Metro Weekly - 07-21-16 - Liam Forde

CONTENTS
JULY 21, 2016
18
Volume 23 Issue 12
CANADIAN CRAVING
As she heads with Neko Case and Laura Veirs to D.C., k.d. Lang
reflects on the making of their one and only collaboration
By Randy Shulman
TALK TO THE HAND
In Hand to God, Liam Forde masterfully portrays not one, but

two characters. One is a withdrawn teenager. The other, a
demonic, foul-mouthed puppet named Tyrone.
Who knew that felt could be so monstrous?
38
Interview by Randy Shulman

Photography by Todd Franson
30
ABSOLUTELY ORDINARY
Ab Fab is by no means a bad film, but it needs fewer
cameos and a sharper edge
By Rhuaridh Marr
SPOTLIGHT: TOKYO DECO p.11 OUT ON THE TOWN p.13

DEBAUCHED DUO: AB FABS EDDY AND PATSY p.14 BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: ONE-MINUTE WORKS p.16
CANADIAN CRAVING: K.D. LANG p.18 THE FEED: THE POLITICS OF PENCE p.21
THE FEED: FEAR AND LOATHING IN CLEVELAND p.24 COMMUNITY: PRIDE SPLASH & RIDE p.27
COVER STORY: TALK TO THE HAND p.30 GALLERY: STEPHEN BENEDICTO p.37
FILM: AB FAB: THE MOVIE p.38 TECH: SAMSUNG S7 EDGE p.40 NIGHTLIFE p.43
COVERBOY: BRYAN p.43 LISTINGS p.45 SCENE: DIK BAR p.50 SCENE: JRS p.51
SCENE: ROCK HARD SUNDAYS p.52 LAST WORD p.54
The bitches who make this shit... #masthead
Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Managing Editor Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editor Doug Rule
Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Gordon Ashenhurst,
Sean Bugg, Frank Carber, Fallon Forbush, Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim
Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla
Patron Saint Corky and Fats Cover Photography Todd Franson
Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830
All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to
editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their
agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.
2016 Jansi LLC.
JULY 21, 2016 METROWEEKLY
PHOTOS COURTESY THE LEVENSON
Spotlight
Tokyo Deco
A new exhibit at Hillwood shines a light on Japans

elegant take on Art Deco
F COURSE THE JAPANESE DID ART DECO. AND

of course they did it beautifully, Estella Chung says.
There are already things in Japanese culture that are
sleek and elegant and very refined in the same way as Art Deco.
Tokyo is probably not the first place that pops to mind when
one thinks of Art Deco, a style of architecture and design that
flourished in the Jazz Age. Indeed, Hillwoods founder Marjorie
Merriweather Post was far more aware of the principal scenes in
Paris, New York and Miami. Hoping to rectify that lack of awareness, Deco Japan shines a rare light on Japanese expressions of
Art Deco style, boasting objects drawn from the collections of
private citizens in Japan.
The traveling exhibit, organized by Art Services International,
also offers a glimpse at the changing roles for women, particularly

in Posts time. The exhibit features many pictures of women
looking quite western, and at the same time quite modern, Chung
says. Women then were experimenting with new roles and taking
on new challenges. There was even a Japanese equivalent of the
flapper a lifestyle epitomized by Post called the moga. [She
was] a working woman who was out and about in the cities, says
Chung, noting that it marked a new expression of freedom.
Art Decos enduring appeal cant be denied. Many objects
in your house are probably Art Deco, says Chung, citing everything from glassware to picture frames to clothing accessories.
We still appreciate it today, to the point that we dont even
realize it. Doug Rule
Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920-1945 runs to Dec. 31. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW.
Suggested donation is $12. Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.
11
Spotlight
TWELFTH NIGHT
Synetic Theater revives its 2014 silent

Shakespeare hit that garnered 11 Helen
Hayes Award nominations (winning two)
and was inspired by the silent comedy
of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
Director Paata Tsikurishvili sets the
famous fraternal twins tale in the Roaring
Twenties and casts choreographers Irina
Tsikurishvili and Ben Cunis in the lead
roles. To Aug. 7. Theater at Crystal City,
1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Tickets
are $15 to $55. Call 800-494-8497 or visit
synetictheater.org.
The actor from seminal John Hughes films of the

80s is now making the rounds as a jazz vocalist.
Ringwald was actually a singer first, performing as
a girl with her pianist fathers jazz band. She tours
in support of her sleepy, smooth-jazz set Except
Sometimes, which includes a cover of The Breakfast
Club theme song by Simple Minds. Ringwald will
be accompanied by Dave Damiani & No Vacancy
Orchestra. Thursday, July 28, at 8 p.m. Bethesda
Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 7719 Wisconsin Ave.
Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Call
240-330-4500 or visit bethesdabluesjazz.com.
UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADES

WE KNOW HOW YOU DIE
Every night brings a completely new long-form show,

created on-the-fly by a cast of improvisers from this
celebrated improv troupe that launched the careers of
Amy Poehler, Kate McKinnon and Ellie Kemper, among
others. The focus is on presenting interconnected scenes
that tell a fictional story spoiler alert, it doesnt end
well about the lives of audience members at Woolly
Mammoth. The improvising performers for this production are Shannon ONeill, Connor Ratliff, Brandon
Scott Jones, and Molly Thomas. Now to July 31. Woolly
Mammoth, 641 D St. NW. Tickets range from $20 to $60.
Call 202-393-3939 or visit woollymammoth.net.
12
TWELFTH NIGHT BYJOHNNY SHRYOCK, MOLLY RINGWALD COURTESY OF BETHESDA BLUES & JAZZ SUPPER CLUB, UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE BY TERESA CASTRACANE
MOLLY RINGWALD
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Out On The Town
STAR TREK BEYOND
Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto reprise their roles as Captain Kirk and Commander Spock in the third installment of the
rebooted series, this time directed by Justin Lin. As youve no doubt heard, John Cho also returns as Sulu, whom screenwriter Simon Pegg has revealed as gay a tribute to the original Sulu, George Takei. Initial reviews have suggested its a
better effort than 2013s middling Into Darkness. Opens Friday, July 22. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.
FILM
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
Weve been privy to the ridiculously

funny escapades of aging materialistic fame whores Edina and Patsy for
almost a quarter of a century now
during the original series and
in various one-off specials but
this is the first movie to come from
the deliciously satirical BBC sitcom.
Show co-creator Jennifer Saunders
and sensational sidekick Joanna
Lumley lead a cast that includes
all the usual suspects including
Jane Bubble Horrocks, thankfully
and many celebrity cameos, from
Kate Moss and Jean Paul Gaultier
to Dame Edna and Perez Hilton.
Sounds as gay as ever. Opens Friday,
July 22. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Reviewed in this issue.)
CAFE SOCIETY
Woody Allens latest romantic comedy follows the tale of a man, Jesse
Eisenberg, who falls in love with
Kristen Stewart, the secretary of
his uncle, Steve Carell, a high-powered agent in 1930s Hollywood.
Reviews have referred to the work,
a valentine to old Hollywood, as
predictable but pretty, style over

substance. Opens Friday, July 22.
Landmarks E Street Cinema, 555
11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or
visit landmarktheatres.com.
DC UNDERGROUND
MOVIE NIGHT
Zany, microbudget underground

shorts (and a feature) is the focus
of the indie comedy event, hosted by local comedy trio and web
series parodists Church Night and
featuring films from local troupes
Bad Medicine Comedy, Crowded
Elevator, Third Wheel, Bob Rose
& Michael C. Stettes and Martin
Amini, among others. The evenings feature-length work is Mark
Colegroves Driven to Succeed, a
raunchy, over-the-top satire about
a driving academy said to be a
cross between National Lampoon
and Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Thursday, July 28, at 7 p.m. Lincoln
Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets
are $12. Call 202-328-6000 or visit
thelincolndc.com.
EQUALS
Kristen Stewart is both of the past

and the future in this weeks slate
of films. In addition to Allens latest,
she also stars in Drake Doremus

futuristic science-fiction drama
Equals, in which shes one of two
people the other played by
Nicholas Hoult who can bring
compassion and emotion to people
stuck in an emotionless, dystopian
world. Its a stylish, if simplistic
place, says Variety. Opens Friday,
July 22. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE
So far, the main trio in the Ice Age

series have endured the eponymous
cooldown, a subsequent heat wave,
the discovery of underground dinosaurs, and the forming of continents.
Now, theyre battling asteroids, in
20th Century Foxs increasingly
uninspired franchise. Think audiences have tired of the animal-led
films? Think again Collision
Course has cleared $130 million
in ticket sales before even opening in the U.S. Ray Romano, John
Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen
Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, and Wanda
Sykes all return, lending their voices
for Mike Thurmeiers fifth installment. Opens Friday, July 22. Area
theaters. Visit fandango.com.
SUMMERTIME
As the latest in its Xtra monthly

series, Reel Affirmations offers
Catherine Corsinis tale of feminism
and lesbianism in 1970s rural France.
It follows a Parisian teacher who
falls passionately in love with a farmers daughter, who is forced to return
home to southwestern France after
her fathers death, testing the depths
of the womens feelings for one
another. Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m.
and 9 p.m. HRC Equality Center,
1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets
are $12 and come with a complimentary glass of champagne, or $25
to include another complimentary
alcoholic beverage and VIP seating.
Call 800-777-4723 or visit reelaffirmations.org.
THE INFILTRATOR
Breaking Bads Bryan Cranston

once again finds himself immersed
in the illegal drug trade, this time
portraying a real-life U.S. Customs
special agent who helped discover
the money-laundering organization
of drug lord Pablo Escobar. Based
on the autobiography by Robert
Mazur, director Brad Furman
and writer Ellen Brown Furmans
drama also features Diane Kruger,
13
Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo,

and Amy Ryan. Now playing. Area
theaters. Visit fandango.com.
STAGE
FOX SEARCHLIGHT
BORN FOR THIS: THE BEBE

WINANS STORY
DEBAUCHED DUO
Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley revisit the roles that made
them comedic icons
RACE YOURSELVES, SWEETIE DARLINGS. YOUR FAVORITE HARD-PARtying British duo is headed back to the silver screen this week. Jennifer
Saunders and Joanna Lumley are reprising their roles as the fabulously
flamboyant PR agent Edina Monsoon and fashion magazine editor Patsy Stone as
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie hits theaters throughout the United States on Friday,
July 22 (see review, page 38).
Based on the 90s sitcom, the film revisits the same antics that endeared Edina
and Patsy to TV audiences. Everything from falling out of limousines to embarrassing themselves in public to just plain stumbling around in a chaos of drink and
cigarettes and champagne, says Lumley. And a few illegal substances, Saunders
is quick to add.
Back in 1990, we never imagined in our wildest dreams we would still be sitting
here having done of a film of that show, Sauncers, the writer and creative force
behind the series, continues. Its quite extraordinary, and we feel very, very lucky.
In typical Ab Fab style, Edina and Patsys antics are sure to offend a number of
different audiences. Political correctness flies out the window when the debauched
duo are around, something Saunders says made it a little more difficult when writing the movie.
People are much more ready to be offended these days, she says. Also, if you
write a movie, you have a raft of lawyers telling you who you can offend and who
you cant offend, and whos going to sue you and who wont. So it was quite an issue,
I have to say.
In the movie, the duos latest hijinks include accidentally killing Kate Moss, forcing
them to go on the lam to the south of France. The movie is littered with jokes referencing gays, lesbians, transgender people, drag queens, and crossdressing, culminating in
Patsy assuming a male identity to take advantage of an elderly, senile heiress.
We owe the gay community a huge deal, says Saunders. Theyve helped make
the show popular, and we love having them as fans. John Riley
Infamous televangelists Jim and

Tammy Faye Bakker are part of
the story told in a new musical by
gospel star and PTL Club regular BeBe Winans. The musical
deals with the struggles of fame
and belief, and features Juan and
Deborah Joy Winans as their reallife uncle BeBe and aunt CeCe. With
Milton Craig Nealy as Pop Winans,
Nita Whitaker as Mom Winans,
Kiandra Richardson as Whitney
Houston, and Chaz Pofahl and
Kirsten Wyatt as Jim and Tammy
Faye. A world-premiere co-production between Arena Stage and
Atlantas Alliance Theatre. To Aug.
28. Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St.
SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.
EVITA
Olney offers an intimate staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber and

Tim Rices famed musical about
Argentinas Eva Peron. After winning the Helen Hayes Award for
best play last year with gay-themed
Colossal, transgender director
Will Davis and choreographer
Christopher DAmboise team up
again for a smaller-scale production of the musical blockbuster,
intended to help theatergoers hear
every note and feel every heartbeat. A regular supporting player
on local stages, Rachel Zampelli
makes a diva turn in the title role,
with Robert Ariza starring as narrator Che and a cast that includes
Jonathan Atkinson, Mark Chandler,
Ashleigh King and Kristin Yancy.
Closes this Sunday, July 24.
Mainstage at Olney Theatre Center,
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road,
Olney, Md. Tickets are $38 to $75.
Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.
HAND TO GOD
Avenue Q sounds like childs play

compared to Robert Askins comedy focused on teens of a Christian
puppetry ministry in a small Texas
town. Touted as a blasphemous and
ruthless comedy about sex, sinners
and sock puppets, Joanie Schultz
directs a production led by Liam
Forde as a foul-mouthed, demonically possessed puppet. With
Susan Rome, Caitlin Collins, Ryan
McBride and Tim Getman. To Aug.
8. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets
NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.
THE BOY FROM OZ
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie opens Friday, July 22 at area theaters. For tickets,
visit fandango.com.
14
Richmond Triangle Players presents

