Weekend Buzz: Sept. 25, 2026

It's the cool autumn season of the Falls Church Arts' Plein Air Festival, plus so many fun activities around town. For local dining, the City has just created an online Dining Guide. Next to HQ2, Amazon's having a STEM-rich Community Day. Glen Echo's Echo Arts Festival is this weekend (on the last day of their Carousel season!) The Women Artists of the DMV Festival continues apace. Wolftrap's got the Chuck Brown Band on Friday and Elvis Costello on Monday. Cool local films have popped up hither and yon. And there's a chance to ingratiate yourself to some friendly reptiles! Plus all the latest in local theater, visual arts, music, and more. Enjoy!

LOCAL VISUAL ARTS

Enjoy Fresh Air, Paintings, & The City of Falls Church!

2025 Falls Church Arts 'Scenes in the City' Plein Air Festival

Near the Falls Church Farmers Market, Outside City Hall, 300 Park Ave. Saturday, Sept. 27, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Plein Air Festival hosts 50 artists showcasing their artwork and paintings of the Little City outside of City Hall, Saturday, Sept. 27!

Watch the artists work, purchase a painting, and explore the local art scene right next to the Falls Church Farmers Market. Artists are depicting locations around the City of Falls Church and all work is painted outdoors in the City of Falls Church. This event is hosted in a collaborative effort by Falls Church Arts, The City of Falls Church, the Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church, Arts Fairfax, and the Little City CATCH foundation.

For more info, call 703-679-7881, or go to: Plein Air Festival.

"Layers" at Falls Church Arts

Final Weekend! ~ Through Sept. 28

Falls Church Arts: ‘Layers’ Opens Aug. 16 with Meet-the-Artists Reception

The artworks of 68 local artists will be on display when Falls Church Arts (FCA) presents its all-media exhibition “Layers,” opening Aug. 16 and running through Sept. 28. A meet-the-artists reception – free and open to the public – will be held from 7 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16 in FCA’s gallery spaces at 700-B W. Broad St.

The Falls Church IndependentChristopher Jones

Echo Arts Festival

Glen Echo Park, 7300 Macarthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Md. Sunday, Sept. 28, 12-5:00 p.m. Free. All ages welcome.

The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture is pleased to present the fourth annual Echo Arts Festival: a fall celebration of the visual & performing arts! Join us for an interactive showcase of all the park's offerings across several disciplines of art, as well as the final day of the 2025 carousel season.

ECHO ARTS FESTIVAL

Phone: 301-634-2222

Email: ecrews@glenechopark.org

Women Artists of the DMV

McLean Project for the Arts, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean.

This exhibition will be the first ever survey of the many talented female visual artists from the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington D.C. area). Curated by Lenny Campello.

Artists on display at MPA include:

• Shiri Achu
• Patricia Autenrieth
• Michele Banks
• Ann Barbieri
• Denée Barr
• Carol Barsha
• Holly Bass
• Karin Birch
• Liliane Blom
• Kristin Bohlander
• Laurie Breen
• Maria Brito
• Dianne Bugash
• Melissa Burley
• Anne Calamuci
• Sue Canuteson
• Rachel Carren
• Mei Mei Chang
• Hsin-Hsi Chen
• Irene Clouthier
• Sheila Crider
• Jacqui Crocetta
• Joan Danziger
• Catherine Day
• Jen Droblyen
• Cheryl Edwards
• Rita Elsner
• Felisa Federman
• Jill Finsen
• Helena Gallegos O’Neill
• Janis Goodman
• Freya Grand
• Beatrice Hamblett
• Elyse Harrison
• Mira Hecht
• Dorothy Hickson
• Jackie Hoysted
• Anna Katalkina
• Lori Katz
• Linda Lawler
• Kyujin Lee
• Liz Lescault
• Taina Litwak
• Julia Malakoff
• Carolina Mayorga
• Donna McCullough
• Camille Mosley-Pasley
• Susana Raab
• Lesley Riley
• April Shelford
• Judy Southerland
• Hillary Steel
• Ellyn Weiss

Led by the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center in D.C., and as part of the generous Alper Initiative, these art venues agreed to co-stage the show, which will run in eighteen separate art spaces starting in September 2025 for 6-12 weeks.

For more info go here. 

Chris Gregson: Expedition

Fred Schnider Gallery of Art, 888 N. Quincy St., #102, Arlington. Thursdays through Saturdays, 12-6:00 p.m.; Sundays, 12-5:00 p.m. Through Oct. 27.

For more info go here. 

Stephen Early

Principle Gallery, 208 King St., Alexandria.

Stephen Early began his formal art education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. He later earned an Associate of Science degree in Commercial Art from the Art Institute of Philadelphia and continued his training at the Art Students League of New York.

Early has taught extensively, serving as a teaching fellow at Studio Incamminati since its founding in 2002. He was a principal instructor in Nelson Shanks’ Intensive and Advanced Painting Workshops and has led workshops at institutions such as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the New York Academy of Art. He also served as Shanks’ teaching assistant at the Art Students League of New York, further refining his approach to classical realism.

