year-old son, Brenlyn, on a raucous road trip across America.

Following a 1930s travel guide Brendan purchased at a yard sale, the two-week trek from LA to New Hampshire covers 16 states, hitting the iconic stops along the way — Yosemite, the Great Salt Lake, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — replete with wild exploits both hilarious and perilous. But it’s the interior journey that is enlightening, deeply poignant and life-changing.

Thompson’s work has won an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, Writers Guild and Broadway Drama Guild Awards and been nominated for a Tony, an Emmy and a British Academy Award. His plays have been seen in theaters around the world, his most enduring being “On Golden Pond,” which has been translated into 30 languages and presented in more than 40 countries. Current projects include the film sequel to “On Golden Pond,” the plays “Some Parts Missing” and “Ask/Answer,” and the novel “Out Clause,” coming in 2023.

With his writer wife Kerrin Thompson, he established Rescind Recidivism, a prison writing program giving inmates a chance to feel creative as well as human, capable and worthy.

Thompson lived in Westminster in

Tuesday through Sunday.  $18, $15 seniors, $10 college students, $5 ages 6 to 18. 202-686-5807.

the ‘60s, moving from New Hampshire when his father was hired by Western Maryland College. Known then by his first name, Richard, or, as it says on his Varsity Letter jacket, Dick, Thompson was active in Westminster High School sports, graduating in 1967.

He’s never forgotten his Westminster roots. In the name of his father, Theron Barker Thompson, he started a scholarship available to Carroll County students interested in pursuing their own studies in the arts. Forty years ago, Thompson was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Western Maryland College, with a second certificate commemorating the recognition when the school was renamed McDaniel.

The program is presented by A Likely Story Bookstore, Carroll Lutheran Village and Carroll County Public Library.

Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

In compliance with venue guidelines, masks will be required at this program. This is a free program, but attendees should register in advance at ccpl.librarymarket.com/ event/be-read-ernest-thompson.

hillwoodmuseum.org. Cloisters Castle Open House Plus — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cloisters Castle , 10440 Falls

Road, Timonium. Tour Baltimore’s authentic Gothic manor built with love & plan your special event. 410-821-7448.

aapplegarth@promotionandarts.org. cloisterscastle.com/events.

Talk and Book Signing with Ernest Thompson, Author of “On Golden Pond” — 2 p.m. at Carroll Lutheran Village Chapel, 300 St. Luke Circle, Westminster. Thompson will appear for an author talk and book signing for his latest work, “The Book of Maps.” Thompson lived in Westminster in the 1960s. His work has won an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, Writers Guild and Broadway Drama Guild Awards and been nominated for a Tony, an Emmy and a British Academy Award. His plays have been seen in theaters around the world, his most enduring, “On Golden Pond,” translated into 30 languages and presented in more than 40 countries. Pre-registration required. ccpl.librarymarket.com/event/ be-read-ernest-thompson.

FAC After Hours: Creative Writing Workshop — 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. The Writers’ Block is a local community of writers, committed to connecting, critiquing and producing writing in a rotational bi-weekly workshop setting. No reservations required. 301-662-4190. wiegand@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/ news-events/calendar-grid.

PERFORMER

Master of the One Man Show: Charles Ross’ “One Man Avengers” — 3 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick . Ross has made a name for himself headlining a series of one-man shows across the globe, from London’s West End to the Sydney Opera House. Hailing from Canada, Ross got his start in theatre in college. From there, he began to perform at Fringe Festivals across Canada, exercising his creative muscle and attempting crazy and wacky performances. $20 advance, $25 at the door. 30-600-2828. weinbergcenter.org.

Master of the One Man Show: Charles Ross’ “One Man Stranger Things — 8 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick . Ross has made a name for himself headlining a series of one-man shows across the globe, from London’s West End to the Sydney Opera House. Hailing from Canada, Ross got his start in theatre in college. From there, he began to perform at Fringe Festivals across Canada, exercising his creative muscle and attempting crazy and wacky performances. $20 advance, $25 at the door. 30-600-2828. weinbergcenter.org.

