Radar: To Do in D.C. 1.27-1.31

Celebrate the weekend with takeout from one of the spots participating in Winter Restaurant Week, support Black-owned businesses at Dupont Underground, or learn about and enjoy a selection of études from Washington Performing Arts. Read on for all this and more in our weekend events calendar. Note: All descriptions courtesy of hosts of events and edited for clarity. 

Ongoing

“The Catastrophist”
How do you plan for catastrophe? Virologist Nathan Wolfe, named one of “TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World” for his work tracking Ebola and swine flu, proposed pandemic insurance years before the novel coronavirus outbreak. No one bought it. Now, in a post-Covid world, we hear his story – presented entirely digitally. “The Book of Will” playwright Lauren Gunderson returns with a time-jumping tale based on the life and work of Nathan Wolfe (who also happens to be her husband). A deep dive into the profundities of scientific exploration and the harrowing realities of facing your own mortality, “The Catastrophist” is a world premiere theatrical experience built of and for this moment in time. Streaming through February 28. $30. www.roundhousetheatre.org // @roundhousetheatre

RAMW Winter Restaurant Week 2021
Visit one of 250 restaurants in the DMV for special Restaurant Week menus for lunch, dinner and brunch. Order in with delivery or pickup, or dine out (indoors or outdoors) and enjoy Restaurant Week cocktail and wine pairings. Various times and prices. www.ramw.org // @ramwdc

1.27

Dry January Mixology Workshop
Join us for a virtual, alcohol-free cocktail demonstration. Looking to ditch the hangover while improving your bartending skills and making some fun, booze-free cocktails along the way? We’ve got you covered. The classes will be taught by experts in the dry movement who will show you how to make amazing dry cocktails and also talk about why this movement has taken off and had an impact on our society. 7 p.m. Free. www.districtfray.com // @districtfray

NoMa FIT with Yoga NoMa – Pilates
Join Yoga NoMa to fire up your core on the floor. This routine tones your entire core, sculpts your waistline, and boosts your heart rate and metabolism. We’re talking plank jacks, heel taps, crunches and more. 7:30 p.m. Free. www.nomabid.org // @noma.bid

 1.28

The Rise of the Miniskirt: Norah Noh
Join Textile Museum curator Lee Talbot for a conversation about “The Rise of the Miniskirt: Nora Noh,” a film about the legendary Korean designer who brought stylish and pragmatic women’s wear to a country redefining itself after World War II. To participate, sign up and then watch the film at your leisure before the virtual discussion. 6 p.m. Free. www.museum.gwu.edu // @gwmuseum

1.29

A Brief and Modern History of the Étude
One of today’s foremost champions of the étude – a work balancing artistic expression with technical instruction – pianist and 2021 Hayes Artist Jenny Lin takes a fascinating and revealing look at the form. The headline artist program will be divided into several brief, all-new performance sets from the stage of the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, each devoted to a specific composer. Lin will introduce each set with a prerecorded video story or composer interview before performing a selection of études. 8 p.m. $20. www.washingtonperformingarts.org //  @washingtonperformingarts

P&P Live! Witches and Witch-Hunting in the Modern World
This intriguing conversation will center around “Witch Camp (Ghana),” a new record featuring women throughout northern Ghana who have been accused of witchcraft and banished to “witch camps.” The discussion includes how the phenomenon of witch-hunting persists globally in the modern day, largely driven by forces of capitalism. Panelists include Silvia Federici, a feminist writer, teacher and activist; Ian Brennan, a Grammy-winning music producer; and Marilena Umahoza Delli, a photographer, author and filmmaker. 7 p.m. Free. www.politics-prose.com // @politicsprose

1.30

Black Alchemists at Dupont Underground
Looking to support Black-owned businesses from the greater DMV area? Dupont Underground is hosting a market for local businesses featuring 16 vendors offering a variety of items. This market is an opportunity to support your neighbors in the New Year. 12-5 p.m. Free. Dupont Underground: 19 Dupont Circle, NW, DC; www.dupontunderground.org // @dupontunderground

Live Tour: Downtown DC Callboxes (Women’s History Edition)
Join A Tour Of Her Own for a walking tour of the new callboxes installed in downtown D.C. While callboxes were once part of the city’s emergency services system, today many stand as public art installations. Eight boxes have recently been converted to share the story of eight significant women in our city’s history, ranging from Katherine Graham to Alice Paul, Mary Church Terrell to Julia Ward Howe. This brisk one-hour tour will make a quick stop at each callbox, where you’ll learn about the women who helped shape our nation. The tour typically begins outside of the historic Post Pub (now closed) and finishes at Freedom Plaza. 3-4 p.m. $30. Post Pub: 1422 L St. NW, DC; www.atourofherown.com //  @atourofherown

Paint Party with DJ Chachi
Paint a masterpiece from home and enjoy a live DJ providing the soundtrack to your creativity. Two ticket tiers are available, and one will get you all the supplies you need delivered right to your door prior to class so you can release your inner artist. 8 p.m. $20-45. www.happytreesentertainment.com // @happytrees_ent

1.31

Notes on the Virginia Folklore Society w/ Daniel Bachman and Aldona Dye
Join guitarist and composer Daniel Bachman and doctoral candidate Aldona Dye on Zoom for an “alternative folk song collection history” – a deep dive into the history of regional folk music and the musicians at the heart of the history, as viewed through the lens of the Virginia Folklore Society starting at the turn of the 20th century. Daniel says, “Everybody knows Lomax and the Seegers, but for some reason, these collectors [from the Virginia Folklore Society] have been forgotten, though the music is even more interesting.” 7 p.m. $5-$15; registration required. www.rhizomedc.org // @rhizome_dc

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