Film

CITY LIGHTS : MONDAY LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE From Abbas Kiarostami, the director of The Wind Will Carry Us, comes Like Someone in Love. Kiarostami stayed in his native Iran for decades after the 1979 revolution, leaving only twice to make movies outside of it—including Like Someone in Love, set in Japan. Like his Iranian movies, it’s composed mostly of minimalist, locked-down shots, often presented in repetition. It luxuriates in gaps and pauses; one of the most wrenching sequences in Like Someone in Love consists of the protagonist, a Tokyo call girl named Akiko, sitting in the back of a cab, listening to voicemails, the lights of a slick, clean, lonely city reflected against the windows. Akiko has been sent out to see a client she doesn’t like. After she spends the the night at his apartment, he drives her to her university, where they encounter Akiko’s abusive boyfriend (who remains blissfully ignorant about Akiko’s nighttime activities.) That’s pretty much it. It’s a movie that offers little in terms of explicit stimulation, yet it soaks up all the viewer’s focus and attention and leaves them hungrily awaiting the next line and shot. This state of prolonged anticipation is the key ingredient in the film’s bitter punchline. The film screens at 7:15 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $8–$13. (301) 495-6700. afi.com/silver. —Will Lennon

CITY LIGHTS : TUESDAY

U.S. BOTANIC GARDEN AT 200: DEEPLY ROOTED, BRANCHING OUTWARD In 1820, after several years of nudging from assorted local aesthetes, do-gooders, and gentleman horticulturalists, the U.S. Congress established a botanic garden right in the heart of the nation’s capital. Control of the garden was given to a private organization called the Columbian Institute, which promptly ran into financial troubles and ceased to exist. The garden remained a swampy, abandoned eyesore until Congress took control of the project at mid-century, formally dubbing it the U.S. Botanic Garden and authorizing the construction of greenhouses, because you really can’t have a botanic garden without greenhouses. Ever since then, the Garden has been a verdant oasis in the heart of the city: a place where visitors can learn about, appreciate, and get yelled at for plucking leaves off of plants of all sorts. This year marks the bicentennial of D.C.’s botanical dream, and, in celebration, the Garden is launching a commemorative exhibition that will examine its past, present, and future. The sparse information available on the Garden’s website promises, among other things, “plant science interactives, three-dimensional sights, [and] infamous smells,” which sounds like a Jeopardy! category gone horribly wrong. The Garden remains great, even if some of its plants are smelly. The exhibition runs to Oct. 15 at the U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Free. (202) 225-8333. usbg.gov. —Justin Peters EXQUISITA AGONÍA (EXQUISITE AGONY) A middleaged woman tries to find love with the young man who got her dead husband’s transplanted heart in this witty and poignant play. In Spanish with English supertitles. GALA Hispanic Theatre. 3333 14th St. NW. To March 1. $40–$48. (202) 234-7174. galatheatre.org. FRIENDLIER FABLES & THOUGHTFUL TALES Learn about respect and friendship through an engaging all-ages show made of kids’ stories told with a sweeter twist. Atlas Performing Arts Center. 1333 H St. NE. To Feb. 22. $15. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org. INTO THE GREAT UNKNOWN This play highlights the heroism of adventurers like Guion Bluford, the first black astronaut, and Sophia Danenburg, the first African American to climb Mt. Everest. Publick Playhouse. 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly. To Feb. 27. $6–$8. (301) 277-1710. arts.pgparks.com. KILL MOVE PARADISE Kill Move Paradise flips the mythology of the Greek Elysium on its head. We meet the newly deceased characters in a waiting room as they try to come to grips with their deaths— and as the show tries to come to grips with the killings of unarmed black people. Rep Stage at Howard Community College. 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. To March 8. $5–$25. (443) 518-1500. repstage.org. A LESBIAN BELLE TELLS... In this one-woman show, a lesbian belle from Mississippi talks coming out, growing up, and moving to D.C. Atlas Performing Arts Center. 1333 H St. NE. To Feb. 21. $35. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org. LET IT SHINE: THE AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (1955-1968) This production introduces viewers to the notable names, songs, and moments in the Civil Rights Movement, including the Montgomery bus boycott, the March on Washington, and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Publick Playhouse. 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly. To Feb. 25. $6–$8. (301) 277-1710. arts.pgparks.com. LOVE IN THE TIME OF CLIMATE CHANGE One young woman tries to balance modern dating with her everpresent climate pessimism as she meets a climate refugee, dates a climate denier, and falls in love with an activist. Atlas Performing Arts Center. 1333 H St. NE. To Feb. 22. $20. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org. THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR Falstaff has a plan to woo Windsor’s wealthy housewives, but they team up to teach him a lesson, and his comedic comeuppance is well-deserved. Folger Elizabethan Theatre. 