Erotica 2007 – March 16 @ Museum of Contemporary Art, 6 p.m., free
Amidst the bland bureaucratic conformity of monuments and federal buildings, the Museum of Contemporary Art offers an titillating alternative. “Erotica 2007,” which began on March 2 and will conclude this Friday, features artists who will paint on the bodies of nude models. If this Friday’s presentation suitably fascinates you, try your hand at creating nude art by entering the museum’s Monumental Nude contest. The top prize of $200 goes to the best photo of one or more nudes featured in, on or around a national monument.
The Pillowman – beginning March 14 @ Studio Theatre (Wed.-Fri 8p.m.; Sat. 2 p.m., 8 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m., 7 p.m.),$45
Studio Theatre presents the chilling tale of a writer whose fables seem to be coming to life all around him. The police of an unnamed totalitarian state drag the writer Katurian in for questioning, as his stories are the only clues to a series of brutal murders. The Pillowman smoothly moves from the interrogation room into the worlds of Katurian’s imagination and has established itself as one of the most anticipated contemporary theater offerings of this season.
The Supreme Court Hears the Trial of Hamlet – March 15 @ Eisenhower Theater, 7:30 p.m.,$35
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy will preside over the trial of Hamlet in this unique, audience participatory event. Co-hosted by the Shakespeare Theatre Company and the Kennedy Center, this one-time performance is part of Shakespeare in Washington, a six-month celebration of Shakespeare’s life and work that involves over 100 presentations by over 60 arts organizations and lasts from January until June 2007.
Mafioso – beginning March 16 @ E Street Cinema,$9.50
E Street Cinema revives Director Alberto Lattuada’s black comedy masterpiece, a film which predates stalwarts of the mob movie genre such as The Godfather by at least a decade. Mafioso follows a Northern Italian factory foreman who returns to his hometown only to find himself tapped as a hitman by the local criminal warlord. Written by the team “Age Scarpelli,” whose credits include the classic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, is at once one of the most authentic and one of the funniest mob movies ever produced.
Italian Women Artists from Renaissance to Baroque – beginning March 16 @ National Museum of Women in the Arts
Everyone has heard of Michelangelo or Raphael, but what about Artemisia Gentileschi or Giovanna Garzoni? As part of its 20th Anniversary celebration, the National Museum of Women in the Arts will present the paintings, drawings and sculptures of the most prominent women artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The exhibit will also examine the unique struggle the women faced as they fought against their perceived position as second-class artists and will reveal the ways in which they broke free from those shackles.
Petting Zoo – beginning March 17 @ Reston Zoo , $10
If you’ve just about conquered the urban jungle of the District, we invite you to try your luck at this Fairfax County zoo. A virtual behemoth of a petting zoo, Reston Zoo goes far beyond the standard goats and ponies, offering visitors the opportunity to get cozy with camels, monkeys and … alligators. The zoo also offers birthday parties, so throw your favorite freshman a surprise party; he’ll be so happy with his complementary lamb bottle and pony ride.
Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes – March 18 @ Black Cat, 9 p.m., $5
According to former rap super-group N.W.A., “life ain’t nothin’ but bitches and money.” Director Byron Hurt disagrees. In his film Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, Hurt offers what he calls a “loving critique” of the rap industry’s portrayal of manhood, sexism and homophobia. An educator in gender violence prevention, Hurt will augment his findings with insight from rappers such as Mos Def and Chuck D.
Ladyhawk – March 21 @ Red and the Black, 9:30 p.m. , $8
Ladyhawk take cues from the rootsy guitar rock of Neil Young. Their songs simultaneously conjure up images of expansive prairies and dank alleyways, though the latter will likely take priority at their show at D.C. bar The Red and the Black.
Venue Info
The Red and the Black: 1212 H St., N.E.
Black Cat: 1811 14th St. N.W.
Reston Zoo: 1228 Hunter Mill Rd., Vienna, Va.
Eisenhower Theatre: At the Kennedy Center – 2700 F St., N.W.
Museum of Contemporary Art: 1054 31st St., N.W.
E Street Cinema: 555 11th St., N.W.
National Museum of Women in the Arts: 1250 New York Ave., N.W.
