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Georgetowner • October 31, 2011

Friday, Oct. 28

L2 Lounge in Cady’s Alley is hosting the Wizard’s in the Kitchen cookbook launch party. Learn dozens of magical recipes while getting your fortune read and enjoying specialty cocktails and “potions.” Come dressed in your best wizard inspired costume as prizes for best costumes will be awarded. Tickets are $25 in advance online or $30 at the door. Ticket includes one complimentary cookbook per guest. Call 202-965-2001 for more information.

Saturday, Oct. 29

Carve a PAUL Pumpkin

PAUL is inviting patrons to come carve a PAUL pumpkin in their soon-to-open store. But here’s the twist: they’re not carving pumpkins, they’re carving delicious bread. Cost is $15 per person plus one child. Refreshments will be served, and everyone gets to take their prized “pumpkins” home. Pumpkin carving sessions will be held Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. To reserve a spot, email paulb03@paul-usa.com.

Gustafer Yellowgold’s “Stripe Of The Sock” Fall Tour

“The show is a cross between ‘Yellow Submarine’ and Dr. Seuss.” – The New York Times

Groovy Gustafer Yellowgold is a small, yellow, cone-headed fellow, who came to Earth from the Sun and has a knack for finding himself neck-deep in absurd situations as he explores his new life in the Minnesota woods. Equal parts pop rock concert and animated storybook, Gustafer Yellowgold concerts are a truly different multimedia experience that entrances children and adults alike. Jammin’ Java?227 Maple Ave. E?Vienna, Va. 22180. Event begins at 10:30 a.m., tickets are $10.

Artomatic SurrealDC Halloween Masquerade

Artomatic’s SurrealDC Halloween Masquerade will be held at Washington Harbour in Georgetown (3050 K St NW) on Saturday, Oct.29, 2011 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Admission to SurrealDC 2011 is $25 which includes open bar, beer and wine only, from 8:00 PM-10:00 PM and Halloween treats. The event will only accept patrons age 21 and over. Tickets can be purchased online at www.surrealdc2011.eventbrite.com and will not be sold at the door. For more info, please visit www.artomatic.org.

Sunday, Oct. 30

Choral Benediction

Choristers from Saint Luke Catholic Church, Saint Francis Episcopal Church, Reston Chorale, and the Amadeus Community Singers join together under the baton of A. Scott Wood. Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, op. 9, a 20th-century masterpiece with Gregorian plainsong as its source. The Amadeus Orchestra also takes a solo turn in Bach’s Suite No. 3, a triumphant celebration with the exquisite “Air on the G String” at its center. 7001 Georgetown Pike McLean, Va. 22101. Event begins at 4 p.m., tickets are $25 for general admission.

Georgetowner •

International education must adapt or face destruction, global educators said at the U.S.-India Higher Education Summit this morning.

“A democracy depends upon educated citizenry,” said Hillary Clinton, who gave an opening address at the summit, held at Georgetown University.

Also on hand to give an opening address was Kapil Sibal, Indian Minster of Human Resource Development, who stressed the high stakes of global collaboration.

“Business as usual is a recipe for global disaster,” Sibal said.

The opening address was followed by a roundtable discussion featuring Sibal; Richard Levin, president of Yale University; and Sam Pitroda, advisor to the prime minister on public information. The panel discussed the challenges facing higher education throughout both nations, stressing collaboration as a key to success.

“Nations are defined by boundaries,” Sibal said, “but in the 21st century, nations will have to transcend them.”

These boundaries include the fact that, while 30,000 Indian students come to the U.S. annually to study, only 2,500 American students travel to India to do the same. According to Sibal, American students need India just as much as India needs them.

“Lots of young Americans have skills which are outdated,” Sibal said. “People in India have the resources to help with that.”

The panelists had different ideas as to what some other boundaries are. According to Levin, the study of India in the U.S. is “under-resourced,” and American higher education needs to put as much emphasis on the study of the history and culture of India as it does on Europe.

Pitroda sees the integration of technology and education as the key to productive citizens in the future—and denial of that is a potential obstacle to progress.

“We must realize,” Pitroda said, “that technology plays a very important role—that everything we do is essentially obsolete.”

The panelists agreed that the number one way to maintain U.S.-Indian relations is to simply be there. If you want to understand another place better, your best bet is to simply get on a plane and go, they concurred.

The entire summit is being broadcast live at webcast.georgetown.edu, and will continue until 5:45 p.m.

