Washington City Paper (December 11, 2015)

CITYPAPER Washington

Experience holiday shopping in the heart of Downtown

The Downtown Holiday Market will warm your spirits with holiday cheer & unique gifts!

Nov.27 Thru Dec. 23

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politics: Vince gray case dropped 10

food: old ebbitt grill endures 35

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Shadow ChanCellor Free Volume 35, no. 50 WashingtonCityPaPer.Com DeCember 11–17, 2015

Katherine Bradley’s influence calls into question who really makes the decisions about D.C. education reform. 14

By Jeffrey Anderson

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INSIDE 14 shadow

chancellor Does philanthropist Katherine Bradley have too much influence over D.C.’s school officials?

By Jeffrey Anderson

6. chatter district line

7 The Cost of Living: Housing for D.C.’s vulnerable HIVpositive population 10 Loose Lips: Vince Gray, vindicated 11 Gear Prudence 12 Unobstructed View 13 savage Love 20 Buy d.C.

d.c. Feed

city list

47 City Lights: Des Ark brings her delicate, brooding folk to Comet Ping Pong 47 Music 50 Theater 53 film

35 old stellar: How Old Ebbitt Grill endures 37 Grazer: 3,000 oysters, 1,200 cocktails...

37 The ’Wiching Hour: Dacha Market’s Dacha Club 37 Brew In Town: Right Proper Brewing Company’s Häxan

54 classiFieds

arts

“

39 Living room suite: Chamber music is finding a resurgence in people’s homes.

41 Arts desk: Charting D.C.’s cultural vitality 41 one Track Mind: It’s Black Sabbath worship on Satan’s Satyrs’ “Full Moon and Empty Veins”

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42 Theater: Klimek on Stage Kiss and Holiday Memories 43 film: Olszewski on The Danish Girl and Youth 44 sketches: Little on “Womanimal” at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

diversions 55 Crossword

on the cover

Photograph by Tony Powell

nobody gets off the plane, jumps in a cab, and asks the cab driver, ‘where’s the oldest place in town?’ —page 35

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CHATTER Greatest Gift

In which we remind you about our holiday gift guide

Darrow MontGoMery

’Tis The season for every publication to release a gift guide so you can empty your wallet in the name of holiday cheer. City Paper prides itself on promoting local stores and local makers so our readers know their dollars are taking the most direct route back into D.C.’s economy. This year’s guide

by Buy D.C. columnist Kaarin Vembar featured 72 gift ideas, from books to jewelry to sky diving lessons, that can be purchased at businesses across the city, from the 14th Street corridor to Anacostia. While the 2015 Shop Local guide is no longer on stands, you can check it out online at washingtoncitypaper.com/go/gifts2015. Bonus: It features a map of our suggested stores so you can plot out your shopping.

Death to fresh. In last week’s Loose Lips column, Will Sommer reported that Bowser’s 2014 mayoral campaign accepted nearly $15,000 worth of contributions that exceeded legal limits. (A campaign spox replied, “To the best of our knowledge all contributions (and, where necessary, refunds) were handled totally properly and in full compliance with the law.”) The piece was especially timely considering the demise of the controversial Bowser-affiliated FreshPAC... or was it? “So if it is unlikely that the contributions didn’t have an affect on the election, why even write the story,” commented Say What. “It appears that there is a lot of misogyny going on here.” Jack Brent replied, “It is not misogynistic to point out that Mayor Fresh Stank is a duplicitous politician.” (justsayin appreciated Brent’s nickname for the mayor: “Lmao@ “fresh stank.” That is so accurate, because she represents more of the same stench that she claims to oppose from previous administrations.”) Small Beer took a balanced view: “They need to give the money back, but the contributions were reported, and it appears to be a common mistake. But DC standards, it’s no big deal.

But keep on it, for all campaigns, because ‘pay to play’ will never completely go away in DC.” —Sarah Anne Hughes Department of Corrections: Last week’s review of Janis: Little Girl Blue was improperly accompanied by an image of Janis Joplin by Barry Feinstein.

Want to see your name in bold on this page? Send letters, gripes, clarifications, or praise to editor@washingtoncitypaper.com.

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DISTRICTLINE

D.C. no longer has a racial majority of any kind. washingtoncitypaper.com/ go/census2015

The Cost of Living

As the District sets an ambitious HIV-management goal, transitional and permanent housing options for the affected population remain limited. know their status, are in treatment, and achieve viral load suppression.

Known as the 90-90-90-50 goal, it also calls for a 50-percent reduction in new HIV cases by that deadline.

But some advocates worry that, instead of continuing improvements, slowing the stream of financial support for HIV services (and taking HOPWA’s successes for granted) will sacrifice the progress that’s been made in reducing the number of AIDS-related deaths.

Vaughn Pinkett is HIV-positive and homeless.

On a hot July Sunday last year, Vaughn Pinkett was riding his bike near the intersection of Benning Road and 36 Street NE when a driver struck him.

The 52-year-old D.C. resident lay on the street, immobile, hoping someone would move him onto a sidewalk.

“I can’t get off the ground, it’s blazing hot, and I’m like, ‘Somebody move my ass into the shade,’” he says.

The incident injured his right shoulder, hip, left foot, and left hand. (The police report classifies the injuries as “minor scratch[es].”) Pinkett, who is unemployed and has been homeless off and on since the early ’80s (“I’ve been homeless in some real D.C. winters”), hasn’t yet had surgery, which he says he needs to correct his injuries. The driver who struck Pinkett was uninsured, which means Pinkett couldn’t collect any damages. He and his partner are so busy filing unrelated paperwork almost every day—applications for shelters, medical assistance, and voucher programs—Pinkett says he hasn’t had the time to legally pursue the driver.

And Pinkett says his partner’s medical care takes precedence over his own. Chuck Carl, 55, has been diagnosed with manic depression and is currently on a two-month leave from a custodial job because of medical issues.

They are both also HIV-positive and struggling to find a shelter that will take them in.

Some nights they are, as they say, “obedient,” and stay in tent encampments. Other times, Pinkett says, he feels like “raising hell.” Those nights, he and Carl will camp right in front of Anacostia’s Big Chair on Martin Luther King Avenue SE. Housing resources in the District are undeniably scarce for members of the HIV-posi-

Inside a three-story Adams Morgan home, eight residents— along with staff and volunteers— lounged in mismatched armchairs and sofas for “Tune In Tuesdays.”

“Sometimes it’s good to just have quiet,” says Scott Sanders, deputy director of Joseph’s House, which cares exclusively for low-income residents living with late-stage AIDS and terminal cancer. Those are just the threshold requirements: Many also live with substance-abuse issues, mental illnesses, and other diseases.

A calico cat named Carmen rubs against a dark wooden door adorned with construction-paper collages. In the adjacent dining room, a fish tank bubbles across from picturesque windows draped in Christmas lights that overlook Lanier Place NW. On one wall hangs a 12-square-foot mural inspired by the New Testament and rendered in bright yellow, teal, and crimson.

For many residents, it feels like home if “home” would cost just over $1 million annually to run.

Executive Director Patricia Wudel recalls that one former patient was so overwhelmed when she walked through the door for the first time—she believed she could feel the spirits of deceased residents’ ancestors lingering in the Darrow Montgomery

By Morgan Baskin

tive community. The only dedicated subsidized housing funding for low-income, HIV-positive residents is a federal program called Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS that, based on a distribution formula, allocates grant money annually to states and metropolitan areas. For fiscal year 2016, D.C., as well as nearby counties in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, received an $11.1 million grant, the fourth-highest amount of funding nationally. Of that $11.1 million, $6.1 million stayed within the District; that’s almost $2 million less than the HOPWA portion D.C. received in 2012 ($7.8 million) and 2013 ($7.5 million).

HOPWA’s programming takes a fourpronged approach to housing HIV-positive people experiencing or at risk for homelessness.

The first—tenant-based rental assistance— takes up the majority of D.C.’s HOPWA grant

money: It’s a voucher that is functionally similar to the Housing Choice (formerly called Section 8) program in which an individual or household pays 30 percent of their income toward rent.

The second provides funds for emergency or transitional housing. The others include shortterm rental, mortgage, and utilities assistance (as well as other small bills that, when unpaid, often lead to eviction) and housing information and referral services.

In addition to $200,000 in local funds to provide short-term assistance for this community, the D.C. Council made a one-time allocation of $500,000 in the fiscal year 2016 budget to replace a reduction in federal funds for HIVspecific housing.

Earlier this year, Mayor Muriel Bowser charged District leaders with ensuring that, by 2020, 90 percent of D.C. residents with HIV

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 7

DISTRICTLINE entryway, Wudel says—she wouldn’t come back to Joseph’s House for months.

It’s also a beautiful, spiritual home. It’s a place where Wudel says a “sense of family or belonging is cultivated”; that sense of community is one of the factors Wudel and Sanders say contributes most to rehabilitation. With a warm, clean, safe place to stay, patients develop both a social safety net and a sense of personal pride. They feel motivated to recover and return to independent living.

A home like this, particularly for low-income residents living with HIV, is rare. Joseph’s House can take in only about ten residents at a time, and while the average stay is four to six months, some patients stay up to a year. (HOPWA funds allow stays of up to two years.) There are 16,000 people living with HIV in the District, many of them low-income residents of Wards 7 and 8.

For Pinkett, the emotional burden of living as a homeless, HIV-positive man was easier to bear when he had a network of friends—other HIV-positive people living in the city, including transgender men and women—who would look out for each other, like saying “‘Honey,

it’s been three days since you changed, you need some new clothes. Let’s take you shopping,’” Pinkett says. But over the years, the disease claimed the lives of many of the people Pinkett would see around the city. That support network died with them.

And for a city that has desperately struggled to meet its overwhelming demand for affordable housing, this is a subpopulation that’s often left behind.

Michael Kharfen, the D.C. Department of Health’s senior deputy director for the HIV/ AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration, says that the waiting list for HOPWA’s tenant-based rental assistance is about 1,200 people long. With a turnover of just ten people per year, that leaves the waitlist at 120 years long if a patient were to sign up today—and that waitlist is only for people who are already in apartments or homes. (“If I could afford rent for [dozens of] years, I wouldn’t need the damn waiting list in the first place,” Pinkett says.)

“We have far fewer funds for temporary housing and for the other services that are part of the program,” Kharfen says. “The initial intention of the program was that this

8 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

would only be temporary, and that would be either because recipients were at the end of their lives—which of course has changed, fortunately—or that the patient has transferred to another housing assistance program, such as Section 8 [whose waitlist closed in 2012].”

“What we find is that transitional or permanent supportive housing specifically for HIV diagnoses—I’ve never heard of it,” says Brittany Walsh, manager of patient retention for HIV health center Whitman-Walker Health.

Even those with substance abuse problems who have been successfully rehabilitated at Joseph’s House often backslide when they leave that environment—a support system that encourages healthy medical practices and administers their medication.

“When [patients] leave here, if they do— and many of them do—having the kind of place they need to stay… is sort of missing in the continuum. And so we think that needs to be a focus,” says Sanders, who testified before D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development Director Peggy Donaldson in October to advocate for increased funding for affordable, HIV-specific housing. “Intensive, permanent supportive housing is one piece of the puzzle that needs to be [addressed].”

It would be difficult for Pinkett and Carl to find a place like Joseph’s House to live together; it’s rare enough for two beds to open up simultaneously in one shelter—particularly in a facility that small. And even when they do, the couple isn’t guaranteed a spot. Two weeks

ago, Pinkett says, he and Carl were turned away from a shelter that serves HIV-positive adults with substance abuse issues operated by Regional Addiction Prevention, Inc. “We’re a couple. Salt n’ peppa on everybody’s table. They say, ‘OK, but you both can’t stay here.’ We were and still are taxpayers to the District of Columbia. And I think you’re getting an upgrade by taking us in. But they’re telling us, ‘We’re not gonna take couples,” Pinkett says.

Greg Mims, a case manager, says RAP’s facilites have never admitted couples. He adds that he referred Pinkett and Carl to another shelter.

Pinkett says he doesn’t understand why a shelter wouldn’t want to give them a room, since they’re in as good a position as could be expected of a couple in their position—they take their respective medications religiously, take pride in their hygiene and style (the first time I met Pinkett, he wore a black faux fur coat), are politically active (Pinkett was an advocate for the National Association of People With AIDS), and have each other as an emotional support system (the couple has been together for 12 years).

“We went through what we went through.

Done everything we were asked to do. And still trying to be civil when you’re telling me, ‘Bitch, who’s your mother? How much blood you got left?’ How much of this shit you going to take?

CP Not much. Not much.”

This is part one in a series on housing for HIVpositive residents in D.C.

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 9

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DISTRICTLINE

Tomorrow’s history today: This was the week that NPR and WAMU radio host Diane Rehm announced she would likely retire after the 2016 election cycle.

Loose Lips

A Man of No Convictions Now cleared, the former mayor has three different D.C. Council seats to choose from.

Vince Gray won’t be going to prison after all. With just a press release, the feds closed the four-year-old investigation into his 2010 campaign Wednesday morning, saying no more charges will be filed.

That’s great news personally for Gray, who can stop paying his high-priced attorney and get his first job since leaving the mayor’s office in January. For District voters, though, the investigation’s end opens up something else: the potential for a new Gray run at the D.C. Council.

For months, Gray has been the subject of rumors about a Council campaign. With prosecutors off his case, Gray’s now free to launch a return to the Wilson Building.

Gray’s public statement on the investigation suggests as much, with talk of spending the “next chapter of my life” on “service.”

The unwritten rule of District politics— that the craziest thing that can happen usually does—holds that Gray will run. But the former mayor’s cautious temperament suggests the District is in for a wait.

With D.C. Board of Elections nominating petitions not available until January, District wags will have to be patient. As one longtime Gray friend cracks to LL, this is all starting to feel very familiar. Just two years ago, Gray waited until the last minute to launch his re-election bid.

First up for any future Gray campaign is choosing a race. While Gray could run against Vincent Orange in the Democratic at-large slot or switch party registrations and run against David Grosso for one of the seats reserved for non-Democrats, he can also take on former protege Yvette Alexander in Ward 7.

Ex-Gray campaign manager and unofficial fan club president Chuck Thies thinks his old boss can take on any of the incumbents. After all, Thies points out, Gray beat incumbents to get into the Ward 7 seat originally and then the mayoralty.

Thies thinks Gray is still mulling which Council seat he’ll run for, if he does run.

Darrow Montgomery/File

By Will Sommer

Vince Gray’s best chance to return to the Council may be the Ward 7 seat.

Interviewed by Thies on WPFW this summer, Gray shied away from committing to a campaign.

“You look at those three legislators, and you say, ‘Vince could do a much better job,’” Thies says.

The end of the investigation has certainly invigorated Gray’s supporters. After judging Gray’s prospects post-investigation, Thies opened a bottle of champagne that he had left over from the mayoral campaign’s ill-fated election night.

10 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

Several Wilson Building watchers who haven’t worked for Gray, though, aren’t so impressed with his citywide chances. After Jeff Thompson’s last-minute guilty plea helped sabotage his chances in the 2014 primary, Gray won a third of the city’s Democratic primary vote. That bodes ill for an atlarge run, where he’d be courting the same west-of-the-park types who voted against him last year.

Gray confidante and former D.C. Chamber of Commerce President Barbara Lang

says the sense that the feds did Gray wrong would help him with his base in the District’s eastern half—but not so much in, say, Ward 3.

In Ward 7, though, Gray won an overwhelming 60 percent of 2014 primary votes. Gray would face Alexander, who got an election assist from the former mayor in 2007 but has recently allied herself with Mayor Muriel Bowser. Gray’s potential interest in the race prompted Kenneth Ellerbe, the Gray-era fire chief, to tell LL that he wouldn’t run against Alexander if Gray enters the race. (After LL’s story ran, Ellerbe called back to say that he would consider not running if Gray gets in.)

Even though he’s not in the race yet, Bowser is already throwing jabs at him.

Asked about Gray’s chances in Ward 7, she said voters are “future-oriented.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Councilmember Alexander,” Bowser says.

“I know that Mayor Gray had the pleasure of working with her and in fact endorsed her for that seat.”