201 E. Capitol St. SE. To March 1. $27–$85. (202) 544- 7077. folger.edu. MISS YOU LIKE HELL This new musical tracks the love between an estranged mother and daughter who take a weird and wild road trip from Philadelphia to California. Olney Theatre Center. 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney. To March 1. $37–$79. (301) 924- 3400. olneytheatre.org. MOTHER ROAD William Joad is ill, and he wants to pass his plot of Oklahoma farming land down to a descendant who moved West. When he learns his only living descendants are Mexican American, the bits of the family must confront racism and who they really are. Arena Stage. 1101 6th St. SW. To March 8. $51–$95. (202) 488-3300. arenastage.org. MOUSE ON THE MOVE In this show for young audiences, two adventurous mice head out of their mouse-hole to explore the big world outside and seek to hang out on the Moon, since it’s cat-free and made of cheese. Atlas Performing Arts Center. 1333 H St. NE. To March 1. $15. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org. NEVER THOUGHT I WAS BLACK TILL I CAME TO AMERICA This immigrant story is told through comedy, music, poetry, and prose, dwelling on African heritage and contemporary African and African American life in the U.S. Atlas Performing Arts Center. 1333 H St. NE. To Feb. 23. $25. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Deep underneath the Paris Opera House, a deformed and bitter musician develops an obsession with a new singer named Christine. Known only as the Phantom, he terrorizes the opera house and manipulates Christine, tutoring her and demanding she be cast in more prominent roles. Synetic Theater at Crystal City. 1800 South Bell St. , Arlington. To March 1. (866) 811-4111. synetictheater.org. THE ROYALE Jay “The Sport” Jackson wants to be the heavyweight champion of the boxing world, but 1905 boxing is racially segregated, and the odds are against him. 1st Stage. 1524 Spring Hill Road, McLean. To Feb. 23. $15–$42. (703) 854-1856. 1ststagetysons.org. SCULPTING CLAY OR HOW I BECAME MOTHER OF UNICORNS One woman attempts to navigate the journey of her dreams teaching students but runs up again and again against secondary trauma in educators from the dark issues her students face. Atlas Performing Arts Center. 1333 H St. NE. To Feb. 22. $25. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org. SHIPWRECK: A HISTORY PLAY ABOUT 2017 In this radical play, the wounds of the 2016 election are ripped open after the 45th president sends a consequential dinner invitation. Woolly Mammoth Theatre. 641 D St. NW. To March 8. $15–$64. (202) 393-3939. woollymammoth.net. SILENT SKY A decade before women gained the right to vote, Henrietta Leavitt and her fellow women “computers” transformed the science of astronomy. In the Harvard Observatory, Leavitt found 2,400 new variable stars and made important discoveries about their fluctuating brightness, enabling fellow scientists to map the Milky Way and beyond. This inspiring drama explores the determination, passion and sacrifice of the women who redefined our understanding of the cosmos. Ford’s Theatre. 511 10th St. NW. To Feb. 23. $22–$72. (202) 347-4833. fords.org. SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER This Tennessee Williams play takes place in New Orleans’ Garden District as an elderly socialite mourns her dead son, who died mysteriously. WSC Avant Bard at Gunston Arts Center Theater Two. 2700 South Lang Street, Arlington. To April 5. $40. (703) 418-4808. wscavantbard.org. THIS BITTER EARTH Black playwright Jesse finds himself at a crossroads with his white boyfriend, Neil, who can’t understand why Jesse won’t join in on Neil’s Black Lives Matter activism. Anacostia Playhouse. 2020 Shannon Place SE. To March 22. $20–$40. (202) 290-2328. anacostiaplayhouse.com. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS This adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s novel focuses on two Afghan women in Kabul who become unlikely allies in the face of brutality and must make a dramatic decision. Arena Stage. 1101 6th St. SW. To March 1. $56–$105. (202) 488-3300. arenastage.org. TIMON OF ATHENS Timon lives in an opulent, uppercrust Athens world, but when she loses her money, status, and friends, she takes to the forest to plan her revenge against the society that ousted her. Michael R. Klein Theatre. 450 7th St. NW. To March 22. $35–$120. (202) 547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org. THE TOXIC AVENGER Melvin Ferd the Third falls into a vat of radioactive waste and emerges as a sevenfoot-tall freak called The Toxic Avenger, who’s ready to clean America up. Rorschach Theatre at the Silver Spring Black Box. 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. To March 1. $10–$65. (202) 399-7993. rorschachtheatre.com. THE WANDERERS From the award-winning writer of Photograph 51 and Actually comes this funny, insightful, and moving new play. Esther and Schmuli are Satmar Hasidic Jews embarking on an arranged marriage, despite barely knowing each other. Abe and Julia are high-profile celebrities embarking on a dangerously flirtatious correspondence, despite being married to other people. On the surface, the lives of these two pairs couldn’t be more different; but the hidden connections between them draw the audience into an intriguing puzzle and a deeply sympathetic look at modern love. Theater J. 1529 16th St. NW. To March 15. $34–$64. (202) 777-3210. theaterj.org. WHITE-ISH In White-ish, black girl Dotty goes on a journey about identity and acceptance while meeting a motley crew of people along her way. Atlas Performing Arts Center. 1333 H St. NE. To Feb. 23. $25. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org.

