THURSDAY, APRIL 18
HOCKEY A couple things were apparent in the Caps’ loss to the Hurricanes on Monday night: First, our guys aren’t invincible; Second, Alex Ovechkin can still knock a guy out. The Caps are opening up Capital One Arena for a Game 4 viewing party on Thursday night. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the game will be broadcast on the jumbotron at 7 PM (RSVP at WashCaps.com). The series will return to Capital One Arena on Saturday night, so head to Chinatown then to see the action in person. Game 4: 4/18 (in Raleigh), 7 PM. Game 5: 4/20 at Capital One Arena, $84-$125 (plus resale options), 8 PM.
POETRY Poet Carmen Giménez Smith focuses on the female body and how society reacts to it in her work. On Thursday night, she’ll perform a reading at the Phillips Collection in response to the gallery’s Zilia Sánchez exhibit “Soy Isla (I Am an Island)”. $15 (purchase through Folger Shakespeare Library), 6:30 PM.
MUSEUMS The Glenstone Museum will show several paintings by American artist Kerry James Marshall starting Thursday. These three works span nearly forty years of the artist’s career and challenge the under-representation of African-American figures in art. Through early 2020. Free, reservations recommended (Glenstone is open Thursday through Sunday).
FRIDAY, APRIL 19
FESTIVAL The National Cannabis Festival is this weekend (of course, because Saturday is 4/20). The festivities kick off Friday with a Policy Summit at the Newseum: Learn what’s going on with weed advocacy during this discussion with representatives from business, healthcare, and civil rights organizations about policy challenges and opportunities. On Saturday, the festival moves to the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds, with educational pavilions (learn about state and federal law—plus, get growing tips), a wellness pavilion (join in a yoga session or learn about cannabis’s effects on oral health), and a concert featuring headliners Ludacris and Action Bronson. Policy Summit: 4/19, free, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Festival (21+): 4/20, $49.50, 12 PM – 8 PM.
COMEDY Comedian Ben Bailey is usually seen behind the wheel of the Cash Cab, a role that has won him multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding game show host. Beyond the show, he does stand-up and helms a storytelling podcast called Tall But True; he will appear at the Bier Baron this weekend (presumably without his cab). Through April 20. $25.
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
BENEFIT Eat up for a good cause at the Crawfish for Cancer DC Crawfish Boil at Wunder Garten in NoMa. Savor unlimited amounts of crawfish, corn, and potatoes—and an open bar—all to benefit the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. 21+ only. $90 in advance or $100 at the door, 12 PM – 5 PM.
FILM Music magazine Creem had a legendary run in the 1970s and 1980s, covering punk rock artists in great detail; famed rock critic Lester Bangs was once its editor. The documentary Boy Howdy! The Story of Creem Magazine follows Creem from its early days in Detroit to its standing as a nationwide publication known as “America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine.” The documentary will screen at AFI Silver in a special DC-area premiere that will feature a Q&A with filmmaker Scott Crawford moderated by WTOP’s Neal Augenstein. $13, 7:45 PM.
CELEBRATION To celebrate the new US Postal Service stamp honoring Marvin Gaye, the Sumner School Museum & Archives is hosting an open house with performances and activities that honor DC’s music history. There will be story times for young readers, a poetry reading from Woodrow Wilson High School’s Poetry Club, and a musical tribute to Marvin Gaye. Afterwards, head to the National Postal Museum for an afterparty with a dedication of the Gaye stamp, a DJ, and screen printing, Sumner School Open House: Free, 10 AM – 3 PM. National Postal Museum: Free, 3 PM – 5:30 PM.
SUNDAY, APRIL 21
THEATRE Since 1986, Michael Kahn has been the Artistic Director at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Early on, he incorporated the idea of the Open Rehearsal and, now, on the cusp of his retirement, he is hosting his final Open Rehearsals this weekend for the world premiere of Ellen McLaughlin’s The Oresteia. This is quite a behind-the-scenes opportunity to watch a performance come together before it opens officially on April 30. Free, 11:30 AM & 1 PM.
OPERA Opera Lafayette and Heartbeat Opera present a performance of Alessandro Stradella‘s La Susanna, based on the Biblical story of Susanna and the Elders. Originally written with a male narrator and male savior, this story of sexual harassment has been rewritten to elevate women’s voices instead as storytellers and saviors. The opera runs through April 22 at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theatre. $25-$135.
LAST CALL: Here’s what’s closing this weekend
“Dawoud Bey: The Birmingham Project” closes 4/21 at the National Gallery of Art.