Ward 7 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Gary Butler, himself not an Alexander fan, says the ward has cooled on Gray since he lost the mayoral race. At first, Ward 7 Gray partisans wanted a write-in campaign to get him on the general election ballot. Now there’s not much talk about him, according to Butler.

“Nobody’s really excited for him to get in the race,” Butler says. “There’s not a lot of groundswell support” The ex-mayor, who has been making his rounds at Ward 7 community events, didn’t respond to LL’s request for comment on his election plans. But for her part, Alexander was less than thrilled with the news that her former patron wouldn’t be going to prison.

“I guess that’s good news for him,” Alexander says. “It’s never good news when someone is found guilty of a crime.” CP Got a tip for LL? Send suggestions to lips@washingtoncitypaper.com. Or call (202) 650-6925.

Gear Prudence: I’ve been getting into cycling a lot more over the past year, and my wardrobe has both grown and evolved. Recently I was looking to buy my first cycling cap and as I perused various websites, my wife looked over my shoulder and gasped. “Those are so dorky!” she said and asked me why I would ever think of getting one. I told her that there were lots of reasons, but I’m wondering if maybe she has a point and I’ll look like a total bike dork if I buy one. What should I do?

—Cancel A Purchase?

Dear CAP: You should buy one and look like a bike dork. Because if you are sitting on the couch nonchalantly browsing cycling caps, you are already an irredeemable bike dork and you should accept that. That your wife only now expresses concerns is surprising.

You can make claims about the functionality of cycling caps, like how they keep your head warmer or cooler, keep the sun from your eyes, and wick away sweat, making you .4 percent faster. None of that really matters. You wear a cycling cap to show that you’re a self-selecting member of a (not especially) exclusive club. Any dork can ride a bike, but only a true bike dork —GP will wear headgear that advertises it.

Gear Prudence: I was sitting in Five Guys the other day at the window and I noticed a guy standing by my bike. He circled it and got up pretty close, but he didn’t touch it and then left. I don’t mean to be paranoid and maybe he was just admiring my nice bike, but it seemed suspicious. How do you tell the difference between someone scoping out your bike because they admire it versus someone looking to steal it?

—Wrong Or Right, Reasonably Yucky

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Dear WORRY: GP has this same problem at the National Gallery. Is that man gazing intently at the Monet to admire the brushwork or is he about to purloin it and escape via means of Rube Goldbergian subterfuge?

Maybe GP needs to stop falling asleep with The Thomas Crown Affair on, but you could also benefit from further circumspection.

If it’s a nice bike or one that’s rare or particularly well-appointed, expect admirers. D.C. is full of bicycle aficionados who think nothing of gawking. If your bike is crap, reserve slightly more suspicion. If you see a person in a “Bike Thief Palooza 2012” T-shirt with bolt cutters or an angle grinder, assume the worst.

Based on what you’ve described, GP doesn’t think you should assume the worst. If he didn’t touch your bike and it was just a momentary linger, it’s impossible to disambiguate his intentions. And since ultimately nothing hap—GP pened, don’t dwell on it too much.

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Gear Prudence is Brian McEntee, who tweets @sharrowsDC. Got a question about bicycling?

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UNOBSTRUCTEDVIEW

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It’s a memory that’s probably three decades old, but it’s still completely vivid: sitting in the backseat as we crept along in traffic leaving a football game at RFK, the ceiling of the car lit red by brake lights, and a cut-glass Boston accent coming through the car radio.

“Like the vast majority of NFL games, this one was nawt won, it was lost.”

Ken Beatrice, the iconic local sports talk host from the era that preceded our current allsports-all-the-time culture, died at the age of 72 last week due to complications from pneumonia. I was stunned by how much that saddened me, for a few reasons: I hadn’t heard the man’s voice for years, and I hate forced socialmedia grieving for people who left the public eye years ago; his claim to fame was as a sports talk radio host, and I tend to find myself alternately bored and aggravated by sports talk radio; my fond memories of his show stem from my childhood, and I tend to hate nostalgia’s overpowering influence on sports.

But ever since those postgame traffic jams, Beatrice’s influence has been weirdly omnipresent in my life.

Decades later, when I started working in sports, Beatrice quotes and impressions were my lingua franca, the easiest way to find immediate cultural common ground with other longtime D.C.-area sports enthusiasts. Even now, when my friends and I yap on the phone about local sports drama, probably 85 percent of the conversations start with Beatrice’s signature “You’re next!”

In my mind, Beatrice’s Sports Call show on WMAL (“Foah three two DAH-bull-you emay-el is the numbah!”) was a completely different beast from modern sports talk: more staid, more informative, more professional, and somehow kinder.

To make sure my memories were accurate, I reached out to two current sports talkers with local roots to square their recollections with mine.

“Definitely,” ESPN 980’s Kevin Sheehan told me. “Ken entertained you through his encyclopedic knowledge of virtually everything.

You can entertain in this business a lot of different ways; the ultimate goal is to be entertaining. Some people are funny, some people are really smart, some people are complete buffoons and that entertains. He was definitely a straightforward guy.”

Grant Paulsen from 106.7 The Fan concurred. “It’s definitely different now,” Paulsen said. “Stylistically, I’d like nothing more

than to get on [the air] and break things down, be analytical. But now that ‘guy talk radio’ has gone away, there’s a mold that’s been carved out of sports morphing into guy talk. It’s more entertainment, not just cut-and-dried, straitlaced analytical sports.”

My sense of Beatrice being more staid and informative checked out. So did that ineffable sense of kindness on the other side of the mic: Both Sheehan and Paulsen, separately, reminisced about Beatrice’s rapport with the kids who would call into his show.

“He was the nicest guy ever when kids would call in,” Paulsen said. “Most people wouldn’t accept kid callers. I was always tempted to call

“He was tHe nicest guy ever wHen kids would call in, Most people wouldn’t accept kid callers.”

—grant paulsen, 106.7

in. I didn’t, but I remember I always wanted to, just because he was so nice to kids when they called in whereas a lot of guys just completely yell at them or belittle them.”

Sheehan went even further. “As a kid listening to him, if you called in and you were on hold when the show ended, he would actually call you at your house when the show was over,” Sheehan said. “You’re sitting at the house after the show and the phone rings and it’s Ken Beatrice on the line saying, ‘Hey, Kev! Sorry you didn’t get on, but I just wanted to call.’ And he would sit there and talk to you forever.’”

To me, Beatrice is on a short list of iconic D.C. sports personalities (which I am not going to call a Mount Rushmore, because this is not an ESPN morning show) who laid the foundation not only for the golden era of local sports but for the way we all consume sports every day now: Glenn Brenner and Warner Wolf, the forerunners of the modern jokes-over-highlights approach to TV; George Michael, the godfather of highlight shows; and Beatrice, who demonstrated that talk radio could be resonant while remaining detailed and informative and focused on the actual sports.

If his influence had remained as pronounced on his medium as Brenner’s and Michael’s have been on theirs, I’d probably be CP listening a lot more today.

SAVAGELOVE I’m a 24-year-old gay male with few resources and no “marketable” skills. I have made a lot of bad choices and now I struggle to make ends meet in a crappy dead-end job, living paycheck to paycheck in an expensive East Coast city. Recently, someone on Grindr offered me $3,000 to have sex with him.

He is homely and nearly three times my age, but he seems kind and respectful. I could really use that money. I have no moral opposition to prostitution, but the few friends I’ve spoken to were horrified.

Part of me agrees and thinks this is a really bad idea and I’ll regret it. But there’s another part of me that figures, hey, it’s just sex—and I’ve done more humiliating things for a lot less money. It makes me sad to think the only way I can make money is prostituting myself, because my looks aren’t going to last forever. And let’s face it: Prostitution is an ugly and messy business, and it wouldn’t impress a potential —Stressed Over Taking future employer.

Elderly Man’s Payment To Eat Dick I shared your letter with Dr. Eric Sprankle, an assistant professor of psychology at Minnesota State University and a licensed clinical psychologist. “This young man is distressed that he may have to resort to ‘prostituting himself,’ which suggests he, like most people, views sex work as the selling of one’s body or the selling of oneself,” said Dr. Sprankle, who tweets about sexual health, the rights of sex workers, and secularism @DrSprankle.

But you wouldn’t be selling yourself or your body, SOTEMPTED, you would be selling access to your body—temporary access—and whatever particular kind of sex you consented to have with this man in exchange for his money.

“Sex work is the sale of a service,” said Dr. Sprankle. “The service may involve specific body parts that aren’t typically involved in most industries, but it is unequivocally a service labor industry. Just as massage therapists aren’t selling their hands or themselves when working out the kinks of some wealthy older client, sex workers are merely selling physical and emotional labor.”

Massage therapists who haaaaate seeing their occupation referenced in conversations about sex work—all those hardworking, never-jerking massage therapists—might wanna check their privilege, as all the cool kids on campus are saying these days.

“Massage therapists have the privilege of not worrying about being shamed and shunned by friends,” said Dr. Sprankle, “and not worrying about being arrested for violating archaic laws.” You will have to worry about shame, stigma, and arrest if you decide to go ahead with this, SOTEMPTED. “He will have to be selective about whom he shares his work experiences with and may have to keep it a lifelong secret from family and coworkers,” said Dr. Sprankle. “This could feel isolating and inauthentic. And while I am not aware of any empirical evidence to suggest

men who enter sex work in this manner later regret their decision, this young man’s friends have already given him a glimpse of the unfortunate double standard social stigma of pursuing this work.”

Because I’m a full-service sex-advice professional, SOTEMPTED, I also shared your letter with a couple of guys who’ve actually done sex work—one a bona fide sex worker, the other a sexual adventurer.

Most of those look like giant cocks, and we don’t want to scare this manly man to death.

“I was struck by the words SOTEMPTED used to describe sex work: ugly, messy, humiliating,” said Mike Crawford, a sex worker, sex-workers-rights activist, and self-identified “cashsexual” who tweets @BringMeTheAx. “For many of us, it’s actually nothing like that.

When you strip away the moralizing and misinformation, sex work is simply a job that provides a valuable service to your clients. Humiliation or mess can be involved—if that’s what gets them off—but there is absolutely nothing inherently ugly or degrading about the work itself.”

What about regrets?

“It’s true that he could wind up regretting doing the paid-sex thing,” said Crawford.

“Then again, there’s a chance of regret in almost any hookup. Lots of people who didn’t get paid for sex wind up having post-fuck regrets.

I’d also encourage him to consider the possibility that he might look back and regret not taking the plunge. I’ve met plenty of sex workers over the years who wish they had started sooner.”

“I don’t regret it,” said Philip (not his real name), a reader who sent me a question about wanting to experience getting paid for sex and later took the plunge. “I felt like I was in the power position. And in the moment, it wasn’t distressing. Just be sure to negotiate everything in advance—what’s on the table and

what’s not—and be very clear about expectations and limits.”

Philip, who is bisexual, wound up being paid for sex by two guys. Both were older, both were more nervous than he was, and neither were lookers.

“But you don’t really look,” said Philip.

“You close your eyes, you detach yourself from yourself—it is like meta-sex, like watching yourself having sex.”

You may find detaching from yourself in that way to be emotionally unpleasant or even exhausting, SOTEMPTED, but not everyone does. If your first experience goes well and you decide to see this particular guy again or start doing sex work regularly, pay close attention to your emotions and your health. If you don’t enjoy the actual work of sex work, or if you find it emotionally unpleasant or exhausting, stop doing sex work.

It has to be said that there are plenty of people out there who regret doing sex work—their stories aren’t hard to find, as activists who want sex work to remain illegal are constantly promoting them. But feelings of regret aren’t unique to sex work, and people who do regret doing sex work often cite the consequences of its illegality (police harassment, criminal record) as chief among their regrets.

One last piece of advice from Mike Crawford: “There is a pretty glaring red flag here: $3,000 is a really, really steep price for a single date. I’m not implying that SOTEMPTED isn’t worth it, but the old ‘if it sounds too good to be true’ adage definitely applies in sex work. Should he decide to do this, he needs to screen carefully before agreeing to meet in person. The safety resources on the Sex Workers Outreach Project website (swopusa.org) are a great place for him to learn how to do just that.” —Dan Savage I’m a straight twentysomething woman. I recently gave my partner a blowjob. He was enjoying it, obviously, and then he said, “I’m feeling brave. I want you to finger me.” I have never fingered a man before, and he has never suggested that he might be into that, so I was caught off guard. I responded, “But we don’t have lube!” He didn’t say anything, and I finished him off without fingering him. He hasn’t brought it up since. He is a manly man and conservative. I want him to be able to experience that if it’s something he wants to experience, but I don’t —2 Prod Or Not 2 Prod know what to say!

You don’t have to say anything. Just buy a little bottle of lube—not a full-size bottle (most of those look like giant cocks, and we don’t want to scare this manly man to death)—and set it on the nightstand. When he notices it, 2PON2P, smile and say, “That’s for the next time you’re —Dan feeling brave.”

Send your Savage Love questions to mail@savagelove.net.

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Katherine Bradley’s influence calls into question who really makes the decisions about D.C. education reform.

By Jeffrey Anderson She’s the wife of a media mogul, a friend of the Washington Post’s Graham family. She’s a philanthropist, adviser to public officials, and conduit to private foundations and investors in what has become her life’s work. In D.C., likely no private citizen is more involved in public education than Katherine Bradley.

Bradley and her husband, David Bradley, chairman of Atlantic Media Company, are completely committed to education, and they have the means to affect policy at the highest level. They live in a mansion and have offices in the Watergate complex. They host galas and hobnob with business and political elite. In 2012, the Washington Business Journal named the couple “Philanthropists of the Year.”

Operating in a nebulous zone between D.C. Public Schools and a network of charter school operators, innovators, and fellow donors, Katherine Bradley is a force multiplier: As secretary of the Federal City Council, a nonprofit collective of District power brokers, and chair of its Education Reform Committee, she and former Post owner Donald Graham and former Mayor Anthony Williams, both executive officers, form a virtual trilateral education commission.

They talk broadly about public education reform, and they pour money, energy, and influence into privately managed solutions.

Bradley’s primary advocacy vehicle is CityBridge Foundation, a nonprofit that distributed nearly $25 million in grants, scholarships, and donations from 2004 to 2013—mostly to charter schools and groups like Teach for America,

which received $2.5 million according to tax filings. The Bradleys personally gave more than $20 million to CityBridge during that time.

Like Bradley herself, the foundation is at the center of a constellation of private interests that are promoting charter schools in D.C. and around the country. The organization partners with TFA, Friends of Choice in Urban Education, and Charter Board Partners, and counts among its “Thought Partners” the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation.

Proponents of “choice” welcome CityBridge as a policy force. Others find Bradley’s influence unsettling, especially at a time when cities are pushing back against privatization of public education as a pathway to successful outcomes and equality of access. Bradley describes herself as a “cross-spectrum advocate,” and denies she has an outsized role: “Like most others in education philanthropy, I have a strategic view about how to build a system of schools that will serve all children well, and I have shared that perspective broadly, if primarily, with a business and philanthropic audience,” she wrote last year in response to inquiries for this story.

DCPS is entering its second decade of a reform effort into its fifth mayoral administration. That “business and philanthropic audience” has nudged DCPS to 45 percent charter school enrollment and grudging academic gains, while rankling traditional public school advocates who are concerned about dispropor-

14 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

tionate influence from the private sector. Just recently, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s education team responded to such concerns by launching a “Cross-Sector Collaboration Task Force” to improve its communications with stakeholders such as parents and teachers. The D.C. Council has also begun weighing legislation to subject charter schools to greater scrutiny.

Meanwhile, DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson has hinted that her tenure could end in 2017, potentially leaving the continuity of the long-range DCPS reform strategy in the hands of Bradley, Graham, Williams, and their network of private interests. This might prompt parents and taxpayers to wonder what all these “Thought Partners” are doing, and who do they answer to?

Every city has its own education story. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the teacher’s union have waged war with charter school operator Eva S. Moskowitz, founder of the rapidly expanding Success Academy. Former Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s steep investment in charter schools—aided by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s political support and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s financial support—led to an angry backlash. Results came about too slowly, and the money dried up.

Pittsburgh officials have pushed back on private sector influence by re-focusing on traditional public school reform. In New Orleans, on the other hand, more than 90 percent of all students in the city’s public education system

attend charter schools.