Kyle Lundberg •

Just outside of the main gates of Georgetown University lies Poulton Hall, and nestled inside that is a small, dark theater. The size of the theater does not match the soaring ambitions of the students set to perform on its stage for the Donn B. Murphy One Acts Festival.

The festival is a showcase for original student works, and is put on by the Georgetown University Mask and Bauble Society. The process begins with a script contest, where students submit scripts and the winner is chosen as the first piece for the festival. This year, the chosen piece was “Peaches and Freon: A Musical,” written by Georgetown seniors Ryan Dull and Michael Franch with music by George Washington University junior Andrew Pendergrast. According to Franch, the musical started as a simple joke.

“We were joking about hilarious moments in musical theater that we all know and love,” Franch said. “We came up with a song about stationary trees; it was completely stupid, but people began to ask what musical it was from, that they had looked it up on YouTube but couldn’t find it. After that, we thought we might as well try it.”

“Peaches and Freon” follows the playwriting duo of David (Greg Brew) and Moonglow (Adrian Prado) as an MC (Betsy Helmer) presents a “greatest hits” presentation of their greatest musicals, which include “The Burnham Wood” (which features stationary trees,) “Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster” and “Abortion Contortion: A Pre-Natal Murder Mystery.” According to Franch, it was difficult to come up with a plot and characters based around a joke.

“The songs don’t push the plot because they’re joke songs,” Franch said. “In order to fit the characters around this problem, we made them obvious and sympathetic. But, given that it is the first play he’s written, Franch said the experience was smooth.

“As we were writing it, it gelled a lot faster than we thought it would,” he said.

The second play, “#Courage,” written and directed by Georgetown junior Swedian Lie, is a much more dramatic and serious affair. According to festival producer Liz Robbins, this juxtaposition was deliberate.

“We wanted to give the full theater experience from one spectrum to the other,” Robbins said.

“#Courage” is a more existential reflection on the Arab Spring, specifically the Egyptian Revolution, and the role that social media continues to play in revolutions around the world. The play begins with a conversation between Facebook (Victoria Glock-Molloy) and Twitter (Katie Mitchell) and weaves through a dramatization of the real-life murder of Kaled Said (Jack Schmitt) and the social revolution it spurred with the help of social media. According to Lie, the play’s complex social themes were rooted in the strength of the individual.

“Facebook and Twitter are tools,” Lie said, “but people have to use them. The real focus is on the human spirit.”

When the lights went up after the first-ever showing of these student works, Dull and Franch, who had never seen their worked performed or even rehearsed, sat in their seats, taking it all in.

“This is absolutely surreal,” Dull said. “This is our first time seeing our material performed. The only emotion we felt is ‘wow, this doesn’t suck.’ I’m absurdly happy with it all.”

Although Lie was more directly involved with his play, he was also pleased to see his creation go off without a hitch in front of an audience.

“It was a lot of fun,” Lie said. “I have some experience with adaptations, but this is my first original work.”

Now in its 160th season, the society is touted as the oldest continually-running student theater troupe in the U.S. Philip Tam, the publicity director for the festival, attributes this longevity to the actors.

“I really think we owe it all to the dedication of the actors,” Tam said. “They really love what they do.”

The Donn B. Murphy One Act Festival runs through Saturday Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. General tickets are $7 or $5 for students.

Georgetowner •

Ledbury is “popping” up on M Street next week. The Richmond, Va.-based high-end mensware line will open for just three days, Oct. 27 through 29, at 2805 M St. NW. The venue will hold a launch party Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. celebrating this whirlwind business venture with a whiskey bar and some old-school funk music. For the rest of the store’s duration, Ledbury will sell its wares, which are fitted shirts in all styles, at a 20 percent discounted rate. Customers who visit the store can also meet the designers and founders of the line, Paul Trible and Paul Watson, who will be on hand throughout the three days.

The anticipated Fleurir Chocolates will also open this weekend on Oct. 22 with a Grand Opening Extravaganza from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and will hopefully be sticking around for much longer than a weekend. The opening event will provide samples of some of their “hand-grown” chocolates and hot cocoas, as well as a gourmet s’mores station with homemade marshmallows, graham crackers and, naturally, chocolate.

Tori Loven Kirkebø •

According to a press release issued by the White House Office for Management and Budget on Oct. 20, the Georgetown West Heating Plant is being put up for sale. The sale is a part of President Obamas campaign to cut waste, lead by Vice President Joe Biden.

