Dramaturgy

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Fake News and *War of the Worlds*,”** a look at an infamous Orson Welles broadcast as an early lesson on mass media’s dangers, with Daniel H. Foster, associate professor and chair of liberal arts at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-war-of-worlds](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-war-of-worlds) .] On the evening of October 30th, 1938, somewhere between 6 and 12 million Americans tuned in the radio version of New York City’s experimental Mercury Theater. It was a decision that some, no doubt, came to regret. What they heard was an all-male chorus of talking heads—scientists, journalists, politicians, and military experts—repeatedly telling them that New Jersey was being invaded by Martians. The ensuing hours were alarming ones for those who did not realize they were listening to Mercury Theater on the Air’s adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells science fiction novel *War of the Worlds*. The performance, directed by and starring Orson Welles, pushed the still young medium of radio drama further than many had pushed it before. Its masterful use of music, sound effects, and especially silence showed how radio could ignite the imagination and make listeners fear the worst. Revisit that classic moment in media history, and learn what lessons it holds for us today, with Professor Daniel Foster, who over the years has taught the “War of the Worlds” broadcast as part of courses in radio, theater, and sound studies at several universities. His talk will go beyond the trivia and urban legends surrounding the broadcast and focus on the broadcast itself, to reveal what really happened and why it mattered. He’ll look at the broadcast not just as a moment of public panic, but a daring work of art. Aired during a period of rapid modern change, marked by the rise of dictators in Europe to the recent fiery destruction of the Hindenburg, the “War of the Worlds” broadcast tapped into widespread anxiety about new technologies and invading forces. Often labeled as an early case of “fake news,” it exposed deep questions about the institutions listeners trusted: education, the media, government, and the military. To emphasize the mischief radio can bring to the world, Orson Welles, at the end of the broadcast and in person, compared the radio to a jack-o-lantern and warned us to beware this “invader of the living room.” Answering questions about the performance, its historical context, and radio as a medium—new, blind, and global— isn’t merely an academic exercise. It can help us better understand how fake news works today and how to detect such lies before they cause irreparable harm. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A Henrique Alvim Corrêa illustration from a 1906 edition of *War of the Worlds* (Wikimedia Commons).

Welcome to the wonderful world of Hooky. Of the 26 children who should be in classes today, three are off playing hooky. It is morning before school starts, and in the chaos, your job as a homeroom teacher is to figure out which three are missing. There are some children off in the playground who are late getting to their homerooms, and you will learn their identities as they straggle in. Hooky https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/377480/hooky Light Refreshments are provided. Limited Guest Parking is available for Free if notified 24hrs in advance. We are right on the NOMA Red Line Metro Stop. Please RSVP so we can account for Snacks.

We will be participating in a trivia night event at Ballston Local in Arlington on Monday. Trivia starts at 7 pm. The location is in proximity to the Ballston Metro Station if you plan on taking public transportation. Parking: There may be free street parking in the nearby residential neighborhoods (perhaps between Wilson and Carlin Springs). Otherwise, paid street or paid parking garage (Ballston Quarter Mall is a garage a few blocks away). Maximum number of members on a team is 6. To ensure you get a spot on a trivia team: * Please arrive by 6:45 PM, or notify the hosts that you are running late by 6:45 PM. If you arrive after 6:45 or don't notify the hosts, you are not guaranteed a spot on a trivia team and may need to form your own, separate team. * Please RSVP so we know to expect you. Don't be like Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn from Wedding Crashers and crash a trivia event. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- If you have Instagram, you can check out our account at asiandiningandadventuregroup for photos and announcements of group outings!

Closing out April with an extra lesson before our bachata class, and some social dancing! 7-8pm Fusion Dance Lesson with Sara 8-9pm Bachata Fundamentals Class 9-10:30pm Bachata & Fusion Social For the social, all attendees will be invited to add music to our Qobuz playlist! Full Soirée: $15 (included with full Bachata series) Fusion class + social: $5-8 sliding scale Social only: Free with suggested $5 donation We take Venmo, cash, CashApp, and zelle. We have a few different places you can RSVP including [on Partiful](https://partiful.com/e/32qVRRY4R8IK3VmAmgpg). Also follow us on IG, Bluesky, Mastodon, FB, etc.