D.C.’s story begins with a study. In 2006, the Federal City Council commissioned research to make the case for mayoral control of public schools. Former Mayor Adrian Fenty’s pick for chancellor, Michelle Rhee, a fierce advocate of advanced-performance metrics, brought national attention to DCPS, but also acrimony to a gentrifying city with entrenched racial, social, and economic disparities. Rhee, a TFA alumturned-reformer, enjoyed unwavering support from Bradley and her allies. Bradley served as outreach ambassador for Rhee, for whom she also hosted an engagement party in 2010.

When Rhee wanted to hire former Obama White House communications director Anita Dunn that year to conduct message control, Bradley donated $100,000 to pay Dunn’s salary, the Washington Post reported at the time.

Rhee’s departure in 2011 did not faze Bradley. She embraced Rhee’s protege Kaya Henderson and co-chaired the education committee of the transition team for Fenty’s successor, Vincent Gray, who embraced Henderson as well. Bradley’s alliance with Graham, a fellow philanthropist and low-key civic force, provided a sounding board in the Post, which has heavily endorsed gains in math, reading, and science through charter schools such as KIPP D.C. Graham and Bradley sit on the KIPP board. The two are unabashed in their mutual admiration: Graham quotes Bradley in his Post op-eds, and Bradley names Graham as one of the people she admires most. “I like good-

Tony Powell

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 15

ness and intelligence—and besides, all my favorite men are in media,” she told the Washington Business Journal in 2012.

In the summer of 2013, Bradley and Williams visited former At-Large Councilmember David Catania, then the Council education committee chair and chief ed-reform agitator, to negotiate a “truce” between him and Gray, according to sources familiar with the meeting.

After Gray lost the Democratic primary, Bowser promptly met with Henderson, whom she had harshly criticized during the race. Graham soon thereafter trashed Catania in a Post op-ed, calling him a “bully” for allegedly trying to undercut Henderson’s authority.

Once elected, Bowser selected as education co-chair of her transition team Michela English, chief executive officer of Fight for Children, where Bradley serves on the board. English also is a board member of the D.C. Public Education Fund, a private funding conduit between philanthropists and DCPS that receives and manages substantial donations from CityBridge, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, the Walton Foundation, and the Meyer Foundation, which Graham’s grandfather founded. Those foundations donated more than $12 million to DCPEF from 2011 to 2013, according to tax filings.

As Bowser’s administration took shape, Jennifer Niles, the founder of E.L. Haynes Public Charter Schools, replaced Deputy Mayor for Education Abigail Smith, a trustee of E.L. Haynes whose children attend school there, according to news reports. To Bradley, Niles seemed a perfect choice to oversee DCPS. She helped secure a federal Race to the Top grant of $75 million, led efforts to transition teachers to Common Core standards, and created a residency teacher-training program along with KIPP D.C., which CityBridge has generously supported. “Jennie Niles is singular—the only person, anywhere in our city, who seems able to simultaneously produce results for kids and also marshal the whole city toward a place of greater coordination, cooperation, and high standards,” Bradley exclaimed, in the E.L. Haynes newsletter. “What’s not to love?” Added Henderson: “She’s not just about charter school kids; Jennie is about all kids.”

The doors of District government have remained open to Bradley and her allies. Last month, Loose Lips reported on Henderson’s meetings schedule from January 2013 to August 2015, which contained a who’s who of education advocates and philanthropists who see privatization as the future of education. The chancellor’s calendar shows that Bradley, Graham, and the Post Editorial Board met with her a combined total of 19 times, a frequency not inconsistent with the Post’s editorial support of Henderson, even after Graham sold the paper in 2013. (Two Post editorials in 2013 urged DCPS to make “former or soon-to-be-closed public schools” available for re-use by charter schools, citing a study by New Schools Venture Fund, which, along with Microsoft Corporation, has backed CityBridge’s Education Innovation Fellowship, a pilot based on teaching models from around the country.) DCPEF accounted for 30 meetings with Henderson dur-

“where iS poliCy forged? who doeS the ChanCellor liSten to? BeCauSe it’S Sure not the teaCherS. we have a Shadow government in d.C. whether or not that ContinueS dependS on the mayor.”

—elizaBeth daviS, preSident of the waShington teaCherS union.

ing that time period, and Venture Philanthropy Partners, which names CityBridge as a principal funder, met with the chancellor six times.

The Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among CityBridge’s many funding partners, accounted for five meetings.

Such backroom access lends itself to the perception that elites are acting as the strategy arm of local government. “Average people don’t know that [Bradley] is the puppeteer,” says a longtime observer of D.C. government and politics who requested anonymity in order to speak openly. “She probably has Jennie [Niles] and Muriel [Bowser] on speed dial. And when she calls, it’s not just Katherine Bradley, it’s her entire network, which she will use.”

Parents and teachers feel left out of the loop.

“Where is policy forged? Who does the chancellor listen to? Because it’s sure not the teachers,” says Elizabeth Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union. “We have a shadow government in D.C. Whether or not that continues depends on the mayor and if she allows it to influence her decisions.”

Cathy Reilly of the Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals and Educators adds, “D.C. has ceded power to the private sector without public input. Katherine Bradley certainly embodies that.”

In an emailed response, Henderson denies that this level of access has a greater meaning.

“I can only speak for DCPS, but I can confidently say that the private sector has not exerted an inordinate amount of influence in the crafting of our policies,” Henderson says. “We have determined our strategic priorities by looking carefully at data, studying best practices across the country, and engaging our stakeholders— families, educators, community members and partners—in big decisions.”

Bradley’s stature as the darling of education philanthropy is without question, but her role extends well beyond charitable giving. When Henderson gave an address in 2014 on the state of DCPS, Bradley was there to tout gains fueled by private foundations.

In October, she led a briefing in the mayor’s office in which she and Williams, along with Henderson, Niles, and Scott Pearson, executive director of the D.C. Public Charter School Board, braced councilmembers for low student proficiency scores on the muchawaited Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers study, according to sources familiar with the meeting. “She’s seen as having a deep reach into DCPS and the

16 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

charters, if you want to get them together in the same room,” a Council staffer says. “She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

That same month, Bradley sat for a Q&A at the American Enterprise Institute titled “The Disrupters,” about “education innovation and designing the school of the future.” Poised and persuasive, Bradley struck a “here’s what we’re doing in my district” tone, as DCPS officials sat in the audience. Here was Bradley on Common Core: “Our city has moved forward practically without a hitch.” On students, and assessing “softer skills,” such as resilience and grit: “If we don’t come up with quantitative ways to measure them they’re going to disappear in terms of focus of schools.” On teachers, and one-to-one teaching models: “We’re re-thinking and re-designing the role of the teacher.” On principals: “There’s a number of things that we’re doing here locally… in terms of creating a principal training program within DCPS.” The AEI session established that Bradley can hold her own with any technocrat. She has a passion for metrics, technology, and the culture of innovation that is embodied in market-based competition models of reform. Describing her visit, hosted by Bill Gates, to a flagship innovation-based school in Bellevue, Wash., she said, “It looks like you are in a technology firm. It feels like you are in Google.”

All of which is good news to Dr. Jeffrey Eisenach, a visiting scholar at AEI and vice president for education at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., where Bradley sits on the board of directors and serves on the education committee. “I’m a free-market conservative, so if you ask me, I’d like to see more charter schools, more vouchers,” says Eisenach, stipulating that the D.C. political scene is not his milieu. Eisenach credits Bradley with taking a fact-based, analytical, and non-ideological approach to education in order to see what works. “Put me down as a fan,” he says. “Obviously, there are politics in anything like this.

If a well-intended, smart person comes on the scene and says ‘let’s see if I can make things better,’ then they can’t do it without stepping on a few toes. But I think Katherine does so in a thoughtful, elegant manner.”

Eisenach says he regards D.C. as a “quiet success story,” particularly since Rhee departed. Yet it would be hard to ignore that a massive capital infusion has, in large part, driven local education reform. Rhee and the DCPEF in 2010 negotiated a $64.5 million grant from four major family foundations, including the

Waltons and the Broads, to study the impact of teacher performance on student achievement and the disparity in achievement between charter and traditional public school students, through 2016. The resulting DCPS Strategic Plan for 2013-2017 aims to improve the 40 lowest-performing schools by 40 points, make 70 percent of DCPS students proficient in reading and math, have 75 percent of high school freshmen graduate in four years, and increase enrollment. The plan also aspires for 90 percent of students to say they like their school.

Two overlapping private studies informed the strategic plan. One, which the Walton Foundation funded and the Illinois Facility Fund conducted, analyzed supply and demand for “performing schools” and ultimately recommended closure or “turnaround” of dozens of public schools, and transfer of property to the charter school board. But “policymakers should take the analysis with a grain of salt,” wrote the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute in its critique of the IFF study. DCFPI cited IFF’s ties to charter school funders and its failure to sufficiently analyze student achievement growth or account for large numbers of special education and English-language learners, or poverty rates across neighborhoods. “Ignoring these critical factors when making policy decisions regarding school closure, turnaround, or expansion would be short-sighted,” wrote DCFPI. The other, conducted by Massachusettsbased Education Resource Strategies and funded by CityBridge grants, informed the DCPS school “consolidation and reorganization plan,” budgeting process, and teacher salary structure.

City Paper obtained internal DCPS emails and documents that show DCPEF and CityBridge heavily involved in overseeing the ERS study they funded. In a final report, DCPEF credits Bradley’s foundation with more than financial largesse: “CityBridge’s support of Education Fund operations over the past year has been critical in ensuring the Education Fund’s ability to support DCPS’ work to develop and communicate its new strategic plan, lay the groundwork for improved collaboration with DCPS, and build awareness of DCPS work both within the philanthropic community and throughout the greater Washington area.”

CityBridge has advanced the city plan by recruiting outside talent to implement new teaching strategies based on its view of “best practices” nationwide. Three years hence, “New Classrooms Innovation Partners” is bringing blended learning to classrooms in two DCPS schools “to re-imagine education through personalized instruction.” Breakthrough Schools D.C., which CityBridge manages, is orchestrating “a systemic shift to new, personalized, mastery-based learning models” in 18 “transformational” schools serving ten percent of the city’s students by 2017.

By matching grants from the Broad Foundation, the Gates Foundation and other national funders, CityBridge expects to distribute at least $6 million to Breakthrough.

Budget watchers say that reliance on such outside influence hinders oversight and accountability. “There are a lot of big money people interested in education,” says veter-

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an lawyer and school finance analyst Mary Levy. “I don’t fault their intentions, though I fault their results. They have taken public schools away from the public, and we have very little say. Why do we want to trade a remote local bureaucracy for remote outside bureaucracies?”

Bradley denies any outsized influence through CityBridge. “Because the issue of private influence on public decision making has been raised, it is important to point out that all our work operates within a system of checks and balances, ensuring ultimate public accountability for education. CityBridge may fund a charter school, but the independent authorizer must approve that charter and parents then have the option of choosing whether children attend that school or not,” she told City Paper.

If past is prologue, then a look back at recent DCPS history could serve as guidance as to how Bradley advances policies she supports. And one way to envision her at work is to review her email communications with DCPS officials and deputy mayors past and present, obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, which show her enjoying a direct pipeline to Henderson, Smith, and more recently, Niles.

Two of the most politically challenging education initiatives in recent years have been public school closures and the effort to secure chartering authority for Henderson; CityBridge has been in the thick of both. In September 2012, one of Bradley’s employees emailed Henderson’s chief strategist with a compelling offer from Bradley and Williams, who headed the FCC at the time: “Does the Chancellor still want chartering authority?

And would the Chancellor still find it helpful to have FCC members provide an objective, financial voice on DCPS closures with compelling economic data?” CityBridge Research Director Jon Extein wrote to Peter Weber, who advises Henderson, noting that FCC members were considering working with councilmembers “to push through legislation” and “bolster the case to the community.” Within a half hour, Henderson herself replied, “Yes and yes!!”

A couple months later, Bradley was listed as a “required attendee” on an internal DCPS notice of a “CONFIDENTIAL BRIEFING” on school closures for Williams at the FCC offices. A follow-up email from Henderson thanked Bradley for reviewing the DCPS plan “to consolidate and reorganize DCPS schools” in advance of releasing the plan “to the community.”

Smith took over as deputy mayor for education in March 2013, and within weeks she and Bradley were scheduling calls and meeting over coffee or lunch regarding a detailed agenda consisting of several items. One such agenda item was to introduce Smith to Shivam Shah, a former official with the U.S. Department of Education’s office that oversees charter schools, a former associate partner at NewSchools Venture Fund, a co-founder of E.L. Haynes, and, at the time, a senior adviser to America

“[Bradley iS] proBaBly the moSt influential player in Shaping the diStriCt’S eduCation poliCieS, [She iS] funCtioning aS a loBByiSt, and Should regiSter aS SuCh and diSCloSe her aCtivitieS.” —Craig holman, loBByiSt, puBliC Citizen Achieves, which promotes support for “investing public funds in evidence-based solutions” in education. Shah has described NewSchools as “modeled after a traditional venture capital fund,” and in a 2009 panel discussion stated that “if we wanted to change education we need to do it by supporting individuals outside the system… traditional systems are not designed to do that.” “[Shivam] is now available and would be interested in consulting for you on writing and developing the city’s plan,” Bradley wrote to Smith in May 2013, referring to chartering authority and DCPS integration with the charter school sector. Bradley then wrote to Shah, “Abby is ready to talk to you about various ways that your skill set could be a match for their (very exciting) agenda. Abby has moved away from the idea of writing a ‘plan,’ which requires putting everything on hold for an indeterminate period, and is instead framing this work as ‘joint planning.’ I know the two of you will be a great match.”

Bradley also wasted little time making her case for public funds to lure new teachers to the District. “I want to make sure I am doing whatever I should be doing to help Teach For America prod the city on funding pipelines for human capital,” wrote Bradley, chair of TFA’s Washington regional board, in a May 2013 email to Smith, a former TFA vice president. “We are now the only district in the country without public funding for TFA… I suspect there is a good solution using federal or local funds.”

A month later, in June 2013, Bradley then alerted Smith to an opportunity for D.C. to become a Gates Foundation “charter-district” compact city. “I think this would be great for us,” she wrote. “I think we could compete very well for resources and get great visibility. Abby, if you are interested, I will… get the ball rolling. I think this could mean significant and targeted resources for key [deputy mayor] projects.”

She comes across here as assertive, if not presumptuous, but Bradley also seems keenly aware of the line that is required between a private philanthropist and a government official: “Abby, as the president of a family foundation, I am severely limited in what I can say or do in re: pending legislation,” she wrote to Smith on June 30, 2013, advising on the implications of chartering authority for Henderson, including how to shut down low-performing schools. “I cannot testify, for instance, and I cannot offer specific language around how to solve some of

18 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

these issues.” (Bradley instead referred Smith to one of CityBridge’s partners, NewSchools Venture Fund, where she also serves on the board of directors. “Please let me know what else I can do,” she wrote.)

Bradley also does not hesitate to play matchmaker for charter school operators and private consultants looking to gain traction with Henderson. “Abby, I believe Emily Bloomfield is coming in soon to talk with you about her evolving project, Monument Academy… an innovative new school, a charter school with a weekday housing component for foster care kids,” she wrote to Smith in July 2013. “What I wanted to share with you is that Emily is very open to doing this charter for Kaya. She does not think of it as a conflict of loyalty at all, even given her service on the [Public Charter School Board].”

In January 2014, Bradley wrote to Smith to advance Gallup’s educational mission “to maximize the way K-12 schools define and measure student performance” through strengths-based learning and development strategies: “As we discussed, they have some wonderful ideas for how to add programming for DC public schools.”

After reviewing such emails, Craig Holman, a lobbyist for the nonpartisan advocacy group Public Citizen, says Bradley’s interactions with D.C. officials demonstrate “an unusually close relationship” with government policymakers that is “unlike other private stakeholders.” He describes Bradley as “probably the most influential player in shaping the District’s education policies,” and although he sees no evidence of ill motive or personal gain, he maintains that “Bradley is functioning not just as a philanthropist, but also as a lobbyist, and should register as such and disclose her activities.”

