Awkward Sex… and the City is returning to Black Cat for Pride Month on June 16th at 8 pm!
Awkward Sex… and the City is exactly what it sounds like: storytellers reliving intimate tales about their sex lives and breaking barriers about sex and dating. The show pairs sexual inclusion with humor and sheds light on the awkward universal experience.
“Good sex is always good sex, but it takes a special person to turn bad sex into something amazing. And that’s where our New York comedian and podcaster Natalie Wall comes in.” -Philadelphia Gay News
Awkward Sex is about taking taboo subjects and creating a safe space for all people to feel seen and heard. From cocaine infused one night stands to IBS flare ups during cunnilingus, the audience will be hanging on the performers’ every word and excited to go out and have a sexual misadventure of their own.
Doors at 8:00! Show at 8:30 pm! Tickets $20!
EVERYONE will have a blast at this show. So come on down, grab a drink, and watch New York City’s finest comedic storytellers relive their most embarrassing sexual experiences on stage just for your pleasure.
“The voyeur within will delight.” -Refinery29
Juneteenth in the District is FITDC’s new Health & Wellness Fair hosted by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Mayor Bowser’s FITDC team. Like all FITDC events, Juneteenth in the District is free to attend. Residents from across DC will enjoy an active morning of fitness programming with locally renowned FITDC instructors leading yoga and cardio dance sessions, as well as a health-conscious outdoor festival featuring a live DJ, food trucks, mini massages, group meditation sessions, astrology classes, nutrition sessions, aura photography, and a variety of vendors representing black-owned businesses.
FITDC has also partnered with the Downtown BID to host this event at historic Franklin Park, which holds a special significance for Washingtonians as the site of the first formal celebration of DC’s Emancipation Day in 1862, which connects the District’s local tradition to our recently recognized federal holiday. Whether you want to come out and exercise, relax and meditate, connect with neighbors, or soak up the Juneteenth vibes, all are encouraged to attend. While at the event tag @myfitdc, and share pictures and selfies on social media using the hashtags #FITDC and #JuneteenthintheDistrict.
WHAT: FITDC’s Juneteenth in the District Health & Wellness Fair
*Fitness programming with locally renowned FITDC instructors
*Yoga, cardio dance sessions, health-conscious outdoor festival
*Live DJ, food trucks, mini massages, group meditation sessions, astrology classes, nutrition sessions, aura photography and a variety of vendors representing black- owned businesses.
*The first 500 registrants will receive a free “Juneteenth in the District” commemorative T-shirt provided by AETNA, a CVS company.
WHEN: Monday, June 19, 2023. 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Franklin Park – 1332 I St NW
The Yards is celebrating National Yoga Day, June 21! Guests are invited to roll out their mats and start their day with child’s pose and namasté on The Yards Sundeck at 7:30am.
The free, one-hour class will be led by Calm with Carlyn and is perfect for yogis of all levels. Attendees will receive a complimentary juice from Toastique after the class (while supplies last), and are invited to stop by Foxtrot, Toastique or Surveyor for breakfast on their way home!
Attendees can register in advance on Eventbrite.
WHEN/WHERE:
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Wednesday, June 21 | 7:30am – 8:30am
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The Yards Sundeck | 355 Water St. SE, Washington, DC 20003
A showcase celebrating emerging and established artists– SQFT brings DC together for a two day pop-up exhibition featuring over 100 pieces of 1’x1′ art by 50+ local artists. Curated by Peter Chang, co-founder of No Kings Collective and REDEYE Night Market, and Jason Bowers, founder of JAB Arts, the exhibition will take place on August 18 and 19 at the Asian Fusion Gallery on L Street NW.
Featuring a diverse range of local artists, attendees can expect to see a wide range of contemporary art. Featured artists include Kelly Towles, Jamilla Okubo, Trap Bob, Brandon Hill, Charles Jean-Pierre, Mas Paz, Red Swan, and Emon Surakitkoson.