Before dedicating himself fully to fine art, Early worked professionally as an illustrator. His transition into fine art has been marked by national recognition, including receiving Certificates of Excellence at the Portrait Society of America’s Portrait Competitions in both 2008 and 2010.

Today, Early continues to paint and teach, committed to both advancing his own practice and fostering the next generation of artists. His work reflects a deep reverence for the traditions of figurative art while embracing the vitality of contemporary expression.

For more info go here. 

Weeds & Seeds

Final Weekend! ~ Reston Art Gallery, 11400 Washington Plaza West. Through Sept. 28.

For more info go here. 

Justin Favela: Capilla de Maíz (Maize Chapel)

Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), 8th and G Streets, NW. Open Daily, 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Through: TBD. Free.

Capilla de Maíz (Maize Chapel), a site-specific installation by Justin Favela, transforms the Rubenstein Grand Salon at SAAM’s Renwick Gallery into a fantastical world, with shimmering gold-fringed walls and piñata corncobs that highlight the role of maize in North American visual culture.

Justin Favela is a multidisciplinary artist of Guatemalan and Mexican heritage based in Las Vegas, Nevada. His mixed-media practice incorporates traditional Mexican and Latin American craft — specifically cartonería or piñata making—into large-scale sculptures and installations that meld art history with pop culture.  

In Capilla de Maíz (Maize Chapel), Favela draws together many sources and symbols of maize (corn), frequently called “yellow gold” in the Americas. Maize sustained Indigenous peoples and later European settlers, helping to grow the American agricultural economy. The shimmering gold-fringed walls combine two Mexican art practices, cartonería and the lavish Churrigueresque ornamentation of eighteenth-century Mexican Catholic churches.  

The museum commissioned this site-specific installation for the Renwick Gallery’s Rubenstein Grand Salon to complement the exhibition State Fairs: Growing American Craft. Favela’s piñata corncobs highlight both the importance of maize in the formation of an American identity and the confluence of agriculture and craft traditions on display at state fairs. 

For more info go here. 

Material Witness

Rubell Museum DC, 65 i Street SW. Through Fall, 2026.

Material Witness presents 30 of today’s most compelling and innovative artists employing non-traditional materials and processes. Squid ink, Coca-Cola, ostrich eggs, anointing oil, lipstick, discarded metal, and animal hides are several of the preformed, natural, and unnatural mediums incorporated into three-dimensional works that expand upon the storied legacy of assemblage — a critical approach to artmaking that was first formalized in the 1961 exhibition The Art of Assemblage at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

With echoes of land art, Arte Povera, abject art, and readymades these artists employ industrial waste, organic detritus, and mass-produced commodities to explore formal, environmental, political, and social concerns. Found objects in various entropic states provide the backbone for many of these works, illuminating cycles of consumption, decay, and renewal.

Material Witness spans 23 galleries across the museum’s three floors and presents individual artist rooms as well as group presentations connecting artists who share similar materials and motives. For many of these artists, Material Witness represents their first exhibition in our nation’s capital or at the Rubell Museum.

For more info go here. 

Basil Kincaid: Spirit in the Gift

Rubell Museum DC, 65 I Street SW. Through Fall, 2026.

Basil Kincaid: Spirit in the Gift marks the first solo museum exhibition in Washington D.C. for Kincaid (b. 1986, St. Louis, Missouri). Four large-scale quilted artworks created during the artist’s residency at the Rubell Museum in Miami in 2023 will be presented in the D.C. museum’s largest gallery. Kincaid’s work pays homage to the long history of quilt-making while exploring the relationships between identity, ancestry, and place. Some themes are deeply personal and autobiographical, others are more universal, but all evoke the joy inherent in the artist’s love for and nurturing of community. The entailed and labor-intensive process of creating these monumental works is balanced by an improvisational, spontaneous, and fluid quality that runs throughout them. The result is as indebted to freehand drawing and jazz music as it is to patchwork quilt making and embroidery.

For more info go here. 

A Land and 河/River

Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, 12001 Market St., #103, Reston. Through Dec. 20.

Kimberly M. Becoat & Hong Hong

A Land and 河/River explores the powerful and intricate relationship between place, our histories, and imaginings of self. Artist Kimberly M. Becoat uses acrylic paint, sumi ink, and watercolor as well as tar paper, candy wrappers, and other detritus to investigate the idea of urban displacement. Her series, Seneca Village – Everywhere explores the idea of Seneca Village; a 19th Century free-black community of landowners in New York City that was removed for the construction of Central Park. Learn more about Seneca Village here.

Hong Hong’s work 河/River is her first thematic, research-based project that considers her personal relationship with water. The paper-based installation imagines and presents water as a long-form poem, documenting the river as meteorological occurrences, the artists’ birth, her family’s immigration process, and texts she and her mother both love. Hong Hong (whose last name means flood) makes no distinction between our symbolic understanding of water, its nurturing properties, or its ability to destroy or divide.

