Federal planners Thursday approved the , authorizing its placement on the . 

The monument is the product of two congressional acts — one by President Donald Trump in 2020 establishing the project and another by former President Joe Biden in January securing its home on federal land. 

The voted last Thursday to approved the placement of the memorial near the intersection of 19th Street and Constitution Avenue in , which is between the and . 

The commission four potential locations before giving its final approval for a site known as Constitution Gardens East.

“The location provides thematic connections to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and a visual connection to the Washington Monument. It would complement the National Mall Plan and the Trust for the National Mall’s vision for Constitution Gardens as a place of 24-hour activity throughout all seasons,” the commission said in a press release released following its approval.

Some visitors around the Mall were surprised this didn’t happen sooner. 

“I think it’s really good,” said Chloe De Wouters, a tourist from Switzerland. “There are so many monuments here, and none are about women.” 

The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation is responsible for fundraising, design selection, and construction. The project will rely entirely on private donations and is estimated to cost around $100 million. 

A national design competition is set for 2026, a foundation spokesperson told 91ÇŃŚÓ, and construction will begin once funding and design approval are secured. 

No major monument on the Mall is dedicated to women’s history, aside from the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, which honors the nurses who served during the war.

Some visitors said they hope the monument reflects a wide range of women who shaped the suffrage movement, not just the most famous figures.  

Glennis Warsaki of Virginia said the monument should include women whose work for equality extended beyond voting rights. 

“Evangeline Booth should be in it,” Warsaki said. “She started the work of the Salvation Army in the United States, and nobody ever mentions her.” 

The monument aims to tell a centuries-long story, from the to the who picketed the White House.  

For visitors like William Kelly, a Washington-area worker, placing the monument on the Mall is long overdue.  

“Women have been through a lot, and they deserve the recognition they get,” he said. “I’ll absolutely go see it.”

The post First monument honoring women greenlit for National Mall first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

A remnant of COVID-era distanced dining, the popular temporary program ends on Nov. 30 in favor of permanent that promise safer, more accessible structures for wheelchair users.

That is, if establishments choose to pay the fees for them.

The city’s new regulations include:

• Platforms (a raised, flush, sidewalk-level floor that replaces the old drop-down or step-up streatery setups);
• Clearer entryways; and
• At least one table that falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant seating guidelines.

The new requirements come with fees and rebuild rules that many restaurant owners say they can’t afford, leading to their streateries getting torn down altogether.

Under the new permanent program, restaurants must pay a $260 permit fee plus a public-space rental charge of about $20 per square foot each year.

This is a big shift from the temporary program, where restaurants paid no fees at all.

Many U Street restaurant owners told 91ÇŃŚÓ that they cannot afford the new $20-per-square-foot fees or the cost of rebuilding platforms to meet DDOT’s standards. Most businesses did not want to be identified when reached out to for comment.

A spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Transportation () told 91ÇŃŚÓ that the new permanent rules were designed to fix long-standing safety and accessibility issues in D.C.’s outdoor dining spaces.

“The platform is the bare minimum requirement,” the spokesperson said. “While it may come with increased costs, it comes with increased safety and access.”

The temporary program provided insight into major accessibility failures across the city’s streeteries, according to DDOT. A 2022 survey revealed over 90% of streateries didn’t have a platform or ADA-required ramp, DDOT said.

The survey influenced the agency’s new ADA-compliant guidelines, which DDOT said was consulted on with an ADA coordinator.

Kent Keyser, a public policy fellow at the , said the new rules will only matter if the city — and businesses — choose to go beyond bare-minimum compliance.

“Accessibility just doesn’t help wheelchair users, it helps everybody,” Keyser said. “We urge local governments and businesses to remember that the ADA sets minimal, not maximum, standards.”

Josie Byzek, former senior director at the United Spinal Association, said that only one accessible table doesn’t reflect the reality of how people with disabilities dine out.

Title III of the ADA restaurants to provide equal access to public accommodations.

A streatery that offers only one wheelchair-accessible table — or creates conditions that prevent wheelchair users from entering at all — could still violate those laws, even if the setup technically meets city guidelines.

What if “two or three wheelchair users arrive independently of each other, and they can’t sit down at your restaurant to eat?” Byzek asked.

Mia Ives-Rublee, a wheelchair user and senior director for the at the , said many restaurants still underestimate the demand for dining out among people with disabilities.

“There’s this general belief that disabled people don’t have disposable income,” Ives-Rublee said. “Then, when no one comes, they feel it proves their point — not realizing disabled people aren’t coming because of inaccessibility.”

