Mystery

Experience GALA's contemporary staging of the modern classic ***La casa de Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba)*** by Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca. Directed by José Zayas and with original music by Koki Lortkipanidze, the play explores themes of female oppression, sexual repression, and the conflict between tradition and modernity, all universal topics that resonate with audiences today. García Lorca’s ***The House of Bernarda Alba*** brims with tension, desire, and rebellion as five sisters are forced into strict mourning for their father under the iron rule of their mother, Bernarda. In this electrifying new production, passions simmer behind closed doors, secrets spark dangerous rivalries, and the pressure of a house built on control threatens to explode. This contemporary staging infuses Lorca’s classic with a sensuous, modern pulse and a dark Gothic mystery, illuminating why Bernarda Alba remains as urgent and thrilling today as ever. CAST: Luz Nicolás as Bernarda, Evelyn Rosario Vega as Poncia, María Coral as Adela, María del Mar Rodríguez as Angustias, Giselle González as Martirio, Anna Malavé as Magdalena, Alicia Kaplan an as María Josefa, and Ixchel as Amelia. PERFORMANCES: February 5 through March 1, 2026. The production is presented in Spanish with English surtitles, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Community Night is Thursday, Feberuary 5 at 8 pm. Press Night and Noche de GALA, which includes a post-performance reception with the creative team and cast, is Saturday, February 7 at 8 pm. TICKETS: $50 Premium Center, $45 Orchestra Standard, $35 Orchestra Value, and $25 Balcony Value; $35 Seniors (65+), Military, Teachers, and Groups (10+); $25 25 and Under; Community Night $20; and Noche de GALA: Chosen ticket price + $5 (per person). **[GET TICKETS](https://ci.ovationtix.com/35923/production/1245608)** This production is made possible with the generous support from the Embassy of Spain in Washington, DC, Spain Arts & Culture, and of our Honorary Producers Circle for The House of Bernarda Alba that includes Janet Farrell, Patricia Sosa, and Wanda Báez.

Note: RSVPs for this meetup open when our last meetup ends. For February, we are reading Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah. The book was first published in 2025 and the hardcover version runs 296 pages. The GoodReads blurb is In his first new novel since winning the 2021 Nobel Prize, a master storyteller captures a time of dizzying global change. At the turn of the twenty-first century, three young people come of age in Tanzania. Karim returns to his sleepy hometown after university with new swagger and ambition. Fauzia glimpses in him a chance at escape from a smothering upbringing. The two of them offer a haven to Badar, a poor boy still unsure if the future holds anything for him at all. As tourism, technology, and unexpected opportunities and perils reach their quiet corner of the world, bringing, each arrives at a different understanding of what it means to take your fate into your own hands.

**✅ First class is FREE – only 10 spots available!** Learn real self-defense skills in a small-group setting. No experience needed, open to all adults. 📲 RSVP now and text Jim at **301-326-9146** to confirm—once spots are gone, they’re gone. ## **Free Intro Self-Defense Class – Maryland Systema** Want to learn how to protect yourself while also improving your health, focus, and confidence? Join us for a free first class at **Maryland Systema**, a unique approach to self-defense that blends both physical and mental training. *** ### **Why This Class is Different** Unlike most programs that only teach physical moves, Systema trains your body **and** your mind. You’ll explore: * **Structure** – staying balanced under pressure * **Breathing** – keeping calm and controlling fear * **Relaxation** – avoiding panic and wasted energy * **Movement** – adapting naturally to any situation You’ll also learn to read an attacker’s intentions and respond proportionately—aligned with Maryland’s self-defense laws. *** ### **What You’ll Gain** ✔ Practical skills you can use right away ✔ Better stress control and awareness ✔ Improved strength, mobility, and coordination ✔ Confidence in handling real-world situations *** ### **Class Info** 📍 **Location:** The Dance Exchange - Studio #3 - Takoma Park (free parking) 🕒 **Length:** 1.5 hours 👥 **Small Group:** Max 10 students for personalized guidance 👖 **What to Wear:** Comfortable long pants and clothes you can move in 💵 **Cost:** Free for first-time students *** ### **How to Join** RSVP here on Meetup to save your spot, then text Jim at **301-326-9146** to confirm. Spots are limited—once the group fills, we close registration. *** **Maryland Systema** Real-world self-defense training for adults—helping you stay ready, stay calm, and stay safe.

This meeting will be dedicated to talking about the entirety of “White Noise” by Don Delillo We will be meeting in the National Portrait Gallery Atrium. To stay up to date with events and discuss meetings or books, you can join our Whatsapp group. Please message me to get added.