THEATER

Lerner & Loewe’s “Camelot” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick . An idealistic young King Arthur hopes to create a kingdom built on honor and dignity, embodied by his Knights of The Round Table. His ideals, however, are tested when his lovely queen,

‘On

Guinevere, falls in love with the young Knight, Lancelot, and the fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance. The legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Guinevere and Sir Lancelot leaps from the pages of T.H. White’s novel in Lerner and Loewe’s award-winning, soaring musical. See website for prices; doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner, shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; doors open at 12:30 p.m. for buffet, shows 2:15 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 15. 301-662-6600. wayoffbroadway.com.

Sunday Jan. 22

CLASSES

Call for Herb Garden Interns (Tea Tasting & Tour) — 9 a.m. to noon at Fox Haven Farm, Retreat & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Join us for an intern info session to learn how you can get involved in the herbal gardens and orchards at Fox Haven. Hear from past interns and learn about our growing practices; sip tea, tour some of the buildings and tour the orchard and gardens weather permitting. If you are considering interviewing for the internship, contact lacey@foxhavenfarm.org for more complete scheduling and duties information and for an application. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org/events/

call-for-herb-garden-interns-tea-tasting-tour.

ESL Beginners Conversation Class — 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Walkersville LIbrary, 2 South Glade Road, Walkersville. The Literacy Council of Frederick will be hosting a Beginners Conversation Class open to adults. Join them as participants will discuss everyday situations to help strengthen their listening, speaking and conversation skills. 301-600-8200. fcpl.org.

PERFORMER

Master of the One Man Show: Charles Ross’ “One Man Lord of the Rings” — 3 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick . Ross has made a name for himself headlining a series of one-man shows across the globe, from London’s West End to the Sydney Opera House. Hailing from Canada, Ross got his start in theatre in college. From there, he began to perform at Fringe Festivals across Canada, exercising his creative muscle and attempting crazy and wacky performances. $20 advance, $25 at the door. 301-600-2828. weinbergcenter.org.

Monday Jan. 23

CLASSES

Sol Yoga — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Walkersville Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Join us

for this free yoga class offered by Sol Yoga.  Be sure to wear comfortable clothes! 301-600-8200. fcpl.org.

Parents Plus: Sleep Routines — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Learn about getting your kids to sleep at the right time every night with recommendations on establishing routines, amounts of sleep, over-scheduling and children’s bedtime books to use in the home environment. 301-600-7004. marchange-desir@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ parents-plus-sleep-routines.

FAC After Hours & Yogamour: Restorative Yoga with Soundbath — 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Take a break and join a gentle flow yoga on the main level while enjoying art work that adorn the walls of this historic space. This is a practice available to all levels which includes beginners. Some yoga mats available. $15. 301-662-4190. wiegand@frederickartscouncil.org. yogamour.org/public-yoga-classes.

Tuesday Jan. 24

CLASSES

Scottish Country Dance Class — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Clover Hill Civic Association Building, 8122 Glendale Drive, Frederick . The Frederick Scottish Country Dancers invite you to learn traditional Scottish ballroom dancing. You don’t need to bring a partner with you, but you do need comfortable, softsoled shoes. 202-320-9898. heatherwurzer@gmail.com. facebook.com/FrederickSCD.

ETCETERA

Frederick Soil Conservation District Board Meeting — 10 a.m. at Soil Conservation District Office, 92 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 230, Frederick. Agenda posted 24 hours in advance of meeting. 301-695-2803. hhutchinson@frederickcountymd.gov. catoctinfrederickscd.com.

FILM

FAC After Hours: Art Center Bijou — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. A weekly film screening curated in collaboration with documentary filmmaker Leah Michaels and FAC Associate SJ Wiegand. Each month presents films that fall under one general theme in order to cultivate discussion about film as a mode of artistic expression. 301-662-4190.