2009 D.C. Fall Arts Guide

Thu, Sep. 17

Langston & U Lincoln Theatre. Best-known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes was the earliest innovators of jazz poetry. With special tribute performances by Edgeworks Dance Company, Gay’s Men’s Chorus, and many more.

Thu, Sep. 17

“The Art of Transformation” Japan Information and Culture Center. Featuring more than 50 color woodblock reprints from the Shibusawa Memorial Foundation, this exhibit celebrates the 100th anniversary of the first large-scale business mission to the United States. To Nov. 20.

Thu, Sep. 17

“Conversations in Lyrical Abstraction 1958–2009” Conner Contemporary. This exhibition elicits visual conversations among work by Morris Louis, Alma Thomas, Howard Mehring Jeremy Blake, and Leo Villareal. To Oct. 31.

Thu, Sep. 17

“Dark Matter” Nevin Kelly Gallery. A solo exhibition of new work in tar by Bethesda artist Ellyn Weiss. To Oct. 17.

Thu, Sep. 17

“1989—Year of Miracles: Austria and the End of the Cold War” Austrian Embassy. An exhibition curated by Günter Bischof and Lorenz Mikoletzkyon the miraculous fall of the so-called Iron Curtain 20 years ago. To Oct. 16.

Thu, Sep. 17

The Trial of the Catonsville Nine Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. Daniel Berrigan’s historical drama about Catholic priests and activists who committed an act of civil diobedience protesting the Vietnam War; to Sept. 18.

Fri, Sep. 18

Helen Benedict Reads from and signs copies of Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq . Sep. 18. Library of Congress

Fri, Sep. 18

Suzanne Frischkorn Reads from and signs copies of Lit Windowpane. Sep. 18. Writer’s Center.

Fri, Sep. 18

Jeff Johnson Reads from and signs copies of Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am . Sep. 18. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Fri, Sep. 18

Tamika Newhouse Reads from and signs copies of The Ultimate No No. Sep. 18. Borders Largo.

Fri, Sep. 18

Neil Smith Reads from and signs copies of Bang Crunch . Sep. 18. Writer’s Center.

Fri, Sep. 18

Harlem Renaissance Festival Celebration Lincoln Theatre. Tributes will be made by celebrity guests Jasmine Guy and Giancarlo Esposito, along with performances by the In Series Theatre Company and Gay Men’s Chorus.

Fri, Sep. 18

“King Kong” American City Diner and Café. With the restoration of some long-censored footage, Kong can be seen in all of his Freudian fairy-tale glory–his rambunctious sexuality (stripping Fay Wray and giving her a curious sniff) and his destructive infantilism (if it looks good, eat it). Willis O’Brien did the stop-action animation, which is richer in character than most of the human cast. (DK)

Fri, Sep. 18

When the Full Moon Rises Freer Gallery A hard-boiled crime reporter stumbles onto the strangest story of his life when his car breaks down outside a spooky town being terrorized by a man-hungry lady vampire. Mamat Khalid’s affectionate send-up of classic Malaysian cinema is a heady mixture of horror flicks, detective stories, and musicals. Set in 1956 and beautifully shot in inky film-noir black and white, it’s “a glorious mash up of styles and influences loaded with sumptuous photography, clever writing, a creepy ghost, hysterically funny sight gags, and a sense of play that never fails to engage and surprise” (Todd Brown, Twitch). Malaysia / 2008 / 108 min. / b&w / Malay with English subtitles

Fri, Sep. 18

“A Certain Longing” Vivid Solutions. Featuring current students and recent alumni from the Corcoran College of Art + Design Photography Program. To Oct. 23.

Fri, Sep. 18

Anita Baker DAR Constitution Hall.

Fri, Sep. 18

Busdriver The Talking Head. $10

Fri, Sep. 18

Cycle of Pain, Zero Shift, Fuzz Box Jaxx. $15

Fri, Sep. 18

DJ Rekha Black Cat. $13 advance/$15 at door

Fri, Sep. 18

Benjy Ferree, The Black Hollies Iota. $10

Fri, Sep. 18

The Rob Hornfeck Enterprise Dogwood Tavern.

Fri, Sep. 18

The Horrors Sonar. $12

Fri, Sep. 18

The Jaguar Club, Gist, We Were Pirates Red & the Black. $8

Fri, Sep. 18

Michael Jantz and the Davenports, Vox Pop, Chris Cubeta and the Liars Club Velvet Lounge. $8

Fri, Sep. 18

Ingrid Michaelson, Greg Holden 9:30 Club. $20

Fri, Sep. 18

Tehreema Mitha Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free

Fri, Sep. 18

Moby, Kelli Scarr 9:30 Club. $35

Fri, Sep. 18

Jack Penate, Mike Snow Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Fri, Sep. 18

“Sounds of Seattle” State Theatre. $15

Fri, Sep. 18

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Jon Dee Graham Birchmere. $35

Fri, Sep. 18

Go, Dog. Go! Adventure Theatre. Adapted from P.D. Eastman’s much-loved children’s story, Go, Dog. Go! is a chaotic carnival of music and physical comedy. To Nov. 8.

Fri, Sep. 18

Measure for Measure Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Taffety Punk Theatre director Lise Bruneau leads an all-female cast through one of Shakespeare’s most sexually charged and shadowy plays. To Oct. 10.

Sat, Sep. 19

GiGi Gunn Reads from and signs copies of Living Inside Your Love. Sep. 19. Borders Largo.

Sat, Sep. 19

Pamela JP Martin Reads from and signs copies of Saved, Sanctified, and No Love. Sep. 19. Borders Largo.

Sat, Sep. 19

Tim Page Reads from and signs copies of Parellel Play. Sep. 19. Politics and Prose.

Sat, Sep. 19

Judy Shepard Reads from and signs copies of The Meaning of Matthew. Sep. 19. Borders L Street.

Sat, Sep. 19

David Allen Sibley Reads from and signs copies of The Sibley Guide to Trees. Sep. 19. Politics and Prose.

Sat, Sep. 19

Michael Signer Reads from and signs copies of Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies. Sep. 19. Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

Sat, Sep. 19

W.R. Smyser Reads from and signs copies of Kennedy and the Berlin Wall. Sep. 19. Politics and Prose.

Sat, Sep. 19

The Bootleg Festival: Mixtapes, Films and Hip-Hop’s Underground Economy Lincoln Theatre. The Bootleg Festival will consist of film screenings, panel discussions, performances, and a traveling art exhibition. This four-day festival shines light on contradictions in hip-hop and its contributions to the larger dialogue about popular culture, globalization, and how hip-hop reflects and resists both.

Sat, Sep. 19

Universes Dance Place. Live From the Edge showcases the ensemble’s special brand of fusion theater in a “best of” event. (Additional performance on Sept. 20.)

Sat, Sep. 19

“La Lengua de las Mariposas” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.. Part of the Cinema and the Spanish Civil War series. (Also showing Sept. 20.)

Sat, Sep. 19

“Ay Carmela!” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Part of the Cinema and the Spanish Civil War series. (Also showing Sept. 20.)

Sat, Sep. 19

“Dial M For Murder” American City Diner and Café. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1953 adaptation of Frederick Knott’s dinner-theater warhorse about a fading tennis champion (Ray Milland) who arranges the murder of his wife (Grace Kelly). (DK)

Sat, Sep. 19

The Bootleg Festival: Mixtapes, Films and Hip-Hop’s Underground Economy Lincoln Theatre. Free.

Sat, Sep. 19

Blowoff (late show) 9:30 Club. $12

Sat, Sep. 19

Busdriver, Rosetta Stoned, Ardaplus DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Sat, Sep. 19

Chainsaw Baby, Trauma DeVille, Sore Eyes Jammin Java. $10

Sat, Sep. 19

Elementary, Heather’s Headache Red & the Black. $8

Sat, Sep. 19

Enforcer The Talking Head. $8

Sat, Sep. 19

Face to Face Sonar. $19

Sat, Sep. 19

The Horrors, Crocodiles, Casper Bangs Black Cat. $15 Mainstage 9:00

Sat, Sep. 19

George Lynch’s Souls of We, Napolean & Rags (late show) Jaxx. $20

Sat, Sep. 19

Protect-U, Rhythm Based Lovers Velvet Lounge. $10

Sat, Sep. 19

Revolucion 503, Crisis & Sin Kontrol & DJ Rockactivo State Theatre. $12

Sat, Sep. 19

Brother Shamus Lite Dogwood Tavern.

Sat, Sep. 19

Silent Civilian, We Were Gentlemen, The Demonstration, Broadcast the Nightmare (early show) Jaxx. $10

Sat, Sep. 19

The Weakerthans, Rock Plaza Central, Tomte 9:30 Club. $18 (early show)

Sat, Sep. 19

Johnny Winter, Terry Garland Birchmere. $35

Sun, Sep. 20

John Lamb Reads from and signs copies of The Treacherous Teddy. Sep. 20. Borders Baileys Crossroads

Sun, Sep. 20

Michael Montlack and contributors Read from and sign copies of My Diva: 65 Gay Men and The Women Who Inspire Them. Sep. 20. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Sep. 20

Margeurite Rippy Reads from and signs copies of Orson Welles and the Unfinished RKO Projects: A Postmodern Perspective. Sep. 20. Busboys & Poets Shirlington, Shirlington Public Library.

Sun, Sep. 20

A Month of Hungry Ghosts Freer Gallery Every year in parts of Asia, during the seventh lunar month, it is believed that the gates of hell open, and all the souls are set free to wander the earth and fulfill their past needs, wants, and desires. Tony Kern’s documentary captures Singapore’s Hungry Ghost Festival, in which each of the city-state’s diverse blend of cultures lend their own flavors to a month of ceremonies designed to appease and entertain supernatural visitors. From eerie candle-lit walks in the woods among the spirits, to colorful street opera performances, to an animated tour of the Chinese afterworld, Kern’s film delves into one of the most unique facets of Singaporean tradition. Singapore / 2009 / 92 min. / video / Hokkein, Mandarin, Cantonese, and English with English subtitles

Sun, Sep. 20

“The Good Fight” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Part of the Cinema and the Spanish Civil War series. (Also showing Sept. 22.)

Sun, Sep. 20

“Grease” American City Diner and Café. This is a limp, cheaply made version of the Broadway play about growing up cool in the ’50s. Director Randal Kleiser shows no real sense of how a musical is constructed: The songs are bunched together, the production numbers don’t move, and the whole project shifts awkwardly between naturalism and stylization. John Travolta does little with a pallid part, although he does have a chance to dance an unabashedly gratuitous disco number; Olivia Newton-John is merely pallid. (DK)

Sun, Sep. 20

Appomattox Talking Head Club $8

Sun, Sep. 20

Betty, The State Of 9:30 Club. $25

Sun, Sep. 20

Calder Quartet Intimate Letters Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Sun, Sep. 20

Gwar Sonar. $23

Sun, Sep. 20

Wayne “the Train” Hancock Iota. $15

Sun, Sep. 20

A Hawk And A Hacksaw, Damon & Naomi Rock & Roll Hotel. $14

Sun, Sep. 20

Keyboard Conversations: Chopin For Lovers George Mason University, Center for the Arts. $19–$38

Sun, Sep. 20

The Pork Dukes, S.P.O.T.S., Jumpship (ex-Images), Point Blank Jammin Java. $10 (early show)

Sun, Sep. 20

Tony Lucca, Jay Nash, Matt Duke, Christopher Williams Jammin Java. $10 (late show)

Sun, Sep. 20

Jane Monheit Birchmere. $35

Sun, Sep. 20

Charlie Robinson, Sunny Sweeney State Theatre. $15

Sun, Sep. 20

Society of Strangers, Adam and Adalia Velvet Lounge. $8

Mon, Sep. 21

Liaquat Ahmed Reads from and signs copies of Lords of Finance. Sep. 21. Fairfax Theater Project.

Mon, Sep. 21

Ruth Bottigheimer Reads from and signs copies of Fairy Tales: A New History. Sep. 21. George Mason University.

Mon, Sep. 21

Harvey Cox Reads from and signs copies of The Future of Faith. Sep. 21. Politics and Prose.

Mon, Sep. 21

Paul Dickson Reads from and signs copies of The Dickson Baseball Dictionary. Sep. 21. Arlington Public Library

Mon, Sep. 21

Ronald Kessler Reads from and signs copies of In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect. Sep. 21. Barnes and Noble Bethesda.

Mon, Sep. 21

Yiyun Li Reads from and signs copies of The Vagrants. Sep. 21. George Mason University.

Mon, Sep. 21

E. Ethelbert Miller Reads from and signs copies of The Fifth Inning. Sep. 21. Northern Virginia Community College.

Mon, Sep. 21

Robert K. Musil Reads from and signs copies of Hope for a Heated Planet: How Americans are Fighting Global Warming and Building a Better Future. Sep. 21. George Mason University.

Mon, Sep. 21

Joyce Carol Oates Reads from and signs copies of Little Bird of Heaven. Sep. 21. Freer Gallery of Art.

Mon, Sep. 21

PEN/Faulkner gala Featuring Geraldine Brooks, Beth Henley, Alice McDermott, Jay McInerney, Amy Tan, and others. Sep. 21. Folger Shakespeare Library.

Mon, Sep. 21

Nick Reding Reads from and signs copies of Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town. Sep. 21. George Mason University.

Mon, Sep. 21

Mary Doria Russell Reads from and signs copies of Dreamers of the Day. Sep. 21. George Mason University.

Mon, Sep. 21

Robet Samuelson Reads from and signs copies of The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath. Sep. 21. The Fairfax Theater Project.

Mon, Sep. 21

Michael Signer Reads from and signs copies of Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies. Sep. 21. George Mason University.

Mon, Sep. 21

Michael Sims Reads from and signs copies of The Penguin Book of Gaslight Crime: Con Artists, Burglars, Rogues, and Scoundrels from the Time of Sherlock Holmes. Sep. 21. Northern Virginia Community College.

Mon, Sep. 21

Dorian Gray in the Mirror of the Yellow Press Goethe Institut. Dr. Mabuse is the chief executive of a multinational media organization who is sick to death of tracking down news every day. So she plots an unscrupulous plan to create personalities, sensations, scandals and catastrophes of her own. $6.

Mon, Sep. 21

“Tin Men” American City Diner and Café. Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito star as rival aluminum-siding salesmen locked in an ongoing feud as the result of a minor traffic accident. (PG)

Mon, Sep. 21

“Repetition in Clay” Torpedo Factory Art Center. Two or more pieces that coordinate to complete the whole presented by the Kiln Club. To Oct. 25.

Mon, Sep. 21

Caravan of Thieves Iota. $10

Mon, Sep. 21

The Cave Singers, Lightning Dust, Birdlips Black Cat Backstage. $12

Mon, Sep. 21

The Nighthawks Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free

Mon, Sep. 21

Soulsavers, Jonneine Zapata, Red Ghost Rock & Roll Hotel. $18

Mon, Sep. 21

The Sounds, Foxy Shazam 9:30 Club. $25

Mon, Sep. 21

Tessa Souter Blues Alley. $20

Mon, Sep. 21

Robin Trower Birchmere. $39.50

Tue, Sep. 22

Adam Besenyodi Reads from and signs copies of Deus ex Comica: The Rebirth of a Comic-Book Fan. Sep. 22. George Mason University.

Tue, Sep. 22

Kurt Beyer Reads from and signs copies of Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age. Sep. 22. Barnes and Noble Clarendon.

Tue, Sep. 22

Paul Blustein Reads from and signs copies of Misadventures of the Most Famous Nations. Sep. 22. Politics and Prose

Tue, Sep. 22

Staceyann Reads from and signs copies of The Other Side of Paradise. Sep. 22. George Mason University.

Tue, Sep. 22

Haleh Esfandiari Reads from and signs copies of My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran. Sep. 22. George Mason University.

Tue, Sep. 22

Ralph Eubanks Reads from and signs copies of The House at the End of the Road. Sep. 22. Fairfax Regional Library.

Tue, Sep. 22

Edward Falco Reads from and signs copies of Saint John of the Five Boroughs. Sep. 22. George Mason University.

Tue, Sep. 22

Barbara Graham and Kate Lehrer Read from and sign copies of Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Being a Grandmother. Sep. 22. Busboys & Poets Shirlington.

Tue, Sep. 22

Michael Largo Reads from and signs copies of Genius and Heroin: The Illustrated Catalogue of Creativity, Obsession and Reckless Abandon Through the Ages. Sep. 22. Busboys & Poets 5th & K.

Tue, Sep. 22

Lyah Beth Leflore Reads from and signs copies of Wildflower. Sep. 22. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Tue, Sep. 22

Joanne Rendell Reads from and signs copies of Crossing Washington Square. Sep. 22. Borders Friendship Heights.

Tue, Sep. 22

Ariel Sabar Reads from and signs copies of My Father’s Paradise. Sep. 22. Southeast Neighborhood Library.

Tue, Sep. 22

Susan Swain and Richard Norton Smith Read from and sign copies of Abraham Lincoln: Great American Historians on Our Sixteenth President. Sep 22. George Mason University.

Tue, Sep. 22

Jayanti Tamm Reads from and signs copies of Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult. Sep. 22. Northern Virginia Community College.

Tue, Sep. 22

Libby Tucker Reads from and signs copies of Haunted Halls: Ghostlore of American College Campuses. Sep. 22. George Mason University.

Tue, Sep. 22

Jeremiah Workman Reads from and signs copies of Shadow of the Sword: A Marine’s Journey of War, Heroism, and Redemption. Sep. 22. Borders Fairfax.

Tue, Sep. 22

“Blackboard Jungle” American City Diner and Café. A kind middle-aged teacher takes a job at an unrul inner-city high school full of thugs. The first (and perhaps ultimate) ‘teacher against the system’ movie.

Tue, Sep. 22

The Action Design, Sick Of Sarah, Donora Rock & Roll Hotel. $8

Tue, Sep. 22

Gordon Chambers Blues Alley. $25

Tue, Sep. 22

King Giant, Caltrop, Nihilita DC9. $8

Tue, Sep. 22

Juliette Lewis, American Bang, The Ettes Rock & Roll Hotel. $18

Tue, Sep. 22

Memphis 59, Trustfall, The Dialogue Jammin Java. $10

Tue, Sep. 22

She Wants Revenge, Kill Hannah, Paper Route Black Cat. $20

Tue, Sep. 22

Steeleye Span Birchmere. $29.50

Tue, Sep. 22

The Walkmen, Here We Go Magic 9:30 Club. $15

Wed, Sep. 23

Cathy Alter Reads from and signs copies of Up for Renewal. Sep. 23. George Mason University.

Wed, Sep. 23

Robert Brustein Reads from and signs copies of The Tainted Muse. Sep. 23. George Mason University.

Wed, Sep. 23

Alan Cheuse Reads from and signs copies of A Trance After Breakfast and Other Passages. Sep. 23. George Mason University.

Wed, Sep. 23

Donald Dell Reads from and signs copies of Never Make the First Offer. Sep. 23. Politics and Prose.

Wed, Sep. 23

Emyl Jenks Reads from and signs copies of The Big Steal. Sep. 23. Fairfax Regional Library.

Wed, Sep. 23

Robert King Reads from and signs copies of From the Bottom of the Heap: The Autobiography of a Black Panther. Sep. 23. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Wed, Sep. 23

Leon Krier Reads from and signs copies of The Architecture of Community. Sep. 23. Corcoran.

Wed, Sep. 23

Gregory Olfalea Reads from and signs copies of Angeleno Days. Sep. 23. George Mason University.

Wed, Sep. 23

Sara Paretsky Reads from and signs copies of Hardball. Sep. 23. Barnes & Noble Bethesda.

Wed, Sep. 23

David Shields Reads from and signs copies of Reality Hunger. Sep. 23. George Mason University.

Wed, Sep. 23

David O. Stewart Reads from and signs copies of Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy. Sep. 23. National Archives.

Wed, Sep. 23

Maria Eugenia Verdaguer Reads from and signs copies of Class, Ethnicity, Gender, and Latino Entrepreneurship. Sep. 23. George Mason University.

Wed, Sep. 23

“Gaslight” American City Diner and Café. Starring Ingrid Bergman.

Wed, Sep. 23

“I’m Going to Explode” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Pampered, pouty 15 year old Roman is the son of a corrupt politician. Having been expelled from the best private schools in Mexico, he winds up in a public school where he pens a performance piece called “See You in Hell” where he hangs himself on stage. Disaffected Maru falls hard for him and they decide to run away, but not too far way, preferring to hide out atop Roman’s mansion rooftop. (Also showing Sept. 26.)

Wed, Sep. 23

“Some Like It Hot” American City Diner and Café. Starring Marilyn Monroe.