The Heating Plant located at the northeast corner of 29th and K Streets was designed by architect W.M. Dewey Foster and built from 1946 to 1948. According to the GSA, the plant “generates and supplies fuel to the western group of Federal buildings.” For the last 10 years, the plant has been out of use. The government has kept the property as a security back-up to be used if an emergency occurs, but are now ready to let it go, and as of today it is labeled “excess.” Numbers from the press release show that the plant has been costing the taxpayers $3.5 million in maintenance costs over the last decade, even though it has not been used. Similar cuts leading to sales of federal buildings are being made all across America.

The big question now is who will buy this property. Georgetown real estate agents and developers told the Washington Post’s Ed O’Keefe and John O’Sullivan that the building would be an ideal investment due to, among other things, its prime location. According to Georgetown Metropolitan, the building’s art deco design has triggered discussions on whether or not one should tear down the building. They say that while some appreciate the building’s design, others would rather see the building go and the property turned into a park. Developers say that either way, the development of the property will be extensive, whether it will house condos, a park, a museum, retail or anything else.

Kristin Sørumshagen •

The purple wall next to True Religion Brand Jeans and Saloun in Georgetown that has made you curious for the past weeks is hiding a brand new athletic store, Athleta, which opens Nov. 10, according to Athleta.Gap.Com. This will be one of four stores Athleta is opening throughout the country this fall, according to the website.

Athleta, a part of Gap Incorporation, sells women’s sportswear. Whether you’re into yoga, swimming, running or hiking, this might be a place for you. “If it’s a matter of performance over beauty, we’ll take both,” the Athleta site says.

Gary Tischler • October 27, 2011

They roped off the street in front of the Verizon Center as thousands of Washington Capitals fans streaked into the building to see Ovie, Semin and other Russians at a hockey game. But for some people—hundreds in fact—that wasn’t the big deal on the street.

Captain Jean Luc Picard was in the house. Like, “make it so.”

That would be Patrick Hewes Stewart, Shakespearean actor of considerable renown, movie star, and knight of the realm. Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart to you.

Stewart was at Harman Hall across the street for the first installment of this year’s Classic Conversation series with Shakespeare Theatre Artistic Director Michael Kahn. To the folks here for the dialogue, which surely must have included more than a few Trekkies, this was the main event. Think about it—a full, lively, laughing, into-it crowd at Harman Hall to hear a couple of middle-aged bald guys exchanging theater stories.

“I know they have lots of people across the street,” Kahn said, “but as far as I’m concerned, this is the best bunch of people to be with.”

Stewart was one of a large number of theater and movie stars in town for a gala honoring Kahn’s 25th anniversary with the Shakespeare Theatre the previous night.

As first, as Kahn and Stewart walk on stage, you thought: they could be brothers. Both were instantly recognizable by their hairless domes, with a cut of grey and white on the side. Both were blessed with story-telling abilities. Both were now legends in the world they shared. Finally, both had been doing this long enough to have accumulated more than enough stories to dine out on.

When Kahn asked Stewart what, if any, difference his knighthood had made in his life, Stewart allowed that it was “very easy to get a table in a good restaurant in London. And the people at British Airways treat me very well.”

Stewart has straddled both a life-long theater career and the kind of iconic fame among fans of science fiction and comic books—he is also the mind-bending Charles Xavier in the X-Men movie series. He turned out to be a charming, low-key, quite modest and serious man, who’s accepted his fame—money, lots of it, knighthood and that Star Trek thing—with grace.

“There is nothing to complain about,” he said. “I mean, my goodness, its remarkable when you think about it. The Star Trek and Enterprise thing has been long done, but it’s still going on all over the world. I can go thru customs in Taiwan, and they look at me, and somebody whispers: ‘Picard’ or ‘Enterprise’ or some such thing. It’s rewarding but unnerving.”

After a difficult upbringing in a small town near Yorkshire, Stewart’s career began when an English teacher named Cecil Dormand gave him a copy of Shakespeare’s plays. “He told me to read it, so I opened the book and started reading, and he said ‘no, no, OUT LOUD, read it out loud. Perform it.”

In 1966, he made it to the Royal Shakespeare Company and performed in many plays, including Peter Brooks’ famous “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “I wanted to be in films, too, of course,” he said. “And when I came to Hollywood, I decided I wanted to marry Doris Day and failing that, Debbie Reynolds. I’m sure that says something.”

In the 1980s, he auditioned for Picard “wearing a toupee and speaking in a French accent.” He claims it’s in the vaults somewhere at Paramount Studios. Nevertheless, he got the job in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Seven years and a number of films later, he was forever famous.