Martin Sherman and Nick Enrights
musical tale about the life of Peter
Allen, the Australian star and song-
writer discovered by Judy Garland

who went on to marry her daughter
Liza Minnelli before his death to
AIDS-related complications. Justin
Amellio directs and choreographs a
production featuring Chris Hester
as Allen, Grey Garrett as Garland
and Anna Grey Hogan as Minnelli.
Extended to July 30. Richmond
Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont
Ave. Richmond. Tickets are $35. Call
804-346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.
DAVID DOWLING
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
ReVision dance company
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS
Two D.C. festivals offer lineups of super-short pieces
TS A MEGA-COLLABORATIVE, ONE-MINUTE DANCE EXTRAVAGANZA FEAturing a really great representation of the D.C. dance community as a whole, says Ben
Levine. That, in a nutshell, is the concept for Levines upcoming dance production,
Kitchen Sink Fest.
Wary of people complaining about the length of certain works (I got the idea in the
first minute is something Levine hears often), hell present a series of hyper-short pieces
in quick succession with the aim of keeping audiences engaged as theyre bombarded with
creativity and originality.
The technical director at Dance Place, Levine has collaborated with 22 of D.C.s most daring choreographers to present 50 movement-oriented works, each just a minute in length.
Theres contributions from everybody and their mom whose work I value in the dance community here, says Levine, including Adrienne Clancy, Erica Rebollar and Annie Choudhury.
Dance Place isnt alone in offering brief encounters next weekend. Dom DAndrea
started One-Minute Play Festival nearly a decade ago in New York, and its now in its third
year at Round House. Much like Kitchen Sink, it was created as a way to alter how people
interacted with the medium in this case, theater. It was about us getting together as a
community and challenging people to just do a little bit of something different, DAndrea
says. The plays focus on works from over 40 women playwrights and directors, including
Allyson Currin, Renee Calarco, Jennifer Mendenhall, Jennifer Nelson and Hope Villanueva.
DAndrea hopes that what the plays lack in length, they make up for in power and resonance.
The primary reason why we exist is to create a space for dialog, exchange of ideas and
action, he says. Our minute-long plays are about building up, its not about cramming a
bunch of stuff in. Its not a time race, its not a novelty. Its about creating equity of voice,
giving 40 people equal space and equal time to say something. Doug Rule
The 3rd Annual One-Minute Play Festival is Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 31,
at 3 and 8 p.m., at Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Tickets are $20.
Call 240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.
Kitchen Sink Fest is Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 31, at 7 p.m., at
Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door.
Call 202-269-1600 or visit danceplace.org.
16
Knighted stage and screen actor

Jonathan Pryce stars as outsider
Shylock in this new touring production from Shakespeares Globe
in London. Jonathan Munby
directs the highly charged classic
that dramatizes competing claims
of tolerance and intolerance, religious law and civil society, justice
and mercy. Opens Wednesday,
July 27, at 7:30 p.m. Runs to July
30. Kennedy Center Eisenhower
Theater. Tickets are $69 to $120.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Andrew Lloyd Webbers long-running musical is touted to be bigger

and better than ever before in a
new touring production overseen
by Matthew Bourne and Cameron
Mackintosh and featuring new choreography and sets. The chandelier
is still a centerpiece, and the score
hasnt changed a note. To Aug. 20.
Kennedy Center Opera House.
Tickets are $25 to $149.
MUSIC
BRYAN FERRY, LP
A few years ago, stylish pop artist/

producer and synth-pop pioneer
Bryan Ferry celebrated the 40th
anniversary of his career by rearranging his compositions, both as
a solo artist and in Roxy Music,
in a 20s style with his own Jazz
Orchestra. This became the basis
of the stellar soundtrack to Baz
Luhrmanns The Great Gatsby, produced by Jay-Z, and is the focus of
this rare U.S. tour. Ferrys special
guest is the Gwen Stefani-esque
lesbian rocker LP, born Laura
Pergolizzi, who also performs a
solo show after Ferrys two shows
on Saturday, July 23, and Monday,
July 25. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Lincoln
Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are
$55 to $75. Call 202-328-6000 or
visit thelincolndc.com. LP also performs Tuesday, July 26, at 7 p.m. U
Street Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW.
Tickets are $15. Call 202-588-1880
or visit ustreetmusichall.com.
CREATIVE CAULDRON CABARET
The 7th annual summer cabaret

series at ArtSpace Falls Church runs
every weekend through September
19 and features shows by Sandy
Bainum, Alan Naylor, Matt Conner
and Stephen Gregory Smith, Sam
FEMI KUTI
SIGNATURES SIZZLIN SUMMER

CABARET SERIES
The final performances in

Signatures popular annual cabaret
series include Sunday in the Park
with George actor Claybourne Elder
with Sondheim and Beyond on
Thursday, July 21, at 8 p.m., Susan
Derry with Its Got To Be Love on
Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m., and Bob
McDonald with Red, White and
Bob: From The Great White Way to
the White House, on Friday, July
22, at 9 p.m. The Ark at Signature
Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave.,
Arlington. Tickets are $35 per show.
Call 703-820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.
Femi Kuti carries the torch for his

late father, the Nigerian Afrobeat
pioneer and superstar Fela. Femi
and his band The Positive Force
expands on his fathers funky jazz
base to incorporate the sounds of
new R&B and dance music from all
corners of the world, having collaborated with Common, DAngelo,
and Nile Rodgers, among others.
Even with an expanded influence,
Femi makes music every bit as
tinged with activism as his fathers
famously was. Friday, July 29.
Doors at 8 p.m. 9:30 Club, 815 V St.
NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-2650930 or visit 930.com.
SUFJAN STEVENS, THAO & THE

GET DOWN STAY DOWN
NSO SUMMER MUSIC INSTITUTE
A few years ago this BelgianAmerican musician garnered notice

as the lead vocalist of Black Dub,
a blues/rock/electronica project of
super-producer Daniel Lanois (U2,
Bob Dylan). Whitley tours in support of her bluesy 2015 sophomore
set Porta Bohemica. Indigo Street,
another distinguished, distorted guitarist and singer-songwriter, opens.
Friday, July 22. Doors at 7 p.m.
Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE.
Tickets are $15. Call 202-388-ROCK
or visit rockandrollhoteldc.com.
The Kennedy Center welcomes to

its Millennium Stage a series of performances as part of the Summer
Music Institute, a free four-week
festival of orchestral and chamber music for under 21-year-olds
from around the country, coached
by National Symphony Orchestra
musicians. Participants in the institute perform on Friday, July 22, and
Saturday, July 23, at 6 p.m., while
Elizabeth Schulze conducts the full
orchestra in the final concert on
Sunday, July 24, at 6 p.m. Kennedy
Center. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org for the full
schedule.
PINK MARTINI, NATIONAL

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Another year, another return

engagement at Wolf Trap of everyones favorite quirky cocktail band,
led by Thomas Lauderdale who
is largely responsible for launching
several successful musical careers,
most notably that of Storm Large,
cabaret artist, and Ari Shapiro, NPR
reporter and host. Large and Shapiro
will once again perform with Pink
Martini in a performance also featuring the National Symphony
Orchestra as conducted by Steven
Reineke. Sunday, July 24, at 8:15 p.m.
The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551
Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $30
to $60. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.
Midwestern folk act Sufjan Stevens

has become a favorite of hipsters
and tastemakers over the years.
Hell no doubt draw a large, young
crowd when he makes his debut
at Wolf Trap, on a bill that also
includes a quirky alt-pop band
from San Francisco, fronted by
Falls Church-native Thao Nguyen.
Friday, July 22, at 8 p.m. The Filene
Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap
Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35 to
$65. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.
TRIXIE WHITLEY
WOLF TRAP OPERA
Florian Gassmanns 1769 comic

sendup of traditional 18th-century
opera, LOpera Seria, is presented
in its original Italian with English
supertitles in a U.S. premiere at
Wolf Trap. No one is spared
especially not the three star sopranos, whose translated names are
Smirking, Out-of-Tune, and PurpleFace. Intended for those who love
opera warts and all, NPR called
it genuinely hilarious. Remaining
performance is Saturday, July 23, at
7:30 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap,
1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are
$32 to $88. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or
visit wolftrap.org.
YOUNG SUMMER
Bobbie Allen, the D.C.-based dreamy

electro-pop artist who records as
Young Summer, was inspired by 80s
synth-pop acts including The Cure
and Eurythmics, but her beguiling
debut album Siren will no doubt put
you in mind of other young 80s-in-
WARD MORRISON
Ludwig, and Susan Derry with the

National Broadway Chorus. Next
up in the series are two Helen
Hayes Award nominees: Dani
Stoller with Awkward: A Musical
Ode to the Funny Best Friend on
Friday, July 22, and Saturday, July
23, at 8 p.m.; and Jade Jones with
Jazzed and Jaded on Friday, July
29, and Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m.
ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South
Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets
are $18 to $20 per show, or $50 for
a table for two with two glasses
of wine, $100 for four and a bottle
of wine. Call 703-436-9948 or visit
creativecauldron.org.
BALTIMORE PRIDE
George Lovett, Crystal Waters and CeCe Peniston

are headliners at the 41st annual Baltimore Pride,
which last year became a late-July event. The weekend launches this Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m., with the
glitzy fundraiser Twilight on the Terrace at Gertrudes
Restaurant at the Baltimore Museum of Art. But the
festivities dont truly kick into gear until the High
Heel Race steps off on Charles Street on Saturday at
1:30 p.m., leading into a Pride Parade at 2 p.m. Its
followed by the annual Block Party at the (now Hippoless) intersection of Charles and Eager Streets at 3
p.m. Meanwhile, the first ever Baltimore Youth Pride
commences at 4 p.m. a few blocks away. Sunday offers
the Pride Festival at 10 a.m. in Druid Hill Park, with
drag entertainment on the Lady Lisa Memorial Stage,
a Family Zone, other regional and local performers,
plus a Pride in the Park afternoon dance party featuring music by the Deep Sugar collective of DJs and
singers run by Ultra Nate and Lisa Moody. Official
Pride parties take place at Grand Central, Leons,
the Crown, the Hard Rock Cafe and Flavor Lounge
throughout the weekend. For a full lineup of events,
visit baltimorepride.org.
17
spired pop stars of today, from Lorde

to Lana Del Rey. The 9:30 Club presents this concert with opening acts
Indignis and the Galaxy Electric.
Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m. U Street
Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Tickets
are $15. Call 202-588-1880 or visit
ustreetmusichall.com.
DANCE
JASON QUIGLEY
MARYLAND YOUTH BALLET
(L-R) Case, lang and Veirs
CANADIAN CRAVING
As she heads with Neko Case and Laura Veirs to D.C., k.d. lang reflects on the
making of their one and only collaboration
.D. LANG IS ADAMANT: THERE WILL NOT BE A SECOND ROUND OF CASE/

lang/veirs. It was a moment of inspiration, she says of the recently released album
with fellow artists Neko Case and Laura Veirs. Logistically, its just too hard. We have
families and our own careers. I just doubt if we would venture back into it.
Still, shes more than pleased that she ventured into those waters once, so much so shes
currently on tour with her album-mates. We didnt expect wed actually get this project up
and off and out and toured, she says. It seemed so unbelievable, but were just thrilled that
weve managed to get it as far as we have. The tour stops in D.C. for two nights next week at
The Lincoln Theatre.
I met Neko and Laura around the same time, Canadas velvet-voiced chanteuse says,
explaining the albums origins. One night it came to my mind that we have enough similarities and enough differences that it would make for a very interesting fabric. I wrote them
an email and within half an hour they both wrote back and said yeah, Lets do it. Three years
later, the album is a hit for the makeshift trio.
Lang, whose singing career first skyrocketed with two epic country albums 1988s sumptuous Shadowlands and 1989s sweeping Absolute Torch and Twang quickly shifted to the
pop-arena, where she scored a major hit, the unforgettable Constant Craving.
I was never interested in a lifetime career in country music, says the singer, who (fun
fact!) graced the cover of the very first Entertainment Weekly in 1990. I love country music,
and I loved being a part of it, but I never thought of myself as a country singer.
Lang came out publicly in 1992, a time when many LGBT celebrities were still keeping
their closet doors firmly shut. Shes pleased with the progress the LGBT rights movement has
made in a quarter century, though views progress as something incremental and slow.
I look at it the same way I look at the state of African-Americans, and at women in the
world, she says. These are big pendulums, and evolution in human beings is very slow.
There will be a big swing to the left and gay marriage is legal in the states Yay, everythings
over! and then, you know, this guy goes into a bar and shoots fifty of us dead. And then the
GOP party and the NRA congratulate the shooter.
So it swings left, it swings right, she continues. I think we have to be a compassionate
people and lead by example. The LGBTQ culture is a big, big, broad culture, and its all a learning curve. Just like with every other culture in the world. Randy Shulman
case/lang/veirs appear at The Lincoln Theatre on Wednesday, July 27 (sold out) and Thursday,
July 28 (tickets still available). Prices range from $59 to $79. Visit lincolntheatredc.com.
18
Repeat recipient of the Best School

award from the leading ballet
competition in the U.S., the Youth
America Grand Prix, the Maryland
Youth Ballet presents its latest
production at Wolf Traps serene
and small, kids-oriented amphitheater. Caroline is a circus adventure
complete with a tightrope walker and a wild pony. Friday, July
29, and Saturday, July 30, at 10:30
a.m. Theatre-In-The-Woods at
Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna.
Tickets are $10. Call 703-255-1900
or visit wolf-trap.org.
NATIONAL DANCE DAY
Once again the Kennedy Center

plays host to the Northeast U.S.
installment of National Dance Day,
launched in 2010 by Nigel Lythgoe,
best known from TVs So You Think
You Can Dance. Broadcast personality and actress Jeannie Jones
emcees this years free, 10-hourlong celebration featuring performers including one-legged tap dancer and musician Evan Ruggiero,
renowned contemporary dance
company Bowen McCauley Dance,
D.C.s ONeill James School of Irish
Dance, the D.C. Bhangra Crew,
CapoeiraDC, Furia Flamenca Dance
Company, the Dance Place Step
Team, and hip-hop choreographer
Teren Dickson. So You Think You
Can Dance All-Star and Broadway
dancer Alex Wong will lead patrons
in this years National Dance Day
routine. Saturday, July 26, from 1
p.m. to 11 p.m. Kennedy Center.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
COMEDY
RITA RUDNER
A gentle-voiced comedian who can

shock like the brassiest and toughest gals around, Rita Rudner was
one of the most well-known female
comics in the 80s. In the 21st century she has focused almost exclusively on Las Vegas, performing
as one of the longest-running solo
acts in the citys history. Saturday,
July 30, at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Rams Head On Stage, 33 West St.,
Annapolis. Tickets are $45. Call
410-268-4545 or visit ramsheadonstage.com.
THE SECOND CITYS ALMOST