Wed, Sep. 23

Maya Azucena Blues Alley. $25

Wed, Sep. 23

Chain & the Gang, Soft Power Black Cat Backstage. $10

Wed, Sep. 23

Cthonic, Krass Judgement, Cab Ride Home, Apothys, Stitch the Lids Jaxx. $15

Wed, Sep. 23

Los Enanitos Verdes State Theatre. $35

Wed, Sep. 23

Fern Knight, Luigi Archetti, Odal, Blue Sausage Infant, Twilight Memories Of the Three Suns Velvet Lounge. $10

Wed, Sep. 23

Pete Francis, Jesse Ruben Jammin Java. $10

Wed, Sep. 23

KMFDM, Angelspit 9:30 Club. $25

Wed, Sep. 23

Nine Strings, Pilesar Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free

Wed, Sep. 23

Riders in the Sky Birchmere. $35

Wed, Sep. 23

Still Flyin, Exacilbrah, DC9. $8 advance/$10 at door

Wed, Sep. 23

Stratovarius Sonar. $27.50

Thu, Sep. 24

Cathy Alter Reads from and signs copies of Up for Renewal: What Magazines Taught Me About Love, Sex, and Starting Over. Sep. 24. Barnes & Noble Reston.

Thu, Sep. 24

Joanna Carolan Reads from and signs copies of A President from Hawaii. Sep. 24. Borders L Street.

Thu, Sep. 24

E.L. Doctorow Reads from and signs copies of Homer & Langley. Sep. 24. George Mason University.

Thu, Sep. 24

Dennis Drabelle Reads from and signs copies of Mile-High Fever. Sep. 24. George Mason University.

Thu, Sep. 24

Kennan Ferguson Reads from and signs copies of William James: Politics in the Pluriverse. Sep. 24. George Mason University.

Thu, Sep. 24

Linda Perlman Goodman and Susan Shaffer Read from and sign copies of Too Close for Comfort? Questioning the Intimacy of Today’s New Mother-Daughter Relationship. Sep. 24. Barnes & Noble Bethesda.

Thu, Sep. 24

Michael A. Jawer Reads from and signs copies of Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion. Sep. 24. Reiter’s.

Thu, Sep. 24

Ronald A. Kessler Reads from and signs copies of In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect. Sep. 24. Barnes & Noble Tyson’s Corner.

Thu, Sep. 24

Robert King Reads from and signs copies of From the Bottom of the Heap. Sep. 24. George Mason University.

Thu, Sep. 24

Jonathan Lyons Reads from and signs copies of House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization. Sep. 24. George Mason University.

Thu, Sep. 24

Charles V. Mauro Reads from and signs copies of A Southern Spy in Northern Virginia: The Civil War Album of Laura Ratcliffe. Sep. 24. Fairfax Museum & Visitor’s Center.

Thu, Sep. 24

Lorrie Moore Reads from and signs copies of A Gate at the Stairs. Sep. 24. Politics and Prose.

Thu, Sep. 24

Sharon Robinson and Kadir Nelson Read from and sign copies of Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson. Sep. 24. Politics and Prose.

Thu, Sep. 24

Adriana Trigiani Reads from and signs copies of Viola in Reel Life. Sep. 24. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Thu, Sep. 24

Matthew Vollmer Reads from and signs copies of Future Missionaries of America. Sep. 24. George Mason University.

Thu, Sep. 24

Peter Wallenstein Reads from and signs copies of Higher Education and the Civil Rights Movement. Sep. 24. George Mason University.

Thu, Sep. 24

Emio Greco Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. presents Popopera, based on Dante’s Divine Comedy with musical accompaniment by Michael Gordon; to Sept. 25.

Thu, Sep. 24

“Gigante” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Jara is a thirtysomething supermarket security guard who passes the time working the graveyard shift by watching videos. But when Julia, a young cleaning woman, starts work at the supermarket, he discovers a new favorite pastime: watching her on the security camera monitors. But Jara’s interest in Julia doesn’t just stop at the end of their workday—he begins to follow her home and around town. (Also showing Sept. 27.)

Thu, Sep. 24

“Life Essentials” Art Whino. The exhibit will feature the works of more than100 artists from across the country and around the globe. To Sept. 26.

Thu, Sep. 24

“A Natural Connection: A Retrospective of Floral Prints by Nina Muys” Austrian Embassy. Muys’ paintings are reminiscent of Albrecht Dürer’s works, and her fascination with the power and the complexities of nature shines through all of them. To Oct. 23.

Thu, Sep. 24

Decibully, Early Day Miners Iota. $10

Thu, Sep. 24

Dean Fields, Brilliant Inventions, Cletus & Lori, Ellen Cherry Jammin Java. $12

Thu, Sep. 24

Claire Gilbride Dogwood Tavern.

Thu, Sep. 24

GW Law House Band DC9. $6

Thu, Sep. 24

How Sweet the Sound Verizon Center. $5–$7

Thu, Sep. 24

Mat Kearney, Diane Birch 9:30 Club. $25

Thu, Sep. 24

Marco Benvento Trio State Theatre. $15

Thu, Sep. 24

Keiko Matsui Birchmere. $39.50

Thu, Sep. 24

Mutemath, As Tall as Lions Sonar. $23

Thu, Sep. 24

NSO Pops: Ben Folds Rocks the Pops Kennedy Center. $20–$48

Thu, Sep. 24

Once Okay Twice, Wicked Liquid, Politicks Rock & Roll Hotel. $10

Thu, Sep. 24

Karen Page, Branch Avenue, Anu, Engulfed in Flames Jaxx. $10

Thu, Sep. 24

Tuck & Patti Blues Alley. $27.50 (additional performances to Sept. 27)

Thu, Sep. 24

Vandaveer Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Free

Thu, Sep. 24

The Very Small Velvet Lounge. $7

Fri, Sep. 25

Carol Berkin Reads from and signs copies of Civil War Wives: The Lives and Times of Angelina Grimke Weld, Varina Howell Davis, and Julia Dent Grant. Sep. 25. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Fri, Sep. 25

Warren Brown Reads from and signs copies of CakeLove: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch. Sep. 25. George Mason University.

Fri, Sep. 25

Andrej Grubacic Reads from and signs copies of Globalization and Refusal. Sep. 25. Busboys & Poets 5th & K.

Fri, Sep. 25

E. Lynn Harris Tribute Tour. Mama Dearest. Sep. 25. Borders Largo.

Fri, Sep. 25

Victoria Law Reads from and signs copies of Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerared Women. Sep. 25. George Mason University.

Fri, Sep. 25

Megan McDonald Reads from and signs copies of The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt. Sep. 25. Politics and Prose.

Fri, Sep. 25

Vali Nasr Reads from and signs copies of Forces of Fortune. Sep. 25. Politics and Prose.

Fri, Sep. 25

Nicolas Sparks Reads from and signs copies of The Last Song. Sep. 25. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Fri, Sep. 25

D. Harlan Wilson Reads from and signs copies of Blankety Blank. Sep. 25. George Mason University.

Fri, Sep. 25

Fictions Freer Gallery. Jakarta proves to be the perfect setting for Gothic-style horror in this haunting psychodrama. Even Edgar Allan Poe would be impressed with the ominous atmosphere first-time director Mouly Surya casts over her tale of Alisha, a pampered rich girl smitten with a handsome writer who draws inspiration from the lives of his neighbors. When Alisha moves in next door, her infatuation with him plunges them into a vortex of obsession, ghosts, and murder, where the line between the living and the dead, fiction and truth, becomes terrifyingly indistinct. Indonesia / 2008 / 110 min. / Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitles

Fri, Sep. 25

“Ocean” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. (Also showing Sept. 26.)

Fri, Sep. 25

“The Postman Always Rings Twice” American City Diner and Café. Starring Lana Turner.

Fri, Sep. 25

“Faces of the Frontier: Photographic Portraits from the American West, 1845–1924” National Portrait Gallery. The American West was dramatically reconstituted during the 80 years between the Mexican War and the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924. This exhibition tells that story. To Jan. 24.

Fri, Sep. 25

Dangerosa, The Bloodsugars, Crimes In Paris, Red Satellites Red & the Black. $8

Fri, Sep. 25

Deleted Scenes, Drink Up Buttercup The Talking Head. $8

Fri, Sep. 25

Harmony Invitational Birchmere. $29.50

Fri, Sep. 25

Homay & The Mastan Ensemble of Iran Music Center at Strathmore. $30–$79

Fri, Sep. 25

Lady Gaga DAR Constitution Hall. $43.50

Fri, Sep. 25

The Legwarmers State Theatre. $16 (additional performance Sept. 26)

Fri, Sep. 25

Maximo Park, Cougar Black Cat. $15.

Fri, Sep. 25

Minus 5, The Baseball Project, The Steve Wynn IV Iota. $20

Fri, Sep. 25

Rattler, New Rock Church Of Fire, Supreme Commander Rock & Roll Hotel. $10

Fri, Sep. 25

Satyricon, Bleeding Through, Toxic Holocaust, Cthonic Sonar. $18

Fri, Sep. 25

Snow Patrol DAR Constitution Hall. $33.50

Fri, Sep. 25

The Used Sonar. $25

Fri, Sep. 25

Edwin Colón Zayas Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Free

Fri, Sep. 25

Black Pearl Sings! Ford’s Theatre. Susannah, a song collector for the Library of Congress, travels the country seeking little-known melodies. When she encounters Pearl in a Texas prison, she discovers dozens of musical treasures rooted in the African tradition. To Oct. 18.

Sat, Sep. 26

Dan Baum Reads from and signs copies of Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans. Sep. 26. Busboys & Poets Shirlington, Shirlington Public Library.

Sat, Sep. 26

James Ellroy Reads from and signs copies of Blood’s a Rover. Sep. 26. Writer’s Center.

Sat, Sep. 26

Linda Perlman Gordon and Susan Morris Shaffer Read from and sign copies of Too Close for Comfort? Sep. 26. Politics and Prose.

Sat, Sep. 26

Sonia Hayes Reads from and signs copies of Eye Candy. Sep. 26. Borders Largo.

Sat, Sep. 26

Kay Redfield Jamison Reads from and signs copies of Nothing Was the Same. Sep. 26. Politics and Prose.

Sat, Sep. 26

National Book Festival National Book Festival. Sep. 26. National Mall.

Sat, Sep. 26

National Book Festival The 2009 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will feature authors James Patterson, George Pelecanos, Nikki Grimes, Marilynne Robinson, Sharon Creech, Daniel Silva, and W. Ralph Eubanks, among many others. The National Mall.

Sat, Sep. 26

Wasiim Reads from and signs copies of Sinnamon. Sep. 26. Borders Largo.

Sat, Sep. 26

Tehreema Mitha Dance Company Dance Place. Classical Indian dance juxtaposed with contemporary movement. (Additional performance on Sept. 27.)

Sat, Sep. 26

“The Fly” American City Diner and Café. Starring Jeff Goldblum.

Sat, Sep. 26

“Lion’s Den” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Julia wakes and prepares for work after a drink- and drug-fueled bender, barely noticing a man’s motionless body in her apartment. Later tried and sent to prison for his murder, she soon discovers she is pregnant, and she gives birth to and raises a son in the prison’s mother’s ward. (Also showing Sept. 27.)

Sat, Sep. 26

“Tony Manero” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Santiago, 1979: Middle-aged sad sack Raúl brightens his drab existence by studying John Travolta as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever. No mere fan, Raúl has obsessively claimed the persona for his own, developing better-than-average dance moves and enough charisma to recruit fellow workers into an after-hours dance troupe. But Raúl’s sick ambition goes beyond that of his peers, as he ruthlessly eliminates any threats to his dancing dominance. (Also showing Sept. 30.)

Sat, Sep. 26

“Autumn Arts of Nature” U.S. National Arboretum. Unlike a typical art museum exhibit, “Autumn Arts of Nature” will change as the living objects change; when a tree on display drops its leaves, it will be replaced by one with peak color foliage. To Nov. 29.

Sat, Sep. 26

Photography Solo Show Evolve Urban Arts Project. Featuring works by Washington-based photographer Betto Ortiz. To Nov. 15.

Sat, Sep. 26

“Shades Of Pastel Biennial National Juried Exhibtion” Strathmore. Pastels come in wide range of sizes and degrees of softness, from very hard NuPastel sticks to the soft and buttery Schminkes and Great Americans. To Nov. 7.

Sat, Sep. 26

Allmanact (late show) Jammin Java. $10

Sat, Sep. 26

Marcia Ball Blackrock Center For the Arts $45

Sat, Sep. 26

Born of Osiris, All Shall Perish, After the Burial, Caliban Jaxx. $15

Sat, Sep. 26

Elikeh Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Free

Sat, Sep. 26

Health, Double Dagger, Pictureplane, Shams Sonar. $12

Sat, Sep. 26

Nate Ihara Dogwood Press.

Sat, Sep. 26

J-Roddy Waltson and the Business Red & the Black. $10

Sat, Sep. 26

Jandek, Kotra, Northern Machine, Qfwfq Duo, Tim Hecker Velvet Lounge. $20

Sat, Sep. 26

Mono, Maserati Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Sat, Sep. 26

Polvo, Last Century Black Cat. $15 Mainstage

Sat, Sep. 26

Brian Stokes Mitchell and The American Festival Pops Orchestra George Mason University, Center for the Arts. $30–$60

Sat, Sep. 26

The Subdudes Birchmere. $25.00

Sat, Sep. 26

Ten Out of Tenn Iota. $13

Sat, Sep. 26

Derek Webb Jammin Java. $15 (early show, additional performance Sept. 27)

Sat, Sep. 26

Ferdinand the Bull Imagination Stage. Books and lyrics by Karen Zacarías, music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, based on the story by Munro Leaf, directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer. To Nov. 1.

Sun, Sep. 27

Joanna Carolan Reads from and signs copies of A President from Hawaii. Sep. 26. Borders Friendship Heights.

Sun, Sep. 27

Meredith Reads from and signs copies of Posed for Murder. Sep. 27. Choices by Shawn.

Sun, Sep. 27

Tony di Terlizzi and Holly Black Read from and sign copies of The Wyrm King. Sep. 27. Politics and Prose.

Sun, Sep. 27

James Ellroy Reads from and signs copies of Blood’s a Rover. Sep. 27. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Sun, Sep. 27

Susan Froetschel Reads from and signs copies of Interruptions. Sep. 27. Choices by Shawn.

Sun, Sep. 27

Lyah Beth LeFlore Reads from and signs copies of Wildflowers. Sep. 27. Borders Silver Spring.

Sun, Sep. 27

Agrarian Utopia Freer Gallery Uruphong Raksasad’s portrait of four seasons in the lives of rice farmers in northern Thailand might look like a documentary, but it is actually a carefully crafted fiction. To make it, he rented a rice paddy and hired local families to farm it for him. They then became the actors in the film’s narrative about the vanishing practice of traditional agriculture. A native of the area where he filmed, Raksasad creates vivid, lyrical images of the land and sky that form the backdrop for his characters’ struggle to maintain their livelihoods as globalism encroaches on their world. Thailand / 2009 / 122 min. / video / Thai with English subtitles

Sun, Sep. 27

“From Here to Eternity” American City Diner and Café. Starring Burt Lancaster.

Sun, Sep. 27

Jon & Ben Carroll Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free

Sun, Sep. 27

Faust, Rat Bastard, Chris Grier, Urlich Krieger Trio, Health, Pekka Airaksinen, Alexi Borisov w/ Anton Nikkila Black Cat. $13 advance/$15 at door

Sun, Sep. 27

GMU Wind Symphony George Mason University,Center for the Arts.

Sun, Sep. 27

Idiomatics Velvet Lounge. $7

Sun, Sep. 27

Vatsala Mehra: An Evening of Ghazals, Sufi, and Geet Kennedy Center. $40–$60

Sun, Sep. 27

Suckers DC9. $8

Sun, Sep. 27

The Whispers Birchmere. $75.00

Mon, Sep. 28

John W. Limbert Reads from and signs copies of Negotiating with Iran. Sep. 28. Politics and Prose.

Mon, Sep. 28

Mike Roselle and Josh Mahan Read from and sign copies of Tree Spiker: From Earth First! To Lowbagging: My Struggle in Radical Environmental Action. Sep. 28. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Mon, Sep. 28

“Double Indemnity” American City Diner and Café. Starring Fred MacMurray.

Mon, Sep. 28

Prater Goethe Institut. Dr. Mabuse is the chief executive of a multinational media organization who is sick to death of tracking down news every day. So she plots an unscrupulous plan to create personalities, sensations, scandals and catastrophes of her own. $6.

Mon, Sep. 28

“An Iconography of Contagion” National Academy of Sciences. This exhibition features more than 20 health posters from the 1920s to the 1990s, covering infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, gonorrhea, and syphilis. To Jan. 29.

Mon, Sep. 28

Butthole Surfers, Phsychic Ills Sonar. $20

Mon, Sep. 28

The Coathangers, Foul Swoops Black Cat Backstage. $10

Mon, Sep. 28

Corea, Clarke & White Birchmere. $75.

Mon, Sep. 28

The Lost Fingers Jammin Java. $10

Mon, Sep. 28

The Oklahoma Twisters Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free

Mon, Sep. 28

Pink Patriot Center. $39.50–$49.50

Mon, Sep. 28

Thomas Function, Jussuf Jerusalem TheTalking Head. $8

Tue, Sep. 29

Frank Bruni In conversation with Maureen Dowd, Born Round. Sep. 29. Politics and Prose.

Tue, Sep. 29

David Burnett Reads from and signs copies of 44Days: Iran and the Remaking of the World. Sep. 29. Barnes & Noble Bethesda.

Tue, Sep. 29

Diana Gabaldon Reads from and signs copies of The Echo in the Bone. Sep. 29. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Tue, Sep. 29

Mark Victor Hansen Reads from and signs copies of Cash in a Flash: Fast Money in Slow Times. Sep. 29. Borders Tysons Corner.

Tue, Sep. 29

Francine Prose Reads from and signs copies of Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife. Sep. 29. Smithsonian Associates.

Tue, Sep. 29

Wade Rathke Reads from and signs copies of Citizen Wealth: Winning the Campaign to Save Working Families. Sep. 29. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Tue, Sep. 29

Bruce Rosenstein Reads from and signs copies of Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire And Transform your Life. Sep. 29. Arlington Public Library.

Tue, Sep. 29

“The Defiant Ones” American City Diner and Café. Starring Sidney Poitier.

Tue, Sep. 29

Balkan Quartet Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free

Tue, Sep. 29

BLK JKS, Laughing Man Black Cat Backstage. $10

Tue, Sep. 29

Bobby Broom Blues Alley. $22

Tue, Sep. 29

Chopteeth, JohnStone Reggae, Regg’go Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Tue, Sep. 29

Dare Dukes, Stripmall Ballads Red & the Black. $6

Tue, Sep. 29

Marianne Faithfull Birchmere. $49.50

Tue, Sep. 29

Kinky 9:30 Club. $20

Tue, Sep. 29

Regina Spektor DAR Constitution Hall $43.50

Tue, Sep. 29

Shawyze, Beardo, Tabi Bonney Sonar. $18

Tue, Sep. 29

These Arms Are Snakes, DD/MM/YYYY DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Tue, Sep. 29

Tyrone Wells, Matt Hires, Keaton Simons Jammin Java. $15 (additional performance Sept. 30)

Wed, Sep. 30

Adolf Burger Reads from and signs copies of The Devil’s Workshop: A Memoir of the Nazi Counterfeiting Operation. Sep. 30. Library of Congress.

Wed, Sep. 30

Thad Carhart Reads from and signs copies of Across the Endless River. Sep. 30. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Wed, Sep. 30

Kaylie Jones Reads from and signs copies of Lies My Mother Never Told Me. Sep. 30. Arlington Public Library.

Wed, Sep. 30

Dalel B. Khalil Reads from and signs copies of From Veils to Thongs: An Arab Chick’s Survival Guide to Balancing One’s Ethnic Identity. Sep. 30. Busboys & Poets Shirlington, Shirlington Public Library.

Wed, Sep. 30

Irene Levine Reads from and signs copies of Best Friends Forever. Sep. 30. Borders Rockville.

Wed, Sep. 30

Kip Lornell and Charles C. Stevenson, Jr. Read from and sign copies of The Beat: Go-go Music from Washington DC. Sep. 30. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Wed, Sep. 30

Peter Maass Reads from and signs copies of Crude World. Sep. 30. Politics and Prose.

Wed, Sep. 30

“The Hustler” American City Diner and Café. Starring Paul Newman.