For more info go here. 

Fairfax Art League's New Fall Show

LOCAL DINING

Check Out Falls Church City’s New Online Dining Guide!

For the new Falls Church City Dining Guide go here. 

COMMUNITY DAY CELEBRATION

Celebrate Amazon Community Day!

Amazon’s HQ2 at Metropolitan Park, 510 14th St. S., Arlington. Sept. 27, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

AMAZON’S HQ2 TURNS TWO: COMMUNITY DAY RETURNS TO ARLINGTON WITH EVEN MORE FAMILY FUN.

Celebrate Two Years of HQ2 on Saturday, Sept. 27 with a Free Festival Featuring Outdoor Activities, Culinary Scavenger Hunt, Interactive STEM Experience and More.

Amazon Community Day is back, and it’s bigger and bolder than ever to celebrate HQ2’s second anniversary in National Landing! This free, family-friendly event is packed with fun for all ages, including:

• Think Big Experience (NEW): Dive into the world of binary code, explore the wonders of robotics and engineering, and witness jaw-dropping science experiments live in action at this mini STEM fest, featuring performances by The Science Guys of Baltimore.
• Amazon Alley (NEW): Discover your new favorite small business at this pop-up featuring local DMV sellers and entrepreneurs.
• Outdoor activities: Enjoy lawn game favorites, make your mark on Met Park with interactive art walls and chalk art, and customize a tote bag with live screen-printing! Plus, a live DJ will be spinning pop tunes to keep the energy high.
• Kids' Corner: Build at the community Lego wall, enjoy a mesmerizing bubble show and celebrate the day with face painting and glitter tattoos.
• Culinary Scavenger Hunt: Indulge in Met Park’s most popular eateries at discounted rates, including South Block, Mae’s Market and Toby’s Ice Cream.
• Boozy Brunch Garden: Unwind in the Boozy Brunch Garden with a selection of local craft beers and brunch-ready beverages, then head to one of Met Park’s restaurants for a bite to go with your drink.
• Community Library: Donate a gently used book and swap it for a new read.
• Farmers Market: Stroll through the EatLoco Farmers Market, where over 50 local vendors sell produce, hot food and handcrafted art.
• Instagrammable Moments: Snap photos throughout Met Park to capture the spirit of Community Day.

Since Amazon first announced Arlington as the home of its second headquarters, the company has been committed to being a good neighbor and trusted community partner, and Community Day is one way to say thank you.

More information about the event can be found here.

LOCAL MUSIC

Chuck Brown Band

Capital One Hall, The Vault, 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons. Saturday, Sept. 27. Doors open: 7:00 p.m.

The Vault Welcomes Back THE CHUCK BROWN BAND on September 27, 2025. Go-Go Get Your Tickets for The Show!

“The Godfather of Go Go,” Chuck Brown is the undisputed sole founder and creator of Go-Go music, a hypnotically danceable genre deeply rooted in funk and soul he developed in the early 70’s, and the only form of expressive culture  to originate in the District of Columbia. 

Foreshadowing many of the major popular R&B styles of the past three decades, Chuck's signature style earned him a place in American musical royalty. This esteem was maintained by the reputation of his legendary live shows, heavy on audience participation and built around “the beat” to create an unparalleled non-stop party atmosphere.

For ticket info go here. 

Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton

Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Monday, Sept. 29, Doors Open: 7:00 p.m. Show begins: 8:00 p.m.

Radio Soul! The Early Songs of Elvis Costello. Performed by Elvis Costello & the Imposters with Charlie Sexton.

Ticket Limits: There's an overall 8 ticket limit for this event.

For ticket info go here. 

BLACK VIOLIN: FULL CIRCLE TOUR

with Amythyst Kiah

Tonight! ~ Strathmore, The Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Thursday, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m.

Step into Black Violin’s Full Circle Tour, where Grammy-nominated duo Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus redefine the possibilities of music by merging classical depth with hip-hop’s pulse. This tour captures the essence of returning to where it all began — transformed and reimagined. Each powerful performance invites audiences to reflect on their own journeys, discovering that even as we evolve, we’re often drawn back to our roots with renewed purpose. 

From high school orchestra classmates to groundbreaking artists, Black Violin’s path reflects resilience, creativity, and the courage to challenge expectations. With their Black Violin Foundation reaching over 100,000 students each year, they’re building a legacy that transcends the stage, inspiring a new generation to dream boldly. Join them for an unforgettable night that celebrates growth, music, and the beauty of coming full circle. 

Amythyst Kiah

Amythyst Kiah blends alt-rock, Americana, and roots influences with fearless creativity and a soul-stirring voice that has earned her a Grammy nomination and critical acclaim from Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. Her latest album, Still + Bright, marks a bold new chapter — pairing cinematic sounds with deeply personal storytelling drawn from her spiritual journey, Appalachian roots, and experiences of growth and discovery. Building on the success of her breakthrough album Wary + Strange, Kiah continues to redefine modern roots music with powerful, genre-defying songs that reflect both strength and vulnerability.

