Seamus
@ Dupont Circle
Q:If your dog was a celebrity, who would it be?
A:"He's Seamus. He's a celebrity within himself."
THE RAIN HAS struck again, and it doesn't feel much like summer at the moment. Nonetheless, Fox Searchlight is promoting their new movie, "(500) Days of Summer," with free ice cream. And we can't say no to that.
The first 500 people who show up to each Gifford's location on Sunday, June 21, will get a free sundae and an unspecified piece of movie swag. The promotion starts at noon, so get there early.
» Gifford's Ice Cream, 555 11th St. NW; 202-347-7755. (Metro Center)
» Gifford's Ice Cream, 7237 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda; 301-907-3436. (Bethesda)
» Gifford's Ice Cream, 21 Wisconsin Circle, Chevy Chase; 301-652-8965.
» Gifford's Ice Cream, University Town Center, 6504 America Blvd., Suite 101, Hyattsville; 301-403-8890.
MIKE DUGAN PULLS NO PUNCHES exploring the darker edges of the male psyche in his show "Men Fake Foreplay," now at Bethesda Theatre. The comedian and Emmy-winning writer wrote for Jay Leno and Dennis Miller before launching his 90-minute monologue filled with funny and philosophical insights. Whether he's trying to figure out why men really cheat or why they don't seem to understand complex communication, Dugan's take on the man-woman thing goes far beyond yuks about leaving the toilet seat up.
» EXPRESS: How did "Men Fake Foreplay" come to be?
» DUGAN: When I was writing for late night, I was making a lot of money, but I wanted to write for my own voice. I mean, how many ways can you call Monica Lewinsky a slut? The more I looked around, the more I realized the world is designed to help men do the right thing, not the easy thing.
» EXPRESS: What is the title saying?
» DUGAN: Yeah, it's not about sex. There are actually two definitions in the dictionary for foreplay: the one about sex, and then there's, "Actions or behaviors that precede an event." I set out to redefine foreplay as all the things a man does.
Continue Reading "Pulling No Punches, Faking Foreplay: Comedian Mike Dugan" »
WE KNOW YOU can't take a vacation this summer. Not only is everyone strapped for cash, but with so many people out of work, everyone with a job is working triple-time. A staycation even seems dicey. But you can make time for one night, right?
It's time to explore Bethesda. OK, it's not exactly Colonial Williamsburg, but it IS on the Metro, and we'll take convenience over butter churns any day of the week. And hey, anything is better than the same Capitol Hill hangout every day of the week.
If you're in the mood for pure relaxation, snag a booth at the Barking Dog. Weekdays between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., you can get $1 off every beer, rail drink, glass of wine or appetizer. After that, you can hit the teeny indie-house Bethesda Row cinema for a screening of "Summer Hours."
Continue Reading "Red Line to Relaxing: Besthesda Happy Hours" »
IF IT'S NOT arty, sporty or recreational, what is it? We're calling it "random," a word used incorrectly billions of times each day. It doesn't mean odd, weird or unusual, people, it means "chosen without method or conscious decision." So we used the newsroom supercomputer to select these items in just such a manner. Kidding! We're using the word wrong, too, because we very consciously culled this list from a vast universe of possibilities. Just don't ask us how.
» 17) FOLK ROCKS: One of the highlights of summer is experiencing the Smithsonian without going into a dark museum, thanks to the folklife festival, a giant outdoor celebration of American and international culture. Started in the 1960s, the event focuses this year on Wales, Latin music and "the power of words in African-American culture" — an exploration of black oratory from the barber shop to the pulpit to the political arena. A full schedule of the two-week-long affair will be available in June.
» National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial; June 24-28 and July 1-5, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with some evening events, free; Festival.si.edu. (Smithsonian) F.Z.
» 18) PULLING FOR PORK: It's like that George Thorogood song, but with meat: 60 varieties of bourbon, 40 types of beer and a whole lotta barbecue. Booze sipping and pulled-pork slurping are the main objectives at the Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Festival, but barrel-rolling contests, the "World BBQ Bean Eating Championships" and a "Ms. Bar-B-Q Babe" pageant offer additional eye candy. And there's a mechanical bull! This year's new, larger location at National Harbor means it's twice the size of 2008's bash.
» 137 National Plaza, National Harbor; June 20, noon-6 p.m., $20-$40 (barbecue not included in ticket price); 800-830-3976, Beerandbourbon.com. J.B
THIS WEEK: Everyone wants to save the planet, and Bethesda's Fraser Gallery is getting in on the action with "Bethesda Green," an exhibit of artwork created using recycled materials.
