Chefs are taking over D.C. this fall, as the star attraction at event (Chefs for Equality) after event (Smithsonian’s Food History Weekend) after event (MetroCookingDC). If you still want more, you can sign up for cooking classes with Malmaison’s Gerard Pangaud, Centrolina’s Amy Brandwein, Kapnos’ George Pagonis, or several other regular chef/instructors at Hill Center.

And then, when you’ve had your fill, spring for some belly laughs with Bearlesque at Black Cat, Dina Martina at the Howard, or binge on the Bentzen Ball. Looking for gifts? There are several craft events to hit, as well as Strathmore’s always-dependable one-stop-shop for museum souvenirs. And who knows what one might find at Town’s new Big Gay Flea?

Betty White, Val Kilmer, John Waters, Rose Troche — all four and more will be swinging through town for one reason or another. Yet, among the countless intriguing book-driven discussions, it’s hard to beat Hillary Clinton at the Warner. Except, that is, for the man impersonating the man who beat her in the election. Yep, Alec Baldwin returns to his alma mater to mock the President practically in the White House’s backyard. Talk about huge…

9:30 CLUB

815 V St. NW
202-265-0930
930.com

• Cameron Esposito & Rhea Butcher — Gay comedy couple, known from TV series Take My Wife, on multi-city “Back to Back” stand-up tour (10/7)

THE ALDEN

Old Firehouse
1440 Chain Bridge Rd.
McLean, Va.
703-790-0123
aldentheatre.org

• Quote-Along Movie Series — “Audience Participation Is Required!” for a Rocky Horror Picture Show-inspired series during which cues will be given to shout out popular lines. There will also be a $5 prop bag to help further act out scenes and add to the environment: The Princess Bride (9/22); Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (11/3); Home Alone (12/2)

AMERICAN FINE CRAFT SHOW

Hyatt Regency Crystal City at National Airport
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Va.
americanfinecraftshowwashington.com

• Several years after replacing the Washington Craft Show, organizers have moved the specially curated show to the Hyatt’s carpeted Independence Center, where 100 of the best artisans from around the country and Canada will sell their wares, everything ranging from furniture to glassware, ceramics to jewelry and other wearable and decorative art (10/28-29)

AMP BY STRATHMORE

11810 Grand Park Ave.
North Bethesda, Md.
301-581-5100
ampbystrathmore.com

• AMP Comedy Zone: Craig Shoemaker (9/28)
• Kevin Lee (10/12)
• Adam Dodd (10/26)
• Tony Deyo (11/8)
• Larry XL (11/30)

THE ANTHEM

901 Wharf St. SW.
202-265-0930
theanthemdc.com

• Pod Tours America: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer — “A live, no-bullshit conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency” from the former Obama communications staffers behind the political podcast Pod Saves America (11/3)

ARLINGTON CINEMA N’ DRAFTHOUSE

2903 Columbia Pike
Arlington, Va.
703-486-2345
arlingtondrafthouse.com

• Aasif Mandvi — The Daily Show correspondent (9/22-23)
• Art House Theater Day: Titicut Follies — Screening and discussion celebrating the 50th anniversary of provocative documentary by Frederick Wiseman exposing conditions at a Massachusetts hospital for the insane (9/24)
• Film: Democracy for Sale — The League of Women Voters of Arlington hosts free screening and discussion of this film, focused on the state of democracy in North Carolina but with parallels to the situation in the Commonwealth (9/27)
• Pete Correale (9/29-30)
• Nosferatu: The Invincible Czars present Nosferatu — Austin band performs its score as the 1922 German silent film screens (10/5)
• Val Kilmer: Cinema Twain — Actor appears in person to introduce the film he directed of the one-man play he wrote about Mark Twain (10/6-7)
• Teton Gravity Research: Rogue Elements (10/12)
• Rich Vos (10/13-14)
• Steve-O — The Jackass and Wildboyz prankster (10/19-22)
• Comedy Film Bucket List: Young Frankenstein (10/26)
• Rocky LaPorte (10/27-28)
• Betches Who Brunch Comedy Tour (10/29)
• Tom Arnold (11/3-4)
• Shawn Wayans (11/10-11)
• Joel McHale — E!’s The Soup, Community (11/17-18)
• Pauly Shore (11/19)
• Keepin’ It Weird Wednesdays: Eraserhead — The movie that defined David Lynchdom. That baby still creeps us the f**k out (11/29)
• Rhys Darby (12/1-2)
• Darrell Hammond (1/5/18-1/6/18)

ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993
atlasarts.org

• On Screen/In Person Film Series: Deej — Robert Rooy’s story about a non-speaking autistic man navigating the world in unconventional ways will be screened and then discussed with the filmmaker and autistic experts (9/26)
• Destination Atlas Gala (10/6)
• In The Lab Comedy Showcase: Jason Weems — As seen on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, D.C.-native comic leads a show of local up-and-coming standups (10/14)
• On Screen/In Person Film: Oil and Water — A tale of two boys coming of age in the middle of one of the world’s worst toxic disasters. Screening followed by a panel discussion (10/24)
• Atlas Presents Silent Film: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Devil’s Assistant — Featuring live original music by Andrew Earle Simpson (10/29)
• On Screen/In Person Film: Mind/Game — Glenn Close narrates this powerful story, subtitled The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw, about “the female Michael Jordan” (11/5)
• Theatre for the Very Young: The Apple Tree (11/15-19)
• Holiday Cheers: A Night of Live Music, Champagne & Fun for Grown-Ups (12/9)
• Theatre for the Very Young: Snow Day (12/17-19, 12/27-30)