Former Wilson High School teacher and activist Erich Martel says such coziness among philanthropists, the private sector, and public officials reminds him of Plato’s “Cave,” an allegory in which captives view shadows on a wall as reality, because it’s all they see. For your average parent, Martel says, in an interview last year for this story, it’s often impossible to tell how change comes about: “How does one determine who influences whom? It’s the same people talking to each other.”

Approached in late 2014 for comment on their communications, both Bradley and Smith said they were comfortable with their relationship but declined to elaborate. Smith maintained at the time that her conversations with Bradley were “sporadic” and not unlike

the ones she had with “dozens of other people across the spectrum.” Echoing that position, Bradley stated that, “I often share ideas or contacts that we find, and I keep [Smith] informed about our work—things that can be broadly useful as the city seeks steadily to improve our schools.”

Mayoral administrations differ from one to the next, but a series of emails released just last week in response to a FOIA request suggest that not much in the way of policy direction has changed from Smith to Niles, and that the access enjoyed by Bradley, Williams, and Graham has not been disrupted much—if at all. In fact, Niles and Smith worked together as early as July 2013 in their former capacities on mutual initiatives such as increasing the pipeline of college-ready science, tech, and math students in DCPS. Attendees of an October 2013 tour of performance-based schools in Maine took note when the two sat next to each other on the bus each day. Those same sources were not surprised when Niles excused herself from a hearing hosted by the Bowser transition team after the 2014 election, then returned a short time later to announce that she had been tapped as deputy mayor for education. Now, unlike her predecessor, Niles directly manages Henderson.

Recent communications show Bradley and Niles getting along famously. “Jennie, I hope you are on a real high today with the news about how well D.C. did on [National Assessment of Educational Progress],” Bradley wrote on October 28, before inviting Niles to a “small lunch discussion” with acclaimed author Ta-Nehisi Coates and 20 others on the subject of race and education. Niles responded that she would love to attend and apologized for her “brain freeze” the previous week about an op-ed in the works. “I’m working on it now with our authors,” she wrote.

Turns out those “authors” were no strangers to Bradley: An October 27 email from Don Graham to Niles and Bradley, copying former Mayor Williams, informed her that, “Tony and I have written the following for submission to the Post for Friday publication (I can do the submitting!). Can you look it over and send proposed edits…”

“Dear Don,” came the enthusiastic reply from Niles, “Terrific! We will review the piece this afternoon and email any suggested edits back tomorrow. The Mayor/Council breakfast presentation went well (phew!) and we’re headed to Thurgood Marshall Academy to surprise the students and faculty with a cake because of their outstanding scores, especially relative to other schools in the city. Cheers! Jennie.”

Robert Tate, a senior analyst for the National Education Association, says Bradley and her inner circle may have gotten carried away with their good intentions and easy access to power. “Whenever a wealthy person gives to any cause, the question naturally arises: Is there disproportionate influence on this cause, and if so, why this one? Is that how we want to think about democracy and society?” Tate asks. “No one else would have that kind of input. Is that what Americans want? I’d say Americans are CP over that stuff.”

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DCFEED YOUNG & HUNGRY

Old Stellar

How one of D.C.’s oldest restaurants brought in more than $28 million last year In one of two kitchens at Old Ebbitt Grill, a cook rolls individual squares of pasta dough into tubes called garganelli. Each noodle is gently placed beside the next to later be cooked with spicy sausage, tomatoes, and Swiss chard. It’s a time-consuming process for a restaurant that serves on average 2,500 people a day.

Beside the cook sit trays of cannelloni di casa, which shares the distinction of being the oldest dish on the menu along with trout parmesan.

“This is the reason I work for Clyde’s [Restaurant Group],” says the restaurant group’s president, Tom Meyer. He used to make cannelloni as a chef at an Italian restaurant in Nantucket. John Laytham, the co-owner of Clyde’s, which operates Old Ebbitt, loved the dish so much that he asked Meyer to move to D.C. more than three decades ago. As rich and heavy as it is, it’s the one menu item Meyer won’t let anyone touch.

Dating back just as long as the cannelloni is the restaurant’s chief pasta maker, Jose Hernandez, who’s busy rolling out sheets of dough as the garganelli are prepared beside him. He’s been on staff since 1983.

“That was the year I was born,” says executive chef Salvatore Ferro.

With the constant onslaught of new openings and all the attention paid to the Momofukus and Rose’s Luxurys of the world, it might seem easy to forget about a restaurant that’s been around as long as Old Ebbitt Grill. Then again, Old Ebbitt is far from forgotten. On a recent Wednesday evening around 7 p.m., the place seemed busier than any trendy establishment on the 14th Street corridor. In

Darrow Montgomery

By Jessica Sidman

sales, and Meyer says it’s on track to hit $30 million in 2015.

An October report by Restaurant Business magazine ranked Old Ebbitt as the highest grossing independent restaurant in D.C.— and the sixth highest in the country. In comparison, Le Diplomate, a hipper (but slightly smaller) restaurant, reported just over $16 million in sales. In an era of fierce dining competition, it’s worth asking how the “oldest saloon in Washington” has also become one of the most successful restaurants in town.

Whereas many of today’s buzzy eateries boast a visit from the Obamas, Old Ebbitt once claimed Ulysses Grant as a patron. The saloon’s origins trace back to 1856, but it’s only the “oldest” restaurant in D.C. if you gloss over its various closures and relocations across the years. The original Old Ebbitt didn’t actually have its own name; it was simply a bar and restaurant in a boarding house called the Ebbitt House, run by a man named William E. Ebbitt.

The restaurant in its current form has only existed since 1983, when it relocated into an old theater on 15th Street NW. Clyde’s Restaurant Group owners Laytham and Stuart Davidson initially purchased the business in 1970 when it occupied a much smaller space around the corner that “looked like a saloon a cowboy would come to,” Meyer says.

The Internal Revenue Service shut down the bar after its owner failed to pay taxes. Laytham initially went to the tax auction to buy the beer stein collection, but he ended up with the whole place for $11,200.

As the 23-year-old corporate chef, Meyer helped open Old Ebbitt in 1983. “It’s hard to imagine how crappy this neighborhood was then,” Meyer says. “It never recovered from the riots in the ’60s.” Fellow restaurateurs told Laytham he was crazy and that the restaurant was a big mistake, Meyer recalls.

Undeterred, Laytham and Davidson set out to make Old Ebbitt a must-visit destination in D.C. But its century-plus history isn’t necessarily conducive to this goal.

“Nobody gets off the plane, jumps in a cab, and asks the cab driver, ‘Where’s the oldest place in town?’”

Meyer says.

The restaurant walks a fine line between honoring traditions and staying relevant. “One of the things John taught me right away is it’s not ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.’ It’s ‘Are you getting better or are you getting worse?’” Meyer says.

Most diners likely don’t realize that the restaurant pioneered many practices that today seem so ordinary and ob-

addition to the 30-minute wait for a table, crowds were twodeep at all three of its main level bars. The scene is repeated throughout the week.

Last year, Old Ebbitt reported a whopping $28 million in

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 35

DCFEED(cont.)

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vious. For example, as a young chef, Meyer wrote the menu daily. “Nobody did that,” he says. “Everyone had this leather menu, and it was the same menu for years.”

The restaurant also added waiters who helped run food to tables while others took orders. While it might seem elementary to bring out food as soon as it’s ready, nobody else was really doing it, Meyer says. Instead, chefs would be screaming from the kitchen that dishes were ready, while servers were busy interacting with guests. Old Ebbitt became known for its “back waiters” who could balance five or six plates at a time without trays.

Old Ebbitt was also the second restaurant in D.C. to use OpenTable to take reservations. (Marcel’s was the first.) Before then, the staff managed a big loose-leaf binder and nine telephone lines.

And then there are the oysters. Old Ebbitt helped revive the oyster scene in D.C. in the mid-’90s. Restaurants across the city had stopped serving them after a bacteria called vibrio vulnificus sickened and even killed people. When Old Ebbitt reopened its oyster bar in 1994 after a two-year hiatus, it claimed to be the only place in town serving oysters. “We got, like, religion about it,” Meyer says. The restaurant began lab-testing all its bivalves and introduced an “Oyster Eater’s Bill of Rights”—still printed on menus today—about its sourcing and serving practices. Rather than shucking the oysters in the morning and letting them sit until they were ordered, as was once the practice, all the oysters were opened to order.

Oysters have since become a major part of Old Ebbitt’s business, and currently five fulltime shuckers go through 3,000 oysters a day.

The restaurant also hosts an annual oyster and wine event called Oyster Riot. Hoping to just get people in the door, the first two events in the mid-’90s were free. This year, the restaurant sold 3,200 tickets at $140 a piece.

Private events in general are big business for Old Ebbitt. Managing Director David Moran says they make up 15 percent—and growing—of the restaurant’s sales. In December, with the holiday season underway, the restaurant hosts an average of five to eight events per day, with between 30 to 500 people in attendance.

Old Ebbitt no doubt benefits from its prime location and status as an institution, but that doesn’t solely explain its success. Moran and Meyer repeatedly credit their 300-person staff for the restaurant’s booming business.

While staffing shortages still affect Old Ebbitt like they do any place else, the restaurant has impressive retention. More than 20 staff members have been employed for at least 20 years, and around 50 have worked there for at least 10, Moran says. It’s the kind of place

where waiting tables or bartending isn’t just a job but a career.

“It’s the staff themselves who hold everyone else to this high standard,” Moran says.

“Plus, they know they’re going to be busy here,” Meyer adds. “If they come to work, they’re going to make money here. Consistently. This place is never not busy.”

It’s also rarely closed. Old Ebbitt prides itself on keeping its revolving doors open from early morning to late at night. “There’s never a, ‘Ah it’s a rainy Sunday night in late January, we should close early.’ Once you make those decisions and someone pulls on the door and it’s closed, it’s over,” Moran says.

Over the past 32 years, the restaurant has only closed twice, on Sept. 11 and 12, 2001, when there were fears of a plane crashing into the White House, located across the street.

(Meyer also claims the restaurant’s sales have been up every quarter since it opened, except for the quarter during 9/11.)

The late-night happy hour in particular—with half-priced oysters from 11 p.m. to close—has made it a popular spot for restaurant industry folks, including José Andrés and Robert Wiedmaier. And when new restaurants open in the neighborhood, Old Ebbitt doesn’t see them as a threat; its owners know when those places close at 11 p.m., their staffs will likely head to Old Ebbitt, where the kitchen is open until 1 a.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends.

At the same time, Meyer says he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder about the lack of media buzz for Old Ebbitt. It often isn’t included in round-ups and best-of lists. “I can’t say I’m the hottest, coolest boutique restaurant, but I can tell you one thing: We try real hard with the food specifically to be great,” he says. “And [though] I never feel like I’m the ‘busiest’ or ‘best’ of anything… I’d like to be included in those conversations.”

Still, Meyer sees the competition and dining boom in D.C. as a boon for Old Ebbitt.

While it’s not the kind of place to chase trends (ramen will likely never make the menu), Old Ebbitt has made efforts to keep up with the rising bar for food quality in the District.

About a year ago, the kitchen stopped buying frozen fries and began making them from scratch. Now, they’re working to source organic chicken—something that was previously a struggle for a restaurant group of such large size. “This place has been around so long our victories are small,” Meyer admits.

Meyer is happy for the restaurant to be the “grand-papa of what’s going on.” And as always, he has his eye on the long game.

After all, he says, “we’re in this forever.”

CP

Eatery tips? Food pursuits? Send suggestions to jsidman@washingtoncitypaper.com.

DCFEED

what we ate last week: Japanese hot pot, $35 per person, Crane & Turtle. Satisfaction level: 4.5 out of 5 what we’ll eat next week: Tuna ceviche “Asiatico,” $18, Nazca Mochica. Excitement level: 4 out of 5

Grazer

at first bite

Old Ebbitt Grill

reported $28,056,008 in sales last year—more than any other independent restaurant in D.C., according to a ranking from Restaurant Business magazine. Not too shabby for an establishment whose history traces back 159 years. In fact, the storied restaurant boasts many impressive numbers. Here are a few.

—Jessica Sidman

brew in town Right Proper Häxan Where in Town: Right Proper Brewing Company, 920 Girard St. NE Price: $6/16 oz.

The Producers Two years ago this week, Right Proper Brewing Company opened the doors to its Shaw brewpub. Its arsenal of rustic, mainly low-alcohol beers quickly won over D.C.’s highly discerning beer guzzlers. If this anniversary wasn’t enough reason to celebrate, here’s another: last week’s grand opening of Right Proper’s new production brewery in Brookland. Co-owners Thor Cheston and Nathan Zeender’s 6,300 square-foot space, formerly an auto-repair shop, is already churning out kegs for local bars and restaurants. The adjoining tasting room— decorated with wall-sized murals of animals behaving badly—features 12 taps, a turntable-driven sound system, and the grand oddity of a piano in one of the bathrooms. (Just be sure to wash your hands before hammering out any showtunes!)

THE’WICHINGHOUR The Sandwich: Dacha Club Where: Dacha Market, 1602 7th St. NW Price: $8 Bread: White sandwich roll Stuffings: Ham, turkey, bacon, arugula, red

onion, tomato, mayonnaise Thickness: 3.5 inches Pros: While Compass Coffee across the street serves pre-packaged sandwiches, Dacha’s offerings are made to order. Just like any club sandwich, this one contains turkey, ham, and bacon (which is cut in quarter-inch-thick strips). But Dacha wisely swaps lettuce and sliced white onion for arugula and diced red onion, giving the sandwich an extra zing.

Cons: The ham, cheese, tomato, turkey, and roll all have the same squishy texture, leaving you with a sandwich that’s easy to chew,

but repetitive. A good club sandwich should have some crunch. If the jerky-like bacon was crispier or the bread toasted, the sandwich would improve fivefold.

Sloppiness level (1 to 5): 1. A liberal slather of mayonnaise keeps the contents glued inside the roll, with no frilly toothpick needed to hold it together.

Overall score (1 to 5): 4. Shaw was in need of a place to grab a quick and simple sandwich on the go, and Dacha Market fills that void well. Give it some bacon that actually snaps when you bite into it, apply significantly less mayonnaise to the bun, and you’ve got a reliable lunch.

—Caroline Jones

Witches’ Brew Of the opening-night drafts, my favorite is a delicious, dark beauty called Häxan, named for a Danish silent-era movie about witchcraft. Devotees know Häxan has been on Right Proper’s menu for a while. For this version, though, Zeender has reimagined it more in the fashion of a Baltic Porter, upping its alcohol content from 5.5 to 7 percent to make this already flavorful beer “a bit more brooding and robust.” Brewed with Carafa malt and plenty of oats, Häxan is akin to a moderately sweet oatmeal stout. Its mild, nutty aroma gives way to dark chocolate and roast flavors. Rich, creamy, and full-bodied, just a few sips of this brew are enough to cast a spell leaving you wanting more.

—Tammy Tuck

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CPARTS

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Living Room Suite

Classical music isn’t dying—it’s just being played in a stranger’s living room.

By Caroline Baxter

Chamber is a relatively new subgenre of classical music, which is itself a thousand-year-old musical style. In the 1600s, as the cultural power of the Christian church lessened, allowing for the growth of secular institution and the popular influence of other civic and cultural institutions, classical music moved out of the cathedral and into theaters and homes.

Chamber music, performed by semi-professional musicians in parlors, became wildly popular thanks in large part to the works of 18th-century composer Franz Josef Haydn, who composed 83 string quartets over his lifetime.

But by the 19th century, chamber music’s popularity began to diminish. Population explosions in cultural city hubs like London, Paris, and Vienna pushed the size of concert halls from about 500 seats to more than 2,000. Larger spaces meant the opportunity for bigger and grander works, like operas and lavishly orchestrated symphonies. Chamber music was pushed to the margins, but it remained important to the creators of the classical canon’s greatest large-scale works: Beethoven wrote around 45 chamber pieces in total, while Johannes Brahms wrote chamber music continuously throughout his life.

