Monday, January 14

MOVIES: It’s Monday, so you might feel like you’ve lost all your weekend mojo. Get the magic back with Black Cat’s Muggle Mondays—tonight’s screening is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Gryffindors and the otherwise true-of-heart will get specials on butterbeer, which I think in our unfortunately non-magical world probably just means regular beers. Free. 8 PM.

Tuesday, January 15

COMEDY: Do you have a gaping knowledge hole when it comes to bears? Don’t know the intricate details that differentiate a large, hairy gay man, a large, hairy forest dweller, and the town of Bear, Delaware? The Encyclopedia Show DC brings together a handful of comedians, slam poets, and storytellers to discuss a different aspect of the word “bear.” Check it out at 9th and Beats if you want to get learned or, you know, laugh. Tickets are $10 online or $15 at the door. 8 PM.

Wednesday, January 16

THEATER: The Shakespeare Theatre Company is holding its monthly happy hour at Sidney Harman Hall—which means a free show just for you. This month, the Taffety Punk Theatre Company will perform Shakespeare’s epic poem The Rape of Lucrece. Taffety Punk takes classic works and turns them into exuberant concert-ish things. Expect loud music, purposely over-acted bits, and lots of onstage dancing. Free. 5:30 PM.

Thursday, January 17

NEW YEAR, AGAIN: The National Children’s Center Foundation is celebrating Chinese New Year, which is coming up early next month, at Ping Pong Dim Sum with an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and door prizes for $75. Proceeds help support children with developmental disabilities. Tickets ($75) are available online. 6 PM.

Know of something cool going on around town? E-mail Jason Koebler at jasontpkoebler@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter @jason_koebler.