THE BENTZEN BALL COMEDY FESTIVAL

Various locations
brightestyoungthings.com/bentzen-ball

• Lesbian comedian Tig Notaro curates this annual four-day event presented by Brightest Young Things. Opening Night — “The Most Very Specialist Evening with Tig Notaro & Friends,” including Seaton Smith (10/26, Lincoln Theatre)
• How Did This Get Made? — A screening (already sold-out) of Howling II with Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas (10/27, Lincoln)
• You’re The Expert Live w/Chris Duffy (10/27, National Geographic’s Grosvenor Auditorium)
• Colin Quinn: One In Every Child — With Haywood Turnipseed Jr (10/28, Lincoln)
• Poets Andrea Gibson & Amber Tamblyn (10/28, Kennedy Center Terrace Theater)
• Story District: Going Commando — “Stories about roughing it, getting dirty, and flying without a net” (10/28, Grosvenor)
• Big Terrific — With Jenny Slate, Max Silvestri, and Gabe Liedman (10/28, Lincoln)
• Closing Show — Al Franken: Giant of the Senate & Ira Glass: Giant of the Radio (10/29, Lincoln)

THE BIRCHMERE

3701 Mount Vernon Ave.
Alexandria
, Va.
703-549-7500
birchmere.com

• Raven’s Night — “The Ghosts of La Belle Epoque” is the theme of the annual Halloween “esoteric evening of belly dance & entertainment” (10/22)
• Suzanne Westenhoefer — The veteran lesbian comic returns for another year (10/27)
• Paula Poundstone (11/10-12)
• A John Waters Christmas (12/21)

BLACK CAT

1811 14th St. NW
202-667-4490
blackcatdc.com

• Ten Forward Happy Hour — One episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and drink specials every Friday
• We Boldly Go: A Cabaret Where No One Has Gone Before — A Star Trek Tribute Show, with celebrated cosplayers and “nerdlesque” performers, in honor of the 30th anniversary of The Next Generation (9/15)
• Dr. Who Happy Hour — One episode of Dr. Who and drink specials every Saturday
• L7: Pretend We’re Dead — Documentary is an engrossing time capsule told from the perspective of arguably the original riot grrrl band, an L.A. group that helped to define grunge in the ’90s (9/19)
• Dead Flowers Circus: Tour De Freak (9/22)
• Church Night — Comedy act offering an eccentric, religious parody inspired by Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady” SNL sketch as well as A Prairie Home Companion (9/23)
• Awkward Sex…and the City (10/6)
• Bearlesque — Bears + Burlesque = a really wild local troupe (12/8)

CAPITAL HOME SHOW

Dulles Expo Center
Chantilly, Va.
capitalhomeshow.com

• Kevin O’Connor, host of the popular PBS television programs This Old House and Ask This Old House, returns to headline this show, which will also feature Kortney and Dave Wilson, hosts of HGTV’s Masters of Flip, and Kelly Millspaugh Thompson of the Falls Church-based home decor shop Stylish Patina, plus more than 300 exhibitors, seminars, home remodeling projects and hands-on workshops (9/22-24)

THE CLARICE

University of Maryland
College Park, Md.
301-405-ARTS
theclarice.umd.edu

• NextNow Fest — Kicking off the season with mostly free performances in every genre, ending in a Silent Disc-Glo dance party (9/15-16)
• Music + Entertainment Starts Here: The Business of Recording Studios — Sam Sessa of Baltimore’s WTMD radio moderates a discussion with Tommy Joyner, founder of MilkBoy Recording Studio, and special guests, plus a performance by The Radiographers (9/18, Milkboy ArtHouse, College Park)
• Do Good Dialogue: Hands Up, Don’t Shoot! — Actor/playwright Keith A. Wallace, campus law enforcement officials and members of the Nyumburu Center’s Black Male Initiative offer a conversation about what it’s like to be black in America (9/26 Nyumburu Cultural Center)
• The Bitter Game Post-Performance Discussion: Know Your Rights! — Interactive workshop led by lawyer and UMD alumnus Gregory Yancey (9/27, MilkBoy ArtHouse)
• Can You See Me? The Second Annual Women, Leadership & Race Summit (10/7, Cafritz Foundation Theatre)
• Music + Entertainment Starts Here: Tapping Into the Hip-Hop Industry — Conversation with hip-hop artist Irko and special guests moderated by Terrapin Record Label founder Nick Arnold and featuring a performance by UMD’s Al Maralen (10/23, MilkBoy ArtHouse)
• Do Good Dialogue: Freedom to Speak, Freedom to Act — Natalia Koliada of the underground Belarus Free Theatre and UMD faculty and community members to speak about freedom of speech, persecution, gender in Russian theater, refugee artmaking and more (10/24, MilkBoy ArtHouse)
• Do Good Dialogue: Music for Peaceful Understanding — A musician and composer, Rahim AlHaj was forced to leave Iraq due to his anti-Saddam Hussein activities (11/15, MilkBoy ArtHouse)