SQFT is open Friday, August 18 from 6-11pm and from Saturday, August 19 from 2-10pm. For more details, a full list of exhibiting artists, and to RSVP to the opening night event please visit:
A showcase celebrating emerging and established artists– SQFT brings DC together for a two day pop-up exhibition featuring over 100 pieces of 1’x1′ art by 50+ local artists. Curated by Peter Chang, co-founder of No Kings Collective and REDEYE Night Market, and Jason Bowers, founder of JAB Arts, the exhibition will take place on August 18 and 19 at the Asian Fusion Gallery on L Street NW.
Featuring a diverse range of local artists, attendees can expect to see a wide range of contemporary art. Featured artists include Kelly Towles, Jamilla Okubo, Trap Bob, Brandon Hill, Charles Jean-Pierre, Mas Paz, Red Swan, and Emon Surakitkoson.
SQFT is open Friday, August 18 from 6-11pm and from Saturday, August 19 from 2-10pm. For more details, a full list of exhibiting artists, and to RSVP to the opening night event please visit:
Artist Lecture by Karen LaMonte | Shaping the Invisible
Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 5:30-8 p.m.
Contemporary artist Karen LaMonte will delve into her artistic process and share her approach to developing conceptual frameworks and translating them into mesmerizing sculptures.
Please note: This is the first program in Glass: Art. Beauty. Design. Lecture Series.
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces that The West Wing’s Melissa Fitzgerald and Martin Sheen will reunite to perform A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters in celebration of Recovery Month. Directed by Cameron Watson, Love Letters will be performed September 28 at 7:30 p.m. and September 30 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Terrace Theater.
For more than two decades, Martin Sheen has been among the most ardent public champions of treatment courts, specialized programs that deliver treatment and recovery support to individuals in the justice system due to substance use and mental health disorders. In 2011, Sheen invited his former West Wing colleague and dear friend Melissa Fitzgerald—who had recently lost someone close to her to a substance use disorder—to Washington, D.C. to attend RISE, the annual training conference for treatment court professionals. The experience of being around thousands of dedicated public health and public safety leaders on the front lines of justice reform was transformative. A year later, Fitzgerald made the decision to leave Hollywood and move to Washington, D.C. to work for All Rise where she has spent the last decade championing treatment courts and fighting for justice reform.
In 2020, Fitzgerald and Sheen began work on a production of A.R. Gurney’s two-person play, Love Letters, to be performed at RISE. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person events, they pivoted and performed the play virtually during Recovery Month as a thank-you to public health and public safety professionals working in treatment courts. Now, the pair will reunite to perform the play in-person for the first time at the Kennedy Center.
“I was so honored when Martin asked me to perform Love Letters with him back in 2020. Then the pandemic happened, and we weren’t sure it would ever see the stage. Now, it’s the joy of a lifetime to be able to perform this play with Martin Sheen at the Kennedy Center,” said Melissa Fitzgerald. “For years, Martin and I have collaborated to advocate for expanding treatment and recovery for people with substance use and mental health disorders in the justice system and we continue to find resonance in the story of Love Letters. I am excited to finally share it with the public and so happy to do so during Recovery Month.”
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Kennedy Center to reunite with my West Wing colleague and friend, Melissa. I can think of no better time for this performance than during Recovery Month. Love Letters is a poignant call to compassion, to empathy, to finding our common humanity through struggle and through love,” said Martin Sheen.
A unique and imaginative theater piece by A.R. Gurney, Love Letters is composed of letters exchanged over a lifetime between two people who grew up together, went their separate ways, but continued to share confidences. As the actors read the letters aloud, what is created is an evocative, touching, frequently funny but always telling pair of character studies in which what is implied is as revealing and meaningful as what is actually written down.
Taking over the National Mall Friday, September 29 through Sunday, October 1, the 2023 World Culture Festival is expected to be the largest gathering in the nation’s capital this year, featuring the largest stage area ever built on the historic National Park property.
