Arts & Entertainment
From Larry Kramer to the ruby slippers
AFI DOCS festival continues through weekend
Larry Kramer speaking at a Boston Gay Town Meeting 6.9.87 at historic Faneuil Hall in Boston MA sponsored by the Boston Lesbian and Gay Political Alliance.
Openly gay film curator Michael Lumpkin is now also openly bi-coastal.
Since he was named executive director of AFI DOCS last December, Lumpkin has been splitting his time between the two coasts. After spending more than three decades in California, he’s enjoying life in the nation’s capital.
Every year, AFI DOCS brings the nest new documentaries from around the globe to Washington with dozens of screenings at AFI Silver in Silver Spring and other theaters throughout the District. Now in its 13th year, the festival runs through Sunday. The full schedule is at afidocs.org.
Lumpkin is thrilled with the slate of films that will be shown this year, but says that the selection process is very difficult.
“It takes several months,” he says. “We had close to 2,000 entries. Most of those are feature length films, but we also show short documentaries. We have a number of experienced screeners who send their evaluations to us. A screening committee goes through all the films that are rising to the top and then we make the final selections.”
Turning away talented filmmakers and exciting films is the worst part of the process.
“There are way more film that we would like to show than we can. There are so many great documentaries. That’s the hard part of the job — deciding what you’re not going to show. Deciding what you want to show is easy. Having to say, ‘Sorry we can’t include you’ to way too many great documentaries is the hard part.”
Looking over this year’s films, Lumpkin says he is excited by the latest film by Malcolm Ingram, director of “Bear Nation.”
“One that I’m really, really happy about is ‘Out To Win,’ a documentary about LGBT people in sports,“ he says. “Malcolm is one of my favorite filmmakers. I became aware of him with his film ‘Small Town Gay Bar.’ He’s a great filmmaker and a great guy.”
Lumpkin is also intrigued by “Larry Kramer In Love And Anger,” the new HBO documentary by Jean Carlomusto about the fiery author and AIDS activist.
“It’s interesting to look back at Larry and see his role in our community. He’s a volatile, very outspoken guy. It was so great to look back at these moments in LGBT history and activism. It’s a great bio-documentary that gives you the full picture of Larry.”
He adds, “There are a lot of great bio-documentaries in his year’s festival. I kinda go towards those a lot. I’m really into learning about people and their lives. We have documentaries about Steve Jobs and Nina Simone. We have a movie about the great arts patron Peggy Guggenheim. Closing night we’re featuring a movie about Mavis Staples, the great gospel singer.”
Two other films of special interest to the LGBT community are “Code: Debugging the Gender Gap” by Robin Hauser Reynolds, which looks at the absence of women in the coding industry, and “From This Day Forward,” a stunning film by Sharon Shattuck that explores her father’s gender identity struggles and how her parents have remained married through it all.
There’s also “Who Stole the Ruby Slippers?” a delightful short documentary that investigates the disappearance of one of the iconic pairs of ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” from the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minn. There are four programs of short documentaries throughout the festival.
Michael Lumpkin (Photo courtesy AFI DOCS)
Some other notable films that will be screened as part of AFI DOCS include “The Armor of Light,” a film by Abigail Disney about an evangelical leader who is forced to reconsider his views about gun control; “Very Semi-Serious” about Bob Mankoff, the quirky cartoon editor of “The New Yorker”; and “Welcome to Leith” which looks at how the resident of a small North Dakota reacted to the arrival of notorious white supremacist.
The love of documentaries has run through Lumpkin’s notable career, from when he ran the Frameline LGBT film festival for 25 years starting in the early ‘80s to today.
“Year after year, film after film, I would see people connecting with documentaries in a very different way than with fiction film. There’s something about it being truth and reality. I saw the special connection audiences have with documentaries.”
He also adds that AFI DOCS will include several opportunities for audience members to interact with the filmmakers and their subjects. Throughout the festival, there will be several Q&A sessions and panel discussions.