Wed, Sep. 30

American Aquarium, Marianne Dissard Red & the Black. $8

Wed, Sep. 30

Antlers, Holly Miranda, Shapiro DC9. $8 advance/$10 at door

Wed, Sep. 30

Honor Society Sonar. $18

Wed, Sep. 30

Eva Lopez Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free

Wed, Sep. 30

James McMurtry & The Heartless Bastards w/Jonny Burke Birchmere. $25

Wed, Sep. 30

New Model Army, Ego Likeness, Sleepter Agent Rock & Roll Hotel. $18

Wed, Sep. 30

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Depreciation Guild, Cymbals Eat Guitars Black Cat. $13

Wed, Sep. 30

Michelle Walker Blues Alley. $25

Wed, Sep. 30

Amazing Baby, Entrance Band DC9. $8 advance/$10 at door

Wed, Sep. 30

The Bacon Brothers w/ Rebecca Loebe & Raina Rose Birchmere. $35 (additional performance Oct. 2)

Wed, Sep. 30

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Presents: Tchaikovsky and Bartok Music Center at Strathmore. $25–$80

Wed, Sep. 30

Grace Kelly Quintet Mansion at Strathmore.

Wed, Sep. 30

Great Lake Swimmers, The Wooden Birds, Sharon Van Etten Black Cat. $13 advance/$15 at door

Wed, Sep. 30

Roy Hargrove Blues Alley. $35 (additional performances through Oct. 4)

Wed, Sep. 30

Johnny 3 Legs, Feed God Cabbage, Fairgrounds, Mojo Jaxx. $10

Wed, Sep. 30

Charlotte Martin, Matt Duke Jammin Java. $15

Wed, Sep. 30

Jamie McLean, Justin Trawick Red & the Black. $8

Wed, Sep. 30

National Symphony Orchestra: Iván Fischer, conductor/Beethoven & Bartók Kennedy Center. $20–$85 (additional performances Oct. 3 & 4)

Wed, Sep. 30

Ra Ra Riot, Maps and Atlases, Princeton 9:30 Club. $15

Wed, Sep. 30

David Taylor Sidney Harman Hall. $25–$35

Wed, Sep. 30

University of Maryland Wind Orchestra. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. (Additional performances Nov. 6 and Dec. 10)

Wed, Sep. 30

Wavves, Ganglians, Tennis System Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Wed, Sep. 30

Wisin Y Yandel Patriot Center. $38.50–$78.50

Wed, Sep. 30

Night Must Fall Olney Theatre Center. In a small Essex town, a wickedly charming and attractive young man is hired as a live-in companion for an ailing woman residing with her niece. When the news of a local murder is revealed, the alluring stranger becomes increasingly suspicious. To Oct. 25.

Wed, Sep. 30

Strange Bedfellows Catholic University. An evening of one acts by George Bernard Shaw. The two plays are Press Cuttings, about the challenges public figures face during a struggle for women’s emancipation; and Augustus Does His Bit, a satiric look at those bureaucrats who support the war effort without ever fighting themselves. To Oct. 18.

Thu, Oct. 1

Taylor Branch Reads from and signs copies of The Clinton Tapes. Oct. 1. Borders L Street.

Thu, Oct. 1

Pete Dexter Reads from and signs copies of Spooner. Oct. 1. Borders Friendship Heights.

Thu, Oct. 1

James McPherson Reads from and signs copies of Tried by War. Oct. 1. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Thu, Oct. 1

Eva Lopez La Maison Française. Eva Lopez’s long involvement in the world of dance and music began at age 6 in Avignon where she started her musical training. She furthered her education in modern jazz in the city of Montpellier.

Thu, Oct. 1

The Miracle of Leipzig Goethe Institut. Leipzig in the autumn of 1989: Thousands of East German citizens have been assembling peacefully every Monday in front of St. Nicolai Church to march through the city demanding freedom and democracy in the GDR. The rallying cries of the protestors grow louder and louder: “We are the people” (Wir sind das Volk). Over 10,000 armed policemen are assembled, facing down 70,000 citizens. Then, all of a sudden, the police back down without firing a single shot. $6.

Thu, Oct. 1

“The Darker Side of Light: Arts of Privacy” National Gallery of Art. Organized around the city centers of Paris, London, and Berlin, the exhibition will include more than 100 works from the Gallery’s extensive collections that reveal the allure of the arts of privacy. To Jan. 18.

Thu, Oct. 1

“Renaissance to Revolution: French Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, 1500–1800” National Gallery of Art. Among the key artists are Jean Poyet, Benvenuto Cellini, Jacques Callot, Claude Lorrain, Antoine Watteau, François Boucher, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and Jacques-Louis David. To Jan. 31.

Thu, Oct. 1

“The Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Collection: Selected Works” National Gallery of Art. Ten themes—Scrape, Drip, Gesture, Concentricity, Line, Monochrome, Stripe to Zip, Figure or Ground, Picture the Frame, and Art on Art—will illuminate specific works across the Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Collection. To May 2.

Thu, Oct. 1

Jersey Boys National Theatre. Four blue-collar kids from Newark sing their way from obscurity to the top of the charts. To Dec. 12.

Fri, Oct. 2

Alexander Chee Reads from and signs copies of Queen of the Night. Oct. 2. Writer’s Center.

Fri, Oct. 2

Srikanth Reddy Reads from and signs copies of Facts for Visitors. Oct. 2. Writer’s Center.

Fri, Oct. 2

“Dog Eat Dog” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Victor, sent by his mob boss El Orejon to collect from a pair of deadbeat drug-dealers, decides to keep the cash for himself. Now hiding out, he forms an uneasy alliance with Eusebio, who has a contract on his head after killing El Orejon’s godson in an argument. (Also showing Oct. 3.)

Fri, Oct. 2

VelocityDC Dance Festival Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts. VelocityDC features CityDance Ensemble, Washington Ballet, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, Gesel Mason, Cie. Willi Dorner, and other special guests. The festival also includes a late night “Rock and Roll” dance cabaret, plus special street performances and show

Fri, Oct. 2

”What’s It All Mean: William T. Wiley in Retrospect” Smithsonian American Art Museum. Enter the world of artist William Wiley, whose self-deprecating humor and sense of the absurd make his art accessible in spite of his many private symbols, allusions, narratives, and layers of meaning. To Jan. 24.

Fri, Oct. 2

Kenny Barron Trio Kennedy Center. $35

Fri, Oct. 2

The Bridge, Papa Grows Funk State Theatre. $14

Fri, Oct. 2

The Courtesans, The Influence, The Public Good Red & the Black. $8

Fri, Oct. 2

Disco Biscuits, Segway 9:30 Club. $30 (additional performances to Oct. 3)

Fri, Oct. 2

Dysrhythmia, Hex Machine The Talking Head. $8

Fri, Oct. 2

Every Time I Die, Bring Me the Horizon Sonar. $19

Fri, Oct. 2

A Harmony of Friends: Music of Italy and China Folger Shakespeare Library. $35 (additional performances to Oct. 4 )

Fri, Oct. 2

Legendary Shack Shakers, Billy Woodward & The Senders Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Fri, Oct. 2

Maxwell Verizon Center. $23–$178

Fri, Oct. 2

Kim Richey, Will Kimbrough Jammin Java. $15

Fri, Oct. 2

Steve Tyrell Music Center at Strathmore.

Fri, Oct. 2

Strike Anywhere, Polar Bear Club, Crime in Stereo, Ruiner Black Cat. $12

Fri, Oct. 2

Steve Tyrell Music Center at Strathmore. $26–$66

Fri, Oct. 2

Ufo, The Travis Larson Band, Gate 1, Rival Tribe Jaxx. $30

Fri, Oct. 2

University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. (Additional performances Oct. 31 and Dec. 4)

Fri, Oct. 2

The United States Air Force Band Jazz Heritage Series Lisner Auditorium. Free

Sat, Oct. 3

Madeleine Albright Reads from and signs copies of Read my Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box. Oct. 3. Barnes & Noble Bethesda.

Sat, Oct. 3

Michael Jawer Reads from and signs copies of Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion: How Feelings Link the Brain, the Body, and the Sixth Sense. Oct. 3. Barnes & Noble Clarendon.

Sat, Oct. 3

Balktoberfest 2009 St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral (Silver Spring). World Music Folklife Center hosts its third annual Balktoberfest, a festival celebrating Balkan and European culture with more than 12 performing groups, live music all night long, delicious Balkan mezze for sale, as well as beer and open dancing.

Sat, Oct. 3

Nejla Yatkin/NY2Dance Dance Place. Wallstories reflects on the removal of the Berlin Wall in its broadest sense. (Additional performance on Oct. 4.)

Sat, Oct. 3

Pilobolus Dance Theatre Kennedy Center. The world-renowned Pilobolus Dance Theatre presents a program of five signature and new works, including Redline, Darkness and Light, Gnomen, Walklyndon, and Rushes. (Additional performance on Oct. 4.)

Sat, Oct. 3

“Acne” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Pimply teenager Rafa still hasn’t had his first kiss, even though he’s lost his virginity to the family’s housemaid, in a deal brokered by his older brother, and been to the local brothel with his sex-obsessed friends Andy and Rony. With his parents’ marriage on the brink of divorce, and a move to Israel looming, Rafa musters the courage to ask his pretty classmate Nicole, the true object of his affection, out on a date. (Also showing Oct. 4.)

Sat, Oct. 3

“The Headless Woman” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. The latest film from Argentine auteur Lucrecia Martel (THE SWAMP, THE HOLY GIRL) concerns a traffic accident on a backwoods road that killed a native boy, an accident which well-to-do Verónica may or may not have been involved in, and may or may not have realized even happened at the time. (Also showing Oct. 4.)

Sat, Oct. 3

“Prank” National Gallery of Art. The regimented routines and discordant conflicts of a 1912 Catholic boarding school create the mysterious dramatic core of this film.

Sat, Oct. 3

“Edward Burtynsky: Oil” Corcoran Gallery of Art. Edward Burtynsky has traveled internationally for more than a decade to chronicle the global production, distribution, and use of oil. To Dec. 13.

Sat, Oct. 3

“Kentridge and Kudryashov: Against the Grain” Kreeger Museum. An exhibition of works by South African artist William Kentridge and Russian artist Oleg Kudryashov. To Dec. 30.

Sat, Oct. 3

“Life, Liberty & The Pursuit Of Happiness” American Visionary Art Museum. The quest for human rights and the search for personal fulfillment, as proposed in the 1776 American Declaration of Independence, provide the starting point for this international exhibition curated by Roger Manley.

Sat, Oct. 3

“Wedgwood: 250 Years of Innovation and Artistry” DAR Museum. Nearly 200 select items on display will illustrate the company’s unique history and manufacturing. All eras from 1759 to 2009. To Feb. 27.

Sat, Oct. 3

Bo Burnham State Theatre. $25

Sat, Oct. 3

Charlatans UK, Hatcham Social Black Cat. $20

Sat, Oct. 3

The Ditty Bops (early show) Jammin Java. $15

Sat, Oct. 3

Eddie From Ohio Blackrock Center for the Arts. $40

Sat, Oct. 3

Elizabeth & the Catapult Red & the Black. $10

Sat, Oct. 3

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, Glenn Quader (Conductor) George Mason University Center for the Arts. $35–$55

Sat, Oct. 3

Geist, Gelatine The Talking Head. $10

Sat, Oct. 3

Kittie, Soil, Arkaea, Straight Line Stitch Jaxx. $20

Sat, Oct. 3

Lights, Stars of Track & Field Sonar. $12

Sat, Oct. 3

Middle Distance Runner, Farewell Fight Iota. $12

Sat, Oct. 3

National Philharmonic: Beethoven One, Two, Three Music Center at Strathmore. $29–$79 (additional performance Oct. 4)

Sat, Oct. 3

Popa Chubby Jammin Java. $15

Sat, Oct. 3

Angels in America: MillenNium Approaches Round House Silver Spring. Forum presents Tony Kushner’s seminal work about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Set in the late ’80s, when the disease was mysterious, stigmatic, and life-ending, the play follows several families as they struggle for salvation. To Nov. 21.

Sat, Oct. 3

Barbara Cook Spotlight:Jane Krakowski Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater. Jane Krakowski (of 30 Rock fame) sings showtunes.

Sun, Oct. 4

Madeleine Albright Reads from and signs copies of Read My Pins: Storie’s from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box. Oct. 4. Barnes & Noble Tysons Corner.

Sun, Oct. 4

Merrill Feitell Reads from and signs copies of Here, Beneath Low-Flying Planes. Oct. 4. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Oct. 4

Charles Jensen Reads from and signs copies of The First Risk. Oct. 4. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Oct. 4

The Korean Wedding Chest Goethe Institut. This documentary focuses on new and old marriage traditions in Korea. Using the example of a crammed, gorgeous wedding chest – which symbolizes a family’s courting of a bride – Ottinger presents a colorful event and fine aspects of Korean culture.

Sun, Oct. 4

“The Korean Wedding Chest” National Gallery of Art. Art, narrative, and ethnography coalesce in The Korean Wedding Chest, German filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger’s serene account of an elegant ancient tradition: the Korean wedding rite.

Sun, Oct. 4

“Oblivion” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Veteran documentarian Heddy Honigmann, a citizen of the Netherlands, was born in Peru, and there she returns for this typically quirky, deeply humanist exploration of everyday resilience and resignation. (Also showing Oct. 6.)

Sun, Oct. 4

Operation Babylift Freer Gallery. “Operation Babylift” was a $2 million dollar US initiative that airlifted more than 2,500 Vietnamese orphans out of a war-torn country to protect them from the impending threat of the Communist regime. Coined by some as “one of the most humanitarian efforts in history,” it was also plagued by lawsuits and political turmoil. Even with the best of intentions, these adoptees grew up facing a unique set of challenges in America, including cultural identity crisis and prejudice overshadowed by a controversial war. Nearly thirty-five years later, this documentary takes a candid look at a significant yet untold event as seen through the eyes of the volunteers, parents, and organizations that were directly involved, and it uncovers “lost” stories of the adoptees and who they have become as adults. This documentary by Tammy Nguyen Lee is a contemporary look at Babylift and its relevance to international adoption today as experienced by the adoptees themselves. United States / 2009 / 73 min. / English and Vietnamese with English subtitles / video

Sun, Oct. 4

Project Kashmir Freer Gallery. From directors Senain Kheshgi and Geeta V. Patel comes a feature documentary in which these two American friends investigate the war in Kashmir and find their friendship tested over deeply rooted political, cultural, and religious biases they never had to face in the United States. Project Kashmir explores war between countries and war within oneself by delving into the fraught lives of young people caught in the socio-political conflict of Kashmir, one of the most scenic, and most deadly, places on earth. Beautifully lensed by Academy Award® winner Ross Kauffman, the film captures the stunning landscape of Kashmir, while it expertly interweaves deeply moving personal stories of Kashmiris with those of the two American women, who strive to reconcile their ethnic and religious heritage with the violence that haunts their homeland. United States / 2008 / 88 min. / English, Urdu, and Kasmiri with English subtitles / video

Sun, Oct. 4

Bajofondo w/ Gustavo Santaolalla 9:30 Club. $25

Sun, Oct. 4

Will Downing Birchmere. $69.50

Sun, Oct. 4

Jupiter String Quartet Corcoran Gallery of Art. $35

Sun, Oct. 4

The Lost Trailers State Theatre. $30

Sun, Oct. 4

Mayor Hawthorne & The County, Buff DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Sun, Oct. 4

Zach Peterson, Omar Ruiz, Stacy Clark Red & the Black. $6

Sun, Oct. 4

The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Lovely Feathers Rock & Roll Hotel. $10

Sun, Oct. 4

Tom Russell Jammin Java. $22

Sun, Oct. 4

The Scenic, The Status, Chasing Daylight, Michael Butler (early show) Jammin Java. $10

Sun, Oct. 4

UM School of Music presents A Wider Circle: The Spirit of Folk Music Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Mon, Oct. 5

Cindy Sheehan Reads from and signs copies of Peace Mom: A Mother’s Journey Through Heartache to Activism. Oct. 5. Library of Congress.

Mon, Oct. 5

Michael Walzer, Nicholas Mills, and contributors Read from and sign copies of Getting Out: Historical Perspectives on Leaving Iraq. Oct. 5. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Mon, Oct. 5

“Lake Tahoe” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. After crashing his car on the outskirts of town, withdrawn teenager Juan (Diego Cataño) goes in search of help, but encounters a motley crew of local eccentrics instead: an elderly dog owner, a punk-rock mom, and a Bruce Lee-obsessed mechanic. (Also showing Oct. 4.)

Mon, Oct. 5

The Mistake Goethe Institut. A short time before the fall of the Wall charwoman Elizabeth, living in a small village in the GDR next to a coal field, falls in love with Jacob, a widow from Hamburg, West Germany. Their only chance to see each other is to meet in East Berlin, where they can stay in a friend’s apartment. But somebody reports this unregistered visits to the police. Now, their love gets into a political discourse and the lovers are caught by the sinking system.

Mon, Oct. 5

“October Surprise” Torpedo Factory Art Center. Ann Citron’s whimsy and playfulness will delight all. Come and be surprised. To Nov. 1.

Mon, Oct. 5

Arrington de Dionyso The Talking Head. $8

Mon, Oct. 5

Filigar, Rachel Levitan, Kid Goat Red & the Black. $6

Mon, Oct. 5

In Flames, Between the Buried and Me, 3 Inches of Blood, The Faceless 9:30 Club. $25

Mon, Oct. 5

Los Lonely Boys, Alejandro Escovedo, Hacienda (additional performance Oct. 6) Birchmere. $45

Mon, Oct. 5

Garaj Mahal Blues Alley. $20

Mon, Oct. 5

A Place to Bury Strangers, Darker My Love, All the Saints DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Mon, Oct. 5

The Twilight Sad, Brakes Brakes Brakes, We Were Promised Jetpacks Black Cat Backstage. $12

Tue, Oct. 6

Sen. Christopher S. Bond Reads from and signs copies of The Next Front. Oct. 6. Borders L Street.

Tue, Oct. 6

Bobby Deen and Jamie Deen Read from and sign copies of The Deen Bros. Take It Easy Quick and Affordable Meals the Whole Family Will Love. Oct. 6. Barnes & Noble Tyson’s Corner.

Tue, Oct. 6

Jamie Ford Reads from and signs copies of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Oct. 6. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Tue, Oct. 6

Ray Raphael Reads from and signs copies of Taking Power: How the Founders, All of Them, Redefined the Polity. Oct. 6. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Tue, Oct. 6

Jacqueline Thomas Reads from and signs copies of The Ideal Wife. Oct. 6. Borders Largo.

Tue, Oct. 6

Jen Yates Reads from and signs copies of Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong. Oct. 6. Barnes & Noble Tysons Corner.

Tue, Oct. 6

American Brass Quintet Kennedy Center. $30

Tue, Oct. 6

The Aquarium, Hotchacha, Mystery of Two Velvet Lounge. $8

Tue, Oct. 6

Bear in Heaven, Ineveryroom The Talking Head. $10

Tue, Oct. 6

The Breakups DC9. $8

Tue, Oct. 6

David Knopfler Jammin Java. $20

Tue, Oct. 6

The Psychedelic Furs, Happy Mondays, Islands 9:30 Club. $35

Tue, Oct. 6

Kurt Rosenwinkel Blues Alley. $25

Tue, Oct. 6

The Alchemist Lansburgh Theatre. The Alchemist follows the antics of three con-artists: Subtle, Face and Dol. When the gentleman Lovewit flees England to avoid the Plague, the trio set up headquarters in his home and set about exposing the social ills of their fellow Londoners. To Nov. 22.

Wed, Oct. 7

Steve Farber Reads from and signs copies of On the List. Oct. 7. Borders L Street.

Wed, Oct. 7

“Brush, Spirit, Fire” Gallery West. Artists Kimberley Bush, Genevieve Lynn, and Gail Saour display their talents in raku ceramic, Chinese brush painting, and abstract color/pattern painting. To Nov. 1.

Wed, Oct. 7

“Interaction of Color” Art League Gallery. This juried exhibit will focus on how colors can be used to create excitement, movement, space, contrast and dynamism in a work, whether representational or abstract. To Nov. 2.

Wed, Oct. 7

Anti-Pop Consortium Talking Head Club. $13

Wed, Oct. 7

Australian Pink Floyd Show Warner Theatre. $37.50–$50.50

Wed, Oct. 7

Brandi Carlile, Katie Herzig 9:30 Club. $26

Wed, Oct. 7

The Gossip, Apache Beat 9:30 Club. $20

Wed, Oct. 7

Engelbert Humperdinck Music Center at Strathmore. $35–$125

Wed, Oct. 7

Os Mutantes State Theatre. $25

Wed, Oct. 7

M. Nahadr Blues Alley. $20

Wed, Oct. 7

We Shot The Moon, Lights Resolve, Destry Jammin Java. $10

Wed, Oct. 7

Hysteria Rep Stage. All hell breaks loose when Sigmund Freud’s final days battling cancer are interrupted by Salvador Dali (starring Rep Stage favorite Bruce Nelson) and an attractive young student in this rollicking farce that bares Freud’s own troubled psyche.