The trash we leave behind appears to be a popular subject — there are photographs of strange soda-bottle collages and paintings of Chinese take-out cartons. And you can even take public transportation to the exhibit!
» Fraser Gallery, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda; through May 30, free; 301-718-9651. (Bethesda)
THIS WEEK: While the educational powers that be might not be thrilled with the message of "Heidi" — children don't need school! They just need to play in the grass and milk goats! — they won't be able to deny its infectious exuberance.
This musical version of the beloved children's book about a 7-year-old who discovers the power of nature will at least convince any children you take to see it that they should put down the Xbox and go play outside.
» Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda; through May 17, $10-$21; 301-280-1660. (Bethesda)
Photo courtesy Imagination Stage
THIS WEEK: No, it's not you — the art in Gallery Neptune's dual show really is mind-bending.
Mark Behme's funny-scary carved-wood sculptures compete for your gray cells with Judy Goodkind's wackily scaled canvases in an exhibit that's part art show, part mental carnival ride.
» Gallery Neptune, 5001 Wilson Blvd., Bethesda; through March 28, free; 301-718-0809. (Bethesda)
Written by Express' Nathan Martin
Photo courtesy Mark Behme
WITH "EURYDICE," HER adaptation of the Greek myth of Orpheus, Sarah Ruhl turns a story about a man pining after a lost love into a story about a woman (Jenna Sokolowski) and her father (Harry A. Winter), both dead, and her re-education as a member of the land of the dead.
Interspersed with Eurydice's adventures are scenes featuring her love, Orpheus (Adriano Gatto), who subjects us to a series of poetic monologues. Both Gatto and Sokolowski seem to have trouble with Ruhl's lyrical language — a challenging opening scene meant to establish the consuming love between the two falls flat. Yet even though it's difficult to warm to the protagonists, the evening is saved by Ruhl's transcendent script and great performances by Winter and the cast of the underworld, including its creepy king (Mitchell Hébert, whose comic timing is unbeatable) and a trio of stones (Susan Lynskey,KenYatta Roger and Linden Tailor) who heckle the denizens of Hades.
The enigmatic set (designed by Clint Ramos) is complex and wonderful, including an onstage river of Lethe and uncountable ladders.
Continue Reading "Looking Back Darkly: Sarah Ruhl's 'Eurydice'" »
THE PHRASE "Mardi Gras party" can bring the bleary-eyed bead-chucking bonanza on New Orleans' Bourbon Street to mind. Sigh. That drunken debacle is often the most-talked-about attribute of the holiday. But let's mix it up, shall we? Try this: the King Cake.
Ask any native New Orleanian and they'll wax nostalgic about the baked treat served on Fat Tuesday. It's a bready cake that's stuffed with a cream cheese or fruit filling, and topped with vanilla icing and sprinkles of gold, purple and green sugar. Oh, and there's a wee, plastic baby baked inside. Chomping on the baby is rumored to bring good luck — provided you don't choke on it.
Hungry? (Because the thought of eating a plastic tot always whets the appetite.) It's a good thing several local spots are serving this sweet. Bardia's New Orleans Cafe (2412 18th St. NW; 202-234-0420) and Buzz Bakery (901 Slaters Lane, Alexandria; 703-600-2899) sell them for $25 and request 48 hours' notice. Cafe owner Bardia Ferdouski adds that folks who come in Tuesday get a free slice with their meal. Cakes are $20 at Louisiana Kitchen & Bayou Bar (4907 Cordell Ave.; 301-652-6945, 24 hours notice). At Acadiana (901 New York Ave. NW; 202-408-8848) pastry chef Chris Hutcheson is doing them doughnut style (four for $8), with cream cheese filling and a side of icing. But what about the baby?! "I am debating about nestling them in between the stack of donuts," he says. Whew.
THIS WEEK: If you've been paying attention to D.C.'s theater scene recently, you know that Sarah Ruhl is all the rage. "Eurydice," her adaptation of the Orpheus myth is a sad, quirky tale of Eurydice's trip to the Underworld and Orpheus' failed attempt to find her.
This is a remounting of a wonderful show that was produced at Georgetown University a couple of years ago, and the actors and set designer do this spectaular play justice. Local actor Harry Winter stands out as Eurydice's dead father, who helps her adjust to life in Hades.
» Round House Theatre, 4545 East West Highway, Bethesda; through March 1, $25-$60; 240-644-1100. (Bethesda)
Photo by Danisha Crosby
Addison Road