ACCURATE GUIDE TO AMERICA
What if the history of America were

written by some of the countrys
most revered contemporary comedians? Thats the premise behind

The Second Citys Almost Accurate
Guide to America, which the
Kennedy Center co-commissioned
from the leading improv comedy
troupe as part of the District of
Comedy Festival. The show will
even uproot the stalwart Shear
Madness for a six-week run in the
Theater Lab. To July 31. Kennedy
Center Theater Lab. Tickets are $49
to $64. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org.
READINGS
PAULS TOUTONGHI: DOG GONE
Subtitled A Lost Pets Extraordinary

Journey and the Family Who Brought
Him Home, this moving work of
nonfiction documents the lengths
one family went to after its sixyear-old golden retriever got lost
on the Appalachian Trail. Leaving
no stone unturned, the award-winning author Toutonghi shows how
integral a pet can be to a family.
Saturday, July 23, at 1 p.m. Politics
and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave.
NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.
STUART STEVENS:
THE INNOCENT HAVE
NOTHING TO FEAR
The new second novel from this

experienced political consultant
and writer couldnt be timelier in
its focus on a campaign manager
juggling various crises and potential crises during a national political convention in the run-up to a
presidential election. Friday, July
22, at 7 p.m. Politics and Prose, 5015
Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202364-1919 or visit politics-prose.com.
EXHIBITS
AMERICAS SHAKESPEARE
As part of The Wonder of Will,

toasting the 400th anniversary of
Shakespeares birth, the Folger
Shakespeare Library presents an
exhibition revealing how Americans
have adapted Shakespeare to suit
their cultural needs. As documented
through various media including
letters, books, costumes and digital
media Shakespeares words and
ideas have helped voice important
issues in matters of war, politics
and race, from the Revolutionary
War to today. Shakespeares language, like the language of the
Bible, became part of the currency of American English, curator
Georgianna Ziegler tells Metro
Weekly. Although English immigrants may have been the ones to
seed Shakespeare, the Americas
Shakespeare exhibition includes
examples showing the language of
the worlds most famous playwright
sprouting among other immigrant
and ethnic groups, including Italian,
Jewish and African-American. It
also documents Shakespeares influence on several notable American

works, from Leonard Bernsteins
musical West Side Story to Measure
for Measure, a 2014 poem by Rowan
Ricardo Phillips. Closes Sunday,
July 24. The Great Hall in Folger
Shakespeare Library, 201 East
Capitol St. SE. Free. Call 202-5447077 or visit folger.edu.
SHE WHO TELLS A STORY
Subtitled Women Photographers

from Iran and the Arab World, the
National Museum of Women in the
Arts presents more than 70 photographs made in various settings by
pioneering women with roots in Iran
or the Arab world. Through their
provocative work, these women
offer probing ideas about personal
identity, vital political issues, changing cultural landscapes and preconceptions. Jananne Al-Ani, Boushra
Almutawakel, Shadi Ghadirian,
Rula Halawani, Shirin Neshat and
Newsha Tavakolian are among those
represented in the show, organized
by Bostons Museum of Fine Arts.
Through July 31. National Museum
of Women in the Arts, 1250 New
York Ave NW. Admission is $10. Call
202-783-5000 or visit nmwa.org.
THREE CENTURIES OF
AMERICAN PRINTS
Timed to coincide with the National

Gallery of Arts 75th anniversary,
this exhibition of American prints
will highlight some 160 works covering three centuries, all from the
museums collection. James McNeill
Whistler, Mary Cassatt, Jackson
Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler,
Robert
Rauschenberg,
Claes
Oldenburg, and Richard Serra are
among the many celebrated artists whose works are on display.
Through July 24. Ground Floor
of National Gallery of Arts West
Building, 6th Street and Constitution
Avenue NW. Call 202-737-4215 or
visit nga.gov.
ETC.
11TH ANNUAL CAPITAL FRINGE
FESTIVAL
The 117 productions in this years

Fringe Festival arent curated and
available slots are filled on a firstcome, first-served basis, but that
shouldnt stop you from taking a
plunge. Among the many shows
with LGBT content this year are
...And A Ghost Grrl, Aliens, Nazis
and Angels, Bryce: Hydrogen Blonde,
Cake!, and Dial R for Robot, a rock
opera homage to Alfred Hitchcocks
Rope, the McCarthy-era Capitol Hill
drama Hunt, The DOMA Diaries,
The Trial of Mrs. Surratt, and the
return of Special Agent Galactica
in A Romp Around Uranus, featuring The B-52s Fred Schneider as
the voice of the Timeship Aurora.
Festival runs to July 31. The Logan
Fringe Arts Space at 1358 Florida
Ave. NE serves as the festivals
BRANDI CARLILE
Twins Phil and Tim Hanseroth write, sing and play with lesbian frontwoman Brandi Carlile, whose music is an intriguing
country-rock blend, with additional influence from gospel
and folk think Indigo Girls blended with Johnny Cash. All
with Carliles eminently captivating voice, supple and expressive, not too dissimilar from Sias. Carlile and co. continue
to tour in support of last years rolicking set Firewatchers
Daughter, returning to the area for a stop at Merriweather with
Nashville-based, Americana-steeped band Old Crow Medicine
Show and an opening set by L.A. folk-rock band Dawes.
Saturday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m. Merriweather Post Pavilion,
10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are $45
to $75. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit merriweathermusic.com.
hub, but performances are in various locations throughout the city.
Tickets are $17 a show plus a onetime purchase of a $7 Fringe button;
multi-show passes range from $60
to $350. Call 866-811-4111 or visit
capitalfringe.org.
NATIONAL SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA WITH HANDSPRING
PUPPET COMPANY
Janni Younge and the creators of

War Horse present more impressive, larger-than-life puppetry
and contemporary South African
choreography in a world-pre-
miere adaptation of The Firebird.

Cristian Macelaru leads the NSO
in Stravinskys ravishing, century-old score on a bill that features a
first act performance of Prokofievs
Classical Symphony and Ravels
Mother Goose Suite. The Ravinia
Festival, the Hollywood Bowl, the
Mann Center, Saratoga Performing
Arts Center and Sun Valley Summer
Symphony co-commissioned this
concert. Saturday, July 23, at 8:15
p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap,
1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are
$20 to $65. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or
visit wolftrap.org. l
19
GAGE SKIDMORE
theFeed
Pence
THE POLITICS OF PENCE
Gay Republicans reflect on Donald Trumps selection of cultural

conservative Mike Pence as a running mate By John Riley
URING THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL

Convention in Cleveland, the GOP halted attempts by opposing forces to
deny Donald Trump the partys nomination for the presidency. What it has
been unable to do thus far is stop speculation, even among Trumps most fervent
backers, over whether the billionaires selection of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his
vice president was a smart choice.
I really stayed out of this presidential election for the most part, says Charles
Moran, 35, a convention delegate for Trump from Hollywood, Calif. We had 17 candidates. There were some I liked more than others. But when it came down to the
final four or five it became clear to me that I wanted to support Mr. Trump.
Apart from believing him to be the most electable Republican, Moran thinks
Trump has amassed a business and philanthropic record that shows he is the most
LGBT-friendly candidate Republicans can run. Moran points to Trump allowing out
gays and lesbians to become members of his Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach,
Fla., at a time when the LGBT community was not widely accepted, as well as saying
he would allow Caitlyn Jenner to use the restroom of her choice at any of his businesses or properties. Add to that Trumps significant monetary donations to LGBT
and HIV/AIDS charities.
Its hard to imagine an LGBT conservative like Moran supporting Mike Pence as
Trumps vice president. Pence is not widely known outside of Indiana, and is largely
tied to a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) he signed into law that was
seen as allowing businesses and individuals to discriminate against LGBT people.
For the overall larger scheme of the campaign, I think it was a good pick for
Donald Trump, says Moran. Gov. Pence was a legislative leader for the Republicans
in the House of Representatives. Being the executive of a state, he has a broad
knowledge of how government works. And his personality is very low-key, hes not
bombastic, hes very deferential, and I think of Mike Pence as being the yin to Donald
Trumps yang. They compliment each other in a lot of ways.
Moran has gotten some pushback from people on the RFRA, but says its a positive sign that Pence eventually proposed a fix to the law that reversed some of
The Republican
National
Convention in
Emoji
Melania Trump plagiarising
Michelle Obama
Mary Fallin defending the

anti-LGBT GOP platform
Log Cabin Republicans taking

out an ad bashing their party
The GOPs Steve King

preaching white supremacy
on MSNBC
Trump officially becoming the

GOP candidate
21
theFeed
its most onerous provisions.
ical partys nomination. For Joseph Swartz, 32, of Laurel,
Theres a lot of room for Mike Pence to grow on LGBT Md., a profound dislike of Trump has actually driven him
issues, says Moran. Im glad that he listened to his constit- to join Republicans for Hillary, a group of conservatives
uents, had to actually sit down with the gay community, the throwing their support to Clinton.
business community, to get real about where his state and
Ive been anti-Trump since Day One, says Swartz, who
this country are on equality and freedom.
supported Sen. Marco Rubio in the primary. Trump to me
Other Trump supporters dont think the Pence pick is jus- is the embodiment of everything that shouldnt be relevant in
tified. Joseph R. Murray II, of Ripley, Miss., the 39-year-old politics.... You ask him a question two to three times, and all
gay administrator for the Facebook
he relies on is hyperbole and generalgroup LGBTrump, thinks Trump has
ly bland assurances.... No matter how
campaigned masterfully thus far, but
much you ask him to follow up on it,
Do I think its going to
calls the selection of Pence Trumps
he can never provide you with details.
first mistake in this campaign.
Swartz thinks Trumps choice
The issue I have with Pence is
of Pence was terrible, given the
not the whole RFRA act in Indiana,
Indiana governors reputation as a
Murray says. The issue I have with
social warrior. (Pence even wrote
Pence is he is pro-[Trans Pacific
an editorial in 1999 denouncing
Partnership], he voted for the Iraq
the Disney movie Mulan as liberal
War, the fact that this fellow endorsed
propaganda trying to influence the
Ted Cruz, and he brings nothing to the
debate over allowing women to serve
ticket, except to appease the estabin combat roles in the military.) He
lishment that would screw you over
points to Pences limited appeal outthe moment they got the chance.
side of rural, white, religiously conNo. But the Pence pick
Murray notes that some religious
servative voters in Indiana, who are
didnt make that path
conservatives are suspicious of Pence,
already likely to vote for Trump.
because they feel he capitulated to
My interpretation of the pick was
any easier.
the LGBT community and the radthat [Trump] got down to a very
Joseph R. Murray II
ical Left by issuing the RFRA fix.
small field of candidates he could pick
Murray also argues that Trump has
from, because he had alienated so
already won support in states with
many prominent people who would
high numbers of evangelical voters, disproving the conten- be natural vice presidential picks within the Republican
tion that he needed Pence to shore up cultural conservatives. Party, says Swartz. Although Pence might seem more
Rather, he believes Pence was picked because he is a career reasonable, hes going to continue to be so far removed from
politician with strong connections on Capitol Hill from his 12 anyone who lives in a metropolitan area, anybody who is a
years as a U.S. congressman, and someone who establishment minority, anybody who is a young voter.
Republicans believe can rein in Trumps most politically danAnthony Rek LeCounte is not a Clinton backer. But the
gerous instincts.
27-year-old resident of Tringle, Va., is fervently opposed to
I called this Trumps Palin moment, Murray says. Trump and is considering voting for the Libertarian ticket
When John McCain tried to get a fresh face that conserva- of former GOP governors Gary Johnson (New Mexico) and
tives trust to try and revamp his campaign, it failed misera- William Weld (Massachusetts). I would rather fall down
bly. And this was Trumps attempt to appease an establish- a flight of knives into the mouth of an erupting volcano,
ment that doesnt like him. Do I think its going to tank his he says, when asked if hed be attending the Republican
chances of winning? No.... I do think he wins this thing, but National Convention. LeCounte is unimpressed with Pence
the Pence pick didnt make that path any easier.
as a running mate.
Gregory T. Angelo, president of the Log Cabin
There were more than a few people who are wonderRepublicans, would have preferred Trump pick someone ing if hes just going for the vice presidency now because
more moderate in their rhetoric around LGBT issues, such he couldnt win re-election, says LeCounte. And maybe
as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich or New Jersey he couldnt. But thats not exactly a thing thats going to
Gov. Chris Christie, who supported an anti-bullying bill improve peoples opinions of you.
and signed a law banning conversion therapy on minors.
In the end, LeCounte feels Pence will help Trumps
But Angelo understands the political calculus that Trumps campaign, if only because it will provide cover for some
campaign was considering when it selected Pence.
Republicans who should know better and were looking
Its a pick not centered or inspired by policy, but for a reason to openly support Trump. As for the GOP estabmore on gravitas and controlled fire, as it were, says lishments hope that they can get Pence to tame Trump,
Angelo, whose organization has not yet made a presidential LeCounte isnt holding his breath.
endorsement. The fact that Mike Pence has disagreements
I know a lot of folks are waiting for that last Hail Mary,
with Mr. Trump on things like trade or the Iraq War will a lot of folks are in denial, like, Oh, please God, this cant be
largely be seen as inconsequential by evangelical Christians how it ends, he says. I guess the metaphor is: Im one of
who were seeking assurances on social issues.
those guys sitting on the deck of the Titanic, in my dinner
There are also LGBT conservatives who just cant fathom attire, with my bourbon and cigar, waiting for the whole
supporting Trump, even if he does win their preferred polit- thing to go down with dignity. l
tank
[Trumps]
chances of
winning?
22
theFeed
FEAR AND LOATHING IN