She said streateries brought new opportunities for safer, outdoor dining during the pandemic, such as for people who are immunocompromised, but they also created frequent accessibility issues on U Street, including blocked curb cuts and crowds that clog sidewalks.

 

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Ives-Rublee said investing in accessibility measures is a future-proofing measure that benefits both businesses and customers in the long run.

“If you want to expand your customer base, it’s essential to make your business accessible because the U.S. is getting older and the disability community is growing,” she said.

Streateries gave many residents with disabilities their first real access to D.C.’s restaurants, according to Kate Radt, president of .

“Streateries have crucially granted high risk people like me a safer way to return to public spaces since the COVID-19 lockdown,” Radt said. “They’ve also permitted me to experience restaurants that aren’t ordinarily wheelchair accessible.”

The post D.C.’s new outdoor dining rules aim at accessibility. Will they deliver? first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

One by one, the piano bench fills with jazz enthusiasts, Bach reinterpreters, and amateur performers taking turns as the crowd cheers and calls for encores.Ìę

night takes over on U Street every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m., offering a no-cost space for pianists from every corner of the musical spectrum.Ìę

Kevin Lambert, the event’s founder and emcee, said he started Open Piano after growing frustrated with intrusive background music in bars. He said he wanted a space centered on live acoustic piano and genuine social connection.Ìę

“No amplifiers, none of that,” Lambert said.Ìę

Lambert said his longing for authentic, acoustic musical experiences grew out of memories such as an accordionist in a Viennese bar, where people gathered for “conversation and possibly a piano.”Ìę

In D.C., he turned that vision into reality with help from Robert James, a computer programmer he met through community choir rehearsals in Mount Pleasant. James, who often finds homes for unwanted pianos, helped place one at the event’s original venue, the restaurant, giving Lambert the launching pad for Open Piano in 2018.Ìę

The group later upgraded to a refurbished Yamaha upright piano, now the centerpiece of the event.Ìę

“Every time I see people getting together and enjoying themselves around a piano, I feel like I’ve really done a good thing,” Lambert said.Ìę

The event encourages participation and attentive listening, with audience engagement built into its foundation — people shout song requests and occasionally clear space for an impromptu dance floor.Ìę

The Saloon’s owner, Kamal “Commy” Jahanbein, runs the Kamal Foundation, which uses proceeds from the bar to fund schools and clinics abroad.Ìę

Lambert said he often encourages attendees to order an extra snack or drink, knowing “it goes to a good cause.”Ìę

Hosting Open Piano every Wednesday night on the second floor of his bar makes perfect sense to Jahanbein: “The piano is the mother of all instruments.”Ìę

Bach, reinterpretedÌę

The Yamaha piano became an outlet for Sam Post — a pianist, composer, and longtime Open Piano regular — who found in it a place to share his work.ÌęÌę

After discovering the event at its original venue, The Purple Patch in Mount Pleasant, Post said he was hooked. He said he returned week after week, making friends and performing for nearly a decade.Ìę

Although raising two young children has limited his recent appearances, Post said each visit still means a lot to him.Ìę

“This is a special night out for me,” he said.Ìę

Post released his latest album, , with Ralitza Patcheva, associate chair of chamber music at the Levine School of Music, on Oct. 17. The project reimagines a collection of Johann Sebastian Bach pieces with fresh rhythms and bright syncopation.Ìę

“It gives them a more modern feel and works much better on the piano,” Post said.Ìę

For Post, performing and handing out physical copies of his work at Open Piano builds a rare sense of connection.Ìę

“To feel the energy of the physical space is really great,” he said. “That’s always true of live music.”Ìę

Self-taughtÌę

Tio Brown, a self-taught composer and pianist, said he started attending Open Piano five years ago.Ìę

The D.C. native’s path to the Saloon’s Yamaha includes collaborations with Lambert, Open Piano’s founder, and his cousin, a percussionist.ÌęÌę

The trio recorded four or five original tracks together, all arranged and written by Lambert.Ìę

After Brown’s band, 100 Years Time, broke up, he said he reunited with Lambert and became a regular performer at the U Street event.Ìę

“I feel great because I’m doing my own stuff,” Brown said.Ìę

As a child, Brown said he wanted to learn piano but faced an unexpected barrier. Born with two fingers missing from his right hand, he wasn’t allowed to take piano lessons at school.ÌęÌę