Thu, Oct. 8

James Brown Reads from and signs copies of Role of a Lifetime: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Significant Living. Oct. 8. Barnes & Noble Bethesda.

Thu, Oct. 8

Renee Fisher, Joyce Kramer, and Jane Peeten Read from and sign copies of Saving the Best for Last. Oct. 8. Barnes & Noble Clarendon.

Thu, Oct. 8

Lauren Myracle Reads from and signs copies of Luv Ya Bunches. Oct. 8. Borders Fairfax.

Thu, Oct. 8

Daniel Burkholder/The Playground Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. My Ocean is Never Blue, Revisited, a performance that combines African and Indian dance and music with aerial feats; to Oct. 9.

Thu, Oct. 8

The Gay Divorcee American Art Museum. Mimi wants a divorce from her husband and enlists the assistance of her meddling aunt and a bumbling lawyer. This film won the first Oscar for Best Song for “The Continental,” an opulent 22-minute production number. Starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. (1934, 107 min., directed by Mark Sandrich)

Thu, Oct. 8

“The Good Life” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. The latest film from Chilean director Andrés Wood (MACHUCA, FOOTBALL STORIES) follows a cross-section of Santiagans as they struggle in different ways for fulfillment in their lives. (Also showing Oct. 3.)

Thu, Oct. 8

Silent Country Goethe Institut. In Fall 1989, a young, naive and enthusiastic theater director named Kai comes to a grim East German town to put on Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. Meanwhile, the world is changing and somewhere, far away in the capital, a revolution is taking place. Great hopes emerge in the little town and unexpected events overtake Kai’s mutating production. $6.

Thu, Oct. 8

“Anne Truitt: Perception and Reflection” Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. This is the first full career retrospective of late Washington-based artist Anne Truitt, a pioneering figure in the evolution of American abstract sculpture. To Jan. 3.

Thu, Oct. 8

“House” Flashpoint Gallery. Andrew Wodzianski’s paintings lift imagery from William Castle’s b-movie horror flick from 1959, House on Haunted Hill. To Nov. 7.

Thu, Oct. 8

“Summer Island” Art League Gallery. Merri Nelson’s detailed colored pencil drawings highlight the diversity of environments of a small, uninhabited Maine summer island. To Nov. 2.

Thu, Oct. 8

Monty Alexander Blues Alley. $25 (additional performances to Oct. 11)

Thu, Oct. 8

Apollo Run Red & the Black. $8

Thu, Oct. 8

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Superpops: Hollywood: The Epics Music Center at Strathmore. $24–$84

Thu, Oct. 8

Cannabis Corpse, Ramming Speed The Talking Head. $8

Thu, Oct. 8

Marshall Crenshaw Jammin Java. $20

Thu, Oct. 8

Dinosaur Jr. 9:30 Club. $25

Thu, Oct. 8

Nanci Griffith, Eric Brace, Peter Cooper, Mike Auldridge Birchmere. $39.50 (additional performance Oct. 9)

Thu, Oct. 8

Will Hodge Barns at Wolftrap. $18

Thu, Oct. 8

Me’Shell N’degeocello Black Cat. $25 advance/$28 at door

Thu, Oct. 8

National Symphony Orchestra: Ludovic Morlot, conductor/Nelson Freire, piano, plays Brahms Kennedy Center. $20–$85 (additional performances to Oct. 11)

Thu, Oct. 8

Perpetual Groove State Theatre. $14

Thu, Oct. 8

Wax Tailor DC9. $12

Thu, Oct. 8

A Flea In Her Ear Source. Constellation Theatre Company presents a new version of Georges Feydeau’s farce, adapted by David Ives. To Nov. 8.

Fri, Oct. 9

Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co. Dance Place. Set in the round, Island features images relating to Angel Island that are projected on the floor beneath the dancers. Burgess collaborated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology Director of Theater Design Sara Brown to create a landscape that includes archival footage from the immigration station, video of the ocean many immigrants crossed to get to America and graffiti poetry from Angel Island. (Additional performances on Oct. 10 and Oct. 11.)

Fri, Oct. 9

“The Color of Fame” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Hard up for money and pressured by her ambitious husband Arturo (Alberto Alifa), Magaly (Elaiza Gil) enters a TV contest for Marilyn Monroe lookalikes with hopes of winning the $25,000 cash prize. There she meets the competition, including Norma, (Johanna Morales) whose skill at impersonating Marilyn is matched only by her will to win at all costs. (Also showing Oct. 10.)

Fri, Oct. 9

“Just Walking” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Andalusian girl gang robbers Gloria (Victoria Abril), Aurora (Ariadna Gil), Ana (Elena Anaya) and Paloma (Pilar Lopez de Ayala) stage an elaborate, tunneling safecracking job on the local Russian mob. (Also showing Oct. 10.)

Fri, Oct. 9

Li Tong Freer Gallery. In Liu Nian’s film, eight-year-old Li Tong loses her bus pass one day after school. Penniless, she decides to walk home. On her way, she encounters a warm-hearted old lady who tries to help her, a security guard in front of a bar, a trendy young woman, a man wearing a panda costume, and even a thief attempting to steal a pet dog from an old man. After getting a ride to the wrong address, Li Tong’s journey becomes more complicated as she finds herself hopelessly lost. Only the son of a migrant worker who begs in the city offers her a helping hand. The two of them become unlikely companions, each learning a bit about the world of the other as the little beggar helps Li Tong on her quest home. China / 2009 / 75 min. / Mandarin with English subtitles / video

Fri, Oct. 9

“Lands of Enchantment: Australian Aboriginal Painting “ National Museum of Women in the Arts. 26 masterworks by some of Australia’s best-known painters, including Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Dorothy Napangardi, Abie Loy Kemarre, Mitjili Napurrla, and Eubena Nampitjin. To Jan. 10.

Fri, Oct. 9

Swift Technique, Andalusian Dog, Mob Warehouse Red & the Black. $8

Fri, Oct. 9

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Fri, Oct. 9

The Dodos, Ruby Suns Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Fri, Oct. 9

Gordon Gano & the Ryans Black Cat. $15

Fri, Oct. 9

Hanzel Und Gretyl, Dreams in Fear Jaxx. $20

Fri, Oct. 9

Bruce Hornsby Warner Theatre. $32.50–$52.50

Fri, Oct. 9

Junior League Band, The Moderate Iota. $12

Fri, Oct. 9

LADO: 60 Years of Celebrating Traditional Croatian Music and Dance (additional performance Oct. 10) Music Center at Strathmore. $25–$58

Fri, Oct. 9

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band State Theatre. $40

Fri, Oct. 9

Dave Navarro Jammin Java. $17

Fri, Oct. 9

Yonder Mountain String Band 9:30 Club. $25

Fri, Oct. 9

Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Cheyenne Jackson Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater.

Sat, Oct. 10

Madeleine Albright Reads from and signs copies of Read My Pins. Oct. 10. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Sat, Oct. 10

John Lamb Reads from and signs copies of The Treacherous Teddy. Oct. 10. Borders Rockville.

Sat, Oct. 10

Jason Meath Reads from and signs copies of Hollywood on the Potomac. Oct. 10. Barnes & Noble Reston.

Sat, Oct. 10

Christian Siriano Reads from and signs copies of Fierce Style. Oct. 10. Borders L Street.

Sat, Oct. 10

“The Dead Girl’s Feast” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. In a seemingly time-forgotten village deep in the Amazonian wilderness, the local populace is busy preparing for the annual Feast of the Dead Girl, a celebration willfully blending Christian and pagan traditions, presided over by the androgynous mystic and philosopher Santinho. (Oct. 9.)

Sat, Oct. 10

Manilatown is in the Heart Freer Gallery. A poet and one-man social service agency, Al Robles is truly one of Asian America’s hidden gems. For three decades he has roamed the single-room occupancy hotels of Chinatown/Manilatown, taking elderly veterans to their appointments and delivering lunch to shut-ins. Robles is the link to the disappearing manong generation, the bachelor society that came from the Philippines in the 1920s and 1930s as workers. He records, interprets, and channels their stories. His musical talent graces much of the action, but it is his performance at poetry readings—and his ability to whisk the audience into altered states—that shines through brilliantly in Curtis Choy’s film. United States / 2008 / 48 min. / English / video

Sat, Oct. 10

“Miss Universe of 1929” National Gallery of Art. The delicate story of cousins Lisl Goldarbeiter and Marci Tänzer, both born in 1907 to a middle-class Austro-Hungarian Jewish family, is retold through Marci’s home movies of Lisl, whose rise to beauty pageantry stardom culminated in her crowing as the first Miss Universe.

Sat, Oct. 10

“White Palms” National Gallery of Art. In Katapult’s White Palms, a gifted gymnast arrives in Calgary, Canada, to coach. As he struggles to settle into a new life in an unfamiliar land, his old-world past starts intruding on his performance.

Sat, Oct. 10

You Don’t Know Jack: The Jack Soo Story Freer Gallery. Featuring rare footage and interviews with co-stars and friends, including actors George Takei, Nancy Kwan, and Max Gail, comedians Steve Landesberg and Gary Austin, and producer Hal Kanter, this film by Jeff Adachi traces Jack Soo’s early beginnings as a nightclub singer and comedian to his breakthrough role as Sammy Fong in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Broadway play and the film version of The Flower Drum Song. The film also explores why Soo, a former internee who was actually born Goro Suzuki, was forced to change his name in the post-WWII era in order to perform in clubs in the Midwest. Due to his experiences, Soo refused to play film and television roles that were demeaning to Asian Americans, and he often spoke out against negative ethnic portrayals. United States / 2009 / 60 min. / English / video

Sat, Oct. 10

Alexandria Arts Safari Torpedo Factory Art Center. The Torpedo Factory Art Center hosts the fourteenth annual Alexandria Arts Safari, a festival of hands-on arts and crafts activities for kids and their families. Children will also enjoy special activities.

Sat, Oct. 10

Anti-Pop Consortium Rock & Roll Hotel. $14

Sat, Oct. 10

California Gutiar Trio Barns at Wolftrap. $22

Sat, Oct. 10

Kelly Clarkson Patriot Center. $49.50–$59.50

Sat, Oct. 10

Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa, Of Mice & Men Jaxx. $15

Sat, Oct. 10

The Dodos, The Ruby Suns The Talking Head. $12

Sat, Oct. 10

Everclear, Paper Tongues State Theatre. $25

Sat, Oct. 10

Bob Mould Band, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson 9:30 Club. $20

Sat, Oct. 10

The Overtone Quartet featuring Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Jason Moran, & Eric Harland Kennedy Center. $35

Sat, Oct. 10

Tom Paxton, The Kennedys Birchmere. $35

Sat, Oct. 10

Soul in Motion Blackrock Center for the Arts. $30

Sat, Oct. 10

Washington National Opera: Falstaff Kennedy Center. $50–$300 (additional performances to Oct. 30)

Sat, Oct. 10

Hobey Ford: Animalia Kennedy Center’s Family Theater. Showcasing his famous rod puppets called “Foamies,” Hobey Ford turns the entire theater into a performance area to explore the amazing world of animals from a variety of realistic, environmental, and mythical points of view. (Additional performance on Oct. 11.)

Sun, Oct. 11

Madeleine Albright Reads from and signs copies of Read My Pins. Oct. 11. Borders Rockville.

Sun, Oct. 11

Countess LuAnn de Lesseps Reads from and signs copies of Class with the Countess. Oct. 11. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Sun, Oct. 11

Sheppard Ranbom Reads from and signs copies of King Philip’s War. Oct. 11. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Oct. 11

Dennis Sampson Reads from and signs copies of Within the Shadow of a Man. Oct. 11. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Oct. 11

Louie Skipper Reads from and signs copies of It Was the Orange Persimmon of the Sun. Oct. 11. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Oct. 11

“Nora’s Will” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. José learns that Nora, the woman he was married to for 30 years before divorcing, has committed suicide a few days before Passover. Strangely, she left all of the food for Passover dinner ready in the refrigerator. A mysterious photograph found under her bed may unlock the mystery of her life and death for the family she left behind. (Also showing Oct. 10.)

Sun, Oct. 11

“Editions with Additions: Jasper Johns’ Working Proofs” National Gallery of Art. The exhibition will include approximately 45 proofs for lithographs, etchings, and screenprints that the artist expanded in a range of media. To Jan. 10.

Sun, Oct. 11

“Robert Bergman: Portraits” National Gallery of Art. For more than 40 years Robert Bergman (b. 1944) has traveled the streets and back alleys of the United States, photographing the people and scenes he encountered. To Jan. 10.

Sun, Oct. 11

The Bravery 9:30 Club. $25

Sun, Oct. 11

Gaelic Storm Music Center at Strathmore. $39

Sun, Oct. 11

Girlyman, Po’ Girl Birchmere. $22.50

Sun, Oct. 11

Indigenous State Theatre. $14

Sun, Oct. 11

Left Bank Quartet & Colette Valentine (piano) American Art Museum. Free.

Sun, Oct. 11

Mars Volta Sonar. $42.50

Sun, Oct. 11

Poison the Well Jaxx. $12

Sun, Oct. 11

Titus Andronicus, The So So Glos Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Mon, Oct. 12

Mike Ferrell Reads from and signs copies of Of Mule and Man. Oct. 12. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Mon, Oct. 12

Beverly Cosham Blues Alley. $18

Mon, Oct. 12

Drummer, Royal Bangs DC9. $12

Mon, Oct. 12

International Graduate University, Radmacher, You Yourself & I Red & the Black. $8

Mon, Oct. 12

Steve Martin & Steep Canyon Rangers Kennedy Center. $49.50–$89.50

Mon, Oct. 12

Thee Oh Sees, Golden Triangle Black Cat Backstage. $10

Mon, Oct. 12

Titus Andronicus, The So So Glos The Talking Head. $10

Tue, Oct. 13

“Frozen River” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. It’s nearly Christmas in Massena, N.Y., a working-class town that borders Canada and includes a Mohawk reservation, and Ray (Melissa Leo) has been saving for a down payment on a double-wide. The trailer arrives as scheduled only Ray’s husband, an addict and gambler, made off with the cash the day before. (TO)

Tue, Oct. 13

Manufactured Landscapes AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. The film follows artist Edward Burtynsky through China, as he shoots the evidence and effects of that country’s massive industrial revolution. With breathtaking sequences, such as the opening tracking shot through an almost endless factory, the filmmakers also extend the narratives of Burtynsky’s photographs, allowing us to meditate on our impact on the planet and witness both the epicenters of industrial endeavor and the dumping grounds of its waste.

Tue, Oct. 13

“Food for Thought” Torpedo Factory Art Center. Artists interpret in fiber the need for food in mind and subsistence. Jewelry, sculpture, clothing, and wall pieces are some of the items that will be exhibited. To Nov. 15.

Tue, Oct. 13

Marc Broussard Birchmere. $25

Tue, Oct. 13

David Wax Museum, Sydney Wayser Red & the Black. $6

Tue, Oct. 13

Justin Trawick Iota. $10

Tue, Oct. 13

Kiss Verizon Center. $78–$128

Tue, Oct. 13

Monotonix, Turbo Fruits, Vincent Black Shadow Rock & Roll Hotel. $14

Tue, Oct. 13

Phosphorescent Black Cat Backstage. $12

Tue, Oct. 13

Simone Blues Alley. $25

Tue, Oct. 13

Tigercity, Bear in Heaven DC9. $10

Tue, Oct. 13

Tim Be Told, Steph Modder, Alex Mejias Jammin Java. $10

Tue, Oct. 13

Teatro de la Luna presents the Twelfth International Festival of Hispanic Theater Gunston Arts Center. The best of the Americas and Spain in this great festival of Hispanic Theater, with something for everyone’s theatrical passion, every public, all ages and all tastes. To Nov. 21.

Wed, Oct. 14

Mark Danner Reads from and signs copies of Stripping Bare the Body: Politics, Violence, and War. Oct. 14. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Wed, Oct. 14

George Scialabba Reads from and signs copies of What Are Intellectuals Good For? Oct. 14. Busboys & Poets 5th & K.

Wed, Oct. 14

Cowboy Junkies, Lee Harvey Osmond Barns at Wolftrap. $40.

Wed, Oct. 14

Fra Fra Sound Blues Alley. $20

Wed, Oct. 14

The Guggenheim Grotto, Maia Sharp Jammin Java. $12

Wed, Oct. 14

Harlem The Talking Head. $8

Wed, Oct. 14

Chris Hillman & Herb Pederson, The Grascals Birchmere. $25

Wed, Oct. 14

The Matt Kurz One, Brad Hoshaw & the Seven Deadlies Red & the Black. $6

Wed, Oct. 14

Julian Marley, Javaughn, Gully Bank Sound System State Theatre. $21

Wed, Oct. 14

The Nectar of Enlightenment: Buddhist Ritual Song and Dance from Korea Freer Gallery. Free.

Wed, Oct. 14

Trey Songs, Mario, Day 26 Sonar. $25

Wed, Oct. 14

Christopher Taylor, piano Kennedy Center. $38

Wed, Oct. 14

Adding Machine: A Musical Studio Theatre. After losing his job to a machine, Mr. Zero’s monotonous life swirls into chaos. To Nov. 1.

Thu, Oct. 15

Jennifer Burns Reads from and signs copies of Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right. Oct. 15. Barnes & Noble Bethesda.

Thu, Oct. 15

Mar Ozer discusses and signs copies of The Litvak Legacy. Library of Congress.

Thu, Oct. 15

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger discusses and signs copies of Highest Duty. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Thu, Oct. 15

Blue Collar AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, and Yaphet Kotto, play three union peons who decide to blackmail their union boss after a botched robbery reveals they’ve been getting screwed. (Also showing on Oct. 16.)

Thu, Oct. 15

“Ink Storm” Transformer. Three emerging artists from Beijing, China re-interpret and re-invent traditional Chinese uses of ink through video, performance, drawing, and mixed-media installation. Presented in conjunction with the Phillips Collection. To Jan. 3.

Thu, Oct. 15

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Presents: Ray LaMontagne Music Center at Strathmore. $44.50

Thu, Oct. 15

Daddy’s Gonna Kill Ralphie, Momo Red & the Black. $6

Thu, Oct. 15

DJ Spooky Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Thu, Oct. 15

Rachelle Ferrell Blues Alley. $60 (additional performances to Oct. 15)

Thu, Oct. 15

Forro in the Dark Iota. $15

Thu, Oct. 15

Dave Koz Birchmere. $65

Thu, Oct. 15

Lucero, Amy LaVere, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm 9:30 Club. $15

Thu, Oct. 15

National Symphony Orchestra: Lorin Maazel, conductor/ Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin, plays Barber Kennedy Center. $20–$85 (additional performances to Oct. 17)

Thu, Oct. 15

Om, Six Organs of Admittance, Lichens DC9. $12 advance/$14 at door

Thu, Oct. 15

Stryper, Flight Patterns State Theatre. $30

Thu, Oct. 15

Tall Tall Trees Velvet Lounge. $8

Thu, Oct. 15

Unknown Hinson Jammin Java. $20

Thu, Oct. 15

Ventana, The Destro, Eyes Set to Kill Jaxx. $15

Thu, Oct. 15

Zap Mama Black Cat. $25

Thu, Oct. 15

Letter from a Stranger Gunston Arts Center. A brilliant and powerful text with five actresses, in a tribute to all women, to all strangers. Part of Teatro de la Luna’s International Festival of Hispanic Theater. (Additional performances on Oct. 16, 17.)

Fri, Oct. 16

Jake Adelstein discusses and signs copies of Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan. Barnes & Noble Bethesda.

Fri, Oct. 16

D.L. Line discusses and signs copies of The Maze Runner. Lambda Rising.

Fri, Oct. 16

“Slap Shot” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.. Hockey, beer, brothers who look alike but aren’t actually related in real life; violence. This is the ultimate hockey movie. (Also showing Oct. 17.)

Fri, Oct. 16

Adela Freer Gallery. This film by Adolfo Alix Jr. is a showcase for the talents of its star, Anita Linda, a fixture in Filipino cinema since the 1940s. She plays a former radio actress now widowed and living in a shantytown whose residents will soon be relocated. The film follows this indomitable, willful fixture of the community as she makes her rounds through the chaotic streets of Manilla on her bittersweet eightieth birthday. “Artfully observed, it’s content to let Linda be the sole, compelling focal point” (Dennis Harvey, Variety). Philippines / 2008 / 90 min. / video / Filipino with English subtitles

Fri, Oct. 16

AC/DC Verizon Center. $92.50

Fri, Oct. 16

The Canadian Brass Barns at Wolftrap. $40

Fri, Oct. 16

David Bazan, Say Hi Black Cat. $12 advance/$14 at door

Fri, Oct. 16

Down Dexter, Justin Jones Iota. $12

Fri, Oct. 16

Bill Frisell Trio featuring Tony Scherr & Kenny Wollesen Kennedy Center. $35

Fri, Oct. 16

Little Tybee, Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie, The Happy Hollows Red & the Black. $8

Fri, Oct. 16

Eddy Marcano and Cuarteto Acustico National Museum of the American Indian. $15.

