Monday, September 28
The Marine String Quartet, part of the nation’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization, performs for free at the National Theatre tonight at 6 and 7:30. Tickets are doled out on a first-come, first-served basis 30 minutes prior to the performance. For more information on the venue’s Monday Night at the National program, click here.

Tuesday, September 29
Susan Serafin makes you question preconceived notions of gender identity in her “Multiplying the Body” installation at Hillyer Art Space (9 Hillyer Ct., NW). Landscape, ethnography, and the body as remembered experience are all recurring themes in this art exhibit. Tuesday through Friday 10 to 7. Call 202-338-0680 for more information

Wednesday, September 30
Save the cheetahs! The animal’s population has declined by 85 percent since 1900. National Zoo director Steve Monfort is hosting a panel discussion to provide a deeper understanding of cheetah biology and the struggle to maintain the endangered animal’s existence in the wild. 7 PM in the visitor auditorium. Reservations are requested.

Thursday, October 1
The artistic intersection of East and West is at the center of the American Art Museum’s two-day symposium “A Long and Tumultuous Relationship.” In a series of free guided tours and academic discussions, you’ll learn about the complicated relationship between Asian and American art from the 18th century to today. 1 to 6 PM. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while tours require an RSVP. For more information and a complete schedule of events, click here.

Friday, October 2
Faction of Fools Theater Company takes the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage with The Great One-Man Commedia Epic, the story of an Italian town during the Renaissance dealing with young love, squabbling fathers, and dimwitted house help, all told through a single actor’s characterizations. 6 PM.

Saturday, October 3
Everyone’s favorite knickknack extravaganza is back! Head to Adams Morgan between 10 and 5 today for Crafty Bastards, one of Washington’s most popular venues for handmade arts and crafts from independent artists. Marie Reed Learning Center (18th St. and Wyoming Ave., NW). Click here for more information.

Sunday, October 4
The documentary Operation Babylift tells the story of a $2-million dollar US initiative that helped more than 2,500 Vietnamese orphans escape the impending threat of the Communist regime by transplanting them into American homes. Thirty-five years later, the Freer Gallery presents Tammy Lee Nguyen’s film about the volunteers, parents, organizations, and children involved in one of the least publicized but most important humanitarian efforts in contemporary history. Noon.

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