Brain Food
1. Dance: Mary Lane, an independent choreographer in the Washington region, established Unevenlane in 2009. Her works create a unique partnership between music and movement that engages the audience on a deeper level by syncing their visual and auditory senses. Lane has had the opportunity to train and work with dancers from the Alvin Ailey, Troika Ranch, Kannon Dance, and DTSB&Co companies.
Where: Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St., NW
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
2. Lan Samantha Chang: “All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost:: In her third work of fiction, Chang, director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, tells the life of a contemporary poet, from MFA workshops to the Pulitzer Prize. This kunstleroman also considers the relationships between academia and art and between older professors and young, eager students, and tries to find the line between dedication and cutthroat ambition.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.com
3. “On the Fringe: Eye on Edinburgh”: The world’s largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a crucible for the creation of new and experimental work, a place where talent is often unveiled. Through Nov. 13, the Kennedy Center’s “On the Fringe: Eye on Edinburgh” celebrates the spirit of artistic entrepreneurship that exists in Edinburgh each summer in a showcase of some imaginative new work from that fertile environment. Presentations include theater, free performances on the Millennium Stage, performance art, and installations in the public spaces of the center.
Where: Various venues, The Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: See Web site for times and dates
Info: Free to $25; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
4. “Mary Stuart”: Washington Theatre Company moves into its new home with the great German playwright and poet Friedrich Schiller’s story of Queen Elizabeth I and her fierce rivalry with her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. WSC will use the new version by Peter Osvald, In rep with “Richard III.”
Where: Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through Dec. 12
Info: 800-494-8497; washingtonshakespeare.org
5. “An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe”: Gothic fancy dress optional. Snack on crepes and get a peek into lovely Dumbarton House for this performance of Poe’s most renowned works — “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Where: Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW
When: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday
Info: $10; aneveningwithpoe.eventbrite.com
Galleries
1. “Books without Words: The Visual Poetry of Elisabetta Gut”: Italian artist Elisabetta Gut presents a deeply personal exhibition of her collage-poems and sculptural books culled from throughout her 50-year career.
Where: The Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW
When: Through Jan. 16
Info: $10 adults, $8 students and seniors (ages 60 and older), free for members and visitors age 18 and under; 202-783-7996; nmwa.org
2. “The Pre-Raphelite Lens: British Photography and Painting, 1848-1875”: This collection of about 100 photos and 20 paintings and watercolors by the likes of Julia Margaret Comeron, Lewis Carroll, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti examines how the emergence of photography changed attitudes about perception and representation in the 19th century.
Where: West Building, National Gallery of Art, Constitution Avenue, between Third and Seventh streets NW
When: Through Jan. 30
Info: Free; 202-737-4215; nga.gov
3. “A True North Britain: The Furniture of John Shearer, 1790-1820”: Craftsman John Shearer’s unusual handmade year-old furniture is inlaid with politically charged symbols, fascinating from the vantage point of two centuries.
Where: Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, 1776 D St. NW
When: Through Feb. 26
Info: Free; dar.org/museum/default.cfm
4. “Handle for the Axe: Sculptures by Anthony Stellaccio”: Anthony Stellaccio arranges his hand-molded white clay shapes atop reflective black formica bases with machined geometric edges. The topographic dialogue that results is as conflicted in texture as it is in hue.
Where: District of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW
When: Through Monday
Info: Free; dcartscenter.org
5. “This Side of Paradise”: Adrian Viejero Roman’s paintings and drawings use his Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage as a wellspring of inspiration.
Where: Art Whino, 122 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md.
When: Through Monday
Info: Free; artwhino.com
Gatherings
1. “Friday Night Monster Bash”: A retro Halloween party with three bands, including Herr Metal and Dr. Fu, plus three party floors and a costume contest. Costumes not required.
Where: The State Theatre, 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church
When: Friday
Info: $9.75; partydc.com
2. “Women Beware Women”: Constellation Theatre Company presents its take on Thomas Middleton’s drama of revenge and unbridled appetite. Adaptation by Jesse Berger.