DC IMPROV

1140 Connecticut Ave. NW
202-296-7008
dcimprov.com

• Make Up Party — Comedians are tasked to develop a five-minute sketch about animals, with the funniest winning $250 (9/19, Dupont Underground, 1500 19th St. NW)
• Moshe Kasher (9/21-23)
• Happy Hour Trivia — Chris White hosts (9/21)
• DMV Comedy Showcase — Host Franqi French with Donnie Sengstack, Denise Taylor, Martin Amini and Liz Miele (9/22); Keith Correy, Naomi Karavani, Matty Litwack and Lafayette Wright, with host Kandyce August (9/29); Chris Lawrence hosts Loy Lee, Rallo Boykins, Pete Bladel and Rae Sanni (9/30); Benjy Himmelfarb, Chelsea Shorte, Kandace Saunders, Andy Kline and host Dylan Meyer (10/7); Chris Milner hosts Rahmein Mostafavi, Wendy Wroblewski, Dee Ahmed and Stavros Halkias (10/20)
• ComedySportz Improv (9/23)
• Rockin’ Mic Night — Comedians team up with the HariKaraoke Band to tell funny stories and belt out tunes, followed by a live band karaoke party for the audience (9/24)
• Two Faces Comedy Series — Featuring comedians who have served in the military, including Tim Miller, Cerrome Russell, Kj Pettersen and Michael Garvey (9/27, Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW)
• Bert Kreischer (9/28-30)
• The Time Machine Roast — Comics get in character as great figures from history to sling timeless insults (10/4)
• Stand-Up Class Graduation — A showcase for “Five Minutes to Funny” and teacher Chris Coccia (10/5)
• Porkchop Volcano — A popular local short-form improv troupe (10/5)
• Comedy School Showcase (10/6)
• Roy Wood Jr. — As seen on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (10/6-8)
• Jess Hilarious (10/11)
• Comedy Kumite Champions — Competing for the title of Grand Champion are past winners of the Improv’s tournament including Cerrome Russell, Wendy Wroblewski, Pat Riley, Dylan Meyer, Tim Miller, Benjy Himmelfarb, Ross Benoit and Tommy Sinbazo (10/12)
• Dave Attell (10/13-15)
• Matthew Broussard — Presented by DC Science Comedy (10/13)
• Next Wave: Ryan Conner — As seen on Last Comic Standing and as recommended to the Improv by none other than Wanda Sykes (10/14)
• Gad Elmaleh (10/19-21)
• Murder Mystery Comedy Show — An interactive whodunit from Die Laughing Productions (10/25)
• wellRed: From Dixie with Love — Trae Crowder, Corey Ryan Forrester and Drew Morgan (10/26-29)
• Adam Ferrara (11/2-4)
• Jak Knight (11/3-4)
• 85 South Comedy Show (11/5)
• Bill Bellamy (11/9-12)
• Iliza Shlesinger (11/16-18)
• Donnell Rawlings — The Thanksgiving tradition continues (11/24-26)
• Lil Duval (12/1-3)
• Todd Glass (12/1-3)
• Ron Funches (12/7-9)
• Hypnotist Flip Orley — “America’s premier comic hypnotist” (12/14-17)
• Judah Friedlander (12/21-23)
• Finesse Mitchell (12/28-31)
• Orny Adams (1/11/18-1/14/18)
• Lavell Crawford (1/26/18-1/28/18)

DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET

700-900 F St. NW
downtownholidaymarket.com

• Now in its 13th year, the market presents over 150 artisans offering a vast, eclectic and international assortment of gifts and souvenirs, collectibles and wearables — from prints and photographs, to pottery and glassware, to custom jewelry and accessories. Each day brings a rotating schedule of merchants, plus concerts by local musicians and options for food and drink (11/24-12/23)

DRAFTHOUSE COMEDY

1100 13th St. NW
202-750-6411
drafthousecomedy.com

• Vent! — An Interactive Happy Hour and Comedy Show (9/15, 10/7, 10/21, 11/4)
• Joe DeRosa — As seen on Inside Amy Schumer (9/14-16)
• Three Guys On — Saturday Night Comedy Showcase (9/16)
• Couples Therapy: A Comedy Show — Hosted by Rahmein Mostafavi (9/20)
• Black Card Declined: A Comedy Game Show — Hosted by Michele Sometimes (9/20)
• Broken Diamond Comedy: LGBTQ: This Is Not A Joke (9/21)
• Specific Ignorance — Hosted by Chris Milner (9/21)
• Off The Rails!! Comedy Storytelling Show — Hosted by Katherine Jessup (9/22)
• Myq Kaplan (9/22-23)
• Fully Charged Productions: Banned! (9/27)
• Broken Diamond Comedy: Comedy Karaoke (9/28)
• The Facebook Monologues — Hosted by Dee Ahmed & Max Wolfson (9/28)
• Brendon Walsh & Randy Liedtke (9/29-30)
• The OverAchievers Comedy Show — Hosted by Martin Amini (10/4, 11/1-2)
• Who’s In Here — Hosted by Tim Miller (10/5)
• Hampton Yount — As seen on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (10/6-7)
• Joe List (10/13-14)
• Moses Storm — As seen on Hulu’s 4 to 9ers and NBC’s About a Boy (10/20-21)
• Todd Barry — 30th Anniversary Crowd Work Tour (10/22)
• Drafthouse Comedy Level 1 Sketch Writing and Live Audience Performance (10/24)
• Nicole Byer (11/3-4)
• Adam Cayton-Holland — As seen on TruTV’s Those Who Can’t (11/10-11)
• Veterans Storytelling Graduation Show — A co-presentation by Armed Services Arts Partnership and Story District (11/12)
• Quincy Jones — The comedian, not the musician (11/17-18)
• The House Band Sketch Group Live — Drafthouse’s own sketch comedy group (11/30)
• The Santaland Diaries — David Sedaris’ adventures, adapted as a one-man stage show by Joe Mantello, gets revived for a Drafthouse Comedy Theater production starring Cameron Folmar (12/7-23)
• Josh Gondelman (12/29-31)
• Sarah Colonna (1/19/18-1/20/18)

EAST CITY BOOKSHOP

645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
202-290-1636
eastcitybookshop.com

• Gabrielle Zevin — Young Jane Young (9/16)
• Danzy Senna — New People, in conversation with NPR’s Sam Sanders (9/18)
• Jess Arndt — Large Animals: Stories (9/19)
• In Conversation: Toni Sala (9/21)
• Bob Mitchell — Time for a Heart-to-Heart: Reflections on Life in the Face of Death (9/25)
• In Conversation: Melanie Brooks and Kyoko Mori (9/26)
• Launch Party: Malka Older — Null States (9/28)
• LB Gschwandtner — The Other New Girl (10/4)
• Leah Weiss — If The Creek Don’t Rise (10/5)
• Gabi Moskowitz & Miranda Berman — Hot Mess Kitchen (10/10)
• Sara Wachter-Boettcher — Technically Wrong demystifies the tech industry and the flawed digital products and apps we’ve come to rely on (10/11)
• Sharon Harrigan — Playing with Dynamite (10/16)
• Diane Pomerantz — Lost in the Reflecting Pool (10/19)
• Adam Braver — The Disappeared, in conversation with Howard Norman (10/24)
• Jennifer Chang, Lisa Page — Some Say The Lark poetry collection, We Wear The Mask novel (10/27) Gareth Hinds — Poe: Stories and Poems, an adaptation of Edgar Allan’s best-known works into graphic novel format (10/30)