One dollar per ticket sold will be donated to The Black Violin Foundation.

Tickets: $29 – $89 + VIP.

VIP Package — Full Circle Tour Experience

Includes:  

• One premium ticket
• Invitation to a private pre-show experience including: 
• Access to view a portion of soundcheck 
• Q&A session 
• Photo opportunity with Kev and Wil 
• Commemorative VIP laminate 
• VIP access to the merchandise booth and a 20% discount on any available item 
• Early entry to the venue 

All VIP Merchandise will be shipped to purchasers after the show plays. Please make sure you have an address on record.

VIP packages are run by an outside company. By purchasing a VIP package, you agree that Strathmore can share your contact information with the organizer.

For ticket info go here. 

Hiromi's Sonicwonder

Strathmore, The Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Friday, Sept. 26, 8:00 p.m.

Jazz pianist Hiromi and her magnetic quartet, Sonicwonder, push the boundaries of jazz through a bold, distinctive musical alchemy. With the 2023 album release of Sonicwonderland, Hiromi introduced the most dynamic and expressive band of her career. Their fearless sense of interplay and deep chemistry continue to shine on her latest release, OUT THERE. On stage, Hiromi leads sharp, high-powered works blending jazz-rock, classical techniques, funk, and pop. 

Tickets: $28 - $88.

For ticket info go here. 

Music in the Gardens: Magic Flute

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct., Vienna. Sept 28, 3 - 4:00 p.m.

The Virginia Chamber Orchestra (VCO) perform their tenth season in the Korean Bell Garden. Bring a blanket, bag chair or just stretch out on the grass and enjoy the sounds of VCO’s outstanding principal players.

Magic Flute - Music for Flute and Strings 

Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Viola in D Major by Ludwig van Beethoven

“Hallow” for String Trio by Bernie J. Walasavage

Capriccio for Flute, Violin and Cello by Alexander Makaev

Flute Quartet in D Major by W. A. Mozart

Performed by: Nicolette Oppelt, flute; Teri Lazar, violin; Osman Kivrak, viola; and Marion Baker, cello.

• Regular admission ($4-8) and memberships apply;
• Light snacks and cold beverages, including adult beverages can be purchased on-site.

Please note: The Korean Bell Garden is about an 8-minute walk from the Visitor Center. Concerts may be delayed or cancelled in the event of inclement weather. Umbrellas are allowed, but tents are not permitted for shelter. Please check Meadowlark's Facebook page or novaparks.com for an inclement weather alert or call 703-255-3631 x0. 

LOCAL THEATER

This Much I Know

Theater J, 529 16th St. NW, Friday, Sept. 26, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. $38 Preview Seating Available! Through Oct. 19.

By Jonathan Spector. Directed by Hayley Finn.

A psychology professor's search for his missing wife launches us on a time-hopping fugue, weaving together the stories of Stalin's daughter defecting to America, the son of a white supremacist growing to doubt the beliefs he was raised with, and the secret despair of becoming an accidental killer. 

Inspired by the book Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman about the science of decision-making, Jonathan Spector (Tony Award-winning Eureka Day) takes us on an explosively theatrical interrogation of how we make decisions, how we change our minds, and how much responsibility we bear for the things we do not control.

Produced by: Theater J.

Run Time: 2 Hours, 30 Minutes with intermission.

Tickets: $66-$131 (incl. a $6 fee). Members $50.

★★★★ "An invigorating theatrical brainteaser" ~ The Guardian

"Both deeply funny and refreshingly thought-provoking" ~ Washington City Paper

"A time-bending, narrative arc-diverting, and deeply intellectual commentary on history, relationships, and all the things we think we know" ~ MD Theatre Guide

"Hayley Finn directs This Much I Know with such a sure hand and precise appreciation of the play's puzzle-like structure that a more lucid production of this visionary script would be difficult to imagine." ~ DC Theater Arts

For ticket info go here.

The Hatmaker’s Wife

Nova Nightsky Theatre, 225 E. Broad St. Sept. 18, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 20, 2:00 p.m.; Sept. 21, 7:00 p.m. Through Sept. 28.

Written by Lauren Yes. Directed by Jessie Roberts.

When a young woman moves in with her boyfriend expecting domestic bliss, their new house reveals the magical tale of its previous inhabitants: an old hat-maker and his long-suffering wife, who runs away with his favorite hat. This sweet and surreal story bends time and space to redefine the idea of family, home, and true love itself.

For more info go here. 

The Logan Festival of Solo Performance

1st Stage Tysons, 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons. Through Sept. 28.

September 18 - 28, 2025

SPADURA

Written and Performed by Dahéli Hall. Directed and Produced by Elizabeth Mei-Ling Yng-Wong.

