Metro Weekly - 11-26-15 - World AIDS Day - Desert Migration

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EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Randy Shulman
NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Volume 22 / Issue 30
ART DIRECTOR
Todd Franson
MANAGING EDITOR
Rhuaridh Marr
SENIOR EDITOR
John Riley
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Doug Rule
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR
Scott G. Brooks
NEWS

Act of Revolution
No Trans Need Apply
by John Riley
by John Riley

SCENE
11
Transgender Day of Remebrance
photography by Ward Morrison
12
Community Calendar
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Gordon Ashenhurst, Sean Bugg, Connor J. Hogan,
Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield
WEBMASTER
David Uy
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Julian Vankim
SALES & MARKETING
22

The Infection Monologues
OUT ON THE TOWN

24

Desert Migration
26

Entertaining Mr. Orton
FILM

31

Legend
PATRON SAINT
Robert Rayford
STAGE

33

Pericles & Akeelah and the Bee
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Film Still - Desert Migration
Daniel Cardone by Geof Teague
STAGE

34

Oliver!
MUSIC

36

Adele 25
NIGHTLIFE

39

Mr. DC Eagle 2016 Contest
46
Last Word
PUBLISHER
Randy Shulman
BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETING
Christopher Cunetto
Cunetto Creative
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
Rivendell Media Co.
212-242-6863
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
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METRO WEEKLY
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FEATURES
17
Desert Migrations Daniel Cardone
Interview by John Riley
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
21
Calendar of
World AIDS Day Events
by Doug Rule
by Rhuaridh Marr
by Doug Rule
by Rhuaridh Marr
by Kate Wingfield
by Doug Rule
by Gordon Ashenhurst
photography by Ward Morrison
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
JOHN RILEY
LGBT
News
Now online at MetroWeekly.com
Huckabee sued by Eye of the Tiger writer

Cruz says Obama support for trans teens is lunacy
Demonstrators block traffic near the intersection of 14th and Irving Streets NW, Nov. 18, 2015
Act of Revolution
D.C. wraps up the ongoing fight for transgender equality as part of

Transgender Awareness Week
by John Riley
VERY BREATH THAT A TRANS PERSON TAKES IS

an act of revolution. There is a target on the backs of
our young people.
Lourdes Ashley Hunter reiterates that act of revolution quote whenever she speaks at an event commemorating
the lives of deceased transgender people. Her words ring true
to many transgender individuals, especially this year, when 23
transgender people mostly trans women of color have been
killed across the United States.
Whether its the gruesome murder of Elisha Walker, a
transgender woman whose car had been set alight and her body
abandoned in a shallow grave in Johnston County, N.C., or
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NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
Tamara Dominguez of Kansas City, Mo., who was hit by an SUV

and run over at least two more times before her attacker fled,
the names and personal stories of the deceased weigh heavily
on the transgender community.
Certainly so for Nona Conners, a 20-year-old transgender
woman who was hospitalized in 2013 after being brutally
stabbed by an acquaintance in Southeast Washington. Conners
has said repeatedly that she often thinks of how close she could
have come to being one of those whose names are read aloud at
the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.
I stand here today, honored, grateful and assuredly blessed,
Conners told the crowd assembled at Metropolitan Community
LGBTNews
Church on Friday evening, at Washington, D.C.s Transgender
Day of Remembrance, as she recounted her personal story. I
was attacked two years ago, and stabbed a total of 40-plus times.
I dont remember it, but here I am today.... Im a survivor, not
a victim.
Several other transgender women provided testimony about
their brushes with violence or discrimination throughout the
evening, which was dedicated to the memories of transgender
women internationally. Death tolls have so far reached 80
in Brazil and 32 in El Salvador alone. Locally, 13 transgender women have been killed in recent years, many of whose
murders remain unsolved, including NaNa Boo Mack, Lashai
Mclean, Stephanie Thomas and Ukea Davis.
I dont know how many times youve been stabbed and
lived to tell the story, Hunter told the audience after Conners
speech. Miss Nona Conners represents exactly what we need
to hear today. We need to hear a wake-up call that theres violence happening in our community, and this violence must end.
The vigil served as a call to action that could not be ignored
by the standing-room only crowd inside the church. Attendees
pledged to fight the violence and discrimination that hold back
members of the transgender community. But the activism was
not limited to Friday night. Rather, the Day of Remembrance
stood as the apex of Transgender Awareness Week, also known
as Trans Week of Action, during which activists and their
allies attempted to call attention to the problems faced by the
marginalized community.
On a national level, several members of Congress announced
the formation of a new Congressional Transgender Equality
Task Force, whose aim will be to develop and introduce legislation to ensure transgender people have equal access and
treatment under the law. On the same day the task force was
announced, the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus held
the first-ever Congressional Forum on Violence Against the
Transgender Community. The forum came one day after the
FBI released its hate crime statistics for 2014, which showed
that the number of bias-motivated crimes committed against
people on the basis of gender identity had tripled from 2013 to
2014. It also followed a joint report put out by the Human Rights
Campaign and the Trans People of Color Coalition that detailed
the types of violence that have been directed against transgender people in recent years.
Throughout the country, activists held rallies aimed at highlighting the need to prevent further acts of violence against the
community. In D.C. last Tuesday, DC Trans Power held a march
from Mount Vernon Square to Union Station that temporarily
shut down three major intersections of the city.
The following day, the D.C. chapter of the Translatina
Coalition, in conjunction with members of DC Trans Power,
held a second rally calling for an end to the detention and deportation of transgender immigrants as well as the threats posed
to them at detention centers, which have been well-documented by various LGBT organizations throughout the year. That
demonstration got the attention of the press after one of the
co-organizers of the rally, Jes Grobman, was arrested following
a scuffle with a police officer.
I believe we sent a message with our actions, and I believe
we were heard, says Alexa Rodriguez, co-director of the D.C.
chapter of the Translatina Coalition. We have the support of
many organizations, and we are hoping more allies can come
together and support our movement.
Many noted at the Transgender Day of Remembrance
vigil that only one of the 13 members of the D.C. Council
Councilmember David Grosso (I-At-Large) was in attendance. Besides signing a proclamation, they have got to come
out and show visibility to show they really support us, transgender activist Earline Budd said, chastising the absence of the
12 other members of the Council.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and MPD Chief Cathy Lanier were
absent, but had sent representatives in their place. Still, citing
statistics from the Trans Needs Assessment, many activists said
it was not enough for symbolic gestures, such as a proclamation
from the Council recognizing the Day of Remembrance.
Transgender activist Ruby Corado reflected on the progress
that the transgender community has made in D.C. even while
she urged people to resist complacency.
A lot has changed and happened since our first Transgender
Day of Remembrance, Corado said. Trans people, despite all
of the advances, despite all of the wins, continue to face disparities. But I am convinced we are on the right path. l
No Trans Need Apply
A recent study by the D.C. Office of Human Rights finds a high prevalence of
hiring discrimination against transgender applicants
by John Riley
REPORT RELEASED THIS MONTH BY THE D.C.

Office of Human Rights (OHR) paints a bleak picture
for the Districts transgender residents. It found that
in almost half of all cases, employers will choose a
less-qualified cisgender applicant over more qualified transgender applicants.
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NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
We hope this will be used as a tool to explain to people that

this discrimination is real, says Elliot Imse, a spokesman for the
OHR. The numbers are so high that anyone who looks at them
would have to walk away with a better understanding of the
impact they have on trans peoples ability to seek employment.
Even more disheartening, Imse notes, is that OHR deliberate-
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
LGBTNews
ly tried to control for other factors that could sway employers
responses. For instance, other studies have shown that people
who are older, people of color, or people with African-American
sounding names tend to be more likely to be discriminated
against. As such, OHR made all of their transgender and cisgender applicants younger, with no gaps in their employment
history and names that were perceived to be white.
These would-be applicants were among the most privileged in terms of race, class and educational level. That they
still experienced anti-transgender discrimination, means that
the likelihood of such discrimination in places without the
Districts robust nondiscrimination laws would be much
higher, Imse says.
Its terrible news, but not too surprising, says Ilona
Turner, the legal director of the Transgender Law Center.
Unfortunately, the results shown in the D.C. study are not that
uncommon, and, in fact, track the results of the largest and most
robust survey to date, which similarly found that around 50 percent of transgender people had been fired, not hired, or denied a
promotion because they were transgender.
Turner says that for transgender job seekers, one of the positive developments is that courts and administrative agencies
such as the Equality Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) are beginning to recognize that anti-transgender discrimination constitutes sex discrimination, which is prohibited
under Title VII.
That means that in every state in the country, a transgender person who experiences discrimination or thinks theyve
experienced discrimination, can go into their local EEOC office
and file a complaint, says Turner. The EEOC will investi-
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NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
gate, mediate, and, if necessary, prosecute that case against

the employer. This is also the interpretation of Title VII that
the Department of Justice has adopted in a memo from the
Attorney General directing the department to use this interpretation of Title VII in all of its legal work.
Selisse Berry, founder and CEO of Out & Equal Workplace
Advocates, believes part of the solution to solving discrimination includes bringing about a shift in workplace attitudes,
which will change as more transgender people decide to come
out at work. To help facilitate that, Out & Equal Workplace
Advocates tries to provide guidelines that can help employers
become more knowledgeable about the LGBT community and
the issues that LGBT employees may face.
Many employers, particularly Fortune 500 companies, are
much more aware of LGBT issues than they used to be when
Berry began doing diversity training 20 years ago. But she also
notes that peoples familiarity with the transgender community
still lags behind their LGB counterparts.
Theres still a lot of discrimination, and its based on fear
more than anything, says Berry. Its not really understanding
transgender people. And for employers, its often, What does
this mean financially? Are they going to need special accommodations?
Thats a lot of the work we do, to educate employers, she
says. We provide guidelines for people about transitioning on
the job, and guidelines for employers to understand the stepby-step method to just demystify it. And recognize that this is
the same person with the same skills and experience. And you
can retain those skills and that experience just by following a
few steps. l
scene
Transgender Day Of
Remebrance at
MCC DC
Friday, November 20
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!
Photography by
Ward Morrison
SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
11
LGBTCommunityCalendar
Metro Weeklys Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-area
LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.
Event information should be sent by email to calendar@MetroWeekly.com.
Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursdays publication.
Questions about the calendar may be directed to the
Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or
the calendar email address.
THURSDAY, NOV. 26
IDENTITY offers free and confiden-
The DC Center hosts a
THANKSGIVING DAY
CELEBRATION for all those with-
tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,

414 East Diamond Ave., and in
Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire
Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.
For appointments other hours, call
Gaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or
Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.
out plans for the holiday. Hosted

by Center Global and Center Aging.
Bring your own dish to share, music,
and board games for entertainment.
1-4 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment

needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.
202-638-0750.
WEEKLY EVENTS
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL
HEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5
p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). Call 202-291-4707, or visit

andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)
practice session at Takoma Aquatic

Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9
p.m. swimdcac.org.
DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and les-
bian square-dancing group features

mainstream through advanced square
dancing at the National City Christian
Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30
p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,
dclambdasquares.org.
The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern
Virginia social group meets for happy
hour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810
Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor
bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor

Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000. Visit whitmanwalker.org.
12
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROHEALTH CENTER offers
p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for

youth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155
or testing@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics

Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,
3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group is
independent of UHU. 202-446-1100.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,
13-21, interested in leadership development. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,
catherine.chu@smyal.org.
FRIDAY, NOV. 27
ADVENTURING outdoors group
hikes an easy-to-moderate 7-mile

circuit in northern Rock Creek Park.
Bring beverages, lunch, and the
$2 trip fee. Meet at 10 a.m. at the
entrance to the Silver Spring Metro
Station; should return around 3 p.m.
Brett, 703-914-1439. adventuring.org.
GAY MARRIED MENS

ASSOCIATION (GAMMA) is a con-
fidential support group for men who

are gay, bisexual, questioning and
who are married or involved with
a woman, that meets on the second
and fourth Fridays of the month in
Dupont Circle at 7:30 p.m. GAMMA
also offers additional meeting times
and places for men in Northern
Virginia and Maryland. For more
information: GAMMAinDC.org.
METROWEEKLY.COM
WEEKLY EVENTS
BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today

for Food & Friends. To participate,
visit burgundycrescent.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707 or andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by

members of the LGBT community,
holds Saturday morning Shabbat services, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddush
luncheon. Services in DCJCC
Community Room, 1529 16th St. NW.
betmish.org.
p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707, andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including

others interested in Brazilian culture,
meets. For location/time, email braziliangaygroup@yahoo.com.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-
tice session at Hains Point, 927 Ohio

Dr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.


Dr., SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social club welcomes all levels for

exercise in a fun and supportive environment, socializing afterward. Meet
9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for a
walk; or 10 a.m. for fun run.
dcfrontrunners.org.
DC SENTINELS basketball team

202-638-0750.
meets at Turkey Thicket Recreation

Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4
p.m. For players of all levels, gay or
straight. teamdcbasketball.org.
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-
DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for
affirming social group for ages 11-24.

4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.
Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422,
layc-dc.org.
SMYALS REC NIGHT provides

a social atmosphere for GLBT and
questioning youth, featuring dance
parties, vogue nights, movies and
games. More info, catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
LGBT community, family and friends.

