Metro Weekly - 05-19-16 - Jose Carasquillo

8/16/2019 Metro Weekly - 05-19-16 - Jose Carasquillo

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4 MAY 19, 2016 METROWEEKLY.COM

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRandy Shulman

ART DIRECTORTodd Franson

MANAGING EDITORRhuaridh Marr

SENIOR EDITORJohn Riley

CONTRIBUTING EDITORDoug Rule

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERSWard Morrison, Julian Vankim

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORScott G. Brooks

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSGordon Ashenhurst, Sean Bugg, Fallon Forbush,Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim

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212-242-6863

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Dennis Havrilla

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COVER PHOTOGRAPHYTodd Franson

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4

MAY 19, 2016Volume 23 / Issue 3

NEWS 6

CONVOLUTED CAUCUSING

by John Riley

10 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SCENE 14 20TH ANNUAL Y OUTH PRIDE DAY

photography by Ward Morrison

FEATURE 16 STORYTELLER

Interview by John Riley

Photography by Todd Franson

OUT ON THE TOWN 22 GROUP DINING

by Doug Rule

24 ON THE HUNT

by Doug Rule

MUSIC 31 V IEWS BY DRAKE

by Sean Maunier

OPERA 33 S IEGFRIED AND T WILIGHT OF THE G ODS

by Kate Wingfield

GAMES 36 D OOM

by Rhuaridh Marr

NIGHTLIFE 39 DISTRKT C AT THE DC EAGLE

photography by Ward Morrison

46 LAST WORD


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Convoluted Caucusing Getting elected as a D.C. delegate for this year’s Democratic National

Convention is a needlessly complex process

Fanning

IT’S TOUGH RUNNING FOR A POSITION WHEN

most people don’t even know there’s a contest going on.But that’s exactly what John Fanning is up against, as

he seeks to become a delegate at this year’s DemocraticNational Convention.

“I’ve asked several of my neighbors to vote for me, and theytell me, ‘John, we didn’t even know there was a caucus,’” says

Fanning. “It’s not well-advertised, and I sense that the establish-ment candidates want it that way.”

J U L I A N V A N K I M

An Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for Ward 2,

Fanning has previously assisted other candidates with their owngrassroots campaigns, but has never personally run before. This

year, however, he hopes to be at the convention in Philadelphiato cast a vote for former Secretary of State and New York Sen.

Hillary Rodham Clinton.“I thought it was fitting, because I am originally from New

York, Clinton was the Senator from New York, and it’s a his-

torical moment in time,” Fanning says, referring to Clinton’s

L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comEric Fanning Confirmed as Army SecretaryAn online Tribute to Vicki Voxx

by John Riley


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LGBTNews

8

potential to be the country’s first female head of state.

In total, D.C. has been allocated 46 delegates at the nationalconvention, but 26 are superdelegates — distinguished party

leaders, elected officials and DNC members not bound to any

particular candidate. In addition — and adding needless extraconfusion to the process — members of the D.C. Democratic

State Committee select five “at-large” delegates, and two spotsare reserved for party leaders and elected officials who are

pledged to particular candidates.As a result, only 13 “district-level” delegates, and one alter-

nate, can actually be selected by the average D.C. Democraticvoter. Unlike New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, and other

states, where delegates appear on the ballot alongside the presi-

dential contenders, with candidate preference clearly listed,D.C.’s selection process for delegates gets even more complex.

Voters must select who they want to represent them atthis summer’s national convention. Across the city, 60 people

have announced their intention to run as delegates pledgedto Clinton, while only 12 have announced their preference for

Sen. Bernie Sanders. Delegates are chosen at a caucus on May

21, nearly a month before D.C. voters cast their ballots in D.C’sJune presidential primary. The caucus is only open to registered

Democratic voters in the city, though the party does allow same-day registration.

If you haven’t dozed off yet, here’s the gist: John Fanning hasto compete with 59 other people who also support Clinton for a

total of at most 13 slots. And it gets even more convoluted fromthere. According to the D.C. Democratic Party’s (overwrought)

process for delegate selection, seven of those 13 delegate slots

are allotted to people living in Wards 1, 2, 6, and 8, and six areallotted to people living in Wards 3, 4, 5, and 7. Due to party

rules emphasizing gender parity, six slots are reserved for men,and seven for women. The alternate slot will be reserved for a

male from Wards 3, 4, 5, or 7. As such, Fanning is competing forone of three spots reserved for males from Wards 1, 2, 6 and 8.

The methods of selection are so oblique, the process so tangled,it’s no wonder the average voter is clueless that there’s even anelection.

Once the caucus results are finalized, the delegates are thendistributed based on the results of the June 14 primary. It is

likely that both Clinton and Sanders will meet the 15 percentthreshold for earning delegates, so the delegates will be split

proportionally, starting with the top vote-getters from the May21 caucus — based on both candidate preference and gender, and

moving subsequently down the list. Anything beyond a first- or

second-place finish on May 21 likely dooms a potential del-egate’s chance of getting their ticket to Philadelphia. Not under-

standing how any of this actually works dooms them further.The odds are daunting, particularly for those delegates

pledged to Clinton, a fact of which Fanning is fully aware.“My challenge is even more challenging, because I basically

have to try to finish second in order to be selected,” he says.

Further complicating the process is that some candidates arerunning as part of a slate — though such information is not made

public by the D.C. Democratic Party. By becoming part of a slate,candidates can shepherd votes from people who are “in the

know” about the slate’s existence towards themselves and theirallies. Fanning had previously approached other candidates,

such as Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and local activ-ist Peter Rosenstein, about the possibility of running as a slate,

but they declined the offer, having already formed their own.

“I would prefer voting for delegates on the ballot with the

candidates on the day of the primary, as they did in Maryland,”

says Fanning. “I think the process would be promoted better.The Board of Elections would be running the process, and not

the party. I hope in the future we could convince the party lead-ership to adopt that process.”

Because he is not part of a slate, Fanning is focused mainly

on increasing turnout. In past years, it has been small: while thecaucus is technically open to all registered Democrats, fewer

than 200 voters typically participate. He has also floated the

possibility of “bullet voting,” where voters select only his namefrom the list of male delegate candidates for Wards 1, 2, 6, and8, and opt not to use their two remaining votes for other male

delegates.Fanning has knocked on doors in his neighborhood, attended

local meetings of Democratic ward groups, traveled to all four

wards in the district and stood in front of Giant and WholeFoods supermarkets to inform people of his candidacy. But he

also notes that his role as ANC Commissioner gives him a con-stituent base from which to recruit potential voters, providing

an edge over other non-elected delegate candidates.“I’m promoting the whole process,” he says. “Everyone

should know about the caucus. [The Democratic Party] should

be bringing out young people, seniors, folks who are new to thecountry who are registered to vote, bringing them all under the

‘blue’ tent.”The D.C. Democratic Party has set goals for allocating del-

egates to ensure that as many groups and constituencies as pos-sible are represented. It has an affirmative action and inclusion

plan based on statistics for the overall population of D.C. SinceLGBT people are estimated to make up 13 percent of D.C.’s pop-

ulation, the party hopes to have at least five of its 46 members

belong to the LGBT community.Currently, there are seven openly gay men, including Fanning

and Rosenstein, running to be pledged delegates for HillaryClinton — there are no openly LGBT people running to become

pledged delegates for Sanders. As such, if the party does notmeet its goals with superdelegates or through the delegate pro-

cess, members of the D.C. Democratic State Committee could

opt to select LGBT citizens for the five at-large delegates whowill be sent to the convention. But such a development is cer-

tainly not guaranteed, meaning May 21 is the best — and perhapsthe only — way for LGBT candidates to guarantee themselves a

spot on the convention floor.But whatever the outcome, Fanning is a loyal Democrat,

interested in ensuring the party’s success this November. Andpart of that lies in how successfully members of the party can

unite behind their nominee in the general election. Fanning

believes he can help mend fences and hurt feelings from thisyear’s combative primary process, to help Democrats keep their

hold on the White House for the next four to eight years.“Most of my life’s work has been community organizing and

bringing people together,” he says. “I think it’s going to takepeople like myself to bring Bernie Sanders supporters into the

Clinton camp in order to defeat Trump, or else he might win.” l

The D.C. Democratic Party’s Pre-Primary Caucus will take place

on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then again from9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., at the Walter E. Washington Convention

Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW, between 7th and 9th Streets. Anybody who is a registered Democratic voter may vote in the

caucus during either time period. For more information, visitdcdemocraticparty.org.