Undeterred, Brown said his mother encouraged him to find his own way into music.Ìę

On the second floor of The Saloon, Brown now captivates the crowd with his simultaneous vocals and piano playing.Ìę

A farewell tuneÌę

After more than 70 years in Washington, pianist Ed Rejuney is preparing to leave the District and start a new chapter.Ìę

Rejuney said he first met Lambert during choir rehearsals in Mount Pleasant. Together, they built a community that now feels like family.Ìę

He describes his upcoming move as both exciting and bittersweet.Ìę

“You get comfortable in your life, and then suddenly something kicks you, and it’s like throwing a bomb into the middle of everything,” he said.Ìę

Rejuney said he started playing piano at age seven and has since logged more than 10,000 hours at the keys.ÌęÌę

His dedication shows in the way he mentors others and remembers moments that shaped the group — like the day Kristen Clark, a shy but gifted singer, first performed. The two soon became a performing duo.Ìę

Clark, he said, represents Open Piano’s mission: creating a space where anyone who loves the piano can belong.Ìę

A loyal crowdÌę

After moving back to Washington in 2021, Blake Vieira said he discovered Open Piano by accident. A simple flyer taped to an electrical box invited passersby to “Open Piano at The Saloon every Wednesday, 7 to 10 p.m.” Intrigued, he decided to stop by.Ìę

Since that night, he said he has rarely missed a week.Ìę

Vieira said heÌęis now on a first-name basis with many of the pianists, and friendships that began at the piano have extended far beyond The Saloon’s walls.Ìę

“It’s always a magical experience,” he said, noting that each week brings new faces and unforgettable moments — from late-night dancing to performances that bring the house down.Ìę

Although Vieira isn’t a musician, his appreciation for the talent runs deep.Ìę

“I’ve described myself to my friends here like an art dealer. I know the value of it and can appreciate it,” Vieira said.Ìę “Just don’t ask me to actually do it.”Ìę

 

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The post Open Piano hits all the right notes on U Street first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

The women said they have a reason for skipping the demonstrations against the administration: it’s time for others to step up.

During the 2024 presidential election, 92% of Black women voted for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. After her defeat, some chose to disengage from today’s demonstrations to prioritize their own well-being.

However, others said that while rest is important, citizens should not abandon participation in resistance movements.

At a time when Black women face further marginalization, some sat out a rally that had more than 7 million participants nationwide, but no clear action steps, some said.

“Black women are tired of empty performative action,” said Sherri Williams, associate professor in Race, Media and Communication at American University.

Williams explained that the issue is not about disengagement but about choosing when and how to engage. Black women chose to unshoulder political burdens and prioritize self.

“’Rest as protest’ means Black women are really thinking strategically about where they will invest their energy,” Williams said.

Exhausted, but ‘still showing up’

Still, the rally was compelling for some protesters.

Activist Imani Bashir spent the day under a tent helping people understand their power as jurors and taxpayers and sharing information about labor unions.

She described the rally as a “white liberal space,” a space with predominantly white attendees and no plan of action. She felt it lacked a sense of urgency, disruption, and clear demands, and felt more like a parade than a protest.

Bashir said she understood why others skipped the event. However, she said doing nothing is not enough.

“Some are throwing up their hands,” Bashir said. “But most of the Black femmes, trans folks, and gender-nonconforming people I know are exhausted — and still showing up.”

Opting out

Kia Braxton, an emergency management contractor who works on social justice issues, stayed home. She found little reason to express herself publicly again.

“My protest was back in November when I voted for the only competent, capable choice who was on the ballot who happened to be a Black woman,” Braxton said.

Braxton said protests should not be “comfortable pursuits.” She said the rally was more of a “social gathering.”

Braxton told 91ÇŃŚÓ that Black people are still resisting, even if they don’t appear in demonstrations. Black people, she said, historically have been working for everyone’s benefit.

“We’ve earned our rest,” Braxton said. “We are still doing the work, just not the way you expect.”

“The Rest Revolution”

Amanda Littlejohn, author of , recognizes how going back to the basics of rest and well-being is helping Black women deal with burnout from advocacy.

Littlejohn and others are turning inward to prioritize their physical and mental health above advocacy.

As her critics call rest a luxury, she pushes back.

“Rest is not a luxury or something that we have to earn,” Littlejohn said. “You can’t outwork racism; you can’t outwork sexism. Your excellence cannot fix systemic issues.”

Littlejohn criticizes the oft-repeated doctrine that Black women must be “twice as good” to succeed. She said it normalizes exhaustion to an unhealthy degree.

