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 18
SHAKE IT UP: On the 40th anniversary of Mount St. Helens’s eruption, join experts from the Air & Space Museum to discuss the science behind volcanoes and earthquakes. The scientists will discuss shaking, rattling and rolling and take questions. (1 p.m., FREE)
MAKE IT MINECRAFT: Take an afternoon break and go on a virtual, video game tour of D.C. via Microsoft Teams for Minecraft Monday. Learn fun facts and participate in a weekly challenge. At least in the Minecraft world, you don’t have to social distance. (3 p.m., FREE)
ACT IT OUT: Experience the theatrical at home with Round House Theater’s Homebound. The original series explores the stay-at-home orders we’re all experiencing via 10-minute episodes. Posted each Monday, the show stars resident artists Craig Wallace, Maboud Ebrahimzadeh and other actors who have lost work from the pandemic. (All day, FREE)
MORE: Daily Antidotes of Song (Washington Revels, 12 p.m., FREE), Playing with Poetry (Moonlit, 6 p.m., $20)
TUESDAY, MAY 19
SMS ART: Festivals the world over have been canceled because of COVID-19, but that isn’t going to stop D.C.-based performance artist Brian Feldman. Watch Feldman’s virtual take on a show he was originally going to debut at Adelaide Fringe arts festival in Australia: #txtshow (on the internet). The interactive, Zoom-set performance stars a mysterious character reciting dialogue written in real time by the audience. (8 a.m., $8)
SELL, SELL, SELL: Tired of staring at the same walls and considering selling your place? Check out this home-selling webinar from the Keri Shull realty team and learn some tips and tricks to sell virtually—and get a good price, too. (6 p.m., FREE)
BOOK TALK: Hear author Stephanie Danler chat with actor Jamie Lee Curtis at this Politics & Prose Live Event. The duo will discuss Danler’s new memoir, Stray, and themes of addiction, life choices and forgiveness. Purchase a copy of Stray from Politics & Prose to be registered for the event. (8 p.m., $25.95 includes book purchase)
MORE: Virtual Speed Dating (Relish Dating, 7:30 p.m.,$22), Skip The Small Talk – Authentic Relating (The Lola, 9 a.m., $10 for non-members)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20
TWEET, TWEET: Give all that gazing out the window you’ve been doing some purpose by channeling your inner naturalist. Join the Birdwatching in Colombia from Home session from the Colombian Embassy, and learn how to identify the country’s birds, many of which are migrating to the U.S. right now. Register here and get ready to ID birds from your own perch. (6 p.m., FREE)
STUDENT LOAN 411: If the pandemic has impacted your ability to pay your student loans, check out the webinar Managing Student Loan Debt Beyond COVID-19. Presented by the Greater Washington Urban League, topics covered will include waiver programs, repayment strategies, and default prevention. (2 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Know Your Power: Counting Bars: Making Rap Music, Pt. 1 (D.C. Public Library, 5 p.m., FREE), Leveraging Your Passions to Design a Fulfilling Career (Coaching 4 Good, 12:30 p.m., FREE)
THURSDAY, MAY 21
GODS & MONSTERS: Art museums are closed, but we can still appreciate the medium online. Listen as experts from the American University Museum discuss the mythical work of artist Viola Fray during the institute’s first virtual gallery talk. Hear how Fray’s work bridged the worlds of craft and fine art, and appreciate her catalog online. (Disclaimer: AU holds the license for DCist’s parent company, WAMU.) (7 p.m., FREE)
TAP IT OUT: Warn your downstairs neighbors and get ready to make your tap-dancing dreams come true with this Virtual Master Class from Signature Theatre with actor, dancer, and choreographer Jared Grimes. He’ll teach this virtual class on rhythm tap. Tap shoes, a small space, and a hard surface to dance on are suggested for this intermediate class. (7 p.m., $10)
SPY SISTERHOOD: Celebrate the nearing weekend with a virtual Spies & Spymaster’s happy hour. Deceptive analysis expert Lena Sisco will discuss lie detection and how to read body language. (5:30 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Story Circle: Cultural Diplomacy for a Post-COVID World (Smithsonian Folklife Festival, 12 p.m., FREE)
