MONDAY, DECEMBER 9
BOOKS Author and McSweenys founder Dave Eggers will discuss his newest book, The Captain and the Glory, at Union Stage. The book is a satire about the Trump administration; Eggers will be in conversation with CNN Anchor Jake Tapper, who will chat about his own debut novel The Hellfire Club. $15 for admission or $32 for admission plus a copy of The Captain and the Glory, 7 PM.
THEATER Hear a reading of a new play Ay Gerald! as part of Signature Theatre’s SigWorks series. Based on the ’90s cartoon Hey Arnold!, the play turns the spotlight on Arnold’s African American best friend Gerald, whose life in the inner city is quite different from that of his friends. Free, 7 PM.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10
THEATER The National Theatre is hosting the Tony Award-nominated revival of Fiddler on the Roof. The musical about community, family, and maintaining cultural customs and traditions is peppered with hits such as “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.” Through December 15. $54-$114.
BEER Gather some friends and build a gingerbread house at Franklin Hall while sipping special holiday beers from Bells Brewery and Great Lakes Brewing. Teams will be given gingerbread house kits but are encouraged to bring their own flair; judges from Franklin Hall and both breweries will award swag bags and vintage beers to the three best teams. Holiday beers include Bells’ Christmas Scotch Ale, the smoked porter To A Locomotive in Winter, and Great Lakes’ Christmas Ale. Free to attend and compete (teams are asked to bring canned goods to support the Capital Area Food Bank), 7 PM.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11
FILM The 2018 Czech film Bear With Us is a comedy about a forced family gathering. The group is together for one final weekend in the family’s cottage before selling it, and old issues—and personality quirks and clashes—are drawn to the forefront. The film will screen at The Avalon as part of its Lions of Czech Film series. $13, 8 PM.
MUSIC The National Symphony Orchestra is getting in the “ugly sweater” spirit with a holiday concert at The Anthem. Hear seasonal tunes (such as “Carol of the Bells,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and traditional Slavik Christmas music) performed by the NSO with choral accompaniment by The Capital Hearings. $15-$35, 8 PM.
