Events/Things To Do

Pack your picnic and head to summer camp under the starts. Enjoy a truly Divine summer evening, atDivas Outdoors: Classic Films Under the Stars, watching John Water’s cult classic Hairspray on the Lunar Lawn at Hillwood Estate,Museum & Gardens, Friday, July 24, 2015 at 7 pm.

This high-spirited night begins with picnic spreads across the lawn, all vying for the top spot in the best picnic spread competition. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs, and creative and delectable picnics inspired by the sophisticated setting at Hillwood.  Additionally, dinner from Hillwood’s café will be available for pre-order. Please note Hillwood’s liquor license does not permit outside alcohol. Therefore, guests are welcome to augment their personal feast with Hillwood’s special signature champagne cocktail, beer, wine, or champagne, all available for purchase onsite.

The evening also includes strolls through the splendid gardens and the opportunity to tour the special exhibition, Ingenue to Icon: 70 Years of Fashion from the Collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post. The first exhibition at Hillwood to present Post’s full range of style, Ingenue to Icon examines how Post’s lifelong passion for objects that were exceptionally beautiful and impeccably constructed extended to her taste for clothing.

Around 8:45 pm John Water’s 1988 Hairspray will begin. The film stars Ricki Lake, as the pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad who lands a coveted role as a regular on The Corny Collins Dance Show. Her moves and her self-confidence make her a teen hero, and she becomes a proud spokesman for the Hefty Hideaway, along with her mother Edna (Divine), Tracy uses her newfound fame to fight racial segregation on the Corny Collins Show. This campy classic is sure to inspire laughter, fun and even dancing across the lawn.

The Dina Merrill Film Program and Divas Outdoors

Hillwood serves as a fitting venue for the presentation of classic films, as they and their stars recall not only a golden age of film, but also a time of grand living that was celebrated by Hillwood founder and Washington social figure Marjorie Merriweather Post. Every Divas Outdoors film had it, theatrical debut around the time that Post resided and entertained at Hillwood. Without fail a gracious host, Post added asplendid wing to the mansion after she purchased the estate in 1955 that, among other types of entertaining, allowed her to screen movies for her guests. In 2010, Dina Merrill Hartley (Dina Merrill), actress, philanthropist, and Post’s youngest daughter, made a gift to support film programs at Hillwood so her mother’s long-standing tradition could be continued.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The March on Washington for Gun Control will present a Benefit reading of a Newtown documentary theater piece 26 Pebbles by Eric Ulloa on August 24 at 8:00 p.m. at Arena Stage at the Mead Center of American Theater directed by Molly Smith. This is a stirring new play that explores the power of community in the face of the tragedy in Newtown, CT and proceeds will benefit Everytown for Gun Safety and the Newtown Action Alliance.

“To bring 26 Pebbles to our nation’s capital, is an exciting step in further allowing the messages of this play to resonate, bringing it right to the front door of where change is made daily. Opinions are easy to ignore, but this play presents the facts from the very people who lived within this tragedy, its aftermath and the messages of hope they inspire. Hopefully these stories continue to ripple out and eventually make their way through the Capital’s iron dome and into some practical solutions.” – Eric Ulloa

Nicholas Rodriguez (Oklahoma) will join already announced actors:  Edward Gero (The Originalist), Naomi Jacobson (Mary T. and Lizzie K.), Dorea Schmidt (Fiddler on the Roof), Lise Bruneau (Legacy of Light), Hannah Willman (My Fair Lady), and Joshua Morgan (Fiddler on the Roof) reading stage directions.  Susan White will stage manage.

Funds from the reading will support Everytown for Gun Safety and the Newtown Action Alliance.  Everytown for Gun Safety is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the United States with more than three million supporters, including moms, mayors, survivors, and everyday Americans who are fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and help save lives.  At the core of Everytown are Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a grassroots movement of American mothers founded the day after the Sandy Hook tragedy.  Learn more at www.everytown.org and follow at @Everytown

The Newtown Action Alliance is an action-based grassroots organization that was formed spontaneously by Newtown residents after the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary.

The original steering committee for The March on Washington for Gun Control described the organization in December 2012 as follows: “We are a non-partisan group of concerned citizens who have gathered together to create a March on Washington for Gun Control. We have coalesced around a common cause. For us, the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a turning point and we believe now is the moment to act. When we stand together, we stand a chance.”

The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) will screen Burn After Reading, starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30 p.m. in scenic Georgetown Waterfront Park. The movie is part of the lineup in Georgetown Sunset Cinema, Georgetown’s first-ever free outdoor movie experience. This summer’s inaugural lineup features movies filmed in or inspired by Georgetown, Washington’s oldest and most iconic neighborhood. Moviegoers are encouraged to bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy the panoramic backdrop of the sunset, Potomac River and Key Bridge. For more information, visit www.georgetowndc.com/sunsetcinema. 

Burn After Reading–set in Georgetown, but filmed in Brooklyn—was originally slated to screen July 28 but was rescheduled due to poor weather. The series officially closed on August 4 with iconic horror film The Exorcist. The Exorcist (R).Other films in the series included St. Elmo’s Fire (Rated R), State of Play (Rated PG-13), and No Way Out (Rated R).