Film SONIC THE HEDGEHOG A small town police officer must help a super fast blue alien hedgehog defeat an evil genius. Starring Jim Carrey, James Marsden, and Neal McDonough. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) THE TRAITOR This Italian film follows the real story of Tommaso Buscetta, the first mafia informant in 1980s Sicily. Starring Pierfrancesco Favino, Luigi Lo Cascio, and Fausto Russo Alesi. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) EMMA In this adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, Emma Woodhouse can’t stop herself from meddling in others’ love lives. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Josh

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CITY LIGHTS : WEDNESDAY BEETHOVEN’S LEONORE Beethoven isn’t known for opera. He only wrote one, Fidelio, and it doesn’t get performed nearly as much as it should. It has all the tropes familiar for Beethoven fans: noble heroes, wicked tyrants, anti-authoritarian politics, thinly veiled stand-ins for Napoleon. However it’s named for a character that does not exist, the male alter ego of a woman, Leonore, who disguises herself as a prison guard to free her wrongfully imprisoned husband. D.C. last saw this opera in 2012, in a concert version by the National Symphony Orchestra. So it’s surprising that a staged version is coming from Opera Lafayette, a niche chamber opera company which specializes in French Baroque era, not German Romanticism, and normally does not do fully staged productions. Going even further out on a limb, theirs will not be Fidelio per se but a more obscure, earlier version, called Leonore. It’s Opera Lafayette’s most ambitious project yet, but given their reputation for historical detail, likely fastidiously prepared. The show begins at 7 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW. $25–$135. (202) 467- 4600. kennedy-center.org. —Mike Paarlberg

CITY LIGHTS : THURSDAY PRESENT TENSE: DC PUNK AND DIY, RIGHT NOW The hardcore photo essay is an enduring tradition. Cynthia Connolly first published her pivotal book on the city’s punk scene in 1988; Banned in DC is now in its seventh printing. Lucian Perkins only ever shot a handful of shows, but his pictures of Bad Brains, Teen Idles, and other punk bands endure in a recent publication, Hard Art, DC 1979. So with her new photo collection, City Paper contributor Farrah Skeiky is first and foremost paying homage to the past. Present Tense: DC Punk and DIY, Right Now captures the throbbing energy of the city’s punk and hardcore scenes in high-contrast black-and-white photos, much like the punk documentarians who came before her. Skeiky’s show and photo book include shots of Iron Cages, Guilt Parade, Homosuperior (in which she now plays guitar), and other acts making it across different scenes today. A picture of Priests playing a 2018 benefit for Mount Pleasant’s Best World Supermarket is a reminder that the core punk concerns of compassion, localism, and accessibility haven’t failed the city in an era of rapid displacement. The photo is more than a document of the moment, though: Skeiky’s work is part of a larger ecosystem that is vital, vulnerable, and still very much carrying on. Tradition is not a knock. The exhibition runs to Feb. 29 at Transformer, 1404 P St. NW. Free. (202) 483-1102. transformerdc.org. —Kriston Capps

O’Connor, and Bill Nighy. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) BIRDS OF PREY The Joker’s sidekick Harley Quinn leaves him behind and teams up with superheroes Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya. Starring Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Ewan McGregor. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) BRAHMS: THE BOY II A family moves into an old mansion and their son makes friends with a lifelike doll called Brahms—but the new friend may be more sinister than he appears. Starring Katie Holmes, Owain Yeoman, and Ralph Ineson. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) THE PHOTOGRAPH A woman finds her mother’s old belongings and viewers see a series of intertwining love stories from the past and present. Starring Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield, and Chelsea Peretti. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) THE CALL OF THE WILD A sled dog must survive adventures in the Alaskan wild. Starring Harrison Ford, Karen Gillan, and Dan Stevens. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)