6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-theHill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria.
All welcome. For more info, visit
dignitynova.org.
GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discusses

critical languages and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellies, 900 U St. NW.
RVSP preferred. brendandarcy@
gmail.com.

youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,
410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155,
testing@smyal.org.
IDENTITY offers free and confidential
SATURDAY, NOV. 28
SUNDAY, NOV. 29

hikes 7 moderate miles with 1400
feet of elevation gain in the northern
section of Shenandoah National Park.
Bring beverages, lunch, sturdy boots
and about $13 for fees. Carpool at
9 a.m. from the East Falls Church
Metro Station. Craig, 202-462-0535.
adventuring.org.

hikes about 7 easy-to-moderate miles
through Rosslyn to Teddy Roosevelt
Island, Iwo Jima Memorial, and
Arlington Cemetery. Bring beverages,
lunch, and the $2 trip fee. Meet at 10
a.m. inside the Rosslyn Metro Station
by the station attendants kiosk.
Theresa, 252-876-1469.
adventuring.org.
HIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676

New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walkins 12-3 p.m. For appointments other
hours, call 301-422-2398.
CHRYSALIS arts & culture group visits the National Gallery of Art to see
rare Vermeer masterpiece Woman
In Blue Reading A Letter, plus other
exhibitions. Free; non-members welcome. Meet at 11 a.m. inside the 6th &
Constitution Avenue NW lobby of the
Old (West) Building. Lunch follows.
Craig, 202-462-0535. craighowell1@
verizon.net.
WEEKLY EVENTS
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS
MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m.,
High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral
Ave. NW. 202-232-4244,
allsoulsdc.org.
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive

and radically inclusive church holds
services at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota
Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio
swimdcac.org.
DIGNITYUSA offers Roman Catholic

Mass for the LGBT community. 6
p.m., St. Margarets Church, 1820
Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.
Sign interpreted. For more info, visit
dignitynova.org.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED

CHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes all
to 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.
firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.
FRIENDS MEETING OF
WASHINGTON meets for worship,
10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,

Quaker House Living Room (next to
Meeting House on Decatur Place),
2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbians
and gays. Handicapped accessible
from Phelps Place gate. Hearing
assistance. quakersdc.org.
HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF

CHRIST welcomes GLBT commu-
nity for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130

Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria.
hopeucc.org.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT

GROUP for gay men living in the DC
metro area. This group will be meeting once a month. For information on
location and time, email to not.the.
only.one.dc@gmail.com.
INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL

DEVELOPMENT, God-centered new
age church & learning center. Sunday

Services and Workshops event. 5419
Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.org.
Join LINCOLN CONGREGATIONAL
TEMPLE UNITED CHURCH OF

CHRIST for an inclusive, loving and
progressive faith community every

Sunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW,
near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood.
lincolntemple.org.
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF
REFORMATION invites all to Sunday
worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is

available at both services. Welcoming
LGBT people for 25 years. 212 East
Capitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. Onetta
Brooks. Childrens Sunday School, 11
a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.
703-691-0930, mccnova.com.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)

and 11 a.m. Childrens Sunday School
at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-6387373, mccdc.com.
NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN

CHURCH, inclusive church with
GLBT fellowship, offers gospel worship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional worship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.
202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.
RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,

a Christ-centered, interracial, welcoming-and-affirming church, offers
service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202554-4330, riversidedc.org.
ST. STEPHEN AND THE
INCARNATION, an interracial,
multi-ethnic Christian Community

offers services in English, 8 a.m. and
10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.
1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,
saintstephensdc.org.
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF
ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-
and-affirming congregation, offers

services at 10 a.m. Virginia Rainbow
UU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd.
uucava.org.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING
invites LGBTQ families and individuals of all creeds and cultures to join
the church. Services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m.
10309 New Hampshire Ave. uucss.org.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL
MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-
ing and inclusive church. GLBT

Interweave social/service group
meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,
Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.
NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.
MONDAY, NOV. 30
The DC Center and Rainbow
Families DC host an ADOPTION
INFORMATION NIGHT for individuals and families interested in
exploring the possibility of adoption.
6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
13
WEEKLY EVENTS

Dr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.
GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at
Quaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. NW.

getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
HIV Testing at WHITMANWALKER HEALTH. At the Elizabeth
Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th
St. NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max
Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave.
SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit
whitman-walker.org.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY

(K.I.) SERVICES, 3333 Duke St.,
Alexandria, offers free rapid HIV

testing and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
703-823-4401.
free, rapid HIV testing. No appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite
200, Arlington. Appointments:
703-789-4467.

410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or
testing@smyal.org.
THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee DropIn for the Senior LGBT Community.
10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202682-2245, thedccenter.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gay
mens evening affinity group. 3636

Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATER

POLO TEAM practices 7-9 p.m.
Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van

Buren St. NW. Newcomers with at
least basic swimming ability always
welcome. Tom, 703-299-0504, secretary@wetskins.org, wetskins.org.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH
HIV/AIDS Support Group for newly

diagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.
Registration required. 202-939-7671,
hivsupport@whitman-walker.org.
TUESDAY, DEC. 1
Whitman-Walker Health hosts a
WORLD AIDS DAY CANDLELIGHT

VIGIL to honor all those lost to AIDS
and reflect on the progress made in
combating and treating HIV. 6 p.m.
1525 14th St. NW. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinner in Dupont/Logan Circle area,

6:30 p.m. afwash@aol.com,
afwashington.net.

Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW.
7:30-9 p.m. swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social club serving greater D.C.s

LGBT community and allies hosts an
evening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.
THE GAY MENS HEALTH

COLLABORATIVE offers free HIV
testing and STI screening and treatment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.
Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic,
Alexandria Health Department, 4480
King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-2149617. james.leslie@inova.org.

Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.4:30 p.m. For an appointment call
202-745-7000. Visit whitmanwalker.org.
THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THE
DC CENTER hosts Packing Party,
where volunteers assemble safe-sex

kits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,
Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.
thedccenter.org.

HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414 East
Diamond Ave., and in Takoma Park,
7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411.
Walk-ins 2-6 p.m. For appointments
other hours, call Gaithersburg at 301300-9978 or Takoma Park at
301-422-2398.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY

(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St.,
Alexandria, offers free rapid HIV

testing and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
703-823-4401.

202-638-0750.
14
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS
LGBT focused meeting every
Tuesday, 7 p.m. St. Georges
Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave.,
Arlington, just steps from Virginia
Square Metro. For more info. call
Dick, 703-521-1999. Handicapped
accessible. Newcomers welcome.
liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.
410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155,
testing@smyal.org.
SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ
YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,
410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. Cathy
Chu, 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a support

group for black gay men 40 and older.
7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW.
202-446-1100.
Whitman-Walker Healths GAY
MENS HEALTH AND WELLNESS/

STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 1701
14th St. NW. Patients are seen on

walk-in basis. No-cost screening for
HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing
available for fee. whitman-walker.org.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2
BOOKMEN DC, an informal mens
gay-literature group, discusses
Truman Capotes Breakfast at
Tiffanys. 7:30 p.m. Cleveland Park
Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW.
All are welcome.
bookmendc.blogspot.com.
The DC Center hosts a special 10th
Anniversary staged reading of THE
INFECTION MONOLOGUES, a play
exploring the experience of living
with HIV. 6-9 p.m. Human Rights
Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Ave.
NW. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIAL

BRIDGE CLUB meets for Social
Bridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center,

721 8th St SE (across from Marine
Barracks). No reservations and partner needed. All welcome.
301-345-1571.
WEEKLY EVENTS
AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-
versation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,

Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome.
For more information, call Fausto
Fernandez, 703-732-5174.

Dr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH
offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.

and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.
Washington St., Alexandria. 703-5491450, historicchristchurch.org.

Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.4:30 p.m. For an appointment call
202-745-7000. Visit whitmanwalker.org.
tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414

East Diamond Ave. Walk-ins 2-7 p.m.
Gaithersburg at 301-300-9978.
JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-
gram for job entrants and seekers,

meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m.
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
info, www.centercareers.org.
free, rapid HIV testing. No appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite
200, Arlington. Appointments:
703-789-4467.
PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social

club for mature gay men, hosts
weekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,
Windows Bar above Dupont Italian
Kitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl,
703-573-8316.
THURSDAY, DEC. 3
WEEKLY EVENTS
p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). Call 202-291-4707, or visit

andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9
p.m. swimdcac.org.
DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and

lesbian square-dancing group features
mainstream through advanced square
dancing at the National City Christian
Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30
p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,
dclambdasquares.org.
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
15
The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern

Virginia social group meets for happy
hour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810
Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor
bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.

tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,

414 East Diamond Ave., and in
Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire
Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.
Gaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or
Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.

410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155,
testing@smyal.org.
SATURDAY, DEC. 5
WEEKLY EVENTS

youth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155
or testing@smyal.org.
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by

members of the LGBT community,
holds Saturday morning Shabbat services, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddush
luncheon. Services in DCJCC
Community Room, 1529 16th St. NW.
betmish.org.
13-21, interested in leadership development. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth

Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,
catherine.chu@smyal.org.
FRIDAY, DEC. 4
WEEKLY EVENTS

Dr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.


202-638-0750.
METROWEEKLY.COM
SMYALS REC NIGHT provides a

social atmosphere for GLBT and questioning youth, featuring dance parties,
vogue nights, movies and games. More
info, catherine.chu@smyal.org.
p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707 or andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
affirming social group for ages 11-24.

4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.
Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422,
layc-dc.org.

202-638-0750.
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics

Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,
3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group is
independent of UHU. 202-446-1100.
16
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including

others interested in Brazilian culture,
meets. For location/time, email braziliangaygroup@yahoo.com.
swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social club welcomes all levels for

exercise in a fun and supportive environment, socializing afterward. Meet
9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for a
walk; or 10 a.m. for fun run.
dcfrontrunners.org.
DC SENTINELS basketball team
meets at Turkey Thicket Recreation

Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4
p.m. For players of all levels, gay or
straight. teamdcbasketball.org.
DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for
LGBT community, family and friends.

6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-theHill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria.
All welcome. For more info, visit
dignitynova.org.
GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discusses

critical languages and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellies, 900 U St. NW.
RVSP preferred. brendandarcy@
gmail.com.
HIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676

New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walkins 12-3 p.m. For appointments other
hours, call 301-422-2398. l
Life After AIDS

Desert Migrations Daniel Cardone on PrEP, coming out positive,
and taking life with HIV one day at a time
DESERT MIGRATION
I nterview by John R iley
ts been trendy for a while to support HIV, but it

never really became brave in the same way as cancer, or breast cancer, or things like that, says Daniel
Cardone. One of the people we interviewed but
whose story wasnt included in the film said, Its not
sexy anymore. And I think thats true.
Cardone is the writer and director of Desert
Migration, a film chronicling the lives of 13 gay men from Palm
Springs, Calif., who are long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS. For
the Australian-born directors subjects, Palm Springs was supposed to be an ending, a quiet, isolated place where they could
resettle and allow the disease they were diagnosed with to run
its course.
But the introduction of new generations of antiretroviral
drugs changed all that. With the lifesaving medication, these
gay men have now found themselves, as one puts it, back from
the dead, struggling to cope with the inevitable aging process,
their various health issues, the growing sense of isolation, even
survivors guilt.
The tribal inhabitants of this land always saw it as a healing place, Cardone says of Palm Springs. There were natural
springs here its an oasis, more or less. So its always had an
association with being a healing, special place in the middle of
the desert. There was always that draw of people coming here,
so that when they did become sick, it seemed like a natural place
to retreat to.
In exploring the lives of the long-term survivors, Cardone,
himself HIV-positive, came to closely examine his own life and
appreciate his own good fortune.
These people have lost so much more than I have, he says.
A lot of them were literally on deaths door, and then kind of
picked up and rebuilt their whole lives. They lost their friends,
they lost their jobs, they lost their homes. I havent ever been
in that situation. So putting myself in someones shoes like that
made me so incredibly grateful for what I do have. And it also
made me feel very privileged that they entrusted me to take their
stories and share them with the world.
To commemorate World AIDS Day, Cardone will appear in
Washington for a Reel Affirmations-sponsored screening of his
film on Friday, Dec. 4 at HRC. Hell also take part in a follow-up
panel discussion that will examine the ongoing problem of HIV/
AIDS. Cardone admits hes often shocked by the sheer ignorance
surrounding HIV in mainstream society even among members
of the LGBT community, who still speak of HIV as if it were the
height of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and early 90s.
Ive been enveloped in a community here that is very HIVMETROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
17
METRO WEEKLY: Tell me about your childhood.

DANIEL CARDONE: Both my parents are Italian
immigrants to Australia, so they came over

when they were kids, and met and married in
Australia. And they had me and my brother.
We lived in Adelaide, South Australia I
spent twenty-five years there, growing up. We
were raised Roman Catholic, went to a private
school, but my parents got divorced pretty
18
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
early on, which at that point was unheard of

for a good Italian Catholic family. My mother
went off to pursue a teaching career, and my
dad was a real estate agent and then quit to
become a painter. So that was the household
we grew up in. Sort of a big Italian family, but a
bit fragmented, I think you could say.
MW: Were you aware of your sexuality as a child?
CARDONE: Oh, yes, definitely. It was one of
CARDONE BY GEOF TEAGUE
CARDONE
aware, talks very openly about it, seems to be up on the knowledge, and it not oppressive or not
attaching stigma to it, Cardone says. So youre kind of living in the ghetto, where you think
everythings fine. And when you step out of that ghetto, youre in shock that people still have these
antiquated views about being HIV-positive.
He believes the stigma surrounding the virus may stem from moral judgments. Society often
casts those suffering from HIV/AIDS as dirty or as being punished for their actions, particularly at
a time when sex is still often seen as shameful.
I think theres still this moral outrage and stigma associated with it that doesnt go to any other
disease, besides ones that are sexually transmitted or that result from blood-to-blood contact, such
as intravenous drug use, Cardone adds. People think its a scandalous, dark thing that you did
that caused you to become positive, so, therefore, you are a bad person. Like with Charlie Sheen,
one of the questions has been, How do you think you got it? And its irrelevant how he got it. But
people still feel they have to ask that question.
While Cardone strives for an objective tone in presenting his subject matter, he hopes the film will
elicit reactions and provoke discussions. And the more powerful or emotional the reaction, the better
particularly if the viewer is willing to share their interpretation of the film and its impact on them.
This is why I make movies. I want people to discuss them, he says. I dont want to make films
where you turn off your brain for an hour-and-a-half.
those things of never having

