Shakespeare

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.

Join us for a **scenic, social hike at Rock Creek Park** as we explore the "Southern Loop," starting from the Nature Center. Starting at the **Nature Center**, the "Southern Loop via Western Ridge Trail, Rock Creek, and Valley Trail" is a well-loved route. With over 2,700 glowing reviews on AllTrails, it offers beautiful scenery, well-maintained paths, and a refreshing escape close to the city. This **easy hike** winds through lush forested trails, showcasing the beauty of Rock Creek Park. While the trail is mostly straightforward, please note that sections may be **slippery**, so wear sturdy, grippy shoes. To learn more about the trail, click the link in the **Trail Map section below**. Get ready for fresh air, great conversations, and plenty of scenic moments! This hike is perfect for all levels, so bring your good vibes and let’s hit the trail together! **Meeting Time & Location:** Meet us at 9:30 AM at the **Rock Creek Park Nature Center,** located at 5200 Glover Rd NW, Washington, DC 20015. There’s plenty of parking available at the Nature Center. We’ll gather right in front of the building to start the hike. **Distance:** 5.6 miles **Elevation Gain:** 685 feet **Difficulty:** Moderate Walk/Hike This hike is a moderate walk with natural trails and a few gentle inclines to get your heart rate up. The terrain includes some uneven sections, and the fallen leaves can make it a bit slippery in spots. With sturdy footwear, it’s an enjoyable and accessible hike for most levels. **Estimated Duration** This hike is expected to take approximately 2.5 hours. **Pace:** Moderate Pace We'll walk a steady, comfortable pace that’s manageable for most hikers with a reasonable fitness level. Breaks are regular but not overly frequent, allowing for a balanced experience of exercise and enjoyment. **Parking** Ample parking is available at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center, with additional overflow parking located across the street. **Trail Map (AllTrails)** [Rock Creek Park - Southern Loop](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/rock-creek-park-nature-center-a2f0474?u=i&sh=ylk43q) With over 2,700 reviews on AllTrails, this popular route offers insights into the trail’s conditions and highlights. Click the link above to learn more and prepare for your hike! **Restrooms** Restrooms are available at the Nature Center, our meeting point at the start of the hike. They open at 9:00 AM. Additionally, there are restrooms approximately 1 hour into the hike, where we’ll take a brief break. **Dog Attendance** For everyone’s comfort and enjoyment, we kindly ask that you leave your dogs at home for this hike. Thank you for understanding! **Lunch After the Hike** After the hike, join us for an optional lunch at **Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza** (4940 Wisconsin Ave. NW), an affordable, counter-service spot just a 10 minute drive away. They serve New England-style pizza, pastas, salads, antipasti, and local brews—something for everyone!

Discover the path to stress management, life's tranquility, and self-improvement through Heartfulness Meditation. Embrace relaxation, meditation, and emotional detoxification practices to unlock your best self. Join our free sessions every Sunday at 8 AM and Wednesday at 7 / 7:30 PM at various centers in MD and VA. Experience the profound benefits of these simple yet powerful practices. Commit to a few months of meditation and witness the transformative impact firsthand. We eagerly await your presence at these enlightening sessions.

📚 Do you love reading, but wish you had a structure and a community to share your insights with? Join our small circle of curious minds (just 4 members per gathering) as we come together for an hour of focused reading—in the calm setting of a library or the cozy atmosphere of a café. Here’s how it works: First part: Quiet reading on your own—bring a book you’re exploring, whether it’s philosophy, history, psychology, literature, or anything meaningful to you. Second part: We regroup and each person shares key takeaways, insights, or questions sparked by their reading. This sparks a structured yet free-flowing conversation around ideas, perspectives, and personal reflections. Why join? Add structure to your reading habit. Discover new books, authors, and ideas through others’ choices. Build real connections by sharing and listening deeply. Socialize around something meaningful instead of small talk.

This meeting will be dedicated to talking about the entirety of “Sátántangó” by László Krasznahorkai. 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.

Celebrating our many March Birthdays (including mine!) has become an annual tradition at Slater Run Vineyards. For 300 years, the Slater family has farmed along Goose Creek. In 2010,they added the grapevines and the rest is history. They grow 13 acres of vines on site and specialize in Bordeaux Style Red Blends. Slater Run Vineyards offers a Hunt Country wine experience with sweeping views overlooking the vineyard from a bright and airy tasting room. They allow us to bring our own food so let's have a birthday style celebration feast! March birthday babies, let us know if you will be celebrating with us!