CLEVELAND
Republicans have approved the most anti-LGBT Platform in the

Partys 162-year history By Rhuaridh Marr
HERES NO WAY TO SUGAR-COAT THIS: IM MAD AS HELL AND

I know you are, too. When Gregory T. Angelo, leader of the Log Cabin
Republicans, sends an email to supporters blasting his own party, something
serious has happened. As it transpired, Angelo was mad as hell about the GOPs
2016 platform, a statement of the partys views on key policy areas heading into this
years elections.
Formed by the Republican National Conventions Platform Committee and
approved this week by delegates at the convention in Cleveland, it contains, as Angelo
puts it, the most anti-LGBT Platform in the Partys 162-year history. Thats a strong
claim, given Republican distaste for most things LGBT in other recent presidential
election cycles. So what, exactly, did the GOP approve?
For starters, the platform promises that only a Republican president will appoint
judges who respect the rule of law expressed within the Constitution. To that end,
they promise that conservative judges will be nominated to the Supreme Court, to
help reverse activist decisions such as Roe v. Wade, Obergefell v. Hodges and the
various cases which granted legitimacy to President Obamas health care laws. Never
mind that, in 43 years and with numerous conservative justices nominated to the
court, Roe still stands.
Unfortunately, despite 61-percent of Republican-leaning voters supporting samesex marriage, the GOP has decided to enshrine opposition to it in their platform.
Traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one
24
woman, is the foundation for a free

society, reads the platform. They
condemn the Supreme Courts
legitimacy in the Obergefell case, calling it a lawless ruling (this, directly
after passages about being a party
that will respect the Constitution).
Five unelected lawyers robbed 320
million Americans of their legitimate
Constitutional authority, the platform complains, ignoring that five of
the nine justices on the bench were
nominated by Republican presidents
including Anthony Kennedy, who
opted to side with the liberal wing
of the court in supporting marriage
equality.
The platform also talks at length
about religious liberty, the new
GOP buzzwords for legitimizing discrimination against LGBT people.
Republicans want to pass FADA, or
the First Amendment Defense Act,
which seeks to protect those who
oppose same-sex marriage based on
their religious beliefs from action
by the federal government. The Los
Angeles Times editorial board called
FADA unnecessary and said it
could allow discrimination against
gays and lesbians, while the ACLU
said it would open the door to
unprecedented taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBT people.
theFeed
Elsewhere, the platform again espouses the apparent
superiority of the union of one man and one woman, claiming that the data and facts lead to an inescapable conclusion:
Every child deserves a married mom and dad. Except, neither the data nor facts support that conclusion. A 2010 study
by University of California-San Francisco found that the
children of lesbian couples tended to rate higher in school
and exhibit lower social problems than other children, a 2014
study published in Population Research and Policy Review
found that American children living within same-sex parent
households fare just as well as those children residing within
different-sex parent households, and a 2013 Tufts University
study determined that despite facing economic and legal
disparities and social stigma, same-sex households were
resilient to negative effects. Indeed, one of the biggest issues
was stress as a result of lack of opportunities to marry a
situation fostered and supported by Republicans. Oh, and in
case it wasnt already apparent, the platform also supports
denying same-sex couples adoptions.
Rachel Hoff, a member of the committee that drafted
the platform, pled for the GOP to recognize LGBT people
like her (Hoff was the only openly gay person on the committee). We are your daughters, your sons, your friends,
your neighbors, your colleagues. All I ask today is that you
include me and those like me, the Carroll County Times
reports her saying. Hoffs suggestion was rejected, 82-30.
Instead, the committee approved of ex-gay conversion
therapy for minors and demanded an end to social experimentation in the military.
The New York Times editorial board called it the most
extreme Republican platform in memory, writing that the

platform...makes homophobia and the denial of basic civil
rights to gays, lesbians and transgender people a centerpiece.
The Concord Monitor called the platform truly frightening.
Annie Dickerson, a platform committee member, asked of the
repeated gay-bashing in the platform, Has a dead horse been
beaten enough yet? Dan Savage blasted LGBT Republicans
who continue to support the party in the wake of this platform, writing in The Stranger that it goes beyond standard-issue self-hatred. James Richardson, a former spokesman and advisor for the Republican National Committee and
two GOP Governors, wrote in TIME that, It would be easier
to defend the belief that earth is the center of the universe
than some of the nonsense installed as official party dogma
for the next four years.
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin desperately tried to
defend against criticism of the platform this week, saying the
committee believes in the human rights of all people, not
just one segment. She pointed to the one gay member of the
committee (Hoff) as proof that the party wasnt anti-LGBT.
Were an inclusive party, were a big tent, Fallin told
CNN. There are many different ideas, but the main thing is:
we think all human beings, no matter who you are, deserve
respect.
Committee member Rachel Hoff disagreed.
I certainly think were alienating the LGBT community who might consider voting Republican, she told NPR.
Were certainly alienating members of the Republican Party
who are in the LGBT community and bravely out in that
way. l
25
Oral
Fixation
you can listen
to any story at
MetroWeekly.com
just look for the
speak button
WARD MORRISON
Community
Pride Splash & Ride 2015
PRIDE SPLASH & RIDE
Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.
RAB YOUR TOWELS AND BATHING SUITS AND SOME OF YOUR STURDIEST
footwear as the LGBT invasion of Six Flags America is nearly upon us. Now in
its fourth year, Pride Splash & Ride takes over Six Flags water park for a day of fun
and an exclusive after-hours dance party, which kicks off at 8 p.m., an hour after the water
park closes.
We wanted to distinguish this from BHTs Pride Day at Kings Dominion and create
something different, says Ryan Bos, executive director of Capital Pride, which produces the
event in conjunction with both NOVA and Baltimore Prides. We decided to focus on the
water park at Six Flags, and do an exclusive water park dance party at the end of the day.
NOVA Prides Jess Conyers says attendees can look forward to evening access to the
parks water rides, some great swag for VIP attendees, a drag show featuring local talent
including Mr. and Miss NOVA Pride, Baltimore Pride and Capital Pride and an evening
of music provided by DJ Drew G.
Pride celebrations have never been as important as theyve recently become, says
Jabari Lyles, president of the GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland,
which organizes Baltimore Pride. Continuing the celebration in the very fun and welcoming environment of Six Flags America is a great way for the LGBTA community to demonstrate our diversity and our visibility as well as our Pride.
The 4th Annual Pride Splash & Ride will take place from 10:30 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, July 30, at Six Flags
America and Hurricane Harbor in Upper Marlboro, Md. The exclusive Pride Pool Party and Dance starts at 8 p.m.
Tickets range from $20 to $42. Visit pridesplash.org.
THURSDAY, July 21
Weekly Events
The DC Center holds a meeting of its POLY DISCUSSION

GROUP, for people interested
in polyamory, non-monogamy
or other non-traditional relationships. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more
information, visit
thedccenter.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)
practice session at Takoma

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

group features mainstream
through advanced square

dancing at the National City
Christian Church, 5 Thomas
Circle NW, 7-9:30 p.m. Casual
dress. 301-257-0517, dclambdasquares.org.
The DULLES TRIANGLES
Northern Virginia social
group meets for happy hour
at Sheraton in Reston, 11810
IDENTITY offers free and

confidential HIV testing
in Gaithersburg, 414 East
Diamond Ave., and in Takoma
Park, 7676 New Hampshire
Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6
p.m. For appointments other
hours, call Gaithersburg, 301300-9978, or Takoma Park,
301-422-2398.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing,
3-5 p.m., by appointment and
walk-in, for youth 21 and
younger. 202-567-3155 or testing@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a
Narcotics Anonymous Meeting,

6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia
Ave. NW. The group is independent of UHU. 202-446-1100.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ
women, 13-21, interested in

leadership development. 5-6:30
p.m. SMYAL Youth Center, 410
7th St. SE. 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.
FRIDAY, July 22
GAMMA, a confidential support
group for men who are gay,

bisexual, questioning and who
are married or involved with a
woman, meets on the second
and fourth Fridays of the month.
GAMMA also offers additional meeting times and places
27
for men in Northern Virginia and

Maryland. 7:30-9:30 p.m. St. Thomas
Parish Episcopal Church, 1772
Church St. NW. For more information, visit GAMMAinDC.org.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-6
LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP
SATURDAY, July 23
for adults in Montgomery County

offers a safe space to explore
coming out and issues of identity.
10-11:30 a.m. 16220 S. Frederick
Rd., Suite 512, Gaithersburg, Md.
For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
The DC Center holds its CENTER

AGING MONTHLY LUNCH social
for members of D.C.s senior community. 12-2 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org or call
202-682-2245.
The DC Center starts a biweekly
SURVIVOR SUPPORT GROUP for
LGBT people facing obstacles in
healing from intimate partner violence, hate crimes, assault, bullying,
or other forms of physical or emotional trauma. The group aims to
provide survivors with therapeutic
techniques and tools that empower
them to heal from violence, and
also stop cycles of violence in
their communities. 6-7 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
information, contact Sam Shinberg,
LGSW, at survivorsupport@thedccenter.org.
WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES, a
social discussion and activity group

for LBT women, meets at The DC
Center on the second and fourth
Fridays of each month. Group
social activity to follow the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. For more information,
visit thedccenter.org.
ADVENTURING outdoors group

hikes 8 moderately strenuous miles
with 1400 feet of elevation gain
between the two highest peaks
in Shenandoah National Park,
where temperatures should be
10-15 degrees cooler than in the
lowlands. Afterwards hikers join
in Blackberry Delight Festival at
Shenandoahs Skyland Resort.
Bring plenty of beverages, lunch,
sturdy boots, bug spray, sunscreen,
and about $20 for fees, plus funds
for festival indulgences. No pets
allowed. Carpool at 8:30 a.m. from
East Falls Church Metro Station
Kiss & Ride lot. Jeff, 301-775-9660.
adventuring.org.
practice session at Hains Point,

927 Ohio Dr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor
Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-
affirming social group for ages

11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road
NW. Contact Tamara, 202-3190422, layc-dc.org.
SMYALS REC NIGHT provides a
social atmosphere for GLBT and

questioning youth, featuring dance
parties, vogue nights, movies and
games. More info, catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
DC SENTINELS basketball
team meets at Turkey Thicket

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

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

critical languages and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellies, 900 U St.
NW. RSVP preferred. brendandarcy@gmail.com.
SUNDAY, July 24
ADVENTURING outdoors group
facilitated by psychotherapist and

licensed professional counselor
Kris Oseth. 3-4 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit krisoseth.com or call
202-600-8353.
hikes 10 strenuous miles with

about 2000 feet of elevation gain
in central section of Shenandoah
National Park. Suitable for experienced hikers in good aerobic shape
only. Bring plenty of beverages,
lunch, sturdy boots, bug spray,
sunscreen, a towel, and about $15
for fees, plus funds for dinner on
the way home. Carpool at 8:30 a.m.
from the East Falls Church Metro
Station Kiss & Ride lot. Craig, 202462-0535. adventuring.org.
The DC Center hosts a
Weekly Events
people who wish to get involved

with the Centers various activities,
or those who wish to be Support
Desk volunteers. 12-3 p.m. 2000
information, visit thedccenter.org or
email volunteer@thedccenter.org.
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS
The DC Center hosts an LGBTQ
HARM REDUCTION SUPPORT

GROUP FOR SUBSTANCE USE,
VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION for
Weekly Events
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL
HEALTH offers free HIV testing,
Weekly Events
28
p.m., by appointment and walk-in,

for youth 21 and younger. Youth
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-5673155, testing@smyal.org.
9-5 p.m., and HIV services (by

appointment). 202-291-4707 or
andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by
members of the LGBT community,

holds Saturday morning Shabbat
services, 10 a.m., followed by
Kiddush luncheon. Services in
DCJCC Community Room, 1529
16th St. NW. betmish.org.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including others interested in Brazilian culture, meets. For location/time, email
braziliangaygroup@yahoo.com.
practice session at Hains Point, 972

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

levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, socializing
afterward. Meet 9:30 a.m., 23rd &
P Streets NW, for a walk; or 10 a.m.
for fun run. dcfrontrunners.org.
MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
celebrates Low Mass at 8:30

a.m., High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300
Cathedral Ave. NW. 202-232-4244,
allsoulsdc.org.