Where: Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW
When: Through Nov. 14
Info: $26 to $31; 202-204-7741; constellationtheatre.org
3. “Cabaret Macabre”: Inspired by Edward Gorey, this dark little cabaret will bring out the Victorian Gothic in everyone. A Dickensian romp through the damp cobbled alleys of poetry, variety and song.
Where: Happenstance Theatre, Round House Theatre, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring
When: 8 p.m. Friday; Nov. 4-7; 2 p.m. Sunday and Nov. 7
Info: $15; 240-644-1100; happenstancetheater.com
4. “Darwin in Malibu”: As Charles Darwin sips banana smoothies in a Malibu beach house, his old friend Thomas Huxley, and his old nemesis the bishop of Oxford, renew the fight over the origins of life, ignoring the trifling matter of their deaths more than 100 years ago! A comic fantasy by Crispin Whittell.
Where: Washington Stage Guild, Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; no matinee Saturday and Nov. 13; through Nov. 21
Info: $40 Thursday and matinees; $50 Friday and Saturday; discounts available; stageguild.org
5. “The War of the Worlds” & “Purge”: SCENA Theatre presents its version of Orson Welles’ and Howard Koch’s radio thriller.
Where: H Street Theatre, 1365 H St. NE
When: Through Nov. 28
Info: $10 to $33; 703-683-2824; scenatheater.org
Music
1. NSO Pops: Marvin Hamlisch conducts the Tony Award-winner and Broadway star Idina Menzel in a program of classic pop, musical theater favorites and her own original stories and songs.
Where: Kennedy Center Concert Hall
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Info: $20 to $85; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
2. Barbara Cook: The finest interpreter of musical theater songs and standards presents an evening to remember.
Where: The Birchmere
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Info: $79.50; 703-549-7500; birchmere.com
3. Tom Paxton & Janis Ian: “Together at Last” features two of the most significant artists of our day in a program of songs that define their musical legacy.
Where: The Birchmere
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $45; 703-549-7500; birchmere.com
4. Chuck Brown: Washington’s own Godfather of Go-Go dares the audience to resist dancing to his funky beat and syncopated rhythms, with Christylez Bacon opening.
Where: Music Center at Strathmore
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Info: $22.50 to $38; 301-581-5100; strathmore.org
Theater
1. “Oklahoma!”: Arena Stage opens its new season and its new facility with this classic musical, giving it a fresh look inspired by the toughness of the prairie and the robust world of territory life. With Rodgers and Hammerstein’s timeless music, Oklahoma! celebrates the vigor of America’s pioneering spirit with athletic dance and boot-stomping energy.
Where: Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday; 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; through Dec.26
Info: Tickets start at $45, discounts available; arenastage.org
2. “Hair”: The tribe of the Age of Aquarius is still protesting the war, freeing their love, letting their hair down and baring it all in “Hair.”
Where: Opera House, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: Through Nov. 21
Info: $25-$115; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
3. “Walter Cronkite is Dead”: In a world that seems to be spinning beyond their control, two women find themselves sharing a table, stuck in an airport by a storm. Representing two sides of the culture wars — one red state, the other blue state — Margaret and Patty reluctantly strike up a conversation that encourages them to open up, challenge their preconceived notions and find common ground.
Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington
When: Through Dec. 26
Info: $56 to $83; 703-820-9771; signature-theatre.org
4. XIII Festival Internacional Teatro Hispano: Every autumn,Teatro de la Luna sponsors this Internal Festival of Hispanic Theatre. This year’s festival includes theater works from Venezuela, Spain, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay and the United States.
Where: Theatre Two, Gunston Art Center, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington
When: 8 p.m. Thursday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; festival runs through Nov. 27
Info: $25 to $30; 703-548-3092; teatrodelaluna.org
5. “Holiday”: 1st Stage opens its season with a sophisticated look at life through Philip Barry’s script, which tells the story of love, money and ambition. Just a year before the financial disaster of the Great Depression, an impetuous romance may change the course of a young man’s future. Can his dreams survive the financial security his soon-to-be bride desires?
Where: 1st Stage, 1524 Springhill Road, McLean
When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7 p.m. Sunday
Info: $15 to $25; 703-854-1856; 1ststagetysons.org