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SATURDAY, MAY 21CHRYSALIS arts & culture groupholds bi-monthly potluck social on theroofdeck of a Kalorama co-op overlook-ing downtown. 7 p.m. Bring dish toshare with 6 people; Chrysalis provides beverages and paper goods. Kevin, 571-

338-1433. [email protected].

The DC Center hosts a monthly LGBTASYLEES SUPPORT MEETINGAND DINNER for LGBT refugees andasylum seekers. 5-7 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707 or andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded bymembers of the LGBT community,holds Saturday morning Shabbatservices, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddushluncheon. Services in DCJCCCommunity Room, 1529 16th St. NW. betmish.org.

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includ-ing others interested in Brazilian cul-ture, meets. For location/time, email [email protected].

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/ walking/social club welcomes alllevels for exercise in a fun and sup-portive environment, socializingafterward. Meet 9:30 a.m., 23rd & PStreets NW, for a walk; or 10 a.m. forfun run. dcfrontrunners.org.

DC SENTINELS basketball teammeets at Turkey Thicket RecreationCenter, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4p.m. For players of all levels, gay orstraight. teamdcbasketball.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 20GAY DISTRICT, a group for GBTQQImen between the ages of 18-35, meetson the first and third Fridays of eachmonth. 8:30-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit gaydistrict.org.

LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP foradults in Montgomery County offersa safe space to explore coming outand issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,Gaithersburg, Md. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

The Institute of Current World Affairs and the Center forTransatlantic Relations host a con-

ference on THE GEOPOLITICS OFLGBT RIGHTS. Keynote speech by Ambassador Randy Berry. 9 a.m.-1p.m. Capitol Visitor Center, SVC209-208, First Street and East CapitolStreet SE. For more information, con-tact Haley Aubuchon, 202-364-4068.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24.4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT providesa social atmosphere for GLBT andquestioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].

THURSDAY, MAY 19Iona Senior Services offers a seminar

on UNDERSTANDING PUBLICBENEFITS: BENEFITS ANDELIGIBILITY FOR THE LGBTQCOMMUNITY. 3:30-5:30 p.m. 4125 Albemarle St. NW. For more informa-tion, visit iona.org.

The DC Center holds a meeting of

its POLY DISCUSSION GROUP, forpeople interested in polyamory, non-monogamy or other non-traditionalrelationships. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City Christian

Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg, 301-300-9978, orTakoma Park, 301-422-2398.

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group isindependent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIPINSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL YouthCenter, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,[email protected].

Metro Weekly’s 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 [email protected].

Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursday’s publication.

Questions about the calendar may be directed to the

Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or

the calendar email address.

LGBTCommunityCalendarDIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more info, visit dig-nitynova.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discussescritical languages and foreign lan-guages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St. NW.

RVSP preferred. [email protected].

IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments otherhours, call 301-422-2398.

SUNDAY, MAY 22ADVENTURING outdoors grouphikes 8 strenuous miles with 2260feet of elevation gain to Bear ChurchRock overlook in central Shenandoah

National Park. Bring lunch, beverages,sturdy boots, bug spray, sunscreen andabout $12 for fees. Carpool at 9 a.m.from East Falls Church Metro Kiss& Ride lot; return by 7 p.m. Jay, 415-203-7498. adventuring.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULSMEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m., HighMass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave.NW. 202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes allto 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRISTwelcomes GLBT community for wor-ship. 10:30 a.m., 6130 Old TelegraphRoad, Alexandria. hopeucc.org.

HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORTGROUP for gay men living in the DCmetro area. This group will be meetingonce a month. For information on loca-

tion and time, visit H2gether.com.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUALDEVELOPMENT, God-centered newage church & learning center. SundayServices and Workshops event. 5419Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OFREFORMATION invites all to Sundayworship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare isavailable at both services. WelcomingLGBT people for 25 years. 212 EastCapitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.


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METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday Schoolat 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373, mccdc.com.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,a Christ-centered, interracial, wel-coming-and-affirming church, offersservice at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-

554-4330, riversidedc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OFARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-and-affirming congregation, offersservices at 10 a.m. Virginia RainbowUU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd.uucava.org.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTCHURCH OF SILVER SPRING invites LGBTQ families and individu-als of all creeds and cultures to jointhe church. Services 9:15 and 11:15a.m. 10309 New Hampshire Ave.uucss.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONALMEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-ing and inclusive church. GLBTInterweave social/service groupmeets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.

MONDAY, MAY 23

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 Ohio

Dr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. atQuaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. [email protected].

HIV Testing at WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH. At the ElizabethTaylor Medical Center, 1701 14thSt. NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the MaxRobinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave.SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appoint-ment call 202-745-7000. Visit whit-man-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. 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.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or test-

[email protected].

THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee Drop-In for the Senior LGBT Community.10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black gaymen’s evening affinity group. 3636

Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATERPOLO TEAM practices 7-9 p.m.Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 VanBuren St. NW. Newcomers with atleast basic swimming ability alwayswelcome. Tom, 703-299-0504, [email protected], wetskins.org.

WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTHHIV/AIDS Support Group for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].

TUESDAY, MAY 24The DC Center’s GENDERQUEER DCsupport and discussion group for peo-ple who identify outside the gender binary, meets on the fourth Tuesdayof every month. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14thSt. NW, Suite 105. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS


ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinnerin Dupont/Logan Circle area, 6:30 [email protected], afwashington.net.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club serving greater D.C.’sLGBT community and allies hosts anevening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].


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HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THEDC CENTER hosts “Packing Party,”where volunteers assemble safe-sexkits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green CourtNW. thedccenter.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg at 301-300-9978 or

Takoma Park at 301-422-2398.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St.,

Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focused meeting everyTuesday, 7 p.m. St. George’sEpiscopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from VirginiaSquare Metro. For more info. callDick, 703-521-1999. Handicappedaccessible. Newcomers welcome.

[email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. CathyChu, 202-567-3163, [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a supportgroup for black gay men 40 and older.7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-

446-1100.

Whitman-Walker Health’s GAYMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 170114th St. NW. Patients are seen onwalk-in basis. No-cost screening forHIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chla-mydia. Hepatitis and herpes testingavailable for fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25The DC Center hosts a monthly

meeting of its HIV PREVENTION

WORKING GROUP. 6-8 p.m. 200014th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIALBRIDGE CLUB meets for SocialBridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center,721 8th St SE (across from MarineBarracks). No reservations and part-ner needed. All welcome. 301-345-1571for more information.

WEEKLY EVENTS

AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome.For more information, call FaustoFernandez, 703-732-5174.


DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-

tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,

9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414East Diamond Ave. Walk-ins 2-7 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg 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.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, socialclub for mature gay men, hostsweekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,Windows Bar above Dupont ItalianKitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl,703-573-8316.l


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

scene

20th Annual Youth Pride Day

Saturday, May 14

Dupont Circle

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

WARD MORRISON

scan this tag

with your

smartphone

for bonus scene

pics online!


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15SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE


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STORYT


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“I love telling stories,”says José Carrasquillo. “I love talking aboutpeople and what they go through on a daily

basis. Directing is the way I can allow mystorytelling ability to flourish.”

The 55-year-old began directing his ownshows — with imaginary players — as a child.

