Hey y’all!
We’ve got the star-studded Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert and the return of James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner to the DC stage.
I hope you’re as pumped for ice hockey trivia as Gritty is about the Philadelphia Flyers.
Here’s what you should check out this week:
Art of the diaspora: The Middle East Institute, a public policy think tank and culture center that works to promote U.S.-Middle East relations, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a new art exhibition. “Converging Lines: Tracing the Artistic Lineage of the Arab Diaspora in the U.S.” explores themes of exile, changing identities, and memory formation through the work of Arab-American and Arab diaspora artists, including Etel Adnan and Hugette Caland. Monday 9/13 through November 17, 10 AM to 5 PM; Free, register here.
Family struggles: The National African American History and Culture Museum will unveil its new exhibition on the family history and legacy of famous conjoined twins Millie and Christine McCoy. Dubbed as “Millie-Christine the Carolina Nightingale,” the enslaved sisters were taken away from their family and shown off across the United States and Europe as circus and sideshow attractions. “Millie Christine: The Life and Legal Battles of the ‘Carolina Twins’” tells the story of the McCoy family’s lengthy legal battle to regain custody of the twins after the Emancipation Proclamation. Tuesday 9/14 through August 2022; Free, find out more here.
A long-awaited return: To mark its 50th anniversary, the Kennedy Center is making a return to live, full-scale productions with a celebration concert. The star-studded event will be hosted by six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and feature performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, kids author and illustrator Mo Willems, Glee star Darren Criss, and opera star Renée Fleming. Tuesday 9/14 at 8 PM; $69-$109, buy tickets here.
Hope in despair: James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner is returning to the Shakespeare Theatre Company for two weeks after much praise and a short-lived run in 2020. The three-act play tells the story of a pastor who searches for redemption after being ousted by her congregation for betraying her family and lying to her community. Tuesday 9/14 through Sunday 9/26 (times vary); $35-$120, buy tickets here.
Cool history: The Embassy of the Czech Republic is taking a look back in history to celebrate the country’s victory at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games’ ice hockey tournament. There will be a screening of the documentary film The Nagano Tapes, which tells the story of that 1998 Olympic win, as well as a trivia game to test your ice hockey knowledge. Attendees can also transfer their ice hockey trivia skills to the arena during a virtual reality hockey training session. Tuesday 9/14, 7 PM to 9 PM; Free, register here.
See ya later!
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you’re up to by dropping me a line at dbaker@washingtonian.com.