972 Ohio Dr., SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
DIGNITYUSA offers Roman

Catholic Mass for the LGBT
community. 6 p.m., St. Margarets
Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave.
NW. All welcome. Sign interpreted.
For more info, visit dignitynova.
org.
FRIENDS MEETING OF
WASHINGTON meets for worship,
10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,

Quaker House Living Room (next
to Meeting House on Decatur
Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome
to lesbians and gays. Handicapped
accessible from Phelps Place gate.
Hearing assistance. quakersdc.org.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT

GROUP for gay men living in the
DC metro area. This group will be

meeting once a month. For information on location and time, visit
H2gether.com.
INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL

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

event. 5419 Sherier Place NW. isddc.org.
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF
REFORMATION invites all to
Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m.

Childcare is available at both services. Welcoming LGBT people for
25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE.
reformationdc.org.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted) and 11 a.m. Childrens Sunday

School at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW.
202-638-7373, mccdc.com.
RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,
a Christ-centered, interracial,
welcoming-and-affirming church,
offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St.
SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF
ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcom-
ing-and-affirming congregation,
offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia
Rainbow UU Ministry. 4444
Arlington Blvd. uucava.org.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL
MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-
ing and inclusive church. GLBT

Interweave social/service group
meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,
Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.
NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.
MONDAY, July 25
Weekly Events
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

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

Quaker House, 2111 Florida Ave.
NW. getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-
ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite

200, Arlington. Appointments: 703789-4467.
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 gay

mens evening affinity group. 3636
Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS
WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9
p.m. Takoma Aquatic Center, 300

Van Buren St. NW. Newcomers
with at least basic swimming ability
always welcome. Tom, 703-2990504, secretary@wetskins.org,
wetskins.org.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH
HIV/AIDS Support Group for
newly diagnosed individuals,
meets 7 p.m. Registration required.

202-939-7671, hivsupport@whitman-walker.org.
TUESDAY, July 26
METRO DC PFLAG, a support
organization for families, friends

and allies of the LGBT community,
holds a monthly meeting at The DC
Center. 2-3 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. For more information, call
202-638-3852 or visit pflagdc.org.
The DC Centers GENDERQUEER
DC support and discussion group
for people who identify outside the
gender binary, meets on the fourth
Tuesday of every month. 7-8:30
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL
HEALTH offers free HIV testing,
9-5 p.m., and HIV services (by

appointment). 202-291-4707,
andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly
dinner in Dupont/Logan Circle

area, 6:30 p.m. afwash@aol.com,
afwashington.net.
practice session at Takoma Aquatic

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

allies hosts an evening run/walk.
dcfrontrunners.org.
THE HIV WORKING GROUP of

THE DC CENTER hosts Packing
Party, where volunteers assemble

safe-sex kits of condoms and lube.
7 p.m., Green Lantern, 1335 Green
Court NW. thedccenter.org.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY

(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St.,
SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ

YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at
SMYAL, 410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m.

Cathy Chu, 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a support
group for black gay men 40 and

older. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.
NW. 202-446-1100.
WEDNESDAY, July 27
Alexandria, offers free rapid HIV

testing and counseling, 9 a.m.-4
p.m. 703-823-4401.
The DC Center hosts a monthly

meeting of its HIV PREVENTION
WORKING GROUP. 6-8 p.m. 2000
information, visit thedccenter.org.
METROHEALTH CENTER
THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB will
offers free, rapid HIV testing.

Appointment needed. 1012 14th St.
NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS
LGBT focused meeting every

Tuesday, 7 p.m. St. Georges
Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland
Ave., Arlington, just steps from
Virginia Square Metro. For
more info. call Dick, 703-5211999. Handicapped accessible.
Newcomers welcome. liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5

p.m., by appointment and walk-in,
for youth 21 and younger. Youth
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-5673155, testing@smyal.org.
meet for Duplicate Bridge. 7:30

p.m. Dignity Center 721 8th St., S.E.
(across from Marine Barracks). No
reservation needed. Call 202-8410279 if you need a partner.
Weekly Events
AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-
versation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,

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

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

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.
FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a

group for LGBT people looking
to quit cigarettes and tobacco use,
holds a weekly support meeting at
The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor
Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
METROHEALTH CENTER offers
free, rapid HIV testing. No
appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. 202638-0750.
PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social club
for mature gay men, hosts weekly
happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,
Windows Bar above Dupont Italian
Kitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl,
703-573-8316.
Submit your community event for
consideration at least 10 days prior
to the Thursday publication you
would like it to appear. Email to calendar@metroweekly.com.
29
30
Talk to the
In Hand to God, Liam Forde brilliantly

portrays not one, but two characters.
One is a withdrawn teenager. The other,
a demonic, foul-mouthed puppet named
Tyrone. Who knew that felt could
be so monstrous?
Interview by Randy Shulman
Photography by Todd Franson
Hand
HIS IS THE ONLY SPEAKING ILL DO

today until the show. I do not speak on the
weekends. I steam before and after every performance. I take baths. I get massages. I just
do everything I possibly can, because it is taxing. Those lucky enough to have caught Liam
Fordes bravura performance in Hand to God at Studio Theater
know just how taxing a role it is.
In the darkly funny, deeply alarming comedy, the 27-yearold actor plays not one role, but two: that of Jason, a fervently
religious, small-town Texas teen coping with the recent death
of his father through his churchs puppet ministry (run by his
emotionally battered mother) and Jasons puppet creation,
Tyrone, who may or may not be demonically possessed. Its a
chilling, funny, clockwork-precise performance that leaves you
dumbfounded, not just because of Fordes gifts as an actor, but
because it haunts you long after the show has ended.
Liam is an incredibly special performer, marvels Joanie
Schultz, the plays director. Even though he had no puppetry
experience, hes a pianist and a singer, so he has these capabilities. Hes good with even just the placement of his voice.
Tyrone is his own character, his own person, she continues.
Liam is Jason to me and then Tyrone is something else. Hes
like another person. Its so crazy because I know logically that
Liam is playing both roles, but to me Tyrone is like this other
thing.
The key to Fordes natural, seemingly effortless abilities with
Tyrone may, in fact, be tied to his childhood.
Liam would probably kill me for telling you this, the
Chicago-based director says, but one day we were talking about
what the puppet does, how the puppet becomes this intermediary communicator hes able to say all these things Jason
couldnt say without the puppet. And Liam suddenly remembered being a young teenager, and was like, Sometimes my
mom would talk to me through the dog. He was like, She would
ask questions and talk to me about things through the dog that
neither of us felt comfortable talking about. When its so hard to
directly be vulnerable with other people, talking through something else can be really helpful.
The show, which is being played out in a masterfully crafted,
environmental set a huge yet eerily claustrophobic church rec
room, in which the audience is seated at long crafting tables (and
is encouraged to make sock puppets in the 45 minutes preceding
curtain) is a major summer hit for Studio. (Its just had its run
extended to August 14, but hurry, those tickets wont last long.)
Its a brilliantly written play, says Forde. I think its a huge
credit to Robert Askins, the playwright, that its working so well
for us here in this immersive environment. The much-heralded
Broadway production was played more for laughs. And while
there are plenty of laughs in Studios Hand to God, Schultzs
direction and Fordes gripping performance force things into a
much darker-than-expected territory.
This is a darker production, and a darker portrayal on my
end, agrees Forde, last seen at Studio in the gay-centric, British
soccer dramedy, Jumpers for Goalposts. Even though people are
laughing, inside of Jasons world, inside the way that Jason is
seeing this, nothing about it is funny.
Forde, who was raised in West Hartford, Connecticut first
caught the theater bug in third grade, in a production of Snoopy
(he played Linus). I remember getting my first laugh, and then
that was that, he laughs. His family has been supportive of his
career They were always incredibly encouraging, and they
still are even during patches where he has not acted, supJULY 21, 2016 METROWEEKLY
31
porting himself in New York as a vocal coach. Hand to God may

