Things to Do

Things to Do in DC This Week (January 28-30): Greek Food, Make Your Own Plants, and a Funny Ballet

Christine Shevchenko and Thomas Forster in American Ballet Theatre's Harlequinade, which runs at the Kennedy Center from January 29 to February 3. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28

FOOD Greek food journalist and Zaytinya‘s chef partner Aglaia Kremezi will host a dinner highlighting dishes from her new cookbook The Foods of Greece. Enjoy Eliopites (olive pies with potato and pine nuts), Domatokeftedes (sun-dried tomato patties), and Arni me Aginares Avgolemono (lamb and artichokes in an egg-lemon sauce). If those inspire you, pick up her cookbook and try them yourself at home. $90 (dinner only) or $122 (dinner plus book), 6 PM.

CRAFTS Succulents make great houseplants, but not everyone has a green thumb or a home with enough light to keep a plant alive—so why not craft your own? Join crafting gurus Rock Paper Plant for a felted succulent workshop at the Lemon Collective; learn the craft of needle felting and how to create a 3D sculpture out of felted wool. All materials (including snacks for sustenance) will be provided. $45, 7 PM.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29

DANCE The American Ballet Theatre’s DC premiere of the comedic ballet Harlequinade will run at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House. This production is a re-interpretation of the 19th century version by ABT’s artist-in-residence Alexei Ratmansky; this vibrant and slapstick ballet is a love story between a broke young man and a woman whose father has higher standards for her. Through February 3. $39-$199.

BOOKS Author Alexandra Robbins interviewed dozens of current and former fraternity members to look into this college-dominating institution in her upcoming book Fraternity: An Inside Look at a Year of College Boys Becoming Men. It’s not all the same tale of toxic masculinity, though: Her research has found some all-male organizations that are trying to combat the stereotype. Robbins will speak about her work at Politics & Prose on Tuesday; she’ll continue the conversation at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda on Thursday. Both events are free and start at 7 PM.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30

THEATRE Mosaic Theater continues the works from its “Voices from a Changing Middle East Festival” with Shame 2.0, an adaptation of Einat Weizman and Morad Hassan’s original play Shame. This “Workshop Production” is a stripped-down documentary portrait that follows the true stories of Weizman and Hassan, artists living in the midst of the Israel/Palestine conflict who have been harassed online. Peppered with readings of actual Facebook messages and tweets—Weizman was a target on social media when an old photo of her wearing a “Free Palestine” shirt surfaced online—Shame 2.0 shows how these individuals use art as a form of resistance. Many of the performances at the Atlas Performing Arts Center will be followed by post-show discussions with guest panelists. Through February 17. $10 – $65 (1/30 is “Pay What You Can”).

COMEDY Decompress from your day job at Drafthouse Comedy’s “Funnier Than Your Average Boss.” Featuring five entrepreneurs and one Vegas headliner, the show will feature funny stories about work-life balance and raise money for CAIR Coalition, a non-profit that helps DMV immigrants with legal services. 18 and up. $30, 6:30 PM.