GALA HISPANIC THEATRE

3333 14th St. NW
202-234-7174
galatheatre.org

• Sixth Annual Film Festival — Five days of films from Mexico, Chile, and the Dominican Republic, with a focus on contemporary films by emerging and young directors (11/29-12/3)
• Fiesta de los Reyes Magos – GALA’s traditional bilingual Three Kings celebration features the Magi, members of the Nativity scene, live animals, performances from local Latin American musical groups, and a walk through the neighborhood (1/7)

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS

4373 Mason Pond Drive
Fairfax, Va.
888-945-2468
cvpa.gmu.edu

• Arts Alive! — 6th annual festival of community performers and fine artists with food and craft vendors (9/17, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Manassas)
• Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel (9/17; 10/15, Hylton; 11/5)
• Visual Voices Speaker Series: Patricia Bellan-Gillen — “Willful Wondering and Disorderly Notions” (10/5)
• Sadie Barnette — “A Place Called Compland” (10/19)
• Walter Kravitz — “Art Is What Isn’t: Studio Pursuits” (11/16)
• The Poet Laureate Circle: In The Company of Laureates — Poets Laureate from all over present readings of their work and offer book signings (10/8)
• Derek Hughes — Comedian/magician as seen on America’s Got Talent (11/2)
• Nick Cannon — Former Mr. Mariah Carey and host of America’s Got Talent performs a night of stand-up (11/10)
• Veterans Day: Celebrating Veterans and the Arts (11/11, Hylton)

GW LISNER

730 21st St. NW
202-994-6800
lisner.gwu.edu

• Brene Brown — Braving the Wilderness is the latest from New York Times bestseller and social scientist (10/1)
• John Green with Hank Green — Turtles All The Way Down is the focus of a multimedia event, co-sponsored by Politics and Prose, featuring discussion, live music and more (10/11)
• Dan Rather — Politics and Prose co-presents a pep talk from venerated TV journalist for disgruntled progressives about our country’s shared values and priorities (11/9)
• Alec Baldwin with Kurt Andersen — Politics and Prose co-presents this appearance by the co-authors of the forthcoming You Can’t Spell America Without Me: The Really Tremendous Inside Story of My Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump (A So-Called Parody) (11/14)

HILL CENTER

Old Navy Hospital
921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
202-549-4172
HillCenterDC.org

• Film Discussion: Frightday Night Hitchcock — Author Tom Zaniello returns with his fourth Master of Suspense-inspired series: Frenzy, Hitchcock’s last great film (9/15); short films from Alfred Hitchcock Presents (9/22); Brian De Palma’s Obsession (9/29)
• Barbecue Boot Camp w/Pitmaster Andrew Evans (9/16)
• The Art of French Cooking w/Chef Gerard Pangaud — Two-star Michelin chef associated with Georgetown’s Malmaison guides participants through specific dinners per class (9/16, 10/14, 11/9, 11/18, 12/2, 12/15)
• Kitchen 101 — Knife Skills w/Chef Wendi James (9/19, 10/24); Pasta Making w/Chef James (9/21); Sausage Making w/Chef Mark Haskell (10/30)
• Master Class: Amy Brandwein of Centrolina — Cooking Squash (9/23)
• Historical Homebrewing Class: Oktoberfest — Washington City Paper beer writer Michael Stein and historian Peter Jones lead this history lesson with tastings and recipes (9/24)
• Overbeck Lecture: Laura Hughes: Union Market, Then and Now — Architectural consultant offers an illustrated lecture on the increasingly hip warehouse district notable for its unified design, architectural flourishes and unusual history (9/25)
• Talk of the Hill with Bill Press — Congresswoman Maxine Waters (9/27)
• Book Signing: Charity Tillemann-Dick — The Encore: A Memoir in Three Acts in conversation with NPR’s Scott Simon (10/5)
• Brunch with Bubbly w/Chef Jennifer Jones — Sausage + Sweet Potato Biscuits (10/7); Quiche + Crepes (12/10)
• Film Discussion: Davis & Crawford, A Fabulous Rivalry — New Yorker writer Margaret Talbot and movie critic Nell Minow return with a Feud-inspired series featuring Jezebel with Bette Davis (10/8); A Woman’s Face showcasing Joan Crawford (10/22); In This Our Life and Davis playing an outrageously bad character (11/5); quintessential Crawford-vehicle Mildred Pierce (11/12)
• Film Discussion: The True Cost — Andrew Morgan’s 2015 expose about the fast fashion industry, co-presented by the anti-modern-day slavery organization Artworks for Freedom (10/10)
• The Life of a Poet w/Ron Charles — Editor of the Washington Post Book World leads series focused on individual poets, including: Dawn Lundy Martin (10/23); Rae Armantrout (11/29)
• The Whole Beast w/Chef Mark Haskell — Curing Meat & Fish (11/2); Duck Boot Camp (11/15)
• Holiday Workshop w/Chef Jennifer Jones — Freezable Appetizers (11/4); Make-Ahead Casseroles & Comfort Food (11/5)
• Walking Tour: Marching Along with John Philip Sousa (11/5)
• Master Class: George Pagonis of Kapnos (11/11)
• On The Cooling Rack w/Frenchie’s: Thanksgiving Pies — Artisan bakery owner Erica Skolnik leads a monthly baking class (11/20)
• All Politics is Local w/Tom Sherwood & Mark Segraves: Doreen Gentzler (11/29)
• Holiday Cookie Baking with Bonnie Benwick of the Washington Post (12/9)
• Film Discussion: Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story — A look at the Works Progress Administration’s Writer’s Project by filmmaker Andrea Kalin (12/12)