prove to be the most transformative moment of his career, giving
him a huge push forward. And, like most actors, he has a bucket
list of shows hed like to one day take on.
Id love to take a stab at McKinley in Book of Mormon, he
says. Id love to play Christopher in The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-Time.
And I want to play Mama Rose in Gypsy.
mouth and little googly eyes. There were no arms. I got the part
in late March, and then Ive been working on it everyday since I
got the call that I got it.
MW: How hard has it been to master?
FORDE: Difficult. A lot of its like music, rhythm, dynamics,
tempo. Then theres just puppetry basics about ways to move
the mouth. Its about the bottom thumb, not about the top part
of your hand, because humans dont talk like that. My wrist is
[pointed down] during the whole show, which doesnt feel great.
Its physically taxing on your shoulders and hands.
METRO WEEKLY: This is a remarkable show with a very difficult MW: Do you feel as though Tyrone is a separate performance from
centerpiece of a performance. Its a great role for an actor, but also, the one youre giving as Jason?
my God, why would anybody want it? Theres so much pressure to FORDE: Yeah. Its written as two roles. Those solo scenes are
written Jason and Tyrone, not as a monologue. It is separate,
get it right. Whats it like?
LIAM FORDE: Its scary. Its scary every time, because I want no matter how you want to interpret it. The biggest challenge
to get it right. Ive never done anything that has required such has been keeping Jason going through all of Tyrones moments.
laser-sharp focus. Maybe things will get easier the further we go, Thats been the most difficult part. Talk about pat your head and
but I feel like Im still in rehearsal.
rub your belly.
It took a lot of practice. There came a time in tech where the MW: You make it look effortless. I think the best example is the
director Joanie Schultz said, Youve got to drop the puppetry recitation of the Abbott and Costello Whos on First? routine.
worries, because Jason is the stem of all of it, and its the most Its brilliant. But I was like, If he even so much as misses a beat,
important part of the play. Of course Tyrone has most of the thats out the door.
punchlines. Hes just a huge ham, but its the story of Jasons FORDE: That can get fucked up easily. Its got to be the high
journey. Then factor in that the audience is practically breathing voice with the hand, and then the kind of gruffer voice while
Jasons reacting. It took so much practice. I review it before every show.
We started doing some improv puppet sex, and
MW: How did you find the right voice for
Tyrone?
we found some interesting stuff hair pulling, 69,
FORDE: A lot of factors went into develbouncing, certain arms, booby feeling, motorboating. oping Tyrones voice. The first impulse
when you think demonic or evil is you
immediately go for something really
raspy and gravelly, but I knew that I
couldnt keep that up performance after
performance after performance. I had to
find something with a lot of edge that was
a lot different from my voice, and I wanted something with a wide range so that
my voice wouldnt tire and the audience
wouldnt tire of Tyrone. I gave him a lot
down your neck, and someone is watching you at every moment, of nasality and I found a way to get the more monstrous soundbecause the show is so immersive. It just demands that I be very ing stuff to be in a place that was more in the back of the throat
focused and very present.
and not so much on my chords, because thats not something I
MW: What made you seek out the role?
can repeat over and over.
FORDE: I saw the play on Broadway. I asked myself, How the
If you think of the vocal chords and the surrounding parts as
hell does this guy do this, especially eight times a week? How a group of muscles, if youre stretching them in one way, its just
does he even manage it with his voice and his body? Its just very important to go the other way with it. I tried to give Jason
such a taxing part. But I knew that I wanted to do it. Of all the a little bit of lift in the back of the throat, because when Tyrone
summer gigs that I was pursuing, this was the number one. I comes in, its more flattened. I think its the difference of the
never thought I was going to get it. I thought the role was going voices that keeps me able to do it.
to a professional puppeteer, or at least someone who had done MW: Do you find the character is evolving?
Avenue Q.
FORDE: Incrementally, and Im just trying to get more specific
MW: How did you feel when you got it?
and more dropped in. Its getting better.
FORDE: I lost my mind. Its one of those parts where you say, MW: Whats it been like working with Joanie Schultz?
Hand to God oh, are you the guy? A lot of people have such FORDE: Ive never worked with a director whos been such a cola strong reaction and opinion about the New York production, laborator. She said on one of the first days, Whatever the best
which was so brilliant, but were trying to do our own interpre- idea is in the room goes. Shes remarkably intelligent, but its
tation, because its a great script.
that rare, beautiful scenario where it is not coupled with an ego.
MW: Had you ever worked with puppets before?
I think that gave me the added confidence I needed to explore all
FORDE: No. I had a little less than a week to prep before the sorts of different ways of thinking about this character, because
audition and my friend, Elizabeth, who is in Avenue Q in New there are a lot of different approaches to it. We circled around it
York taught me the puppetry basics. I made a puppet for my a lot before we got there, and Im still finding it.
audition. A simple little sock puppet with a felt and cardboard MW: The set is extraordinary. Its one of the best Ive ever seen in
IN REHEARSAL IT
WOULD BE LIK E, OK AY,
CAN WE TAK E IT FROM
THE 69 PLEASE?
32
33
FORDE: Caitlin Collins, who plays Jessica, is just a beautiful human inside out, and shes so brilliant in this play. We
rehearsed a lot. We rehearsed in and out of rehearsal. It took
hours and hours of rehearsal, you cant even imagine, because it
is highly technical with four rods and four human arms to stay
engaged.
Of course, at the beginning, it was just making it through
without laughing because its so outrageous, and the rest of
the cast watching, just couldnt hold it together, and then we
couldnt hold it together.
MW: How is it written into the script?
FORDE: That they have puppet sex.
MW: So you had to come up with your
own moves?
One thing that this play talks about is the hypocrisy of
FORDE: Our own puppet sex moves.
We started doing some improv pupsome religions, and the Republican party has used
pet sex, and we found some interestthat religion to spew hatred.
ing stuff hair pulling, 69, bouncing,
certain arms, booby feeling, motorboating. In rehearsal it would be like,
Okay, can we take it from the 69
please? or Were going to take it
from the milk-stink vagina line.
MW: Whats your personal life like?
Do you even have a personal life as
an actor? Youre doing seven shows
a week.
FORDE: While Im on this contract, I
You are forced to stay with it, whether you like it or not.
dont really have a life. Everything is geared around coming here
MW: One of the big questions is whether Jason is demonically pos- and focusing.
sessed, or is this just a cathartic moment for him being expressed MW: Does that get lonely?
through the puppet?
FORDE: No. I love spending time alone anyway. I love to cook.
FORDE: I, Liam, know, but I dont think Jason knows.
I like to make pies. Im doing it by hand this summer, so thats
fun. I go for walks, and Im starting to fall into a routine, which
MW: What does Liam think?
FORDE: I want the audience to decide. I dont want to sway is nice. I go to bed quite late. It takes a long time to wind down.
peoples view of it, because I think you can interpret it any way After the show, I eat a large bowl of ice cream and watch Rachel
you want. Essentially, Tyrone gives Jason power, something hes Maddow. Then, I fall asleep, wake up usually around noon. This
never had before at all. He gets command of the room: Wow, role is just so tiring, I sleep at least 10 hours a night, generally.
everybodys paying attention to me.
MW: What kind of pies are you making?
MW: Puppets say things that we, as people, would never say. What FORDE: The last one I made was a blueberry lime ginger. I did a
gives puppets leave to be so politically incorrect? And what allows strawberry rhubarb. I love to go to the Dupont Circle Farmers
us to so easily forgive what a puppet says?
Market and see whatever looks nice. Its a lovely market, really
FORDE: Because its cartoonish-looking, and it looks cute and nice. I think Ill make a cherry pie next week. Are sour cherries
cuddly, and its a sense of removal. Theres a degree of separation in season yet?
between the audience and the performer or the person theyre MW: Youre asking the wrong person. Im on a meat-only diet. As a
watching on stage, if theres a puppet between it.
gay man, how do you feel about the fact that a horrible tragedy like
MW: Puppets are cute. Puppets could be funny. You can do all that, the Pulse Nightclub happens, and then the Republicans literally
but in Hand to God, the puppet turns threatening.
turn around and put out a platform decidedly anti-gay? I mean,
FORDE: He thinks hes funny.
theres hatred everywhere.
MW: Hes funny, but he is horrifically threatening.
FORDE: One thing that this play talks about is the hypocrisy of
FORDE: He also tells the truth. Hes right about everything he some religions, and the Republican Party has used that relisays. And he says it in the most aggressive, provocative way gion to spew hatred. I think its despicable the hatred that gets
thats whats so terrifying about it. He tells the truth, and the thrown into the gay community, but right now everybody is sufpeople in this play cannot face the truth.
fering. There is hatred everywhere. A lot of conservative people
I love the way that Joanie explained it. If this were a com- simply do not understand that this is not a choice, and it is not
pletely realistic play, instead of Jason having this demonic pup- being done to make them feel uncomfortable. If there were just
pet pop up, he would turn to alcohol or drugs because thats his more understanding and love. I know it sounds hippy-dippy, but
vice. It gets him what he wants, but its also destructive. Thats I think were all feeling it right now. We just need to love each
what Tyrone does.
other and understand each other now more than ever. l
MW: Have you ever had a sex scene in a play before?
FORDE: No, I only play awkward teenagers.
Hand to God has been extended to Aug. 14. At the Studio Theatre,
MW: Yet you have a sex scene in this play. Well, the puppets do. 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $40 to $70. Call 202-332-3300 or
Was it difficult to get into that space? No pun intended.
visit studiotheatre.org.
more than 30 years of theater-going. Do you enjoy performing in

an immersive space like this? Does it help the show?
FORDE: I think it gives it more of an immediate connection.
When the audience is in the middle of what is happening, and
the lights a lot of the time are shining on them, and people have
to look at each other during it, I think its making some people
feel very uncomfortable, because theyre having to look at each
other and at themselves. People are seeing themselves in some
of these characters. When you go to see something proscenium,
you can be removed, and you can just sit back and enjoy the play.
MW: Yeah, theres no fourth wall here.
FORDE: No, and theres people moving quickly all around you.
I THINK ITS DESPICABLE

THE HATRED THAT GETS
THROWN INTO THE GAY
COMMUNITY.
34
Gallery
Stephen Benedicto
Tokyo Skyline from the series 120 52 2015
30 x 40. Gicle, wood block & epoxy resin
stephenbenedicto.com
37
Absolutely
Ordinary
Ab Fab is by no means a bad film, but it needs fewer cameos and

a sharper edge By Rhuaridh Marr
RUTH BE TOLD, I EXPECTED TO HATE ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE

Movie. Too many factors in its creation suggested failure. Jennifer Saunders
beloved British sitcom about two self-indulgent women navigating the worlds
of PR, fashion and celebrity has been less amusing with each iteration beyond its original 1992-1995 run, which was followed by two further seasons in the early 2000s and
a number of one-off specials. None matched the glorious, incisive comedy of the original, which skewered the vacuousness and excess of the celebrity bubble, all soaked in
Bollinger and coated in a layer of cocaine and cigarette ash.
Then consider that films derived from sitcoms seldom match their original source
for quality, that the film is crammed with so many cameos it threatens to sink under
the weight of its cast list, and that Saunders increasingly struggled to find a place for
Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone, the boozy protagonists of the show, in other more
recent outings for the pair. Thankfully, Saunders finally seems to know what to do
with her most famous creations, and thats not only to place them in the 2010s, but on
a cinema screen. The end result is far from perfect, but Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
(HHHHH) is certainly passable, and thats more than Sex and the City managed.
Saunders, who stars and penned the screenplay, focuses on the realities of Edinas
38
life. In the first episode of the television

series, Edina produced a fashion show she
believes will go down in history for its
success. Flash forward to 2016 and things
are very different. The modern world has
completely passed Edina by, with social
media a foreign tool, her client list (and
bank account) all but dried up, her memoirs too dull to sell, and her 90s-era way
of working long since replaced by the cynicism of today.
Desperate for some fresh blood at her
PR agency, Edina tries to secure supermodel Kate Moss. Unfortunately, she ends
up knocking Moss into Londons River
Thames, killing her in the process, and
quickly becoming a social pariah. Theres
only one thing to do: grab Patsy (Joanna
Lumley) and escape to Cannes, hopefully
securing a rich husband in the process.
As storylines go, this one is entirely
inconsequential. Really, Ab Fab is just a
series of set pieces beautifully dressed,
exquisitely styled, filled with gorgeous
things, sweetie designed to help tee
off the next celebrity cameo or amusing
throwback. Indeed, Absolutely Fabulous:
The Movie relies too much on crutches. The list of cameos is staggering. Its
also incredibly British, and if youre not
FOX SEARCHLIGHT
Movies
au fait with B-, C- and D-list British

celebs, many will pass over your head. It
feels as though Saunders eschewed the
chance for greater character-building
or a more focused narrative in favor of
getting as many people as possible to
appear in her film.
Saunders is eager to skewer modern
pop culture, but doesnt always land the
hit. In the first few minutes, she tackles
the notion that being transgender is a
fad and offers a great reference to the
ludicrousness of Rachel Dolezal, but neither punchline is strong enough to warrant the set-up. Its a theme that continues throughout, as Edina and Patsy negotiate ageism, gender roles, social media,
twerking, the increasing vapidity of
news coverage and celebrity obsession.
While much of the satire works such as
one British journalist lamenting Is there
really nothing else worth covering? as
every news network focuses on Moss
disappearance other jokes fall flat. The
script is filled with references and barbs
aimed at the excesses and ignorances of
todays consumer culture, but in trying
to fit as much into the film as possible,
Saunders has lost the dedicated focus
that a half hour episode can bring.
As Edina, Saunders is as slapstick,
expressive and bizarrely lovable as ever.
Really, though, this is Joanna Lumleys
film. Her chain-smoking, pill-popping,
champagne-guzzling, crass, outspoken,
intolerant Patsy has become a cultural
icon, and Lumley revels in the character.
Every joke, every facial expression hits
the mark, and its Patsy who generates
the most laughs.
Julia Sawalha returns as ever-suffering daughter Saffy, June Whitfield is
back as Edinas slightly oblivious mother,
and Jane Horrocks revives her fabulously
ditzy Bubble, Edinas personal assistant.
Unfortunately, none have much to do
here. Whereas the series revelled in putting the core characters in scenes together and having them engage in hilarious
verbal battle (Saffy, Edina and Patsy,
in particular), the film manages to feel
oddly rushed, despite a 90-minute runtime. We speed through each scene, with
Edina and Patsy spending as little time
as possible interacting with those around
them. Saunders devotes only one scene
near the films end to a lengthy speech
from Edina, but otherwise advances at
breakneck pace.
And then it ends. Whereas Saunders
would sometimes spend ten minutes of a 30-minute episode focusing on one exchange
between mother and daughter, here, she tears through the story and then shoehorns in a
quick, concise ending that smacks of not really knowing how to finish it at all. Normally
length is the bane of any film based on a sitcom, but part of me wishes Saunders and
director Mandie Fletcher had more time to play with, to flesh out certain scenes and
give the characters leave to slow down, breathe, banter and enjoy themselves.
Certainly, there feels like something is missing here. The time has never been so
appropriate for the ostentatious, extravagant escapism of Eddy and Patsy and their
celebrity- and luxury-obsessed ways, but Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie cant be
bothered to try hard enough to give viewers what they want. Perhaps its appropriate
that Edina and Patsy star in something so superficial, but we need the incisive, ruthless
Edina and Patsy of old. Instead, we get a softer, less-defined, more box-office friendly
version, one aware of the outside world, but surprisingly insular at the same time. Its
good, but not quite good enough. l
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie opens Friday, July 22, at area theaters. For tickets, visit fandango.com.
39
Tech
Hardly Edgy
Samsungs latest smartphone is as boring as an iPhone and thats

exactly why its so brilliant By Rhuaridh Marr
HE SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 EDGE IS A BORING SMARTPHONE. IT IS PERhaps the most non-iPhone smartphone Samsung has ever produced (and, dare
I say it, a much better looking device), but even with its curved glass screen,
waterproofing and expandable storage, the Edge is also a victim of one of the iPhones
most prominent traits: it is do dependably good that it is entirely dull.
Before Samsung loyalists (or Apple fanboys) start battering down the doors to the
Metro Weekly offices, let me explain. The Edge represents the pinnacle of Samsungs
mobile efforts. It is a product so refined, so considered, that it eclipses everything the
company has released until now. Its metal-and-glass body is premium, free from harsh
edges, wonderfully ergonomic, and incredibly beautiful particularly in the rich gold
shade of my device. The software inside has been excised of much of the bloat that
previously filled Samsungs smartphones. Theres no eye-scrolling here, just thoughtful, accomplished touches, such as an always-on display, split-screen multitasking,
Samsung Pay, and more useful Edge widgets that offer quickly swipeable information
and app access. The Edges camera is also one of the best out there, eschewing the chase
for higher megapixels to instead offer excellent low-light capabilities and phenomenally quick launch times.
The Edge succeeds in a way no other Samsung smartphone has before, because
there are so few hangups or problems with using it that it ceases to be something
you have to live with and starts being something that slots effortlessly into your day.
Worried about battery? Dont be, itll go a whole day, or charge up in minutes should
you need some extra juice. Need more storage? The MicroSD card is back, so chuck in
as much as you need. Have an important call, but its raining? Whip out your phone, the
Edge is waterproof for up to 30 minutes in up to five feet of water.
Its with some irony that in building a device that tries harder than any Samsung
before it to standout from the iPhone which looks almost workaday in compari-
40
son Samsung accidentally created the