“Gene Roddenbery had made it clear he didn’t want me for the part,” he said. “But there you are.”

He continued to work in theater, including a part in a Mamet play, in which “every other word was a curse word and my aunt saw it, and I swear, I could hear her in the audience, saying ‘that’s not our Patrick, he wouldn’t say things like that.'”

In somewhat muted terms, he talked about his childhood, living in a house with a quiet mother and a violent Sergeant Major father. “He never physically abused us kids, but always my mother took the brunt on weekends when he would drink.”

Today, Stewart is a patron of Refuge, a British charity for abused women.

Stewart came to the Shakespeare Theatre several years ago to play the title role in a “photo negative” version of “Othello.” “We were very proud of that production, and it was so stirring especially here in Washington,” Kahn said. All the characters except Othello were played by black actors. “It was very tense at times,” he said. “I remember Othello talking about his race, and you could hear people hiss in the audience.” And when it came time to take our bows, Ron Canada, a very fine actor who played Iago, came out and some people shouted ‘you the man, you the man.’ I hesitated but I came out and the actors said ‘YOU the man.’ And here I am, and I have to say, Michael, that, well, YOU the man.”

It went like that—talking about touring in “Waiting for Godot” with Sir Ian McKellen, starring in “Virginia Woolf”, his days in Hollywood, and performing as Shylock recently in a “Merchant of Venice,” set in Las Vegas.

Listening to Stewart and Kahn, you realized once again that all theater lives in stories (and the retelling of stories) like Stewart meeting Eva Marie Saint, whom he had admired since seeing “On The Waterfront.”

He sounded then like a star-struck young man remembering his own icons.

The Caps won, 3-0. And Stewart and Kahn swept all before them.

Zachariah Weaver •

When a LOFT store opens a new location they host a party called the “LOFT Warming Event,” according to Georgetown’s LOFT manager, Khalilah Branch.

“It’s much like you would have a house warming. We’re all moved in and we got our beautiful product on the floor to showcase,” said Branch.

This is exactly what’s happening on Saturday, Oct. 22 in Georgetown. The store opened its doors on Sept. 30 but is designating this weekend to showcasing their product to the community and their friends.

LOFT is a women’s clothing retail store that features casual dresses, blouses, sweaters, pants and more. The Georgetown store’s current location on Wisconsin Ave. NW, is the newest spot its had since its last location closed down a couple years ago off M Street. It has had some great success since last month’s opening, according to Branch.

“The feedback on the store from the community has been awesome so far,” she said. ” We’re seeing a lot of our Georgetown clients returning to this location.”

Meghan Gallery, a returning customer since the new location opened, explained that she is a regular LOFT client.

“I’ve been here three or four times since it opened,” she said. “The location is very convenient and the sizing of their product is consistent so I can buy what I want without too much trouble.”

The event on Saturday will have a DJ, some style specialists, sponsored treats from Georgetown Cupcake, and the serving of prosecco (sparkling wine) from Better Events Catering. There will also be a photographer from Lucky Magazine taking pictures of guests in their LOFT looks during the event’s 1 to 4 p.m. window.

Lacey Maffettone, the blog host of a D.C. fashion blog called A Lacey Perspective, has partnered with Lucky Magazine to host the LOFT “welcoming event.”

“One of our goals is to get all of my readers and Lucky Magazine’s readers to come on site at LOFT on Saturday,” Maffettone said. “We want to show that the city of Washington, D.C. has a fashion side to it just as much as it has a political and business side.”

Maffettone explained that Lucky Magazine reached out to her and asked her to co-host with them for the LOFT event. She also explained that the store is expressing a new winter collection to its customers. They are encouraging a new color-block, or matching scheme, with brighter colors and fabrics for their products.

“Lucky and myself are hoping to continue to bring this style into focus for D.C. by partnering with LOFT,” Meffettone said.

According to the Facebook event invite page created by A Lacey Perspective, there are 76 expected attendees so far for Saturday. Khalilah Branch, the store’s manager, said that the event isn’t just for the Facebook invites but that it’s open to the rest of Georgetown and the public.

Lauren Hodges •

For its 6th year, the DC Jazz Festival Trustees Dinner was held in the Benjamin Franklin room at the U.S. Department of State on October 5th. Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, was the evening’s host, and she was joined on stage by ABC7/WJLA-TV Anchor Leon Harris, along with DC Jazz Fest chairman Michael R. Sonnenreich, executive producer Charles Fishman and executive director Summy Sumter. After an introduction by Fishman, the Freddy Cole Quartet performed for the crowd with their special guests Paquito D’Rivera and Hilary Kole.

