VirtVual
Out On The Town
WHISKEY SOUR HAPPY HOUR
Last week, actor and comedian Ed Helms, best known from NBC’s The Office as well as The Hangover film trilogy, kicked off a new “21st-century online variety show” along with his band the Bluegrass Situation. Presenting a mix of music, comedy, and interviews, the four-part series was launched to raise money for charities supporting both the musical and medical communities through MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund and Direct Relief. Confirmed guests include Chris Thile, Yola, Sarah Jarosz, Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi, Rodney Crowell, Aoife O’Donovan, Robert Ellis, and Watkins Family Hour, with additional guests to be announced. The series continues with shows on Wednesday, May 6, and Wednesday, May 13, both at 8 p.m. The first two shows remain available for streaming. Visit www.thebluegrasssituation.com. Compiled by Doug Rule
STAGE HOMEBOUND Round House Theatre won’t reopen its recently renovated space in Bethesda until the next season starts up in the fall, but the company has hired back nine actors who were slated to appear in three canceled spring productions for Homebound. An original web series that explores life under Stay-at-Home orders in the Nation’s Capital, the series stars Craig Wallace and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh and is progressing in a 10-episode “chain story” style, with each episode — one available for free every Monday evening — building off what came before but written by a different area playwright. Launched this week with “Connect!,” a 12-minute episode written by humorist and Washington Post columnist
Alexandra Petri, the series will continue in subsequent weeks with episodes from Karen Zacarías, Farah Lawal Harris, Liz Maestri, Psalmayene 24, Tim J. Lord, Audrey Cefaly, Dani Stoller, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, and Caleen Sinnette Jennings. The company’s artistic director Ryan Rilette and associate artistic director Nicole A. Watson are offering remote direction during rehearsals to the actors, who are filming their parts from home with additional guidance on home lighting by designer Harold F. Burgess II and wardrobe by Ivania Stack. Through June 29. Visit www.RoundHouseTheatre. org/Homebound. MOSAIC ALIVE Until it returns to regular programming at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in August, the Mosaic Theater Company has taken to Zoom and Facebook for
twice-weekly discussions with its artists and other experts on relevant topics. The next planned event is the company’s Season 6 announcement this Friday, May 1, at 4 p.m. Artistic director Ari Roth will share the lineup for the season that starts up in the fall, followed by a live discussion and Q&A with members of the Mosaic team in charge of casting, design, direction, and production. From there, the company will continue to elaborate on Season 6 themes and preview the upcoming offerings through its alternating Monday series of Peace Cafe and Book Club programming, as well as planned Livestream Round Tables as well as pre-recorded Watch Party Happy Hour panels on Fridays, all on Zoom. Visit www. mosaictheater.org/alive. STREAMING SHAKESPEARE The Folger Shakespeare Library is offering every play, sonnet,
and poem written by William Shakespeare, free on its website. But you can go well beyond the page to the stage courtesy of the institution’s Folger Theatre and its current offerings, such as a video-recorded performance of the company’s 2008 Macbeth, starring Ian Merrill Peakes in the title role. Previously only available for purchase from Simon & Schuster, the video comes with special features, such as interviews with the cast and creative teams. Additionally, Folger has made available full-cast audio recordings of seven Shakespearean classics, produced with Simon & Schuster Audio and featuring professional actors from the company. Titles include everything from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Romeo and Juliet, from Richard III to Macbeth. All video and audio recordings will be available for free through July 1. Call 202-544-4600 or visit www.folger.edu.
APRIL 30, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM
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