Join host Sarah Hassmer for her birthday at AGUARDIENTE: Soul of the Caribbean at GALA Hispanic Theatre on Friday, May 1 at 8PM! I will be exploring whether there are outdoor dining options nearby, as I still don't dine indoors with my health conditions. You can purchase tickets online at [https://ci.ovationtix.com/35923/pr/1245626/pe/11665586](https://ci.ovationtix.com/35923/pr/1245626/pe/11665586). Use code MAGIC25 to receive 25% off (must purchase by April 8). There are also cheaper rates if you are a senior, military, teach, student, or under 25. If you struggle with steps, there is an elevator on the Orchestra Left side, which is where I'll be in Row A. If you need the English subtitles, those screens will be on the left and right-hand sides of the stage. You'll get a better view of the screen and stage if you can get up to Row E or higher. In this exciting new musical two immigrant writers from Colombia and Puerto Rico, who are living in New York City, journey back to their childhoods to reconnect with the rich Caribbean culture. The production draws inspiration from traditional Caribbean rhythms, cumbia, bomba, currulao, and the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez. En este emocionante nuevo musical, dos escritores inmigrantes que viven en Nueva York, uno de Colombia y el otro de Puerto Rico, viajan al pasado para reencontrarse con su infancia y reconectar con su rica cultura. La producción está inspirada en ritmos caribeños tradicionales, cumbia, bomba, currulao y el realismo mágico de Gabriel García Márquez. Book by \| Libro de **Luis Salgado** Music by \| Música de **Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez** Lyrics by \| Letras de **Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez & Luis Salgado** Choreography by \| Coreografía de **Luis Salgado** Conceived by \| Concebido por **Luis Salgado & Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez** Bilingual with surtitles in English and Spanish \| Bilingüe con sobretítulos en inglés y español WORLD PREMIERE\. COMMISSIONED BY GALA \| ESTRENO MUNDIAL\. COMISIONADO POR GALA

Join the group for *The Book of Mormon* at the National Theatre on Sunday, May 3 at 2PM. Tickets are selling quickly, so if you want a rear mezzanine seat, I recommend buying online at [https://www.ticketmaster.com/the-book-of-mormon-touring-washington-district-of-columbia-05-03-2026/event/1500638615BDE1E5](https://www.ticketmaster.com/the-book-of-mormon-touring-washington-district-of-columbia-05-03-2026/event/1500638615BDE1E5). There are some single seats in the right mezzanine. If anyone wants to form a ticket block in the front of the side balcony or the side Orchestra, I'm happy to get tickets at the box office for folks (prices would be $145 and $155, respectively ) *The New York Times* calls it “the best musical of this century.” *The Washington Post* says, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And *Entertainment Weekly* says, “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” Jimmy Fallon of *The Tonight Show* calls it “Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal.” It’s **THE BOOK OF MORMON**, the nine-time Tony Award® winning Best Musical. This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing room only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, **THE BOOK OF MORMON** has truly become an international sensation. Contains explicit language.

Join us for the world premiere of the musical ***Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders,*** commissioned by GALA and conceived by Helen Hayes multi-award winner Luis Salgado from Puerto Rico and Colombian artist Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez. Blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as bomba, currulao, and cumbia, and Gabriel García Márquez’s magical realism, Aguardiente is a bold new musical about the messy, urgent act of making art in a world on fire. As a group of artists race to finish a new show, their rehearsal room becomes a battleground of ideas, ambition, and lived experience—especially for a composer whose undocumented status makes the dream of success anything but simple. As the team wrestles with what story they should tell, the line between reality and imagination begins to blur, until—like two currents meeting in the same river—the artists’ own struggles spill into the story they are creating: a vibrant tale set in a river town on the brink of environmental collapse, where two young lovers must decide whether to stay and fight for their homeland or leave in pursuit of a dream, making Aguardiente a theatrical journey about migration, memory, and the complicated act of transforming real lives into art. **PERFORMANCES:** ***Aguardiente*** is a bilingual production with surtitles in English and Spanish, and runs April 30 through May 24, 2026. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. The show is approximately 160 minutes long and includes one intermission. Community Night is Thursday, April 30. Noche de GALA, which includes a post-performance reception with the cast and creative team, is Saturday, May 2, under the honorary patronage of His Excellency Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo, Ambassador of Colombia to the U.S. **TICKETS:** Regular tickets for ***Aguardiente*** are $60 Premium, $55 Orchestra Standard, $45 Orchestra Value, and $35 Balcony Value; $35 Seniors (65+), Military, Teachers, and Groups (10+); $25 25 and Under; Community Night tickets are $25 each and Noche de GALA: Chosen ticket price + $5 (per person). **[GET TICKETS HERE](https://ci.ovationtix.com/35923/production/1245626)** **CAST:** ***Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders*** features an 18-people multicultural cast that includes Samuel Garnica (Venezuela) as Alberto, Sebastián Treviño (Colombia and Mexico) as Alejandro, Vin Ramos (Puerto Rico) as Azuquita, Ana Luisa Martínez (Mexico) as Anís, Shayla Hernández (Puerto Rico) as Kiara, Emy Ramos (Dominican Republic and United States) as Beta, Eric González (Spain) as Eve, Machirán (Cuba) as Pepe/MC, and Leanna “Leah” Finol (Venezuela and Hungary) as Mamá/Mom. The ensemble includes Ralphie Rivera (Puerto Rico, Dance Captain), Álvaro Medina Molina (Puerto Rico and Colombia, Alberto U/S), Santiago Ayala (Colombia, Alejandro U/S), Brianna Ríos (El Salvador and Puerto Rico, Anís U/S), Ana Daniela Pérez (Panama, Beta U/S), Bibi Sánchez (Mexico, Mamá U/S), Julia Neveu (United States, Eve U/S), Zaramaría Fas (Puerto Rico, Swing), and Rodrigo Calderón (Peru, Swing, Azuquita U/S). **CREATIVE TEAM:** This enthralling new musical is written, directed, and choreographed by Luis Salgado, with music and music direction by Daniel A. Gutiérrez, and lyrics by both Salgado and Gutiérrez. Scenic Design is by Clifton Chadick, Lighting Design is by Colin Bills, Projections Design is by Milton Cordero, and Madeline “Mo” Oslejsek is Sound Designer. Costume Design is by Jeannette Christensen, Properties Design is by Chelsea Dean, and Hair and Makeup Design is by Andre Hopfer. Sorany Gutiérrez is the Dramaturg, Valeria Cossu is Associate Director, and Ralphie Rivera is Associate Choreographer. Cody Von Ruden is Assistant Costume Designer and Elias Hall is Assistant Properties Designer. The band includes Daniel Gutiérrez (Music Director, Conductor, Keys), Sebastián Natal (Assistant Music Director, Multi-instrumentalist), Juan “Juancho” Gómez (Guitar), Iván Navas (Multi-instrumentalist), Jaime Rodríguez (Percussion), Roger Torres (Trumpet), and Michael “Mike” Ventura (Saxophone). Ester Teixeira Vianna is Stage Manager, Rbekah Nogueira is NYC Assistant Stage Manager, Brian Martínez is DC Assistant Stage Manager, Ilyana Rose-Dávila is Production Manager, Amanda Leyva is Assistant Production Manager, Anson Stevie is Technical Director, Delbis Cardona is General Manager for Rehearsal Space, and Lorena Suárez is Company Administrator. Gustavo Ott is the Producer and Rebecca Medrano is the Executive Producer. The production is made possible in part with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Paul Angell Foundation, the National Latinx Theater Initiative, and the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Additionally, GALA Hispanic Theatre is a recipient of the 2026 THRIVE! Grant, funded by the Mark Edelman Theater Fund and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the National organization for theatre leading for a just and thriving theatre ecology.