HILLWOOD MUSEUM & GARDENS

4155 Linnean Ave. NW
202-686-8500
hillwoodmuseum.org

• Lecture: Caroline de Guitaut: Royal Diamonds — Royal Trust Collection curator discusses famous diamonds owned by British royals, including those worn by The Queen today (9/28)
• Gardener’s Focus: Fall Design — Head Gardener Jessica Bonilla leads a tour through the fall seasonal plantings (10/3-13)
• Spectacular Lecture Series — Discussions in conjunction with Hillwood’s current temporary exhibition focused on founder Marjorie Merriweather Post’s jewelry collection, including “Spectacular: The Merriweather Post Collection of Gems and Jewelry” by executive director Kate Markert (10/5); “Smithsonian Gems” by Jeffrey Post, curator of the U.S. National Gem and Mineral Collection (10/12); “Hollywood Glamour: Jewelry from the Silver Screen” by Emily Stohrer, the jewelry curator at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (10/19); “Contemporary Interest in Gems and Jewelry” by New York Times bestselling author Aja Raden (Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World) in conversation with Markert (10/26)
• Gardener’s Focus: Specialty Mums at Hillwood — A behind-the-scenes tour of the greenhouse by Hillwood horticulturist Drew Asbury (10/17-11/10)
• Spooky Pooch Howl-o-ween Celebration — Strut your mutt in a canine costume competition and purchase a signature champagne cocktail at Yappy Hour (10/21)
• Lecture: C.D. Dickerson: Casanova: The Seduction of Europe — National Gallery of Art curator and sculpture department head discusses and signs copies of his book about 18th-century European explorer Giacomo Casanova (11/8)
• Gardener’s Focus: Holiday Decor — Floral and event decor designer Ami Wilber highlights Christmas trees inspired by Post’s gems and jewelry (11/28-12/15)
• Wreath-Making Classes — Ami Wilber guides participants in using fresh materials to make: Traditional Holiday Wreaths made out of evergreens (11/30-12/3); Contemporary Holiday Wreaths of herbs and citrus fruits (12/2); Boxwood Holiday Wreaths (12/3)
• Russian Winter Festival (12/9-10)
• Gardener’s Focus: Bones of the Winter Garden (12/19-29)

THE HOWARD THEATRE

620 T St. NW
202-588-5595
thehowardtheatre.com

• Dina Martina — P’Town drag staple once again offers a fall D.C. stop, this year with new show Fine Avec Me!, as ever offering questionable songs, pointless dances, unsightly costumes and hilarious videos (9/22)
• Jen Kirkman w/Paris Sashay — The “All New Material, Girl” Tour 2017 (9/24)
• The Sweet Spot DC — Fetish Edition of “Pop Erotica” traveling burlesque show (10/14)
• Tribute to Dick Gregory w/Paul Mooney (11/4)

HRC CHEFS FOR EQUALITY

Dock 5 at Union Market
1309 5th St. NE
chefsforequality.org

• Approximately 150 area chefs, bakers, and mixologists prepare food and mix libations as well as offer their wares through various auctions benefiting the Human Rights Campaign. New this year is a “5/10/15 Speed Diner,” featuring five dishes created by 10 chefs — in pairings overseen by Erik Bruner-Yang of Maketto and Paper Horse fame — and served in 15-minute time slots (9/19)

JOE’S MOVEMENT EMPORIUM

3309 Bunker Hill Road
Mount Rainier, Md.
301-699-1819
joesmovement.org

• Off the Quill: Completely Hollywood (Abridged) — A frenetic comedy by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor in which actors tackle 186 films, plus a screen mashup of their own, in just 90 minutes, all from a company focused on incorporating elements from dance and physical movement, clowning and stage combat to offer a different kind of theater experience (9/15-17, 9/22-23)
• Dior Ashley Brown & the dAb Band — A tribute to women past and present in a production combining song, poetry, spoken word, hip-hop, theater and live instrumentation (10/20)

KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600
kennedy-center.org

• James Veitch — A free night of comedy from U.K. comedian, musician and writer responsible for the fastest-ever TED talk to reach over 10 million views (9/19, Family Theater)
• Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel — 25th anniversary of concert-with-commentary offering, this time a free event with a special focus on Leonard Bernstein (9/23, Millennium Stage)
• Josh Blue — As seen on Last Comic Standing, which the comedian won in 2006 (10/11, Terrace Theater)
• Whoopi Goldberg — A night of stand-up (10/13, Concert Hall)
• The Second City’s When Life Gives You Clemens — Improv troupe pays tribute to the legendary American comedian and writer who was born Samuel Clemens (10/19-20, Family Theater)
• Carrie Mae Weems — Grace Notes: Reflections for Now is a provocative performance of music, song, text, spoken word, and video projection exploring race and violence from visual artist (10/20, Eisenhower Theater)
• The 20th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor: David Letterman (10/22, Concert Hall)
• Profiles in Creativity with David M. Rubenstein: Harvey Weinstein (11/2, Terrace Theater)
• Words, Beats and Life Festival — B-boy & B-girl Competition and Fine Lines Paint Jam, a free event celebrating the art forms of breakdancing and graffiti (11/5, various locations)
• Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias (11/17, Concert Hall)
• Al Madrigal — The Daily Show‘s “senior Latino correspondent” (11/18, Terrace Theater)
• The Second City’s Twist Your Dickens (12/5-31, Theater Lab)
• Ballet 360° with Alexandra Tomalonis — “The Choreographer and the Muse: The Extraordinary Relationship of George Balanchine and Suzanne Farrell” (12/9, Terrace Gallery)

KRAMERBOOKS

1517 Connecticut Ave. NW
202-387-1400
kramers.com
Ben Loory — Tales of Falling and Flying (9/25)

 

