Things to Do

Live Performances, Arab Diaspora Art, and the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert: Things to Do Around DC, September 13-15

Plus: Ice hockey trivia

Illustration by Melissa Santoyo.

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.

Damare Baker
Research Editor

Before becoming Research Editor, Damare Baker was an Editorial Fellow and Assistant Editor for Washingtonian. She has previously written for Voice of America and The Hill. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international relations, Korean, and journalism.