Written and performed by Dahéli Hall, an acclaimed comedian, writer, and director residing in Los Angeles, SPADURA unapologetically takes on the baby industrial complex, aging, the physical, emotional, and financial cost of IVF, as well as the unique fertility obstacles faced by Black women in America. Through a mix of stand-up, storytelling, and props, Dahéli includes personal anecdotes about herself, her Filipino husband and her Caribbean parents. She candidly shares her journey trying to conceive their Ja-Haitia-Pino American baby. Her humor and vulnerability make the show unforgettable.

Open Captioned Performances :

• Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 28, 2:00 p.m.

September 18 - 28, 2025

The Jewish Dog

Performed by Adam Meir. Adapted from the novel written by Asher Kravitz. Written and Directed by Yonatan Esterkin.

Filtering the darkest, most dramatic period of modern Jewish history, The Jewish Dog offers a view of the Holocaust through the eyes of a canine unusually fascinated by human affairs. Cyrus witnesses firsthand the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust. When Nuremberg Laws separate him from his Jewish owners, he is confiscated by the Nazis and employed by the SS as a military concentration camp dog. Directed by Israeli artist Yonatan Esterkin, based on the novel by Asher Kravitz, and featuring Adam Meir as the beloved dog, this performance explores loyalty, identity, and the fine line that separates humanity from animals.

Open Captioned Performances :

• Sept. 27, 5:00 p.m., Sept. 28, 5:00 p.m.

September 18 - 28, 2025

George - Don’t Do That!

Devised and Performed by Catherine Flye. Musical Direction by Joe Walsh. Narrated by Nick Olcott.

Join Catherine Flye as she and her friends celebrate the life of the beloved British comedienne Joyce Grenfell, for an evening of witty songs, amusing sketches, anecdotes and reminiscences of the legendary star. This joyful entertainment provides a glimpse into the lives of a host of funny and endearing characters, in music, song and the spoken word.

Open Captioned Performances :

• Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 27, 2:00 p.m., and Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m.

For more info go here. 

Lost in Yonkers

By Neil Simon

Final Performances! ~ The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria. Thursdays – Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. Through Sept. 27.

Written by Neil Simon. Directed by Chantale Plante. Produced by Eleanore Tapscott.

This funny and heartwarming play is by one of America’s most acclaimed and beloved playwrights. Neil Simon’s Tony award-winner and Pulitzer prize-winning play tells the moving drama about the cruelties and painful memories that scar a family. It is Yonkers, New York, 1942. After the death of their mother, two young brothers are sent to stay with their formidable grandmother for the longest ten months of their lives. Grandmother Kurnitz is a one-woman German front — a refugee and a widow who has steeled her heart against the world. Her coldness and intolerance have crippled her own children: the boys’ father has no self-esteem . . . their Aunt Gert has an embarrassing speech impediment . . . their Uncle Louie is a small-time gangster . . . and their Aunt Bella has the mentality of a child. Filled with laughter, tears, and insight, Lost in Yonkers is yet another testament to Neil Simon’s talent. (Estimated) 2 hours with intermission.

Tickets: $26 Reserved Seating.

For ticket info go here. 

Dodi & Diana

Mosaic Theater Company, Atlas Performing Arts Center 1333 H St. NE. Through Oct. 5.

By Kareem Fahmy. Directed by Reginald L. Douglas.

While commemorating the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s and Dodi Fayed’s tragic deaths, Egyptian actress Samira and her white financier husband, Jason, are forced to reckon with their own complicated relationship and how their fate may already be written in the stars. A taut and thrilling new play by award-winning playwright Kareem Fahmy, whose work has been called “intrinsically compelling” (New York Times) and “enlightening and very entertaining” (OutWord Magazine).

Dodi & Diana contains simulated sex and drug use, as well as profanity. The production also features strobe effects. 

For ticket info go here. 

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Final Weekend! ~ GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. Through Sept. 28,

EL BESO DE LA MUJER ARAÑA – Kiss of the Spider Woman

By | De Manuel Puig (Argentina). Directed by | Dirigida por José Luis Arellano.

In Spanish with English surtitles | En español con sobretítulos en inglés

Performances: Thursdays – Saturdays 8:00 pm, Sundays 2:00 pm | Funciones: Jueves a sábados 8 pm, domingos 2 pm

BUY TICKETS.

SPECIAL EVENT! / ¡EVENTO ESPECIAL!

SEPT 21 - Talk-back with:

• Jesse García, Public Relations Manager at Amazon and long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ rights through the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), LGBTQ+ Democratic clubs, and cultural groups like the Latinx History Project.
• Psychologist José Gutiérrez, a long-time human rights and social justice activist, immigration advocate, and Latinx LGBTQ historian, founder of the Jose Gutierrez Archives, the Latino GLBT History Project, the DC Latino Pride, and co-founder of the Rainbow History Project.