• Sofi Oksanen — Norma (9/26)
• Kevin Peraino — A Force So Swift: Mao, Truman, and the Birth of Modern China, 1949 (9/26)
• Bhu Srinivasan — Americana: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism (9/28)
• Sip & Paint — Leila Elmergawi would like to teach you how to paint the cover of a literary classic while you imbibe, in a new twist on happy hour (10/2)
• Blaine Harden — King of Spies (10/4)
• Ann Todd — OSS Operation Black (10/9)
• Laurie Ferreiro — Brothers at Arms tells the little-known role that France and Spain played in the success of the American Revolution (10/11)
• Annalee Newitz — Autonomous is the anticipated debut from the founder of the science fiction website io9 (10/12)
• Steven S. Gubser & Frans Pretorius — The Little Book of Black Holes from two Princeton University physics professors (10/16)
• Denise Kiernan — The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home, Asheville’s Biltmore; in conversation with the Washington Post‘s Dan Zak (10/19)
• Jere Van Dyk — The Trade: My Journey Into the Labyrinth of Political Kidnapping (10/24)
• Dave Neiwert — Alt America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump (11/1)
• Susie Moore — What If It Does Work Out? (11/14)
• Elizabeth Rosner — Survivor Cafe (11/16)
• Ed Yong — I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes within Us and a Grander View of Life by Atlantic science writer (1/16/18)

LINCOLN THEATRE

1215 U St. NW
202-328-6000
thelincolndc.com

• Brave Adventure’s Coyote Peterson — The host of animal adventure shows on YouTube’s top-rated wildlife channel (9/16)
• Dylan Moran — Irish comedian, known for cult TV show Black Books, returns with new U.S. show Grumbling Mustard (9/25)
• The DC Moth Grandslam (10/11)
• Pop-Up Magazine — A live magazine come to life, with storytelling, photography, film, radio, and original music, this edition featuring comedian Aparna Nancherla, novelist Daniel Alarcon, photographer Erin Trieb, filmmakers Donal Mosher & Mike Palmieri, radio correspondent Sean Rameswaram, journalists Brooke Jarvis, Mary Melton, Matt Wolfe, and Robin Amer, and the Magik*Magik Orchestra (11/1)
• Kevin Smith — Clerks filmmaker (we’re forgiving him for Tusk) (11/5)
• Rhett & Link’s Tour of Mythicality — Comedic duo as seen on web series Good Mythical Morning (11/10)
• Ilana Glazer & Phoebe Robinson — Broad City and 2 Dope Queens stars offer standup as part of an 11-city YQY Comedy Tour, aka Yaaas Queen Yaaas; Sorry queen, tickets are already sold out (11/14)
• Puddles Pity Party — The “sad clown with the golden voice” (11/17)
• JP Sears — AwakenWithJP, as seen on YouTube (11/30)

LOGAN FRINGE ARTS SPACE

Trinidad Theatre
1358 Florida Ave. NE.
202-733-6321
capitalfringe.org

• Mucho Kluncho Talent Show (9/23)
• Trinidad Crafting Salon — Get crafty, or craftier, with your handiwork skills (10/9)
• Clown Cabaret — Workshops teach various forms of clowning, from classic to circus, commedia to slapstick (10/9)
• Resist: A Counter Cabaret — Dancers, musicians, theater artists, comedians, and others perform a third Trump-era cabaret organized by feminist performance act Tia Nina and intended as catharsis, a show that starts not with a prayer but a collective scream (9/22)

METROCOOKING DC

Washington Convention Center
801 Mt. Vernon Pl.
202-249-3000
MetroCookingDC.com

• A celebrity culinary lineup doesn’t get much starrier than this: Jose Andres, Guy Fieri, Victor Albisu, Amy Brandwein, Michael Friedman, Lauren Katz, Marjorie Meek-Bradley, Shaun O’Neale, Guillermo Pernot, Michael Schlow, Russell Smith, Vikram Sunderam, and Erik Bruner-Yang will all take part in this year’s “Ultimate Food Lovers Weekend,” also featuring hundreds of specialty food vendors in addition to a RAMW Grand Tasting Pavilion with samples from over 50 local restaurants (12/9-10)

MGM NATIONAL HARBOR

The Theater
7100 Harborview Ave.
Oxon Hill, Md.
844-346-4664
mgmnationalharbor.com

• Chris Rock — Total Blackout, The Tour (10/18-21)
• Brad Garrett with Rita Rudner (10/24)
• Gary Owen and Deon Cole (10/28)

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE!

Grosvenor Auditorium
17th and M Sts. NW
202-857-7700
nationalgeographic.org/dc/

• Nat Geo Night: Galapagos — Marine ecologist Pelayo Salinas de León and Emmy-winning filmmaker Greg Marshall discuss the threats faced by the celebrated islands’ diverse species (9/21)
• Finding Amelia — 80 years after female aviator Earhart disappeared over the South Pacific, a discussion of the theories surrounding the tragedy and new investigations into her flight’s fate (9/28)
• Dan Buettner: The Geography of Happiness — National Geographic Explorer and author of The Blue Zones of Happiness reveals the secrets of the world’s happiest places and shows how to apply their lessons (10/10)
• Three Questions: Martha Raddatz (10/11)
• Michael “Nick” Nichols: Wild Life (10/13)
• The Incredible Dr. Pol — Veterinarian and star of Nat Geo Wild‘s most popular series (10/16)
• Florian Schulz: Into the Arctic Kingdom (10/17-18)
• Nat Geo Night: Untamed — Filipe DeAndrade, Krystle Wright, and Ryan Bell (10/19)
• Paddleboarding with Polar Bears: A Virtual Reality Exploration — Mike Libecki (10/24)
• Danielle Lee: The Urban Scientist (10/27)
• Lessons from the Wild: Apes, Wolves, and Bears (11/1)
• Mountainfilm on Tour — Selection of films from one of America’s longest-running film festivals (11/3-4)
• Terry Virts: View from Above (11/14-15)
• Tomb of Christ — J.J. Kelley, Fredrik Hiebert, Corey Jaskolski, and Kristin Romey (11/15)
• Nat Geo Night: Silk Road — Fredrik Hiebert, Emma Thomson, Mimi Kessler, and Michael Frachetti (11/16)
• Film: Jerusalem 3D — Unprecedented access to the holiest sites combined with rare and breathtaking aerial footage of the Old City and the Holy Land (11/18-2/11/18)
• Atlas of Beer — Mark W. Patterson and Nancy Hoalst-Pullen wrote this guide, which fuels a guided tasting with food pairings by Garrett Oliver (11/30)
• Adventures Among Orangutans — A talk with husband-and-wife wildlife research team Cheryl Knott & Tim Laman (12/6-7)
• Banff Mountain Film Festival 2018 (1/24/18-2/3/18)

