A young rapper finds his way in Syncing Ink at the Kennedy Center on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Niegel Smith, Alley Theater)
Delve into Jewish baseball history, ogle some scaly creatures, refresh your knowledge of Game of Thrones minutiae, eat a roasted pig, and more in this roundup of the week’s most intriguing D.C. events.
MONDAY, JULY 10
HISTORY OF RAP: The 17th Annual DC Hip Hop Theater Festival is in full swing. On Monday night, catch a performance of Syncing Ink, which follows an aspiring rapper as his artistic pursuits lead to personal discoveries. The rest of this year’s festival lineup is worth perusing as well. (Kennedy Center; 6 to 7 p.m.; FREE)
HISTORY OF BALL: Diehard Nationals fans will recognize Phil Wood as the host of Nats Talk Live, the team’s official post-game radio show. It’s safe to say Wood has quite a grasp on baseball history. During a discussion, he’ll focus on the history of Jews’ involvement in the sport. Several prominent ones served in the military, while another ended up as a spy for the OSS. All for swinging a bat at a ball (that’s all baseball is, right?). (National Museum of American Jewish History; 7 to 9 p.m.; FREE)
IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE: For some, the mere thought of snakes, lizards, and frogs is automatic nightmare fodder for weeks. For others, it’s a fun afternoon. And for presenters at a reptile event on Monday, it’s business. (Northwest One Library; 4 to 5 p.m.; FREE)
OINK: A few slabs of bacon once in a while will seem like nothing after a visit to Honeysuckle’s Tiki Pig Roast, during which — well, duh — a pig will be roasted. Tiki drinks will be on offer, as will “lots of spam,” poke and pineapples. (Honeysuckle; 7 to 10 p.m.; $60)
More: The Interrupters Screening; Whose Streets Screening;
Morning Movement w/ Matthew Cumbie + Live Music by Mark H Rooney; Cate Lineberry at Politics and Prose; Idiocracy at The Midlands; Knife Techniques at Glen’s Garden Market; Lee Matthew Goldberg at East City Bookshop
TUESDAY, JULY 11
Imagine this building being your office. (Photo by John Sonderman)
POWER OF THE PRESIDENCY: Few professions have been more heavily scrutinized in recent months than political reporters. Three of them — Peter Baker of the Washington Post, Dana Millbank of the Washington Post, and Julie Pace of the Associated Press — will discuss the demands of the job, and maybe share some behind-the-scenes tidbits from the Trump administration. Pray for them to get sleep one of these days. (Kramerbooks; 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.; FREE)
IN ITS OWN LEAGUE: A League of Their Own turned 25 years old this year, but it hasn’t passed its prime. With a top-notch cast led by Tom Hanks and Geena Davis, the movie is a worthy kickoff for this year’s female-centric lineup of outdoor screenings in Georgetown. There’s no crying in baseball, or next to the Potomac River. (Georgetown Waterfront Park; 7 to 11 p.m.; FREE)
FRESH OFF THE WIRE: Rafael Alvarez worked on the legendary writing staff of HBO’s acclaimed series The Wire. Not surprisingly, he’s a gifted author in his own right, with 11 books to his name and a twelfth one on the way. His latest is Basilio Boullosa Stars in the Fountain of Highlandtown, an anthology that counts among its subjects “a junk man and his Greek lover, duck blood soup, flying John Lennon dolls, and a hot-air balloon shaped like the head of Elvis Presley.” With any luck, his discussion will tie those disparate threads together. (DC Arts Center; 7 to 9 p.m.; FREE)
SLOW TRANSITION: People are reluctant to accept changes big and small in their lives. Few changes were more profound than the gradual acceptance of electricity as a central underlying component of the human experience. So how did people learn to be comfortable with trading their now-antiquated appliances for more modern equivalents? Patrick Sheary of Furnishings and Historic Interiors will explain. (DAR Museum; 12 to 1 p.m.; FREE)
More: Cabaret at the Kennedy Center; Zine Lab; United States Navy Band Country Current Concert; Allegra Goodman at Politics and Prose; Stories about being an American; Staged Reading and Discussion of Ayn Rand’s We the Living; Kicking and Screaming at Via Umbria; Lawrence P. Jackson at Politics and Prose; Zen Arcade; Carnivore Grand Opening; You Can Grow It Tour
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12
A panel of artists will discuss the effect of gentrification on their work on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Gallery 102)
WHISPERED TIPS: The White House is leaking like a faucet — but what separates a legitimate leak from a convincing fraud? How are leaks vetted before they’re reported? What are the consequences for leakers who get caught? These questions and more will be up for discussion among a former CIA operative and several New York Times staffers, including reporter Glenn Thrush. Keep tinfoil hats at home — #factsonly. (International Spy Museum; 6:30 to 8 p.m.; $20)
UNSPOKEN TRUTH: Almost everyone knows about gentrification. Figuring out how to stop it, adapt to it, or live with is another matter altogether. A panel of local artists — part of Regina Miele’s solo show entitled “Urban Monopoly” — might help with the latter. (GW Museum and Textile Museum; 5:30 to 7 p.m.; FREE)
WHAT LIES WITHIN: A building isn’t just a building. It’s a living document of its architects and inhabitants. Windshield: A Vanished Vision, world-premiering Wednesday, uncovers the history of an iconic Fishers Island house in New York through home-movie footage, interviews, and audio recordings. The film’s director is Elissa Brown, whose grandparents lived in the house, and whose father is a former National Gallery of Art director. It all comes together in the end. (National Gallery of Art; 12 p.m.; FREE)
More: Salsa with Angela Ingram;
Sense and Sensibility at Dumbarton House; Princess Mononoke at Angelika Pop-Up; Bring It! Live at Warner Theatre; Kevin Hearne at Politics and Prose; Paul Butler at Busboys and Poets
THURSDAY, JULY 13
The Ese’Eja of the Amazon are endangered by miners and loggers in the Peruvian forests. (Photo courtesy of the Embassy of Peru)
ENDANGERED: The foraging Ese’Eja people of the Amazon live near three Peruvian rivers — but thanks to the increasing presence of miners and loggers, their numbers are dwindling. A new exhibit examines their culture — including their origin story, in which they descended from the sky on a thread of cotton — and offers a window into their struggles. (Embassy of Peru; 6 to 9 p.m.; FREE)
WATCH THE THRONE: In case the pop-up bar hadn’t already made it abundantly clear, winter is coming. (Technically, a winter is always coming, but don’t tell George R.R. Martin that.) Game of Thrones returns on Sunday after 13 months off the air. Some loyal fans might catch up by watching previous episodes or browsing Wikipedia summaries, but for the more daring/confident, trivia night with a $500 grand prize might prove more exciting. (Penn Social; 7:30 to 10 p.m.; $20)
(Bonus: Fado has a similar event at the same time.)
CHEESY GOODS: Europe no longer reigns supreme in the world’s cheese production race. A fromager (imagine!) will take visitors through a tasting of four artisanal U.S. cheeses paired with four American craft beers, beaming all the while with patriotic pride. Take that, Europe. (Righteous Cheese; 7 to 8 p.m.; $49)
More: Moana at Capital Riverfront;
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul Screening; Val Lewton Gallery Talk;
Monica Hesse at Politics and Prose; Summer Evenings at the U.S. National Arboretum with Deja Belle; Resist! Opening Reception; Art Glass at Soapstone Market
BONUS, ALL WEEK LONG: Capital Fringe Festival 2017 is underway. Check out all of our coverage so far.