“Rest is being in community with people who are supportive to you,” Littlejohn said. “Rest is making room for joy and things that replenish, refuel, and energize you.”

Intergenerational burnout

Clinical psychologist and founder of Vivid Innovations Consulting Ashley Elliott, popularly known as Dr. Vivid, said that rest is a form of resistance.

Elliot said that resting allows others to step up and act. She added that since Black women have carried the load, others need to contribute.

“That resistance is a show of growth in our mindset,” Elliot said. “We understand we are doing more harm than good if we continue to show up on the battlefield for people who won’t show up for us unless we start the work.”

The Arlington-based psychologist told 91ÇŃŚÓ that Black women have taken on the role of keeping communities together, sometimes neglecting their own needs, resulting in generational cycles of burnout.

To break generational cycles of burnout, Elliot said Black women must remember they also deserve the love, rest, and safety they provide others.

Elliot said that Black women can often feel guilty for resting due to societal pressures. When this guilt rises, there is a way to counteract that – with evidence.

“What have you done for yourself, for your family, for your community that has proved fruitful, effective, positive, beneficial?” Elliot asks. “Acknowledging that that work, no work, no matter how long or short in the task or the project, is enough to justify rest.”

Not exactly “rest”

Anna Malaika Tubbs, sociologist and author of Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us, said that because Black women were pushed furthest from the original U.S. patriarchal structure, they had to imagine and fight for better conditions.

“The Founding Fathers 
 were building a republic of men, white men in particular, who they saw as elites,” Tubbs said. “They painted Black women as the complete opposite of American patriarchy and the benefits that are afforded to them.”

The sociologist said that when Black women do not always appear at rallies or events, it is not because they are necessarily resting in the traditional sense of the word.

“Our day-to-day life is resistance,” Tubbs said. “The way we parent our children to still live and love and thrive in a nation that often tries to attack them, is our resistance.”

Black women aren’t giving up, Tubbs said, it’s just time for others to “wake up.”

The post The complicated relationship of Black Women and the ‘No Kings’ movement first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

The park’s half-century-old drum circle has become one of the District’s sustained traditions, with participants now extending their skills into classrooms and workshops.Ìę

The park overlooks the District perched on one of D.C.’s highest points. It was laid out in the early 1900s as Meridian Hill Park.

In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson first called the area Meridian Hill, named for the White House meridian line first surveyed by Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker, who mapped Washington, D.C.Ìę

Officially, it’s still Meridian Hill Park. To but to many Washingtonians, it’s Malcolm X Park.Ìę

In 1969, Angela Davis held a rally, calling for the park to be renamed Malcolm X Park following Malcolm X’s assassination. A few years later, the drum circle began meeting regularly.ÌęÌę

Ngoma’s legacy. Ìę

Kwame William H. Caudle Babalu remembers the early years of the drum circle vividly. He said he came up in D.C.’s revolutionary 1970s, when the District was known as Chocolate City.

Caudle said he learned drumming in the park from master drummer Baba Ngoma, the man he credits as the drum circle’s first leader. Ìę

“Baba Ngoma always went to Malcolm X Park,” Caudle said. “Right after the death of Malcolm X, Baba Ngoma was playing drum prayers early in the morning.”Ìę

On those Sunday’s, Caudle remembers waiting in silence until Ngoma finished playing. Only then, could a student speak.Ìę

“That’s how you learned,” Caudle said. “You watched. You earned your part.”Ìę

Ngoma was deeply tied to D.C.’s Black consciousness movement, Caudle said. Schools in the District sent him to Kenya, where he had a spiritual reading and came back as Baba Ngoma, and instructed at the African Heritage Dancers and Drummers — one of his students being Caudle. Ìę

Caudle said the circle first met on the Euclid Street side of the park before moving into the main lawn. The site once served as a Civil War fort, according to the National Park Service, which inspired regulars to call it “the sentry hub.”Ìę

“There was a sentry post,” Caudle said. “And Baba Ngoma would do prayer and libation for El Hajj Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X) and all of the ancestors.”Ìę

A libation is a ritual pouring of water in remembrance of the dead.Ìę

The circle grows.