Over 250,000 visitors from every corner of the globe are expected to travel to Washington, D.C. to be a part of the World Culture Festival. Today, organizers already report 184,513 registered attendees who will join in-person along with an estimated broadcast audience of over one billion worldwide. Registrants to date represent:
- 60% from the capital region
- 91% from the United States representing all 50 states
- 4% from India
- 5% from 121 other countries, including Canada, United Kingdom, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Thailand and South Africa.
Free registration and full Festival information can be found at https://wcf.artofliving.org.
Program Schedule
*All schedules are subject to change
Friday, September 29
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Festival Village
- A one-mile stretch between 7th St and 14th St NW, featuring over 75 cultural pavilions, activities including fashion showcases, and 80+ food trucks serving international cuisines.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Saturday, September 30
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Festival Village
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Sunday, October 1
8:00 am – 9:00 am: Yoga Festival
10:00 am – 2:00 pm: Festival Village
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Performances
An initial lineup was announced today including over 8,000 individual stage performers representing an array of human cultural art forms from around the globe. The program features all U.S.-based artists presenting music, dance, and performance art from diverse Native American and American immigrant cultures. Among them:
LOCAL
- The acclaimed Showtime Band from Howard University
- A melody performance from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC
- Pulsating beats and infectious energy of Washington’s iconic go-go bands including Junkyard Band, DJ Cool and Bela Dona Band.
- Traditional Gospel Choir with 1,000 singers – a performance by musicians from church and university choirs of 1KVoiceChoir
- Native American dance by 100 artists representing various tribes from the region perform to the powerful beats of live drums and other traditional instruments
- Traditional Mongolian Dance & Music with 100 Dancers – A vibrant and energetic dance highlighting the heritage and nomadic traditions of Mongolia
- Indonesian Dance by 100 Artists – A “wonderland dance of Indonesia” representing the country’s five main islands
- Irish Step Dance with 100 Dancers – Lively Irish dancers in traditional dress showcasing the rich traditions of the Emerald Isle
- Bolivian Folk Dance with 200 Dancers – Vibrant folk dancers of Bolivia present 4 kinds of traditional dances
- Nepalese dance with 150 artists in vibrant costumes, representing the spiritual traditions of Nepal
NATIONAL
- Global Guitar Ensemble with 1,000 guitarists playing popular sing-along classics with renowned lead guitarists, including Grammy-award winner Micki Free.
- Rhythms of reggae with Skip Marley, grandson of the legendary Bob Marley, and dancers representing the cultures of the Caribbean islands.
- One World Family Invocation – A 200-artists choir with Grammy nominated artist Chandrika Tandon
- Pop influencer Jini June performing alongside 200 children, spreading a message of harmony in song
- Amadou Kouyate and his djembe and kora orchestra, accompanied by 200 African dancers
- Kurtis Blow and other hip hop legends accompanied by 200 breakdancers, MCs, DJs and graffiti artists
- 10,000 Garba Dancers – representing a traditional folk dance of western India circle the National Mall in a spirit of celebration.
- Traditional Afghan Music & Sufi Whirling with 150 Artists – 130 musicians playing traditional instruments and singing captivating melodies along with 20 whirling dervishes
- Indian Classical Dance & Classical Symphony with 1000 Artists – Symphony of 300 instrumentalists including sitar, veena, tabla, mridangam, flute, ghatam and violin, plus 700 dancers performing a variety of classical Indian dance styles
- Latin American Dance Fusion with 200 Artists – Vibrant folk dancers representing the unique traditions of Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela
- Chinese Cultural Choir & Dance with 1,000 Artists – Chinese classical choir, classical dancers, dragons, & kung-fu in a fusion of music & movement
- Bulgarian Folk Dance by 300 Artists – 300 artists dance to the soul-stirring melodies of Bulgarian singers
- Ukrainian Dance by 200 Dancers and Choir – Exhilarating acrobatics and vibrant footwork of the hopak, a traditional Ukrainian dance
Activations
- The largest ever yoga event to take place on the National Mall, with over 2,000 instructors from various schools of yoga demonstrating a flow to more than 25,000 yoga enthusiasts. The event will be followed by a meditation led by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
- Over 80 food trucks will serve culturally expressive food and beverages from around the world. Some of the cuisines include Middle Eastern (Koshary Corner), French (Taste of Montreal), Latin-American (Arepa Zone), South Asian (Rangoli), Vegan/Plant Based (Soultarian), Indonesian (Sambal), Caribbean (Patty Party), West African (Kuks Tribute), Italian (Ciao Roma), Mexican (Mexicocina), Thai (Thai Pinto), British (Salt Pot Kitchen).
