Arts & Entertainment
Red revolution
Historical play gets brisk, brave local production
‘Les Justes (The Just Ones)’
Through March 11
WSC Avant Bard
Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Rosslyn
$25-$30
888-841-2787
James T. Majewski in the WSC AvantBard production of ‘Les Justes.’ (Photo courtesy C. Stanley Photography, courtesy WSC AvantBard).
“Terror is not for the tender,” says Stepan, a hardened revolutionary in WSC Avant Bard’s tight production of Albert Camus’ “Les Justes (The Just Ones).” When young Yanek (James T. Majewski) balks at blowing up the Grand Duke because the Russian royal’s entourage includes two children, Stepan (John Stange) sneers. It’s better to kill blue-blooded parasites no matter the age, and save the starving masses. According to him, Yanek is too soft.
Based on the true story of a group of Russian socialist-revolutionaries who assassinated the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (uncle to the Tsar) in 1905, “Les Justes” — in true Camus fashion — grapples with matters of morality, in this case the ethics of revolution. While most of the action takes place offstage in the muddy streets of Moscow, the audience is primarily privy to the interior of the terror cell’s apartment headquarters — a shining world of ideas beautifully imagined by set and lighting designer David C. Ghatan as a bright white hexagonal platform encircled by four suspended white woodcut panels that allude to the socialist struggle.
It’s here that the group’s philosophies are heatedly debated and forged. Yanek, a poet who gave up a cushy life to join the revolution, yearns to be accepted by his fellow rebels as a true militant. Their decision to assassinate the Grand Duke presents an opportunity for Yanek to prove himself. He argues with Stepan and others about the best way to carry out the plan. He also debates love with sweet but dour Dora (Nora Achrati), a young chemist who’s been recruited to make bombs. Rounding out the opinionated crew are its leveled-headed leader Annenkov (Frank Britton) and a more tremulous member, Voinov (Theo Hadjimichael), who ashamedly admits he is unfit for violent rebellion, opting instead to join the budding party’s propaganda wing.
A second (and more successful) assassination attempt lands Yanek in prison where he meets cellmate Foka (Brian Crane), a convicted murderer/hangman who believes justice is reserved for the afterlife. Yanek’s visitors include Skuratov (Graham Pilato), a private investigator who comes seeking a confession; and the aristo’s widow, the Grand Duchess (Karen Novack) whose burgundy gown (compliments of costume designer Jen Bevan) contrasts sharply with the revolutionaries’ black-and-white period costumes. She conveys to Yanek that while her late husband was no saint, he wasn’t entirely bad either. Neither Camus’ terrorists nor his tyrant come off as villains.
Translated and adapted by D.C. actor/director Rahaleh Nassri, the production’s script remains faithful to the 1949 source while sounding completely contemporary. Director Jay Hardee (who’s gay) puts the diverse nine-person cast through the paces in this brisk 90-minute production. Here and there, performances might ring a little one note in their intensity, but overall they’re more nuanced than not.
A winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Camus’ works reflect his life experience, and what he, no doubt, questioned in his life. A product of French Algeria, Camus joined the French Communist Party in a reaction to the inequalities between Europeans and indigenous Algerians. During World War II he joined the French Resistance. Long after his death (a car crash in 1962), Camus’ questions about political murder feel as relevant as ever.
Friday, June 19
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Saturday, June 20
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride 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 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 will be all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more details, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Sunday, June 21
Kinetic Presents will host “DiscoVERS: Pride with Alexis Tucci & Clinton Foster” at 10 p.m. at Sax Restaurant and Lounge. Alexis Tucci and Clinton Foster trade off behind the decks all night, weaving uplifting disco and driving house into one continuous set. Throughout the evening, surprise performances unfold across the room, woven into the music rather than stacked on top of it. Tickets cost $41.76 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 22
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” 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 information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Center Faith will host “Pride Interfaith Service” at 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. This is the 43rd annual LGBTQ+ community celebration of religious pluralism and interfaith collaboration. Founded during the era of the Names Project AIDS memorial quilts, we continue to connect and weave many LGBTQ+ faith communities. For more details, email [email protected].