“For a fiction film, it’s great to have the director there, or a cast member who has just given a great performance. But to see a great documentary and then for the artist and the real person to be there, to be on stage, it’s a whole different reaction from audiences. I think it just goes much deeper.”
Lumpkin took several years off from his job at Frameline to produce the groundbreaking documentary “The Celluloid Closet” with Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Based on the pioneering film criticism of Vito Russo, the fascinating documentary examines Hollywood representations of gay men and lesbians. Working on the film gave Lumpkin a renewed appreciation for the genre. For several years he ran the Documentary Association, an organization in Los Angeles that supports documentary filmmakers around the world. When the opportunity to get back into the festival business with AFI DOCS came along, he “jumped at the opportunity.”
Theater
‘Bad Books’ a timely look at censorship in local library
Influencer vs. conservative parent in Round House production
‘Bad Books’
Through May 4
Round House Theatre
4545 East-West Highway
Bethesda, Md.
Tickets start at $43
Roundhousetheatre.org
While a library might seem an unlikely place for a heated contretemps, it’s exactly the spot where adults go when they’re itching to battle out what books minors might be allowed to read.
In Sharyn Rothstein’s “Bad Books,” two women, The Mother (out actor Holly Twyford) and The Librarian (Kate Eastwood Norris), swiftly become mired in a quarrel that comes with some weighty repercussions.
The Mother is a popular conservative influencer on a mission. She’s furious that the local library has overstepped its bounds and she blames The Librarian, a woman who adheres to the “it takes a village” method of child rearing and is dedicated to the young people who approach her reference desk.
There’s some background. It seems The Librarian who dresses young (tight jackets and Doc Martens) and curses a blue streak, forged a friendship with Jeremy, a teenage library regular.
While the details are a bit hazy, it seems the troubled Jeremy confided in The Librarian regarding some personal issues. In return, she suggested a helpful book – Boob Juice.
Unsurprisingly, based solely on its title, the book has thrown The Mother into a pique of outrage. After finding Boob Juice in her son’s bedroom, she made a beeline to the library; and not incidentally, The Mother hasn’t read the recommended work and has no plans to do so.
Set in a suburb with lax gun laws, the story explores facets of division and conciliation. The Mother insists she isn’t so much about banning books as she is keeping some books away from young people until they’ve obtained parental approval.
“Bad Books” is performed in the round. Built on a rotating stage, Meghan Raham’s set is simple, pleasingly serviceable, and easily transforms from the library into a small corporate office, and later the assembly room of a church. Overhead floats a circular glass shelf filled with a cache of banned books. Things like a rolling book cart and a goldfish bowl add some flavor to the different locations.
The Mother wasn’t always a popular conservative warrior with an enthusiastic horde of followers.
Her past includes penning a book that later filled her with guilt and regret. She refers to that early questionable literary accomplishment as her bad book. And while over the years, she has persevered to find and destroy each and every printed copy, she hasn’t entirely succeeded.
Norris plays three women who figure meaningfully into the arc of Twyford’s mother character. In addition to The Librarian, Norris is The Manager, a broadly played piece of comic relief, and The Editor, a warm woman who reveals things about Jeremy that his own mother never knew.
Smartly staged by Ryan Rilette, the production is part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. While Rothstein’s script offers two strong roles (skillfully performed by celebrated actors Twyford and Norris), its ending feels too neatly resolved.
In the past, Twyford and Norris have successfully joined forces for numerous DMV productions including Studio Theatre’s production of David Auburn’s two-hander “Summer, 1976,” the story of a longtime and unlikely friendship between two women who meet as young mothers during the Bicentennial summer.
Though different, both The Librarian and The Mother share a strong and ultimately hopeful relationship with words.
There’s a quote from E.B. White’s classic “Charlotte’s Web” that pops up a couple of times in the briskly paced 80-minute play. Charlotte, the wise spider, says, “with just the right words you can change the world.”
Books
‘Pronoun Trouble’ reminds us that punctuation matters
‘They’ has been a shape-shifter for more than 700 years
‘Pronoun Trouble’
By John McWhorter
c.2025, Avery
$28/240 pages
Punctuation matters.