Georgetowner •

NOW at Night

October 21st, 2011 at 08:00 PM

Pre-sale: $100, after September 19: $150

Tel: 202-639-1873

Event Website

Join fellow art lovers and philanthropists at the second annual fundraiser for NOW at the Corcoran—an exciting program of exhibitions presenting new and site-specific work by emerging and mid-career artists. All proceeds support upcoming NOW at the Corcoran programming.

Address

500 Seventeenth St. NW

Washington DC 20006

Palestine Film

October 22nd, 2011 at 06:00 AM

Tel: 202-333-7212

Event Website

Showing of the award-winning film Budrus will be followed by a reception and a conversation about what United Methodists are doing in pursuit of peace with justice for all the people of the Holy Land.
The film is the compelling story of a Palestinian leader, his courageous 15-year-old daughter and the movement that saved a village from destruction.

Address

Dumbarton United Methodist Church

3133 Dumbarton Ave. NW

Walk Now for Autism Speaks

October 22nd, 2011 at 08:30 AM

$20 registration donation | DCWalk@AutismSpeaks.org | Tel: 202-955-3111 | Event Website

Autism now affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys. Please join National Walk Now for Autism Speaks and help raise money to fund research into the causes, prevention, treatments and cure for autism. This fun-filled day is our single most powerful event to raise funds for critical research and awareness. Register today and help make tomorrow a better day for all who struggle with autism.

Address

The National Mall, 9th Street NW and Madison Drive NW,

Washington, D.C. 20006

Miss Sinergy 2012

October 22nd, 2011 at 07:00 AM

Tel: 703-533-8027

Event Website

Third annual Miss Sinergy competition benefiting the Libby Ross Foundation.
The Libby Ross Foundations mission is to make significant difference in the lives of women afflicted with breast cancer through unique support programs. Through these initiatives the Foundation fosters a community of fighters, survivors and supporters. More information on can be found on their website at www.libbyrossfoundation.com.

Address

La Maison Francaise

4101 Reservoir Rd NW

Washington, DC 20007

Smithsonian Craft2Wear Show

October 22nd, 2011 at 10:00 AM

$5 | austrpr@si.edu | Tel: 888-832-9554

Event Website

A show and sale of wearable art clothes, jewelry and accessories. Representing the finest of American wearable-craft artists, all 40 exhibitors have been juried into previous Smithsonian Craft Shows, and 20 percent of their Craft2Wear sales will support the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibitors will offer items for men and women in all price ranges, from one-of-a-kind jewelry and shearling coats to many under-$100 items.

Address

National Building Museum

401 F Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001

Hyman S. & Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival

October 23rd, 2011 at 12:00 PM

Tel: (202) 777-3251

Event Website

The 13th annual Hyman S. & Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival celebrates the year’s best in jewish writing. Opening night is Oct. 23 and the festival runs until Nov. 2.
The festival features a variety of themes and authors. The Opening Night Event; “United by Faith; Divided by War: Jews and the Civil War,” includes readings from texts telling the story of jews during the Civil War. Other highlights include authors such as Ursula Hegi and Lucette Lagnado, and a panel discussion lead by Marvin Kalb.

For the full program and ticket information, please visit www.washingtondcjcc.org/litfest.
Festival passes are $94 or $75 for Washington DCJCC members, students with IDs and seniors. Purchase of a Festival Pass will save patrons 30% on the cost of the entire Festival and guarantees admission to all events

Address

1529 16th Street NW

John Blee’s ”Orchard Suite” Opening Reception

October 26, 2011

Event Website

John Blee can be considered a lyric poet. The Washington painter, whose solo exhibition will be seen at the Ralls Collection from Oct. 26 through Des. 31, produces abstracts lit with the sheen of a summer sunset. The opening Reception is from 6 to 8 PM on Oct. 26th. Please visit RallsCollection.com for more information.

Address

The Ralls Collection

1516 31st Street NW

Washington, DC 20007

Bonhams Auction Appraisal Event

October 27, 2011

Event Website

Bonhams offers a full range of appraisal services designed for the Trusts & Estates community. On October 27th, Bonhams specialists will be available to offer complimentary valuations at our new Georgetown office in the office in following categories:

Paintings & Sculpture

Jewelry

Books, Maps, & Manuscripts

Furniture & Decorative Arts

Silver

By appointment only: 202 333 1696

martin.gammon@bonhams.com