Taking over the National Mall Friday, September 29 through Sunday, October 1, the 2023 World Culture Festival is expected to be the largest gathering in the nation’s capital this year, featuring the largest stage area ever built on the historic National Park property.
Over 250,000 visitors from every corner of the globe are expected to travel to Washington, D.C. to be a part of the World Culture Festival. Today, organizers already report 184,513 registered attendees who will join in-person along with an estimated broadcast audience of over one billion worldwide. Registrants to date represent:
- 60% from the capital region
- 91% from the United States representing all 50 states
- 4% from India
- 5% from 121 other countries, including Canada, United Kingdom, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Thailand and South Africa.
Free registration and full Festival information can be found at https://wcf.artofliving.org.
Program Schedule
*All schedules are subject to change
Friday, September 29
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Festival Village
- A one-mile stretch between 7th St and 14th St NW, featuring over 75 cultural pavilions, activities including fashion showcases, and 80+ food trucks serving international cuisines.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Saturday, September 30
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Festival Village
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Sunday, October 1
8:00 am – 9:00 am: Yoga Festival
10:00 am – 2:00 pm: Festival Village
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Performances
An initial lineup was announced today including over 8,000 individual stage performers representing an array of human cultural art forms from around the globe. The program features all U.S.-based artists presenting music, dance, and performance art from diverse Native American and American immigrant cultures. Among them:
LOCAL
- The acclaimed Showtime Band from Howard University
- A melody performance from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC
- Pulsating beats and infectious energy of Washington’s iconic go-go bands including Junkyard Band, DJ Cool and Bela Dona Band.
- Traditional Gospel Choir with 1,000 singers – a performance by musicians from church and university choirs of 1KVoiceChoir
- Native American dance by 100 artists representing various tribes from the region perform to the powerful beats of live drums and other traditional instruments
- Traditional Mongolian Dance & Music with 100 Dancers – A vibrant and energetic dance highlighting the heritage and nomadic traditions of Mongolia
- Indonesian Dance by 100 Artists – A “wonderland dance of Indonesia” representing the country’s five main islands
- Irish Step Dance with 100 Dancers – Lively Irish dancers in traditional dress showcasing the rich traditions of the Emerald Isle
- Bolivian Folk Dance with 200 Dancers – Vibrant folk dancers of Bolivia present 4 kinds of traditional dances
- Nepalese dance with 150 artists in vibrant costumes, representing the spiritual traditions of Nepal
NATIONAL
- Global Guitar Ensemble with 1,000 guitarists playing popular sing-along classics with renowned lead guitarists, including Grammy-award winner Micki Free.
- Rhythms of reggae with Skip Marley, grandson of the legendary Bob Marley, and dancers representing the cultures of the Caribbean islands.
- One World Family Invocation – A 200-artists choir with Grammy nominated artist Chandrika Tandon
- Pop influencer Jini June performing alongside 200 children, spreading a message of harmony in song
- Amadou Kouyate and his djembe and kora orchestra, accompanied by 200 African dancers
- Kurtis Blow and other hip hop legends accompanied by 200 breakdancers, MCs, DJs and graffiti artists
- 10,000 Garba Dancers – representing a traditional folk dance of western India circle the National Mall in a spirit of celebration.