to question my sexuality. It
was always like, Oh, thats
what I am. So even the earliest memories I can have was
definitely identifying queer,
as such, that feeling of difference. And then that solidified
into being attracted to other
men. But more just a general feeling apart from being
sexually attracted to men,
just the feeling that you think
about things differently. And
so I more associate with the
queer label, I think, because
of that.
MW: Whats your earliest memory of being different?
CARDONE: I was always just
that eccentric kid. I was talking like Quentin Crisp when I
was six years old. My mother
can quote me saying certain
things, where I kind of look
back and I say, Oh my God, I
was one of those children. It
wasnt necessarily being camp,
but more like a five-year-old
who thinks hes Oscar Wilde,
but doesnt have a concept
of what Oscar Wilde actually
is. And so I would have this
accent, and talk in this English
way. Even to this day, I dont
talk like anyone else in my
family. I dont have an accent
like anyone else in my family.
I kind of invented this way of
talking. I was always wanting to be in an imaginative
state of mind. So I was a very
introspective child, but it was
an incredibly rich world that I
was inhabiting.
MW: Is that imagination and
inventiveness what inspired
your career in film?
CARDONE: I was always filmobsessed. My parents were
always frustrated because if I
wasnt reading a book, I would
want to watch a movie. And I
wouldnt go outside and play,
I wouldnt do anything like
that. It was always books and
movies, and then movies took
over. I always wanted to be a
filmmaker and to know how
movies were made. It was a
natural fit, because I was in
Adelaide, and the only place
that had a film course was
DESERT MIGRATION
Flinders University. I went there in 1989, I think, and was there

for three years before I dropped out. So I never actually finished
university. But I made quite a few movies while I was there.
And then I went to work for an organization called the Media
Resource Center, which would help community groups, or minority groups, or anyone who wants to, really, get access to film equipment and editing materials and computers to help them make
their own movies. So from an early point in my development, I
was always working with underrepresented groups and helping
them tell their stories. I think that was pretty influential in a way.
Which is ironic, considering Ive made a movie almost completely
with white men, because its completely not how I lived my life,
and really not where my interests lie in telling stories. But it just so
happens to fit the demographic of where I am now.
MW: Is it a demographic you identify with because you are also
HIV-positive?
CARDONE: Yes, I am HIV-positive. Id feel very hypocritical if I
made a movie where I asked other people to be very open about
it, and I wasnt open about it, too. Ive been positive for about
twenty years. But my experience was very different from a lot of
men in the movie. I received my diagnosis in 1995. The protease
inhibitors had been out for a little while. So the tide had somehow
turned a little bit. And I also wasnt in the thick of it. I was in a
gay relationship, but I didnt have a whole lot of gay friends, and
certainly no one who had actually been directly affected by this.
And it turned out that my local doctor, whom I saw regularly,
happened to be one of the states foremost authorities on HIV/
AIDS. I was very lucky that I received the diagnosis from him. He
immediately put me at ease. The way it was looked at, at that particular time, was youd get tested every three months and want
to take your viral load and your T-cells, and if that was holding,
they wouldnt put you on medication. For that Im actually kind
of thankful, because I missed any of the meds that might have
had harmful side effects at that time. So that kind of went along
for seven years before my viral load started to creep up, and they
finally put me on meds. Its a lot different from today, where I
think the attitude is, Put them on meds straight away, and lets
get that viral load undetectable as soon as possible, which, as
weve seen, is the best way to prevent passing it on to anyone.
MW: Some people liken revealing their serostatus to telling people
theyre LGBT people with HIV/AIDS also have to come out.
Do you find there are parallels between those two experiences?
CARDONE: I think in a lot of ways its harder to come out as HIVpositive. Especially now, theres so much positive reinforcement
about being gay and being proud and things like that. But still,
as weve seen, especially with Charlie Sheen coming out, theres
a whole lot of misperceptions in the media about HIV, and the
way theyre still talking about it as if its still a dirty thing, as if its
something you should be ashamed about, its still scandalous. So
I think its much harder to come out as HIV-positive.
My own personal story is a lot of my close friends knew, but I
didnt tell my parents until late last year. And one of the reasons
I didnt tell them was I didnt want them to worry, I didnt want
them to freak out. Because I knew the early exposure they had to it
was pretty much when AIDS was a deadly plague headline. And
so their thinking probably hadnt advanced as much. But then last
year, I was thinking, Im making this film, its going to come out.
I need to tell them first before I can talk openly in the media about
it. I was realizing that I was in the closet with myself.
My partner is also HIV-positive, and all of our close friends
know. But in terms of letting my parents know, and letting the
larger straight community that I was friends with know, thats
where I was really having difficulty coming out about it. At first
I was like, They dont need to know. But then finally I thought,
No, they need to know everything. And its been fine. The
positive response I received from my parents was actually very
empowering and pleasing to me. There was no judgment at all.
They were just concerned for my welfare, and could see how
good I was doing, and that I wasnt unwell. And so they were
really just happy that I was dealing with it, and that it was okay,
and they completely understood why I had kept it a secret from
them as well. That was another thing that I thought theyd be
angry about. Oh, my god, you had this big thing, and you didnt
tell us. But, no, they were really great about it. And I havent
had any sort of negative response to disclosing my status, except
among people on Scruff and things like that. You face a bit of
ignorance there, which is most unpleasant.
MW: How did you get the idea for Desert Migration, to profile
these 13 people who were long-term survivors of HIV?
CARDONE: I dont remember the initial spark of the idea. I do
remember I needed to make a film. I call myself a filmmaker, and
I hadnt made a film in two years. I was doing a lot of writing, but
I needed to make something, so I was looking around the environment, thinking, Whats in front of me? What can I pick up
from? And I had just worked shooting second unit on another
documentary, The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne. That inspired
me. I thought, Well, I can pull together a documentary on a
small budget, and it occurred to me that a lot of my friends had
stories that I hadnt seen documented on film before. Theres
been films like We Were Here, which is a particularly moving
portrait of what had happened in San Francisco during the epidemic years. And then there was How to Survive a Plague, which
was almost sort of a documentary-thriller about how ACT UP
and organizations managed to get healthcare for people, and
access to drugs. But it occurred to me that there was nothing
really about whats happening to people who lived through this,
what are their lives like, and I wanted to do something that
was a little more philosophical and a meditation on aging, and
purpose in life. People who have lost almost everything, how do
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
19
Your libido doesnt go away just because you are

HIV-positive and over 50. I wanted to show older
skin and flesh and nudity and sexual activity
without it turning into porn.
I WANTED TO SHOW THE

FLIRTING, THE SEXUAL ACTIVITY,
THE INTIMACY.
they get up and get on with their lives?
Theres an unwritten rule of documentaries where the first
thing you need is access to your subjects. I had great access to
all of these people and theyre in this awesome landscape of the
desert, so it just seemed like a natural fit to me. Doing it in this
particular style came from things that Ive wanted to pursue
since film school, which was to tackle documentary subjects in
a different way, in a very cinematic ways. So I set some parameters: I said, Were not going to have any talking heads. I want
to have it focus on close-ups of faces combined with landscapes.
And it basically sprung from there, and it kept getting bigger and
bigger and bigger.
MW: How did you decide which people to profile?
CARDONE: It was a bit of a scattershot approach at first. I was
just talking to everyone. I ended up interviewing thirty people,
and then just kept whittling it down. We filmed about twenty,
I think, and then cut it down to the thirteen you see. So it was
quite a wide swath of people, but I think it came down to a combination of elements. One was how people came across visually,
and whether their story was particularly unique or different.
And whether they were saying something that no one else in
the film had said already. And if they were, which person had
said it better. Which person was more representative of the idea
I wanted to express. And which people had more interesting
things going on in their lives that I could film them doing.
Obviously, someone like Doc in the film is a natural, because
visually hes covered in tattoos, he looks interesting. He works
part-time in a piercing parlor. Hes in AA and sponsors people.
He rides a motorcycle. So theres a lot going on with him, visually, that I can use. Most people seem to have a combination of
those that I thought would make a good film. At certain times
you had to make a tough call on the basis of that, like someone
you liked a lot personally doesnt really have what it takes to
hold peoples interest on film. So youre going back and forth on
decisions on the basis of whats important to tell, what do I want
to tell, and what works with the overall flow of the film, and
sometimes you have to make really tough calls.
MW: All of the subjects in the film are older gay men of a certain
age. Did you ever consider using a woman or a younger gay man,
for example? Or did you want to focus on people who fit a certain
profile?
CARDONE: They definitely had to be of a certain age, so covering
somebody younger was not part of my framework. They all had to
be people who had experienced those mid-80s horror years, for
lack of a better term. In terms of featuring a woman, I did think
seriously about it. And I decided, in the end, that I was just going
to focus on this admittedly very small cross-section, because it
felt more cohesive. It felt like if I went with a female story, it
would take it out on a different tangent, and I was having trouble
keeping everything together and focused as it was. So I made this
choice to keep it as a very unified cross-section, even though I
realized that I was probably limiting myself in that way. It wasnt
20
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
necessarily a decision that was based on I dont think this story

is interesting, as much as I think this is going to go off on a tangent, and I wont be able to give it the attention it deserves. So it
was making that decision on the basis of that, that I didnt think
I could focus on the story enough of a female perspective, and
make it unique and interesting, without it seeming like something
that was too separate from the whole of the film.
Im fully aware the scope is very limited: were looking at
a very specific group of gay men, in a specific place, at a specific time. I think what is universal for everyone is that were all
growing old, and were all going to face difficulties and infirmities. We need to address those things in terms of how we live our
lives on a day-to-day level. My personal belief is that the choice
is with us as to how we want to live our lives, or present to the
world, or deal with the challenges live presents to us. And the
challenge of the movie to any audience is to say: what choices
are you making? How do you choose to live your life? I think
thats a problem that everyone has, whether youre gay, straight,
HIV-positive or not. Particularly making that choice in the face
of growing older, losing friends, not feeling as good as you used
to. But then its about finding that resilience and strength to then
go on choosing actions that make your life a more positive place
to be. I think that is the overall theme of the film.
MW: The documentary is very heavy at times, with several sad
moments. Did you ever worry about addressing heavy issues without overwhelming your audience?
CARDONE: I did. My thing is, I dont find it heavy at all. This is
not depressing to me. And maybe its just because my level for
depressing is really high I can watch really dark stuff and not
have it affect me at all. I saw it as just honest. I thought, I just
need to keep this honest, and if theyre dark, theyre dark. Im
not going to put a happy, rosy glow over this, and end it with
a platitude about Lets all hold hands and think positively and
everything will be fine. Because you have to look things dead-on
and confront them for what they are.
I think the takeaway from the movie, or what I hope people
will get from it, is that life goes on. Life perseveres. We find
a way. All of these people are still getting on, even if theyre
depressed one day, or their back is covered in sores, or theyre
having side effects from the medication. Theyre still getting up
every day. Theyre still getting on with their lives, even if their
lives basically consist of folding laundry and going to the gym.
They still get up. Thats why the film is structured like a single
day, and then theres a morning of the next day. Posing that question at the end of the movie: Ive got a day. What am I going to
do with it? Thats the challenge.
And thats the challenge for every single person whos alive
in the world. Some people dont even question that. Some people
just get up and get on with their day. Other people have huge
trauma to overcome to get to the next morning, but they still get
up and do it. Its more about that idea of finding purpose, and still
finding the will to get up and go. To me, thats not a depressing
thing, but an honest thing, and it doesnt put the blinders on.
MW: You dont shy away from giving glimpses of sexuality in the
movie. You show Eric having a hook-up come over and he sets up
the sling. You see Steve and Jeff in bed together. Did you do that
intentionally, or was it just part of covering their everyday lives?
CARDONE: It was absolutely 100 percent intentional. And not
so much because they were HIV-positive, but that they were
older men. It was important for me to show older sexuality on
the screen, and not in like, just the sexy muscle daddy kind of
way. It was more to show that your libido doesnt go away just
because you are HIV-positive and over 50 or over 60. You still
have those desires. And I wanted to show that. I wanted to show
older skin and flesh and nudity and sexual activity without it
turning into porn. So it was important to show that, and show
it in a very matter-of-fact kind of way. I wanted to show that
socialization, the flirting, the sexual activity, the intimacy. I
didnt want to shy away from any of that. And so it was important
that I just put it up there. They can see Docs pierced scrotum,
they can see Jeff and Steve getting cuddly in the morning, they
can see Eric about to fist someone in the sling. Its all out there.
And Im not judging it, Im not commenting on it, Im just putting it up there in an objective fashion, and people can react to it
however they want.

MW: Have newer advances like PrEP changed the way that some
people in the community are looking at HIV/AIDS?

CARDONE: I know its changed the landscape for me personally.
PrEP started emerging about halfway through the filmmaking

process, so I couldnt really find a way to work it into the film in a
meaningful way. But every one of the men in the film said that if
something like PrEP had been around, they would have taken it,
no questions asked. They would have just said, Im doing this.
And so a lot of them seem bewildered that theres even a debate
about making PrEP more readily available, or advocating PrEP
as a prevention method. They find that mystifying. Theyre like,
All of our friends died from this. If we had had access to this,
we would have been begging to take the drug, if we could have
avoided this. So why are we debating it now? l
A special screening of Desert Migration, presented by Reel
Affirmations in commemoration of World AIDS Day, will be held
on Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Human Rights Campaign, 1640
Rhode Island Ave. NW. The screening will be followed by a discussion panel featuring Daniel Cardone. Tickets start at $25. Visit
reelaffirmations.org or call 202-682-2245.
Calendar of World AIDS Day Events

December 1
The band BETTY is performing a holiday concert at The
Hamilton. A portion of ticket sales benefit WhitmanWalker Health. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at
7:30 p.m. 600 14th St. NW. For more information, visit
hellobetty.com.
The Gay Mens Health Collaborative hosts a Know Your
Status Testing Event as part of World AIDS Day. Free
confidential HIV and STD testing, screening and treatment. Refreshments and raffle prizes for attendees.
6 p.m. Alexandria Health Department, 4480 King St.
Alexandria, Va. For more information, visit inova.org.
Whitman-Walker Health is holding a Charity Bike Ride
at FlyWheel Indoor Cycling Studio in Dupont Circle.
Registration starts at 8 p.m., ride runs from 8:30-9:30
p.m. 1927 Florida Ave. NW. For more information, visit
whitman-walker.org.
Whitman-Walker Health holds Free HIV Testing in honor
of World AIDS Day. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 846 Bladensburg Rd.
NE. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
Whitman-Walker Health hosts a World AIDS Day
Candlelight Vigil to honor all those lost to AIDS and
reflect on the progress made in combating and treating
HIV. 6 p.m. 1525 14th St. NW, 6th Floor. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
December 2
The DC Center hosts a 10th Anniversary staged reading
of The Infection Monologues, a play about the experi-
ence of living with HIV. Food and beverages provided.

