UPDATE: The book talk with Cass Sunstein at Kramerbooks has been cancelled.
THURSDAY, MARCH 29
THEATRE Mosaic Theatre’s American premiere of Paper Dolls opens on Thursday at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Based on the true story from a 2006 Israeli documentary, the musical follows the lives of five gay male Filipino nurses in Tel Aviv who care for elderly Orthodox men six days a week and headline a drag show on their day off. Through April 29. $20-$65 (3/29 is Pay-What-You-Can).
BOOKS Harvard Law professor Cass Sunstein delves into the potential pitfalls of a Trump-led nation in his new book, Can It Happen Here?: Authoritarianism in America. With this collection of essays, Sunstein’s contributors explore the downfall of democracies and the role of the media—and “fake news”—in the modern political landscape. Sunstein will be in conversation with author Benjamin Wittes at Kramerbooks. $25, 6 PM.
FRIDAY, MARCH 30
CONVENTION DC’s sixth annual Awesome Con runs this weekend at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. In addition to tons of exhibitors and artists, the comic-con will feature celebrity-filled panels and lectures. Highlights include an analysis of the science of Black Panther (4 PM Friday), the inspiration behind BB-8 (3:15 PM Saturday), and a special panel with actor John Boyega who plays Finn in Star Wars (6 PM Saturday). Like last year, Awesome Con is partnering with Smithsonian magazine to feature technology and science fiction in a subset called Future Con, which runs concurrently and is included in ticket prices. Through April 1. $40-$55 (single day tickets) or $80 (three-day pass).
MUSEUMS Burning Man is an annual gathering in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert where over 75,000 people converge in a temporary metropolis of art, community, and self-expression. In its new exhibit, “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man,” the Renwick Gallery brings the large-scale, participatory work from the desert to DC for the first time to take over the entire gallery building. If you miss the indoor exhibit, just look outside: Some pieces will be displayed in the surrounding neighborhood with its outdoor extension. Through January 21. Free.
MUSIC Brooklyn chamber-pop band San Fermin released its third album, Belong, last year. Spearheaded by Yale-educated composer/songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone, the group incorporates classical motifs into its indie/folk sound. Hear these new songs at the Barns at Wolf Trap. $25 (advance) or $30 (day-of), 8 PM.
SATURDAY, MARCH 31
MUSEUMS The National Building Museum premieres its exhibit, “Community Policing in the Nation’s Capital: The Pilot District Project, 1968-1971” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. The Pilot District Project (PDP) was a local experiment in community policing that focused on African-American residential and business neighborhoods hardest hit by the fires and looting in the spring of 1968. The exhibit will show newly-discovered posters, maps, and other materials from the community-policing plan. Through January 15. $10.
RUN There’s a blue moon on Saturday—the second full moon in a calendar month—and the National Arboretum is celebrating with a Blue Moon 5K Fun Run. Enjoy a moonlit course through the meadows with refreshments and music afterwards. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the National Arboretum and Washington Youth Garden. $40, 7 PM.
SUNDAY, APRIL 1
MUSEUMS In the new National Gallery of Art exhibit, “Sharing Images: Renaissance Prints Into Maiolica and Bronze,” nearly 100 objects highlight the technology of image replication and its cultural impacts. This exhibit tells the story of how printed images were transformed and translated onto ceramics and small bronze objects through designs by artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, and Albrecht Dürer. Through August 5.
DRINKS Easter egg hunts aren’t just for kids: Dirty Habit’s “Dirty Rabbit” celebration features an Easter egg hunt for adults followed by a cocktail class by the bar’s head bartender Sarah Ruiz. Learn some drink-making fundamentals alongside cocktail history, all while tasting your creations. Easter egg hunt: noon, free. Cocktail class: $80, 1 PM or 2:30 PM.