After studying theater in college, he bounced

around for a bit, before settling in D.C. forthe better part of 25 years, fulfilling a goal

of becoming a theatrical director. Twelveyears ago, Carrasquillo moved back to his

native Puerto Rico, where, until recently heran a guesthouse for tourists. That business

allowed him the flexibility to direct one or

two shows each year.With two of his productions being

staged at local theaters — The Body of an American at Theater J, and El Paso Blue at

GALA Hispanic Theatre — Carrasquillo hasmade a brief return to the city that initially

embraced his aesthetic, which he likens tothe “magic realism” made famous by the

works of Colombian writer Gabriel García

Márquez.“García Márquez’s work is one of the rea-

sons I ended up working in theater,” he says.“That was the literature I grew up with as a

child. When I went to school, I was alwaysattracted to the things that were adaptable

that didn’t exist. I was able to tell those

stories, they came very easy to me. I becameknown as the director who can make people

fly on stage or who can do stories under-water. I became known early on as a magic

realist.”Carrasquillo hopes to resettle in

Washington and continue directing part-time, but work in theater can be sporadic

— even with more than 80 theaters in the

D.C. area. “Rarely do I ever get called by

LLER

Every few years, José Carrasquillo

revisits D.C. toremind us why ourtheater scene is, in

fact, magical

INTERVIEW BY JOHN R ILEY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD FRANSON


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somebody and assigned a play,” he says. “That’s not how I work,”he says. “About ten times a year, I pitch an idea to a theater about

something I want to do for a number of reasons. They listen to

me, they’re very polite. And then I don’t hear from them at allfor sometimes years, until I get a call and they say, ‘Remember

that story you pitched? We want to put it in the season two yearsfrom now. Get your people, start working on it.’”

Working on a show can be a long and intensive process,which is why Carrasquillo fully absorbs himself when mount-

ing a production. To ensure he’s being true to the play, he often

consults with the playwright, then studies the geography, theculture, the speaking mannerisms and the backgrounds of his

characters to know how he can best portray them. It’s anotherreason why he prefers to work on only one or two shows a year.

“One show takes me hundreds of hours,” he says. “It takesme years of work, maybe one-and-a-half to two years of very

intense work. And I don’t want to shortchange any particularshow because I’m doing a million other things.”

Carrasquillo believes Washington is unlike any other theater

market in that its participants are supportive, compassionate,even welcoming.

“In a lot of other markets, people want you to fall flat on yourface, because it will be one less person to compete for a spot,” he

says. “In D.C., people hire you and allow you to fail without therepercussions of being labeled a ‘bad director,’ or things like that.

There’s always somebody who will extend their hand and say,

‘Get up. Let’s do the next show.’ And that’s a really comfortingthing, because that’s how you grow as an artist.”

METRO WEEKLY: Talk a bit about your childhood.

JOSÉ CARRASQUILLO: I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I had

a very happy childhood, an incredible family. I grew up among alot of people who were musicians, poets and storytellers. I was

very artistic.

MW: In what ways were you artistic?

CARRASQUILLO: I was a loner. I really always have been. One ofthe things, very early on, that my mom gave me was a box the-ater piece thing. It was like a stage that came in a box, and it had

little slats where you could stick little figures. It was a theaterbox, and I created my own stories. I played with that for hours

and hours, just creating and disappearing into my own world. So

today, when parents tell me their kids have imaginary friends, Iknow exactly what that is. As a kid, I loved reading and read a lot

of literature and works that people don’t read until much later.And all of that was really because of my mom. I was really very

close to her and she gave me this world that was unbelievable,and to me, that was plenty. It gave me a wonderful base in life.

MW: What was it about the mainland United States that made youstay here for 25 years?

CARRASQUILLO: That’s a complicated thing. Back then, when I

came from Puerto Rico, the whole idea of a person being openlygay was still in its infancy. We were about thirty years behind

the United States. I was always supported by my mom and by myfamily, but here, in the United States, one of the things I loved

about it was I found a lot of people like me, whereas [back home],there were no people like me. I didn’t fit the notion of what a gay

man was in their eyes, because to them, it was guys who wore

dresses. And when I came to the United States, it turns out thatmost gay and lesbian people are exactly like you and I. It’s like,

“Wow, this is incredible.”MW: When did you come out?

CARRASQUILLO: I didn’t ever “come out.” I was always out. That

whole notion of telling the world, “I’m a gay man,” I never

went through that.

MW: But did people know you were gay as a child?

CARRASQUILLO: My mom did, and we talked about it. My grand-parents knew. They just really always knew. It wasn’t until I

was an adult that I could really formulate thoughts about my

sexuality and what that meant psychologically. But that wasn’tcoming out. That was just part of our everyday conversations

that we would have.When I came to D.C., one of the things that was very appeal-

ing to me was that, when I got here in ‘85, not only did I makea large, extended group of friends, but also, D.C. was beginning

to be a very fertile ground for theater. And I benefitted tremen-dously from that. It was a time of a lot of activism, and a time of

finding my aesthetic as an artist. It turns out that coming out,

and embracing a specific aesthetic, a queer aesthetic, and being

political, was something I learned when I came to D.C. Becausethere was so much going on.

The major thing was, of course, the HIV/AIDS epidemic that

decimated so many people. And that made activists out of all ofus. We either did that, or we died. It made us politically aware

in ways that we were not before, because it was pretty clear that

the government didn’t care, so we had to take care of each other.The Whitman-Walker Clinic, which now we take for granted,

was really the work of a lot of men who had this notion that, ifwe don’t do this, no one else is going to, so we have to care for

each other.

MW: Did you get involved in any other political things when you

came here?

CARRASQUILLO: ACT UP. Socially, one of the things I did wasI immediately started running with DC Front Runners. That

organization changed my life in many ways. It not only gave mean intro into a healthy world — how to eat right, how to exercise

— but it gave me a network of friends, many of whom were losingloved ones. we became very political. We marched everywhere

on the east side of the United States. Every time there was amarch, we’d be there.

But there were also things we did that began to change the per-

ception of how gay men saw themselves here in the city. We start-ed a memorial in Rock Creek Park, to plant trees for every member

that we lost. And today, I still run by that little group of trees, andI know exactly all the friends I lost. Things like that are forever.

Politically, the problem with the disease was that it was just a

bad label to brand all of these people with. It wasn’t. And today,many people are living with HIV. It’s not how it was before.

MW: What would you say is a trademark characteristic of your

work?

CARRASQUILLO: If you see the body of my entire work, there arecertain things that are my signature. For instance, I don’t do real-

ism very well. What I typically rely on more is the imaginationof the audience. You stimulate it, and they just go with you. So a

lot of the work that I do is either driven by the words, the actorsor movement.

The show playing at Theater J is an example of the kind of

work I do. And an interesting thing about that work, The Bodyof an American, is that when you check the other productions

“The major thing was, of codecimated so many people. An

WE EITHER DID


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of the play — I think we’re the fifth or sixth production — every

other production has been set more realistically. Mine isn’t.There’s no props. Just two actors, two stools. That’s it. Let the

actors do the work, let the actors tell the story.Another example of how magic realism and the kinds of sto-

ries I do informs my work. There are two guys, buddies, after

one gets out of jail, searching for his wife and his father. Andboth couples are on stage all the time, they just can’t see each

other. There are times when they’re literally on two chairs doingthis. And I decided I didn’t want to do that. How then do you

manifest movement that would let us know that you’re in a car.Well, we’re going to do line dancing. And that will be wonder-

ful, because it’s exciting, and it doesn’t keep the actors static onstage. So we’re going to dance. That’s where the magic comes

from. That’s magic realism at its best. You just take what is writ-

ten — the audience will get it, that they’re driving. It’s a lot of

stuff about faith and fate in the play, and all of that is magic real-ism. It’s other-worldly. The characters don’t understand it, butthey feel the presence of that in their lives, and how they see it.

MW: What else have you learned from your years as a director?

CARRASQUILLO: That in addition to being storytellers, we’re doing a

play, and our main goal should be to serve the play. Not to serve how

we think it should be done, but to serve it as the playwright wroteit. The guy who wrote The Body of an American is Dan O’Brien,

an Irish playwright, a beautiful, stunning writer. He’s a poet. Andwhat is interesting is that when he and I talked on the phone about

this work, what an amazing, enlightening conversation that was.First, because he asked me, “Why do you want to do the show?”

