Editor’s note: DCist suspended our daily events guides in mid-March. But we’re bringing back weekday and weekend posts with ways to have virtual fun. We’ll be focused specifically on digital offerings from D.C.-area artists, musicians, fitness instructors, and others. (Want us to know about a virtual event? Submit them here.) And don’t forget about our guide to free movies, audiobooks, art, and other offerings from area institutions.
MONDAY, MAY 11
CAPED COBRA: If Monday evenings are your evil villain, then fight it off with some Superhero Yoga. Don a cape and a mask to follow along with The Station’s Instagram Live as they go through poses that will surely save you and your family from cabin fever. (6 p.m., FREE)
OUI, OUI: If mastering a foreign language is at the top of your quarantine to-do list, consider learning parler Français with the help of Conversational DC. Register online ahead of time; attendees will be broken into small groups for 15-minute intervals. Newcomers and beginners welcome. (7 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Daily Virtual Meditation (DC VAMC Veterans Mental Health Advisory Council, 12:15 p.m., FREE), Working in a Virtual World: Sustainability Careers Mondays (New Lens, 5 p.m., FREE)
TUESDAY, MAY 12
CONTAGION 101: COVID-19 has many of us looking back at past pandemics to glean answers about our future. Historian Mark Honigsbaum, author of The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris, will discuss the current crisis and what it has in common with past outbreaks. Sponsored by the Natural History Museum, listen in for context to keep history from repeating itself. (11:30 a.m., FREE)
LAUGH RIOT: Story District’s virtual show “Funnier Than Fiction,” which had its in-person Kennedy Center debut in February, will now make you guffaw from the comforts of your own home. Nab a ticket and get ready to join newcomers and seasoned storytellers alike as they regale us with tales of stuffed animals, aggressive horses, and a class president race for the ages. (7:30 p.m., Pay what you can)
INEQUALITY TALK: The coronavirus crisis has made it clear that the level of suffering from the economic fallout is divided by class lines. In this Politics & Prose Live event, Nickel and Dimed author Barbara Ehrenreich and Trick Mirror writer Jia Tolentino will discuss economic inequality during the COVID-19 outbreak. (6 p.m., FREE)
MORE: MCAEL Spelling Bee (Montgomery County Coalition for Adult English Literacy, 7 p.m., FREE), Virtual Writing Hour (National Portrait Gallery, 5 p.m., FREE)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
SEW HEAR THIS: If your crafty gene has been activated during quarantine, join this DIY Mending workshop from D.C. Public Library to talk shop. Show off your new sewing projects and get advice on issues that have cropped up along your way. Sign up ahead of time and get ready to stitch your heart out. (5 p.m., FREE)
TO BE OR NOT TO BE: Take a deep dive into the Bard’s universe with Shakespeare Theater’s artistic director Simon Godwin and resident dramaturg Drew Lichtenberg during The Shakespeare Hour. This week, the duo and a few guests will be discussing The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest, two of Will’s later plays, both of which have a romantic bent. (7:30 p.m., $10)
LIVE, IT’S WEDNESDAY NIGHT! Celebrate Hump Day with a mini-concert from one of Strathmore’s Artists in Residence via the arts center’s Live from the Living Room series. This week pianist and vocalist Mark G. Meadows will blend musical genres and help sing your blues away. (7:30 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Re-Set Your Intentions Mini Book Workshop (Shop Made in DC, 6:30 p.m., $47), Spill the Tea (Planned Parenthood, 6:30 p.m., FREE)
THURSDAY, MAY 14
THANK U, NEXT: Illustrator and Kennedy Center Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems has been entertaining the masses via his Lunch Doodles since quarantine began. Now, he’s adding to his repertoire with “Thank You Thursdays!” a new program that will run each week for the month of May. Watch Mo spin the “Thank-O-Rama Wheel” and see who he’ll thank each week. (1 p.m., FREE)
STICKS AND STONES: Do you have an injury story that makes everyone in the room shriek just hearing it? Share your tortured tale and you might become part of the Washington Improv Theater’s “Broken Bones” virtual show. Cringe and watch along at home to see if laughter does heal all wounds. (6 p.m., FREE, donations appreciated)
QUIZ ME: Prove that you know the District better than anyone by joining Mikaela Lefrak, host of WAMU’s What’s With Washington podcast, for a night of local trivia. Pre-register for instructions and get ready to show off your local know-how via Zoom. (7:30 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Live Chat: Spacesuits (National Air & Space Museum, 1 p.m., FREE), John Moe With Sean Doolittle and Linda Holmes (Sixth & I, 7 p.m., $10)