Higher Grounds – Arlington 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 Arlington who are also seeking deeper conversations. Suggested Questions: Life Stages & Transitions * What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging? * When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists? * What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about? Suggested Questions: Identity After the Roles * Who are you when nobody needs anything from you? * What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed? * How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted? Suggested Questions: AI & Being Human * What human experiences will AI never truly understand? * If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do? * What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated? Suggested Questions: Belief & Meaning * What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space? * How has knowing someone who died changed how you live? * What do you believe now that would shock your younger self? Suggested Questions: The Modern Psyche * What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have? * Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire? * What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept? Suggested Questions: Work & Purpose * When did you stop believing that your job would complete you? * What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors? * How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years? Suggested Questions: Relationships & Connection * What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why? * When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best? * What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others? Suggested Questions: Time & Mortality * What are you running out of time to say or do? * How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite? * What will you regret not trying, even if you fail? Suggested Questions: Society & Culture * What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense? * Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing? * What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years? Suggested Questions: Personal Philosophy * What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way? * When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out? * What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

The Oddball Adventures series continues in a parallel universe where the year 1941 is radically different from the one we know from history books. Emperor Napoleon V rules France, and for the last 70 years scientists have been mysteriously disappearing, depriving mankind of their inventions. Without radio, television, electricity, aviation, and the internal combustion engine, the world is mired in outdated technology powered by coal and steam. April, a gifted young inventor, her grandfather, her talking cat, and Julius, a young ruffian, begin a daunting quest to find April's parents, two of the missing scientists. ■ Title — *April and the Extraordinary World* ■ A.K.A. — *Avril et le monde truqué* ■ Directors — Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci ■ Cast — Marion Cotillard, Marc-André Grondin, Philippe Katerine ■ Rating — PG ■ ©2015 \| 1h 45m \| Adventure\, Animation\, Comedy\, Fantasy\, Sci\-Fi

This is the sign you've been waiting for! Come write with us Sunday at 7:30 am at Kaldi's Social House in Arlington. Kaldi's opens at 7. Grab a coffee and join the group! We generally have 10 to 14 writers attend each week, and new folks are welcome to drop in anytime. Intros start at 7:30 am. We will write for one hour. After writing, feel free to debrief, share thoughts or get advice. Our meetups are a safe space for writers to work on their craft. No one will read or critique your writing. Kaldi's Social House website: https://www.kaldissocialhouse.net/ \* Resource \* Many thanks to Justin for putting together a shared file of resource discussed at the meetings. Feel free to add to it! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing)

The topic for March is "Our Bodies, Ourselves" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show starts at 7:00 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

A classic Italian road comedy that was so good the film ministry recognized it as "culturally significant." Starring Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis Trintignant, the film shows that for young men in love the rules of the road are only suggestions. And the rules for love? Hey, this is an Italian picture! Oh to be young and filled with joie de vivre or la dolce vita. A french/italian fun filled movie with a surprising twist at the end. Do you have a fun memory from your youth?

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Sunday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at noon on Sundays. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 12:00 - quick intros. 12:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 1:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 1-1:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Sunday!

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The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Our March speakers are Molly Gaines and Zack Parrish, co-organizers of the Secular Education Association: They will share their story of how a small group of Ohio parents grew into a national organization tracking released-time religious instruction and other church–state issues in public schools. The presentation will cover SEA’s early wins and hard lessons, what we’re seeing nationally right now, and how local advocates can play a meaningful role in protecting public education. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the landscape — and practical ways to get involved. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

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**Caller: Frank Buschelmann** **Band: The Rosenthorns** **Big Scioty Contra Dance** **temporarily returning to our long ago location for Jan-March - First Congregational Church, 444 E. Broad St., Columbus 43215** WHAT IS CONTRA DANCING? Picture the Grand Ball scenes like you’ve seen in period films such as “Pride and Prejudice”, where the dancers are lined up in long lines, across from each other. That’s English Country Dancing, the predecessor of contra dancing. Now, add moves like “swing your partner” and “do-si-do,” like you’ve seen in square dancing. Set it to fabulous, high energy, live music with fiddles, guitars, percussion and more, alá “Riverdance.” Finally, set the whole scene down in the middle of Woodstock, with a hip, groovy atmosphere, a bit of tie-dye, and hints of counter-culture attitude. THAT’s Contra Dancing! Wear cool and comfortable clothes (you will get warm) and clean shoes that won't mark up our nice wood floor. Be sure to come for the beginner's lesson from 7:30 - 8:00, followed by dancing 8:00 - 10:30. All dances are taught; we will help you learn! Beginners always welcome, no need to bring a partner. Cost is $10.00 adults, $5.00 ages 12-26. Under 12 free. Free parking in church lot. For more information contact me or check out our website: [www.bigscioty.com](http://www.bigscioty.com/) Please bring your own refillable water bottle. Snacks to share are always welcome!