It’s tempting to skip a period at the end of a sentence Tempting to overuse exclamation points!!! very tempting to MeSs with capital letters. Dont use apostrophes. Ask a question and ignore the proper punctuation commas or question marks because seriously who cares. So guess what? Someone does, punctuation really matters, and as you’ll see in “Pronoun Trouble” by John McWhorter, so do other parts of our language.
Conversation is an odd thing. It’s spontaneous, it ebbs and flows, and it’s often inferred. Take, for instance, if you talk about him. Chances are, everyone in the conversation knows who him is. Or he. That guy there.
That’s the handy part about pronouns. Says McWhorter, pronouns “function as shorthand” for whomever we’re discussing or referring to. They’re “part of our hardwiring,” they’re found in all languages, and they’ve been around for centuries.
And, yes, pronouns are fluid.
For example, there’s the first-person pronoun, I as in me and there we go again. The singular I solely affects what comes afterward. You say “he-she IS,” and “they-you ARE” but I am. From “Black English,” I has also morphed into the perfectly acceptable Ima, shorthand for “I am going to.” Mind blown.
If you love Shakespeare, you may’ve noticed that he uses both thou and you in his plays. The former was once left to commoners and lower classes, while the latter was for people of high status or less formal situations. From you, we get y’all, yeet, ya, you-uns, and yinz. We also get “you guys,” which may have nothing to do with guys.
We and us are warmer in tone because of the inclusion implied. She is often casually used to imply cars, boats, and – warmly or not – gay men, in certain settings. It “lacks personhood,” and to use it in reference to a human is “barbarity.”
And yes, though it can sometimes be confusing to modern speakers, the singular word “they” has been a “shape-shifter” for more than 700 years.
Your high school English teacher would be proud of you, if you pick up “Pronoun Trouble.” Sadly, though, you might need her again to make sense of big parts of this book: What you’ll find here is a delightful romp through language, but it’s also very erudite.
Author John McWhorter invites readers along to conjugate verbs, and doing so will take you back to ancient literature, on a fascinating journey that’s perfect for word nerds and anyone who loves language. You’ll likely find a bit of controversy here or there on various entries, but you’ll also find humor and pop culture, an explanation for why zie never took off, and assurance that the whole flap over strictly-gendered pronouns is nothing but overblown protestation. Readers who have opinions will like that.
Still, if you just want the pronoun you want, a little between-the-lines looking is necessary here, so beware. “Pronoun Trouble” is perfect for linguists, writers, and those who love to play with words but for most readers, it’s a different kind of book, period.
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Friday, April 18
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 6 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Saturday, April 19
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including Allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgement free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events for LGBTQ People of Color, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
“Spark Sapphic Social” will be at 8 p.m. at Spark Social House. This weekly sapphic social is an opportunity to mix and mingle with other sapphics in D.C.’s newest LGBTQ bar. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
“DC Drag Brunch on Rooftop – Penthouse (Formerly at Lima Twist)” will be at 12 p.m. at Baby Shank Rooftop. Hosted by Miss Capital Pride, this is the ultimate drag brunch experience in Washington, D.C., featuring the fiercest queens around. Prepare to be entertained by glamorous drag queens and celebrated celebrity impersonators, including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Whitney Houston, Cher and many more. Tickets cost $27 and are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, April 20
Queer Crayon Club will host “Queer Sketch Social” at 3 p.m. at Sinners and Saints. This is a fun event for LGBTQ+ adults to come together and color. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, April 21
“Center Aging Monday Coffee & Conversation” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Tuesday, April 22
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This support group is for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis – this is your group. For more details, visit www.genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-facilitated discussion group and a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Wednesday, April 23
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Asexual and Aromantic Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, April 24
Virtual Yoga with Sarah M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
DC Anti-Violence Project Open Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more and getting involved in lessening violence both within and directed towards the LGBT communities. For more information, visit Facebook or Twitter.
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‘Bad Books’ a timely look at censorship in local library