In an Argentine prison cell, two complete opposites discover that love may spring in the most unlikely of places. Valentin, a political prisoner whose commitment to the Marxist cause takes precedence over all other things, forges an unlikely relationship with queer, movie-loving Molina, who escapes his harsh reality by retelling film noir classics as their glamorous leading ladies. Poignant, chilling, funny and sensual.

En una cárcel argentina, dos reclusos con ideas y personalidades totalmente distintas descubren que el amor puede nacer en los lugares menos esperados. Valentín, un prisionero político cuyo compromiso con las teorías marxistas es lo primero en su vida, desarrolla una conexión con el cinéfilo y gay Molina, quien escapa de su realidad contando filmes clásicos noir interpretando los roles principales femeninos. Una pieza mordaz, divertida y sensual.

Student Matinees: For more information, click here.

Matinés estudiantiles: Para mayor información, presiona aquí.

Noche de GALA and Press Night (Noche de prensa): Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 8 pm | Sábado, 6 de septiembre de 2025, a las 8 pm.

Tickets: Regular tickets are $50 Premium Center, $45 Orchestra Standard, $35 Orchestra Value, and $25 Balcony Value; $35 Seniors (65+), Military, and Groups (10+); $25 25 and Under; Noche de GALA: Chosen ticket price + $5 (per person). To purchase tickets online for groups (10+), use code 10Plus.

Boletos: Los boletos regulares cuestan $50 Premium Center, $45 Orchestra Standard, $35 Orchestra Value y $25 Balcony Value; $35 adultos mayores, militares y grupos (10+); $25 personas de 25 años o menos; Noche de GALA: Precio de boleto elegido + $5 (por persona). Para adquirir boletos online para grupos (10+), usa el código 10Plus.

For more info go here. 

The Great Privation

(How to flip ten cents into a dollar)

Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D ST. NW. Through Oct. 12.

By NIA AKILAH ROBINSON. DIRECTED by MINA MORITA. PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BOSTON’S COMPANY ONE THEATRE.

Philadelphia’s African Baptist Church, 1832: a mother and daughter guard the grave of their husband and father to deter resurrectionists from pillaging it for science.  

Today, on the same grounds: another mother and daughter work as counselors at what is now a summer camp. Timelines collide, reminding us to find joy in our present even as we exhume our nation’s buried past. 

“Nia Akilah Robinson has written something astonishing in its ambition: temporally expansive, formally agile, and rooted in a deep, lived love of Black community — full of laughter, ache, sweat, and spiritual insistence…”

~ Mina Morita, Director, The Great Privation

For more info go here. 

Julius X: a Re-envisioning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Opening Soon! ~ Folger Shakespeare Library, Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE. Tuesday, Sept. 23 - Oct. 26.

By Al Letson. Directed by Nicole Brewer.

This bold new play takes Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Julius Caesar and reworks it through the lens of the American Civil Rights Movement, focusing on the story of Civil Rights leader Malcolm X and drawing parallels between ancient Rome and 1960s Harlem.

Playwright and poet Al Letson, a Peabody Award-winning journalist and the host of the Reveal podcast, champions Shakespeare’s original text, amplifying it with his own verse.

“In many ways, you already know the story—whether through Shakespeare or American history,” shares director Nicole Brewer, “but you’re compelled to watch it unfold again, because of how Letson remixes his own verse with excerpts from Malcolm X’s speeches and the most notable lines and scenes from Julius Caesar.”

In Julius X, we see the cyclical nature of societal strife, as well as the shared human experiences of ambition, betrayal, and brotherhood.

Tickets: $20 – $90. Please note: Children under the age of 4 are not permitted.

For more info go here. 

Everything is Wonderful

DC Premiere! ~ Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Select Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. Through Oct. 5.

Playwright: Chelsea Marcantel. Director: Josh Sticklin.

What happens when forgiveness collides with deeply buried grief? Acclaimed playwright Chelsea Marcantel offers a moving, thought-provoking exploration of reconciliation, faith, and family. After a tragic accident, a young woman returns to her Amish roots to confront the life — and the people — she left behind. As wounds reopen and secrets surface, the boundaries between forgiveness and forgetting are tested. Don’t miss this intimate and powerful drama that the New York Times called “stirring and beautifully told.”

Email: boxoffice@keegantheatre.com. Phone: (202) 265-3767.

For more info go here. 

The American Five

Ford’s Theatre, 511 Tenth Street, NW. Through Oct. 12.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his inner circle imagined a pluralistic society in which equality and justice is guaranteed for all. In the face of surveillance, intimidation, arrests and life threats, five giants form a powerful coalition to advance civil rights and shape a defining moment in American history. Together, Dr. King, Coretta Scott King, Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison and Clarence B. Jones plan the March on Washington and craft the speech that would galvanize the nation and inspire generations to advance America’s efforts to turn a dream into reality.

Recommended for ages 12 and older. Audio-Described Performances: Oct. 2, 7:00 p.m. and Oct. 11, 2:00 p.m. ASL-Interpreted Performance: Oct. 9, 7:00 p.m.