Perhaps the most defining feature of chamber music is its intimate size and lack of conductor. There are usually no more than two instruments on a part, a restriction that can bring a much more nuanced set of emotions to the music. Whereas a symphony—usually played by an orchestra of 70 to 100 members—can transmit anger, joy, love, and fear, a chamber ensemble, so very exposed, can emote loneLauren Heneghan

You’re in a living room watching the band set up, but this isn’t a typical house party: You’re on the floor, sitting on one of the overstuffed cushions the host has scattered around, watching a string quartet rosin up their bows. A dozen or so other people make plates of cheese and crackers and sip red wine while getting comfortable. You’ve never been to this living room before—in fact, you’ve never been to the house before—and you’re surrounded by strangers.

But here you sit, about to listen to a small group of classical musicians play only a few feet from you. A 19th-century European salon? Try a 21st-century D.C. house concert courtesy of the organization Groupmuse.

Welcome to modern day chamber music.

Classical music is starting to find another new generation of fans—not with epic performances in plush concert halls, but with a much more DIY approach: house shows. It all started in the winter of 2013 when Sam Bodkin started attending a series of impromptu concerts in friends’ apartments in his native Boston. It was there that he got the idea to create a network through which events like this could happen between strangers. In two short years, his creation, Groupmuse, is already operating in 20 cities around the world, including D.C. Spreading the gospel of classical music might seem like a niche endeavor, but the New York–based Bodkin sees this as part of a growing national movement. “This is part of a much bigger cultural shift that’s happening,” he says.

“People in the rising generation have lost faith in institutions.”

Bodkin thinks the way to keep the genre alive is to incorporate it into local communities.

On a recent Sunday evening, the young members of an exceptionally talented string quartet set up in the party room of an apartment complex near the Waterfront Metro station.

Even more exceptional: The musicians had never played together before. The boxy room, decked out in globular Christmas lights, offered surprisingly good acoustics. These concerts are attractive to Dhruti Bhagat, a regular Groupmuse attend-

people can sign up. Attendees throw in a minimum $10 donation either in person or through the Groupmuse app to support the musicians, and can bring food or booze according to their host’s house rules.

The literal and figurative meeting point of the connection between music and community is the host’s home. In that sense, Groupmuse is rekindling the essence of chamber music itself, from its earliest days as an art form.

ee, because “it feels like you’re participating in the music itself,” she says. First-timers had come because, as second-time hostess Erin Tariot says, “for ten bucks [it’s] the cheapest, best music ticket in town.”

Groupmuse’s goals are simple: connect people to classical music and their communities using an online platform through which locals with living rooms connect with musicians who have time and talent to spare. The host sets the size and acoustic parameters (“No brass” is an option for people in thin-walled apartments), works out a date with the musicians, and announces the concert on the Groupmuse website where

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 39

CPARTS Continued

liness, anxiety, quiet longing, and excitement. The absence of a leader also connects the music more immediately with the listener; chamber music ensemble rehearsals knit together each member’s own translation of the repertoire into a coherent narrative of the entire piece. A symphony is a landscape in which one can be alone; a chamber piece is a conversation to which one might contribute.

In some ways, Bodkin would appear to be fighting an uphill battle. Google the term “classical music popularity” and the first headlines you’ll see are fairly grim: “Classical music sales decline: Is classical on death’s door?” from Slate; “Sunday Dialogue: Is Classical Music Dying?” from the New York Times; and “How Do We Fix Classical Music?” from NPR. This isn’t new. Classical music, it seems, has been “on death’s door” for about 700 years. Pope John XXII wrote a worried letter about the state of music and its future—in 1324. “The voices incessantly rock to and fro, intoxicating rather than soothing the ear,” he wrote. “We hasten to forbid these methods.”

Fast forward to 1683, and you’ll find a letter from a classical music historian who opined that “profits at the door, the basis of the business investment, instead of growing are diminishing.” In 1903, an article in the New York Times sounded the death knell of the modern orchestra: “A permanent orches-

tra, it seems to be pretty well established by American experience, is not at present a paying institution, and is not likely immediately to become so.” But after each solemn death announcement, classical music and its subgenres have risen once again from the grave. Clearly, there is something there that remains of value.

“To be able to share this music that we love like this, it feels like a break from the rigor of the career,” says Peter Kibbe, a Baltimore-based cellist who performed at the most recent Groupmuse performance in D.C. “It’s a bunch of people, getting together, having fun, sharing music.”

During the Groupmuse performance, Kibbe and the quartet played through a number of classic and contemporary pieces, including American composer Edward MacDowell’s “To A Wild Rose,” the fourth movement from Mozart’s “Dissonance” quartet, the first movement from Beethoven’s fourth string quartet, the second movement from Schubert’s string quartet number 13, a ferocious finale of Mendelssohn’s first string quartet, and a charming medley of Beatles songs.

The normally quiet transitions between pieces gave way to impromptu Q&A sessions, with attendees openly asking questions of the performers: “Why did you choose these pieces?”

“Why do you hold your bow like that?” “Why did the first and second violinists switch chairs periodically?” In no concert hall in the world could an audience have a similar experience—and

neither could the musicians.

Groupmuse’s low overhead (four full-time and one part-time staff members, a website, and no office space) relieves the pressure to make a profit from each event (100 percent of the donations from each concert go to the musicians). Instead, the company relies on donations, partnerships, and sponsorships to fund operations. And because there’s no need to fill 2,000 seats, the musicians don’t need to pack the repertoire with old favorites and just a few new and different pieces that a patron might dislike. Kibbe and his group have the freedom to choose whatever music brings them the most joy because each Groupmuse concert is unique and untethered from a “season.”

For artists and audience alike, there seem to be fewer and fewer opportunities to become a part of a long cultural lineage like the one classical music offers. Some events are knowingly and joyfully off-base, like the Renaissance fairs that seek to evoke the feeling of a bygone era while still offering broadly accessible fun. Instead, Groupmuse seeks to establish a strong, new link to a musical heritage stretching back at least 400 years.

“We’re at a moment now where classical music has so much to offer to all walks of life—beauty and depth and a sense of permanence,” Bodkin says. “The instruments the musicians play are sometimes hundreds of years old. Everything is tranCP sient in our modern society—except for this.”

Bohemian Caverns Tuesdays Artist in Residency

Federico Peña T OC

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DC’s Legendary Jazz Club

Established in 1926 2001 11th ST NW - (202)299-0800

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"This group is something special." ~ Mike West (CityPaper)

www.BohemianCaverns.com 40 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

The Hello?! Tour

Key!

& Special Guests Nov 12th

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CPARTS Arts Desk

Listen to free-jazz trio Trio OOO’s debut album,

DAyS TO Be TOLD.

washingtoncitypaper.com/go/trioooo

One trAck MinD

Lorelei will play its debut album, Everyone Must Touch The Stove, in its entirety at the Black Cat in honor of its 20th anniversary.

The Goethe-Institut prepares to move from its longtime 7th Street NW digs, leaving behind a changed Chinatown.

The National Capital Planning Commission has asked the Smithsonian to take down those tacky new Renwick signs, which cost about $72,000.

Satan’s Satyrs “Full Moon and Empty Veins”

Standout Track: No. 1, “Full Moon and Empty Veins.” The first track on Satan’s Satyrs’ recently released album Don’t Deliver Us, sounds a lot happier than it has any right to— it’s a song about a vampire trying to seduce a young girl. In fact, the fuzz-covered rock track is downright danceable. “It’s definitely the most radio-friendly track on the album,” says bass player and vocalist Clayton Burgess, “or as radio-friendly as we can be, anyway.”

Musical Motivation: It’s obvious from the first few notes that Satan’s Satyrs takes a great deal of influence from Black Sabbath, progenitors of all things metal. In fact, the band even refers directly to that influence when describing the track. “I tell people it’s like our ‘N.I.B.’,” Burgess says, explaining that “Full Moon and Empty Veins” is “me imagining what it would be like if Dracula wrote a love song.”

Spooky Stories: While “Full Moon and Empty Veins” might be the poppiest track on Don’t Deliver Us, it’s hardly a lighthearted ditty; the vampire-themed track is much more 30 Days of Night than Twilight. This is likely due to the fact that Burgess wrote the song while waiting for a midnight screening of The Satanic Rites of Dracula at the AFI Silver Theatre. Burgess says that he likes to think of all the songs on the album as short stories, each with a different theme: “All the songs are linked together by a sort of macabre atmosphere that pervades the album.”

—Keith Mathias Listen to “Full Moon and Empty Veins” at washingtoncitypaper.com/go/satanssatyrs

The 9:30 Club is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a 264page commemorative oral and visual history book.

The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association named Spotlight the best film of 2015.

On its new album, local electro-punk provocateurs Jack on Fire take on everything from Prince of Petworth and Eat the Rich to the NRA and—you guessed it—more condos.

C3 Presents—the production company behind Landmark Fest—has hired a firm to lobby for more events on the National Mall. This can’t end well.

Hey Star Wars fans, leave your blasters and masks at home when you go to see The Force Awakens at the Air and Space Museum.

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 41

TheaTer

Fake and Bake

A Sarah Ruhl comedy and a pair of Truman Capote memoirs make the case that it all comes down to chemistry.

Stage Kiss

Handout photo by Cheyenne Michaels

Holiday Memories

By Truman Capote Adapted by Russell Vandenbroucke Directed by Tom Prewitt At Theatre on the Run to Dec. 20

By Chris Klimek The District has done all right by Sarah Ruhl. The prolific MacArthur Fellow and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist has seen her work interpreted with sympathy and imagination in D.C. several times since Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company staged the world premiere of her Dead Man’s Cell Phone eight years ago. Woolly’s 2010 production of In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play and Forum Theatre’s Passion Play from last spring were both indelible.

Round House Theatre wants to recapture some of that fission, re-teaming Ruhl with Vibrator Play director Aaron Posner for Stage Kiss, a self-referential romantic comedy commissioned by Chicago’s Goodman Theatre in 2011. The piece is, to quote the director—or rather The Director, a character in the play embodied by a beret-and-vest-wearing Craig Wallace—“tonally slippery.” He’s talking to his cast about the failed 1930s rip-off of Noël Coward’s Private Lives they’re all attempting to revive, but also no doubt echoing a not-so-imaginative line many critics have sneezed out (on a deadline, of course) trying to describe Ruhl’s formula of laughs and existential profundity. The Director’s response to any suggestion an actor makes is “try it!” I don’t know if this is good directing or bad directing, but it certainly does nothing to allay the suspicion that the lowercase-d director, Posner—an artist who has masterfully negotiated slippery material again and again and again—might’ve suffered from similar indecision here. I should disclose that the performance I saw was the fifth preview, and there was one more on the calendar before the official opening night. I can’t imagine the show changed very much; my misgivings about Stage Kiss are mostly on the page.

In Ruhl’s scenario, two fortyish actors who had a passionate affair in their 20s but are now both in committed relationships struggle to control their longings when they’re cast as reunited old lovers. As one interested party tallies

Holiday Memories

Handout photo by DJ Corey Photography

Stage Kiss

By Sarah Ruhl Directed by Aaron Posner At Round House Theatre to Dec. 27

up, the script requires them to kiss nine times per show, eight shows per week, for four weeks.

That’s a total of 288 lip locks, not including rehearsal. I once had the curious experience of seeing an actor I was dating convincingly pretend to fellate a dude in a play as I watched from my seat between my parents and her parents, so I can relate to this sort of situational obsession with math.

With a half-dozen world-beating Cole Porter songs, this could really be something, but instead Ruhl has delivered an arch, for-theaternerds-only farrago wherein the leading lady is named “She” and her foil is named “He” and her husband is called “The Husband” and their director is known only as—well, I already said.

That pretension arises from Ruhl’s impulse to connect her modest backstage farce with grander themes of fidelity and forgiveness, and that overreach keeps Stage Kiss from being as funny or sad—or funny-sad—as, say, Laura Eason’s Sex with Strangers, to cite just one slippery piece of material that Posner illuminated with great success just 13 months ago.

Even worse for something that purports to be a romantic comedy, Stage Kiss isn’t half as sexy. Dawn Ursula and Gregory Wooddell play the nameless central couple. While both are strong actors doing good work individually, they’re ill matched here. For us to buy this story, there needs to be enough sexual chemistry between them for us to believe they’d burn down their entire lives to chase it. For whatever reason, those sparks just don’t spark.

The figures surrounding them are all hackneyed: Wallace’s dandyish Director tries to disguise his indecision as grave contemplation. Michael Glenn plays a gay understudy who can’t stop himself from wincing

42 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

when required to kiss Ursula’s character onstage, har-har. Rachel Zampelli’s character is a grade school teacher from Iowa who cranks her Midwestern accent up to 11 and turns out to be landmine of passive aggression. The ever-tender Todd Scofield manages to give some dimension to the cuckolded banker husband who isn’t at all surprised to find his wife in the apartment of her leading man. And University of Maryland theater student Tyasia Velines, making her professional debut with Stage Kiss, is very funny in several small roles, but especially good when she’s playing the teenage daughter enraged by her mother’s infidelity.

Her speech about how no good painter would knowingly fuck a bad painter but good actors fuck bad actors all the time may not be supported by evidence, but it’s a marvelous piece of comedic acting.

Tony Cisek’s set uses a false proscenium arch surrounded by lights, costume racks, and prop tables to suggest the behind-the-scenes milieu for the first act. When we’re watching scenes from the plays—plural—within-the-play, these elements are concealed, replaced by a passable façade of an elegant penthouse living room and then, in Act Two, of a dingy lower-Manhattan studio apartment. These sets indicate a world without really evoking it. It’s the difference between, well, a stage kiss and the kind you give someone when you’ve been impatient to be alone with them.

Maybe for actors that distinction isn’t as significant as we in the audience imagine it is. And maybe Ruhl, for all her intermittent genius, doesn’t have anything more illuminating to say on this particular subject than Samuel and Bella Spewak said in Kiss Me, Kate 65 years ago.

With a little help from Cole Porter.

In a 1969 interview on The David Frost Show, a 45-year-old Truman Capote tried to elucidate the qualities that separate love, sex, and friendship with a patience and guilelessness that might still be permissible on a late-night chat show now, but perhaps only Stephen Colbert’s. His thoughts on the subject were likely informed by his close boyhood friendship with Nanny Rumbley Faulk, an elderly cousin who liked to address him as “Buddy.” He in turn gave her the name “Miss Sook” when writing about their relationship in a trio of largely autobiographical short stories.

Holiday Memories is an adaptation, completed in 1991 by Russell Vandenbroucke, of two of those short stories: “A Christmas Memory,” which was first published in Mademoiselle in 1956, and “The Thanksgiving Visitor,” which ran in McCall’s in 1967. Both had been previously reworked for other media, and “A Christmas Memory” has been the basis for at least two different TV specials and an opera.

Several actors, not to mention Capote himself, have been heard reading the story aloud on public radio, so if this treacly tale of love among misfits in Depression-era Monroeville, Ala., during “fruitcake weather” sounds familiar, it probably is.

Vandenbrouke’s invention is to have Buddy/Truman onstage simultaneously as a narrating adult (played in WSC Avant Bard’s earnest new production by Christopher Henley) and as a boy (played by Seamus Miller). Henley evokes some of Capote’s genteel way of speaking without resorting to an impression.

Charlotte Akin has a fey vulnerability as Miss Sook, who treated the shy Truman as a peer despite being several decades his senior. Both were shunned by their family: she for her anxiety, he for being bookish and a “sissy of sorts,” in his own phrase.These stories, separated by an intermission, capture the brief, happy period when Sook and Buddy (and Queenie, their dog, played by Liz Dutton) made fruitcakes together and got a little drunk on whiskey. A year or two later, Capote’s mother would reclaim him and take him to New York City, resorting both to psychiatry and to a military school to try to “cure” him of his gayness. You can see why he would yearn for the precious years he spent in the glow of an adult who loved and accepted him as he was.

Set and lighting designer Colin Dieck conjures up a sense of cozy rural remove and the benevolent editorializing of a cherished memory. But the script tends towards a mawkishness and exaggerated Southern comportment that the warm performances—especially from Akin—can only partially overcome. This isn’t a bad yuletide time-passer, but it’s not an essenCP tial one, either.

4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. $36–$61.

(240) 644-1100. roundhousetheatre.org.

3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington. $10–$35. (703) 228-1850. arlingtonarts.org.