best non-Apple iPhone yet. Apple devotees love that they can swap to the newest
model and know that what theyre getting
will just work. Its not perfect, but for most
people, most of the time itll do what you
need it to. Samsung finally has that and
its current sales success (the S7 and S7
Edge are outselling the iPhone in the US)
would suggest that consumers agree.
Unfortunately, its come at the expense
of some of the charm of Samsungs older
models. Maybe Im a sadist, but I miss the
razor-thin edges of last years S6 Edge+.
There, Samsung took its new, premium
design language and stretched it out into
almost ludicrous proportions. The S6
Edge+ was so thin that its metal edges dug
into your hands. Using it was a constant
reminder that you had bought a phone
that was all about looks over function
the Edge+ wasnt designed to be usable,
it was designed to be beautiful, and it
wanted you to know. With the S7 Edge,
Samsung softened the edges, plumped up
the chassis to add more battery, curved the
back to make it work better in hands, and
shrunk the screen slightly. The end result
is a phone that can be handled all day
without issue and still looks plenty good,
but that lacks some of the bravado, the
arrogance of its older sibling. An inevitable
evolution, perhaps.
With the iPhone, Apple created a cultural revolution. By taking the best parts
of smartphones that were already available,

making them more user-friendly, blending
in the companys panache for industrial
design, and leveraging the cult following
they enjoyed into marketing and sales, Apple
single-handedly sparked the revolution
that drove the masses from button-covered
featurephones into the screen-dominated
smartphones we know and love today.
For everyone else, it was a game of catchup. Android quickly emerged as the main
competitor to Apples dominance, with
Samsung eventually rising to the surface
of a deluge of eager manufacturers. They
did so by copying Apple really, theres
no arguing that fact. Samsung took everything that made the iPhone successful and
created its Galaxy series, with big screens,
powerful hardware and prices that undercut
Apples offerings. Their methods drew criticism and lawsuits, but also massive success.
The Galaxy series of devices is the only one
that can match the iPhone in both consumer
demand and media excitement.
By the time the S5 appeared, though,
things had soured. Tired of its plastic phones,
consumers looked elsewhere. Sales dropped.
Samsung started to worry. They listened to
criticisms and returned with the S6, drawing
praise for their premium construction and more refined interface, but consumers werent quite as eager to jump on board.
Samsung had to turn to Apple again, and the

companys tradition of iterative updates, to
really nail its new formula.
Thats what the S7 Edge represents. It
is a refinement of last years S6, in the same
way the iPhone 6S refines the 6, and the 5S
refined the 5, and so on. Samsung listened to
criticism, looked at where the market was
heading, and returned with a device that
is better in almost every measurable way
than the one it replaces. Was it an exciting
update? No. Weve perhaps seen the end of
exciting Samsung, where new phones would
launch with headline-grabbing features
(really, though, did anyone ever use Air View
to control their phone without touching the
screen?). Instead, given the success of the S7
and S7 Edge, we might be seeing the most
Apple-like Samsung yet, one where devices
are polished versions of what came before.
By eschewing the design of iPhones and
going after the quality of Apples devices, Samsung could easily become a more
dangerous competition to Cupertino. The
Galaxy S7 Edge might be so dependably
good and so free from quirks that its boring,
but if thats the price we have to pay, so be
it. Having a phone that does most of what
I want most of the time is the greatest gift
Apple has given to the smartphone world and its one Samsung
can now deliver, too. l
41
NightLife
Photography by
Julian Vankim
43
CoverboyConfidential
Interview by Randy Shulman // Photography by Julian Vankim
RYAN LOVES CLIMBING. NEARLY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. ITS VERY MEDItative, says the 33-year-old. Youre doing a lot of thinking, a lot of body movement,
and youre just completely in the moment of that activity. Hes also quick to note the
sports health benefits are all-encompassing: Its aerobic, its cardio, its strength training,
its endurance.
The Maryland native started his rock-climbing career in 2011. My friends were all just
unreliable, he says. I thought to myself, Im going to do an activity where you can actually
count on people. I looked up rock climbing and found a gym near my house. Went by myself
and fell in love with it. Bryan, who thinks nothing of confronting a 65-foot rock wall, engages
in competitive climbing as well, and is in the process of organizing a gay league for the sport
in D.C. as well as training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Currently finishing a degree in social work, Bryan frequently DJs around town, notably
at Green Lantern, Cobalt and Code fetish parties. My playlist doesnt have a lot of remixed
music, he says. With me, youre going to hear Beatles, Rolling Stones, 80s rock, anything
disco. Things that you can work out to, dance around in your underwear to, or have sex to.
Whats on your nightstand?
Computer, phone, and
stacks of papers.
DrinksDragDJsEtc...
Thursday
July 21
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection
Music videos featuring
DJ Wess
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: Tops Down $6
Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3
Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm
$3 Rail Drinks, 10pm-midnight, $5 Red Bull and
Frozen Virgin Drinks
Locker Room Thursday
Nights DJs Sean Morris
and MadScience Best
Package Contest at midnight, hosted by BaNaka &
Kristina Kelly $200 Cash

Prize Doors open 10pm,
21+ $5 Cover or free
with college ID
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 5pm Strip
Down Thursdays Happy
Hour starts with shirtless
men drink $2 rail and
domestic, 5-8pm Men
down to their underwear
drink $1 rail and domestic,
10pm-12am DJ Kudjo
Onyx starts spinning,
9pm-1am No Cover
21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Ladies Drink Free Power
What about the nightstand drawer?

Everything and the kitchen sink.
Expired batteries, a bottle opener,
paper cutter, and stationary.
Hour, 4-5pm Shirtless

Thursday, 10-11pm DJs
BacK2bACk
JR.S
All You Can Drink for $15,
5-8pm $3 Rail Vodka
Highballs, $2 JR.s drafts,
8pm-close Flashback:
Music videos from 19752005 with DJ Jason Royce,
8pm-12am
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
SHAWS TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 Rails and House Wines
& Half-Priced Pizzas
Corona Promotion, 6:30pm
SOMEPLACE ELSE BAR

& GRILL
1637 R St. NW
PBR, $2 Yuengling, $3 Rail,
$5 Appetizers Extended
Happy Hour, 7-9pm, with
only $1 increase in price
THE HOUSE NIGHTCLUB
Throbbing Thursdays
Diverse group of all male,
all nude dancers Doors
open 9pm Shows all
night until close, starting at
9pm $5 Domestic Beer,
$6 Imports $12 cover
For Table Reservations, call
202-487-6646
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm Happy Hour
all night, $4 drinks and
draughts 21+
normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge

glass for the same price,
5-10pm Beer and wine
only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
9pm Cover 21+
Friday
July 22
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
5-9pm Friday Night
Videos with resident DJ
Shea Van Horn VJ
Expanded craft beer selection No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
All You Can Drink Happy
Hour $15 Rail and
Domestic, $21 Call &
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 5pm Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
Imports, 6-9pm Guys

Night Out Free Rail
Vodka, 11pm-Midnight, $6
Belvedere Vodka Drinks all
night DJ MadScience
upstairs DJ Keenan Orr
downstairs $10 cover
10pm-1am, $5 after 1am
21+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 5pm
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
$2 Bud and Bud Light
Draughts, $3 Domestic
Bottles, $4 Rail and
Import Bottle Beer, $6
Call Imperial Court of
Washington DC hosts a
Beer Bash at the Club Bar
$2 Draughts Jello
Shooters and a 50-50
Raffle No Cover 21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
Coverboy of the Month Contest
Welcome to the All-New Nightlife Coverboy Contest! At the close of each month, well have a mini-Coverboy Contest at MetroWeekly.com
to select a finalist who will then go on to compete in the Coverboy of the Year competition in November. Junes finalist will receive a miniprize package from this months sponsors. Join our e-mail list and be alerted as soon as the contest goes live online, as well as get the full
coverboy interview and more photos delivered directly to your inbox! Sign up now at MetroWeekly.com/join.
Julys Prize Package
Avenue Jack - $50 Gift Certificate

Bite the Fruit - $50 Gift Certificate
Town - Free admission to Town for
regularly priced events for 3 months
Shaws Tavern - $100 Gift Certificate
Signature Theatre - A pair of tickets to
Signature Theatres upcoming production
of Jellys Last Jam
Julys Coverboy is Sponsored By
45
Wait. Why do you keep expired batteries?

Because Im too lazy to throw them out.
It cant be that far from the nightstand to
the garbage can.
Its on the other side of the bed.
Youre a guy who will climb a 65 foot wall
but wont throw a battery out because the
trash can is on the other side of the bed?
Im not perfect.
Whats the last thing you bought?
A unicorn raft.
Youll need to explain that.
Its for our gay camping trip this weekend to
West Virginia. I decided to get a big floating
unicorn raft.
GREEN LANTERN
Smirnoff, all flavors, all
night long Absolutely
Fabulous Friday Night
Videos, 9pm-close
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm
$2 Skyy Highballs and
$2 Drafts, 10pm-midnight
Pop and Dance Music
Videos with DJ Darryl
Strickland $5 Coronas,
$8 Vodka Red Bulls,
9pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
DJ Matt Bailer Videos,
Dancing Beat the Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover Friday Night
Piano with Chris, 7:30pm
Friday Night Videos with
Chord, 9:30pm
SHAWS TAVERN
46
SOMEPLACE ELSE BAR

& GRILL
1637 R St. NW
TOWN
Patio open 6pm DC Bear
Crue Happy Hour, 6-11pm
$3 Rail, $3 Draft, $3 Bud
Bottles Free Pizza, 7pm
No cover before 9:30pm
21+ Drag Show starts
at 10:30pm Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Miss Tatianna, ShiQueeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx
and BaNaka DJ Wess
upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk
downstairs following the
show GoGo Boys after
11pm Doors open at
10pm For those 21 and
over, $12 For those
18-20, $15 Club: 18+
Patio: 21+
TRADE
Doors open 5pm Huge
normally served in a
cocktail glass served in a
huge glass for the same
price, 5-10pm Beer and
wine only $4 DJ Jeff
Prior, 10pm
Because theres nothing like floating down

the river in a unicorn so as not to draw
the attention of mountain men with rifles.
If you could have any superpower, what
would it be?
Self-healing. In case I do injure myself, things
will heal up faster so I can get back to it.
Thatd come in handy after the mountain
men shoot at you. What are you currently
binge watching?
Real Housewives of New Jersey. I really think
to know the gay facts of life, you have to
watch the Real Housewives.
How does that teach you the
gay facts of life?
If you go to a charity function and have a bunch
of drunk women there, and one of them has a
fake leg and she throws it across the room,
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers,
hosted by LaTroya Nicole
Ladies of Ziegfelds,
9pm Rotating Hosts
DJ in Secrets VJ Tre in
Ziegfelds Cover 21+
Saturday
July 23
9 1/2
drink, 3-9pm $5 Absolut
& Titos, $3 Miller Lite
after 9pm Expanded craft
beer selection No Cover
Music videos featuring
various DJs
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Drag Yourself to Brunch at
Level One, 11am-2pm and
2-4pm Featuring Kristina
Kelly and the Ladies of
Illusion Bottomless
Mimosas and Bloody
Marys Happy Hour:
Tops Down $6 Top Shelf,
Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3
Bud Light, 4-9pm NYC
Invades DC, 10pm-close
Featuring DJ Steve
Sidewalk on the main floor,
DJ Mikey Mo in the lower
lounge $5 Rail Drinks, $3
PBR Tall Boys, $4 Fireball
Shots, $8 Vodka Red Bull