Fri, Oct. 16

The Raveonettes, The Black Angels 9:30 Club. $20

Fri, Oct. 16

Sea Wolf, Port O’Brien, Sara Lov The Talking Head. $8

Fri, Oct. 16

Sons of Bill State Theatre. $12

Fri, Oct. 16

The Chiara String Quartet Mansion at Strathmore.

Fri, Oct. 16

Thomas Nicholas Band, Billy Woodward, The Senders Jammin Java. $12

Fri, Oct. 16

Virginia Opera: La Bohème George Mason University Center for the Arts. $44–$86 (additional performance Oct. 18)

Fri, Oct. 16

Kate Voegele, Green River Ordinance Rock & Roll Hotel. $16

Fri, Oct. 16

Dracula Rosslyn Spectrum. From vampiric wolves howling in the Transylvanian night to the erotic blood lust of the demonic count and his consorts, Synetic Theater stages Bram Stoker’s gothic dreamscape. To Nov. 15.

Fri, Oct. 16

James Joyce’s The Dead Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey’s musical adaptation of James Joyce’s short story; to Oct. 24.

Sat, Oct. 17

James Dashner discusses and signs copies of The Maze Runner. Borders Fairfax.

Sat, Oct. 17

Inside/Out Anniversary Performance Atlas Performing Arts Center. Featuring performances byJoy of Motion’s adult performance classes, resident arts partners and companies, and faculty. The concert will be followed by an open reception.

Sat, Oct. 17

El Teatro de Danza de Contemporanea de El Salvador Dance Place. A powerful, elegant, and diverse reflection on Central American issues through expressive, passionate, and exuberant contemporary dance. (Additional performance on Oct. 18.)

Sat, Oct. 17

“The Man from London” National Gallery of Art. Transforming a Georges Simenon mystery novel into a haunting art film is a task meant only for virtuoso auteur Béla Tarr. A morose dock worker (Miroslav Krobot) silently watches the clandestine transfer of a briefcase full of British bills.

Sat, Oct. 17

“Office Space” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Mike Judge’s shambling screenplay (characters and subplots are developed, then casually abandoned) and rudimentary visual style do little to compensate for the familiarity of the material. Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston are passably pleasant in skimpily written leading roles, but the most memorable contributions come from Gary Cole, as a snaky middle-management supervisor, and Stephen Root, as a beleaguered office drudge on the verge of losing it. (JES) Featurning an in-person appearance by Steven Root.

Sat, Oct. 17

“Tokyo Sonata” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. After a husband and father loses his job, his entire family falls apart.

Sat, Oct. 17

“House of Cars: Innovation and the Parking Garage” National Building Museum. This exhibit explores the unique relationship between parked cars and the built environment and encourages visitors to see these familiar structures in a whole new way. To July 10.

Sat, Oct. 17

Party Line, Noisy Pig Velvet Lounge. $8

Sat, Oct. 17

Barefoot Truth, Spiritual Rez DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Sat, Oct. 17

Broadcast, Atlas Sound, The Selmanaires Black Cat. $15

Sat, Oct. 17

Built To Spill, Disco Doom (late show) 9:30 Club. $25

Sat, Oct. 17

Colbie Caillat 9:30 Club. $35 (early show)

Sat, Oct. 17

Horsehead, Nunchucks, Gaslight Society Red & the Black. $8

Sat, Oct. 17

Igor & the Red Elvises Iota. $15

Sat, Oct. 17

Marshall Tucker Band State Theatre. $30

Sat, Oct. 17

Molly Hatchet, The Roadducks, Black Onyx Jaxx. $23

Sat, Oct. 17

National Philharmonic: The Artistry of Richard Stoltzman Music Center at Strathmore. $29–$79

Sat, Oct. 17

Christopher O’Riley Barns at Wolftrap. $25.

Sat, Oct. 17

Murray Perahia Kennedy Center. $35–$95

Sat, Oct. 17

Sunset Rubdown Sonar. $14

Sat, Oct. 17

Cheryl Wheeler & Christine Lavin Birchmere. $35

Sat, Oct. 17

White Rabbits, Glass Ghost Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Sat, Oct. 17

Saints & Sinners The Alden Theatre. Whether or not you are, were, recovering from being, or not sure if you’re Catholic, you will become a student in a sinfully hilarious adult catechism class. Sister rewards the students for correct answers with glow-in-the-dark rosaries and other nifty prizes, but naughty students may well find themselves onstage sitting in a corner reflecting their on actions.

Sun, Oct. 18

Melissa Ford discusses and signs copies of Navigating the Land of If: Understanding Infertility and Exploring Your Options. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Sun, Oct. 18

Gail Rosen discusses Words that Burn Within Me: Faith, Values, Survival. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Oct. 18

The Klezmatics Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Sun, Oct. 18

“Bound For Glory” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. The biography of Woody Guthrie, starring a sex-crazed (and now dead) David Carradine.

Sun, Oct. 18

“The Grapes of Wrath” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. John Ford’s vision of the ant line of Okies marching across the Depression desert to California was based on John Steinbeck’s best seller, and it remains, for better or worse, Ford’s best known and most “respectable” film. (DK) (Also showing Oct. 15.)

Sun, Oct. 18

The Moon at the Bottom of the Well Freer Gallery. Hanh, a village schoolteacher who is unable to have children, encourages her husband to take a second wife to bear him a baby. When word of their secret spreads, the erupting scandal forces them to separate. Distraught, Hanh seeks guidance from a mysterious fortune teller, who sets her on the path to spiritual transformation. Beautifully filmed in the lush environs of rural Vietnam, Nguyen Vinh Son’s compelling drama is a modern-day magical realist fable. Vietnam / 2008 / 121 min. / Vietnamese with English subtitles

Sun, Oct. 18

‘Situations Vacant” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. The tagline says is all (sort of): “[this] film is about self esteem, how to have it, how to lose it and how to get it back again.”

Sun, Oct. 18

Acoustic Alchemy Birchmere. $35

Sun, Oct. 18

The Alexandria Kleztet, Susan Gaeta, Jon Carroll Jammin Java. $10

Sun, Oct. 18

Art Brut Black Cat. $15

Sun, Oct. 18

Bellman Barker, Me You Us Them, Paul Michel DC9. $8

Sun, Oct. 18

The Brew, The Heavy Pets Iota. $12

Sun, Oct. 18

God Dethroned, Abigail Williams, Woe of Tyrants, Augury Jaxx. $18

Sun, Oct. 18

Matt Haimovitz Iota. $15

Sun, Oct. 18

Nick Lowe Barns at Wolftrap. $30.

Sun, Oct. 18

Saint Vitus, Saviours, Vincent Black Shadow Sonar. $18

Sun, Oct. 18

Shunda K Velvet Lounge.

Sun, Oct. 18

Winter Gloves Red & the Black. $8

Mon, Oct. 19

Michael Scott discusses and signs copies of The Sorceress. Borders Fairfax.

Mon, Oct. 19

Shira Tarrant discusses and signs copies of Men and Feminism. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Mon, Oct. 19

The Architects Goethe Institut. Filmed as the GDR crumbled, this somber, finely drawn portrait of life in East Berlin depicts an idealistic architect whose life and goals are strangled by communist dogma. $6.

Mon, Oct. 19

Caravan of Thieves Iota. $10

Mon, Oct. 19

God Dethroned Sonar. $16

Mon, Oct. 19

Graydon, Voluntary Mother Earth Red & the Black. $6

Mon, Oct. 19

Japandroids, Real Estate, Neon Indian Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Mon, Oct. 19

Erin McKeown, Jill Sobule Jammin Java. $15

Mon, Oct. 19

Now Ensemble Corcoran Gallery of Art. $15.

Mon, Oct. 19

Duke Robillard Blues Alley. $25

Mon, Oct. 19

Sea Wolf, Port Obrien, Sara Lov DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Mon, Oct. 19

The Tragically Hip (two sets) 9:30 Club. $25

Tue, Oct. 20

Robin Gerber discusses and signs copies of Barbie and Ruth. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Tue, Oct. 20

John Connolly discusses and signs copies of The Gates. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Tue, Oct. 20

Lloyd Constantine discusses and signs copies of Priceless: The Case that Brought Down the Visa/MasterCard Bank Cartel. Barnes & Noble Downtown.

Tue, Oct. 20

Steve Early discusses and signs copies of Embedded With Organized Labor: Journalistic Reflections on the Class War at Home. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Tue, Oct. 20

Zoe Heller discusses and signs copies of The Believers. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Tue, Oct. 20

Katherine Neville discusses and signs copies of The Fire. Borders Baileys Crossroads.

Tue, Oct. 20

Wayne Bergeron Blues Alley. $25

Tue, Oct. 20

The Fervor Red & the Black. $6

Tue, Oct. 20

Hanson & Hellogoodbye, Steel Train, Sherwood 9:30 Club. $30

Tue, Oct. 20

The High Strung, Floating Action, Giant Cloud DC9. $8

Tue, Oct. 20

Erin McCarley, Butterfly Boucher, k.s. Rhoads Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Tue, Oct. 20

Playing For Change Band Birchmere. $49.50

Tue, Oct. 20

Chris Pureka, Peasant Jammin Java. $10

Tue, Oct. 20

Tempo No Tempo Velvet Lounge. $8

Tue, Oct. 20

Trampled By Turtles Iota. $12

Wed, Oct. 21

Morris Dickstein discusses and signs copies of Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Wed, Oct. 21

Irene Khan discusses and signs copies of The Unheard Truth. Busboys & Poets 5th & K.

Wed, Oct. 21

Shana Liebman discusses and signs copies of Sex, Drugs and Gefilte Fish: The Heeb Storytelling Collection. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Wed, Oct. 21

“Two Thousand Maniacs!” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. From the demented mind of exploitation genius Herschell Gordon Lewis, this ultra low-budget 1964 film was an instant drive-in favorite that made all Northerners wary of vacationing in the Southern United States. “Two Thousand Maniacs!” revels in the grisly fate of three unwitting Yankee couples who’ve been falsely detoured to the Southern hick town of Pleasant Valley (population 2000—get it?). What they don’t know is that the twisted citizens of Pleasant Valley are vengeful ghosts of the Civil War, determined to dispatch their “guests” in deviously unpleasant ways. On the murder menu: death by amputation, dismemberment by horses (one per limb), crushing by boulder, and—the most unsettling (or creative?)—death by barrel rolling...with flesh-ripping nails in the sides. Tacky and tame by later standards, yet still absurdly shocking, this movie is the pure, funny-freaky essence of exploitation cinema, complete with the obligatory Playboy Playmate in the cast. With its crude direction, atrocious acting, and delirious redneck flavor (love that sunny bluegrass soundtrack!), this film is a milestone in splatter cinema.

Wed, Oct. 21

Deertick Sonar. $10

Wed, Oct. 21

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele DC9. $8 advance/$10 at door.

Wed, Oct. 21

Electric Six, The Gay Blades, Millions of Brazillians Black Cat. $15

Wed, Oct. 21

Daryl Hall & John Oates 9:30 Club. $55 (early show)

Wed, Oct. 21

Orquestra de Sao Paulo with Dame Evelyn Glennie Music Center at Strathmore. $21–$55

Wed, Oct. 21

Michael Tolcher Jammin Java. $15

Wed, Oct. 21

Wayna: “Tribute to Billie Holiday” Blues Alley. $20

Wed, Oct. 21

Lost in Yonkers Theater J. Two brothers are left to fend for themselves in a dysfunctional household with their formidable immigrant grandmother, sweet but simple-minded aunt, and a hoodlum of an uncle. To Nov. 29.

Wed, Oct. 21

Much Ado About Nothing Folger Shakespeare Library. Reluctant lovers Beatrice and Benedick conceal their attraction behind a merry war of wit in Shakespeare’s romantic and clever comedy. The play’s musical language resonates with Caribbean rhythm in this colorful production set in the heart of Washington, DC. To Nov. 29.

Thu, Oct. 22

John Broven discusses and signs copies of Record Makers and Breakers. Shirlington Public Library.

Thu, Oct. 22

Yvonne Bynoe discusses and signs copies of Who’s Your Mama? The Unsung Voices of Women and Mothers. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Thu, Oct. 22

Jonathon Keats discusses and signs copies of The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-Six. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Thu, Oct. 22

Binnie Kirshenbaum discusses and signs copies of The Scenic Route. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Thu, Oct. 22

Norah Labiner discusses and signs copies of German for Travelers: A Novel in 95 Lessons. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Thu, Oct. 22

Nomi Prins discusses and signs copies of It Takes a Pillage. Borders L Street.

Thu, Oct. 22

Keigwin + Company Kennedy Center. Known for provocative, witty, and theatrical dances, Keigwin + Company performs Elements.

Thu, Oct. 22

UM Department of Dance Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. April Gruber and Vannia Ibarguen’s MFA thesis concert; to Oct. 23.

Thu, Oct. 22

“An American Werewolf In London” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. A campy werewolf movie directed by John Landis of Animal House fame. (Also showing on Oct. 27.)

Thu, Oct. 22

The Glass House Freer Gallery. This documentary by Hamid Rahmanian and Melissa Hibbard follows four girls striving to pull themselves out of the margins of Iranian society by attending the Omid-e-Mehr Center, a one-of-kind rehabilitation center in uptown Tehran. With a virtually invisible camera, the girls of The Glass House lead a never-before-seen tour of the underclass of Iran with their brave and defiant stories. Samira struggles to overcome forced drug addiction; Mitra harnesses abandonment into her creative writing; Sussan teeters on a dangerous ledge after years of sexual abuse; and Nazila works out her hatred with her blazing rap music. This groundbreaking documentary reflects a side of Iran to which few have access: a society losing touch with its traditions and with little meaningful to replace them, and a group of courageous women working to instill a sense of empowerment and hope into the minds and lives of otherwise discarded teenage girls. Iran/United States / 2008 / 92 min. / video / Persian with English subtitles

Thu, Oct. 22

Chris Marker: Mysterious Screen American Art Museum. Enjoy a selection of works by the enigmatic and legendary filmmaker Chris Marker, an early innovator of the cinematic essay style of filmmaking. Marker’s lyrical films dance between fiction and documentary. The selections screened include Tokyo Days (1998), Prime Time in the Camps (1993), and Bestiaire (1985–1990). (approximately 1 hr., 15 min.)

Thu, Oct. 22

Terrence Blanchard Blues Alley. $35 (additional performances to Oct. 25)

Thu, Oct. 22

Taylor Carson, Tim Blane Iota. $12

Thu, Oct. 22

Dirty Projectors Black Cat. $15

Thu, Oct. 22

Electric Six Sonar. $14

Thu, Oct. 22

Ari Hest, Elizabeth & the Catapult Barns at Wolftrap. $22.

Thu, Oct. 22

Lost in the Trees DC9. $8 advance/$10 at door

Thu, Oct. 22

National Symphony Orchestra: Edo de Waart, conductor/Ben Heppner, tenor Kennedy Center. $25–$85

Thu, Oct. 22

The Rocketboys, Dignan Red & the Black. $6

Thu, Oct. 22

Justin Trawick Jammin Java. $10

Thu, Oct. 22

The BYT Comedy Festival featuring Patton Oswalt Lincoln Theatre. BrightestYoungThings.com kicks off its weekend comedy festival with stand-up comedian and Big Fan star Patton Oswalt and friends.

Thu, Oct. 22

Fan of a Single Woman Gunston Arts Center. A woman is thrown into the abyss of Federico García Lorca’s stylized and poetic universe. Under this woman’s skin live the ghosts of the Granada poet’s characters, who relive their ultimate, solitary hours. Part of Teatro de la Luna’s International Festival of Hispanic Theater. (Additional performances on Oct. 23 & 24.)

Fri, Oct. 23

Marshall Ganz discusses and signs copies of Why David Sometimes Wins: Leadership, Organization, and Strategy in the California Farm Worker Movement. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Fri, Oct. 23

Robert Girardi discusses and signs copies of Gorgeous East. Barnes & Noble Bethesda.

Fri, Oct. 23

Fall Festival of Indian Dance Lincoln Theatre. Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company presents the annual Fall Festival of Indian Dance, a multi-disciplinary event that combines traditional Indian art forms in a modern context. Special celebrity artists include Allarmel Valli, Madhavi Mudghal, and Leela Samson. (Additional performances on Oct. 24.)

Fri, Oct. 23

Opera Jawa Freer Gallery. Boasting dazzling sets designed by contemporary visual artists, choreography by famed Indonesian dancer Eko Supriyanto, hypnotic gamelan music, and a story based on the abduction of Sita from the Hindu epic, The Ramayana, Opera Jawa earned praise from no less a luminary than opera and theater director Peter Sellars, who commended its director, Garin Nugroho, for “creating a new language for film.” Set in lush forests and pristine beaches, it tells the story of a potter’s wife who, in a moment of weakness, is seduced by a flirtatious butcher, which sets off an epic battle for her affections. Nathan Lee of the Village Voice calls it, “A radiant folk fantasia, at once sophisticated and elemental, freewheeling and composed.” Indonesia / 120 min. / Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitles

Fri, Oct. 23

Chilean Crafts Trunk Show National Museum of the American Indian. Mapuche artists will exhibit and sell their work, including textiles, jewelry, and more. Presented by the Embassy of Chile and Smithsonian Enterprises. To Oct. 25.

Fri, Oct. 23

Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2009 National Portrait Gallery. The juried competition will result in an exhibition of approximately 60 of the finalists’ works. To Aug. 22.

Fri, Oct. 23

Emely Phelps Mansion at Strathmore.

Fri, Oct. 23

Giacomo Gates and Trio Kennedy Center. $25

Fri, Oct. 23

Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks Barns at Wolftrap. $22

Fri, Oct. 23

Kung Fury, King Giant, Yell county Red & the Black. $8

Fri, Oct. 23

Sweet Honey in the Rock Warner Theatre $25–$55

Fri, Oct. 23

The Tarbox Ramblers Iota. $12

Fri, Oct. 23

Dawn Upshaw Music Center at Strathmore. $25–$74

Fri, Oct. 23

Port Authority The Writer’s Center. Quotidian Theatre Company presents the area premiere of a tale of the missed opportunities and lost loves of three generations of Dublin men. To Nov. 22.

Sat, Oct. 24

Lucy Hornstein discusses and signs copies of Declarations on a Dinosaur: 10 Laws I’ve Learned as a Family Doctor. Barnes & Noble Clarendon.

Sat, Oct. 24

Jim Kirby discusses and signs copies of Harpers Ferry: A Crossroads in Time. Barnes & Noble Reston.

Sat, Oct. 24

John Lamb discusses and signs copies of The Treacherous Teddy. Borders Fairfax.

Sat, Oct. 24

Laura Schandelmeier & Stephen Clapp Dance Place. The Loving Project: E-Race is an interactive dance theater performance that explores interracial marriages and nontraditional partnerships in historical and present-day contexts. (Additional performance on Oct. 25.)

Sat, Oct. 24

Ace in the Hole AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Billy Wilder’s least amiable film, this 1951 satire roasted the media decades before Network and Mad City (to which it bears a noncoincidental resemblance). Protagonist Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) is a reporter who feels trapped in a small New Mexico town after unsuccessful stints on big-city newspapers. When a man is buried in a rockslide, Tatum convinces the local sheriff to prolong the rescue effort so as to maximize the reporters’s scoop and boost the sheriff’s re-election campaign. (Also showing on Oct. 29.) (MJ)

Sat, Oct. 24

“Gun Crazy” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. One of the most distinguished works of art to emerge from the B-movie swamp, Joseph H. Lewis’ 1949 film is a proto-Bonnie and Clyde tale of an outlaw couple on the run. Lewis’ long takes and his sure command of the film noir staples of shadows, fog, and rain-soaked streets make this a stunning technical achievement, but it’s something more–a gangster film that explores the limits of the form with feeling and responsibility. (Also showing Oct. 25) (DK)

Sat, Oct. 24

Slightly Scarlet AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. The plot is a complicated affair borrowed from James M. Cain’s Love’s Lovely Counterfeit: A high-ranking mobster is assigned to get some dirt on a reform candidate for mayor, but ends by falling in love with the politician’s secretary--which then touches off a series of power plays for control of both the city and the syndicate. (DK)

Sat, Oct. 24

“Wicked As The Come” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. A woman will do anything to live a successful life. (Shows again Oct. 28.)

Sat, Oct. 24

“Falnama: The Book of Omens” Sackler Gallery. Featuring a group of unusual, illustrated manuscripts called the Falnama that were once used by sultans, shahs, and commoners to explore the unknown. To Jan. 24.