Film

Express Yourself

In the latest films from Tom Hooper and Paolo Sorrentino, the path to self-discovery and realization isn’t always smooth.

The Danish Girl

The Danish Girl Directed by Tom Hooper Youth Directed by Paolo Sorrentino

By Tricia Olszewski In The Danish Girl, it doesn’t take much more than a pair of stockings and some kitten heels to make Eddie Redmayne’s Einar first become Lili.

This fictionalized biography of the first known person to undergo gender reassignment surgery posits that Einar, a straight, married landscape artist, one day experienced something like a lightbulb moment when his portraitist wife, Gerda, asks him to don women’s clothing so she can complete a canvas in the absence of her original model.

Einar agrees to shoes and hosiery, but refuses to put on a dress. Gerda wants him only to hold the dress up to his body. They have a laugh. But something about the silk and lace stirs Einar, and when Gerda one night discovers her husband wearing her slip, they together pursue Einar’s interest in dressing as a woman to the point of his attending a posh event as Lili, Einar’s cousin.

By the way, it’s 1926.

Redmayne’s performance as Einar/Lili has been getting raves ever since the Tom Hooper

(The King’s Speech) film hit the festival circuit.

But the attention surrounding his casting hasn’t all been favorable—much of the trans community is critical of the choice to cast a cisgender actor. But the pick seems perfect: a significant portion of the role portrays the character before she undergoes surgery, and Redmayne’s delicate bone structure lends itself to the part. (A bigger question might be why this Danish girl doesn’t speak Danish, or even have a Danish accent.)

Though it’s inarguable that Redmayne is fine here, expressing Einar’s awakening and conflict with the expected fear and turmoil, it’s Alicia Vikander as Gerda who pops off the screen. Here, she sparks with deliberate movements that are confident and often flirtatious, and a tongue that’s a bit tart. She’s taken aback once she realizes that “Lili” is no longer a game—“This is not how it goes,” Gerda says after seeing her spouse kiss a man—but she grows supportive once she accepts that her pain of losing a partner is outweighed by Lili’s pain if she is forced to live life as a man.

The script, adapted by Lucinda Coxon from David Ebershoff’s novel, is a bit too neat, glossing over resistance to Lili’s uncloaking such as a beating she undergoes while walking in a park and the opinion of some medical professionals that Einar is mentally ill. (“It’s not good news,” one doctor says after an exam. “You’re homosexual.”) The couple’s discovery of a man who believes in what is now known as gender dys-

phoria and is willing to perform surgery is quite fortuitous; a case of two degrees of separation.

Though the film may not hammer home to viewers the difficulties trans individuals face, its gentler, more loving version of one person’s story promotes acceptance. When Lili, following surgery, slowly whispers to Gerda, “I am… entirely… myself,” it’s a touching, Brokeback Mountain moment, drawing a universal motion from its audience even if the particulars of the characters’ struggle might be foreign.

The senior characters in Youth are certain about who they are; their questioning, instead, involves reflection on how they’ve lived their lives and what kind of legacy they may leave behind. Like a Malick-directed Magnolia, writer-director Paolo Sorrentino’s film is heavy on angst, observation, rumination, and regret, accented by moments of surrealism and spread across a large cast. Most of its characters—all guests at a grand hotel in the Alps—remain only glimpsed (albeit repeatedly) and largely unknown while the focus stays with Michael Caine’s Fred, a retired conductor, and Harvey Keitel’s Mick, a oncerevered filmmaker who’s working on a new movie he refers to as his “testament.”

Fred’s daughter, Lena (Rachel Weisz), is also staying there, but her character’s purpose is seemingly limited to reminding her father that he was a rotten dad and also serving as

half of a fresh heartbreak. She was dumped suddenly by her husband, who happens to be Mick’s son. This configuration lends itself to discussion about parenting, naturally (Fred points out to Mick that he hardly remembers his family, and therefore the “tremendous” effort he made to give Lena happy memories was energy misspent) and what makes a lover worthwhile (the ex’s reason for choosing another woman is shockingly shallow).

Youth bounces in this manner from topic to topic, with emphasis on Queen Elizabeth’s insistent request that Fred come out of retirement for one concert and Mick getting nowhere with his film. Fred is also being prodded to write his memoirs, to which he responds, “I’m done with work. And with life.” Indeed, discussions talk about their careers and childhoods are given equal importance as discussions over whether either of the men urinated that day. “Let’s hope we take a piss tomorrow!” Fred says to Mick as they bid each other goodnight.

Sorrentino’s previous film, 2013’s The Great Beauty, won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and Youth whiffs of The Tree of Life pretension and sense that the helmer regards his creation as deeply insightful and important. There’s even a Shia LaBeouf-ian character in Jimmy (Paul Dano, an admittedly inspired choice), an actor who moans to Fred that no one cares about their serious work, only the brief period during which they indulged in “levity” (in Jimmy’s case, playing a robot in a movie, while Fred is beloved for his “Simple Songs” composition). It may seem as if Sorrentino intended this facet of his script as satire; that argument crumbles, though, when a young girl approaches Jimmy and offers astute observations about one of his non-robot films.

Youth continues leisurely and contemplatively in this fashion, with Sorrentino giving his characters plenty of time to stare off and look mournful. The plaintive musical cues, both instrumental and sung, are painfully obvious. The film’s most impressive achievement is its cinematography, with both the inside of the hotel and the outdoors shot beautifully and often with a lovely, painterly symmetry. But when, say, a monk levitates or Mick finds himself surrounded by all of his past leading ladies who repeat their lines until it’s a nearly horrific cacophony, you’ll find yourself wondering what it all means. Caine is as watchable as ever, while Keitel gives an atypically gentle performance that’s a welcome departure from a career full of badasses. But when Fred tells a doctor, “I’ve grown old without understanding how I got here,” you’ll feel similarly once CP the film’s closing credits roll.

The Danish Girl opens Friday at Landmark E Street Cinema, Landmark Bethesda Cinema, and Angelika Film Center Mosaic.

Youth opens Friday at Landmark E Street Cinema and Landmark Bethesda Cinema.

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 43

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“Womanimal: Zine Art by Caroline Paquita” At the National Museum of Women in the Arts to May 13 “Ever feel like someone is puking in your mind? Like they just can’t stop talking SHIT all the time?”

Every six months or so, the library at the National Museum of Women in the Arts rotates a small exhibit in its entrance, but “Womanimal: Zine Art by Caroline Paquita” is likely the first to ask viewers that question.

More importantly, it’s the first of these exhibits to highlight zines as art.

“Zines are a medium that’s been around since, really, the ’20s,” says Heather Slania, director of NMWA’s Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center. “In the 1990s, they got utilized for punk-rock movements, especially with riot grrrl.” Now, Slania says that those ’90s lady zines and their DIY aesthetic are beginning to be seen as an art form.

“Womanimal” covers 18 years’ worth of artist and Pegacorn Press founder Caroline Paquita’s work, showing her evolution from the Xeroxed black-and-white images in her first Brazen Hussy zines to the half-woman, half-animal drawings in her ongoing Womanimalistic series. Several of these zines are set up in two display cases, but the main feature of the exhibit is actually an iPad that lets the viewer browse through Paquita’s work. Without the iPad, there really wouldn’t be much to see.

The exibit also features some of Paquita’s other works, like “Zine Libs” and “The Lesbian Lexicon,” which is filled with words and phrases that describe queer experiences with a cheeky sense of humor. In Paquita’s DIY dictionary, a “boycation” is a break from dating women, and a “blood bath” is sex with two periods. This is typical of the way that Paquita’s work makes queer lives visible through serious, funny, and honest descriptions.

The art, stories, and essays in Paquita’s zines cover a mix of topics, from poking fun at aspects of the punk scene to hard drug use and uncomfortable sexual experiences in middle school. Often the light and the heavy, as well as the real and the fictional, are painfully intertwined in the same story. One of the recurring characters in Paquita’s comics about her youth is a “three-armed” boy who torments her with his love. He briefly falls for the ambiguously gendered Phyllis, until Phyllis is discovered to be intersex and is ridiculed by the other students. Paquita tells the story with funny descriptions and asides, but she also touches on some of the painful truths of childhood: feeling like you love someone, thinking that you hate someone, and being embarrassed by your difference.

The jarring combination of emotional highs and lows is in keeping with the confession-

“Garden of the Womanimal” by Caroline Paquita, 2014 al style of the early-’90s zines that Paquita looked to for inspiration and emulated in her early work.

Some of her art and comics address health and body issues, like a spread on “Punk Medical Myths” (good to know Borax doesn’t cure scabies), or an illustration of two Womanimals that spoofs kombucha (“Krotchbucha: The Magic Tonic”). And then there are little gems like an ad Paquita found on Craigslist that doesn’t beat around the bush: “This is a bit of an off-color gig, however the task at hand is extremely creative and interesting. I am currently seeking someone to vajazzle me as a present to my husband for Valentine’s Day.” Strangely, Paquita’s Brazen Hussy and Womanimalistic zines kind of feel like that scene in 13 Going on 30 when Jennifer Garner tells her women’s magazine staff about the kind of people she wants to see in their publication: “I want to see my best friend’s big sister, the girls from the soccer team, my next door neighbor, real women.” The vintage photo of a woman with cat-eye glasses on the cover of Brazen Hussy #2 could have been an old picture of your aunt. The Womanimals might remind you of drawings that you or your friend did in college. Paquita’s work reminds viewers of the people that they know, and its power is intimately paired with this recognition.

Womanimal is only available to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. (when the library is open), which makes it difficult for nine-to-fivers to see. Even so, hanging out with Womanimals is a solid way to spend your lunch break.

Paquita’s mythical, blue-ink illustrations of queer, feminist lady-beasts are so calming, they might just make you forget about your —Becky Little sell-out corporate job.

1250 New York Ave NW. $8–$10. (202) 7835000. nwma.org.

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 45

46 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

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Friday Rock Black cat 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490.

Church Night with The Sea Life, Summer Camp, Motherknuckle, and Brittany Carney. 9 p.m. $12. blackcatdc.com.

Dc9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Dogs on Acid, Year of Glad, Spirit Plots. 6:30 p.m. $12. dcnine.com.

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Vanessa Carlton, Joshua Hyslop. 7:30 p.m. $30–$65. thehowardtheatre.com. rock & roll hotEl 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388ROCK. V.P.R., Copstabber, Walk the Plank, Divided Heaven, Next Step Up. 9 p.m. $12. rockandrollhoteldc.com. tropicalia 2001 14th St. NW. (202) 629-4535.

Jamie Kilstein’s Progressive Rant Rock, War on Women. 8 p.m. $15–$17. tropicaliadc.com.

Funk & R&B gypsy sally’s 3401 K St. NW. (202) 333-7700. The Funk Ark, Dangermuffin. 9 p.m. $14–$16. gypsysallys.com.

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Jazz

with Keenan & Smudge

Mr. hEnry’s 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. (202) 5468412. The Kevin Cordt Quartet. 8 p.m. Free. mrhenrysdc.com.

Sun. Nov-Feb

MUsic cEntEr at strathMorE 5301 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda. (301) 581-5100. Michael Feinstein Sinatra Centennial. 8 p.m. $55–$125. strathmore.org.

3-7pm every

Come for brunch, stay for the party!

Folk BirchMErE 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.

(703) 549-7500. Judy Collins, Ari Hest. 7:30 p.m. $59.50. birchmere.com.

Hip-Hop U strEEt MUsic hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 5881880. Eric Bellinger, Ro James, DeLon, Scribe Cash. 7 p.m. $20. ustreetmusichall.com.

2047 9th Street NW located next door to 9:30 club

classical kEnnEDy cEntEr concErt hall 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. NSO Pops: The von Trapps and Stephanie J. Block. 8 p.m. $20–$99. kennedy-center.org.

Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 0 Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

SearCh LISTIngS aT waShIngTonCITYpaper.Com

CITY LIGHTS: FRIDAY

JOHNNY RAWLS

Mississippi-born singer and guitarist Johnny Rawls is a relentless road warrior who has performed bluesy soul and gospel songs around the nation since the late 1960s. He’s never had a crossover hit, but Rawls impressed old-school R&B connoisseurs as vocalist O.V. Wright’s bandleader in the 1970s and with a series of albums released both under his own name and with collaborators. Since 1994, Rawls has been especially busy rendering his roadhouse and church-derived numbers, many self-penned, on various small labels. His most recent effort, Soul Brothers, a duo release with vocalist Otis Clay, includes covers of soul standards like “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.” But it’s the earthy tunes that Rawls had a hand in creating, like “Voodoo Queen,” that prove most interesting and invigorating. On a prior album, Memphis Still Got Soul, Rawls releases a storm of emotion on “Stop the Rain,” a slowdance tearjerker on which he cries about a woman dumping him for another man. Possessing a gritty yet passionate voice, Rawls masters both funky, upbeat Stax-rooted tracks and drown-in-your-whiskey-glass ballads, transcending traditional bar band formulas. Johnny Rawls performs at 10 p.m. at Madam’s Or—Steve Kiviat gan, 2461 18th St. NW. $5. (202) 667-5370. madamsorgan.com.

DJ nigHts

ElEctRonic

Dc9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Discnotheque with DJs Bill Spieler and Sean Morris. 10:30 p.m. $2–$5. dcnine.com.

Black cat BackstagE 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. CMPVTR_CLVB. 9:30 p.m. $7. blackcatdc.com.

Vocal

pyraMiD atlantic art cEntEr 8230 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. (301) 608-9101. Berangere Maximin, Blind: Out: Dated, Akousma. 7:30 p.m. $10. pyramidatlanticartcenter.org.

kEnnEDy cEntEr MillEnniUM stagE 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Zvjezdice. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.

saturday

U strEEt MUsic hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 5881880. Alex Metric, HXV, Pepe Rivera. 10:30 p.m. $12. ustreetmusichall.com.

Jazz

Rock

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. The Pietasters, The Slackers, The Combs. 8 p.m. $15.

930.com. gypsy sally’s 3401 K St. NW. (202) 333-7700.

Crowded Streets, Old Moonlight, The Elegant Plums. 9 p.m. $12–$13. gypsysallys.com. rock & roll hotEl 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388ROCK. Wanted Man, The Yawpers, Go Cozy. 8 p.m. $12. rockandrollhoteldc.com. songByrD MUsic hoUsE anD rEcorD cafE 2477 18th St. NW. (202) 450-2917. The Effects, Wing Dam, Hemlines, Wet Brain. 8 p.m. $10–$12. songbyrddc.com.

kEnnEDy cEntEr tErracE gallEry 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Fresh Cut Orchestra. 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. $20. kennedy-center.org.

Mr. hEnry’s 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. (202) 5468412. Mary Alouette and the Crew. 8 p.m. Free. mrhenrysdc.com.

MUsic cEntEr at strathMorE 5301 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda. (301) 581-5100. Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Denzal Sinclaire. 8 p.m. $58–$108. strathmore.org.

Hip-Hop howarD thEatrE 620 T St. NW. (202) 803-2899.

Shy Glizzy. 11:30 p.m. $42.50–$60. thehowardtheatre.com.

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 47

CITY LIGHTS: SATURDAY

SHY GLIZZY

By most measures, 2015 hasn’t been as kind to Shy Glizzy as 2014 was. Last year, Glizzy’s Law 3: Now or Never and Young Hefe mixtapes earned the young D.C. rapper accolades from tastemaking music publications like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and Stereogum.

In June of this year, the prolific rapper was arrested in Silver Spring and charged with disorderly conduct (Glizzy pleaded guilty to the offense in November), which overshadowed the three impressive yet largely unnoticed mixtapes he put out in 2015.

It’s a shame, really, because those mixtapes, Be Careful, For Trappers Only, and Peace & Blessings, feature some of his most mature songs yet. Working with producer Zaytoven on For Trappers Only, Glizzy and a slew of impressive guests—including Danny Seth, Boosie, and the late Dex Osama— drop verses about heavy themes like neighborhood turf wars and packing heat just to feel safe. It may have been a year since Glizzy made XXL’s Freshman Class, but that hype hasn’t waned; he’s closing out the year with a headlining show at the Howard Theatre.

Next year, it could be Echostage. Shy Glizzy performs at 11:30 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $42.50–$60. (202) 803-2899.