Reception at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m. Human Rights
Campaign 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
December 4
Reel Affirmations XTRA: Washington, D.C.s International
LGBT Monthly film series, in partnership with the Human
Rights Campaign, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, HOPE
DC, Whitman-Walker Health and Galley Catering feature a screening of Desert Migration. The screening
is followed by a Q&A moderated by Justin Goforth of
Whitman-Walker Health, with director Daniel Cardone,
John Hassell and Mike McVicker-Weaver of AIDS
Healthcare Foundation, and community activists Cliff
Gilbert and Wallace Corbett. 7-10 p.m. Human Rights
Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. For more information, contact Kimberley Bush, Kimberley@thedccenter.org or call 202-682-2245.
December 5
SoulCycle hosts a second Charity Bike Ride to benefit
Whitman-Walker Health in honor of World AIDS Day.
Ride registration starts at 1:30 p.m., ride runs from 2-3
p.m. 601 Massachusetts Ave. NW. For more information,
visit whitman-walker.org.
December 12
Zengo hosts a third Charity Bike Ride to benefit
Whitman-Walker Health in honor of World AIDS Day.
Ride registration starts at 2 p.m., ride runs from 2:303:30 p.m. 1508 14th St. NW. For more information, visit
whitman-walker.org. l
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
21
Positive Portrayals
A decade after its debut, The Infection Monologues

co-creator Alex Garner still sees a need for
modern-day HIV stories
by
22
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
Doug Rule
says Alex Garner. But the

reaction to that discouraged
me.
The founding editor of
Positive Frontiers, Garner was
troubled by the negative reactions to Sheens announcement that hed been HIVpositive for several years.
People immediately leapt to
this notion of criminality and
assigning blame and thats
where stigma comes from, he
says. Its also very easy for
people to either slut-shame
or talk about prostitutes and
pornstars, and how theyre the
ones that people get the disease from.
Sheen himself didnt play
that sexually repressing blame
game, instead taking responsibility for his actions and
displaying a nearly unprecedented level of maturity. His
respectable handling of the
situation was in contrast not
only to his attackers, especially one-time co-star Jenny
McCarthy, but also to another
former television star who
stoked controversy just a few
months ago when he, too,
revealed his HIV-positive status. But Danny Pintauro went
overboard in detailing and
theorizing how his seroconversion might have occurred,
in ways that strained credulity
and passed blame.
My instant reaction was,
We never have to explain how
we got it, because that perpetuates stigma, Garner says.
When you get the flu, you
dont pretend to know exactly
who gave it to you. You just
get better.
Garner says that the sensa-
SHAWN BARBER
Up until
this Charlie
Sheen stuff
happened, I
would have
said that
society has
gotten better,
Next week, Garner will stage a 10th anniversary reading of

The Infection Monologues in a co-presentation with the National
Minority AIDS Council, the DC Center, and the Human Rights
Campaign. In addition to Garner, other performers at the reading include Brant Miller of the DC Center, HIV activist Mark
King of MyFabulousDisease.com, Shawn Jain of WhitmanWalker Clinic and local actors Cedric Gum and Samy Hayder
Younes.
Garner has not made many changes to the script in the intervening decade. Most notable has been the rise of treatment as
prevention for HIV-negative people. PrEP has been a game
changer, Garner says. Its shifted the whole stigma around
HIV. To the point that theres far more communication and
interaction, including sexual, between HIV-positive and HIVnegative men now than ever before. The reading will be really
instructive, he says, to think about how he might update the
play to include experiences with PrEP and try to capture this
really exciting period around HIV.
And on that score, Garner sees at least one affirming mainstream portrayal of todays reality: the ABC drama How To Get
Away With Murder features an HIV-positive, gay, supporting
character and has included discussion of PrEP for his HIVnegative sexual partners. I appreciate that that poz character
has retained his sexuality, Garner says. Thats such an important part of our humanity. l
The 10th Anniversary Staged Reading of The Infection
Monologues is Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m., at HRC, 1640
Rhode Island Ave. NW. Food and beverages will be provided at this
free World AIDS Day Event. Call 800-777-4723 or visit hrc.org for
more information.
SHAWN BARBER
tional reaction to Sheens status is indicative of a relative lack of

attention and awareness in the broader, straight culture to the
changing face of HIV/AIDS. Older adults still remember it as
a death sentence, or one that involves lots of pain and suffering
and adverse medical reactions. Theres this fear still attached to
it because people havent evolved from their 20-year-old perception of what it was.
But admittedly, even the Pintauro incident isnt helped by the
current state of play: You can point to very few healthy, out and
proud HIV-positive people, be they celebrities or fictional characters, in todays mainstream society and pop culture. The situation is essentially unchanged from a decade ago, when Garner
was motivated by the same lack of positive representation to
develop The Infection Monologues with sociologist Eric Rofes.
I wanted to be able to convey my experience with HIV, says
Garner, who has been living with the virus since 1996.
Armed with his own survey of gay men who had seroconverted since 2000, Rofe proposed using the research to develop
full characters offering multiple perspectives on the modernday undetectable man, modeled after Eve Enslers The Vagina
Monologues. But Garner insisted that the show had to be funny.
I didnt want it to be a heavy, maudlin approach a drama
about HIV, Garner says. Because we had too many of those
already.
Instead of overwhelming sadness, Garner worked with
other poz contributors to find the humor in common situations, from that fateful phone call when the doctor refers to
an unexpected finding, to the rejection from a prospective
HIV-negative suitor upon revealing ones status. Even the most
traumatic or embarrassing situations have their moments of
laughter in hindsight.
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
23
NOVEMBER 26 - DECEMBER 3, 2015
Compiled by Doug Rule
The Long Goodbye
DESERT MIGRATION
Desert Migration poignantly explores the

lives of 13 men with HIV/AIDS
in Palm Springs
ESERT MIGRATION (HHHHH) IS NOT AN UPBEAT FILM. IT IS NOT A JOYOUS

expose on the lives of gay men who survived the HIV/AIDS crisis. It doesnt sugar
coat history, it doesnt mollycoddle its audience. Its a frank look at life after a death
sentence, and the struggle to survive that often entails.
The film follows 13 gay men, mostly white, living with HIV and AIDS in Palm Springs. Their
experience is not that of every gay person, or every straight person, or every person of color, or
every woman diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Writer/director Daniel Cardone offers no commentary on his subjects. There are no facts, figures, or talking heads waiting to jump in. This is an
entirely subjective, gorgeously directed rumination on life with a potentially fatal disease and
its impact on every other facet of a persons being.
We watch as the men get ready for their day, be it to work, to work out, or to walk a dog.
They detail their medications. They discuss wasting, fatigue, show us their sores. Its frank, eyeopening and far from the pervasive belief that HIV is now a once-a-day pill and no side effects.
Many of the men were told they would die. Some moved to Palm Springs with the belief
that they would soon pass. I wanted to die in a place that I really loved, says Joel. But they
didnt. Medications changed everything (Just like Lazarus, we were back from the dead,
notes Keith) and suddenly those who had long since accepted their fate were forced to live
again. With the absence of certain death, they had to think about love, work, paying bills, taking
meds and having sex. Only with HIV/AIDS, there is the added stigma that society still attaches.
Steve, who lived through death, now contemplates suicide because the stigma of HIV has
left him lonely, and the lack of financial aid has left him struggling to make ends meet. Eric,
who used to measure his life in 5 year goals (somewhere around 40 I thought Im not going
to die of this), recounts younger gay men rejecting him for his status.
These men survived a holocaust, as Doc puts it, one that society has been all too quick to
sweep under the rug, particularly younger generations. Desert Migration isnt a fun film indeed
its a pretty depressing one at times but it reminds us that there are those who lived through hell
and came out the other side only to find that life isnt always worth it. Rhuaridh Marr
Desert Migration screens Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode
Island Ave. NW. Visit reelaffirmations.org or call 202-682-2245.
24
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
SPOTLIGHT
A BROADWAY CHRISTMAS CAROL
Kathy Feiningers A Broadway

Christmas Show tells the famous
Charles Dickens classic by altering
the lyrics to familiar Broadway tunes,
30 or so in all, from The Music Man
to Sweeney Todd to Annie. The result
is a pretty gay show, especially with
gay Helen Hayes Award-winning
actor Michael Sharp at the helm as
director and choreographer. In years
past, Sharp has played Scrooge, but
Peter Boyer has now assumed the bahhumbugging duties. Sharp will play
The Man Who Isnt Scrooge, Tracey
Stephens also returns as The Woman
Who Isnt Scrooge and Howard
Breitbart as music director aka The
Man Behind The Piano. I always
think of it like the Carol Burnett
Show, Sharp told Metro Weekly a
few seasons ago. [Three] people
playing a million different characters.
Sometimes we crack each other up.
You never know whats going to happen. To Dec. 27. MetroStage, 1201
North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets
are $35 to $50. Call 800-494-8497 or
visit metrostage.org.
A VERY POINTLESS
HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR
Pointless Theatre Company offers

another year of a holiday show it dubs
the North Poles 239th Annual Talent
Show, an annual irreverent cabaret
for adults featuring puppetry, improv
and a funky reindeer band this year
with new elves and acts. Pointless
was founded by Patti Kalil and Matt
Reckeweg and dedicated to performing innovative and exuberant puppet theater devised in an ensemble
approach, and the companys success
includes the 2014 Helen Hayes Award
as Outstanding Emerging Theatre
Company. Opens in pay-what-youcan previews Wednesday, Dec. 2, and
Thursday, Dec. 3, at 8 p.m. To Jan.
2. Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint
Gallery, 916 G St. NW. Tickets are
$22 to $27. Call 202-315-1310 or visit
flashpointdc.org.
BETTY, MARGOT MACDONALD
Idiosyncratic,
activist-oriented
alt-rock band Betty scored an OffBroadway musical hit over a decade
ago with Betty Rules and even performed The L Words theme song,
in addition to stops at Capital Pride
over the years. D.C. natives Alyson
Palmer and sisters Amy and Elizabeth
Ziff, who these days perform with
guitarist Tony Salvatore and drum-
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
25
mer Mino Gori, return to support the

2013 album Rise. Opening for Betty
is local slow-burn rock powerhouse
Margot MacDonald, demonstrating
her talents with live digital looping,
which adds drama and power to her
haunting vocals and progressive-styled
pop as can be heard on recent album
Canvas featuring her standout cover of
Teardrop, the Massive Attack hit and
House theme. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 7:30
p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW.
Tickets are $20 to $30. Call 202-7871000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.
BY GEORGE, BY IRA, BY GERSHWIN
A concert-in-cabaret spanning the

music from Tin Pan Alley, Hollywood
and opera, this InSeries program is
focused on the output of one of the
greatest sibling songwriting duos.
Abel Lopez directs a cast including
Pam Ward, Detra Battle, Jase Parker,
Kenneth Derby, Laura Fuentes and
Bryan Jackson, who will move with
choreography by Angelisa Gillyard
while singing standards (from I Got
Rhythm to The Man I Love to
They Cant Take That Away From
Me) accompanied by a jazz combo.
Opens Sunday, Nov. 29, at 8 p.m. To
Dec. 20. Source Theatre, 1835 14th St.
NW. Tickets are $22 to $42. Call 202204-7741 or visit inseries.org.
GLEN HANSARD,
RICHARD THOMPSON
KIM ANN FOXMAN, HONEY SOUND

SYSTEM, THE NEEDLEXCHANGE
D.C.s stellar boutique nightclub Flash

is offering gay clubgoers an early
Christmas with a de-facto Pride in
December dance party by three acts
who spun at different Capital Pride
events this past June. The headliner
is Kim Ann Foxman, a veteran singing
member of the great gay neo-disco band
Hercules & Love Affair and a fledgling
New York-based deep/underground
house DJ/producer. Before Foxman
is a set by Jason Kendig and Jackie
House (aka Jacob Sperber, aka DJ
P-Play) two members of San Francisco
collective Honey Soundsystem, whose
focus is on highlighting the queer origins of dirty disco and driving house,
both new and old. The party upstairs
in the club kicks off with a tag-team set
by Bil Todd and Tommy Cornelis, two
trendsetting DJs part of the local gay
weirdo-beardo-boys house collective
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
NATIONAL ZOOS ZOOLIGHTS
Every year the Smithsonians National

Zoo presents ZooLights, in which
more than 500,000 colorful Christmas
lights illuminate life-sized animal
silhouettes, dancing trees, buildings,
and walkways, plus a light show set
to music. All that, plus select animal
houses will be open and displaying
nocturnal creatures, including the
Small Mammal House, the Great Ape
House and Reptile Discovery Center.
And one new special event this year is
the ticketed BrewLights on Thursday,
Dec. 3, offering tastings from a dozen
breweries, including D.C.s small
Hellbender but mostly large national
brands such as Blue Moon, Brooklyn
and Starr Hill, in addition to sample
bites from D.C. restaurants Brookland
Pint, Matchbox, Meridian Pint and
Smoke & Barrel. ZooLights begins
Friday, Nov. 27, at 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Every night except Dec. 24, 25 and
31, until Jan. 2. National Zoo, 3001
Connecticut Ave. NW. Free, courtesy
of Pepco; BrewLights is $55. Call 202633-4800 or visit nationalzoo.si.edu.
SHEILA E.
IMP Productions presents this Irish

singer-songwriter, who got his start
in the group The Frames but is best
known from his work with Czech
musician Marketa Irglova in duo The
Swell Season, which led to his Tonywinning score for Once. Glen Hansard
tours in support of his second solo
recording Didnt He Ramble, on a
double-bill with Richard Thompson,
who virtually invented the concept
of British folk rock with his group
Fairport Convention and is one of
Rolling Stones Top 20 Guitarists of
All Time. Saturday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m.
D.A.R. Constitution Hall, 1776 D St.
NW. Tickets are $40. Call 202-6281776 or visit dar.org/conthall.
26
known as The NeedlExchange, or TNX

for short. Friday, Dec. 4, after 8 p.m.
Flash, 645 Florida Ave. NW. Tickets
are $5 to $12. Call 202-827-8791 or visit
flashdc.com.
Three decades after her work as a

drummer, songwriter and musical
director for Prince including on the
stupendous Purple Rain soundtrack,
which in turn launched her solo career
with The Glamorous Life Sheila E
is back. She returns to the Birchmere
a year after an electrifying show in
which she showed off her dexterous
skills in support of Icon, her first studio
album in 13 years. Offering everything
from wondrous polyrhythmic percussive runs, such as on first single Mona
Lisa, to Dont Make Me, an impressive all-vocal track in which Sheila
shows shes a vocal percussionist too
a beatboxer. Thursday, Dec. 3, at
7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount
Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are
$49.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit
birchmere.com.
THE JOFFREY BALLET:

