THURSDAY, MARCH 30
MUSIC/FILM University of Maryland School of Music chamber groups will perform their own original film scores for silent movie shorts at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, including a new soundtrack for Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by composer-in-residence Maria Newman. Free, 7 PM.
BOOKS In a world full of fake news and alternative facts, it’s harder than ever to distinguish the truth from opinions or speculations. U.S. Naval War College professor Tom Nichols argues that leaders still need experts to educate them; he reads from his new book The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters at Politics & Prose on Thursday night. Free, 7 PM.
DISCUSSION Comedian Chris Duffy is a staff writer for National Geographic’s Explorer and the creator and host of You’re the Expert, a live show and podcast. At the National Geographic Society on Thursday night, Duffy will lead three comedian guests through interactive games and sketches as they try to discover what a scientist studies. $25, 6 PM.
FRIDAY, MARCH 31
MUSIC Experimental guitarist Ben Chasny has played in many bands and projects over the years (Comets on Fire and Rangda, most notably). His psych-folk project Six Organs of Admittance released a fantastic album, Burning the Threshold, in February and performs an early show at DC9 on Friday. $12, 7 PM.
THEATER Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun follows an African-American family in Chicago as they pursue the American dream. It’s being restaged at Arena Stage starting Friday, and runs through May 7. $40 to $111, 8 PM.
SHOPPING The annual Metro Yarn Crawl runs March 31 through April 9. Knitters and crocheters can purchase a passport at any of the area’s 11 participating shops and receive 20% off full-priced yarn, fiber, or patterns. Those who visit at least 8 shops can be entered in a prize drawing at the shop of their choice. $10 for passport (yarn/fiber prices vary).
BEER The official DC area release of Founders’ Kentucky Breakfast Stout, or KBS (a bourbon barrel-aged stout with coffee), is on Friday at ChurchKey. In addition, ChurchKey will have several other rare Founders beers available, including the 2012 Bolt Cutter (bourbon and maple syrup barrel-aged barleywine) and the 2015 Blushing Monk (brewed with raspberries). Free to attend (beer prices vary), 4 PM.
FILM The film Carrie Pilby will play in a limited theatrical release starting this Friday at ArcLight Bethesda. The comedy, which premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and is notable for its largely female production team, is based on Caren Lissner’s bestselling novel about a gifted woman who graduated from Harvard at age 19. As she struggles to fit in, a therapist tells her to create a five-point plan to get herself on track. $17.75, times vary.
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
ART Pop-up skateboard art show Deckaid benefits charities that support youths. Their next art show is at The Fridge DC and will include a special tribute to DC professional skater Pepe Martinez. Classic skateboards of Martinez’s collection will be featured, and T-shirts and artwork from Gulf Coast Art Works will be available for sale. Proceeds will benefit Martha’s Table. Free to attend, 7-10 PM.
DISCUSSION San Francisco food trade show Good Food Mercantile is hosting a free small business breakfast panel at Union Market titled “Tips & Tricks on Starting, Scaling, and Surviving Your Venture.” The panel, moderated by chef Zeke Emanuel, will feature Danielle Vogel (founder of Glen’s Garden Market), Elias Cairo (founder of Olympia Provisions), Ann Yang (co-founder of MISFIT Juicery), Shanika McCloud (founder of Greenplicity), and Sarah Gordon, co-owner of Gordy’s Pickles). This panel is in conjunction with pop-ups at Union Market lasting all weekend. Free (with registration), 9 AM.
MUSEUMS To celebrate the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Sackler presents a month-long exhibition highlighting connections between African-American and East Asian art, music, and film. Kung Fu Wildstyle—on display through April 30—features works by street artist/hip-hop impresario Fab 5 Freddy and Hong Kong graffiti/hip-hop pioneer MC Yan that examine how Bruce Lee and kung fu affected New York City’s street culture and hip-hop scene in the 1970s. In conjunction with this exhibit, there will be concerts, talks, and film screenings throughout April. Free, 10 AM.
TOUR April is Architecture Month, and AIADC (the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects) is hosting tours of neighborhoods and buildings, such as The Yards or the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, all month. There’s a full list of events on AIADC’s site, and their (free!) Opening Party is on April 6 at the Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain.
CRAFTS ArtReach is sponsoring two “fish windsock” workshops at the Aquatic Resources Education Center in preparation for the bike parade at the Anacostia River Festival next weekend. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of carp-shaped flags known as “Koinobori,” these will mimic the species found here in the Anacostia, including the American Shad, Pumpkinseed, and Snakehead fish. Participants can tour the AREC facility, learn about the river’s native and invasive species, screenprint, and paint their own windsock. Free (with registration), 12:30 PM or 2:30 PM.
SUNDAY, APRIL 2
DANCE Local dance academy Rhythmaya Dance specializes in Bollywood, Kathak, and hip-hop styles. Their annual showcase is a matinee performance at Lisner Auditorium that will feature over 200 dancers in colorful costumes performing to upbeat music. $25, 2 PM.
THEATER Mosaic Theater’s repertory “South Africa: Then & Now” takes audiences back to Apartheid and looks forward to the ongoing quest for healing in a wounded country. The cycle launches with Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot, a parable about a brotherhood devastated by the constraints of Apartheid. It continues with the DC premiere of A Human Being Died That Night, based on the memoir by South African psychologist Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, recounting her interrogations of Apartheid agent Eugene de Kock, known by many as “Prime Evil.” Blood Knot opens Sunday night at the Atlas and runs through April 30; A Human Being Died That Night runs April 6-30, also at the Atlas. $20 to $40, 7:30 PM.
BEER Warmer weather brings patios and outdoor seating; Owen’s Ordinary in North Bethesda is celebrating the launch of its weekend Bavarian Beer Gardens (Saturdays and Sundays from April to October) with live Oompah music, festive costumes, Oktoberfest-themed games, and a menu of Red Apron meats including bratwurst and kielbasa. In addition, the restaurant will feature German-style beers from abroad and the local scene. Free to attend (beer/food prices vary), 12-6 PM.