Demi Lovato and Nick
Jonas Ticket Giveaway
Doors open 10pm $5
Cover 21+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 8pm
Happy Hour, 8-10pm
Draughts, $3 Domestic
Bottles, $4 Rail and Import
Bottle Beer, $6 Call
ASGRA: Atlantic States
Gay Rodeo Association on
Club Bar $2 Draughts
No Cover 21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Drag Queen Broadway
Brunch, 10am-3pm
Starring Freddies
Broadway Babes Crazy
Hour, 4-7pm Freddies
Follies Drag Show, 8-10pm,
hosted by Miss Destiny B.
Childs No Cover
GREEN LANTERN
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long JOX: The
GL Underwear Party,
9pm-close Featuring DJ
David Merrill $5 Cover
(includes clothes check)
you know exactly what to do when you have

the same situation happen at HRC and a gay
guy with an amputated leg causes drama and
throws his leg in the middle of the room.
That would certainly liven up their National
Dinners. Name three musical artists youre
currently listening to.
Florence + The Machine, Lorde, and Muse.
Three favorite night spots?
Bear Happy Hour at Town, Trade and Number 9.
Whats your drink of choice?
Vodka soda. Although if you want a creative
answer, rum and champagne. Thats if I want
to get trashed. I call it Rumpagne. I took a
half bottle of champagne and filled the rest of
it up with rum. Instead of diluting your booze
with mixers, you just put more booze into it.
JR.S
$4 Coors, $5 Vodka
Highballs, $7 Vodka Red
Bulls
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Guest DJs Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer,
House Rail Drinks and
Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm
Buckets of Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Doors open 2pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
3-9pm $5 Absolut and
$5 Bulleit Bourbon Pop
Tarts with VJ B2B, 9:30pm
SHAWS TAVERN
Bottomless Mimosas,
10am-3pm The Magic
of Kourash Taie, 4-6pm
SOMEPLACE ELSE BAR
& GRILL
1637 R St. NW
Pick three people, living or dead, that youd

like to have Rumpagne with.
Patti Labelle, Leslie Jones, and
Melissa McCarthy.
Whats your favorite food?
Key lime pie.
What kind of animal would you be?
It would be a hybrid part canine, part sloth.
Boxers, briefs or other?
I only wear underwear if Im trying on pants
legally. Its a health hazard if you dont.
How is that a health hazard?
If the person doesnt know how to wipe well....
Got it. Grindr, Scruff or in person?
Scruff. I find I get a lot more reception from
TOWN
Patio open 2pm DC
Rawhides host Town &
Country: Two-Step, Line
Dancing, Waltz and West
Coast Swing, $5 Cover to
stay all night Doors open
6:30pm, Lessons 7-8pm,
Open dance 8-10:50pm
DJ Spencer Reed,
10pm-close DJ Wess
spins downstairs Drag
Show starts at 10:30pm
Hosted by Lena Lett and
featuring Miss Tatianna,
Shi-Queeta-Lee, Riley
Knoxx and BaNaka
Doors open 10pm $12
Cover 21+
Sunday
July 24
TRADE
Doors open 2pm Huge
only $4
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 12pm
Draughts all day and night,
$3 Domestic Bottles, $4
Rail and Import Bottle
Beer, $6 Call BBQ and
Beer Bust, 2-7pm No
Cover 21+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm
Guest dancers Ladies
of Illusion with host Ella
Fitzgerald Doors at 9 pm,
first show at 11:30 pm
DJs Doors open 9pm
Cover 21+
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Homowood Karaoke,
hosted by Robert Bise,
10pm-close 21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Champagne Brunch
Buffet, 10am-3pm Crazy
Hour, 4-7pm Karaoke,
8pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Mamas Trailer Park
Karaoke downstairs,
9:30pm-close
JR.S
Sunday Funday Liquid
Brunch Doors open at
1pm $2 Coors Lights and
$3 Skyy (all flavors), all day
and night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted by
Shi-Queeta-Lee, 11am-3pm
$20 Brunch Buffet
House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Pop Goes the World with
Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on
any drink, 3-9pm No
Cover
SHAWS TAVERN
Brunch with Bottomless
Mimosas, 10am-3pm
Sunday Funday Karaoke,
2nd Floor, 3-7pm $5 Stoli
Cocktails Happy Hour,
5-7pm $3 Miller Lite, $4
Blue Moon, $5 Rails and
House Wines & Half-Priced
Pizzas
47
Define good in bed.

Versatility and never dull.
people on an app as opposed to in person.

How many dates have you had so far this
year with guys that youve met on Scruff?
Dates or hookups?
Lets go with dates.
21.
Thats a lot of dates.
Its just to actually meet up with them,
just to see who they are.
How many of those were good dates?
A majority. I think maybe I had one or two
awkward ones, but I dont write it off completely. I figure, lets try it a second time.
Maybe the first time was just bad timing or
something. They become friends or
occasional lovers.
SOMEPLACE ELSE BAR

& GRILL
1637 R St. NW
THE HOUSE NIGHTCLUB
Rock Hard Sundays
Diverse group of all male,
all nude dancers Doors
open 9pm Shows all
night until close, starting at
9pm $5 Domestic Beer,
$6 Imports $12 cover
For Table Reservations, call
202-487-6646
TOWN PATIO
Open 2pm Cornhole,
Giant Jenga, and Flip-cup
inside Town
TRADE
Doors open 2pm Huge
only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets Doors
9pm Cover 21+
48
Monday
July 25
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Monday Nights A Drag,
hosted by Kristina Kelly
Doors open at 10pm
Showtime at 11:30pm
$3 Skyy Cocktails, $8 Skyy
and Red Bull $8 Long
Islands No Cover, 18+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 5pm
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
Endless Happy Hour prices
to anyone in a DC Eagle
T-Shirt Free Pool All
Night and Day $1 Bud
and Bud Light Draughts, $3
Domestic Bottles, $4 Rail
and Import Bottle Beer, $6
Call No Cover 21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Singles Night Karaoke,
8pm
Whats the most unusual place

youve had sex?
A department store restroom. Wasnt my
choice, but the guy was like, Meet me
here, and Im like, Oh for fucks sake. Cant
we just go to your place like normal people?
What department store?
Dicks Sporting Goods.
Appropriate. Whats the most memorable
pick up line youve ever heard?
Do you want to Netflix and
chill in my mouth?
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night
long Puppy-Oke: Open
Mic Night Karaoke,
9:30pm-close
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm
Showtunes Songs &
Singalongs, 9pm-close
DJ James $3 Draft Pints,
8pm-midnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Texas Holdem
Poker, 8pm Dart Boards
NUMBER NINE
SHAWS TAVERN
and Half-Priced Pizzas
Shaw Nuff Trivia with
Jeremy, 7:30pm
SOMEPLACE ELSE BAR
& GRILL
1637 R St. NW
TRADE
Doors open 5pm Huge
only $4
Tuesday
July 26
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
DJ Honey Happy Hour:
Tops Down $6 Top Shelf,
Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud
Light, 4-9pm SIN Service
Industry Night, 10pm-close
$1 Rail Drinks all night
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close
What was the name of your first pet and

first street that you grew up on?
Max and Tern.
Thats your porn name. What would you be
known for as Max Tern?
Id be known as the awkward guy. Kinda
sexy-ish, but more comedic relief and
just being awkward.
Because in porn, thats an asset.
Personally I would love to see more of that
than just the obligatory, Lets have sex. Id
like to see a person fall down by accident. If
you cant laugh during sex, then whats the
point of living?
JR.S
Birdie LaCage Show,
10:30pm Underground
(Indie Pop/Alt/Brit Rock),
9pm-close DJ Wes
Della Volla 2-for-1,
5pm-midnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Karaoke and
Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
After 9pm, $3 Absolut,
Bulleit & Stella
SHAWS TAVERN
Half Priced Burgers &
Pizzas, 5pm-close $5
House Wines & Sam
Adams Drafts, 5pm-close
SOMEPLACE ELSE BAR
& GRILL
1637 R St. NW
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm Yappy Hour
Bring Your Dogs $4
Drinks and Draughts
TRADE
Doors open 5pm Huge
only $4
Wednesday
July 27
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Wednesday Night Karaoke,
hosted by Miss India
Larelle Houston, 10pm-2am
$4 Stoli and Stoli Flavors
and Miller Lite all night
No Cover 21+
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm $6
Burgers Drag Bingo
Night, hosted by Ms.
Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm
Bingo prizes Karaoke,
10pm-1am
Does size really matter?

No. If they actually get there, thats what really matters.
What would you like to improve about
yourself?
I dont like that I occasionally compare myself
to other people in terms of seeing how I measure up to everybody else. Its taken a long
time to get past that.
Whats your philosophy of life?
Be open-minded and be kind. l
Want more coverboy? Sign up for our
Coverboy Extra email list at
MetroWeekly.com/join.
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1 Free, 4-9pm
Trivia with MC Jay Ray,
8pm The Feud: Drag
Trivia, hosted by BaNaka,
10-11pm, with a $200 prize
$2 JR.s Drafts and $4
Vodka ($2 with College ID
or JR.s Team Shirt)
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
SmartAss Trivia Night, 8pm
and 9pm Prizes include
bar tabs and tickets to
shows at the 9:30 Club
$15 Buckets of Beer for
SmartAss Teams only
Bring a new team member
and each get a free $10
Dinner
NUMBER NINE
SHAWS TAVERN
and Half-Priced Pizzas
Piano Bar Second Floor,
8pm-close
SOMEPLACE ELSE BAR

& GRILL
1637 R St. NW
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm $4 drinks
and draughts, 6-9pm
Nashville Wednesdays:
Pop-Country music and line
dancing, with line dancing
lessons from DC Rawhides
every other week
TRADE
Doors open 5pm Huge
only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Shirtless Night, 10-11pm,
12-12:30am Military
Night, no cover with
military ID DJ Don T. in
Secrets 9pm Cover
21+ l
49
Scene
50
DIK Bar - Saturday, July 9

Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene
Scene
JR.s - Friday, July 15

51
Scene
52
Rock Hard Sunday at The House Nightclub - Sunday, July 10

LastWord.
People say the queerest things
If your political party spends decades treating gay people as second-class citizens, guess what:
you dont get to use Freddie Mercurys music
at your convention.
ADAM LAMBERT, posting on Twitter after Donald Trump and the Republican Party used Queens We Are the Champions
during the Republican National Convention. Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in 1991. His music was played at a convention
where the most anti-LGBT policy platform was adopted, wrote California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom on Twitter.
I was concerned that because this is the same genetic Sulu although were in an alternate timeline that
we would be inadvertently implying that sexual

orientation was a choice.
JOHN CHO, speaking with The AV Club about the decision to reveal his character Sulu as gay in Star Trek Beyond.
While Cho has concerns about how audiences will perceive the change (Sulu was straight in the original series),
he believed the message was pure and it was coming from a really good place.
Losers! Morons! Sad!

An advert in the Cleveland edition of USA Today by the Log Cabin Republicans. No, these arent tweets from Donald
Trump, the advert continues. These are what common-sense conservatives are saying about the most anti-LGBT platform the
Republican Party has ever had. GOP Platform Committee: Out of touch, out of line, and out of step with
61% of Republicans who favour same-sex marriage.
You can back the GOP or you can advocate for equal rights for LGBT people. You cant do both at once and
anyone who claims to be doing both is lying.
DAN SAVAGE, writing in The Stranger after Log Cabin Republicans complained about the extent of anti-LGBT sentiment in the
GOP 2016 Party Platform. Savage called LCR the most ineffectual political advocacy org this side of NAMBLA, and pointed out
that Log Cabin Republicans have been working to transform the GOP from the inside for forty years and
not only hasnt it gotten better, it has gotten worse.
The magazine has never aimed to

undermine the traditions and culture of
Jordanian society,
nor does it endeavor to spread homosexuality as some have claimed.
MY KALI, a Jordanian online LGBT magazine, in a statement to Gay Star News. The magazine has been forced to defend itself
against backlash after publishing its first Arabic-language issue, with some accusing the magazine of holding a foreign
agenda. So many gay people, who can only read Arabic, wanted us to do an Arabic edition, said Khalid Abdel-Hadi,
the magazines founder. We wanted to start spreading awareness on these issues.
54
55

Metro Weekly - 07-21-16 - Liam Forde

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Metro Weekly - 07-21-16 - Liam Forde

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

CONTENTS

JULY 21, 2016

TALK TO THE HAND

In Hand to God, Liam Forde masterfully portrays not one, but

Interview by Randy Shulman

SPOTLIGHT: TOKYO DECO p.11 OUT ON THE TOWN p.13

2016 Jansi LLC.

JULY 21, 2016 METROWEEKLY

PHOTOS COURTESY THE LEVENSON

A new exhibit at Hillwood shines a light on Japans

F COURSE THE JAPANESE DID ART DECO. AND

also offers a glimpse at the changing roles for women, particularly

Synetic Theater revives its 2014 silent

The actor from seminal John Hughes films of the

UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADES

Every night brings a completely new long-form show,

JULY 21, 2016 METROWEEKLY

Out On The Town

STAR TREK BEYOND

Weve been privy to the ridiculously

predictable but pretty, style over

Zany, microbudget underground

Kristen Stewart is both of the past

she also stars in Drake Doremus

ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE

So far, the main trio in the Ice Age

As the latest in its Xtra monthly

Breaking Bads Bryan Cranston

JULY 21, 2016 METROWEEKLY

Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo,

BORN FOR THIS: THE BEBE

Infamous televangelists Jim and

Olney offers an intimate staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber and

Avenue Q sounds like childs play

THE BOY FROM OZ

JULY 21, 2016 METROWEEKLY

Richmond Triangle Players presents

writer discovered by Judy Garland

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

ReVision dance company

Two D.C. festivals offer lineups of super-short pieces

JULY 21, 2016 METROWEEKLY

Knighted stage and screen actor

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Andrew Lloyd Webbers long-running musical is touted to be bigger

A few years ago, stylish pop artist/

CREATIVE CAULDRON CABARET

The 7th annual summer cabaret

SIGNATURES SIZZLIN SUMMER

The final performances in

Femi Kuti carries the torch for his

SUFJAN STEVENS, THAO & THE

NSO SUMMER MUSIC INSTITUTE

A few years ago this BelgianAmerican musician garnered notice

The Kennedy Center welcomes to

PINK MARTINI, NATIONAL

Another year, another return

Midwestern folk act Sufjan Stevens

WOLF TRAP OPERA

Florian Gassmanns 1769 comic

Bobbie Allen, the D.C.-based dreamy

Ludwig, and Susan Derry with the

George Lovett, Crystal Waters and CeCe Peniston

JULY 21, 2016 METROWEEKLY