NATIONAL ZOO

3001 Connecticut Ave. NW.
202-633-4800
nationalzoo.si.edu

• ZooFiesta — Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month through talks, feedings and demonstrations highlighting animals including Andean bears, sloths, golden lion tamarins, and Panamanian golden frogs (9/24)
• Monkey Business: 2017 Gala with Harrison Ford and Betty White — Hollywood stars receive the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal for their commitment to conservation and animal welfare at this non-traditional gala (9/28)
• Conservation Discovery Day — The only time each year the zoo’s unique breeding and research facility is open to the public (10/7, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal)
• Conservation Immersion Seminar — In-depth discussion on Asian elephant conservation and welfare efforts (10/13)
• Boo at the Zoo — More than 40 treat stations, animal demonstrations, keeper chats and decorated trails (10/20-22)
• Night of the Living Zoo — Friends of the National Zoo’s annual adults-only Halloween party (10/27)
• ZooLights (11/24-1/1/18)
• BrewLights — FONZ’s hoppiest holiday event, a ticketed microbrew and craft beer brouhaha (11/30)

SIXTH & I HISTORIC SYNAGOGUE

600 I St. NW
202-408-3100
sixthandi.org

• Patti Smith — Devotion explores the nature of creative invention from renowned writer, performer, and visual artist (9/18)
• Salman Rushdie — The Golden House is a modern epic of love and terrorism, loss and reinvention; in conversation with Aminatta Forna (9/25)
• An Evening with Radio Atlantic: Russia — Live taping of the Atlantic‘s podcast live taping for a conversation on one of the biggest foreign policy challenges of our time (9/26)
• Whitney Cummings — Comedian known from Chelsea Lately and NBC’s Whitney and producer/co-creator of CBS’s 2 Broke Girls (10/7)
• Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh — NPR’s Ari Shapiro leads a conversation with London-based restaurateur and vegetarian cookbook author and his co-author on new pastries-focused Sweet (10/9)
• Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi: Throwing Shade Live — Boundary pushing political comedy podcast and TV show with fresh takes on pop culture, women’s rights, and LGBTQ rights (10/10)
• Esther Perel — The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity finds the renowned sex therapist challenging assumptions, upending conventional wisdom, and offering a nuanced look at affairs from multiple viewpoints; in conversation with Rabbi Shira Stutman (10/17)
• Amy Tan — Where The Past Begins is a new memoir from the bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and The Valley of Amazement, to be discussed with Deborah Tannen (10/18)
• Van Jones — Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together is the CNN political contributor’s blueprint for transforming our collective anxiety into meaningful change (10/19)
• Ron Chernow — Grant (10/23)
• Bryant Johnson — The RBG Workout: How She Stays Strong…and You Can Too! features tips and full-color illustrations of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in workout gear, always using perfect form (10/24)
• Simon Schama — The Story of the Jews: Belonging 1492-1900 (10/25)
• Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush — Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life (10/26)
• Khizr Khan — An American Family (10/29)
• Who? Weekly Live — Hosts Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger flaunt their good form and slim pins at this live podcast taping (10/30)
• Lore Podcast Live — Award-winning podcast exposes the darker side of history (11/1)
• Deb Perelman — Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites (11/2)
• Denis Leary — Why We Don’t Suck: And How All of Us Need to Stop Being Such Partisan Little Bitches (11/7)
• Reza Aslan — God: A Human History (11/8)
• Dan Ariely, Jeff Kreisler — World-renowned economist and humorist team up to examine the complexity of how money makes us feel (11/9)
• Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company (11/12)
• Pete Souza — Obama: An Intimate Portrait reproduces more than three hundred of Souza’s most iconic photographs as Obama’s chief White House photographer (11/13)
• The Minimalists — In-depth talk about minimalism for a live version of “Ask The Minimalists” and the popular podcast #LessIsNow (11/16)
• A.J. Jacobs — It’s All Relative is the chronicles of experimental journalist’s adventure in building the World Family Tree (11/29)
• Ta-Nehisi Coates — We Were Eight Years in Power (12/18)
• My So-Called Jewish Life — During Chanukah, experience 9th annual co-production with Story District featuring autobiographical stories about all things Jewish, not-so-Jewish, and wannabe Jewish (12/19)

SMITHSONIAN FOOD HISTORY WEEKEND

National Museum of American History
1400 Constitution Ave. NW
202-633-1000
americanhistory.si.edu/events/food-history-weekend

• Authors Ruth Reichl, Joan Nathan, Calvin Trillin, and Jessica B. Harris, broadcaster Simon Majumdar, Top Chef contestant Chef Sheldon Simeon, TV personality Duff Goldman, Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times critic Jonathan Gold, and Francis Lam of NPR’s The Splendid Table are among those expected at the third annual event, with a focus on exploring how food has been both a bridge and a barrier to cultural connection in America. Black Tie Gala — Food, drinks, and presentation of the 3rd Annual Julia Child Award to Shake Shack’s Danny Meyer (10/26)
• Roundtables — A free day-long symposium about the migration of people and food throughout American history with leading researchers, experts, and thinkers (10/27) Dine Out — Select local restaurants feature a special dish or drink inspired by Julia Child (10/27)
• Festival — A day of free activities around the museum, from demos to book signings to film screenings, though no tastings (10/28)
• The After Hours — Toasting the history of American brewing, featuring The Answer Brewpub, Harlem Brewing Co., Highland Brewing Co., and Weeping Radish Brewery (10/28)