Join us for our Saturday Real Estate Investors Meetup and coffee as we dive deep into our latest investment flip and answer any questions. Whether you are a seasoned investor or just starting out, this workshop will provide valuable insights and practical tips to help you succeed in the real estate market. Network with fellow investors, share experiences, and learn from industry experts. D on't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and grow your real estate investment portfolio. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

Join us for a Fun Friday event as we get together to see the long-awaited sequel to the 2006 original, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2! Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci all return for this follow-up that finds the former assistant is now a rival! Here are details, a trailer and our plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: The film follow’s Miranda Priestly's struggle against Emily Charlton, her former assistant turned rival executive, as they compete for advertising revenue amidst declining print media. The film is directed by David Frankel and written by Aline Brosh McKenna (who wrote/directed the 2006 original). It stars returning cast members Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci along with newcomers Justin Theroux and Kenneth Branagh. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9HXmMnUEdE PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing and will meet in the lobby area about 30 minutes before showtime. Advance ticket purchase not required for this theater but early arrival is advised. Be sure to mention you’re with the Movie Group for admission/concession discounts. And make this a true Fun Friday by joining us after the show for the best part of the night – food and drinks at the nearby Rusty Bucket! Complete details, including showtime, will be confirmed/announced as the date gets closer. Should be a fun one, Dan

Start your week the right way with Manic Mondays. Giving you an enjoyable Bachata lesson with a push of cool moves. The second hour has Beginner/Intermediate Salsa on 1. You must understand basic Salsa skills to participate. 730pm-830pm Bachata Cool Moves 830pm-930pm Salsa On 1 (Beginner/Intermediate) $15 for One Class $20 for Both Free Parking & Plenty of Dance Space.

Let’s meet and share our thoughts about Carson McCullers’ novella, The Ballad of The Sad Café.

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who enjoy talking to people from other countries, and those who would like to discuss international travel and culture, and who enjoy getting together for good conversations."

Join us as we get together to see your choice of two VERY different movies – one sweet and wholesome – the other a terrifying folklore horror! Option 1 is the fun whodunnit-action-comedy-mystery led by Hugh Jackman, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES! Option 2 is the top-reviewed supernatural-horror-thriller starring Adam Scott, HOKUM! Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event: THE SHEEP DETECTIVES: Every night a shepherd reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it. The film is directed by Kyle Balda and take a look at this ensemble cast: Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau and Emma Thompson and the voices of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O'Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein and Rhys Darby. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyZI5oM6hWk HOKUM: In this film, a horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch. It is written/directed by Damian McCarthy stars Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh and Austin Amelio. Hokum premiered to rave reviews at this year’s SXSW Festival and is being release by Neon. It is earning a stellar 97% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which calls it, “A classic haunted house story enriched with atmospheric folklore and perfectly-timed shocks!” TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVCIK_MPyhc PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing of both films and will meet inside the theater lobby about 20 minutes before showtime. If the showtimes work out, we’ll try to get both groups together for a bite before the shows! Complete details and showtime will be confirmed/announced as the date gets closer. Look forward to seeing you there, Dan