And my response was:

“Two actors, two stools. It just doesn’t get any better

than that for me.” And hesaid, “Oh my God, that’s

why I wrote it. I wroteit just like that, but all of

the other productionshave treated it more like

realism, so there’s hotel

rooms and all of this, andall of that. None of that.”

And then he asked me what I thought the play was about. And Ilaunched into a 40-minute monologue on it.

MW: What would you say it is about?

CARRASQUILLO: Thematically, the play is about learning to forgiveourselves for things we have done in the past that have affectedother people. In this case, a journalist, who is a war photog-

rapher, took a photograph in 1993 of a soldier being dragged

through the streets of Mogadishu. And he carries such a guilt, aweight, over having taken the photo. It basically haunts him. He

heard the voice of the soldier, the moment he took the picture.“Don’t do this. Because if you do this, I will own you forever.”

You see 19 years in the life of these two people: the photogra-pher and the playwright, who many years later, listened to a pod-

cast of Terry Gross’ “Fresh Air.” He was listening to it because

the photographer had written a book about his experiences andspecifically about the photograph. Now, the playwright is writ-

ing a play about ghosts that haunt people. And the second hehears the podcast, he begins to track down the photographer.

In doing so, they develop a friendship that lasts many, many

years. To this day, they’re good friends. And it turns out, notonly is Paul Watson, the photographer, dealing with the ghost

that haunts him, but in becoming friends with Paul Watson, DanO’Brien is able to deal with the ghosts that haunt him.

I was talking to Dan about what I thought the play was about.At the end of the discussion, I said, “Dan, please call the theater

in five minutes, because I cannot wait until tomorrow. I’m livingwith this show day and night, and it would just kill me. I haven’t

slept in days, and I really need to know if you want me to do

this.” And he said, “Oh, no, relax. I want you to do it. But — theshow is a love story. You have to treat it as one, or it won’t work.”

It was truly unbelievable, because it’s two straight dudes. Butit turns out he was absolutely right. The two men have never

the HIV/AIDS epidemic thatt made activists out of all of us.

AT, OR WE DIED.”

“We started a memorial in Rock Creek Park, toplant trees for every member that we lost. And

today, I STILL RUN BY THAT LITTLE GROUPOF TREES, AND I KNOW EXACTLY

ALL THE FRIENDS I LOST.”


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found friends or anybody they can talk to or relate to, the way

they do to each other, and therefore they become essential toeach other’s lives. That was illuminating to me.

MW: Tell me more about your show at GALA.

CARRASQUILLO: That other show that I’m doing is called El Paso

Blue. It takes place in Texas. I’ve been wanting to do that show

since 1997. The second I read the show, I immediately beganpitching it here, because I thought it would be a great story to

tell. Theaters were not interested.The writer is Octavio Solis, one of the foremost second-

generation Latino writers. While I think they admired the

writing, back in 1997 many theater producers maybe saw himas “Oh, he’s a Chicano writer, that kind of story might not inter-est people here, because we’re more of this region.” What I

love about Octavio’s work is he takes a classic, the Oedipus Rex

idea, and sets it in a contemporary setting, in this case, El Paso,Texas, which happens to be where Octavio was born. If I could

make a comparison, he’s probably the Latino equivalent of SamShepard. it’s just a land which is sexual and sensual and raw and

very culturally specific. But in this case, it’s also a very feministplay. I just love the play, I’m having so much fun with it.

MW: What attracted you to it?

CARRASQUILLO: It’s just the beautiful language. And again, the factthat that particular story, that particular setting, we’re not famil-

iar with here. The story is very much Oedipus Rex. In this case, a

guy goes to jail. He gives his wife to his father to take care of herfor a year. When he comes out of jail a year later, the old guy andthe girl have run away, they become lovers. That was an inter-

esting setting for the classic. Texas is very much almost its owncountry. El Paso is a border town, there’s many different cul-

tures, and they are all explored in this play. I just thought, “What

an amazing setting, and what a beautiful set of characters.”When you read a play sometimes, you know that the play-

wright is eloquent and has a distinctive voice, has talent. In thecase of Octavio, it’s that each of those characters sounds so dif-

ferent. Sometimes you read a play and the voice of the charactersseems very much similar to the rhythms of the play. Not here.

Each person is distinctive, and that’s what’s exciting.

MW: What’s the most compli-

cated part of staging a play?

CARRASQUILLO: It depends.

There are many, many areasof a production. And because

each play, and each team, andeach theater is different, there

are areas that are very difficult

to do a specific play. For exam-ple, The Body of an American,

the most difficult thing wasto cast it. And it took months.

You needed two actors whosechemistry on stage had to be

there. I saw many, many greatactors, actors I love and want

to work with. There were a

lot of choices to be had. Butthe second these two actors

walked into the room, it waslike, “Okay. There you go.”

Because it has to be about thechemistry. That was the most

difficult thing. Everything elsewas easy.

At GALA, this is a very, very complicated story, El Paso Blue,

based on a classic that people know. It has music, dance, actorssinging, all of that, with a company that has a history of 40 years,

and they do very strong work. But when you are at GALA, youhave to do a lot of the work yourself. There’s not a staff doing this

and that. A lot of that falls to the director to re-execute and directand guide people to do it. In that sense, you have to come ready

to do a lot of work, and a lot of work in areas where you may not

be as seasoned. I could use a musical director, a choreographer,which I don’t have. I’m tapping into friends and people that

can come and help me realize my vision. And sometimes that

is the best definition of community theater, where everyone isinvested in telling the story.

MW: What would you say your greatest success was?

CARRASQUILLO: The most successful play I’ve ever done was

Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days. I did that three or four years agowith an actress named Delia Taylor. I directed it, and I was in

it with her. It has to be the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.Beckett is work that I’ve studied, work that I love, not work that

I wish to do on stage. It’s too difficult, it’s too important, and Ifeel like I sometimes don’t have the tools to do it. I got into it

because Delia wanted to do it, and she and I are artistic soul-mates. It turned out that our production was a very sincere and

honest production. So I’m very proud of it.

Very early on in my career, I did a show called Patient A,

based on the story of one woman who died of AIDS. She believedthat her doctor gave her the HIV virus in the dentist’s chair. Thatwas a very controversial play for its time. It was very powerful.

And in D.C., it was the production that made me. Because wewere at a time — I think it was around 1992 — when there was so

much politics, and finger-pointing, and blaming. This was a very

honest show that tried to look at AIDS/HIV from many pointsof view, and the production was just a great, great play to have

this kind of conversation. And again, very theatrical. No props,nothing. Just three actors on stage.

There are other things. I love comedy, I just don’t get to doit that often, because comedy is very hard. There’s a little show

I did at GALA a couple of years ago called The True History of

S T A N B A R O U H

Eric Hissom and Thomas Keegan in The Body of an American


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Coca-Cola in Mexico. I love that show.

MW: What’s hard about doing comedy?

CARRASQUILLO: Directors who are good at it, they just look at a

sentence, and know how to build it, lay it out, and land it. It’sa formula. It’s second-nature. I don’t have that. I have to work

very hard on it. This play at GALA is a comedy, and I’m terrifiedof it. And yet I have very good actors who, during the rehearsal

process, are completely willing to make total asses of themselves

until we find where it lands, and what’s funny, and that theyunderstand it, and make it organic so it really works within

the characters and what they’re doing. Comedy has a differentdrive and energy than regular drama. You need to understand

that. When jokes are fly-ing, are they staggered? Are

they building to a bigger joke? What are they reveal-

ing about the character? And

then you have to make cer-tain that you’re not going so

out there that you’re not cre-ating stereotypes, because

the jokes are really not beingfelt or being delivered from a

place of the heart, that you’re just playing a type or what-ever. For all of those reasons,

it’s really, really difficult. I can’t tell you how much I admirecomedians, people who do stand-up, and people who can take a

play and elevate it to the next level because they understand thelevity of what comedy does and how it’s supposed to function.

MW: What is a play that you haven’t done yet that you’d like to direct?

CARRASQUILLO: Oh, wow. That’s a good question. I’m 55 now, and

I have a bucket list. There’s so many of them. I would love to doThe Crucible. I think it is one of the greatest pieces of theater. I’dlike to do some Tennessee Williams.