Kevin Lambert said he started coming to the circle shortly after he moved to D.C. in 1990.Ìę

“It was a little more spiritual than it is now,” Lambert said. “It started in the 1960s with Black nationalism and movements, so there was a definite political and spiritual edge to it.”Ìę

He said he first stumbled onto the circle by chance after passing by one Sunday afternoon and hearing the congas.Ìę

“By gosh, there were about 20 guys playing drums. I figured that Chocolate City would have a drum circle, and I finally sort of stumbled onto it,” Lambert said.Ìę

At the time, the circle’s leadership centered around Barnett Williams, a master drummer and longtime percussionist who played with Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets, Lambert said.Ìę

WilliamsÌę“was a man of deep respect. He finally said, ‘Okay, guys, shut up — this man knows what he’s doing,’ and that opened the door for me,” Lambert said.Ìę

When Williams died in 2006, Lambert said he feared the circle would end.ÌęÌę

“We didn’t have anyone to keep it right,” he said. “But other people stepped into the breach — and then we realized the breach didn’t really have to be stepped into.”Ìę

Over time, the circle became more open and community –based.Ìę

Drumming as oral history.Ìę

Healing through drumming drives Yuma “Docta Yew” Bellomee, who founded the. The group brings African drum and dance traditions into workshops and schools across the D.C. area, Bellomee said.Ìę

Bellomee said he used to drum at Malcolm X Park but now spends his time teaching others.Ìę

“It connects us to the cultures that we were disconnected from through the enslavement process,” Bellomee said. “The vibration, the rhythm of the drum, it moves energy inside of the body. It helps with self expression… helps to alleviate stress.”

That continuation is felt deeply by Jordyn Pigott, a dancer who first learned West African dance as a child and later joined Ni Dembaya under Bellomee’s guidance.Ìę

“So physically and mentally, I feel a lot of healing coming to this space,” she said. “Get away from the D.C. hustle, the stress, the political climate.”Ìę

Across the DMV.Ìę

Drumming across the DMV extends far beyond the park. Afro-Peruvian artist AndrĂ©s ArĂ©valo instructs dancers to sync to the rhythms of the cajĂłn and cajita, adding to D.C.’s drum culture.Ìę

“It’s about remembering our African roots, our history, our families,” ArĂ©valo said.Ìę

The Peruvian percussionist said his drum of choice, the cajita, evolved from a church collection box, to an instrument.ÌęÌę

“It was creativity from the Afro-Peruvians,” he said. “They found a stick, and they started to make music.”Ìę

ArĂ©valo runs the , teaching traditional Peruvian dance classes to his drumming.Ìę

“This music is enjoyable for everyone,” ArĂ©valo said. “If I can teach two thousand people to dance together
 to feel that rhythm 
 that is the dream.” Ìę

The post From Malcolm X Park to workshops: Rhythm and belonging first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston Wednesday put on hold the subsequent mass firing of about 4,100 of the federal workers — a decision aimed at the Trump administration. Illston, with the Northern District of California, questioned the legality of the administration to fire them.  

Even as the courts weigh in, the shutdown appears far from over.

Senate leaders voted against ending the shutdown Wednesday for the ninth time after efforts to end the stalemate collapsed on Tuesday. 

The shutdown is tangled in deep partisan divisions, with Republicans and Democrats refusing to negotiate over Democrats’ push to extend health care tax credits, which make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans under the Affordable Care Act. 

The shutdown — the fifth longest in modern history — mirrors the political brinkmanship seen during Trump’s first term when the stoppage lasted 34 days.

Stephen Farnsworth, political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, said the administration’s strategy of sustaining select programs while tightening pressure on Democrats suggests the shutdown may be less a short-term funding lapse than a calculated battle over the future of federal spending and health care policy.

“Democrats find it difficult to make a deal with Republicans in Congress when the president has shown little interest in following the terms of existing laws on the federal budget,” Farnsworth said. 

Deadlock in D.C.

Leadership wasn’t budging Wednesday. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a press conference he will not bring back House members until Senate Democrats agree to reopen the government first.

An hour and a half later, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats were willing to negotiate, but would not approve any funding bill without action on health care subsidies. 

“We are ready, we are willing, and we are able to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement,” Jeffries said outside the Capitol. 

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-LA, said that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, is avoiding compromise with Senate Republicans on the shutdown to fulfill a “hostage list” of demands that will undermine Americans.

The impasse reflects a familiar dynamic in Washington, but this time the stakes are higher.

The layoffs across seven federal agencies started Friday, including at the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. Before Illston’s decision, over 4,100 employees received layoff notices. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-PA, said that Congress “should have never shut the government down,” when addressing concerns of mass layoffs of federal workers.

“They’re not going to get paid,” Fetterman said. “Don’t put them in that spot by shutting the government down.”