Queer Book Club will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The Queer Book Club meets on the fourth Monday of the month to discuss queer books by queer authors. This month’s reading is “The Skin and it’s Girl” by Sarah Cypher. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Tuesday, June 23
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
“Self-Defense Class with Avi Rome” will be at 12:30 p.m. Rome is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a full time Martial Arts instructor with 25 years of teaching experience. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do and is the director of the studio’s Adaptive Tae Kwon Do program for students with special needs. He has also run numerous self-defense workshops for various groups and situations. For more details, visit the center’s website.
Wednesday, June 24
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. 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.
Thursday, June 25
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s website.
Sports
Minor league team in York, Pa., forfeits Pride Night game after some players refuse to wear special jersey
City is roughly 20 miles north of Md. border
An independent minor league baseball team says it is forfeiting a game because some of its players refused to wear a special Pride Night jersey.
The Atlantic League Pro Baseball’s York Revolution were planning to hold their 11th annual Pride Night event Thursday for a game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.
But the Revolution announced the day of the game that it wouldn’t be played. York is about 20 miles north of the Maryland line. The Blue Crabs play in Waldorf.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Blog #1: I was excited about my trip even though Gate 1 Travel notified me there was a change in the itinerary. France decided to close the Burgundy canal for long overdue repairs, so we would be traveling on the C. du Rhone au Rhin. I boarded my Air France flight arriving in Paris on time. Contrary to what I was told to expect, customs went really smoothly.
Day 1: Because customs went quickly, I waited 45 minutes for my pre-arranged driver, to take me to the Gare de Lyon, where I boarded my fast-train to Lyon. A two-hour trip. In Lyon it was a long walk to the hotel, The Radisson Blu, but only because I exited the station on the wrong side. Finally got there, checked into a room on the 36th floor with a spectacular view of Lyon. Then took a stroll around the area, a short nap, and finally it was time for dinner and to meet the rest of the traveling party. There would only be 13 of us in the group. Five of us from D.C./Rehoboth, and eight others. I met our guide Patricia, who is from Portugal, and spoke fluent French and English. She is charming, and clearly very knowledgeable. She worked with Gate 1 for many years. We stayed at the hotel for our welcome dinner. It was a great meal, and over drinks, each of us was asked to introduce ourselves to the group. Aside from the five of us, there were three women traveling alone, one gentleman alone, and two couples. They were from New Jersey, New York, Florida, Houston, and Nebraska. I was sitting across from the woman from Nebraska. Conversation at dinner was pleasant but I quickly realized one person was apparently a MAGA. Wonder if you can guess where she was from, lol. But we also found if we didn’t talk politics, which we agreed not to do, things were fine. After dinner we all headed to our rooms for a good night’s sleep.
DAY 2: We woke to beautiful weather. I headed to the included breakfast at the hotel, which was really very good. After breakfast we boarded a bus for a tour of Lyon. We had a full-size bus for just the 13 of us. Our guide for the half day tour, was Vincent, and he is charming and young, and told us his fiancé lives in Lyon. He was incredibly knowledgeable. We began at the Basilica, which is being repaired on the outside, but the inside is, wow! Incredible stained glass, and there was a service going on in one of the smaller side chapels which I l listened to for a bit. The Basilica is high on the hill and the views of Lyon are spectacular from there. Then we headed to the old city and walked around for an hour, ending up at the smaller cathedral. Directly in front of it they had set up a great market, mostly food, which would be there for a week. Lyon is a foodie paradise, with, we were told, a restaurant, or at least coffee shop, for every 250 people. We then had a choice of staying in town, or going back to the hotel on the bus, which I did. The afternoon and evening were free time to do as we pleased. I headed to the Les Halles du Lyon Paul Bocuse, named after the famous chef, to take a look around. It is a large market with small restaurants connected to most of the stalls. It was charming. I then headed to the huge three-story mall across from our hotel and walked around for an hour. Then caught up on some emails, and writing, and met my friends, Paul and Martin, John and Dan, for dinner at 6. We went to a really nice Bistro, which John had found, two tram stops away from the hotel, and enjoyed some drinks and a relaxed dinner. The owner of the place found us a waitress who spoke great English, which made ordering really easy. After a two-hour great meal, we headed back to the hotel. Riding a tram in Lyon is easy, you just need to use your credit card. It is an honor system. Back at the hotel I headed to my room and packed, our luggage had to be outside the door by 8:00 am the next morning. I set my alarm for 6:30 so I had time to eat at the buffet breakfast. Then it was on the bus to head to our barge.
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