THE NUTCRACKER
Yep, its Sugar Plum Fairy season

again. This year, the Kennedy Center
dances one last time with Robert
Joffrey and his awe-inspiring staging,
boasting larger-than-life Victorian
America scenery and costumes, and
featuring his Chicago-based companys dancers moving to Tchaikovskys
entrancing score. The Kennedy Center
Opera House Orchestra performs, with
the Arlington Childrens Chorus joining to serenade the spectacular Snow
Scene parade of ballerina-snowflakes.
The Joffrey version of The Nutcracker
will be retired after this, its 28th touring season, to be replaced with a new
version by Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. Opens
Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m., with
performances Friday, Nov. 27, through
Sunday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
METROWEEKLY.COM
Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets

are $55 to $200. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org.
THE SCIENCE OF DELICIOUS
Innovative food and drink pairings

from Chaplins are the centerpiece
of a National Geographic Live event
inspired by a story in the December
issue of National Geographic about the
science and art behind what tastes
good and bad to humans, and why
we even taste at all. Leading the discussion with be biopsychologist Julie
Mennella of the Monell Chemical
Sciences Center, who will be joined by
restaurateur Ari Wilder and chef Myo
Htun of the Asian-inspired restaurant
Chaplins in Shaw. Thursday, Dec. 3,
at 7:30 p.m. National Geographics
Grosvenor Auditorium, 1145 17th St.
NW. Tickets are $100. Call 202-8577588 or visit ngmuseum.org.
FILM
THE GOOD DINOSAUR
An enchanting computer-animated fantasy from Pixar, The Good Dinosaur

imagines a world where dinosaurs
never became extinct, allowing them to
meet our early human ancestors. Peter
Sohns film follows an unlikely friendship between one human and a bright
green Apatosaurus, and features voice
work from Jeffrey Wright, Frances
McDormand, Anna Paquin and Sam
Elliott. Opens Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.
THE HUNGER GAMES:

MOCKINGJAY PART 2
HHHHH
The final installment of the tale of civil
uprising in the country of Panem is significantly better than Mockingjay Part
1, as it includes actual things that happen (A vicious attack by Mutts! A really
nasty oil spill!) as opposed to complete
and utter lethargy. Still the movie is
likely only satisfying for fans of the
book. Theres very little emotional
connection between the characters
and even the movies core love triangle
is dealt with in a perfunctory manner. Elizabeth Banks steals every scene
shes in, Julianne Moore is reduced to
a prim harpie, Woody Harrelson does
little more than mutter a few lines, and
Stanley Tucci has a blink-and-youllmiss-it cameo. As the evil President
Snow, Donald Sutherland seems more
than ready for the ordeal to be over,
while star Jennifer Lawrence herself
just seems exhausted from spending
her days staring at green screens. The
biggest moments of wistfulness come
whenever Philip Seymour Hoffman,
who died during the making of the
film, appears onscreen. Its not much of
a flashy performance to go out on, but
its good to see him one more time, all
the same. Now playing. Area theaters.
Visit Fandango.com. (Randy Shulman)
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Just in time for the holidays, Seth

Rogen returns for another comedy
with his typical brand of humor. Rogen,
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony

Mackie are three friends who decide to
have one final Christmas Eve blowout,
with the expected alcohol and drug
consumption and celebrity cameos of
most Rogen/Evan Goldberg-produced
films. Jonathan Levine directs a film
narrated by Tracy Morgan. Now playing. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Victor Flemings 1939 adaptation of

L. Frank Baums childrens novel has
been touted as the most-watched
motion picture in history and no, not
just among gays, appreciating its star
Judy Garland and its story of a mythical Oz where all misfits are accepted.
The American Film Institutes Silver
Theatre offers another chance to see
the family favorite on the big screen,
which is definitely something to give
thanks for. Thursday, Nov. 26, and
Friday, Nov. 27, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.,
Saturday, Nov. 28, at 12 p.m., Sunday,
Nov. 29, at 11 a.m., and Monday, Nov.
30, at 4:30 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre,
8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring.
Tickets are $13. Call 301-495-6720 or
visit afi.com/Silver.
VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN
A tale oft told in various incarnations including last years dreadful I, Frankenstein this horror/
action incarnation, directed by Paul
McGuigan with a script by Max
Landis, casts Daniel Radcliffe as assistant Igor. He meets a young Victor
Frankenstein, played by James
McAvoy, and ultimately witnesses the
birth of the famed monster, making
fugitives of both men as the authorities try to shut Frankenstein down and
the monstrous being threatens their
lives. Opens Wednesday, Nov. 25. Area
theaters. Visit fandango.com.
STAGE
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Fords Theatre remounts its musicfilled production of the Dickens classic, adapted by Michael Wilson and
directed by Michael Baron. Edward
Gero returns for his seventh year as
Ebenezer Scrooge, in a staging featuring imaginative special effects, familiar carols and themes of giving back
and living with grace. Among other
local stage stars in the cast: Carolyn
Agan, Felicia Curry, William Diggle,
Erin Driscoll, Rick Hammerly, Kevin
McAllister, Amy McWilliams and
Stephen Schmidt. To Dec. 31. Fords
Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Call 800982-2787 or visit fordstheatre.org.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A GHOST

STORY OF CHRISTMAS
Olney Theatre Center presents another seasonal run of the one-man portrayal of the Dickens classic by Paul
Morella, who bases his adaptation on
Dickens original novella and reading
tour. Opens Friday, Nov. 27, at 7:30
p.m. to Dec. 27. The Mulitz-Gudelsky
Theatre Lab at Olney Theatre Center,
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney,
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
27
Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.
A LUMP OF COAL FOR CHRISTMAS
Holly Twyford directs a world premiere co-commission by the Adventure

Theatre MTC and Bay Area Childrens
Theatre of Norman Allens hilarious
adventure about unlikely friendships
and holiday miracles. The focus is on
a Lump of Coal who wants to be an
artist, in the process going from one
childs worst nightmare into a dream
come true. Now to Dec. 31. Adventure
Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,
Glen Echo. Tickets are $19.50. Call
301-634-2270 or visit adventuretheatre-mtc.org.
WIKIPEDIA
BLACK NATIVITY
Entertaining Mr. Orton
Edge of the Universe Players 2 revives a favorite from the late, gay playwright
HERE HAVE BEEN FEW PLAYWRIGHTS LIKE JOE ORTON.

Hes working class, hes gay and hes an ex-con, says Emma
Parker. How many playwrights do you know that come from that
background?
Ortons work generally sexually charged and provocative black comedies for stage and TV has been nearly as shortchanged in society as was
his life, given an untimely, tragic death at age 34 at the hands of his partner,
Kenneth Halliwell. In just five years, Orton produced several major plays,
an un-produced screenplay for the Beatles, and pioneered a style of tragic
comedies that has come to be known as Ortonesque.
All of his plays are laugh-out-loud funny, says Parker, who specializes
in post-war British literature and contemporary fiction and works with
Leicester Universitys Joe Orton Archives. But they can be quite uncomfortable as well theyre quite violent.
Currently, The Edge of the Universe Players 2 is attempting to give
Orton his due by offering a Stephen Jarrett-led production of his first play,
Entertaining Mr. Sloane, based on a 50th anniversary version published
by Parker last year. When it was first produced, the work was compared
to Jane Austen for its satirical insight into the lies that society likes to tell
itself. The focus is on a working-class family and two adult siblings a
brother and sister, both sexually repressed who wind up competing for
the affections of the alluring, sexually flexible title character. Its psychologically complex with a really sad undertone, Parker says.
Parker is helping to plan several Orton-related events over the next two
years especially in 2017, which will mark 50 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality in the U.K.
Says Parker, I think Ortons plays still have something very interesting
to say to us [regarding] what you have to do and how you have to behave
to be accepted by society. Doug Rule
Entertaining Mr. Sloane runs to Dec. 13, at the Writers Center, 4508 Walsh St., in
Bethesda. Tickets are $22 to $25. Call 202-355-6330 or visit universeplayers2.org.
Another year, another production by

Theater Alliance of Langston Hughess
retelling of the Biblical Christmas story
from an Afrocentric perspective, incorporating gospel, blues, funk, jazz and
dance, with griot-style storytelling from
an ensemble cast. Black Nativity was one
of the first plays written by an African
American to appear on Broadway 51
years ago. The winner of three Helen
Hayes Awards this year, the Theater
Alliance production is directed by Eric
Ruffin, who is joined by music director eMarcus Harper-Short and choreographer Princess Mhoon. Opens in
previews Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m.
To Jan. 3. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020
Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $35 to
$50. Call 202-241-2539 or visit theateralliance.com.
GUYS AND DOLLS
At Olney Theatre Center, Jerry

Whiddon directs this classic musical
comedy about gambling and gangsters, starring Jessica Lauren Ball as
one lucky lady. Michael J. Bobbitt
handles the choreography for this
production of composer and lyricist
Frank Loessers tale, with a book by
Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Now to
Dec. 27. Mainstage at Olney Theatre
Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring
Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or
visit olneytheatre.org.
HOLIDAY MEMORIES
WSC Avant Bard offers a play based on

two short stories by gay literary giant
Truman Capote, A Christmas Memory
and A Thanksgiving Visitor. Russell
Vandenbroucke adapted the tales for
the stage in what is touted as a lovely
and lyrical reminiscence of Capotes
coming of age in Depression-era
Alabama. Tom Prewitt directs Avant
Bards Artistic Director Emeritus
Christopher Henley as Truman, supported by Charlotte Akin, Liz Dutton,
David Mavricos and Seamus Miller.
Opens in pay-what-you-can previews
Wednesday, Nov. 25. Runs to Dec. 20.
Theatre on the Run, 3700 South Four
Mile Run Dr. Arlington. Tickets are
$30 to $35. Call 703-418-4808 or visit
avantbard.org.
ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE:

A LIVE RADIO PLAY
Laura Giannarelli directs Joe Landrys

adaptation of the classic film tale, but
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NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
this time geared for radio. Joe Brack

portrays the lead character, here
named Jake Laurents, in this production by Washington Stage Guild
also featuring Vincent Clark, Jenny
Donovan, Julie-Ann Elliott, Lawrence
Redmond and Steven Carpenter.
Now to Dec. 6. Undercroft Theatre
of Mount Vernon United Methodist
Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
Tickets are $40 to $50. Call 240-5820050 or visit stageguild.org.
KISS ME, KATE
The latest musical to get the Alan Paul

treatment at the Shakespeare Theatre
Company is Cole Porters classic kiss
to the Bard. Douglas Sills and Christine
Sherrill star in Kiss Me, Kate, featuring
a book by Samuel and Bella Spewack,
about the sparks that fly on and off
stage as a troupe stages a musical version of Shakespeares The Taming of
the Shrew. Now in previews. To Jan. 3.
Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center
for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are
$20 to $118. Call 202-547-1122 or visit
shakespearetheatre.org.
RODGERS & HAMMERSTEINS

CINDERELLA
Im good, Ella (Kaitlyn Davidson)
assures everyone at the end of Rodgers
& Hammersteins Cinderella, when
once again the clock strikes midnight
at her wedding to Prince Topher (Andy
Huntington Jones. Douglas Carter
Beanes winking wit and playful irony
abounds in his book adaptation of the
musical, originally made for television. There are delights for all ages
in William Ivey Longs Tony-winning
costumes, including a special effectsenhanced transformation of the towns
glum beggar woman Marie into a gracious Fairy Godmother, sung by the
big-voiced Liz McCartney, who rises to
the top of a very solid, large cast. Closes
Sunday, Nov. 29. National Theatre,
1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets
are $48 to $93. Call 202-628-6161 or
visit thenationaldc.org. (Doug Rule)
SONS OF THE PROPHET
Theater J offers a production of

this 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist from
fledgling playwright Stephen Karam.
A dark comedy about the suffering
and struggles of a Lebanese-American
family, including a gay son, Gregg
Henry directs a cast featuring Vanessa
Bradchulis, Brigid Cleary, Chris
Dinolfo, Sam Ludwig, Cam Magee,
Tony Strowd Hamilton, Michael
Willis and Jaysen Wright. Now in
previews. To Dec. 20. The Aaron and
Cecile Goldman Theater, Washington,
D.C.s Jewish Community Center,
1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $37 to
$67. Call 202-777-3210 or visit theaterj.org.
STAGE KISS
Celebrated local director Aaron

Posner helms a Round House Theatre
production of Sarah Ruhls lively
comedy, mixing real-life romance and
backstage farce. Gregory Woodell and
Dawn Ursula star as the He and She in
question, with a strong cast comple-
mented by Craig Wallace, Michael

Glenn, Todd Scofield, Tyasia Velines
and Rachel Zampelli. Opens in a paywhat-you-can preview Wednesday,
Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. To Dec. 27. Round
House Theatre, 4545 East-West
Highway, Bethesda. Tickets are $36 to
$51. Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.
authentic than that.

To Dec. 20. Center Stage, 700 North
Calvert St., Baltimore. Call 410-9864000 or visit centerstage.org.
Dec. 3, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Dec.

5, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert
Hall. Tickets are $15 to $89. Call 202467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
MUSIC
DARK STAR ORCHESTRA
THE APPLE FAMILY CYCLE:

SORRY, REGULAR SINGING
Born in Benin in West Africa,

Angelique Kidjo is known for her
superhuman vocal power and
uplifting, global-flavored pop-oriented music as well as for her
longstanding efforts to boost female
empowerment and the rights of
women and children throughout the
developing world. Kidjo will appear
in conversation with the University
of Marylands Sheri Parks as part
of the Arts and Humanities Deans
Lecture Series on Friday, Dec. 4, at
5:30 p.m. The next night, Saturday,
Dec. 5, at 8 p.m., Africas greatest
living diva (according to NPR) will
give a concert in support of last years
Grammy-winning album Eve and this
years Angelique Kidjo Sings with the
Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Clarice at the University of
Maryland, University Boulevard and
Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets
are free but required for the Friday
lecture, and $25 for the Saturday
concert. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit
theclarice.umd.edu.
HHHHH
Studio Theatre presents the final two
installments of Richard Nelsons fourplay Apple Family Cycle in repertory
just as it did the first two with the
same cast and the same director, Serge
Seiden, who offers sharp focus on the
words and action. You can jump in at
any point and wont lose much if you
only see one play, or see them out of
order. In fact, Nelson has intentionally
left some familial aspects and details
out, which only encourages a theatergoer to speculate and extrapolate.
Here, as in real life, it can be fascinating to try to make sense of things,
particularly the complicated, contradictory characters we encounter. The
ensemble has the kind of ease and
natural rapport that only seasoned
actors can convey. To Dec. 13. Studio
Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets
are $49 to $96 each show. Call 202332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.
(Doug Rule)
THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN
SCENA Theatre offers a production

of Martin McDonaghs dark comedy
linked to the real-life filming of the
documentary Man of Aran. Now in
previews. Robert McNamara directs
a cast including Nanna Ingvarsson,
Jennifer Mendenhall, Josh Adams,
Kevin Collins, Megan Dominy and
Mary Suib. Closes Sunday, Nov. 29.
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H
St. NE. Tickets are $25 to $45. Call
202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.
UNEXPLORED INTERIOR
Ari Roth doesnt flinch from launching his new theater company with a
bang, offering a world premiere of Jay
O. Sanders epic about the madness
and majesty of Rwanda in the wake
of wartime horror. Derek Goldman
directs a cast including Erika Rose,
Caroline Clay and Michael Anthony
Williams. Closes Sunday, Nov. 29.
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H
St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $60. Visit
atlasarts.org.
XS AND OS
(A FOOTBALL LOVE STORY)
Subtitled A Football Love Story,

the NFL takes Center Stage in this
unflinching, ripped-from-the-headlines examination of Americas favorite and most traumatic sport, written
by KJ Sanchez with Jenny Mercein
and co-commissioned by Center Stage
with Berkeley Repertory Theater.
Tony Taccone directs a cast including two-time Super Bowl Champion
Dwight Hicks of the San Francisco
49ers. It doesnt get much more
ANGELIQUE KIDJO
BEN FOLDS WITH THE NATIONAL

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
All Good presents a concert at the

9:30 Club of this Chicago-based tribute band to the Grateful Dead, which
obsessively recreates a set list from a
particular performance, with the goal
of raising the Dead for Deadheads.
Even original members of the Dead
themselves have sung the orchestras
praises though of course several
former members have started their
own band, Dead & Company, which
hit the Verizon Center a few weeks
ago with John Mayer. Thursday, Dec.
3, and Friday, Dec. 4. Doors at 8 p.m.
Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets
are $29. Call 202-265-0930 or visit
930.com.
JOHN EATON
Wolf Trap hosts the first in the annual

two-part series on American pop and
jazz standards led by the local jazz
veteran and pianist John Eaton. The
Roaring Twenties: A Salute to the Jazz
Age features legendary songs from 90
years ago, when jazz was gelling into
an American original. Friday, Nov. 27,
at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635
Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25
to $27. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.
KELLER WILLIAMS
Extraordinary classical crossover

artist Ben Folds performs his 2014
composition Concerto for Piano and
Orchestra during a multi-genre,
multimedia concert part of the new
NSO Declassified casual, late-night
Friday series. Sarah Hicks leads the
NSO in a program that also includes
John Adams, Paul Creston and
Mason Bates, the Kennedy Centers
new Composer-In-Residence whose
Mothership is inspired by electronic dance music rhythms. The concert is meant to appeal to a younger
audience, with drinks allowed in the
Concert Hall to help foster a convivial vibe that will last past the NSO
performance. Friday, Dec. 4, at 9 p.m.
Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets
are $39 to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org.
All Good presents the 9:30 Club concert Thanksforgrassgiving, which

is a nod not just to the holiday and
to bluegrass but also to reefer. This
Fredericksburg, Va.-based artist will
no doubt perform his popular 2009
single Doobie In My Pocket as well
as selections from his new album Vape.
But the concert is hardly just about
him, instead its to be a jam featuring an all-star lineup of bluegrass
buddies including Larry Keel, Jason
Carter from the Del McCoury Band,
Jay Starling of Love Canon, Cody
Kilby, Travis Book and Chris Pandolfi
of the Infamous Stringdusters, plus
as special guest the bluegrass band
Cabinet. Saturday, Nov. 28. Doors at
8 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW.
Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or
visit 930.com.
CAMERON CARPENTER WITH

THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC
Curtis Institute of Music conductor

Sarah Hicks leads a program featuring the return of the flamboyant
bisexual performer on the Rubenstein
Family Organ. On his third visit, the
Berlin-based provocative, experimental organist Cameron Carpenter,
originally from Pennsylvania, plays his
own composition Improvisation plus
Barbers exuberant Toccata Festiva.
The program also offers the first NSO
performance of new Kennedy Center
Composer-in-Residence
Mason
Batess Mothership, which mixes symphonic soundscapes with high-energy
electronic dance rhythms. Thursday,
Music Director Piotr Gajewski leads

Strathmores resident orchestra in a
program culminating in Tchaikovskys
popular Serenade for Strings and also
featuring Mozarts delightful and witty
Violin Concerto No. 4 featuring guest
soloist Chee-Yun. Friday, Nov. 28, at
8 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 29, at 3
p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
Tickets are $29 to $89. Call 301-5815100 or visit strathmore.org.
NATIONAL SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA POPS: HOME ALONE
The first of two area screenings over

the next month of Home Alone with
live symphonic accompaniment, the
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NOVEMBER 26, 2015
29
National Symphony Orchestra beats

the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
to the punch in toasting the 25th
anniversary of the feel-good flick that
launched Macaulay Culkins career.
The orchestra and the Choral Arts
Society will perform John Williams
score as the film plays above the stage.
Youll even be able to eat fresh popcorn while you watch just try not
to get messy. Its still the Kennedy
Center, after all. Friday, Nov. 27, and
Saturday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m. Kennedy
Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $39
to $99. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org.
OPERA LAFAYETTE
Ryan Brown helms a production

of Vivaldis Catone in Utica by this
mostly French-focused company, in
its first foray into the works of Vivaldi.
Thomas Michael Allen, Marguerite
Krull, John Holiday, Eric Jurenas,
Anna Reinhold and Julia Dawson perform in this semi-staged production,
in Italian with English supertitles,
based on one at the Glimmerglass
Festival this past summer directed by
Tazewell Thompson. Saturday, Nov.
28, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 29,
at 2 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace
Theater. Tickets are $55 to $120. Call
202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
PAPERHAUS
This popular D.C. band, now a fourpiece, makes rhythmically oriented
30
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
rock music with a mournful edge,

with touches of Joy Division and the
Doors. Paperhaus performs on a bill
with Swings, Friend Roulette and Half
Waif at one of the citys newer music
venues, Adams Morgans Songbyrd
Music House, part of a complex that
also includes a vinyl record shop
and a cafe. Friday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m.
Songbyrd Music House, 2477 18th St.
NW. Tickets are $10 to $12. Call 202450-2917 or visit songbyrddc.com.
RADIO ONES HOLIDAY JAM WITH

JILL SCOTT, NEW EDITION
Now in its second year, this annual

holiday jam was launched to fill a
void in multi-act concerts during the
holidays featuring R&B radio hitmakers (as opposed to strictly pop or hiphop). Jill Scott and New Edition are
two headliners at this Live Nationpresented show with an impressive
lineup of both veterans and newcomers, from Babyface to Tyrese, SWV
to Jazmine Sullivan and the Black
Alley Band. Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.
Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. Tickets
are $39.75 to $150. Call 202-628-3200
or visit verizoncenter.com.
GALLERIES
A COLLECTORS VISION:
WASHINGTONIANA COLLECTION
In addition to incorporating the

Textile Museum, the recently opened
METROWEEKLY.COM
George Washington University

Museum also houses the Albert H.
Small Washingtoniana Collection.
The exhibition A Collectors Vision
serves as a perfect introduction to
the collection, featuring maps and
prints, rare letters, photographs and
drawings documenting the history
of Washington, D.C. and donated by
Small in 2011. The George Washington
University Museum, 701 21st St. NW.
Call 202-994-5200 or visit museum.
gwu.edu.
ART OF THE AIRPORT TOWER
The images of Smithsonian photographer Carolyn Russo offer a journey

examining contemporary and historic
air traffic control towers in this exhibition at the Air and Space Museum.
Through November 2016. National
Air and Space Museum, Independence
Ave at 6th St. SW. Call 202-633-2214
or visit airandspace.si.edu
ABOVE AND BEYOND

BETHESDAS WINTER
WONDERLAND
The Bethesda Urban Partnership

kicks off the holidays with an event
featuring live ice-sculpting presentations plus choral performances by
local school groups. Also, Santa Claus
will be dropping by. Saturday, Dec. 5,
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Veterans Park, at
the corner of Norfolk and Woodmont
Avenues, Bethesda. Free. Call 301-215-
6660 or visit bethesda.org for more

information.
DC GURLY SHOW
Having grown out of the former local

drag king organization the DC Kings,
the DC Gurly Show isnt your grandfathers burlesque. Its focused more
on playing with gender than teasing with sex. On Thursday, Dec. 3, at
the Pinch in Columbia Heights, the
queer burlesque organization offers
A Tit Bit Nipply billed as some
hot burlesque to help warm you up.
Thursday, Dec. 3, at 9 p.m. The Pinch,
3548 14th St. NW. Tickets are $12 to
$15. Call 202-544-6831 or visit dcgurlyshow.com.
TEAM RAYCEEN
Over the final three Saturday nights

of the free-art-for-all extravaganza
known as Artomatic, Team Rayceen
presents a variety show hosted by
namesake Rayceen Pendarvis and Curt
Mariah and featuring performances by
#AskRayceen 2015 Talent Competition
winner Peach Jah, a poet, and the competitions runner-up Usagi, a burlesque
artist. The rest of the lineup varies,
though opening night performers on
Saturday, Nov. 28, include: C. Paige,
PoetryzChyld, Anthony Newman, Tim
Trueheart, Starranko and Von Tae.
Food and drinks, including alcohol,
available to order. Saturday, Nov. 28,
starting at 9 p.m. Artomatic 2015, 8100
Corporate Dr., Hyattsville, Md. Free.
Visit facebook.com/TeamRayceen. l
film
Tainted Legend
Legend features an incredible
performance from Tom Hardy,
and a terrible performance
from Tom Hardy
GREG WILLIAMS/STUDIOCANAL/PA
by RHUARIDH MARR
T CAN TAKE ONLY ONE ROLE TO TARNISH AN

actors chances at awards success. Eddie Murphy destroyed
his Dreamgirls Oscar dreams by making the hideously
awful Norbit. Sandra Bullock almost derailed her Best
Actress win for The Blind Side by starring in All About Steve.
Halle Berry made everyone question her Academy Award while
they suffered through Catwoman.
Its a very rare talent, though, to both generate awards buzz
and potentially ruin it in one film. But thats something Tom
Hardy manages with ease in Legend (HHHHH). Based on the
lives of the infamous Kray twins London gangsters during the
50s and 60s Hardy has the unenviable task of stepping into
both sets of shoes, one a suave, ruthless leader, the other a gay,
schizophrenic sociopath.
As Reggie Kray, Hardy delivers an incredible performance.
Kray headed the brothers gang The Firm, sitting atop a crime
empire that eventually controlled most of the Londons East
End. Reggie handled the day-to-day runnings, managing people,
sorting finances, tackling disputes with other gangs, negotiating with the American Mafia. But he also longed for normalcy.
Taking control of establishments that were frequented by celebrities gave him a taste for fame, for legitimacy, for aspiring to be
more than his Cockney roots. He also longed for married life and
to settle down.
But underneath the surface seethed a hot-headed temper that
was quick to flare, a desire for violence that was hard to quell, a
thirst for more control, more drugs, more gang members, more
infamy. Reggie Kray wanted it all, the trappings of fame and the
grit of gang life. Hardy steps into his shoes with the arrogance,
the bravado, the sexual dominancy the role demands. He marches down streets, slings punches with confidence, stares down
rivals. Hardy can flit between cool calmness and blind rage in
fewer frames than the camera seems able to capture.
Its perfectly complemented by Emily Browning as Reggies
wife Frances, whose doe-eyed beauty is slowly stripped away as
she realizes love cant change him. Indeed, her transformation,
from upbeat, naive and love-filled to empty, hardened and cold is
realized wonderfully by both Brownings performance, make-up,
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NOVEMBER 26, 2015
31
and a filter applied whenever she and Reggie share the screen in
later scenes. Whereas their courtship is framed in bright colors
(not least her wardrobe), as the stark reality of life as a gangsters
wife settles in, their every interaction becomes grey, the only
emotion shown in spouts of anger from either side at the frustration of their growing divide. Frances story isnt a happy one
its ending is one of the films genuinely tearful moments and
Browning, who also narrates, handles it wonderfully.
Brian Helgeland captures their performances with ease,
revelling in the 60s aesthetic and controlling the films action
scenes with confidence. Indeed, the central love story almost
deflects from the brutality of Legend. Helgeland doesnt shy
from conveying the violence that occurred. Shootings, stabbings,
torture, fist-fights all are presented in matter-of-fact fashion.
A scene near the films end shocks with the sensationalism, as
an arrogant gang member dares to stand up to Reggie. Hardy
unleashes his characters id and drives a knife into the man
countless times, as Helgeland captures the blood, the movement,
the reactions, the spatters. Theres almost a poetry to the violence. If it werent so stomach turning, itd be beautiful.
Unfortunately, Helgelands script cant match Hardy and
Brownings performances, nor his handling of the films direction. The odd swerves between po-faced gangstering and giddy
love-making, or dramatic shouting and genuinely funny comedy
means Legend never settles into a solid tempo, instead lurching
through both time and various scenarios from the Krays lives.
This doesnt threaten to derail the film, however. Instead, that
honor falls to Hardy himself.
And that brings us to Ronnie Kray schizophrenic, openly
gay (or possibly bisexual) Ronnie. Its here Legend genuinely
falters and Hardy threatens to destroy his impeccable work as
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NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
Reggie. Ronnie is untethered to reality, unconcerned with its