Republicans also want the government open, but blame the holdup on Democrats.

“I voted nine times to open the federal government,” said Sen. John Boozman, R-AR, outside the Senate subway. “The Democrats were blocking that.”

What is working or not

As key federal programs face growing uncertainty, the White House is working to shield certain services from disruption. 

On Saturday, the Trump administration announced $8 billion would be reallocated to cover the pay of about 1.3 million active-duty personnel and National Guard members. Although they received their paycheck on Wednesday, Johnson said  service members will miss their Oct. 31 paychecks if the government doesn’t reopen by then.

The move appears aimed at maintaining critical operations while blunting public backlash against the administration. But those steps may also remove much of the pressure that could otherwise force a deal.

Johnson said that conservative Republicans “prioritize troops and law enforcement.” 

Republicans “moved that over to prioritize payment of those who are putting their lives on the line today, and the families in serious situations,” Johnson said.

When questioned about Capitol police working without pay, Johnson said that Republicans “are not taking pleasure” in this scenario. 

The Senate is expected to vote again Thursday on the GOP-led funding bill without any expectation of a different outcome, according to Politico. 

The post Dueling parties, frozen talks: Shutdown drags into third week first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

GALA, short for Grupo de Artistas Latino Americanos, celebrates 50 years of productions on its professional stage with its 2025-2026 season and continues its commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists.  

Since 1976, the theater has been a beacon of Latino performing arts productions in D.C., founded by Argentinian-born theater director Hugo Medrano and Executive Director Rebecca Read Medrano. 

What makes you different, makes you special 

GALA’s production of ±áĂ©ctor, El Niño ElĂ©ctrico — directed by Mauricio Pita — is empowering for young audiences, Pita said.

±áĂ©ctor, El Niño ElĂ©ctrico follows ±áĂ©ctor, a shy boy who spends much of his time in his imagination, escaping into comic books. Over the course of the musical, he learns that the qualities that make him feel “different” are actually his strengths — his superpower. 

Pita worked closely with playwright Cornelia Cody, meeting every Saturday over the past summer to refine the script. He said he personally relates to ±áĂ©ctor, played by actress Ixchel HernĂĄndez, and believes many children will, too. 

“The show gives kids a chance to see themselves reflected back at them,” Pita said. 

As part of GALA’s outreach efforts, the theater will host student matinees for schools across the DMV. During the performances, children in the audience can participate, including in a musical–chairs moment on stage with the actors. 

Pita said the interactive element helps young people understand how theater works and challenges them to use their imagination in a way film and television don’t demand. 

“Theater forces people to suspend their disbelief and buy into what’s happening on stage as if it’s real, even though we all know it’s not,” he said. “There’s a contract between the actors and the audience. If you believe it, they believe it.” 

Pita, who previously directed GALA’s after-school arts program for teens, the Paso Nuevo program, said that even the simplest prop can become something extraordinary for young audiences. 

“We have a garage on stage, and there are supposed to be three cars,” Pita said. “There aren’t three cars — one of them is a dinner table that turns, lights come out of it, and wheels get put on. It’s the illusion of a car, but if the actors treat it like a car, then the audience believes it’s a car.” 

Creativity carries itself through all corners of GALA Theatre, where students from the after-school program Paso Nuevo sometimes help backstage during professional productions.  

The arts build confidence 

Students crowd the basement — el subte — for Paso Nuevo. 

The program offers high school students a free arts education in creative writing, music, and theater. 

Since joining Paso Nuevo in May 2024, high schooler Balaria RodrĂ­guez has made new friends, discovered a love for acting and writing, and gained a newfound confidence. 

“I have learned how to control myself,” RodrĂ­guez said. “I don’t get nervous.” 

The program gives students hands-on experience in technical theater, including lighting and sound design, for those who prefer working behind the scenes. 

“A lot of people who come here do costumes and backstage, because they don’t like to do acting,” RodrĂ­guez said. 

91ÇŃŚÓ 35 students currently participate in Paso Nuevo, led by Program Director Chris RĂ­os. He said the program helps students gain emotional intelligence that extends beyond the theatre. 

“Even if the students don’t want to be professional actors or anything, providing education in the arts helps give them key resources to develop emotionally and mentally as they grow into adulthood,” RĂ­os said. 

The program is bilingual — just as GALA’s professional productions upstairs are. 

“We get a good pool of students who speak no Spanish, who speak no English, who speak some English and some Spanish, and we find a way to marry the two in our productions,” RĂ­os said. 

