Things to Do

Culture Vulture

A compilation of interesting—and, most important, free—lectures, cultural events, and more throughout the week.

Tuesday, October 21

Need a few laughs? Check out the Chicago comedy revue Schadenfreude at the Adams Morgan dive Chief Ike’s Mambo Room from 4 to 9. The troupe excels in lampooning politicians, celebrities, and yuppies. We’d recommend ditching your Starbucks at the door.

Wednesday, October 22
Former CIA operative Robert Baer will be at Politics & Prose at 7 to discuss his latest book, The Devil We Know: Dealing With the New Iranian Superpower. Baer draws on his time in the Middle East operating against Hezbollah and al-Qaeda to critique current policies concerning Iran, which he believes will eventually control all access to oil in the region.

Thursday, October 23
William Wylie, associate professor of photography at the University of Virginia, will lead a discussion on the groundbreaking skills of photographer Ansel Adams in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s McEvoy Auditorium at 5:30. The museum’s “Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities” exhibit runs through January 4.

Friday, October 24
The Sackler and Freer galleries present The Khayal Saga at 7 in the Meyer Auditorium as part of the Kumar Shahani Film Festival. Directed by Shahani, the movie chronicles the khayal vocal tradition, an important element in classical Indian music.

Saturday, October 25
The Natural History Museum’s fall lectures series presents “The Galapagos and Darwin: 150 Years Later” at 1 in the Naturalist Center (741 Miller Dr., SE). University of Virginia professor emeritus Fred Diehl’s discussion will include how the Galapagos Islands led Charles Darwin to his theories on evolution and how that geographic area is now struggling to survive. Due to overfishing and human habitation, the islands are in dire need of conservation efforts.

Sunday, October 26
The 1955 Parisian gangster film Du rififi chez les hommes, meaning “of brawling among men,” plays at the National Gallery of Art’s East Building auditorium at 4:30. The film, released simply as Rififi in the United States, centers around a wordless heist scene renowned for its extraordinary detail.

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