MW: A Streetcar Named Desire , maybe?

CARRASQUILLO: Interestingly, no. There are others that are bet-ter placed. I love Streetcar, but I think The Glass Menagerie isan astonishing piece of theater. And also, he wrote a play calledCamino Real. That’s the one I want to do. Because again, it’s a

sufrio, magic realism. I’d love to do A Long Day’s Journey into Night, by [Eugene] O’Neill, because when you think of giants

of the American theater, you can’t speak without mentioninghim. And that play, which was not supposed to be produced,

is as good as it gets. The whole fucking four hours of it meanssomething. There is not one word that is not meant to be spoken.

MW: Are there any actors you really want to work with?

CARRASQUILLO: Yes. Sarah Marshall is at the top of the list. Holly

Twyford would be second. I’ve been really lucky with male

actors, because I’ve worked with so many big D.C. stars. Jerry

Whiddon, I’d love to work with him — I think he’s a phenom-enal actor. I would give my life to work again with the two I justworked with in Theater J — Eric Hissom and Thomas Keegan.

They’re the best. That’s an incredible gift, to know, as a direc-tor, you’re working with two actors at the top of their game,

and they’re giving you their body and soul. That’s incredible. If

I could ever find work for them, where we could work togetheragain, I would do that in a heartbeat.

Craig Wallace is another. Ford’s Theater, every year, does AChristmas Carol. For the first time ever, they will have a black

Scrooge, Craig Wallace. I’ve never seen it, because it’s really notmy thing, but this year I will see it. That man is so sensational.

MW: Do you think D.C. has the kind of theater reputation that a

place like New York does, at least nationally?

CARRASQUILLO: Let me tell you the reality of it. Actors here makemore money than actors in New York. In New York, they get

paid very little. What people make here for a show in a profes-sional theater company is a lot more than what they make in

New York. So that word is out. Many people come here becausethey love the community. It’s not a secret anymore. The [actors’]

union has, I bet, over 1,000 actors in this region. That’s a lot of

actors. They’re working professionally, not only in theater, but infilm work, and commercial work, and they’re doing voiceovers.

New York is a different thing, because people view Broadwayand that kind of potential project as the highlight of American

theater. It isn’t. It’s the highlight for producers when a show like Hamilton happens. But those are only 1 in 20. Where the real

work happens has always been in regional theater. It’s been inSeattle, it’s been here, it’s been in Chicago. And a lot of things

that happen in New York were first tested elsewhere. Therewas a show called Photograph 51, which had a workshop at Joe’s

Dance Emporium in Maryland. Then it had a world premiere at

Theater J. That show went to London. Nicole Kidman was in it.It’s now coming to Broadway with Nicole Kidman in it. That’s

an example of a show that in New York would not have been

workshopped and produced and given the care that it neededbefore it opened at that level. But it started here. Arena hasdone work, Woolly continues to do world premieres and work

they’ve developed, and so on. We’re not only a theater town,

we’re fertile ground to do work that really means something ata national level.

One of the reasons I want to be here, want to come back here,is I think D.C. is the best theater town in the entire country.

There’s nothing like it. It’s very tight. It’s like an extended familyof people. And it’s a very loving town in that way. When people

come from the outside, and they don’t play by our rules, they’renot liked. That’s just the way it is. And that means something

to me when I see actors who come to view each other’s work,

and they’re there for people, and hug each other, and say, “Good

work.” That is just tremendous. That sometimes doesn’t hap-pen in other places, because other places are more competitive.People think: “If you’re on stage, and I didn’t get the part, then

you are taking my job and I hate you for it.” Not here. l

The Body of an American runs through May 22 at Theater J,

located at the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit

washingtondcjcc.org.

El Paso Blue opens on June 2 and runs through June 26 at GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. For tickets or more informa-

tion, visit galatheatre.org.

“I’m tapping into friends and people that cancome and help me realize my vision. And

sometimes THAT IS THE BEST DEFINITIONOF COMMUNITY THEATER, WHERE

EVERYONE IS INVESTED IN

TELLING THE STORY.”


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MAY 19 - 26, 2016

SPOTLIGHT

ANJAL CHANDE ATSMITHSONIAN’S CROSSLINES:CULTURE LAB As part of a celebration of its multi-genre convening “Crosslines: ACulture Lab on Intersectionality,”the Smithsonian presents an originaldance piece by contemporary Indiandance artist Anjal Chande. A com-mission of the Smithsonian AsianPacific Center, Out of the Shadows: A Colored Solidarity is a contempo-rary bharatanatyam dance work that

spotlights two feminist figures, basedon the research of Nico Slate: Indianactivist Kamaladevi Chattopadhyayand often-overlooked American queeractivist Pauli Murray, who exempli-fies the cross-pollination betweenIndia’s independence movement and America’s civil rights movement fromthe late 19th century to the 1960s. Alltold, more than 40 artists and scholarswill offer performances, lectures andactivities presenting new perspectiveson identity, including internationallyrenowned painter Roger Shimomuraand local artists SuperWaxx and NoKings Collective. Crosslines runsSaturday, May 28, and Sunday, May

29, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Arts andIndustries Building, 900 Jefferson Dr.SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit smith-sonianapa.org.

BARD IN THE PARK: THEMERCHANT OF VENICE, WESTSIDE STORY As part of its “400 Years ofShakespeare” celebration, FolgerTheatre teams up with the CapitolRiverfront BID to offer two free out-door screenings of Hollywood’s besttakes on the Bard. First up, Al Pacino’s bold, uncompromising 2014 take onThe Merchant of Venice, the first full-length filmed version of Shakespeare’s

“problem play” since the silent era.The next night offers one of the great-est musicals, Robert Wise and JeromeRobbins’s 1961 West Side Story, a takeon Romeo and Juliet with classic, glo-rious music by Leonard Bernstein anda book by Stephen Sondheim. The Merchant of Venice screens Saturday,May 21, and West Side Story onSunday, May 22. Actors from Folger’supcoming production of District Merchants will introduce each film,which screen at sundown (a little after7:30 p.m.) Canal Park, 200 M St. SE.Free. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu for more information.

22

Compiled by Doug Rule

W A R D M O R R I S O N


Group Dining Chef’s Best is a signature event for Food & Friends — and

philanthropic foodies

DEBORAH PEEPLES MAY HAVE ONLY SIGNED ON LAST FALL TO BE THE CHIEF

development officer at Food & Friends, but she has long been invested in the cause.“My late husband rode in the first AIDS Ride in ’97 from Philly to Washington, and

then he rode in subsequent ones,” Peeples says. “I’ve been raising money in the community for

a really long time, with a lot of other really wonderful nonprofits.”Peeples couldn’t pass up the chance to work for Food & Friends, which is known for pro-

viding meals and nutritional services to those suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-

challenging illnesses. The organization is also known for several annual fundraisers that tug atthe hearts and appeal to the stomachs, including Chef’s Best, set for Monday, May 23.

Now in its 26th year, Chef’s Best highlights the restaurant community, which, says Peeples,“has been incredibly supportive of Food & Friends from its very beginning days.” The event has

grown in tandem with the rise in the region’s restaurant scene, as many of today’s nationallyrecognized chefs and mixologists take part. Last year’s 25th anniversary event raised $1 million,

a figure the organization hopes to match this year.

Michael Friedman of The Red Hen and All Purpose Pizzeria is the Celebrity Chef Chair,recruiting a total of 38 chefs and mixologists from restaurants throughout the city, includ-

ing Amy Brandwein of Centrolina, Patrick Curran of Momofuku, Salvatore Ferro of the OldEbbit Grille, Louis Goral of Rural Society, Anthony Lombardo of The Hamilton, Joe Palma of

Bourbon Steak and Ed Scarpone, DBGB Kitchen & Bar. The event, held this year at the NationalBuilding Museum, also offers a silent and live auction, including far-flung trips, one-of-a-kind

experiences and private dining opportunities.“It’s a wonderful evening if you’re at all inclined to being a foodie,” says Peeples. “For people

looking to be part of a community, and part of a community’s solution, coming out to be Chef’s

Best is just a really great night of what we call food, fun and philanthropy.” – Doug Rule

Chef’s Best is Monday, May 23, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $350. Call 202-269-2277 or visit foodandfriends.org.