Paso Nuevo students have free access to GALA’s professional performances, giving them a first-hand experience of GALA’s mission of sharing Latino arts and cultures through bilingual productions. 

±áĂ©ctor, El Niño ElĂ©ctrico runs Oct. 18–Nov. 1. Tickets, $10 to $12, are available .

The post GALA’s ‘±áĂ©ctor, El Niño’ empowers D.C. youth first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

Witchcraft–once taboo–has become part of the nightlife in some spaces.

Throughout the District, witchcraft is practiced in homes, cafĂ©s, and at local bars. Some witches practice tarot card readings, astrology, or crystal scrying, used for reflection. For others, it’s SanterĂ­a—an Afro-Caribbean religion. 

And while they vary in where and what they practice, they all share one conviction: their craft is not a trend.

Tarot in D.C.

D.C.-based tarot reader is often found at the bars The Dew Drop Inn and Black Cat, and the cafe plant shop PLNTR, giving tarot readings.

Tarot is the practice of using cards to learn about someone’s future–some use tarot for fortunetelling.

Marinda said tarot first came to her nine years ago. A lifelong Halloween enthusiast, she took a trip to Salem, Massachusetts, and got a reading. Ever since, she was hooked.

“I was going through a hard time,” Marinda said. “It helped me be like, ‘Oh, I should take care of myself.’”

Marinda said she began reading tarot cards for friends and family at intimate gatherings but quickly realized her talent could reach a wider audience.

“The language of it makes a lot of sense to me; these cards with images telling a story, kind of like a graphic novel, but about your life,” she said.

The biggest misconception about tarot comes from media depictions, Marinda said.

“People think readings are scary and harsh, like in movies where they pull the death card. But it’s not like that,” she explained.

The death card doesn’t represent physical death, but the ending of an interest or relationship, Marinda said.

Marinda is co-leading , a festive maker’s mart featuring her tarot readings, on Oct. 11 at The Coupe in Columbia Heights.

A local’s take on witchcraft

Tarot readings are a bonding experience with friends, D.C. resident said.

She recently took some out-of-town friends visiting D.C. to . Afterwards, she said the friends had deeper conversations about “dreams, past and future that you might not have thought to share otherwise.”

Witchcraft has had a long place in D.C. life, Warren said.

“Mary Todd Lincoln held seances in the White House,” she said. “Nancy Reagan had an astrologer on speed dial. It’s not new or just a trend.”

Readings in D.C. typically cost $20 for a palm reading and up to $100 for a full psychic aura.

Providing guests more than just a cocktail

, a U Street mystical-gothic speakeasy, celebrates D.C.’s interest in witchcraft by hosting tarot nights.

Their tarot nights are intended to provide guests with “something more immersive than just a cocktail,” The Craft Owner Joshua Valencia said.

The customer response is curious, open, and full of genuine excitement to experience witchcraft in a nightlife social setting,  Valencia said.

The Craft insists on taking witchcraft traditions seriously, Valencia said.

“We’re mindful that tarot and witchcraft carry deep cultural and spiritual roots,” he said. “Hosting these events isn’t about gimmicks but about creating a space where those traditions are honored and accessible.”

The Craft is holding its next tarot night in October.

Witchcraft as religion

SanterĂ­a, a type of witchcraft, or brujerĂ­a, has deep religious roots. 

The District has been home to various SanterĂ­a botanicas through the years. Yemaya & Chango set up shop in Adams Morgan in 1995 and closed in 2014. Botanica y Tarot LLC is currently open in Fort Totten. 

SanterĂ­a is an Afro-Caribbean religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century, centered on the worship of nature. It takes on aspects of the West African religion, Yoruba, and Catholicism. 

Despite being a 200-year-old religion, taboos exist around the practice. 

, an L.A.-based priestess of Santería known online as , said, growing up, she recalled Santería being “something you would only hear about” through rumors. Now, as a godparent to other practitioners, she practices the religion in stride.

“If you had told me back in 2018 that this is what I was going to end up doing, I would have told you you were crazy,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez was crowned Oshun by fellow SanterĂ­a practitioners, signifying a direct connection to the deity Oshun, she said.

“Oshun is based on the Caridad del Cobre, Our Lady of Charity in the Catholic faith,” Rodriguez explained. “Different gods are tied to Catholic saints.”

Through the process of iyaworaje, she spent a year and seven days in white for purification.

