THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2
THEATER The US premiere of the Mexican play Yo también hablo de la rosa (I Too Speak of the Rose) opens on Thursday night at the GALA Hispanic Theatre and runs through February 26. Set in Mexico City in the 1960s, the play tells of two teenagers, Toña and Polo, who derail a train while playing hooky from school. The various perspectives on their crime and its punishment are a searing look at society’s response to poverty. The play is performed in Spanish with English surtitles. $40, 8 PM.
SPORTS The Washington Wizards have had 15 consecutive home wins—the longest streak since 1989 when the team then known as the Bullets achieved the same feat. They’ll attempt to extend that streak Thursday night when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers; the Wizards are also offering tickets to their next five Verizon Center games for $15 in celebration. $15 to $275, 7 PM.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3
THEATER Mosaic Theater’s production of Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm’s Hooded, Or Being Black for Dummies runs through February 19 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. The world-premiere production tells the story about two young African-American men: a prep-schooler named Marquis and a street savvy Baltimorean named Tru who meet in a holding cell. Thinking that Marquis has lost his “blackness,” Tru pens a manual entitled Being Black for Dummies as they navigate the modern world. $60, 8 PM.
BEER Port City Brewing is celebrating its sixth anniversary with the release of “Colossal 6,” a Russian Imperial Stout with “notes of cocoa powder, freshly roasted coffee, and leather,” according to the brewery. With a 10.2% ABV, the beer will also age well, and Port City will have four-packs available for sale. They’re celebrating with an outdoor (heated!) tent with live music on Friday and Saturday. Free to attend, 2 PM.
COMEDY Those who need to vent at the end of a long week should check out DC’s interactive comedy happy hour, Vent!, at Drafthouse Comedy in DC. The event includes improv and stand-up comedy, plus many opportunities for audience members to pipe up with their own personal frustrations. Free, 5:30 PM.
FILM In conjunction with the exhibit “Stuart Davis: In Full Swing,” the National Gallery of Art is showing four films this weekend that represent a range of jazz interpretations for the screen. Friday’s offerings are Black and Tan Fantasy, Love You Madly, Symphony in Black, and Duke Ellington at the White House—a medley of Duke Ellington shorts including the orchestra’s first appearance on film as a jazz band—and Anatomy of a Murder, Ellington’s first major musical score for the cinema, which was nominated for seven Oscars. Saturday’s films are Big Ben: Ben Webster in Europe preceded by Jammin’ the Blues and Cab Calloway’s Hi-De-Ho, plus the Washington premiere of I Called Him Morgan about trumpeter Lee Morgan. Free, 12:30 PM (shorts) and 2:30 PM (Anatomy of a Murder) / 1 PM (for Saturday’s program).
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4
BOOKS Author Scott Crawford wrote and directed the DC-punk documentary Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-1990). He’s followed the film up with a book on the same subject, Spoke: Images and Stories from the 1980s Washington, D.C. Punk Scene, which combines oral history and photographs to document and highlight DC’s punk culture. On Saturday night at Politics & Prose, WTOP’s Neal Augenstein will moderate a discussion between Crawford and longtime DC photographer Jim Saah. Free, 6 PM.
KIDS The International Spy Museum honors Black History Month with “Slave Spy: The Story of James Lafayette.” The one-act play combines live performance with film to tell the story of an African American slave who gathered information from British camps and passed along misinformation to fool General Cornwallis. Free, performances at 11 AM and 1 PM.
DANCING The 10th-annual “Dancing After Dark” event takes place Saturday night at Dock 5 at Union Market. The event features cocktails and dancing and will benefit Children’s National Health System to help meet the goal of providing care for every child in need, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. $140, 8:30 PM.
BEER Wyoming’s Melvin Brewing is releasing its award-winning, super-hoppy, high-ABV Imperial IPA 2×4 on Saturday night (that’s 2×4 on 2/4, get it?) at 40 different bars worldwide. The local spot for National 2×4 Day is ChurchKey, which (in true Melvin fashion) will be showing Kung Fu movies on the TVs and playing Wu-Tang Clan on the stereo and pouring several different Melvin beers in addition to the 2×4. Free to attend, 12 PM.
SHOPPING The 12th annual Alexandria Warehouse Sale runs all day Saturday at the Westin Alexandria. Over two dozen shops and boutiques from throughout the Metro region are offering markdowns of up to 60-80% on their wares. Free, 9 AM.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
RUN The third annual Leo’s Run 5K run/walk happens on Sunday morning, symbolically the third anniversary of the stillborn birth of Leo Michael Mowery, who was born on Super Bowl Sunday in 2014. The run honors Mowery’s memory with a route through Sligo Creek Park, where his memorial service was held, and along the street where he would have been raised. Proceeds from the run go toward Leo’s Garden, a non-profit which aims to sponsor programs to foster healing in families touched by stillbirths or other tragic losses. $30, 9 AM.
SPORTS If you’re into sports, chances are you’ve tuned in to the Sports Junkies’ morning show on WJFK at least once. The lifelong pals are hosting a Big Game Party at the TAP Sports Bar at MGM National Harbor, complete with 72(!) TVs plus unlimited food and craft beer with entry ticket. $255, 3 PM.
MUSEUMS The National Gallery of Art is opening an exhibit showcasing sculptor Luca della Robbia, who developed an innovative glazing technique for terracotta sculptures in the 1400s. His works still retain their bright and brilliant colors, making them engaging examples of Italian Renaissance art. The exhibit, “Della Robbia: Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence,” will feature works by Luca, his nephew Andrea, Andrea’s sons, and the competing Buglioni workshop and will be open through June 4. Free, 11 AM.