- Traditional Afghan Music & Sufi Whirling with 150 Artists – 130 musicians playing traditional instruments and singing captivating melodies along with 20 whirling dervishes
- Indian Classical Dance & Classical Symphony with 1000 Artists – Symphony of 300 instrumentalists including sitar, veena, tabla, mridangam, flute, ghatam and violin, plus 700 dancers performing a variety of classical Indian dance styles
- Latin American Dance Fusion with 200 Artists – Vibrant folk dancers representing the unique traditions of Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela
- Chinese Cultural Choir & Dance with 1,000 Artists – Chinese classical choir, classical dancers, dragons, & kung-fu in a fusion of music & movement
- Bulgarian Folk Dance by 300 Artists – 300 artists dance to the soul-stirring melodies of Bulgarian singers
- Ukrainian Dance by 200 Dancers and Choir – Exhilarating acrobatics and vibrant footwork of the hopak, a traditional Ukrainian dance
Activations
- The largest ever yoga event to take place on the National Mall, with over 2,000 instructors from various schools of yoga demonstrating a flow to more than 25,000 yoga enthusiasts. The event will be followed by a meditation led by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
- Over 80 food trucks will serve culturally expressive food and beverages from around the world. Some of the cuisines include Middle Eastern (Koshary Corner), French (Taste of Montreal), Latin-American (Arepa Zone), South Asian (Rangoli), Vegan/Plant Based (Soultarian), Indonesian (Sambal), Caribbean (Patty Party), West African (Kuks Tribute), Italian (Ciao Roma), Mexican (Mexicocina), Thai (Thai Pinto), British (Salt Pot Kitchen).
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces that The West Wing’s Melissa Fitzgerald and Martin Sheen will reunite to perform A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters in celebration of Recovery Month. Directed by Cameron Watson, Love Letters will be performed September 28 at 7:30 p.m. and September 30 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Terrace Theater.
For more than two decades, Martin Sheen has been among the most ardent public champions of treatment courts, specialized programs that deliver treatment and recovery support to individuals in the justice system due to substance use and mental health disorders. In 2011, Sheen invited his former West Wing colleague and dear friend Melissa Fitzgerald—who had recently lost someone close to her to a substance use disorder—to Washington, D.C. to attend RISE, the annual training conference for treatment court professionals. The experience of being around thousands of dedicated public health and public safety leaders on the front lines of justice reform was transformative. A year later, Fitzgerald made the decision to leave Hollywood and move to Washington, D.C. to work for All Rise where she has spent the last decade championing treatment courts and fighting for justice reform.
In 2020, Fitzgerald and Sheen began work on a production of A.R. Gurney’s two-person play, Love Letters, to be performed at RISE. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person events, they pivoted and performed the play virtually during Recovery Month as a thank-you to public health and public safety professionals working in treatment courts. Now, the pair will reunite to perform the play in-person for the first time at the Kennedy Center.
“I was so honored when Martin asked me to perform Love Letters with him back in 2020. Then the pandemic happened, and we weren’t sure it would ever see the stage. Now, it’s the joy of a lifetime to be able to perform this play with Martin Sheen at the Kennedy Center,” said Melissa Fitzgerald. “For years, Martin and I have collaborated to advocate for expanding treatment and recovery for people with substance use and mental health disorders in the justice system and we continue to find resonance in the story of Love Letters. I am excited to finally share it with the public and so happy to do so during Recovery Month.”
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Kennedy Center to reunite with my West Wing colleague and friend, Melissa. I can think of no better time for this performance than during Recovery Month. Love Letters is a poignant call to compassion, to empathy, to finding our common humanity through struggle and through love,” said Martin Sheen.
A unique and imaginative theater piece by A.R. Gurney, Love Letters is composed of letters exchanged over a lifetime between two people who grew up together, went their separate ways, but continued to share confidences. As the actors read the letters aloud, what is created is an evocative, touching, frequently funny but always telling pair of character studies in which what is implied is as revealing and meaningful as what is actually written down.