Chefs and participants at Chef’s Best 2015


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CAPITAL REEDS AT GOURMETSYMPHONY’S SALOON CONCERTSERIESCreated last year partly to shake uphow people experience and engagewith classical music, the GourmetSymphony presents another culi-nary-inspired concert. “AmericanRoots & Reeds,” part of the SaloonConcert Series, features barbeque onthe garden patio at Beuchert’s Saloonon Capitol Hill paired with artisanal

craft beers and meads from Atlas BrewWorks and Charm City Meadworks.D.C. chamber ensemble the CapitalReeds performs and shares insightsinto a few short pieces by Americancomposers. Wednesday, May 25, start-ing at 6 p.m. Beuchert’s Saloon, 623Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Tickets are $45,including spirits tastings paired withcustom small plates. Call 202-733-1384or visit gourmetsymphony.org.

IRELAND 100: CELEBRATINGA CENTURY OF IRISH ARTS &CULTUREThe Kennedy Center presents thismajor festival commemorating the

100th anniversary of the 1916 EasterRising that led to Ireland’s indepen-dence. Curated by Alicia Adams, thecenter’s vice president of interna-tional programming and dance, someof Ireland’s best contemporary musi-cians, dancers and theater companieswill be on tap, as well as other events,from a literature series to docu-mentary screenings to installations.Upcoming highlights include: Uilleannpipe players Gay McKeon, EmmettGill and Amy Campbell with Irish flut-ist Catherine McEvoy, on Friday, May20, at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 21,at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; world-classopera singers mezzo-soprano Tara

Erraught and Anthony Kearns of theIrish Tenors, on Monday, May 23, at7 p.m.; a multidisciplinary solo showfrom Riverdance dancer/co-choreog-

rapher Colin Dunne, on Tuesday, May24, at 6:45 p.m.; a culinary demon-stration and lecture drawing on theIrish roots of Restaurant Eve’s Cathal Armstrong, on Wednesday, May 25, at6 p.m.; and a full-length duet between Riverdance dancer/co-choreographerJean Butler and composing cellist NeilMartin, on Thursday, May 26, andFriday, May 27, at 7 p.m. Festival runsto June 5. Call 202-467-4600 or visitkennedy-center.org.

MAGNETIC ZEROS WITHPRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BANDWolf Trap kicks off its outdoor sea-son with an unexpected and intriguingdouble-bill, featuring a quirky, uncon- ventional psychedelic-folk 10-piece band from L.A. led by Edward Sharpeand an exuberant yet tradition-mind-ed big-band jazz septet from NewOrleans. Wednesday, May 25, at 8 p.m.The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25to $50. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visitwolftrap.org.

M E L V I N

S I M O N P R O D U C T I O N S , T W E N T I E T H C E N T U R Y F O X F I L M C

O R P O R A T I O N


On The HuntUnited Social Sports’ Hunt DC is a fun way to sightsee — or a good

excuse to day drink

SOMETIMES, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WASHINGTON ISN’T

all monuments and landmarks. There’s a lot to see in the nation’s capital — and

that’s a core part of Hunt DC, a three-hour city-wide scavenger hunt organized bylocal adult sports company United Social Sports.

“The Hunt is really everyone’s opportunity to take advantage of the great city that welive in,” says Christina Rheault.

And for the fifth annual event, Rheault, events manager at USS, opted to create threedifferent sightseeing routes. In addition to the monument-heavy DC Treasures, there’s

also a CHAW Art Trek, to look for the animal sculptures on street signs in the CapitolHill neighborhood, and a Boozy Bar Route.

“For people who want to do a little day drinking, they can just take that route,”

Rheault says. “You can do a little hunting, and stop and get a drink, and then hunt again.”Teams earn 50 points per receipt from participating bars.

Choosing a different route is meant to add to the fun of the hunt, which features over100 clues that people can seek out. The winning team will earn a $1,000 travel voucher.

But just as with USS, which offers amateur leagues in nearly every sport or pastime youcan imagine for people from all walks of life, the focus is more on camaraderie than com-

petition. This town has enough of that as it is.

Cementing that idea is an evening block party just down from the SouthwestWaterfront Metro stop. It features lawn games, music from the Brass Connection Band

and DJ Phil, plus local food trucks — and a Bud Light truck pouring booze.Hunt DC is for “anyone who just needs to relieve some stress because they work so

hard five or six or seven days a week,” Rheault says. “It’s a great opportunity to be ableto bring people together to just have fun and play.” – Doug Rule

Hunt DC 2016 is Saturday, May 21, starting at 11 a.m., at 401 M St. SE. Tickets are $39 in

advance, or $55 day-of, or $175 for a team of six. Call 202-290-1969 or visit huntdc.com.

Scavenger Hunt (1979)


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Art Outsiders is a portrait collection ofinfluential creators who have changedthe world with their genius, a grow-ing list of 40 names that includesDivine, Coco Chanel, Andy Warhol,Keith Haring, David Bowie andJudy Garland. Saturday, May 21, andSunday, May 22, from 2 p.m. to 4p.m. ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery, 11921 Freedom Drive.Reston, Va. Call 703-478-0778 or visit ArtInsights.com.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW After a ravishing production lastfall of Cole Porter’s musical takeon Shakespeare’s classic, theShakespeare Theatre Company endsits season with Ed Sylvanus Iskandar’sprovocative, new, all-male produc-tion that features the pop music ofTony- and Grammy-winning compos-er Duncan Sheik (Broadway’s Spring Awakening ), including a 30-minutemusical intermezzo. Stage and screenactors Maulik Pancholy ( Weeds, 30 Rock ) and Peter Gadiot ( Once Upon A Time in Wonderland ) will playKatherina and Petruchio, respective-

ly, in a cast that also includes AndreDe Shields, Telly Leung, GregoryLinington, Matthew Russell, TomStory, Oliver Thornton and BernardWhite in featured performances. Nowin previews. Opens Tuesday, May24, at 7:45 p.m. To June 26. SidneyHarman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

WHEN JANUARY FEELSLIKE SUMMERSerge Seiden transports Cori Thomas’Off-Broadway romantic urban comedyto the Anacostia and H Street neigh- borhoods in the inaugural season-closing production of Mosaic TheaterCompany. When January Feels Like Summer follows five ordinary lives thatcollide in one extraordinary Januaryas characters navigate immigration,gender transition, interracial relation-

ships, coming of age, homophobia, rac-ism, death and divorce — all relayedthrough comedy. Lynette Rathnam,Shravan Amin, Jason B. McIntosh,Jeremy Keith Hunter and VaughnRyan Midder comprise the cast. Opensin previews Thursday, May 19, at 8p.m. Opening night is Sunday, May22, at 7:30 p.m. Runs to June 12. AtlasPerforming Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE.Tickets are $40 to $60. Call 202-399-7993 or mosaictheater.org.

FILM

HOLLYWOOD ON TRIAL: INVASIONOF THE BODY SNATCHERSThis season’s “Seeing Red Film Series”at the Hill Center, with hosts NewYorker staff writer Margaret Talbotand movie critic Nell Minow, con-cludes with the 1956 film Invasion ofthe Body Snatchers, which has beencalled the most frightening film evermade. Based on a novella by JackFinney that has been remade multi-

ple times, Don Siegel’s original filmis about the biggest threat of themall, greater than any non-human,extraterrestrial monster: Fellow citi-zens you thought you could trust. Inthis case, the emotionless pod peoplereflect the obsessions of the Cold War— and could be seen as representingCommunists or McCarthyite conform-ists, depending on your point of view.Sunday, May 22, at 4 p.m. Hill Center,Old Navy Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org.

NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING Neighbors was something of a surprisehit, both critically and commercially,in 2014. This second entry sees themain cast return, but really, was any-one else that eager for more frater-nity and sorority-related antics? OpensFriday, May 20. Area theaters. Visitfandango.com. (Rhuaridh Marr)

THE NICE GUYSIf you had to pick an ideal pairing for amystery comedy, would Ryan Goslingand Russell Crowe be anywhere on

that list? Despite (or, perhaps, becauseof) their odd couple stature, The NiceGuys looks to be genuine fun, withCrowe a hired enforcer and Goslinga private eye teaming up to solve thecase of a missing girl in 1970s L.A.Opens Friday, May 20. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (RM)

RUBY CORADO, MESHELLNDEGEOCELLO AT ASTRAEAFOUNDATION AWARDS Aa part of its multi-year, multi-mil-lion dollar global grassroots fundingcampaign Fueling the Frontlines, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justicewill honor the LGBT women of theObama Administration as well as CasaRuby founder Ruby Corado. Grammy-nominated Meshell Ndegeocellowill offer a special performance.

Wednesday, May 25, at 6:30 to 9:30p.m. LongView Gallery, 1234 9th St.NW. Individual tickets are $200, or$100 for Next Generation attendeesunder 35. Call 202-232-4788 or visitastraeafoundation.org.

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE:BATTLE OF THE SEASONSThe 2016 Extravaganza Tour featuresmost of the drag acts who have becomefamous thanks to RuPaul’s hit show.Michelle Visage hosts and Pearl offersan opening DJ set for this all-queenshow, including Adore Delano, AlaskaThunderfuck, Courtney Act, GingerMinj, Miss Fame, Phi Phi O’Hara and

Violet Chachki. Saturday, May 21.Doors at 8 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St.NW. Tickets are $37.50. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

TENNESSEE LOVELESS:THE ART OUTSIDERSThe Chicago-based drag and contem-porary artist will unveil a new exhibitat Reston’s ArtInsights Gallery. The


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NW. Tickets are $20. Call 202-588-1880 or visit ustreetmusichall.com.

ABOVE AND BEYOND

A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANIONPublic radio star Garrison Keillormakes his annual Memorial Dayweekend trip to Wolf Trap, includinga live broadcast on Saturday, May 28.This year’s stop brings special guests

Chris Thile, Heather Masse, and Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks,in association with Minnesota PublicRadio and WAMU. Friday, May 27,at 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 28, at5:45 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Rd., Vienna. Lawn seats are available for$30 to $80. Call 703-255-1900 or visitwolftrap.org.

CAPITAL CITY SHOWCASEThe Capital City Showcase, which bills itself as “the variety show thatfeatures the DMV’s best comedians,musicians and performing artists,”returns for another installment, thistime at the Columbia Heights restau-rant Acre 121. Danny Rouhier, co-hostof “Grant & Danny” on radio station106.7 The Fan, Nicki Fuchs, and PatRiley bring the funny while nationallytouring, locally based hip-hop artistsBo Jankans and DJ Ragz bring the beats. Saturday, May 21, at 9 p.m. Acre121, 1400 Irving St. NW. Tickets are$10. Call 202-431-4704 or visit capi-talcityshowcase.com.

Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St.NE. Tickets are $15 to $30. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.

MUSIC

BIZ MARKIE:FILLMORE FLASHBACK“The Clown Prince of Hip-Hop,” asMTV once called him, will once againrelive his glory days, hosting and spin-ning for the third “80s vs 90s DanceParty” at the Fillmore Silver Springand presented by radio station Hot99.5. Local cover bands New Romance(the ‘80s) and Here’s To The Night(the ‘90s) join Markie, a Marylandresident known for “Just A Friend.”Saturday, May 21, at 8 p.m. FillmoreSilver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road,Silver Spring. Tickets are $15.50. Call301.960.9999 or visit fillmoresilver-spring.com.

DIGITALISMOver the course of a decade-longcareer, this duo has churned outsome playful and charming tunes,including break-out instrumentaldance single “Zdarlight” and the NewOrder-influenced “Pogo.” Digitalismtours in support of its first new setin five years, Mirage, set for releaseon Friday, May 13. Local juggernautNadastrom opens for this 9:30 Club-presented concert. Friday, May 20, at7 p.m. U Street Music Hall, 1115A U St.

THE MAN IN THE MASK Although known for its dialogue-free,movement-focused fare — most notablyits “silent Shakespeare” productions — Virginia’s Synetic Theater offers a rareshow with dialogue, an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ follow-up to TheThree Musketeers. Husband-and-wifeduo of director Paata Tsikurishvili andchoreographer Irina Tsikurishvili leadthis swashbuckling and high-pageantry bombastic adventure, following hero

D’Artagnan and the corrupt King LouisXIV. To June 19. Theater at CrystalCity, 1800 South Bell St., Arlington.Tickets are $15 to $55. Call 800-494-8497 or visit synetictheater.org.

TRANSMISSION A three-year-old D.C.-based play-writing collective, and one of this year’s Helen Hayes Award winnersas Outstanding Emerging TheatreCompany, the Welders offers its latestproduction, an immersive, participa-tory “performance play” written andperformed by Gwydion Suilebhan.Devised for a small audience of 20people, all seated in 1930s armchairs

clustered around period radios,Transmission focuses on the viral evo-lution of culture, from the radio age tothe present day. Touted as part-jazz,part-science lecture and part-”ritualinvocation”, the show investigateswhat it means to be inundated in ouralways-connected, always-sharingculture, which demands skepticismand inquisitiveness. To May 28. Atlas


LUCREZIA BLOZIA’S UNDERWATERBIRTHDAY BURLESQUELucrezia Blozia aka Chris Griffin turnsanother year older this month and willcelebrate a life in drag with a Little Mermaid -inspired party featuringPhilanthrotease performance artistsincluding carny man Charlie Artful,clown Jim Dandy, and burlesquersIsabelle Epoque, Aaron “Bowie ofBoylesque” Spaace and Victoria Vixen. And each performer is giving at least

10 percent of earnings to the AnacostiaWatershed Society to help cleanup ofD.C.’s waterways. Sunday, May 29, at 8p.m. Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St.NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15day-of show. Call 202-293-1887 or visitinlovewithbier.com.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA FINE ARTSFESTIVALMore than 200 artists from around thenation will take part in this 25th annu-al event drawing over 30,000 peopleand organized by the Greater Reston Arts Center. In addition to artworksin a variety of media, from painting tophotography to jewelry, the festival

also includes performances and familyart-making activities. Saturday, May21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday,May 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. RestonTown Center, 11900 Market St. Reston.Suggested donation of $5 provides fes-tival program with dining certificatesinside. Call 703-471-9242 or visit rse-tonarts.org.l


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The View from the Top

Drake’s newest release is amoody and ambitious ode to his

hometown of Toronto

Any way you want to look at it, Drake has been

doing pretty well for himself. Riding high on thesuccess of “Hotline Bling” and last year’s mixtapeWhat a Time to Be Alive, the 29-year-old Toronto

native shows no signs of slowing down. First announced asViews from the 6 before being shortened to simply Views, hisfourth studio album is a sweeping, ambitious exploration of the

people and places that got him where he is today. Drake has

spent a lot of time climbing to the top of the hip-hop world, andnow he’s ready to let us in on the journey.

While he has never exactly been given to low self esteem,

Drake’s insecurities and anxieties are nevertheless on full dis-

play in much of his work, and Views ( ) is no excep-tion. Balancing personal reminiscence with sharp observation,

he laments past miscommunications, his need for validation,and the breakdown of relationships. His tone may be regret-

ful, but it is never apologetic. Throughout Views, Drake name-

drops former friends and companions, revisits old haunts andhookup sites, and even gets in a sly jab at the Toronto Transit

Commission. It is easy to imagine him delivering the entirealbum as he appears on its cover, crouched at the top of the CN

Tower under an overcast sky, surveying his hometown from1000 feet in the air.