General Information: (202) 347-4833. Tickets: (888) 616-0270.

For more info go here. 

Red Pitch

U.S. Premiere of a West End Hit! ~ Olney Theatre Center, Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Through Oct. 19.

Winner of all five Off-West End Awards for Best New Play.

Bilal, Joey, and Omz have been boys their whole lives, growing up together playing soccer on their small pitch outside their south London apartments. But change is coming. Professional teams are signing up prospects, and they all harbor dreams to be chosen. Moreover, the neighborhood is changing, with lots of new apartments and franchise coffee shops pushing out longtime residents and local favorites. Can their friendship survive the threatened demise of their beloved “red pitch” and all it represents? This engrossing new play was such a hit in its initial run at London’s Bush Theatre (the same theatre that premiered Sleepova) that it earned a West End transfer, playing to critical and popular acclaim.

Starring: Ty'Ree Hope Davis (Bilal), Terrence Griffin (Joey), Angelo Harrington II (Omz).

“Tackling gentrification, change, and ambition, Tyrell Williams’s writing creates a convincing bond in a play that is fierce, affectionate and effortlessly funny.” ~ The Guardian

“So good … It’s a brilliant bit of writing about gentrification, friendship, masculinity, and aspiration, without ever being heavy-handed.” ~ Time Out London 

Tickets: $47 - $96.

Duration: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

Age Guidance: If this were a film, it would be rated PG-13 for brief strong language, violence, and intense conversations.

Buy Tickets.

Damn Yankees

Arena Stage, Fichandler Stage, 1101 Sixth Street SW. Through Nov. 9.

One of America’s most beloved musicals is coming back, dusted off and spit-shined for a new generation. All the elements that made it famous are there: a diehard love of baseball, one man’s fateful (and hilarious) pact with the Devil, and Broadway's sexiest femme fatale... but gently re-tooled for its first major revival in the 21st Century. Featuring iconic songs like “Whatever Lola Wants” and “Who’s Got the Pain?,” this production immerses audiences in a whirlwind of temptation, ambition, love, and sacrifice in this bold new adaptation by Lortel Award winner Will Power and Pulitzer and Tony Award-winner Doug Wright, with additional lyrics by Tony Award-winner Lynn Ahrens, and directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Sergio Trujillo.

Running Time: Approx. 2 hours, 10 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission. Advisories: Includes haze, fog, strobe lights, bright lights, and loud noises.

For more info go here. 

Merry Wives

By William Shakespeare

Shakespeare Theatre Company, Harmon Hall. Through Oct. 5.

Adapted by Jocelyn Bioh. Directed by Taylor Reynolds.

William Shakespeare’s farce gets a joyful spin from Jocelyn Bioh (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding), dropping the debaucherous Falstaff into the melting pot of modern Harlem. Short on cash, Falstaff pursues the purses of two sharp-witted West African wives. As their proud husbands’ suspicions rise, the wives cook up a scheme to shame the would-be homewrecker and prove that “wives may be merry, and yet honest too” in this “spirited, sharp, and silly” (Variety) celebration. Taylor Reynolds (Fat Ham) makes her STC directorial debut in the play’s regional premiere.

Running Time: Approx. 90 minutes, without intermission.

“HILARIOUS… The stage seems to light up with each entrance of Ming-Trent, who originated the role of Falstaff in the premiere… He’s a magnetic figure.” ~ The Washington Post

“HEARTWARMING… Felicia Curry delivers a tour-de-force performance.” ~ Washington Lobbyist

“DELIGHTFUL… Phillips’s stately Madam Page exudes a dry wit that lends flair to the plot’s farcical showdowns.” ~ The Washington Post

“STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL… STC’s vibrant and joyous comedy Merry Wives is a must-see.” ~ DC Theater Arts 

“SUPERBLY DIRECTED… Many in the audience were laughing out loud from the start.” ~ Georgetown Dish 

“UNRIVALED… It’s guaranteed to make you clap, snap and laugh your YKW off, with nary a negative thought … Exactly what we need in D.C. right now.” ~ DC Outlook 

Tickets: Starting at $39.

Box Office: 202-547-1122.

For more info go here. 

Play On!

Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Through Oct. 5.

A delightful musical based on Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night, set to the syncopated soundtrack of Duke Ellington’s greatest hits.

Aspiring songwriter Vy comes to swinging 1930s Harlem to make it big. But when she discovers the doors of opportunity are closed to women, she disguises herself as a man to pitch her songs to Harlem’s hottest composer, the Duke. However, when her tunes attract the attention of Cotton Club performer Lady Liv, the object of the Duke’s affection, Vy-Man is swept up in a swinging tempest of love, mistaken identity and jazz.

If music be the food of love, then Play On’s timeless classics "Take the 'A' Train," "Mood Indigo" "I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good" and "It Don’t Mean a Thing," combine with stunning dance to make for a joyous feast in a fun and fresh take on a beloved comedy.