Sat, Oct. 24

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Presents: Simply Classical Music Center at Strathmore. $28–$85

Sat, Oct. 24

Far, Solar Power Sun Destroyer DC9. $14.

Sat, Oct. 24

Five for Fighting Jammin Java. $27.50

Sat, Oct. 24

Juniper Lane, Colourside Iota. $12

Sat, Oct. 24

Rhino Bucket, American Dog Jaxx. $23

Sat, Oct. 24

The Spinto Band, Pepi Ginsberg, Generationals Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Sat, Oct. 24

Washington National Opera: Ariadne auf Naxos Kennedy Center. $50–$300 (additional performances to Nov. 13)

Sat, Oct. 24

Michael Wolff Trio with special guest Steve Wilson Kennedy Center. $25

Sat, Oct. 24

Wooden Shjips The Talking Head. $8

Sat, Oct. 24

Angels in America: Perestroika Round House Silver Spring. Forum presents the second half of Tony Kushner’s seminal work about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To Nov. 22.

Sat, Oct. 24

Barrio Grrrl! Kennedy Center’s Family Theater. Spunky 9-year-old Ana and her imaginary friend, Amazing Voice, dedicate their lives to saving the barrio in this Kennedy Center commission by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony nominee Quiara Alegría Hudes. To Nov. 15.

Sat, Oct. 24

Peter & The Wolf Publick Playhouse. Set to contemporary and classical music, this beloved children’s story tells the tale of a young boy who outsmarts a wily wolf. To Nov. 1.

Sat, Oct. 24

Waiting for Godot Publick Playhouse. Two vagabonds are still waiting endlessly for a guy named Godot. In this production by the Classical Theatre of Harlem, the pair is stranded in post-Katrina New Orleans. To Nov. 1.

Sun, Oct. 25

Neal Bascomb discusses and signs copies of Hunting Eichmann. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Sun, Oct. 25

Jehanne Dubrow discusses and signs copies of From the Fever-World. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Oct. 25

Joy Ladin discusses and signs copies of Transmigration Poems. Part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Washington DCJCC.

Sun, Oct. 25

William Littlejohn discusses and signs copies of Calvin. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Oct. 25

The Bet Collector Freer Gallery. Amy, the family matriarch, makes ends meet by running a small convenience store out of her home, but in a struggling economy customers are scarce. Lacking the help of her husband and pregnant daughter, Amy is forced to supplement the family income by collecting bets for an illegal numbers game. In this starkly realistic narrative, director Jeffrey Jeturian presents a captivating portrait of a once-proud woman, haunted by memories of a dead son and hounded by the police, and her fragile and lonely life as a kubrador (bet collector) on the streets of Manila. [Description by the Global Film Initiative.] Philippines / 2006 / 98 min., / Tagalog with English subtitles

Sun, Oct. 25

“The Big Combo” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. A cop who’s about to lose his investigation of a mob boss makes one last attempt to get the evidence he needs. (Also showing Oct. 28.)

Sun, Oct. 25

“Werewolf of London” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Dr. Glendon returns to London with a bad case of werewolf, a wife who loves someone else (couldn’t be all the hair in the shower drain, could it?), and a Tibetan monk on his trail who knows all about Glendon’s urge to lick himself in public.

Sun, Oct. 25

“In the Darkroom: Photographic Processes” National Gallery of Art. This exhibition chronicles the major technological developments in photographic processes from the origins of the medium until the advent of digital photography. To March 14.

Sun, Oct. 25

Circo Aereo Music Center at Strathmore. $28–$48

Sun, Oct. 25

Califone, The Ugly Suit Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Sun, Oct. 25

Circo Aereo presents Espresso, a Franco-Finnish circus wherein aerial performers create “magical vignettes” Music Center at Strathmore.

Sun, Oct. 25

The Dear Hunter Jammin Java. $12

Sun, Oct. 25

David Garrett Birchmere. $29.50

Sun, Oct. 25

Headlights, Shakey Hands DC9. $10

Sun, Oct. 25

Misfits, Cab Ride Home, Unskilled Professionalz, So Damn Thirsty Jaxx. $25

Sun, Oct. 25

Wooden Shjips, Black Whales Red & the Black. $8

Mon, Oct. 26

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses and signs copies of Half of a Yellow Sun. Folger Shakespeare Library.

Mon, Oct. 26

Vince Flynn discusses and signs copies of Pursuit of Honor. Folger Shakespeare Library.

Mon, Oct. 26

Fae Myenne Ng discusses and signs copies of Bone. Folger Shakespeare Library.

Mon, Oct. 26

Melvin Urofsky discusses and signs copies of Louis D. Brandeis: A Life. Washington DCJCC.

Mon, Oct. 26

The Tango Player Goethe Institut. Dr. Dallow has been released after 21 months in prison for playing piano in a “subversive” cabaret program. The Stasi (secret police) wants him to become an informant in exchange for getting his university position back; but he refuses and lives from hand to mouth in increasing isolation. It is 1968. The cabaret program for which he did time is now approved and even the judge enjoys the show. Then Soviet troops march into Czechoslovakia. This time, when someone from the university offers him a job, Dallow gives in – he goes back and signs the contract. $6.

Mon, Oct. 26

“The Wolfman” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Lon Chaney Jr., weird heir to silent-film actor Lon Chaney, tries to outdo papa by dressing up in werewolf garb and freaking chicks out. (Another showing on Oct. 25.)

Mon, Oct. 26

“Table Talk” Torpedo Factory Art Center. The Ceramic Guild presents serving pieces for holiday use. To Nov. 29.

Mon, Oct. 26

Susan Cowsill Iota. $12

Mon, Oct. 26

The DMV South Takeover Concert: UGK “BUN B”, UCB/Wale, Tabi Bonney, Kingpin Slim 9:30 Club. $35

Mon, Oct. 26

Finch, Bless the Fall, Drop Dead Gorgeous Sonar. $15

Mon, Oct. 26

Ray Parker Jr. Blues Alley. $25

Mon, Oct. 26

Prize Country, The Fordists, Get Some Red & the Black. $8

Mon, Oct. 26

Wallpaper DC9. $8

Mon, Oct. 26

Full Circle Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The ancient Chinese myth of the chalk circle re-emerges at the fall of the Berlin Wall: as the crotchety East German chancellor watches a play, students suddenly riot and the profiteers swoop in. Amid the chaos, two women launch a madcap chase to save an orphaned baby and outrun the vultures of both communism and capitalism. To Nov. 29.

Mon, Oct. 26

Pam Ann Live Lincoln Theatre. Pam Ann, A-list air hostess to the stars, touches down for her first U.S. tour. Glamorous, glitzy, and wildly entertaining, Pucci-clad Pam will liven up the Lincoln Theatre with sidesplitting airline antics and tales of the high life. For adult audiences.

Tue, Oct. 27

David Baldacci discusses and signs copies of True Blue. Barnes & Noble Tysons Corner.

Tue, Oct. 27

Dara Horn discusses and signs copies of All Other Nights. Washington DCJCC.

Tue, Oct. 27

“Alias Nick Beal” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. A successful attorney loses his moral compass when he befriends the mysterious Nick Beal.

Tue, Oct. 27

An Albatros, Dark Meat Black Cat Backstage. $10

Tue, Oct. 27

Keb’ Mo’ (additional performance Oct. 28) Birchmere. $59.50

Tue, Oct. 27

The Moore Brothers Red & the Black. $6

Tue, Oct. 27

Patty Reese Blues Alley. $18

Wed, Oct. 28

Renee van der Stelt Torpedo Factory Art Center, Target Gallery. Renee van der Stelt’s work explores how a drawing can affect and shape space. She produces sculptures and drawings through cutting or repeatedly puncturing the surface of a paper with a pin or shaped punch. To Nov. 29.

Wed, Oct. 28

An Albatross, Dark Meat The Talking Head. $10

Wed, Oct. 28

The Steve Morse Band, Oblivion Sun, Relayer Jaxx. $25

Wed, Oct. 28

Pinback, Obits Black Cat. $15

Wed, Oct. 28

Rory Stuart Blues Alley. $20

Wed, Oct. 28

The Subjects DC9. $8 advance/$10 at door

Wed, Oct. 28

26 Miles Round House Theatre Bethesda. An ’83 Buick Regal may be an unlikely place to find out what family really means, but when Beatriz and her estranged daughter head west on a spontaneous cross country road trip, neither is prepared for what lies ahead. To Nov. 22.

Thu, Oct. 29

CityDance Ensemble Kennedy Center. Performs Latitude. (Additional performance on Oct. 30.)

Thu, Oct. 29

Citydance Ensemble performs Latitude Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater. Featuring dances from up-and-coming choreographers Rachel Erdos of Israel, Isabel Croxatto of Chile, and Alex Neoral of Brazil, Latitude reveals that the origins and intersects of art are only a matter of degree. (Additional performance on Oct. 30.)

Thu, Oct. 29

Margaret Jenkins Dance Company Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. presents Other Suns, a collaboration with the Guangdong Modern Dance Company of Guangzhou, China; to Oct. 30.

Thu, Oct. 29

“Tiber” National Gallery of Art. As the camera navigates a route along the banks of Rome’s famous watercourse, Tevere becomes a rich historical and sociological document, filled with relics, surprises, and obscure spots that have inspired generations of painters, poets, novelists, and filmmakers. (Also showing on Oct. 30-31.)

Thu, Oct. 29

William Wiley: Filmworks American Art Museum. William Wiley, who is best known for his painting and sculpture, is also an experimental filmmaker. Enjoy an evening of his rarely screened works, including The Great Blondino (1966), Plastic Haircut (1963), and Man’s Nature (1971).

Thu, Oct. 29

“Soshana: Life and Work” Austrian Embassy. Soshana created her own visual language using strong expressionist strokes bringing to the surface her subconscious fears and hopes. To Dec. 31.

Thu, Oct. 29

The Black Heart Procession, Bellini, The Mumlers Black Cat. $13 advance/$15 at door

Thu, Oct. 29

Future of the Left Rock & Roll Hotel. $14

Thu, Oct. 29

Melissa Manchester Barns at Wolftrap. $35.

Thu, Oct. 29

NSO Pops: An Evening with Chris Botti/Marvin Hamlisch, conductor Kennedy Center. $20–$85 (additional performances to Oct. 31)

Thu, Oct. 29

Rhythm: The Heart and Soul of Latin American Music Lincoln Theatre. This one-hour, interactive, student concert features traditional folk songs from Latin America and focuses on the rhythm patterns unique in Latin American music.

Thu, Oct. 29

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Music Center at Strathmore. $36–$50

Thu, Oct. 29

Ugly Purple Sweater, Peal and Beard DC9. $8

Thu, Oct. 29

Randy Weston’s African Rhythms Trio Blues Alley. $30 (additional performance Oct. 30)

Thu, Oct. 29

A Streetcar Named Desire Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater. Cate Blanchett stars as Blanche DuBois in the U.S. premiere of Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Tennessee Williams’s Pulitzer Prize–winning drama A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Liv Ullmann. To Nov. 21.

Thu, Oct. 29

“Walking in Light” Gunston Arts Center. A metaphor on art, life, love and death. A show that combines illusion, song, humor, magic and dance. A history of life and a history of loves. Part of the Int’l Festival of Hispanic Theater. (Additional performances on Oct. 30, 31.)

Fri, Oct. 30

“Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror?” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Casting a long and terrifying shadow over the genre, German silent-film master F.W. Murnau’s uncredited appropriation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” set the standard for all vampire flicks to come. Max Schreck’s monstrous Count Orlock is singularly frightening, repulsive and beastly where Bela Lugosi was courtly and Christopher Lee seductive. Washington, D.C., ensemble silent orchestra—keyboardist Carlos Garza and percussionist Rich O’Meara—will once again accompany Nosferatu with their acclaimed original score, by turns dreamlike, ambient, thundering and hell-bent.

Fri, Oct. 30

“Craft2Wear” National Building Museum. A Show and Sale featuring 34 exhibitors of jewelry and wearable art all previously juried into the Smithsonian Craft Show. To Nov. 1.

Fri, Oct. 30

The Vic Chesnutt Band, Clare & the Reasons Black Cat. $13

Fri, Oct. 30

Crouching China, Hidden Caverns Rock & Roll Hotel. $10

Fri, Oct. 30

The Downtown Fiction, Amely Jammin Java. $12

Fri, Oct. 30

Jon Irabagon Kennedy Center. $15

Fri, Oct. 30

Junior Boys Sonar. $14

Fri, Oct. 30

Bill Kirchen & The Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods, Candye Kane Birchmere. $25

Fri, Oct. 30

Lez Zeppelin State Theatre. $19

Fri, Oct. 30

The Mighty Heard Red & the Black. $8

Fri, Oct. 30

Persian Classical Music: Bahman Panahi (tar and sehtar) Freer Gallery. Free.

Fri, Oct. 30

Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women Barns at Wolftrap. $25 (additional performance Oct. 31)

Fri, Oct. 30

Laura Tsaggaris, Stephanie Schneiderman Iota. $12

Fri, Oct. 30

Vains of Jenna, Dirty Penny, Jaxx. $13

Sat, Oct. 31

“Hollow Triumph” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. After ripping off a dangerous gambler, John Muller assumes a new identity as a psychiatrist. His past catches up anyway.

Sat, Oct. 31

“Shaun of the Dead” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. A surprise hit in 2004 and an enduring cult item since, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s “Rom-Zom-Com”—a romantic comedy, with zombies, that is—remains one of the few successful examples of a film that achieves the tricky balance of horror and comedy. Dumped by his girlfriend, slacker appliance salesman Pegg is so down in the dumps, he fails to notice the zombie plague taking over his London neighborhood until one pops up in his backyard. Fortunately, he and his couch potato flatmate Nick Frost prove to be ace zombie dispatchers, and round up their remaining loved ones to make a final stand at their local pub, the Winchester. (Also showing Oct. 24 and Nov. 1.)

Sat, Oct. 31

“Geoffrey Aldridge: Stonewall 2009” Transformer. D.C.-based artist Geoffrey Aldridge recreates aspects of the physical interior structure of the Stonewall Inn of 1969. To Dec. 5.

Sat, Oct. 31

Captured by Robots, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, Bonjour, Ganesh! Rock & Roll Hotel. $10

Sat, Oct. 31

Metalocalypse: Dethklok & Mastodon Patriot Center. $35

Sat, Oct. 31

Lotus Sonar. $25

Sat, Oct. 31

National Philharmonic: The Three B’s Music Center at Strathmore. $29–$79

Sat, Oct. 31

Elizabeth Joy Roe, piano Kennedy Center. $30

Sat, Oct. 31

2U State Theatre. $15

Sat, Oct. 31

Zarzuela on the Avenue Gala Theatre at Tivoli Square. La Gran Via is a musical about urban development in 1886 Madrid.

Sun, Nov. 1

The Greatest Hip Hop Cover Story Ever Told Dance Place. Experience the five elements of hip-hop live onstage, featuring some of the DMV’s most talented hip-hop artists, tracing hip-hop from its birth to the present. (Additional performance on Nov. 22.)

Sun, Nov. 1

“Accident” National Gallery of Art. A recently restored Joseph Losey–Harold Pinter collaboration, Accident’s chain of interlocking events is set in motion by Dirk Bogarde as an Oxford don mired in emotional conflict with a group of friends and faculty.

Sun, Nov. 1

Border Café Freer Gallery. A recently widowed woman battles Iran’s often strict rules about women’s roles in society in Kambozia Partovi’s elegant drama. Refusing the demands of her late husband’s family that she move in with them, she defiantly reopens the café he once ran—a rest stop near the Turkish border that brings together long-haul truckers and other travelers—and the possibility of a new love for the film’s determined heroine. Iran / 2005 / 105 min. / Persian with English subtitles

Sun, Nov. 1

“The Howling” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. A newscaster enters an evil rehab clinic on her deceptive psychiatrist’s advice. (Also showing Nov. 4.)

Sun, Nov. 1

“The Killers” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Two hitmen sent to kill a mechanic discover that their low-level target holds the secret to a hidden fortune. (Also playing Nov. 3.)

Sun, Nov. 1

“Out of the Past” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. A gas station attendant in the middle of nowhere is confronted by someone from his past as a renegade private eye. (Also showing on Oct. 31.)

Sun, Nov. 1

Gal Costa Lisner Auditorium. $25–$45

Sun, Nov. 1

Taylor Eigsti Blues Alley. $20

Sun, Nov. 1

Patty Loveless Birchmere. $45.00

Sun, Nov. 1

Dave Mason State Theatre. $23

Sun, Nov. 1

69 Eyes, Dommin, The Becoming, Jaxx. $20

Mon, Nov. 2

“Every Other Day Is Halloween” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. This comedic documentary chronicles the career and legacy of Dick Dyszel, whose television alter-egos, “Count Gore De Vol,” “Captain 20” and “Bozo the Clown” helped raise generations of Washingtonians in the 1970s and 1980s (almost a half-million “Channel 20 Club Cards” were distributed during this time). Featuring rare one-of-a-kind footage, and interviews with Dick Dyszel, critic Arch Campbell, writer Steve Niles, filmmaker Jeff Krulik, “scream-queens” Eleanor Herman and Leanna Chamish, as well as a new generation of television “horror hosts” including John Dimes (“Dr. Sarcofiguy”) and Jerry Moore II (“Karlos Borloff”). Featuring an appearance by Director Curtis Prather and Count Gore De Vol.

Mon, Nov. 2

“Night Editor” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. A seasoned newspaper editor shares an allegorical redemption story with a young reporterwho’s life is falling apart. (Also showing Nov. 1.)

Mon, Nov. 2

“Shakedown” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. (Also showing on Oct. 31.)

Mon, Nov. 2

whisper & SHOUT Goethe Institut. This documentation depicts the subculture music scene of the late 1980s in East Germany. In “whisper and shout”, the director travels throughout the GDR with various bands like Silly, Sandow and Feeling B. Using interviews with fans and teenagers, the music film documents their wishes and life circumstances: Young people are expressing their new awareness of life and need the music to express their generational opposition to their parents and to the system. $6.

Mon, Nov. 2

“Identities” Torpedo Factory Art Center. Each member explores the depths of those intangibles that identify her (or his) work. (To Dec. 6.)

Mon, Nov. 2

American Revival featuring Uncle Earl, Sierra Hull &Highway 111, and The Dixie Bee-Liners Birchmere. $29.50

Mon, Nov. 2

Bob Boguslaw Blues Alley. $18

Mon, Nov. 2

The King Khan & BBQ Show Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Mon, Nov. 2

Lyle Lovett & His Large Band Music Center at Strathmore. $59-$125

Mon, Nov. 2

Vince Scheuerman (of Army of Me), Mike Mangione, Scott Simons Jammin Java. $10

Mon, Nov. 2

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Verizon Center. $68–$98

Tue, Nov. 3

“Bob Devers: Cult of the Hand” American University Museum. Cult of the Hand is an interdisciplinary exploration that retraces and reimagines the influences of culture, craft, and place. To Dec. 20.

Tue, Nov. 3

“Cole Sternberg: and those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music” American University Museum. Renowned Los Angeles–based artist Cole Sternberg presents an exhibition of works that blends the fields of international law and contemporary art to critically analyze human rights and the application of international law. To Dec. 20.

Tue, Nov. 3

Jesse Cook. Birchmere. $25.00

Tue, Nov. 3

Miley Cyrus Verizon Center. $39.50–$78.50

Tue, Nov. 3

Herman Dune, Julie Dorian DC9. $12.

Tue, Nov. 3

Liam Finn & Eliza Jane, Miracle Fortress Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Tue, Nov. 3

Gregory Alan Isakov, Rebecca Loebe Iota. $12

Wed, Nov. 4

“Wolfen” AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. While investigating a weird murder, a New York police officer discovers an Indian curse that turns people into werewolves. (Also showing Nov. 2.)

Wed, Nov. 4

“Becoming Animal” Art League Gallery. Work may explore the animal within and feature images of animals real or imaginary including everything from our favorite pets to endangered and/or extinct species. To Dec. 7.

Wed, Nov. 4

“Iconoclash!” Goethe-Institut. The East German icons and symbols presented here were created with an air of permanence. Many of the symbols and icons were manipulated, vandalized and reshaped as the Berlin Wall was rendered obsolete. To Jan. 8.

Wed, Nov. 4

“Small Works” Art League Gallery. Features works of all-media and subject matter that are no larger than 10” x 12” or 120” square. To Dec. 7.

Wed, Nov. 4

Fuck Buttons, Growing DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Wed, Nov. 4

Sanjay Mishra Blues Alley. $20

Wed, Nov. 4

Powerman 5000, Sordid Jaxx. $20

Wed, Nov. 4

Richard Shindell, Antje Duvekot Jammin Java. $20

Wed, Nov. 4

Vader Sonar. $20

Thu, Nov. 5

“Directions: John Gerrard” Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. To March 28.

