Stage & Screen Events: Winter Edition

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5 – SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
Copenhagen
Written by Michael Frayn, this Tony Award-winning play reinvents and imagines the meeting of 1940s physicists Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr, an encounter that has been the center of much speculation because their discussion has not yet been revealed. It’s like Melania and Michelle’s meeting. You just want to know what happened! In this modern drama, the two men reconvene after death to discuss atomic bombs, Heisenberg’s motives with Bohr, and most importantly, what brought him to Copenhagen. A narration on moral responsibility and friendship, this thought-provoking play journeying through science is not to be missed. Various dates and show times. Tickets are $52.88. Theater J at Edlavitch DCJCC: 1529 16th St. NW, DC; www.edcjcc.org

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7 – SUNDAY, JANUARY 22
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family (Three-Play Cycle)
I once bought a single ticket to The Dark Knight trilogy and sat in a theater for hours watching Batman save Gotham. It was great. This is an event like that, but instead of three films, it’s three plays – and the Joker is probably Trump. The Gabriels shines a spotlight on the 2016 election year and has already garnered rave reviews. Written by Tony Award winner Richard Nelson and described as a “rare and radiant mirror of the way we live,” this event, which runs a total of eight hours and 15 minutes, will surely suit your political, theatre-loving fancy. The first play starts at 1:30 p.m., second begins at 4:15 p.m. and the third at 8 p.m. Each runs one hour and forty-five minutes without intermission. Tickets are $120. The Kennedy Center: 2700 F St. NW, DC; www.kennedy-center.org

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 – SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
[gay] Cymbeline
Throwing some Shakespeare your way, because I was a theatre major and it’s what we do. Theatre Prometheus’s take on the Bard’s most complex play strives to shed some light on the similarities between Shakespeare’s world and our own. With an original cast comprised of over three-fourths male actors, [gay] Cymbeline is cast with mostly female actors and twists the plot to reflect the casting choice by refocusing the play as a lesbian love story. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore sexuality, gender identity and even homophobia, and to ignite your love for Shakespeare in a fresh, modern way. Show runs Thursdays through Sundays; times vary by day. Tickets are $20. Anacostia Arts Center: 1231 Good Hope Rd. SE, DC; www.theatreprometheus.org

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
LIZZIE: The Musical
Pinky Swear Productions has been waiting three years to bring this musical to DC, and the time has come. LIZZIE tells the totally creepy tale of Lizzie Borden and the brutal murder of her parents. Equipped with her sister Emma, friend Alice and maid Bridget by her side, Lizzie and her girl gang sing-share their stories of sex, rage and murder, and we’ll love it, because we’re all closet freaks who are fascinated by this stuff. Set with a rock ‘n’ roll vibe and a six-piece band, this chilling, murderous tale is sure to strike our fancy. And if it doesn’t, I’m sure Lizzie’s axe will. Various dates; show times are at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $35. Anacostia Playhouse: 2020 Shannon Pl. SE, DC; www.pinkyswear-productions.com

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14 – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Anything Goes
Hop aboard the S.S. American (the line I used to woo guys in college on) and spend your evening singing and dancing in your seat as Wall Street broker Billy Crocker falls hopelessly in love with fancy pants socialite Hope Harcourt, who is obviously engaged to a boring dude, in this Tony Award-winning musical. There’s nothing like watching a man try to win the heart of a woman with song and dance. What will he do to succeed, you ask? Well, Anything Goes! Get it? Wednesdays through Sundays; show times vary. Tickets are $25-$30. The Little Theatre of Alexandria: 600 Wolfe St. Alexandria, VA; www.thelittletheatre.com

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21 – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Mack, Beth
I’ve blessed you with another Shakespearean show! Is this devastating to you? Just try being McB. One of Shakespeare’s most tragic plays in my thespian opinion has been tweaked for the cyber age with the Keegan Theatre’s production of Mack, Beth. Described as a thoroughly modern, razor-sharp tale, this play promises to deliver Shakespeare’s harrowing message with a modern twist. In a world of consumerism, we’re no strangers to greed, and neither was Macbeth, but the question of how far you will go to have it all remains. Various dates through February 11. Tickets are $35-$45. Keegan Theatre: 1742 Church St. NW, DC; www.keegantheatre.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24 – SUNDAY, MARCH 5
As You Like It
Comedy comes in threes, and so does Shakespeare in this month’s Stage & Screen. One of Shakespeare’s most beloved romantic comedies hits the DC stage in Folger Theatre’s production of As You Like It. If you’ve ever wanted to see a girl named Rosalind get banished from her family’s home and flee to the Forest of Arden where she meets a dude named Orlando and they fall in love despite her being disguised as a bro because love is love is love, than this play is for you! Exeunt. Wednesdays through Sundays with various show times. Tickets are $35-$75. Folger Theatre: 201 E. Capitol St. SE, DC; www.folger.edu

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27
John Cleese Live
Monty Python fans, this one’s for you. Head to the Music Center at Strathmore for a screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the best of the MP films, in my humble opinion) followed by a conversation and Q&A with John Cleese. Silly questions are encouraged, so ask away. Whether you want to know how the comical and very tall English actor came up with the idea for teasing French soldiers in Holy Grail (“Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries” is pretty much the best burn ever) or how many times he had to shoot his famous naked scene in A Fish Called Wanda in order to keep a straight face, the possibilities are endless. Or if you’re like me and like to keep a low profile, just sit back and enjoy the hilarity that ensues from the film and Cleese’s conversation to follow. The screening begins at 8 p.m., and tickets start at $55. The Music Center at Strathmore: 5301 Tuckerman Ln. North Bethesda, MD; www.strathmore.org