This is our weekly training session. NOVA Jujutsu is a self-defense focused system incorporating Geri (Kicking), Atemi (Striking), Uke (Blocking), Tai Sabakai (Body Movement), Tai Hodoki (Escapes), Kansetsu Waza (Joint Locks), Nage Waza (Throwing), Shime Waza (Choking), Katame Waza (Grappling), Tantojutsu (Knife), Bojutsu (Bo), Kenjutsu (Sword), and Kata (Forms). Come on down to a class and see for yourself what this group has to offer. You will get a great workout! You will have an awesome learning experience! You will meet some good people! We look forward to meeting you. See you there. TAGS: japanese, martial arts, self-defense, jujutsu, jujitsu, juijitsu, bujutsu, defense, karate, koppo, kenjutsu, bojutsu, tantojutsu

Let's see Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, the latest Sam Rockwell flick. Will it be any good? Who knows, but it's Sam Rockwell. Perhaps he'll dance. Also, upon further investigation, I found out it's Gore Verbinski-directed. He directed The Ring and the original Pirates trilogy (albeit 20 years ago) so it could be a fun ride. We'll be at the Regal in Silver Spring. Your host will be in seat D6.

Dead of Winter is a meta-cooperative psychological survival game. This means players are working together toward one common victory condition, but for each individual player to achieve victory, they must also complete their personal secret objective, which could relate to a psychological tick that's fairly harmless to most others in the colony, a dangerous obsession that could put the main objective at risk, a desire for sabotage of the main mission, or (worst of all) vengeance against the colony! Games could end with all players winning, some winning and some losing, or all players losing. Work toward the group's goal, but don't get walked all over by a loudmouth who's looking out only for their own interests!

**Masterpieces in Real Life – DC Art Brunch Series** Inspired by this [Deconstructing.AI article](https://deconstructing.ai/blog-1/f/where-america-keeps-its-masterpieces), this series visits the most important artworks and objects in Washington in small, relaxed Sunday outings. We’ll look closely at several works, share the human stories behind them, and then continue the conversation over brunch nearby. Not a formal tour—just curious people learning to see together. I'll share a little background on the art and venue pairing for each outing. Here's the proposed itinerary for our first tour at the National Gallery of Art and the current (free) exhibitions while we are there. [A Measured Walk Through the National Gallery of Art](https://deconstructing.ai/blog-1/f/a-measured-walk-through-the-national-gallery-of-art) SCHEDULE & PAIRINGS **1) Leonardo & Vermeer – The Quiet Room** **Sunday, 12:30–3:30** **Art:** • Leonardo – *Ginevra de’ Benci* • Vermeer – *Woman Holding a Balance* • Bonus: Monet *Japanese Footbridge* **Meet:** National Gallery West Building, Constitution Ave entrance **Brunch after (3 min walk):** **The Smith – Penn Quarter** – bright, easy tables, good for groups **Masterpieces in Real Life #1 – Leonardo & Vermeer** We’ll begin where Washington quietly keeps two of the most intimate paintings in the world. Leonardo da Vinci’s *Ginevra de’ Benci* is the only Leonardo in the Americas, yet it behaves nothing like a celebrity. The panel is small, moody, and slightly wounded—its lower edge trimmed centuries ago, taking Ginevra’s hands with it. What remains is a face suspended between confidence and doubt, framed by juniper leaves that pun on her name. Nearby, Vermeer’s *Woman Holding a Balance* performs a different kind of magic: a domestic scene so still you can almost hear the dust settling. The scales may hold pearls or nothing at all; scholars still argue, which is part of the pleasure. The National Gallery’s West Building is the perfect stage for this slow kind of looking—marble floors that encourage quiet footsteps and skylit rooms that make even hurried visitors lower their voices. We’ll wander from Leonardo to Vermeer and then to Monet’s luminous bridge, tracing how artists turned light into a language. No lectures, no exams—just stories about missing hands, hidden pigments, and the surprising ways these works ended up in Washington instead of Florence or Delft. After the gallery, we’ll walk a few minutes to **The Smith** in Penn Quarter, a bright brasserie that feels like the cheerful cousin of the museum: high ceilings, good bread, and tables made for lingering conversations. Over brunch we’ll compare first impressions—Did Vermeer feel calm or unsettling? Is Leonardo’s Ginevra shy or simply unimpressed with us?—and let the art continue to do what it does best: start arguments among friends. *** \*\*\*\*\* Coming Up Next\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ### 2) Van Gogh / Degas / Rodin – Bodies & Minds **Sunday, 12:30–3:30** **Art:** • Van Gogh *Self-Portrait* • Degas *Little Dancer* • Rodin *The Thinker* **Lunch (4 min walk):** **Oyamel** – lively but not loud, great sharing plates *** ### 3) America in Objects **Sunday, 12:00–3:00** **Art & Objects:** • Star-Spangled Banner • Greensboro Lunch Counter • Julia Child’s Kitchen • Ruby Slippers **Lunch (2 min walk):** **Carmine’s Penn Quarter** – easy large tables *** ### 4) Flight & Moon – Fragile Futures **Sunday, 12:30–3:00** **Art/Engineering:** • Apollo 11 Columbia • Wright Flyer **Lunch (5 min walk):** **Cafe Riggs** – calm, elegant, conversation-friendly *** ### 5) Memory in Stone – Evening Light Edition **Sunday, 1:00–3:30** **Art:** • Lincoln Memorial • Vietnam Memorial **Lunch (before walk – 12:00):** **Tonic at Quigley’s** – reliable, close to Mall *** ### 6) The Hope Diamond & the Stories We Invent **Sunday, 12:30–3:00** **Art:** • Hope Diamond • Geology hall **Lunch (5 min walk):** **Old Ebbitt Grill** – classic DC, easy meet point *** ## FLOW OF EACH EVENT **12:30** – Meet outside museum **12:35–2:00** – Slow look at 2–3 works **2:00** – Walk together to lunch **2:10–3:30** – Brunch/lunch + conversation