Thu, Nov. 5

Gerald Albright Birchmere. $35

Thu, Nov. 5

The Apollo Ensemble: An Evening of Baroque Jewish Music Kennedy Center. $38

Thu, Nov. 5

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Superpops: Duke Ellington Orchestra Music Center at Strathmore. $20–$84

Thu, Nov. 5

Chatham County Line Jammin Java. $12

Thu, Nov. 5

National Symphony Orchestra: Alexander Vedernikov, conductor/Vadim Repin, violin, plays Brahms Kennedy Center. $20–$85 (additional performances to Nov. 7)

Thu, Nov. 5

New Mastersounds State Theatre. $15

Thu, Nov. 5

Nicholas Payton Quartet (additional performance Nov. 6) Blues Alley. $30

Thu, Nov. 5

Willy Porter Barns at Wolftrap. $20.

Thu, Nov. 5

Kurt Vile & the Violators Black Cat. $10 advance/$12 at door

Thu, Nov. 5

Disfarmer Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. Dan Hurlin’s puppet theatrical about the contradicitons in the life of hermit Mike Disfarmer; to Nov. 6.

Thu, Nov. 5

Of Mice and Men Church Street Theater. Set in California during the Great Depression, Of Mice and Men is the tragic story of two displaced ranch workers traveling from place to place and job to job as a result of the economic recession. To Nov. 29.

Thu, Nov. 5

Our Lady of the Clouds Gunston Arts Center. A formal investigation of a vibrant, dual human condition: exile and immigration, with their joint baggage of ideas, affections, and souls. Part of Teatro de la Luna’s International Festival of Hispanic Theater. (Additional performances on Nov. 6 & 7.)

Fri, Nov. 6

“Portraiture Now: Communities” National Portrait Gallery. Each of the three painters selected for “Portraiture Now: Communities”, explores the idea of community through a series of related portraits of friends, townspeople, or families. To July 5.

Fri, Nov. 6

Nicole Atkins & The Black Sea, Scott Liss Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Fri, Nov. 6

Blues Traveler State Theatre. $35

Fri, Nov. 6

Dee Dee Bridgewater in “Lady Day: A Tribute to Billie Holiday” Music Center at Strathmore. $28–$72

Fri, Nov. 6

Chad & Jeremy Barns at Wolftrap. $25.

Fri, Nov. 6

Enisferum, Hypocrisy, Ex-Deo, Jaxx. $25

Fri, Nov. 6

The King’s Singers George Mason University Concert Hall. $22–$44

Fri, Nov. 6

Le Loup, Nurses, Pree Black Cat. $12

Fri, Nov. 6

Ellis Paul, Meg Hutchinson Jammin Java. $20

Fri, Nov. 6

Thao w/ The Get Down Stay Down Black Cat. $15

Fri, Nov. 6

McCoy Tyner with the Howard University Jazz Ensemble Kennedy Center. $30

Fri, Nov. 6

United States Air Force Band Jazz Heritage Series Lisner Auditorium. Free.

Fri, Nov. 6

Dar Williams Birchmere. $35 (additional performance Nov. 7)

Fri, Nov. 6

Anna In The Tropics Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play about a Cuban immigrant family’s struggle with tradition and innovation in 1920s Ybor City, Fla.; to Nov. 15.

Sat, Nov. 7

The Washington Korean Dance Company Kennedy Center. Performs Spirit of Korea.

Sat, Nov. 7

Aysha Upchurch: Life, Rhythm, Move Project Dance Place. Life, Rhythm, Move Project, an award-winning DC-based ensemble, combines hip-hop, dance, and spoken word in performances that dare the audience to laugh, cry, and think. (Additional performance on Nov. 8.)

Sat, Nov. 7

“Launch” The Honfleur Gallery. A collection of works presented by the Women Photojournalist of Washington. To Nov. 14.

Sat, Nov. 7

“Virtuelle Mauer/ReConstructing the Wall” American University Museum. A virtual reality artwork, an interactive 3-D computer graphic installation that enables users to experience a section of the Berlin Wall in its former complexity. To Dec. 20.

Sat, Nov. 7

“What Lies Beneath: Nature And Urban Landscape In Eu Photography” Embassy of Sweden. This exhibition of works by both renowned and emerging photographers and brings a diverse array of modern European artistic sensitivity to Washington, D.C. To Nov. 22.

Sat, Nov. 7

Montgomery Gentry Patriot Center. $34.50–$99

Sat, Nov. 7

Hidden Cameras Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Sat, Nov. 7

Janis Ian Barns at Wolftrap. $25.

Sat, Nov. 7

Christian McBride & Inside Straight $30 (additional performance Nov. 8)

Sat, Nov. 7

National Philharmonic: 200th Anniversary of Haydn and Mendelssohn Music Center at Strathmore. $29–$79

Sat, Nov. 7

Real Diamond State Theatre. $15

Sat, Nov. 7

Washington National Opera: Götterdämmerung, In Concert Kennedy Center. $40–$210 (additional performances to Nov. 15)

Sat, Nov. 7

The Cat and the Seagull Gunston Arts Center. The honorable cat Zorbas stars in this moving and sweet adventure; promising a seagull mother, victim of pollution, to watch over its baby and teach it to fly. Part of Teatro de la Luna’s International Festival of Hispanic Theater. (Additional performance on Nov. 14.)

Sun, Nov. 8

Lionel Loueke Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Sun, Nov. 8

Buffalo Boy Freer Gallery. Set in rural Vietnam during the French occupation, Nguyen-Vô Nghiem-Minh’s coming-of-age tale is adapted from a collection of short stories by Vietnamese writer Son Nam. Its hero is a fifteen-year-old boy who makes a harrowing journey with his family’s two water buffalo from their flooded farmland to find food on a faraway mountain. “The world in Buffalo Boy is filled with wonder, but it is a world also filled with real desire, real death, not abstractions” (Manohla Dargis, New York Times). Vietnam / 2004 / 102 min. / Vietnamese with English subtitles

Sun, Nov. 8

“The African Presence in Mexico” Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. The exhibition looks at the history, culture, and art of Afro-Mexicans, and begins in the colonial era and continues to present day. To July 4.

Sun, Nov. 8

Michael Feinstein “The Sinatra Project” Music Center at Strathmore. $45–$55

Sun, Nov. 8

Genitorturers Sonar. $16

Sun, Nov. 8

Mae, Jenny Owen Youngs, Deas Vail Black Cat. $13 advance/$15 at door

Sun, Nov. 8

Mariza Lisner Auditorium $25–$50

Sun, Nov. 8

Amy Milan, Bahamas DC9. $12 advance/$14 at door

Sun, Nov. 8

Lucille Snell (flute) Smithsonian American Art Museum. Free

Mon, Nov. 9

Jana and Jan Goethe Institut His parents left Jan behind in East Germany. When he tries to escape to West Germany, he gets caught and sent to a reformatory. There, Jan meets Jana and what starts as a game becomes true love. When Jana gets pregnant the situation spirals out of control, the year of 1990 begins. $6.

Mon, Nov. 9

Devil Makes Three The Talking Head. $8

Mon, Nov. 9

Sophie Milman Blues Alley. $25

Mon, Nov. 9

Paris Piano Trio Mansion at Strathmore.

Tue, Nov. 10

Hasan Kwame Jeffries discusses and signs copies of Bloody Lowndes, Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt. Busboys & Poets 14th & V.

Tue, Nov. 10

“Environmental Images: The Photoblog” Goethe-Institut. A group of American, Canadian, and German photographers engages in an Internet-based dialogue about the environment– through pictures. One night only.

Tue, Nov. 10

12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Music Center at Strathmore.

Tue, Nov. 10

Basshound Rock & Roll Hotel. $10

Tue, Nov. 10

Bobby Long Jammin Java. $15

Tue, Nov. 10

Kailash Kher and Kaisala Lisner Auditorium $25–$45

Tue, Nov. 10

Rob Thomas Patriot Center. $41–$56

Tue, Nov. 10

Max Tundra, Daestro DC9. $10

Tue, Nov. 10

12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Music Center at Strathmore. $25–$65

Tue, Nov. 10

Alfonso Velez Blues Alley. $20

Tue, Nov. 10

Show Boat Signature Theatre. Spanning the years 1880 to 1927, this lyrical masterpiece concerns the lives, loves, and heartbreaks of three generations of show folk on the Mississippi. To Jan. 17.

Wed, Nov. 11

Blind Pilot, The Low Anthem Black Cat. $15

Wed, Nov. 11

Brand New Sonar. $29

Wed, Nov. 11

Ian McLagan Jammin Java. $15

Wed, Nov. 11

Milton Nascimento Birchmere. $45.00

Wed, Nov. 11

Works Progress Administration Barns at Wolftrap. $20.

Thu, Nov. 12

Step Afrika! Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. To Nov. 13 at Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Thu, Nov. 12

Tower, Tower For the No Bull Salvage American Art Museum. (approximately 50 min.) This program presents two short films celebrating Wiley’s 75-foot bronze sculpture Tower, made in cooperation with Lippincott, Inc.

Thu, Nov. 12

FotoweekDC Exhibit Opening with Joshua Cogan Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.

Thu, Nov. 12

“Pacguy” Flashpoint Gallery. The focal point of Pacguy, part of FotoWeek DC, will be a cocktail-style arcade game that borrows its format from the ubiquitous Pacman game. To Dec. 19.

Thu, Nov. 12

Eluveitie, Belphegor, Alestorm, Kivimetsan Druidi, Vreid Jaxx. $25

Thu, Nov. 12

Mountain Heart, Tim Finch & The Eastman String Band Barns at Wolftrap. $22.

Thu, Nov. 12

Musicians From Marlboro Freer Gallery. Free.

Thu, Nov. 12

Danny & Chantelle (Still Here) Flashpoint. The American premiere of Philip MacMahon’s play, directed by acclaimed Abbey Theatre director Wayne Jordan. Winner of the 2007 Dublin Fringe Audience Award. To Dec. 6.

Thu, Nov. 12

Dr. Sex Gunston Arts Center. Everyone, or almost everyone wants, demands and dreams of the security offered by a family doctor. Preoccupied by these worries, Dr. Sex is at your service. Part of Teatro de la Luna’s International Festival of Hispanic Theater. (Additional performance on Nov. 14.)

Thu, Nov. 12

LuLu Clark Street Playhouse. Washington Shakespeare Co. presents the original girl gone wild in Frank Wedekind’s outrageous sex tragedy. Abused, debased, and maligned, Lulu climbs through German and Parisian high society, leaving a trail of dead lovers behind her, only to fi nd herself crashing onto the streets of Jack the Ripper’s London. To Dec. 13.

Fri, Nov. 13

Illstyle & Peace Productions Dance Place. From Philadelphia, Illstyle & Peace fuses hip-hop with other styles of dance. Impossible, IZZpossible looks at what it takes to be an artist. Same Spirit Different Movement (Saturday and Sunday), vocalizes the group’s mission of peace, love, and unity through dance. (Additional performances on Nov. 14 & 15.)

Fri, Nov. 13

Introducing Astro Boy Freer Gallery. Astro Boy (known as Mighty Atom in Japan) is one of Tezuka’s most iconic and enduring creations. Starting life as a character in manga comics, he later took the world by storm as the hero of three animated television series that were nearly as popular in the US as they were in Japan. To kick off the retrospective, author and Tezuka expert Frederik Schodt presents and discusses four Astro Boy episodes.

Fri, Nov. 13

Cold Cave Rock & Roll Hotel. $10

Fri, Nov. 13

National Symphony Orchestra: Andrew Litton, conductor/Lang Lang, piano, plays Beethoven & Prokofiev Kennedy Center. $30–$125

Fri, Nov. 13

Joan Osborne, The Holmes Brothers, Paul Thorn Music Center at Strathmore. $25–$55

Fri, Nov. 13

Chris Smither & the Motivators, Paul Cebar Birchmere. $25

Fri, Nov. 13

Am I Too Loud? A Bow to Collaborative Performance Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Fri, Nov. 13

New York Festival of Song: Great American Songwriting Teams Kennedy Center. $45

Fri, Nov. 13

Yamato: Drummers of Japan Lisner Auditorium. $25–$45

Fri, Nov. 13

Haochen Zhang Barns at Wolftrap. $35.

Sat, Nov. 14

Nancy Tringali Piho discusses and signs copies of My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus. Borders Fairfax.

Sat, Nov. 14

Joy of Motion’s Fall Youth Company Concert Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre. Featuring performances by: RhythmiX, Dance Fusion Jazz Project, Groove Elements, Urban Impact, Soles of Steel, Raqs Jameel, Jazz Factor, and the award-winning Youth Dance Ensemble (YDE). (Additional performance on Nov. 15.)

Sat, Nov. 14

“The Boy with Green Hair” National Gallery of Art. A terse allegory of social intolerance through a child’s eyes, The Boy with Green Hair finds young war orphan Dean Stockwell snubbed by friends and townsfolk when his hair turns a mysterious color.

Sat, Nov. 14

The Film is Alive: Osamu Tezuka Filmography Freer Gallery. This documentary, made for the Tezuka Osamu exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum the year after Tezuka’s death, boasts probably the most over specified title card in the world. Each of the ten letters has been handwritten by one of his friends, all superstars of the manga and anime community. It provides a thumbnail introduction to his work and records its diversity and energy, as well as featuring live footage of Tezuka himself. [Description adapted from text by Helen McCarthy for Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka, shown at Barbican Film, Barbican Centre, London, in September 2008.] Japan / 1990 / 42 min. / video / Japanese with English subtitles

Sat, Nov. 14

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Presents: All-Gershwin Music Center at Strathmore. $30–$90

Sat, Nov. 14

Bond & Bentley, 86 the Effort, Feed God Cabbage, Fairgrounds Jaxx. $12

Sat, Nov. 14

White Denim, Brazos Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Sat, Nov. 14

Stefon Harris and Blackout Kennedy Center. $25.00

Sat, Nov. 14

Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano Kennedy Center. $35.00–$110.00

Sat, Nov. 14

Langhorne Slim Rock & Roll Hotel. $14

Sat, Nov. 14

Amanda McBroom Barns at Wolftrap. $25.

Sat, Nov. 14

Don McLean Birchmere. $49.50

Sat, Nov. 14

Nneka, See-I Jammin Java. $10

Sat, Nov. 14

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra George Mason University Center for the Arts. $25–$50

Sat, Nov. 14

Sara Tavares Lisner Auditorium $25-$35

Sat, Nov. 14

Barbara Cook Spotlight:Christine Ebersole Kennedy Center. Two-time Tony Award winner and Broadway star Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens) performs in this theater cabaret performance series curated by Broadway legend Barbara Cook. One night only.

Sun, Nov. 15

Gerry LaFemina discusses and signs copies of Proofreading America and Other Stories. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Nov. 15

Michael Salcman discusses and signs copies of The Clock Made of Confetti. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Nov. 15

Marine Express Freer Gallery. Set in the near future of 2002, this tale of skullduggery and smuggling on an undersea train is set against a backdrop of environmental degradation and destruction of indigenous cultures and is interwoven with a time-travel fantasy. Directed by Dezaki Tetsu, it features appearances by nearly all of Tezuka’s most famous characters, including Astro Boy, Black Jack, and Don Dracula. [Description adapted from text by Helen McCarthy for Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka, shown at Barbican Film, Barbican Centre, London, in September 2008.] Japan / 1979 / 91 min. / video / Japanese with English subtitles

Sun, Nov. 15

Cy Curnin, Nick Harper Jammin Java. $12

Sun, Nov. 15

Neil Hamburger, JP Inc. Black Cat. $10

Sun, Nov. 15

Bill Harley Jammin Java. $12

Sun, Nov. 15

The Kennedy Center Chamber Players play Fauré and Tchaikovsky Kennedy Center. $35

Sun, Nov. 15

Keyboard Conversations: Chopin the Patriot George Mason University Center for the Arts. $19–$38.

Sun, Nov. 15

Los Lobos Birchmere. $49.50

Sun, Nov. 15

The Original Surround Sound: Antiphonal Glories through the Ages Kennedy Center. $15–$65

Sun, Nov. 15

Randy Rogers Band State Theatre. $15

Sun, Nov. 15

The XX DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Mon, Nov. 16

Burning Life Goethe Institut In the desolate eastern states of a newly unified Germany Lisa leaves her small village – it’s becoming a golf court. Remaining stuff nobody needs anymore and a dead father, who killed himself in protest. Now she is disturbed and needs money. Meanwhile Anna, an aspirant of singer, drives her old Russian car to a small town trying to get the job of singer in a bar. They meet each other by chance in a bank, where they begin a successful career of bank thieves. $6.

Mon, Nov. 16

Cherry Poppin’ Daddies Blues Alley. $35

Mon, Nov. 16

Evangelicals Red & the Black. $8

Tue, Nov. 17

“Holiday Brightness in the Dark of Winter” Torpedo Factory Art Center. Gifts for everyone. To Jan. 4.

Tue, Nov. 17

Claudia Acuna Blues Alley. $22

Tue, Nov. 17

Zukerman ChamberPlayers Kennedy Center. $38

Tue, Nov. 17

David Crowder Band Lisner Auditorium.

Tue, Nov. 17

As You Like It Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall. In the Forest of Arden, exiles from a tyrannical kingdom search for freedom. And the irrepressible Rosalind, Shakespeare’s most fully realized female character, finds freedom of a different kind as she pursues love in disguise. To Dec. 20.

Wed, Nov. 18

Anthony Pitch discusses and signs copy of They Have Killed Papa Dead!”: The Road to Ford’s Theater, Abraham Lincoln’s Murder, and the Rage for Vengeance. Barnes & Noble Rockville.

Wed, Nov. 18

Jeff Shaara Discusses and signs copies of No Less Than Victory. Barnes & Noble Tysons Corner.

Wed, Nov. 18

“J’arpente” Alliance Française de Washington. Exhibit by Aminata Djegal.

Wed, Nov. 18

Baroness, Earthless, US Christmas Rock & Roll Hotel. $12

Wed, Nov. 18

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones present Jingle All The Way Music Center at Strathmore

Wed, Nov. 18

Radney Foster Barns at Wolftrap. $20.

Wed, Nov. 18

Genitorturers Jaxx. $20

Wed, Nov. 18

Mumiy Troll Black Cat. $15 advance/$17 at door

Wed, Nov. 18

Jacqui Naylor Blues Alley. $20

Wed, Nov. 18

Tim Reynolds & TR3 State Theatre. $16

Wed, Nov. 18

Camelot Olney Theatre Center. This irresistible musical takes you inside the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. To Jan. 3.

Thu, Nov. 19

“Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor” National Geographic Museum. This is the largest group of Terra Cotta Warriors (15 total) to ever travel at once.To March 31.

Thu, Nov. 19

Malcolm Bilson Mansion at Strathmore.

Thu, Nov. 19

Maryland Opera Studio performs Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera (The Pretended Garden-Girl) Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland (additional performances to Nov. 23)

Thu, Nov. 19

National Symphony Orchestra: Hugh Wolff, conductor/Joshua Bell, violin, plays Bruch Kennedy Center. $20–$85 (additional performances to Nov. 22)

Thu, Nov. 19

Amanda Palmer State Theatre. $20

Thu, Nov. 19

Robbie Schaefer Barns at Wolftrap. $18.

Thu, Nov. 19

Vogler String Quartet Kennedy Center. $32

Thu, Nov. 19

William Elliot Whitmore, Hoots & Hellmouth DC9. $10 advance/$12 at door

Thu, Nov. 19

Angela Winbush Blues Alley. $43 (additional performances to Nov. 22)

Thu, Nov. 19

The Eggshell Gunston Arts Center. What would you do if you were told you could receive an inheritance? Would you travel by air though it makes you sick? Would you live in a little-known country though you couldn’t understand anyone? Part of Teatro de la Luna’s International Festival of Hispanic Theater. (Additional performances on Nov. 20 & 21.)

Thu, Nov. 19

Pearl Bailey—By Request MetroStage. A musical about the Virgina vaudeville performer who went on to be a household name. To Dec. 20.

Fri, Nov. 20

Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company Montgomery College, Rockville Campus.

Fri, Nov. 20

Ballroom With A Twist Music Center at Strathmore (additional performances to Nov. 21)

Fri, Nov. 20

Bang On A Can with Trio Mediaeval performing Steel Hammer, music inspired by composer Julia Wolfe’s love for Appalachia Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Fri, Nov. 20

Kate Clinton Birchmere. $45

Fri, Nov. 20

Jesus Lizard Sonar. $22

Fri, Nov. 20

Maryland Opera Studio performing Gaetano Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore (The Elixir of Love) Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland (additional performances to Nov. 24)

Fri, Nov. 20

Melt Banana Rock & Roll Hotel. $15

Fri, Nov. 20

Passafire Jammin Java. $10

Fri, Nov. 20

Grant Lee Phillips, Winterpills Jammin Java. $18

Fri, Nov. 20

Jean Luc Ponty Barns at Wolftrap. $35.