—Matt Cohen thehowardtheatre.com.

classical

BluEs

kEnnEDy cEntEr concErt hall 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. NSO Pops: The von Trapps and Stephanie J. Block. 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. $20–$99. kennedy-center.org.

MaDaM’s organ 2461 18th St. NW. (202) 6675370. Stacy Brooks. 9 p.m. $3–$7. madamsorgan.com.

DJ nigHts Black cat BackstagE 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Mixtape with DJs Shea Van Horn and Matt Bailer. 9:30 p.m. $10. blackcatdc.com.

thE haMilton 600 14th St. NW. (202) 787-1000.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. 7:30 p.m. $90–$250. thehamiltondc.com.

rock & roll hotEl 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388ROCK. DJs Rex Riot and Basscamp. 11:30 p.m. Free. rockandrollhoteldc.com.

WoRlD

Vocal kEnnEDy cEntEr MillEnniUM stagE 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. A Salute to Sinatra. 6 p.m.

Free. kennedy-center.org.

HoliDay washington national cathEDral 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 537-6200. Cathedral Choral Society performs The Joy of Christmas. 4 p.m. $15–$56.50. nationalcathedral.org.

sunday Rock

Black cat 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. The Get Up Kids, Into It. Over It., Rozwell Kid. 7:30 p.m.

(Sold out) blackcatdc.com.

Jazz MontpEliEr arts cEntEr 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel. (301) 377-7800. Eric Byrd Trio. 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. $15. arts.pgparks.com.

48 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

Folk

kEnnEDy cEntEr MillEnniUM stagE 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. QuinTango. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org. national gallEry of art wEst garDEn coUrt 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. (202) 8426941. Trio Sefardi. 3:30 p.m. Free. nga.gov.

Hip-Hop howarD thEatrE 620 T St. NW. (202) 803-2899.

Pinky Killacorn, Jus Paul, Born I Music, Nino Swagg, Savannah. 8 p.m. $12–$15. thehowardtheatre.com.

Vocal kEnnEDy cEntEr concErt hall 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Choral Arts presents A Family Christmas. 2 p.m. $18–$45. kennedy-center.org. national prEsBytErian chUrch 4101 Nebraska Ave. NW. (202) 429-2121. The Holly and the Ivy: Music for Christmas 2015 with the City Choir of Washington. 4:30 p.m. $15–$50. bachconsort.org.

VErizon cEntEr 601 F St. NW. (202) 628-3200.

Andrea Bocelli. 7:30 p.m. $75–$375. verizoncenter.com.

HoliDay washington national cathEDral 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 537-6200. Cathedral Choral Society performs The Joy of Christmas. 4 p.m. $15–$56.50. nationalcathedral.org.

gospEl MUsic cEntEr at strathMorE 5301 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda. (301) 581-5100. Sweet Honey in the Rock. 4 p.m. $25–$75. strathmore.org.

Monday Rock thE haMilton 600 14th St. NW. (202) 787-1000.

Donovan. 8 p.m. $35–$75. thehamiltondc.com. kEnnEDy cEntEr MillEnniUM stagE 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Ramzailech. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.

tuesday Rock

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. The Arcs, Mariachi Flor de Toloache. 7 p.m. $40. 930.com.

Black cat BackstagE 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Cricket Cemetery, Highway Cross, Collider, DJ Ian Thompson. 7:30 p.m. $10. blackcatdc.com.

Vocal kEnnEDy cEntEr MillEnniUM stagE 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. SYC Ensemble Singers. 6 p.m.

Free. kennedy-center.org.

Wednesday Rock

Funk & R&B

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. San Fermin, Sam Amidon. 7 p.m. $20. 930.com.

howarD thEatrE 620 T St. NW. (202) 803-2899.

India.Arie, Jonathan McReynolds. 7:30 p.m. $62.50– $100. thehowardtheatre.com.

countRy

Black cat BackstagE 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. G Herbo, Zuse, Mobsquad Nard, Ferrari Ferrell. 7:30 p.m. $13. blackcatdc.com.

BirchMErE 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.

(703) 549-7500. Asleep At The Wheel. 7:30 p.m. $35. birchmere.com.

HoliDay

Folk

kEnnEDy cEntEr concErt hall 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. A Choral Arts Christmas. 7 p.m. $15–$70. kennedy-center.org.

MaDaM’s organ 2461 18th St. NW. (202) 6675370. Bob Perilla’s Big Hillbilly Bluegrass. 9 p.m. Free. madamsorgan.com.

CITY LIGHTS: SUNDAY

EMMYLOU HARRIS Emmylou Harris has released 21 solo albums, won 13 Grammy Awards, and racked up countless collaboration credits with musicians ranging from Gram Parsons and Bob Dylan to Bright Eyes and Ryan Adams. Her voice, smooth and pure with just enough twang and wear to make it honest, has carried her through five decades of making music and into a sixth. Her status as a living legend was solidified when younger musicians started writing songs about her. (First Aid Kit’s “Emmylou” is among the finest.)

Harris’ performance in D.C. will be a homecoming of sorts: Harris met her long-time friend and collaborator Rodney Crowell while she was living and playing shows near Dupont Circle in the early ’70s. But don’t come to her show expecting a blast from the past. Harris’ latest albums with Crowell—who penned “Bluebird Wine,” one of her first big hits—bring to mind Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, except with a lot more Texas and a bit less Appalachia. It’s a reminder that, when it comes to duets, friendship can be just as powerful a motivator as romantic love. Emmylou Harris performs with Rodney Crowell and Rickie Simpkin at 7:30 p.m. at the Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. $90– $250. (202) 787-1000. thehamil—Justin Weber tondc.com.

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 49

CITY LIGHTS: MONDAY

FOIA LOVE ROCK ‘N’ TWANG NYE PARTY H

H

Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 15 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 22 Dec 26 Dec 29 Dec 31

THE BOBBY THOMPSON PROJECT HUMAN COUNTRY JUKEBOX SARA RACHELE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR BIG DADDY LOVE DELTA SPUR COLONEL JOSH & THE HONKY TONK HEROES JOHNNY GRAVE & THE TOMBSTONES STEALIN’ THE DEAL ROCK ‘N’ TWANG NYE!

H Jan 2 Jan 5 Jan 7 Jan 8 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Feb 18 Feb 19 Mar 5

H JUMPIN’ JUPITER COLONEL JOSH & THE HONKY TONK HEROES PEEWEE MOORE RANDY THOMPSON BAND AARON BURDETT SCOTT KURT & MEMPHIS THE WOODSHEDDERS JASON EADY / MIKE & THE MOONPIES DAN BAIRD & HOMEMADE SIN WAYNE “THE TRAIN” HANCOCK

HILL COUNTRY BARBECUE MARKET

410 Seventh St, NW • 202.556.2050 Hillcountrylive.com • Twitter @hillcountrylive

Near Archives/Navy Memorial [G, Y] and Gallery PI/Chinatown [R] Metro 50 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

When Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act into law, the paranoiac-in-chief worried that the new access it promoted would help America’s enemies. But LBJ likely didn’t imagine that the new law would also help the country’s comedians. In FOIA Love, a show built around government documents pried open with FOIA requests, writer Curtis Raye has found an unlikely comedy vein, mining dusty government papers for chuckles. For a sports-themed show, Raye dug up J. Edgar Hoover’s panting fan letter to a favorite pitcher. In my experience, even the most bizarre open records request inspires more smirk than belly laugh. But FOIA culture has always been vaguely ridiculous, considering that its most dedicated practitioners are UFO hunters, self-serious reporters, and monomaniacal cranks. The FOIA listservs, for instance, read like the minutes of a particularly dull meeting of the alchemists guild—here’s the formula to get your grandpa’s FBI file, and don’t forget to include magic acronym. FOIA: Haha? The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at Busboys and Poets 14th & V, 2021 14th St. NW. —Will Sommer $12 suggested donation. (202) 387-7638. curtisraye.com/foia-love.

WoRlD

HoliDay

Bossa Bistro 2463 18th St NW. 202-667-0088.

Amadou Kouyate, Domingues and Kane. 9:30 p.m.

Free. bossadc.com.

gypsy sally’s 3401 K St. NW. (202) 333-7700. A Very Jerry Christmas with Cris Jacobs, Mookie Siegel, John Ginty, Dave Markowitz, and Ed Hough. 8:30 p.m. $12–$14. gypsysallys.com.

HoliDay gypsy sally’s 3401 K St. NW. (202) 333-7700.

Gypsy Sally’s Holiday Hoedown with The Thrillbillys and Ruthie and the Wranglers. 8 p.m. $10. gypsysallys.com. kEnnEDy cEntEr concErt hall 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Merry TubaChristmas!. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.

thursday Rock

BirchMErE 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.

(703) 549-7500. Carbon Leaf. 7:30 p.m. $35. birchmere.com.

Black cat BackstagE 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Jucifer, Stonewalled. 7:30 p.m. $10. blackcatdc.com.

Dc9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Jesse Marchant, Heather Woods Broderick. 9 p.m. $10–$12. dcnine.com.

ElEctRonic U strEEt MUsic hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 5881880. FKJ, Life on Planets. 10 p.m. $15. ustreetmusichall.com.

countRy Mr. hEnry’s 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. (202) 5468412. By & By. 8 p.m. Free. mrhenrysdc.com.

classical kEnnEDy cEntEr concErt hall 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. National Symphony Orchestra: Handel’s Messiah. 7 p.m. $15–$89. kennedy-center.org.

theater

akEElah anD thE BEE A young girl growing up in Chicago challenges herself to succeed and winds up competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but will she be prepared enough to beat competitors from around the country? Charles Randolph-Wright directs the world premiere of this play adapted from the popular film of the same name. Arena Stage.

1101 6th St. SW. To Dec. 27. $55–$90. (202) 4883300. arenastage.org. thE applE faMily cyclE Two years after Studio presented the first two plays in Richard Nelson’s series about a family experiencing changes in contemporary America, the company presents the final two plays. In Sorry, set on Election Day 2012, the siblings come together to move their uncle into an assisted living facility and discuss their reactions to the political and personal changes in their lives. In Regular Singing, as the siblings hold a vigil for one of their own, they remember the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination and reflect on the past halfcentury of American history. Studio Theatre. 1501 14th St. NW. To Dec. 13. $20–$71. (202) 332-3300. studiotheatre.org.

BaD JEws Three cousins—one secular, one nonsecular, and one somewhere in the middle—fight over a family heirloom following the death of their grandfather in this comedy that blends family and faith. After an acclaimed run last winter, Studio brings this spirited production back for another round. Studio Theatre. 1501 14th St. NW. To Jan. 3. $20–$81. (202) 332-3300. studiotheatre.org.

Black natiVity Theatre Alliance again presents their production of this Langston Hughes play that retells the Christmas story from an African-American perspective and features a lively gospel soundtrack.

Anacostia Playhouse. 2020 Shannon Place SE. To Jan. 3. $10–$35. (202) 544-0703. anacostiaplayhouse.com.

Bright star Steve Martin and Edie Brickell collaborate on this new musical, a love story set in the American South in the 1920s and 1940s about the powerful relationship between an editor

and a recently returned soldier. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. 2700 F St. NW. To Jan. 10. $45–$175. (202) 467-4600. kennedy-center.org.

over a pair of sneakers mere days after he performs at the White House. Atlas Performing Arts Center.

1333 H St. NE. To Dec. 20. $25–$50. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org.

a BroaDway christMas carol This seasonal favorite, which sets Dickens’ tale of holiday reflection to the tune of favorite showtunes, returns to MetroStage for a fifth go-round. MetroStage. 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria. To Dec. 27. $50. (703) 5489044. metrostage.org.

gUys anD Dolls Gamblers, evangelists, musicians, and dancers come together in this classic musical based on stories by Damon Runyon. Among this production’s memorable songs are “Luck Be a Lady,” “I’ll Know,” and “A Bushel and a Peck.”

Olney Theatre Center. 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney. To Dec. 27. $30–$75. (301) 924-3400. olneytheatre.org.

a christMas carol For more than 30 years, Ford’s Theatre has welcomed the holiday season with a production of Dickens’ tale of cheer and forgiveness. Local actor Edward Gero returns to play everyone’s favorite miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. Ford’s Theatre. 511 10th St. NW. To Dec. 31. $44–$91.

(202) 347-4833. fordstheatre.org.

DEnnis williaMs’ forgiVing BUt not forgEtting A woman, troubled by events in her past and her relationships with her mother and fiance, questions her relationship with God in this inspirational holiday play. Howard Theatre. 620 T St. NW. To Dec. 12. $39.50–$55.50. (202) 803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com.

EntErtaining Mr. sloanE Edge of the Universe Players 2 present this dark comedy by Joe Orton about a man and woman looking for love and the violence their liason leads to. The Writer’s Center.

4508 Walsh St., Bethesda. To Dec. 13. $25. (202) 355-6330. writer.org. thE gospEl of loVingkinDnEss Mosaic Theater Company presents this somber elegy, accented with hip-hop music, about a young man who’s killed

harVEy A man insists on including his best friend, an enormous invisible rabbit, in all his activities, forcing his friends and family to deal with the aftermath in this lively, Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Mary Chase. 1st Stage. 1524 Spring Hill Road, McLean. To Dec. 20. $15–$30. (703) 854-1856.

1ststagespringhill.org. holiDay MEMoriEs In this play adapted from short stories by Truman Capote, a younger version of the author, growing up in Depression-era Alabama, connects with his adult self and together, they reflect on memories from holidays gone by.

Tom Prewitt directs this edgy and heartwarming tale. Theatre on the Run. 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington. To Dec. 20. $10–$35. (703) 4184808. avantbard.org. an irish carol The Keegan gang revives its popular Irish adaptation of Dickens’ holiday tale, featuring a pub owner called David instead of a banker called Scrooge. Keegan Theatre at Church Street Theater. 1742 Church St. NW. To Dec. 31. $20–$40.

(703) 892-0202. keegantheatre.com.

CITY LIGHTS: TUESDAY

MATILDA THE MUSICAL Some may choose Carrie, but Matilda has always been my favorite telekinetic gal in literature. Not only has she read every book in the library but she can also fling her evil headmistress Miss Trunchbull around a room with only her mind. Now Roald Dahl’s pintsize mental powerhouse is brought to the stage, complete with stellar song and dance.

With four Tony awards and a record-setting seven Olivier Awards from productions on Broadway and London’s West End, this isn’t some cheesy forced adaptation either. With its soaring sets, garish costumes, and cast of more than a dozen ridiculously talented children who masterfully sing and dance like it’s no big deal, the show is both spectacle and inspirational story. It’s a great watch for your kid sister, who will learn about the power of the written word, or your girl squad, who will likely appreciate a piece of life advice from Matilda herself: “Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.” At least we can all agree on the musical’s main draw: Everyone wants to see how Bruce Bogtrotter eats that entire chocolate cake live on stage. The musical runs Dec. 15 to Jan. 10 at the Kennedy Center Opera House, 2700 F St. NW. $30–$204. (202) 467-4600. kennedy-center.org.

