Part one of award winning play Angels in America will be broadcasted this week in D.C. (Photo from London’s National Theatre)
By DCist contributor Mimi Montgomery
Labor Day weekend is behind us, college football has officially kicked off and school is back in session, but don’t break out the PSLs and boots quite yet. There’s still plenty of time for warm-weather activities such as Pups in the Park, a Caribbean arts festival or drinking wine at the zoo. More of an indoor kid? That’s okay, too—there are plenty of concerts, book talks, plays and craft classes to occupy folks of all types.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 5
ANGELS IN AMERICA London’s National Theatre recently showed Tony Kushner’s multi-award winning play Angels in in America, which featured the likes of Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane. The play follows a group as it navigates 1980s America, the AIDS crisis, and the Reagan administration all while exploring life, death, and love. Part one will be broadcast in D.C. tonight and tomorrow, and part two will be broadcast on Sept. 11 and 12. Buy a ticket for one, two, or both; either way, it’s bound to be a powerful show. (Sidney Harman Hall, 7 p.m., $16 – $20)
MANIAC ON THE FLOOR Zumba fans, pay attention to this one: Hands on Drums will host a Kukuwa African dance workout tonight. It’s low on impact but high on energy, with a blend of Central, East, South, West and North African music providing the back beats. It’s open to all dance and fitness levels, so come as you are. Who needs SoulCycle anyways? (Hands on Drums, 7:00 p.m., $10 drop-in, $40 for five classes, $70 for 10 classes)
BOOK TALK Dr. Willow Lung-Amam heads to The Potter’s House to discuss her new book, Trespassers?: Asian Americans and the Battle for Suburbia. Focusing on the growth of Silicon Valley and its rising number of highly educated immigrants in the tech field, Lung-Amam examines the journey of Asian Americans making a home in the Silicon Valley suburbs and the tensions of a changing ethnic landscape. (The Potter’s House, 6:30 – 8 p.m., FREE)
More Sailor in a Box (National Museum of the United States Navy, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., FREE)
Enroll in a bead making workshop at the National Museum of African Art. (Photo from the National Museum of African Art)
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6
BEAD IT The first Wednesday of each month, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art hosts a workshop series featuring a rotation of crafts. This month, jewelry boxes across D.C. will get a boost—the museum’s workshop will be all about bead making. A longtime African custom, beads are traditionally created and worn to delineate identity and status. But don’t be afraid to get creative: Each participant will get to make his or her own collection of beads, which will then be strung into a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. (Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., FREE)
B-I-N-G-O Love games, animals, and a good cause? Look no further. The Humane Rescue Alliance protects, rescues, and provides adoption services for animals in D.C., and it is hosting a Rescue Bingo! event at Slash Run. Grab a card and eye the competition over food and drink. Go back for seconds—all proceeds benefit the animals. (Slash Run, 7-10 p.m., FREE)
MASTER OF NAAN Get ready to say goodbye to takeout; learn to make Indian food right at home. Head to an Introduction to Indian Cooking class at Pansaari, a local chai bar, market, and event space. On tonight’s menu: seasonal vegetables, rice, plenty of spices, and a Cachumber salad featuring onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and sizzling spice seasoning. Mouth watering? Don’t worry … all dishes made during class will later be served for as dinner. (Pansaari, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., $55)
Take a furry friend to Pups in the Park and cheer on the Nats. (Photo by Jim Havard)
THURSDAY, SEPT. 7
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP Tonight, the Embassy of Japan and the U.S.-Japan Council host a talk called Women in Leadership: Breaking Glass Ceilings. The panel will feature a multitude of accomplished women such as Marcia Ogawa Matsubayashi of Telecom and Deloitte, Vice Admiral Jan Tighe of the U.S. Navy, and Edson Mori of the Inter-American Development Bank. The group will touch on issues such as working in global settings and working to leave an equitable playing field for younger generations. (Embassy of Japan, 2 – 3:30 p.m., FREE, registration required)
STORY New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik will be at Politics and Prose tonight to discuss his latest book of essays, At the Strangers’ Gate. In it, he chronicles his journey from Montreal to New York in the 1980s. He’s both blunt and nostalgic, at once including descriptions of a city beset by crime and drug use while also recalling his journey from Conde Nast to MoMa to his position today. Ron Charles, fiction editor at The Washington Post, will facilitate the conversation. (Politics and Prose, 7 – 8:00 p.m., FREE)
IT’S A ZOO What’s better than seeing cute, fuzzy animals? Seeing cute, fuzzy animals while drinking wine, of course. The National Zoo hosts Zoo Uncorked again this year, a wine event that takes place right in the midst of pandas, elephants, snakes, and tigers. Enjoy unlimited wine tastings from local and national wineries as well as live music, food trucks, and handcrafted goods. The best part (besides the wine)? It’s all for the animals. (The Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., members $55, general $70)
PAUL RYAN SIT-DOWN New York Times deputy Washington editor Jonathan Weisman sits down with House Speaker Paul Ryan for TimesTalks D.C., the first of the Washington-based conversation series that pairs Times journalists with innovators. With a nation facing issues such as tax reform, healthcare overhaulm, and an increasingly polarized government, it’s bound to be a lively and topical discussion. (Newseum, 8:00 – 9:15 a.m., $25)
HOT DOG The Nats play the Phillies tonight, but more importantly, it’s Pups in the Park. Bring a furry friend to enjoy the game, or simply come pet-less and just enjoy the cuteness overload. Friendly reminder: All attendees bringing a dog must drop off a signed waiver listing its shots and vaccinations, so make sure those vet appointments are up-to-date. (Nationals Park, 7:05 p.m., $30 owner, $10 pet)
MORE: Phillips after 5 (The Phillips Collection, 5:00 – 8:30 p.m., $12, free for members); Depeche Mode (Capitol One Arena, 7:30 p.m., $39 – $514); Pat Green (9:30 Club, $40, doors 7:00 p.m.)