rules. He wants the gang to be bigger and better, but without
the fame and fortune Reggie craves. He has two young gay men
as his cohorts, fraternizes with politicians, and dreams of establishing his own city in Africa, while his instability constantly
threatens the brothers ability to avoid the police. He is a thorn
in Reggies side, but Reggie remains devoted to him. When the
Mafia recognizes the threat Ronnie has to their veil of secrecy,
they ask Reggie to kill him. He cant.
Unfortunately, youll wish he would. Hardy is so over-the-top
as Ronnie that its almost unwatchable. He is utterly unlikeable
Ronnie has many of the films more humorous moments, but
he also has some of its most brutal and Hardy makes him into
a caricature of a caricature. He speaks as though hes taken too
many hits to the head, he is given thick glasses, a bad hairline
and prosthetics so that Reggie is the pretty one though in
reality both twins were almost identical. When hes angry, he
spits literally his lines. Gay viewers will marvel at the frank
honesty with which Ronnie lives his life (and Reggies support of
it), but theres little other redeeming qualities to be found here
and Hardys performance does nothing to aid that.
Contrasted with his portrayal of Reggie, its a miracle anyone
on set let it happen. Ronnie is wildly out of control and overacted in almost every scene. Hardy may be having a ball, but the
audience certainly isnt. Legend is an appropriate moniker for
Hardys performance as Reggie Kray, but Ronnie as in real
life threatens constantly to bring everything crashing down
around him.
Legend is Rated R and runs 131 minutes. Now playing at the
Landmark Bethesda Cinemas. l
stage
Sea Shanties
Folgers Pericles struggles to stay
afloat, while Arenas Akeelah
will definitely make your day
by KATE WINGFIELD
TERESA WOOD
HAKESPEARES PERICLES WAS APPARENTLY

very popular in its heyday, but it is easy to see why
staging it today requires some inventiveness. A rather one-dimensional narrative of the travails of the fictional, seafaring King Pericles, the play falls somewhere between
the realistic and the fantastical and, unfortunately, never quite
masters either. There are too many sea-voyages and too few
explorations of what drives the characters. There may be a mystical aspect that blends well with some passionate romance, but
they dont sit well with the many unexplored characters and an
overly earthy rendering of life in a brothel.
Overall, there is just something not-quite-Shakespeare about
Pericles (HHHHH), despite some beautiful language and a few poignant moments. And it may be due to more than just a rogue wave
amid the Bards genius many scholars believe as much as half
of the play may have been written by a less-talented collaborator.
As to why the play spoke so successfully to its contemporaries
is any cultural historians guess. For todays audiences, its accessibility starts with how any given production surmounts its challenges. Here, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival uses music and song
to breach the plays choppy seas, literally and metaphorically. Its a
bold move, but one that, at least intellectually, works well.
The small band of musicians, who reside almost continuously
onstage, fit nicely within the confines of the Folger Theatre an
intimate and medievally-styled venue. And John Herricks music
sets the scene for the productions fairytale world, beautifully suggested in the use of silks to create stormy waves, paper clouds lit
like solar systems, projections of wild waves and schematic starscapes and costuming reminiscent of Edmund Dulacs imaginings.
Still, as clever as the musical concept is, it does enter territory that presents problems. Those who enjoy musical theater will,
without doubt, find the gentle tunes and songs happily familiar in
their range and scope. Indeed the compositions are so accessible
continues on page 35
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
33
stage
Arena Stage has assembled

an Oliver! that speaks to
contemporary issues
by DOUG RULE
OLLY SMITH HAS IDEALISTIC HOPES FOR

her production of the musical Oliver! If this
production can open up hearts to the plight of
the homeless in our city [or to] give time to the
hungry in D.C., she writes in the program notes, then weve
done our job as artists.
To aid her cause, Smith has set the musical, based on the
Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, in a contemporary London
demimonde, rather than Victorian England. Smith hopes such
a shift in time will help todays audiences better relate and
34
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
connect to the tale appreciating that society is no better off

today, at least in terms of income disparity and poverty, than
it was back then.
Im not sure this ultimately subtle change will help, though.
Lionel Barts Oliver! (HHHHH) still feels a bit dated, particularly
on account of its story. It comes across as a fantasy that springs
from a boys vivid imagination of what it might be like to live in
the netherworld, rather than a parable trying to illustrate the
real, lived experience of the poor and destitute. Perhaps Lionel
Barts wonderful music is just too melodic and buoyant to really
convey despair, at least to a degree that we make the connection
to the hard times of today. It should be noted that Smith worked
with musical director Paul Sportelli to layer subtle modern pop
elements, including hip-hop syncopation, into Barts original
1960 score. Its so subtle its barely noticeable, but just enough
that it gives the 13-piece orchestra extra pep.
Once again, Smith has assembled a production of the highest possible quality and staged it in a way that maximizes both
appeal and appreciation. If only all musicals with a large cast
(Oliver! boasts 25) could be staged in the round like this. And if
MARGOT SCHULMAN
Twisted
only all costume designers were given as much free rein as Wade
Laboissonniere. From prostitutes to goths to glamour pusses,
theyre all present, in high style.
Smith offers a production of Oliver! as twisted as ever far
more so than the 1968 movie adaptation most are familiar with.
Tom Story and Dorea Schmidt giddily ramp up the macabre
camp as Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry in Thats Your Funeral, a
delightful, slightly sinister song cut from the film. Jeff McCarthy
as Fagin and Kyle Coffman as the Artful Dodger only add to this
productions appeal as two of the sweetest and most charming
con men the musical stage has ever known. The two exciting,
dashing, impressionable figures are right out of a rebellious boys
dreams. Ian Lassiter struggles to be the dominant force called for
as the abusive thief Bill Sykes. His portrayal pales in charismatic
comparison to McCarthy and Coffman, but even more so to the
actor who plays his lover Nancy.
With an innate ability to both command the stage yet also
project an air of vulnerability, Eleasha Gamble is perfectly cast in
the role. Headstrong but woefully misguided, she gets the shows
best number, the achingly beautiful As Long As He Needs Me.
Its the kind of diva showstopper straight out of a leading ladys
continued from page 33
they will do much to encourage those unfamiliar with Shakespeare

to realize it isnt all heavy-lifting. For those not so inclined, toes
may threaten to curl. Not everyone wants their Shakespeare set to
music, and, if it must be, tunes of a more renaissance or baroque
bent would add greater mystery and poignancy.
Another problem with these interludes of song is their effect
on the dramatic intensity. Anyone used to losing themselves in
the pacing of Shakespearean language, along with the pauses
and silences in and around the words and the contemplative
moments, will find all but the more comedic renderings disruptive. Quite simply, they break the spell.
Of course, this leads to a no-win situation since the music is
there to put a positive spin on other shortcomings. Surmounting
many of these interpretive tensions is the cast, each of whom
embraces the concept with verve and energy.
At the center of the tale is Pericles, and giving a genuine star
turn is the remarkable Wayne T. Carr. A powerful presence, Carr
is also nuanced, understated and textured. One longs to see him
in pure, unadorned Shakespeare. He is utterly at home with the
language and completely and convincingly inhabits his man. If
his later moments as the aged and hermetic Pericles may tempt
a few titters, it is far more about the strangely simple plane on
which this play resides, than anything Carr is lacking.
Brooke Parks as Pericles wife Thaisa (and also as the ruthless Queen Dionyza) is another standout, bringing so much
charm and wit to her princess there is no doubt of the chemistry
between her and Pericles. Later, she channels compelling emotion as a woman who has lost her infant, no easy feat in a play
that has so little to say about Thaisa once she is married. As
Thaisas father, Simonides, Scott Ripley is hilarious and does
much to give the production the kind of edge that counters the
musics corny tendencies.
Bringing high energy and comedy, U. Jonathan Toppo brings
a kind of street-entertainers good-natured bluster and bravado
to his parts, while Cedric Lamar plays his roles with a compelling irony and intensity. Barzin Akhavan is charismatic as Cleon,
even if he chews a bit of scenery, and is quite wonderful as the
mystical healer Cerimon.
Walking a fine line is Armando Duran as the narrator Gower.
dream, and Gamble fully seizes the moment. She even ascends
the stairs to belt the tune from the enormous, sturdy and expensive steel bridge set designer Todd Rosenthal constructed above
the main stage, offering a second level as a way to heighten the
action and create a greater sense of commotion, especially when
everything falls apart.
As Oliver, Jake Heston Miller is awarded the shows other
memorable ballad, Where Is Love? Up until that point, halfway through the first act, Oliver is just your average orphan boy
blending in with the Workhouse Boys, singing his parts in the
group number Food, Glorious Food and moving equally well as
part of the energetic, impressive choreography by Parker Esse.
But then, as he prepares for sleep in a coffin, Miller, all of nine
years old, gives a full display of his preternatural vocal ability.
Smith found Miller only after an extensive citywide casting
search. And he wasnt picked as the lead but a lead: Miller was
originally scheduled to rotate in the role with another boy, who
ultimately withdrew. Lucky for Miller, lucky for us. l
Oliver! runs to Jan. 3 in the Fichlander at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St.
SW. Tickets are $50 to $99. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.
Durans characterization something akin to ones idea of a
storyteller in a Berkley commune steps right up to the line of
hokey without actually, thankfully, stepping over. He does well
in providing a charismatic lead and link throughout the narrative.
Providing a sweet center to the second half of the play, Jennie
Greenberry does a good job as Marina, Pericles long-lost daughter, as she navigates life in a brothel and her own identity. Kudos
to Micheal J.Hume for capturing his diverse roles with clarity.
Truth be told, Pericles is something of a rough sea. The view
from the top of the waves can be wonderful just be prepared
for the troughs.
EXUDING NOTHING BUT GOOD VIBES, humor and charm,
Akeelah and the Bee, (HHHHH) an urban tale of a little girl
who earns her way to the national spelling bee, is a breath of
fresh air. Not just for being guilelessly feel-good, but also for its
elegant restraint. There may be some familiar characters and
home truths here, but they are never preachy or pretentious. It is
simply a clever and funny story told with joy, heart, and just the
right dose of irreverence for audiences of all ages and outlooks.
Beyond phenomenal is Johannah Easley in the title role. A
slip of a girl, Easley is a towering talent, carrying the play with a
bright, nuanced performance that stays emblazoned on the mind
long past her dancing exit. Complementing her spikey Akeelah
with great chemistry is a wonderfully understated James A.
Williams as her reluctant tutor. Other joys are the silken-voiced
Greta Oglesby as feisty but good neighbor Batty Ruth, and Milton
Craig Nealy as a comically pitch-perfect Drunk Willie and a
convincing Principal Welch. Aimee K. Bryant does a stellar job
as Akeelahs mother, nicely bringing to live the struggles of this
familys life.
Akeelah and the Bee may not help your spelling, but it will
definitely make your day. l
Pericles runs to December 20 at Folger Shakespeare Library, 201
East Capitol Street, SE. Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 202-544-7077
or visit folger.edu.
Akeelah and the Bee runs to December 27 at Arena Stage, 1101
Sixth Street, SW. Tickets are $55 to $100. Call 202-488-3300 or
visit arenastage.org.
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
35
music
Soul Searching
Out-singing and outclassing her
peers, once again Adele is full
of brass, soulful stress and
epic heartbreak
by GORDON ASHENHURST
F IT WERE NOT FOR AN ESTABLISHED TRADITION

of naming her albums after the age at which she wrote
them, one could be forgiven for thinking 25 (HHHHH)
stood for the amount of people who dont own one of
them, such is British singer Adeles ubiquity following her
36
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
multi-million selling 19 and 21. If on her last record she spent

the majority of the time hitting out at a former lover, her latest comes of age and even revokes some of the previous scorn.
Armed with A-list producers, 25 by and large sticks with
the stellar soul styling of Adeles previous work, but with her
nicotine-nurtured voice serving the material so magnificently,
it would be hard to accuse her of playing it safe.
The husky poise of Hello demonstrates her keen facility, easily gliding from powerful shouting to more subtle,
conversational phrasing. Much like Dusty Springfield,
when Adele does go full-pelt, the strain of it all makes sure
you believe every last word if nothing else. If the lungbursting chorus is a tad melodramatic, thankfully her lustrous voice is up to the challenge of bringing subtleties to
the fore, not least during the soft verses. Adele finds emotional scope in places truly off limits to lesser vocalists,
singing with attention, caution and lyrical intelligence.
Extolling thunderous regret, it remains as welcoming as its
title would suggest.

