Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro speaks about the importance of community service.

What: National Student Partnerships, a nonprofit that pairs college volunteers with area residents who need help finding jobs and getting their lives back on track, hosted this reception to honor Connecticut congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy for their commitment to helping low-income communities.

Where: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St., NW

When: May 7, 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Who: Kennedy had two aides accept his framed Leadership in Service award, but DeLauro rushed into the theater’s lobby at 7:45, straight from work, just in time to fly down the stairs and snag hers. Kirsten Lodal, CEO and cofounder of NSP, led the awards ceremony, cheered on by a crowd of volunteers and supporters.

Food: Passed hors d’oeuvres such as lamb chops were a treat, while the buffet of fruit, cheese, pita, hummus, tuna-topped cucumber, and deceptively spicy chicken skewers had us taking seconds.

Drink: The open bar included Champagne—always a crowd pleaser. Guests also sipped wine and beer.

Guests line up for martinis.

What: The bash ended a monthlong challenge issued to area restaurants by the Corcoran’s 1869 Society: Create the most artistic martini possible.

Where: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St., NW

When: Wednesday, April 30, 7 PM

Who: A horde of fashion-forward men and women, to the extreme that you never see in Washington sans drink in hand at a swanky event. Where are these people during the day?

Food: The refreshingly unpretentious—and totally worthy of seconds—buffet included mini-cheeseburgers, ramekins of mac and cheese, and cones of crunchy shoestring fries.

What: Dubbed “The Secretary’s Reception for Donors to the Diplomatic Reception Rooms,” this two-hour cocktail party honored more than 200 donors who contributed more than $850,000 to conserving and maintaining the rooms where Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney meet with foreign officials.

Where: The Department of State

When: Friday, April 25, 6 to 8 PM

Who: Rice was the main attraction, hosting a receiving line on the way in to shake hands (and score us a great new Facebook profile picture). We were one table away from Attorney General Michael Mukasey and wife Susan, who looked sharp in a pinstripe suit and black-and-white patterned dress. Marcee Craighill, director of the diplomatic reception rooms, also joined the donors.

The new kids on the block cleaned up at the Helen Hayes Awards last night. Synetic Theater won five trophies including outstanding director, outstanding choreographer, outstanding ensemble, outstanding supporting actor, and outstanding resident play for its production of Macbeth. Synetic Theater uses movement rather than the spoken word on stage.

Perez Hilton, Marcia Cross, Donatella Versace, Pamela Anderson, Padma Lakshmi...the list of celebrities in attendance at Bloomberg's WHCA afterparty on Saturday goes on and on. Click on for our photo slideshow.

At Tuesday night's Best Of kickoff party at the Park on Fourteenth, folks came out to drink, dance, and get started voting for their Best Of nominations. Want your say? Fill out our Best Of survey here, and let us know your thoughts on the best pizza, best happy hour, best place to meet singles and more. Results will be published in the July issue.

Check out our slideshow of the Best Of party below.

The play's cast takes a bow.

What: Arena Stage’s 16th Annual Benefit for Community Engagement, which included dinner and a play featuring a star-studded cast of politicians, celebrities, and athletes

Where: Dinner at the Crystal Gateway Marriott; play following at Arena Stage’s temporary Crystal City location

When: Monday, April 14, 6 to 10 PM

Ticket price: $450 for dinner and show, $200 for show only

Attire: “Business or sporty”—and most opted for the business look

Who: Three hundred people turned out to see James Magruder’s sports-meets-arts Cinderella riff, Play On!, which was stocked with a most unlikely cast: Washington Mystics president Sheila Johnson and her husband, Arlington judge William Newman; former pro-tennis player Kathy Kemper; DC Council members Jack Evans and Carol Schwartz; Project Runway’s Tim Gunn; DC United’s Ben Olsen; DC delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton; Virginia governor Tim Kaine; and many more. Arena Stage also brought in a few real actors, including Sister, Sister’s Tim Reid, and filled in holes with some of its own go-to talent, such as Tim Getman and Tara Giordano from the cast of theater’s current Arthur Miller repertory.