Drake is in no rush to take us to that point, though. Views

starts slowly, with five tracks that cover similar themes of pastmishaps and present insecurities. It finds its energy on the sixth,

“Weston Road Flows,” an evocative and nostalgic tour throughthe neighbourhood where he grew up. The moody, understated

instrumentals and deliberate silences that were used to suchgreat effect on 2011’s Take Care are once again on display here,

lending an emotional weight to the lyrics.

music

by SEAN MAUNIER


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Views is also kept fresh by a wide variety of influences,ranging from synthy ‘80s pop to gospel to energetic dancehall

and Afrobeat. “Too Good” sees Drake and Rihanna revisit thechemistry the two have displayed on their previous collabora-

tions, with vocals that harmonize and play off each other seam-lessly. “One Dance” is another collaborative highlight. Featuring

Nigerian Afrobeat artist Wizkid and British singer Kyla, it’s

an energetic and infectious celebration of letting go and losingyourself in a dance. Granted, this is an old pop trope, but it’s

done well here, and the song’s warmth and energy make it anespecially welcome interlude from the moodiness of the first

half of the album. The variety of influences and the strength ofcollaboration on display here, along with flashes of Drake’s wry

humour, balance out his self-reflection and act as a welcome

counterweight to the sombreness on display elsewhere.

Views draws strength from its fantastic production, complexstyle and genuinely clever songwriting, but after a few tracks the

album begins to feel weighed down by its own source material.

Spread over 20 songs and 82 minutes, Drake’s vulnerability beginsto lose its punch. What felt fresh and innovative on Take Care is

now familiar, and Drake’s introspective musings begin to seem alittle aimless by “Redemption,” one of several songs addressed to

former friends and ex-lovers that closes out with a quick litany ofpeople who have wronged him in one way or another.

While there are no truly weak tracks, many bleed together

over the long runtime, and the energetic artist we’ve seen on pre-vious albums seems to have given way to a more subdued, almost

exhausted version of himself. Views closes out to the familiarbeat of “Hotline Bling,” the album’s lead single and final track.

Ending on this note ultimately saves it from collapsing under theweight of its own self-seriousness. It seems to be Drake’s way of

leaving us with a reminder that he is capable of more than navel-gazing — he’s versatile, able and willing to blur the boundaries

between hip-hop and pop.

For all the buildup to Views and the hype that it was goingto be Drake’s magnum opus, it is surprisingly subdued and inti-

mate. But this seems to work for Drake, whose strength lies ishis ability to convincingly balance genuine introspection with

the cocky swagger of an artist at the top of his world. While thisis not exactly a new approach for Drake, it has worked well for

him in the past and it continues to pay off on Views. Even if his

introspection starts to grate by the end of the album, there is alot to enjoy along the way — and a lot to remind us how he got so

high up in the first place. l

Views is available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, and TIDAL.


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Siegfried

Ringing the ChangesSiegfried and Twilight of the Gods offer

visual, emotional and moral potency — anda fist in the air for their female characters

THE ENORMITY OF THE RING CYCLE ( HHHHH )is, not least, in the scope of its storytelling. In four

quite distinct operas, Wagner covers a tremendous

amount of ground.Consider just the bare bones: The Rhinegold divides its time

between the affairs of unsettled gods, the underground-dwellingNibelung who create an all-powerful ring from stolen gold, and

the bartering of the ring to the giant, Fafner. The Valkyrie thenfocuses on the god Wotan’s thwarted attempt to use his mortal

son Siegmund to win back the ring and his harsh punishment

of favored daughter Brunnhilde for defying his wishes. Thencomes Siegfried where time fast-forwards to the now-dead

Siegmund’s son Siegfried, who wins the ring from Fafner andwakes Brunnhilde from her prison of sleep, while Wotan wan-

ders the earth in search of a way to avert the end of the world.Finally, in Twilight of the Gods, the powerful Gibichung fam-

ily conspires to betray Siegfried and take the ring, until theyimplode with mistrust and Brunnhilde, now mortal, rises to the

occasion and returns the ring to the river from which it was first

stolen. Not only is the stolen ring cursed by its first owner theNibelung, Alberich, its theft from the river maidens has triggered

the beginning of the end of the gods’ world. There is infidelity,incest, betrayal, murder, magic, cataclysm and suicide.

If the plot isn’t dense enough, even with a fair portion ofexpository to help connect the operas (and forgive a bit of doz-

ing), like the old legends from which much of the Ring is derived,

the story is light on context and more about living in the moment

and the music. This is, of course, as it should be in an opera. Butit nevertheless presents a tremendous challenge to the creator

of a new interpretation of the Ring . A concept or vision cannot just be original, it must resonate — intellectually and artistically

— within the cycle’s many elements, bringing a logical cohesion.Francesca Zambello’s Ring achieves it power and magic

because she has met this challenge, seamlessly seeding herunique vision into each of its operas and growing it over the

course of the cycle. While in Rhinegold and Valkyrie her themes

touch on the vulnerability and powerlessness of women, theirneglected promise, and man’s ruthless greed and the resulting

pollution and decimation of the world’s resources, they evolveexponentially in Siegfried and Twilight. They bring context to

the story, add dimension to it and, ultimately, deliver their ownvisual, emotional and moral potency.

And when it comes to Zambello’s vision, it cannot be empha-

sized enough how much the projections and video of Jan Hartleyand S. Katy Tucker complement and expand, not just the themes,

but the entire mood of the cycle. In Siegfried and Twilight, thereis a repeated return to slow-moving smoke, clouds that roil and

race, visions of forests verdant or ruined, industrial complexes,chimneys polluting the skies, a feverish run along endless rail-

way track. Each image speaks through the music and of the story,but also of our story. It is Zambello’s mind’s eye, and it is her

extraordinary experience of Wagner’s epic.

As visually and emotionally enthralling as this imagery is,coupled with four incredibly long and languorously unhurried

operas, if the drama was equally as oblique, turgidity could easilyset in. But Zambello meets this head-on by, quite simply, enjoin-

ing her singers to keep it real, to act as if this fantastical worldis really no different from our own living rooms, bedrooms,

by KATE WINGFIELD

opera

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boardrooms and cardboard cities. They shrug, they mug, theystick out their tongues. Whatever, in short, real people do —minus the spears, giants, magic, and backdrop of mind-boggling

projections. It may not always sit perfectly with the poetry ofthe greater whole, but it without doubt draws one into each dra-

matic dynamic quickly and accessibly. When characters become

quirky, unpredictable, and earthy, they become interesting. In afive-hour opera, the power of this approach cannot be underes-

timated.That said, there are challenges. Though Siegfried offers some

of the most searingly beautiful and searching music, such as themoment Siegfried comes across the sleeping Brunnhilde, there

are dramatic aspects not always easy to love.Whatever Wagner may have had in mind in penning this

young man, viewed today he comes across as rather unpleasant

and spoiled, his few near-noble moments only arriving as hemeets his demise in Twilight. It’s an impression made early and

heavily in Act I with an 18 year-old Siegfried, flumping aroundhis home camp, bored and contemptuous of his adoptive father

Mime, the Nibelung troll who has raised him since the death ofhis parents, Siegmund and Sieglinde. It’s a protracted display of

loathing that leaves Siegfried seriously unlikable, long before we

learn that Mime isn’t exactly parent-of-the-year, with his secretplan to use Siegfried to win back the gold stolen by Fafner in

Rhinegold . And matters never really improve. Once Siegfriedrealizes he is fearless (and therefore meets Wotan’s requirement

to forge the sword that can kill Fafner) his contempt becomes

arrogance. When he kills, he is remorseless.Thus, the question is how to give Siegfried, if not lik-

ability, then at least some convincing personality. Daniel

Brenna’s choice to edge him with a modern snarkinessand petulance without doubt gives him an immediacy in

keeping with Zambello’s goal of dramatic realism. ButBrenna is so convincing in his nerdy swagger, his Siegfried

so unpleasant, it almost cancels out the few places wherewe might have seen another side of this man: his fear at

waking Brunnhilde and the last moments before his death

in Twilight. Matters are not helped by a lot of posturing inan unflattering costume that looks like a paramilitary take

on one of Robin Hood’s merry men.There is no question that Zambello has a point to make

about the misguidedness of the men in this Rin

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