—Diana Metzger

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 51

UPTOWN BLUES

HAPPY HOUR M-F • 4-8 1/2 Priced APPetizers

Fri. Dec. 11 Sookey Jump blueS band Sat. Dec. 12 Smokin’ polecatS Fri. Dec. 18 moonShine Society Sat. Dec. 19 Stacy brookS blueS band red Sat. Dec. 26 bruce ewan thhearmonica king Thur. Dec. 31 new year’S eve party

D.C.’s awesomest events calendar. washingtoncitypaper.com/ calendar

deliciouS meal, dancing & champagne at midnight

Sundays mike Flaherty’S

dixieland direct Jazz band

3000 Connecticut Avenue, NW (across from the National Zoo)

202-232-4225 zoobardc.com

washingtoncitypaper.com

CITY LIGHTS: WEDNESDAY

LIVE

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

DONOVAN CELEBRATES HIS 50 TH

ANNIVERSARY IN MUSIC A VERY SPECIAL SOLO PERFORMANCE

OF SONGS & STORIES

Thursday, December 10

MONDAY DEC 14

16TH AND T BAND

{classic R&B with pop & Southern shuffle}

FELIX CAVALIERE’S

Friday, Dec 11

POP ROX

{Alternative and various covers}

Saturday, December 12

MOONSHINE SOCIETY

RASCALS ROCKIN THE HOLIDAYS

{Blues and Rock}

Sunday, December 13

WASHINGTON GUITAR SCHOOL

SUNDAY DEC 20

{Music School Showcase}

Tuesday, December 15

3RD TUESDAYS hosted

BY STEALING LIBERTY

{Open to All! Open Groove Jam Session} Wednesday, December 16

OPEN MIC NIGHT!

hosted by Phil Kominski Thursday, December 17

SCOTT KURT & MEMPHIS 59 {Hard Charging Country Rock}

Friday, December 18

NON-FICTION

{A tribute to the music of the Black Crowes} Saturday, December 19

PHOAM

{a tribute to the music of Phish} Monday, December 21

THE SEAN EVANS BAND {Classic Rock Cover}

Tuesday, December 22

4TH TUESDAYS

hosted by PULP FUSION {Open to All! Open Jam Session}

W W W. V I L L A I N A N D S A I N T. C O M

SUN, DEC 13

EMMYLOU HARRIS

WITH RODNEY CROWELL: AN INTIMATE PERFORMANCE BENEFITING BONAPARTE’S RETREAT WED, DEC 23

YELLOW DUBMARINE W/ BURT THE DIRT

SAT, DEC 26 & SUN, DEC 27

REBIRTH BRASS BAND MON, DEC 28

LIVE AT THE FILLMORE

THE DEFINITIVE TRIBUTE TO THE ORIGINAL ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND

THEHAMILTONDC.COM

52 december 11, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com

DES ARK Every few years, Des Ark—the musical project of North Carolina’s Aimée Argote— shows up to her local radio station to, as she puts it, “fumble through a bunch of songs, live on-air.” It’s more of an exercise for Argote than anything else—she tests out some new, unrehearsed songs that are later reworked with a full band into a proper album. If you’re a fan of Des Ark—or just interested in the songwriting process—it’s fascinating to hear how a song like “Ties,” from her brooding, dynamic new album Everything Dies, has changed since it appeared on one of those recordings from 2007 (under the name “Covert Conspiracy of Spanish Speaking Cats”). Over the years, Des Ark has deftly surfed the tides of dark, hushed folk and piercingly loud noise-punk. Everything Dies is definitely the former, but live shows often find Argote and her band shredding and thrashing like it’s the last rock show they’ll ever play. At Comet Ping Pong, Des Ark performs with Pygmy Lush, who’s similarly mastered the art of skating between soft folk and guttural hardcore. This show will either find the audience seated and attentive, or moshing and relentless—whichever the case, both versions of both bands are similarly transfixing. Des Ark performs with Pygmy Lush and the City and I at 9 p.m. at Comet Ping Pong, 5037 Con—Matt Cohen necticut Ave. NW. $12. (202) 364-0404. cometpingpong.com.

kiss ME, katE Cole Porter looks to Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew for inspiration in this joyful musical about a leading man who winds up co-starring alongside his ex-wife and the fellow castmembers whose lives revolve around them. Among the popular songs from this musical are “Another Op’nin’, Another Show,” “Tom, Dick, or Harry,” and “Too Darn Hot.” Sidney Harman Hall. 610 F St. NW. To Jan. 3. $20–$108. (202) 547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org.

MatilDa thE MUsical A young girl uses her powers of intelligence and mind control to work her way out of horrific circumstances in this lively musical inspired by the Roald Dahl novel. Kennedy Center Opera House. 2700 F St. NW. To Jan. 10. $30–$204.

202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org.

Motown: thE MUsical The story of a small music label that changed the sound of America in the 1960s and 1970s is told in this lively and historical musical. National Theatre. 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. To Jan. 3. $48–$98. (202) 628-6161. nationaltheatre.org. oliVEr! Arena’s artistic director Molly Smith directs this musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel about an industrious orphan and the friends he meets in London. Classic songs from this show include “Consider Yourself,” “Where is Love?” and “Food, Glorious Food.” Arena Stage. 1101 6th St.

SW. To Jan. 3. $64–$99. (202) 488-3300. arenastage.org. pEriclEs Joseph Haj, known for directing the Folger’s 2010 production of Hamlet, returns to tell the tale of the prince who gets washed out to sea, chased by a wicked king, and meets the love of his life, only to lose her again. Celebrated Shakespearean actor Wayne T. Carr stars in the title character.

Folger Elizabethan Theatre. 201 E. Capitol St. SE. To Dec. 20. $35–$75. (202) 544-7077. folger.edu. sons of thE prophEt In this dark comedy by Stephen Karam, a man is forced to deal with his father’s death in a freak accident involving a plastic deer, an event that sends his life into a tailspin. From incompetent insurance providers to eccentric co-workers, he’s forced to take on all these tasks while holding on to his own sanity. Theater J. 1529 16th St. NW. To Dec. 20. $15–$67. (202) 518-9400. theaterj.org. stagE kiss Two actors with a romantic past are forced to play the leads in an emotional melodrama and the line between their real lives and their characters blur in this play that considers what it means when two people touch their lips together.

Aaron Posner directs Sarah Ruhl’s charming comedy.

Round House Theatre Bethesda. 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. To Dec. 27. $36–$61. (240) 6441100. roundhousetheatre.org. too MUch light MakEs thE BaBy go BlinD Just in time for the holidays, this Chicago-based theater

group that promises to deliver 30 plays in 60 minutes returns to Woolly Mammoth for a spontaneous and interactive night of theater. Woolly Mammoth Theatre. 641 D St. NW. To Jan. 3. $35–$68. (202) 393-3939. woollymammoth.net. wEst siDE story This tragic tale of warring gangs and devoted lovers comes to Signature for the first time. Featuring classic songs like “Tonight,” “America,” and “I Feel Pretty,” this production is directed

by Signature regular Matthew Gardiner. Signature Theatre. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. To Jan. 24. $40–$96. (703) 820-9771. sigtheatre.org.

FilM

Brooklyn Based on the novel by Colm Tóibín, this film follows an Irish immigrant as she makes a new life and falls in love in 1950s New York. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Walters. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) chi-raq Director Spike Lee adapts the Greek comedy Lysistrata, about women who withhold affection from their partners as a consequence of entering a war, into a satire set on Chicago’s south side amid

gang violence and feuds. (See washingtoncitypaper. com for venue information) kraMpUs Adam Scott and Toni Collette star in this comedic thriller based on the German folk character who punishes misbehaving children during the holiday season. Directed by Michael Dougherty (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)

“★★★★. GORGEOUS, HEARTBREAKING AND UNFORGETTABLE.” REX REED, NEW YORK OBSERVER

lEgEnD Tom Hardy stars as both Reggie and Ronnie Kray, two dangerous twins who menaced London in the 1950s, in this thriller from director Brian Helgeland. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) a royal night oUt To mark the end of World War II, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret hit the town and explore London as commoners in this drama loosely based on real events. Directed by Julian Jarrold. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)

Film clips are written by Caroline Jones.

#TheDanishGirl MOTION PICTURE: © 2015 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ARTWORK: © 2015 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENTS START FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11

WASHINGTON, DC BETHESDA FAIRFAX CHECK DIRECTORIES SHOWTIMES Landmark’s E Street Cinema Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Angelika at Mosaic NOFOR PASSES ACCEPTED (202) 783-9494 (301) 652-7273 (571) 512-3301

CITY LIGHTS: THURSDAY

JUCIFER Before you go to one of Jucifer’s shows, make sure you can cope with a 15-speaker wall.

Metal lovebirds Ed Livengood and Gazelle Amber Valentine care about rock and want to make sure you do, too. With a sludge-laden sound and battling angelic and demonic vocals, the Georgia-born band has dedicated itself to the metal life. Since 2000, the pair has taken to the road permanently, preferring to live in an RV and constantly tour instead of having a home base. In a city where many bands consider themselves a part of the DIY scene, Jucifer fits right in when it comes to screaming truth to power. Livengood and Valentine also have a penchant for specifically calling federal Washington out on its mishegoss. Their 2014 album, District of Dystopia, served as that prophetic message, breaking down this town’s faults. If you’re having an especially rough time living in the District, a Thursday night with Jucifer might set you right. Jucifer performs with Stonewalled at 7:30 p.m. at the Black Cat Backstage, —Jordan-Marie Smith 1811 14th St. NW. $10. (202) 667-4490.

washingtoncitypaper.com december 11, 2015 53

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WASHINGTON LATIN PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL NOTICE OF INTENT TO ENTER A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2015 FEP 129 Date of Death: October 4, 2014.

Name of Decedent Gardine Hailes Tiggle

IN THE FAMILY COURT FIRST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT DOCKET NO.: 2015-DR-18-1369 SUMMONS, NOTICES AND NOTICE OF HEARING [Termination of Parental Rights] STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF DORCHESTER South Carolina Department of Social Services, Plaintiff, vs. Ronnie Thomas, Roland Ford, Jr. Defendants.

IN THE INTEREST OF: Minor child born in 2014 Minor(s) Under the Age of 18 TO: RONNIE THOMAS & ROLAND FORD, JR. YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the complaint for termination of parental rights in and to the minor children in this action, the original of which has been filed in the Dorchester County Offi ce of the Clerk of Court at 212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 29483, on September 11, 2015 a copy of which will be delivered to you upon request; and to serve a copy of your answer to the complaint upon the undersigned attorney for the plaintiff at Dorchester County Department of Social Services, 216 Orangeburg Road, Summerville, SC 29483, within thirty (30) days following the date of service upon you, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the complaint within the time stated, the plaintiff will apply for judgment by default against the defendant for the relief demanded in the complaint.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that you have the right to be present and represented by an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint an attorney to represent you. It is your responsibility to contact the Dorchester County Clerk of Court’s Offi ce, 212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 29483, to apply for appointment of an attorney to represent you if you cannot afford an attorney (take all of these papers with you if you apply). YOU MUST APPLY FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU DO NOT APPLY FOR AN ATTORNEY WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF RECEIPT OF THE COMPLAINT, AN ATTORNEY WILL NOT BE APPOINTED FOR YOU. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that a FINAL hearing will be held in this matter on Tuesday, February 16, 2015 at 9:00 AM at the Dorchester County Courthouse located at 212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 29483. You should attend this hearing. If you do not attend, the relief sought may be granted in your absence.

S.C. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES Deanne M. Gray, Esq. Attorney for Plaintiff S.C. Department of Social Services 216 Orangeburg Road Summerville, SC 29483 Phone: (843) 821-0444x3019/ Fax: (843) 875-8506 S. C. Bar No.: 17721 November 23, 2015 Summerville, South Carolina

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION -2015 ADM 1310 Name of Decedent: Nathaniel Clark Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs: Heather Brown, whose address is 17808 Grener Cove Pflugerville TX 78660 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Nathaniel Clark who died on October 25, 2015 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., - Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 5/12/16. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 5/12/16 or be forever barred.

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: Nov. 26, 2015 /s/ Heather Brown.

TRUE TEST COPY /s/ ANNE MEISTER Register of Wills. Name of Newspapers: DWLR, WASHINGTON CITY PAPER. Pub Dates: NOV. 26, DEC. 4, 11, 2015.

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Echo Hill Outdoor School Pursuant to the School Reform Act, D.C. 38-1802 (SRA) and the D.C. Public Charter Schools procurement policy, Washington Latin PCS hereby submits this Notice of Intent to award the following Sole Source Contract: Vendor: Echo Hill Outdoor School.

Description of Service Procured: Echo Hill Outdoor School hosts an academic learning environment on the Chesapeake Bay estuary with immediate access to farmland, wetlands, marshlands and a mile of coast line on the Chesapeake Bay. The staff provides academic, hands on classes in ecology and history and human interactions with the environment through the lens of the Chesapeake Bay. EHOS also conducts team/community building exercises as a part of their program. They also provide constant care and supervision for visitors/students on a residential campus capable of accommodating and feeding a large number of students/guests, well over 100.

Amount of Contract: $27,000 Selection Justifi cation: The Echo Hill Outdoor School is the only operation that offers academic level classes on a campus with immediate access to working farmland, swamplands, marshlands, and a signifi cant stretch of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay, who also has facilities to comfortably accommodate and feed the number of students/teachers (nearly 100) attending, while also providing 24 hour supervision and care for visitors.

For further information regarding this notice contact Bear Paul at bpaul@latinpcs.org no later than 12:00 PM December 18, 2015.

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NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Sandra B. Weatherly and Stanley Hailes, Jr. whose address(es) are 1569 Bordeaux Ln, Conyers GA 30094 & 10914 Georgia Ave #401, Silver Spring, MD 20902 were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Gardine Hailes Tiggle, deceased, by the Georgia Probate Court for Dekalb County, State of Georgia on January 21st 2015. Service of process may be made upon Christopher K, Jackson, 507 Quackenbos St. NW, Washington, DC 200ll, whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 2210 Taylor Street NE, Washington DC 20018.

The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property.

Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first Publication: December 3, 2015 WashingtonLaw Reporter, Washington City Paper.

Mechanics’ Lien: 2006 Ford VIN# 1ZVFT8ON965127O43.

Sale to be held 12/19/15 at 11 a.m. on the premises of D&T Auto Repair, 5601 Martin Luther King Jr. HWY, Seat Pleasant, MD 20743.

Mechanics’ Lien: 2008 Chysler VIN# 2C3KA43R38H129997.

Sale to be held 12/19/15 at 10 a.m. on the premises of KI Auto Repair, 6181 Annapolis Rd, Hyattsville, MD 20784.

The Perry Street Prep Public Charter School solicits proposals for human resource services. Prospective Firms shall submit one submission to psp_bids@pspdc. org by Tuesday, 12/22/15

Apartments for Rent

Large 1Bdrm apt with Den in Gallaudet area. Features include DW, Central air, Skylight, and hardwood floors.

Close to Metro (Rhode island ave/new york). $1025 utilties not include. All Vouchers are welcome. Serious Applicant can call 202-413-3269

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I’d like to find a 2BR or 3BR apt.

-- or an existing share. My job is in local community outreach, and I choose to live only in Arlington, close to a Metro station. For now, I’m looking only in Pentagon City or Crystal City.

I’m a 52-year-old gay male, one part goofy and one part serious, am neat in the common areas, I drink really infrequently. My roommate’s gotta be gay-friendly or queer- or lgbt-friendly. At the very least, it’s a values thing. I prefer to share with a non-smoker. I’ve lived in the region for 17 years.

Timewise, I’m looking for January-ish.

Drop me a line with a bit about yourself. Cheers. djarlshare@gmail.com

Office/Commercial For Rent

Shaw Commercial Bldg $5,000 per month. 2,300 sq. ft. three-story building with dual entrance & patio across from Howard Theatre on Florida Ave. Ideal location for salon/barbershop, offi ce space, restaurant/bar or entertainment company. Triple-net lease. Call 202-898-0899

Rooms for Rent Petworth NW, Spacious Room 4 Rent $850 per month. Call 202355-2068

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Restaurant/Hospitality/ Hotel Stonefi sh Grill, a Family-oriented Seafood/Southern American style restaurant is looking for part-time talented, professional, friendly and enthusiastic individuals who desire to provide a dining experience to guest by demonstrating genuine hospitality and delivering exceptional guest services in the dining and bar area while working in a team-oriented, guest-centric, sophisticated and contemporary environment.

Positions(part-time): -Bartender -Servers job requirements: - Must have at least 2 years restaurant experience - Must be able to work nights, weekends and holidays if necessary Locations: Stonefi sh Grill 1708 L Street NW Washington, DC 20036 8500 Annapolis Road Ste J New Carrollton, MD 20784 If you meet these requirements, please stop by between Tuesday and Friday (12PM-8PM) to speak with a manager.

PS. note that you must bring your resume with you to be considered.

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Ideas.

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY has been in the heart of the U.S. capital for almost 200 years, blending theory with practice to transform ideas into action. GW’s faculty and students address social, economic, political, and technological issues, drawing upon the university’s location, partnerships, and resources found exclusively in the nation’s most influential city.

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Visit: go.gwu.edu/gradinfo The George Washington University does not unlawfully discriminate in its admissions programs against any person based on that person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

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