"Charming, enchanting, laugh-out-loud funny… this show is quite the revelation." ~ What’s On Stage

• Running time: approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
• Content Warnings: This show will contain strobe and lighting effects, loud noises, theatrical haze and herbal cigarettes. Contains adult themes around gender/sexuality/sex.
• Recommended for ages 8+. Signature does not admit anyone under 6.

For more info go here.

LOCAL FILM

The Defense Trilogy

National Gallery of Art, 4th St. NW, East Building Auditorium, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2-4:00 p.m.

Join us for a special post-screening discussion with Valentin Noujaïm, in person.

The Defense Trilogy reimagines Dante’s Divine Comedy within the hypermodern labyrinth of Paris’s business district, La Défense. These films traverse Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, mapping the collision between monumental architecture and fragile humanity. The trilogy explores the violence of a system built on surveillance and alienation, while celebrating fleeting moments of tenderness and rebellion. Presented in partnership with the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

Program

Pacific Club is a nonfiction short that invokes an infamous club opened in a basement of La Défense. Azedine, 17 years-old at the time, tells us the forgotten story of the club and of the generation that dreamed of integrating into France but that instead came face to face with racism, the AIDS epidemic, and other obstacles (2023, 16 minutes)

To Exist Under Permanent Suspicion focuses on Claire (Kayije Kagame), a businesswoman promoting a new skyscraper in La Défense and facing increasing scrutiny and isolation. The cold, grey offices amplify her loneliness, driving vivid dreams (2024, 14 minutes).

Demons to Diamonds follows strangers as they move through the streets like ghosts, bound by the invisible threads of paranoia. In the eerie glow of a collapsing city, destruction may be the only chance for rebirth (2025, 29 minutes).

About the filmmaker

Valentin Noujaïm m (b. 1991, France) graduated in screenwriting from La Fémis in Paris and was a guest student at the Stadelschule in Frankfurt am Main. Noujaïm’s work challenges dominant societal narratives, shedding light on the lives of individuals and historically marginalized communities. The cinematic worlds he creates reflect his commitment to exploring varied formats, including 16mm film, archival materials, digital footage, and special effects. His films have been selected by a number of prestigious festivals, including CPH:DOX, Visions du Reel, IFFR Rotterdam, and BlackStar Film Festival among others. In 2024, his film Pacific Club was shortlisted for the Cesar Award for best documentary. His work has also been featured in several group exhibitions, most recently at the Fondation Cartier (2025), Nimes Triennale (2024), and Museo Madre (2024). Noujaïm presented his first institutional solo show at Kunsthalle Basel in February 2025.

To register go here. 

Come September (1961)

Tonight! ~ Library of Congress, James Madison Building, Pickford Theater (LM302), 101 Independence Ave. SE, Thursday, Sept. 25, 7-9:00 p.m.

Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov.

COME SEPTEMBER

Arriving at his villa in Italy for the annual tryst with his Italian mistress, an American businessman finds that his majordomo has rented the place to a group of teenage girls. Made in Italy, on location in Milan and the coastal town of Portofino and at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, this delightful comedy was written by the team that had penned “Pillow Talk” two years earlier. In what was to be her biggest American hit, Italian star Gina Lollobrigida proves herself as a first-rate comedienne opposite Rock Hudson, who, per Hollywood Reporter, “is expert at this sort of thing, and has seldom been better.” In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther pronounced the film to be an “intensely calculated and smoothly machined comedy that clips along on a level alternating between fairly high wit and low farce.”

Seating is on a first-come first-serve basis. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

PARKS & REC

Are You Geology Buff/Punk Rocker?

Punk Rocks! Rock Creek Park Day Celebrations in Georgetown

The Old Stone House, 3051 M Street NW. LOCATION: LAT/LONG: 38.904313, -77.060002. Free.

Join us for our annual Rock Creek Park Day – this year over four days – on September 27-28. This event celebrates the founding of our national park.

Established by Congress on September 27, 1890, Rock Creek Park turns 135 this year!

For the 135th Anniversary, we're having a one-of-a-kind celebration: Punk Rocks!

Punk Rocks! blends DC's legendary punk rock spirit with the park's geologic, cultural, and cosmic stories. Visitors of all ages will discover why nature and green spaces matter – especially in cities like Washington, D.C. - through hands-on programs, live activities, and creative workshops.

For specific details of what will be offered, visit the official Rock Creek Park Day page.

KIDS & FAMILY

Interactive Animal Day: Reptiles!

Winkler Botanical Preserve, 5400 Roanoke Ave., Alexandria. Sept 27, 1 - 2:00 p.m.

Meet native reptile species and get hands-on with critters from NOVA Parks' Nature Center.

• This program is appropriate for families with children aged 5 and up;
• Anyone under 18 years-old must be accompanied by an adult;
• $5 per participant;
• All participants must pre-register to attend.

To register go here. 

Compiled by Christopher Jones