No time to assemble a picnic? Sunset Cinema-goers are encouraged to take advantage of special Georgetown food and beverage deals available online at http://www.georgetowndc.com/sunset-cinema-offers/. Additional deals and onsite vendors to be announced.

Burn After Reading at GEORGETOWN SUNSET CINEMA

WHEN: Tuesday, September 8. The film will start close to sunset, at around 7:30 p.m.; arrive early for best seating and giveaways.

WHAT: FREE outdoor movies series hosted by the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID).

WHERE: Georgetown Waterfront Park at the intersection of K/Water Street and Cecil Place, NW.

HOW: Admission to Georgetown Sunset Cinema is FREE and open to the public. Blankets only (no chairs, please); picnics welcome. Seating is limited; arrive early for best seating. Georgetown Waterfront Park is a national park and prohibits the use of alcohol.

A Free Festival for Free For All!

On September 12, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sidney Harman Hall, STC will give Washingtonians an insider’s look at our theatre and access to artists who work behind the scenes to create our stage productions. This family-friendly FREE event will include backstage tours, special performances, open theatre classes, demonstrations of stage effects and more.

Just like Free For All, this event will occur rain or shine. 

Come take a stroll in Georgetown and pop into one of the neighborhood’s many galleries during the Fall Art Walk.  Participating galleries include Artist’s Proof, Robert Brown Gallery and Cross MacKenzie.

After Hours, the signature late-night event at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, returns Friday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m.–midnight, with the support of idobi Network. The ticketed event features a performance by post-rock/ambient electronic band Tycho, as well as a last chance to see “Shirin Neshat: Facing History,” a major exhibition that presents the work of the internationally acclaimed artist in the context of the history of modern Iran; it closes Sept. 20.

Since 2007, After Hours has been a favorite of local audiences, attracting up to 2,000 people a night to events that have featured performers such as Zola Jesus, Dan Deacon and the Madison Sounds of Deliverance; DJs such as Nancy Whang, Shea Van Horn and Fatback; and artists such as Semiconductor and Bec Stupak and Honeygun Labs.

Known for expansive instrumental soundscapes, Tycho is led by San Francisco-based musician and designer Scott Hansen. Originally a solo project that highlighted the use of drum machines and analog synthesizers, Tycho has grown into a full-fledged band whose precise and hypnotic live performances are accompanied by visuals designed by Hansen. The performance begins at 10:30 p.m.

Exhibitions on view include “Le Onde: Waves of Italian Influence (1914–1971),” which examines the importance of Italian art and thought to developments in futurism, spatialism, op art and kinetic art, and “Sergio Caballero,” which comprises a video work by the Spanish artist that blends homespun puppet animation and live action to tell the grotesque and darkly comic tale of an exorcism. “At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection,” a thematic rehanging of largely contemporary works from the collection, is ongoing. All museum galleries will be open until 10 p.m., with last entry at 9:30 p.m.

Tickets go on sale Aug. 25 at hhafterhours2015.eventbrite.com. General admission tickets are $35, and VIP tickets are $100. VIP ticket holders have early access to the event, at 7 p.m., as well as access to a private lounge area with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. In addition, VIP ticket holders are invited to exclusive curators’ tours at 7:30 p.m.

After Hours is supported by idobi, in partnership with Smithsonian Enterprises. For more information about After Hours, visit hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/after-hours/. For more about idobi, visit idobi.com.

HONORARY HOSTS
His Excellency The Ambassador of Italy
and Mrs. Claudio Bisogniero

BALL CO-CHAIRS
Ms. Hillary Baltimore
Mr. Charles Prow

On the Filene Center Stage
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
1551 Trap Road
Vienna, Virginia

HOST SPONSORS

Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello

Proceeds from the Wolf Trap Ball benefit
Wolf Trap Foundation’s arts and education programs.

Washington City Paper is pleased to announce that the 12th annual Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair will return to Union Market in Northeast Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015.

The two-day outdoor exhibition will feature handmade products and wares by more than 150 artists and crafters from around the country. The fair will run daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot in front of Union Market, located at 1309 5th St. NE, Washington, D.C.

One-day admission is $5, with a two-day pass available for $10, if purchased in advance. Children 12 years old and younger will be admitted free. Crafty Bastards tickets will be available this summer online at washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards. Additional information on vendors and entertainment will be released closer to the event via the Crafty Bastards mailing list and social media.

Washington City Paper is pleased to announce that the 12th annual Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair will return to Union Market in Northeast Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015.

The two-day outdoor exhibition will feature handmade products and wares by more than 150 artists and crafters from around the country. The fair will run daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot in front of Union Market, located at 1309 5th St. NE, Washington, D.C.

One-day admission is $5, with a two-day pass available for $10, if purchased in advance. Children 12 years old and younger will be admitted free. Crafty Bastards tickets will be available this summer online at washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards. Additional information on vendors and entertainment will be released closer to the event via the Crafty Bastards mailing list and social media.