Fri, Nov. 20

The Fantasticks Lincoln Theatre. The memorable score by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt enlivens the heart of this passionate musical that charmed Off-Broadway for a record-breaking 42 years. In a twist on the classic story of boy meets girl, Matt and Luisa are led by El Gallo from the wistfulness of “when life was slow and oh so mellow” to the reality that “without a hurt the heart is hollow.” To Jan. 10.

Sat, Nov. 21

Handmade Nation American Art Museum. This film documents a movement of artists, crafters, and designers that recognizes a marriage between historical techniques, punk, and the do-it-yourself ethos, while being influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, and feminism. (2009, 65 min., directed by Faythe Levine)

Sat, Nov. 21

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, Chu-Fang Huang ( piano) George Mason University Center for the Arts. $35–$55

Sat, Nov. 21

Robbie Fulks Jammin Java. $12

Sat, Nov. 21

Lee Konitz Quartet Kennedy Center. $35

Sat, Nov. 21

Matisyahu Sonar. $28

Sat, Nov. 21

The Del McCoury Band Birchmere. $35

Sun, Nov. 22

“M” National Gallery of Art. Remaking Fritz Lang’s expressionist tale of a haunted child murderer, Losey moved the location from 1930s Berlin to 1950s Los Angeles. Losey’s version stands on its own as a great interpretation, admired for David Wayne’s lead performance.

Sun, Nov. 22

Tezuka’s Short Films Freer Gallery. This remarkable showcase of shorts made between 1962 and 1987 reveals Tezuka’s energy, originality, and clarity of vision as he employs music and imagery to render dialogue unnecessary. These films show Tezuka the art house animator at his inventive best.

Sun, Nov. 22

Aventura Patriot Center. $58–$98

Sun, Nov. 22

Heavy Trash, Elliott Brood DC9. $12

Sun, Nov. 22

Tamaki Kawakubo, violin Kennedy Center. $40

Sun, Nov. 22

Jeffrey Osborne Birchmere. $65

Sun, Nov. 22

University Chorale and University of Maryland Chamber Singers Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Sun, Nov. 22

Vienna Chamber Orchestra Music Center at Strathmore. $50–$75

Mon, Nov. 23

Heart Leap Goethe Institut In the little town of Herzsprung (whose name can mean either “heartbreak”, or “heart leap”) almost nothing has changed since German unification. Nothing, that is, except a rise in unemployment. Johanna, a young mother and widow, is one of the unemployed and has to live on social welfare. To make matters worse, she falls in love with Manuel, a dark-skinned, roving adventurer and the whole village is talking about it. $6.

Mon, Nov. 23

A Christmas Carol Ford’s Theatre. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. To Jan. 3.

Tue, Nov. 24

Viviane Hagner, violin, with Shai Wosner, piano Kennedy Center. $35

Tue, Nov. 24

Chaise Lounge Blues Alley. $20

Tue, Nov. 24

August: Osage County Kennedy Center. Estelle Parsons stars as the matriarch of an extended clan approaching meltdown in August: Osage County, the gripping and darkly funny tale that won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. To Dec. 20.

Tue, Nov. 24

Disney’s Mulan Imagination Stage. Born into traditional ancient China, Mulan struggles to do as she’s told. But when her war-wounded father is called up to fight the Huns, Mulan knows her true duty is to join the Chinese army in his place. To Jan. 10.

Wed, Nov. 25

“The Unknown City Hall Of Stockholm “ Embassy of Sweden. Chinese photographer Yanan Li spent more than a year documenting the famous City Hall of Stockholm and its manifold aspects. To March 14.

Wed, Nov. 25

Steve Andricos & Tim Smith DC9.

Wed, Nov. 25

JD Experience Blues Alley. $18

Fri, Nov. 27

“Herb and Dorothy” National Gallery of Art. With modest means and great enthusiasm, collectors Herb and Dorothy Vogel began buying contemporary art together in the 1960s, eventually amassing in their small New York apartment one of the finest collections in the country.

Fri, Nov. 27

Brian Setzer Orchestra’s CHRISTMAS ROCKS! Extravaganza Music Center at Strathmore.

Fri, Nov. 27

Alex Bugnon Blues Alley. $27.50 (additional performances through Nov. 29)

Fri, Nov. 27

The Grandsons Barns at Wolftrap. $16.

Fri, Nov. 27

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Keith Sweat DAR Constitution Hall. $75

Fri, Nov. 27

NSO Pops: The Music of The Music Man/Marvin Hamlisch, conductor (to Nov. 28) Kennedy Center. $20–$85 (additional performances to Nov. 28)

Fri, Nov. 27

The Nighthawks State Theatre. $16

Fri, Nov. 27

The Seldom Scene, Dry Branch Fire Squad Birchmere. $29.50 (additional performance Nov. 28)

Fri, Nov. 27

Brian Setzer Orchestra Music Center at Strathmore. $35–$95

Fri, Nov. 27

Wizzard, Sinbad , Cherry Smash, The Roadducks Jaxx. $10

Sat, Nov. 28

“The Crowd” National Gallery of Art. King Vidor’s late silent masterpiece, The Crowd, may deny its ambitious average-guy hero (James Murray) a chance to rise above the masses and achieve the American dream of success, but the film remains a treasured cinematic milestone.

Sat, Nov. 28

“King and Country” National Gallery of Art. Callow working-class private Tom Courtenay deserts the English army after witnessing the Battle of Passchendaele and other wartime terrors from the trenches. Court-martialed, the young soldier is defended by Dirk Bogarde, the army’s lawyer assigned to the case.

Sat, Nov. 28

Chanticleer: A Chanticleer Christmas George Mason University, Center for the Arts. $24–$48

Sat, Nov. 28

John Eaton Barns at Wolftrap. $25.

Sat, Nov. 28

Enter the Haggis Jammin Java. $15

Sat, Nov. 28

The Machine State Theatre. $20

Sun, Nov. 29

“Hell Drivers” National Gallery of Art. Tough-as-nails truckers Stanley Baker and Patrick McGoohan face off—in and out of their lorries—while working for a shifty gravel-transport firm in the wilds of rural West Sussex.

Mon, Nov. 30

Leipzig in the Fall Goethe Institut The most comprehensive documentation of the demonstrations and other events in Leipzig from October 16 - November 7, 1989, this film includes interviews with demonstrators, members of the citizens’ rights movement, officials, and bystanders. $6.

Mon, Nov. 30

“Blackbox: Phoebe Greenberg: Next Floor” Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. To April 4.

Wed, Dec. 2

The Solid Gold Cadillac Studio Theatre. A “fairy tale” disguised in farce, this play follows the trials and travails of Mrs. Laura Partridge, a minor stockholder in a major corporation. In this farcical Cinderella story, big business meets its match when Mrs. Partridge takes on the big, bad, board of directors. To Jan. 10.

Thu, Dec. 3

“As Likely As Not: Unusual Objects for Another Perspective” McLean Project for the Arts. Composed of a wide-ranging array of materials and employing as many disparate approaches, the works share a quirky sense of purposeful purposelessness and a no holds barred attitude. To Jan. 9.

Thu, Dec. 3

“Food Glorious Food” The Gallery at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Now in its fifth year, the “Food Glorious Food” show features food in its fabulous forms in all media. Works from the show are also featured in the Food Glorious Food 2010 calendar and accompanied by recipes from Washington’s top chefs. To Jan. 3.

Thu, Dec. 3

“Hybrids of Tutela: New Works by Melissa Dickenson” McLean Project for the Arts. A fantastical world inhabited by imaginary flora and fauna is created within the confines of these flowing, meandering and intricate structures. To Jan. 9.

Thu, Dec. 3

McLean Art Society Juried Exhibition McLean Project for the Arts. An eclectic mix of work by members of the McLean Art Society. To Jan. 9.

Thu, Dec. 3

“Postcard Show” Torpedo Factory Art Center, Target Gallery. A fun three-day exhibition open to ALL artists with the stipulation that the work must be original art based on the 4x6” postcard format. Artists can submit up to 3 postcards for a $25 fee, which guarantees entry into the show. To Dec. 6 (three days only).

Fri, Dec. 4

PEN/Malamud Award Memorial Reading featuring Amy Hempel and Alistair MacLeod Folger Shakespeare Library.

Fri, Dec. 4

Citydance Ensemble performs Crush. Music Center at Strathmore. So many places to feel the crush…on a busy sidewalk, on a highway during rush hour, and now in performance as CityDance brings audiences face-to-face with the physicality and force of contemporary dance. (Additional performance on Dec. 5.)

Fri, Dec. 4

UM Department of Dance Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. Maryland Dance Ensemble, performing selected works by undergraduate and graduate students; to Dec. 5.

Fri, Dec. 4

Look Out Below! Round House Theatre Bethesda. Starring Round House favorites Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell, Look Out Below! features vaudeville clowning and assorted high jinks. To Dec. 20.

Sat, Dec. 5

Carla & Company with the Dance Place Step Team Dance Place. Carla Perlo shares the miracles that happen at Dance Place as dancers and staff turn the studio into a theater and rehearsal into performance. Works include Transparency, Songs From My Youth (Dances for Daddy), The Perfect World, and This Journey of Ours by the Dance Place Step Team. (Additional performance December 6.)

Sat, Dec. 5

“The Gypsy and the Gentleman” National Gallery of Art. Losey’s unusual period film “was elaborately designed,” he said, “to give the effect of a series of Thomas Rowlandson prints.” Although the director was not especially fond of it (period films were not his forte), The Gypsy and the Gentleman neatly expresses his position toward England’s social system and introduces a young Melina Mecouri as the gypsy in her first English-speaking role.

Sat, Dec. 5

Painting Solo Show Evolve Urban Arts Project. Featuring paintings by local artist Dana Ellyn. To Jan. 30.

Sat, Dec. 5

The Snow Queen Classika Theatre. This magical holiday show is based on the well-known story by the father of the modern fairy tale, Hans Christian Andersen, and is created in collaboration with puppet artists from Varna National Theatre in Bulgaria. To Jan. 10.

Sun, Dec. 6

Deborah Ager Discusses and signs copies of Midnight Voices. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Dec. 6

Reb Livingston discusses and signs copies of Your Ten Favorite Words. Writer’s Center.

Sun, Dec. 6

“Black Orpheus” National Gallery of Art. Fifty years after its initial release, this retelling of the Orpheus myth in the streets of a Rio de Janeiro ghetto during Carnaval retains all of its endearing enchantments. Foretelling the arrival of a new wave in Brazilian film, Black Orpheus combines poetry, naturalism, fantasy, and even voodoo.

Mon, Dec. 7

The Little Engine That Could Adventure Theatre. Based on the well-loved classic book by Watty Piper, a little train carrying oodles of toys to all of the good boys and girls is confronted with a towering, seemingly impassable mountain. To Jan. 10.

Mon, Dec. 7

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The eccentric Neo-Futurists race against the clock to perform 30 miniature plays in 60 breathless minutes. To Jan. 2.

Wed, Dec. 9

University of Maryland School of Music presents Winter Big Band Showcase Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Thu, Dec. 10

“The One Less Traveled” Art League Gallery. Pamela Viola’s Solo Artist Exhibit. To Jan. 4.

Thu, Dec. 10

“Pandora’s Box” Torpedo Factory Art Center, Target Gallery. Pandora’s Box is an exhibition requiring artists to create work based on the theme of “Pandora’s Box”. In Greek mythology, Pandora’s box is the vessel carried by Pandora that contained evils to be unleashed on mankind. To Jan. 10.

Fri, Dec. 11

University of MarylandSchool of Music presents Annual Kaleidoscope of Bands Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland.

Sat, Dec. 12

Lesole Maine Dance Projects Dance Place. Nna Part 1 mixes elements of African rituals with step styles taken from African American fraternities. Without a Home explores the life of the kids in the streets of Johannesburg and in the U.S. (Additional performance on December 13.)

Sat, Dec. 12

“Dreyer’s Two People” National Gallery of Art. A chamber piece that Carl Theodor Dreyer nearly renounced when he was unable to get the two actors he most wanted, this unusual one-act takes place during the course of a day. A wife, in spite of her deepest affection, ruins her husband’s career. The husband, on the face of things, is involved in a murder.

Sat, Dec. 12

Transformer’s 3rd Annual FlatFile Exhibition Transformer. Transformer’s FlatFile program features a unique variety of over 150 two-dimensional, unframed works on paper in mediums including photography, painting, drawing, and printmaking. To Jan. 23.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Karsh at 100: Portraits of Artists” Canadian Embassy Art Gallery. Features portraits of fellow artists by Canadian artist Yousuf Karsh, in celebration of the centennial year of his birth. To Dec. 18.

Sat, Dec. 12

“William Eggleston: Democratic Camera; Photographs and Video 1961-2008” Corcoran Gallery of Art. Features works by the groundbreaking artist. To Sept. 20.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Colossus” Hillyer Art Space. A full scale installation by Nekisha Durrett inspired by a poem of the same name by David C. Ward. The poem and the installation visualize a land deforested by Colossus, a metaphoric representation of industry and civilization. To Oct. 31.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Strange Bodies: Figurative Works from the Hirshhorn Collection” Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden. Exhibit features expressionist and surrealist works of figurative art by Ron Mueck, Lucian Freud, and Julian Schnabel, among others. Through late 2009.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Beauty and the Beast” Honfleur Gallery. Features works by artists inspired by the theme. To Sept. 26.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Identity: Mostly Burmese Monks” Space 7:10 at KEFA CAFÉ. Features works by Kyi May Kaung. To Oct. 3.

Sat, Dec. 12

“The Ceramics of Paquimé and Mata Ortiz: Tracing a Family Legacy” Mexican Cultural Institute.Features arcahaeological and contemporary pieces demonstrating Mexican ceramic tradition. To Oct. 17.

Sat, Dec. 12

New work by Susan Meyers and Colleen Henderson Multiple Exposures Gallery. To Oct. 4.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Impractically Political” Pyramid Atlantic. Features installation meant as commentary on terrorism and United States involvement in the Middle East. To Oct. 3.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Melting Point” Tai Sophia Institute for the Healing Arts. Features works by Laura Vernon-Russell and Kini Collins. To Nov. 27.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Flora: Growing Inspirations” The United States Botanic Garden. Features sculptures by the Washington Sculptors Group. To Oct. 12.

Sat, Dec. 12

Works by Jenny Walton, Keyholder Resident Artist at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center Visions Exhibition Space. To Oct. 19.

Sat, Dec. 12

“Appliquéd, Fabricated & Cast” Zenith Gallery.Features tapestry by Amanda Richardson and sculpture by Paul Martin Wolff. To Sept. 30.

Sat, Dec. 12

Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Karen Akers Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater.

Sun, Dec. 13

Jacqueline Dembar Greene discusses and signs copies of Candlelight for Rebecca. Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington.

Sun, Dec. 13

“A Woman Under the Influence” National Gallery of Art. Thirty-five years after its initial release, screenwriter-director John Cassavetes’ masterpiece still retains its original raw power as an impassioned portrayal of a blue-collar family in turmoil. Gena Rowlands’ tour de force performance as Mabel Longhetti, wife and mother struggling to tame her anarchic nature, won her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

Tue, Dec. 15

Young Frankenstein Kennedy Center Opera House. The classic Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein is alive in a spectacular new musical production direct from Broadway. To Jan. 10.

Wed, Dec. 16

Mommy Queerest Theater J. From the creator of 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, comedian Judy Gold is back in this edgy, multimedia comic memoir with original music featuring her hysterical take on being a working gay mom, anti-depressants, nursing homes, and raising two boys in New York City. To Jan. 3.

Thu, Dec. 17

RENT Church Street Theatre. Based on Puccini’s La Boheme, Rent is a rock opera that tells the story of one year in the life of friends living the Bohemian life in New York City in the late 1980’s. To Jan. 17.

Fri, Dec. 18

“The Nutcracker” Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center/ The Maryland Youth Ballet presents its 20th season of the award winning, The Nutcracker. To December 27.

Fri, Dec. 18

Take Joy Music Center at Strathmore. A pageant of classic and original holiday songs with poetry by Dylan Thomas, Emily Dickinson, and Langston Hughes.

Sat, Dec. 19

Kwanzaa Celebration Dance Place. In this special holiday performance, Dance Place resident company Coyaba Dance Theater performs in celebration of Kwanzaa.

Sat, Dec. 19

“The Little Match Girl” National Gallery of Art. Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless tale of the poor little match seller who finds happy fantasies of holiday feasts when she strikes her own matches was filmed by Renoir and Tédesco as they generated raw electricity from an automobile motor and improvised their lighting.

Sun, Dec. 20

“Ruthless” National Gallery of Art. Director Edgar G. Ulmer’s 1940s psycho-melodrama is worthy of rediscovery. A flashback-structured tale of a sociopath’s remorseless drive for station and wealth, the undercurrent of emotional violence is personified in a remarkable and starkly muted performance by Zachary Scott.

Sun, Dec. 20

Signature Theatre: Christmas cabaret Featuring the all-male cabaret group Swingin’ Santas. Mansion at Strathmore.

Sun, Dec. 20

Camille: A Tearjerker A Parisian courtesan, played in deliciously drop-dead drag, is driven away from the one she loves. Clark Street Playhouse. To Sept. 27.

Sun, Dec. 20

Dirty Blonde Signature’s production of Dirty Blonde stars Emily Skinner playing both cinematic legend Mae West and West’s most fixated fan, Jo. Signature Theatre. To Oct. 4.

Sun, Dec. 20

Dublin Carol Set in present-day Dublin on Christmas Eve, Dublin Carol relates the story of John Plunkett, a funeral parlor worker. John recounts memories of the drinking and womanizing of his youth with his younger assistant Mark. However, when his estranged daughter Mary arrives with sobering news, he is forced to face the more disastrous side of his past. H Street Playhouse. To Sept. 20.

Sun, Dec. 20

Eclipsed The captive wives of a Liberian rebel officer form a hardscrabble sisterhood, their lives set on a nightmarish detour by civil war. With the arrival of a new girl who can read – and the return of an old one who can kill – their possibilities are quickly transformed. Drawing on reserves of wit and compassion, these defiant survivors ask: When the fog of battle lifts, could a different destiny emerge? Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. To Sept. 27.

Sun, Dec. 20

Lucid Lucas, a young man, navigates between a domineering mother and a sister who reclaims the kidney she donated to him as a child, trying to escape his oppressive reality through his dreams. Gala Hispanic Theatre. To Oct. 11.

Sun, Dec. 20

Moonlight As a stern patriarch lays dying, his wife desperately tries to bring his two estranged sons to his bedside. Holding the two sides of the family together is the dead girl haunting all of their memories. Studio Theatre. To Oct. 18.

Sun, Dec. 20

The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) In this parody of musical theatre, one story becomes five different musicals, written in the distinctive styles of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, Jerry Herman and Andrew Lloyd Webber. MetroStage. To Oct. 18.

Sun, Dec. 20

The Picture of Dorian Gray A struggling artist paints a portrait of his handsome young friend. Upon seeing it, Dorian Gray strikes a Faustian bargain that allows his outward appearance to remain forever unchanged while the portrait reflects his true age and immorality. Plunging into a life of narcissism and depravity, he leaves those who love or befriend him either broken or dead before realizing that he has also destroyed himself. Round House Theatre Bethesda. To Oct. 4.

Sun, Dec. 20

A Piece of My Heart Shirley Lauro’s A Piece of My Heart is the story of six women–before, during and after the Vietnam War. Based on Keith Walker’s book of the same name, the play is a collage of sound and imagery pinpointing the significant moments in each woman’s journey. The Gunston Arts Center. To Oct. 10.

Sun, Dec. 20

The Quality of Life Two wildly different cousins and their husbands (one family “Left Coast” liberal and the other Midwestern conservative) meet one weekend only to discover that life has thrown them both the greatest challenges a husband and wife could ever be asked to face. Arena Stage. To Oct. 18.

Sun, Dec. 20

Zero Hour Channeling Zero Mostel’s wild moods, crazy humor and righteous anger, Jim Brochu reintroduces us to this funny, fantastically contrary man whose penchant for truth-telling has been sorely missed. Theater J. To Sept. 27.

Sat, Dec. 26

“Return of the Secaucus 7” National Gallery of Art. John Sayles’ directorial debut is a frequently funny, occasionally melancholy look at the lives of a few formerly radical friends who gather for a reunion ten years after their arrest in Secaucus, New Jersey, en route to a demonstration in Washington. Preceding The Big Chill by several years, Return of the Secaucus 7 was produced independently and shot with a cast of unknowns.

Sun, Dec. 27

“Changing Village” National Gallery of Art. A cornerstone of Sri Lankan cinema, launched in 1964.

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