I’m hosting a relaxed Sunday afternoon meetup for casual singles—and by “meetup,” I mean wine, beer, cocktails, and conversation, and seeing who you end up talking to for way longer than planned. No structure. No pressure. No forced fun. Just a cozy bar, good pours, and interesting people who also decided their couch could wait one night. 🍺🍷🍹🍺🍷🍹

Open gaming at Panera! New players welcome. We have many games on hand or you can bring your own. We are happy to teach or learn one of yours.

We will meet outside as long as the weather is nice. If not, we will move inside. Look out for a comment the morning of each meeting with our exact location. As we are meeting in person, please remember to bring something to read as we usually spend some time sharing our current reads and/or reading when meeting in person. As a reminder, there is no assigned reading; please bring whatever you are currently working on. This group is super casual, sometimes we read and sometimes we talk the whole time. **** NO SHOW POLICY: Due to the high number of members on the waitlist recently we are having to reinstate our no-show policy. If you sign up and no-show to 2 events you will be removed from the group. Reminders are provided weekly to change your RSVP to allow those on the waitlist a chance to come to the meet-up, no 3rd chances with be given. Please be considerate to your fellow members. Thank you! I look forward to reading you!

Higher Grounds – Del Ray is part of a growing network of gatherings where we create space for thoughtful, authentic dialogue about what matters most. Whether we’re exploring the nature of happiness, the challenges and possibilities of midlife, spirituality, culture, capitalism, parenting, or the role of art and travel in a meaningful life, every conversation is shaped by the people in the room. There’s no set leader or rigid agenda—just a shared commitment to listen as much as we speak. We start with brief introductions focused on what makes you *you* (not your LinkedIn bio), then dive straight into whatever is on people’s minds. The direction of each meetup emerges organically, making every event unique. MANDATORY: PLEASE REVIEW OUR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES IN THE GROUP DESCRIPTION. Everyone is expected to engage in respectful conversations and listen deeply as well as share. We have a zero tolerance policy of sexual harassment and hate speech. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others in Del Ray who are also seeking deeper conversations. **Suggested Questions: Life Stages & Transitions** 1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging? 2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists? 3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about? **Suggested Questions: Identity After the Roles** 1. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you? 2. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed? 3. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted? **Suggested Questions: AI & Being Human** 1. What human experiences will AI never truly understand? 2. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do? 3. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated? **Suggested Questions: Belief & Meaning** 1. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space? 2. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live? 3. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self? **Suggested Questions: The Modern Psyche** 1. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have? 2. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire? 3. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept? **Suggested Questions: Work & Purpose** 1. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you? 2. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors? 3. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years? **Suggested Questions: Relationships & Connection** 1. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why? 2. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best? 3. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others? **Suggested Questions: Time & Mortality** 1. What are you running out of time to say or do? 2. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite? 3. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail? **Suggested Questions: Society & Culture** 1. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense? 2. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing? 3. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years? **Suggested Questions: Personal Philosophy** 1. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way? 2. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out? 3. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

This month we’ll be reading Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.

Thursdays just got smarter (and sassier). 🧠🍻 Join us at TownHall Short North for Trivia Night with Marquis—where the questions are fun, the competition is friendly, and the vibes are immaculate. Grab your crew, sip something good, and prove you know random facts you absolutely shouldn’t.

**Our February novel is: Julia by Sandra Newman** **This month is a classic, dystopian, fiction, literary fiction, women’s fiction, and science fiction novel. The book is 394 pages in print and 14 hours and 20 minutes on audiobook.** **An imaginative, feminist, and brilliantly relevant-to-today retelling of Orwell’s 1984, from the point of view of Winston Smith’s lover, Julia, by critically acclaimed novelist Sandra Newman.** Julia Worthing is a mechanic, working in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. It’s 1984, and Britain (now called Airstrip One) has long been absorbed into the larger trans-Atlantic nation of Oceania. Oceania has been at war for as long as anyone can remember, and is ruled by an ultra-totalitarian Party, whose leader is a quasi-mythical figure called Big Brother. In short, everything about this world is as it is in Orwell’s 1984. All her life, Julia has known only Oceania, and, until she meets Winston Smith, she has never imagined anything else. She is an ideal citizen: cheerfully cynical, always ready with a bribe, piously repeating every political slogan while believing in nothing. She routinely breaks the rules, but also collaborates with the regime when necessary. Everyone likes Julia. Then one day she finds herself walking toward Winston Smith in a corridor and impulsively slips him a note, setting in motion the devastating, unforgettable events of the classic story. Julia takes us on a surprising journey through Orwell’s now-iconic dystopia, with twists that reveal unexpected sides not only to Julia, but to other familiar figures in the 1984 universe. This unique perspective lays bare our own world in haunting and provocative ways, just as the original did almost seventy-five years ago.