STORY DISTRICT

storydistrict.org

• I Did It For The Story — “A tribute to 20 Years of storytelling” (9/23, Lincoln Theatre)
• Best of Real to Reel: A Storytelling and Short Film Mash-Up — Co-presented by DC Shorts (10/4, Arlington Drafthouse)
• If They Could See Me Now — “Stories about coming out on top and getting the last laugh” at second Tuesday monthly storytelling series, a mix of first-timers and regulars (10/10, Town Danceboutique)
• Queer Cuentos — In partnership with the GLBT Latino History Project, bilingual stories of the Latinx LGBTQ experience told in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month on National Coming Out Day (10/11, Town)
• Going Commando — A Bentzen Ball event (10/28, National Geographic)
• Real to Reel — Fourth annual contest in which storytellers share their stories that randomly paired film teams will spend a week to adapt (11/3 for stories, 11/10 for films, Miracle Theatre, 535 8th St. SE)
• Veterans Storytelling Graduation Show (11/12, Arlington Drafthouse)
• Nom Nom Nom — “Stories about food and festivities” (11/14, Town)
• Home for the Holidays — “Stories about returns and reunions” (12/12, Town)
• My So-Called Jewish Life (12/19, Sixth and I)

STRATHMORE

5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, Md.
301-581-5100
strathmore.org

• Historical Home Tour — Monthly guided tours illuminate the history, architecture and personal stories of Strathmore’s original venue (10/19, 11/16, 12/21, Mansion)
• Museum Shop Holiday Market — Eighteen of the area’s best museum gift shops come to Strathmore for this annual benefit, a treasure for holiday gift ideas (11/9-12, Mansion)
• Deepak Chopra — Celebrity new-age scientist shares insights from his latest work, You Are the Universe, exploring some of the most important and baffling questions about our place in the world (11/28, Music Center)

TOWN DANCEBOUTIQUE

2009 8th St. NW
202-234-TOWN
towndc.com

• Town & Country — DC Rawhides hosts an evening of social dancing, including two-step, line dancing, waltz and West Coast swing (9/23, and every other Saturday)
• Big Gay Flea: A Queer Market — Queer vendors will be on hand in the Town parking lot, with shows and DJs inside (10/1)

UNIFIED SCENE THEATER

80 T St. NW
unifiedscenetheater.com

• The Quitters & Vi Lenin — These two improv troupes riff on Russia, from communism to election hacking (9/15)
• An Improvised Shakespeare Show — Featuring the unlikely pairing of improv groups Artless Bards and Christian Science Theater (9/16)
• The YouTube Takeover — Improvised scenes “like a live version of a YouTube clip” (9/22)
• Teacher’s Pet, Where’s My Ukulele?, Request for Protest (9/23)
• The Unified Sing — Unified’s new improvised musical troupe, taking an audience suggestion and devising a musical from scratch on the spot (9/29)
• Bring Back the ’90s — Improv show based on the most memorable ’90s music videos, in which the cast uses images and lyrics from videos picked by the audience to create “off-the-charts scenes” (9/30)

WARNER THEATRE

513 13th St. NW
202-397-SEAT
warnertheatre.com

• Hillary Clinton — Politics & Prose presents the former First Lady, who should be serving as First Female President but is instead promoting her new memoir What Happened at an event that long-ago sold out (9/18)
• Dave Chappelle — A nearly sold-out run of hometown shows for one of today’s best comedians (9/19-22, 9/24-30)
• Kevin James (9/23)
• Mike Birbiglia — “The New One” (10/13)
• Margaret Cho — “Fresh Off the Boat” (10/14)
• Peppa Pig Live! (10/15)
• Tom Hanks — Politics & Prose presents a conversation with Ann Patchett (10/20)
• So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour (10/21)
• Laura Ingraham — “Busting the Barricades Tour” (10/26)
• Nick Offerman — The Parks & Recreation alum and hubby to Megan “Karen Walker” Mullally (11/3)
• Alton Brown Live (11/4)
• Kidz Bop — “Best Time Ever” Tour (11/5)
• John Cleese w/screening of Monty Python & the Holy Grail (11/9)
• Neil deGrasse Tyson — “The Search for Life in the Universe” (11/14)
• Intern John’s Peer Pressure Comedy Tour (11/16)
• Joe Biden — The former Vice President who might have been president stops by on his American Promise Tour (11/17)

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER

202-204-7770
witdc.org

• Rise Up! — A run of politically inspired improv shows intended to be cathartic, eye-opening and raw, with tellingly named ensembles including Laffrican Americans, Bottom Shelf, Trustfall, Sweater Kittens, Shock and Awesome, Ugh, Love Onion: Crazy Like a Fox, and Ivanka! The Musical (9/14-10/1, DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW)
• Harold Night — A mere audience suggestion is all it takes for a team of improvisers to create a unique world full of vibrant characters (9/19, and every Tuesday)

WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS

20 W. Patrick St.
Frederick
301-600-2828
weinbergcenter.org

• Flying Dog Film Series: Tombstone (9/27); A Few Good Men (10/25); The Princess Bride (11/29); Trading Places (12/27)
• The Price Is Right Live — Interactive stage show in which audience members can play classic TV games, from Plinko to Cliffhangers to Showcase, and win prizes big and small (10/8)
• Red Green — Comedian on his “I’m Not Old, I’m Ripe” Tour (10/12)
• 72 Film Fest — Films made in only 72 hours screen in this regional competition, with all films premiering Friday night while the finalists, surprises, and awards set for Saturday (10/13-14)
• Tape Face — As seen on America’s Got Talent (10/15)
• Champions of Magic — Five illusionists offer incredible mind-reading, stunning closeup magic and daring illusionary acts (10/17)
• Flip FabriQue — Circus troupe offers unique theatrical event combining acrobatic stunts, original “trampowall,” and humor (10/18)
• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live (10/28)
• Silent Film Series: The Lost World (11/4); The Lodger (11/4); The Beloved Rogue (11/25)
• Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Frank Conniff & Trace Beaulieu (11/18)
• Weinberg Winterfest — From a caroling sing-along, to a viewing of the silent film Soup to Nuts, to a visit from the Clauses (11/25)
• Cartoon Fest 2018 (1/6/18)

For more Fall Arts Preview Above & Beyond listings, visit metroweekly.com/features.