The neck-snapping teen-pop tempo found on Send My
Love (To Your New Lover) is an unexpected delight. Adele
lets her styled-to-perfection hair down and ecstatically betrays
the notion that her albums are a bottomless supply of heartache. The playful teen-pop influence can perhaps be credited
to producer Max Martin (Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Linda
Sundblad) but the infectious frivolity is well-balanced, with
the singers soulful authority maintaining sole focus, and the
call and response backing vocals adding sophistication and
sizzle.
Given their chemistry on 21, its no surprise that the gritty
groove of I Miss You reunites the singer with producer Paul
Epworth. Each beat flickers with atmosphere, and the singers
lustrous sensuality is in no short supply. Dense rhythms and
alluring jazz accents abound. They have created rapture.
In what is surely destined to be the soundtrack of the next
year, When We Were Young doesnt strive to be a universal
anthem its lyrics are so specific that it is impossible not to
hold on to them dearly. If one track encapsulates her immense
appeal it would be this one.
Remedy is the albums standard practice piano ballad, but
special attention must be turned to Water Under the Bridge.
Laying it down soulful and simple, the mixture of funk and
emotional frisson is an elixir for the ears. Exploiting every
nuance of her voice beautifully and effortlessly, the chorus is
one of Adeles highest price tags.
Fair rather than great, River Lea has a satisfying bluesgospel feel, but lacks the foxy jubilation one might expect in
such a setting. Featuring an exquisite orchestra, Love in the
Dark stylistically matches the previous work of its co-writer
Samuel Dixon (Sia, Christina Aguilera), but her expressive and

powerful singing tends to overpower.
If the Dusty comparisons wont go away, sounding like
Miss Springfields haunting If You Go Away is a spooky
coincidence on Million Years Ago. Adeles husky soar blends
perfectly with the stripped back arrangements. Co-written by
Bruno Mars, All I Ask is a pleasantly delicate exercise in tortured soul balladry, but wont be remembered as eithers finest.
Closing the album, the seductive Sweetest Devotion
showcases both Adele and producer Epworth in fine form
indeed. Testifying in elegant acoustics, the singers drawn-out
vocals are soul-searing. With such a winning finale, Adele fans
will now face the hard task of deciding just what track to go
back to again first.
What makes 25 a great album will not be the hits it contains, but the variety of the material showcasing Adeles rich
and unmistakably loud voice. With her signature meld of retro
rhythm and blues and soul influences all in place, Adele figures
one more entry into an elite group of contemporary classic
albums.
While matching the same dizzying passion as the driving Rolling in the Deep may be off limits this time, the
symphonic adult contemporary of tracks like the reflective
Hello, the swooning Sweetest Devotion and soul-speckled I Miss You has arguably propelled Adele just as high.
Out-singing, outclassing and out-selling her peers, once again
Adele is full of brass, soulful stress and epic heartbreak. Plus
she has great hair. l
Adeles 25 is available now through digital download and at
Amazon.com.
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
37
38
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
NIGHT
LIFE
LISTINGS
THURS., 11.26.15
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection
Music videos featuring
DJ Wess
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Thanksgiving Day, Doors
open at 8pm $3 Rail
until Midnight DJs Sean
Morris and MadScience
Ripped Hot Body Contest
at midnight, hosted by
Miss BaNaka $200
Cash Prize Doors open
10pm, 21+ Free Cover
all night
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Buffet,
Turkey with fixings, 5-8pm
Open Bar Giving Thanks,
9-10pm
GREEN LANTERN
Doors open 9pm 2 Hours
of Shirtless Men Drink
Free Thursday, 9-11pm
DJs BacK2bACk
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Thanksgiving Day Buffet,
11am-7pm All-You-CanEat Buffet for $19.99
Karaoke, 8pm
METROWEEKLY.COM
39
40
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
scene
Mr. DC Eagle 2016 Contest
Saturday, November 21
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!
Photography by
Ward Morrison
JR.S
All You Can Drink for $15,
5-8pm $3 Rail Vodka
Highballs, $2 JR.s drafts,
8pm-close Throwback
Thursday featuring rock/
pop retro hits
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
Tim-e in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+
FRI., 11.27.15
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
5-9pm Friday Night
Videos with resident DJ
Shea Van Horn VJ
Expanded craft beer selection No Cover
ANNIES
Martinis Upstairs open,
5-11pm
COBALT/30 DEGREES
All You Can Drink Happy
Hour $15 Rail and
Domestic, $21 Call &
Imports, 6-9pm Black
Friday Volleyball
Tournament Registration
Guys Night Out Free
Belvedere Vodka, 11pmMidnight, $6 Belvedere
Vodka Drinks all night
DJ MadScience upstairs
DJ Keenan Orr downstairs
$10 cover 10pm-1am, $5
after 1am 21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Fetish Fridays $2 off
all prices for guys in their
fetish gear
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm $5
Smirnoff, all flavors, all
night long The GoGo
Bears of BOOM, 9pm-close
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1,
4-9pm $2 Skyy Highballs
and $2 Drafts, 10pmmidnight Retro Friday
$5 Coronas, $8 Vodka Red
Bulls, 9pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
DJ Matt Bailer Videos,
Dancing Beat the Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover
TOWN
DC Bear Crue Happy
Hour, 6-11pm $3 Rail,
$3 Draft, $3 Bud Bottles
Free Pizza, 7pm No
cover before 9:30pm
21+ Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by Lena
Lett and featuring Miss
Tatianna, Shi-QueetaLee, Epiphany B. Lee
and BaNaka DJ Wess
upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk
downstairs GoGo Boys
after 11pm Doors open
at 10pm For those 21
and over, $10 For those
18-20, $15 18+
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
before 10pm Cover after
10pm (entry through Town)
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers,
hosted by LaTroya Nicole
Ladies of Ziegfelds,
9pm Hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs DJ
Darryl Strickland in Secrets
VJ Tre in Ziegfelds
Cover 21+
SAT., 11.28.15
9 1/2
drink, 3-9pm $5 Absolut
& Titos, $3 Miller Lite
after 9pm Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover Music videos
featuring various DJs
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Drag Yourself to Brunch at
Level One, 11am-2pm and
2-4pm Featuring Kristina
Kelly and the Ladies of
Illusion Bottomless
Mimosas and Bloody
Marys Happy Hour:
$3 Miller Lite, $4 Rail,
$5 Call, 4-9pm Drink
specials all night Doors
open 10pm $7 cover
before midnight, $10 cover
after 21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 4-6pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
$2 Bud and Bud Light DJ
Audition
METROWEEKLY.COM
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Drag Queen Broadway
Brunch, 10am-3pm
Starring Freddies
Broadway Babes Crazy
Hour, 4-7pm Freddies
Follies Drag Show,
8-10pm, hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs No
Cover
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
$5 Bacardi, all flavors,
all night long ONYX
Mid-Atlantic Bar Night,
9pm-close
JR.S
$4 Coors, $5 Vodka
Highballs, $7 Vodka Red
Bulls
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Guest DJs Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer,
House Rail Drinks and
Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm
Buckets of Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
41
TOWN
DC Rawhides host Town
& Country: Two-Step,
Line Dancing, Waltz and
West Coast Swing, $5
Cover to stay all night
Doors open 6:45pm,
Lessons 7-8pm, Open
dance 8-10:30pm CTRL:
Unicornucopia Dance
Party, 11pm-close
Featuring DJs Jeff Prior,
Devon Trotter and Adam
Koussari-Ami Music and
video downstairs by DJ
Wess Drag Show starts
at 10:30pm Featuring
special guest Summer
Camp Hosted by Lena
Lett and featuring Miss
Tatianna, Shi-QueetaLee, Epiphany B. Lee and
BaNaka Doors open
10pm $12 Cover 21+
TOWN PATIO
Open 10pm (entry through
Town) $12 Cover
42
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm
Guest dancers Ladies
of Illusion with host Ella
Fitzgerald Doors at 9
p.m., first show at 11:30
p.m. DJs Doors open
8pm Cover 21+
SUN., 11.29.15
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
$4 Stoli, Stoli flavors
and Miller Lite all day
Kickball Finale After Party
Homowood Karaoke,
10pm-close No Cover
21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 2-6pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Sunday Night at the Meat
Rack Buffet, 2-7pm
Sunday Football Meet
DJ Happy Jack House
and Techno
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Champagne Brunch Buffet,
10am-3pm Crazy Hour,
4-7pm Karaoke, 8pm1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Mamas Trailer Park
Karaoke, 9:30pm-close
JR.S
Sunday Funday Liquid
Brunch Doors open at
1pm $2 Coors Lights and
$3 Skyy (all flavors), all
day and night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted by
Shi-Queeta-Lee, 11am3pm $20 Brunch Buffet
House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Pop Goes the World with
Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on
any drink, 3-9pm No
Cover
ROCK HARD SUNDAYS
@THE HOUSE
NIGHTCLUB
3530 Georgia Ave. NW
Diverse group of all male,
all nude dancers Doors
open 7pm Shows all
night until close, starting
at 7:30pm $5 Domestic
Beer, $6 Imports Happy
Hour 7-8pm $10 cover
For Table Reservations,
202-487-6646 rockharddc.com
TOWN PATIO
Open 2pm Corn Hole,
Flip Cup and Giant Jenga
inside, 4pm No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets Doors
9pm Cover 21+
MON., 11.30.15
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
Cover
ANNIES
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail, $3
Miller Lite, $5 Call, 4-9pm
Monday Nights a Drag
show, hosted by Kristina
Kelly Doors open at
10pm, show starts at
11pm $3 Skyy Cocktails,
$8 Skyy and Red Bull
$8 Long Islands No
Cover, 18+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Sports Night Monday
Night Football Happy
Hour, 8-10pm Jersey
Night support your
favorite team Free Pool
all night $1 Bud and Bud
Light Draughts
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long
Michaels Open Mic
Night Karaoke, 9:30pmclose
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1,
4-9pm Showtunes Songs
& Singalongs, 9pm-close
DJ James $3 Draft
Pints, 8pm-midnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Texas Holdem
Poker, 8pm Dart Boards
NUMBER NINE
TUES., 12.01.15
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
Cover
ANNIES
$4 Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close
JR.S
Birdie La Cage Show,
10:30pm Underground
(Indie Pop/Alt/Brit Rock),
9pm-close DJ Wes
Della Volla 2-for-1, 5pmmidnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Karaoke and
Drag Bingo
COBALT/30 DEGREES
SIN Service Industry
Night $1 Rail Drinks
all night
METROWEEKLY.COM
NUMBER NINE
Safe Word: A Gay Spelling
Bee, 8-11pm Prizes to
the top three spellers
After 9pm, $3 Absolut,
Bulleit & Stella
WED., 12.02.15
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
Cover
ANNIES
$4 Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Wednesday Night
Karaoke, 10pm Hosted
by Miss India Larelle
Houston $4 Stoli and
Stoli Flavors and Miller
Lite No Cover 21+
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
43
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm $6
Burgers Drag Bingo
Night, hosted by Ms.
Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm
Bingo prizes Karaoke,
10pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1 Free, 4-9pm
Trivia with MC Jay Ray,
8pm The Feud: Drag
Trivia, hosted by BaNaka,
10-11pm, with a $200
prize $2 JR.s Drafts and
$4 Vodka ($2 with College
ID or JR.s Team Shirt)
44
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

SmartAss Trivia Night,
8pm and 9pm Prizes
include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30
Club $15 Buckets of
Beer for SmartAss Teams
only Bring a new team
members and each get a
free $10 Dinner
NUMBER NINE
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Shirtless Night, 10-11pm,
12-12:30am Military
Night, no cover with
military ID DJ Don T. in
Secrets 9pm Cover
21+ l
SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
45
The one reason I didnt come out more fully, really, is because
I knew it would hurt my mother.
LILY TOMLIN, speaking with The Guardian. Tomlin sympathized with actors who choose not to come out, saying, I dont
hold anybody to some strict expectation because I dont know what that persons circumstance is.
We had him down as a rent boy,

he was always hanging out with that kind of crowd.
A bartender at a Brussels gay bar, speaking to The Sunday Times about SALAH ABDESLAM, who is currently a fugitive in
Europe after failing to detonate his explosive belt during the Paris attacks two weeks ago and then fleeing the city.
Our spot is entering peoples living rooms that normally probably wouldnt let us into their homes,
and they dont really have a choice.
LARRY SULLIVAN, who, along with his partner David Monahan, star in Campbells Soups Star Wars ad which features the
fathers feeding soup to their son and drew ire from conservative group One Million Moms. Speaking with PEOPLE Magazine
after they were named two of the sexiest men alive, Monahan added, Im happy to be considered sexy at 44.
If we can be a sexy gay family Im happy to be that, too.
You will never ever get the AIDS crisis under control
while gay men are criminalized.
JONATHAN COOPER, chief executive of the Human Dignity Trust, speaking with the Independent. Its literally not possible
while gay men are shamed and stigmatized, he continued.
I already knew because she tells me everything

shes not afraid to say anything to me.
JOHNNY DEPP, speaking with the Daily Mail about his daughter, Lily-Rose, coming out as sexually fluid. Shes got
a sensible head on her shoulders, and I trust her to lead a sensible, responsible life, he added.
46
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
METROWEEKLY.COM
NOVEMBER 26, 2015
47

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Metro Weekly - 11-26-15 - World AIDS Day - Desert Migration

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Holiday Gift Guide

Visit the Holiday Gift Guide Online at metroweekly.com/giftguide

Holiday Gift Guide

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

No Trans Need Apply

SALES & MARKETING

The Infection Monologues

OUT ON THE TOWN

Entertaining Mr. Orton

Pericles & Akeelah and the Bee

Mr. DC Eagle 2016 Contest

2015 Jansi LLC.

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

photography by Ward Morrison

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Now online at MetroWeekly.com

Huckabee sued by Eye of the Tiger writer

D.C. wraps up the ongoing fight for transgender equality as part of

VERY BREATH THAT A TRANS PERSON TAKES IS

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Tamara Dominguez of Kansas City, Mo., who was hit by an SUV

No Trans Need Apply

REPORT RELEASED THIS MONTH BY THE D.C.

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

We hope this will be used as a tool to explain to people that

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

gate, mediate, and, if necessary, prosecute that case against

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-

The DC Center hosts a

tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,

out plans for the holiday. Hosted

free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5

p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). Call 202-291-4707, or visit

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

practice session at Takoma Aquatic

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and les-

bian square-dancing group features

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor

NOVEMBER 26, 2015

METROHEALTH CENTER offers

p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics

hikes an easy-to-moderate 7-mile

GAY MARRIED MENS

fidential support group for men who

BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today

p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707 or andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded by

p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707, andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-

tice session at Hains Point, 927 Ohio

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

tice session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social club welcomes all levels for

DC SENTINELS basketball team

free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment

meets at Turkey Thicket Recreation

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-