“When you go through that, you can’t take pictures, you can’t be on video, you can’t touch other people outside your loved ones,” she said. “It’s very intense.”

SanterĂ­a helped her process trauma and live more peacefully, Rodriguez said.

“It’s not just the witchcraft aspect or the esoteric practice. Divination tells you aspects about yourself you really have to work on, almost like therapy,” she said.

Rodriguez also sees danger in the growing popularity of witchcraft, she said.

“It’s wonderful that this is out there; that’s the pros. But the cons are, some people are using it just for a trend.”

Rodriguez makes her rituals and readings available both online and in person through her shop, .

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Performing gender for an audience is nothing new for D.C. The late summer boom of ‘performative male contests’ is just the freshest addition to the District’s long, queer performance history.Ìę

The term performative male identifies men who prefer traditionally feminine aesthetics, such as painted nails and female indie artists, and who care about women’s feelings – or at least pretend to. The concept has now become the basis for public competitions sprouting up over the past few weeks in Seattle, Toronto, and New York City, as well as D.C. to determine who wins the title of most performative male.Ìę

At the same time, lesbian and queer communities have launched ‘performative masc’ contests, where women and nonbinary people lean into stereotypes within their own community.

At McPherson Square, D.C.’s most performative men, representing a range of gender expressions, gathered in a matcha-sipping, Labubu-adorned showcase for the city’s performative male contest on Aug. 31 – just a few blocks from U Street, a culturally significant neighborhood for the Black and LGBTQ+ community. The event began when American University Student Emera Humphreys dropped a TikTok ad for the contest, followed by a Partiful RSVP link.

Contestant number one at the contest, Alex Montgomery, applied makeup and dressed up in preparation for the competition, a copy of Strong Female Lead: Lessons From Women In Power by Arwa Mahdawi in tow. They were one of two non-male-identifying contestants among the participants.

“Alex – that’s not my real name. That’s an extension of myself that I use when I go out. So honestly, this is really a drag competition, if you think about it,” Montgomery said after their performance.

One by one, the contestants took turns pulling feminist literature and tampons from their tote bags, while a crowd of mostly women laughed and cheered.

“I think women can recognize the inherent performativity of a man,” Ella O’Connor, contest attendee, said after the event. “When we hear certain topics of conversation being brought up, we’re able to recognize it for its performative nature. Whereas sometimes men think that they’re being genuine and they’re not.”

Contestant 11 in the lineup, Jaibin Mathew, pulled out the Korean sunscreen Beauty of Joseon from his Georgetown tea shop, ching ching CHA, tote bag to cheers from the crowd.

“Adding props and things like that, it feels like a lesser form of drag, in a way,” Mathew said after the competition. “People are pulling things out of their bag–their surprises–and you’re performing gender in a heightened sense.”

The popularity of performative male contests is linked to a broader cultural hunger for humor and release, according to Arlington-based clinical psychologist and founder of Vivid Innovations Consulting, Ashley Elliott, known popularly as .

“When we see people–whether it be inauthentic or authentic–making fun of themselves, not taking themselves too seriously, that is enjoyable,” she said. “Especially in American society, where a lot of male ideals are steeped in aggression, or not showing a full range of emotion, or not being able to laugh at yourself.”

Performative male contests should lead to community-focused actions after the laughs, Elliot said.

“It’s not about outfits. It’s not about T-shirts. It’s about allyship,” she said. “Being able to show up for groups of people who identify or express themselves and say, ‘Hey, I’m here to support and I’m here to protect.’”

Acknowledging contributions of queer individuals to modern life in D.C. is a crucial part of this process, Elliot said.

“We talk about the history of drag and the history of ballroom; we have a very deep history in D.C.,” Elliot said. “All people want is the space to freely express themselves and feel like ‘I belong’ and ‘I matter.’”

D.C.’s drag history dates back to the late 19th century when William Dorsey Swann, known as the “queen of drag,” organized balls in the district. By the mid-20th century, U Street emerged as the epicenter of Black Broadway and the ‘panzy craze,’ a dynamic hub for African American nightlife and drag. Following desegregation, it transformed into a center for gay clubs and bars.Ìę

By the 1990s, D.C. hosted over 40 drag shows each week, according to Mark Meinke, founder and chair of Rainbow History Project, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving D.C.’s LGBTQ+ history.

Today on U Street, , a trans masculine drag queen based in D.C., frequently performs at various venues, including Shakers, Kiki, and DC9 Nightclub.Ìę Hymen describesÌętheir on-stage gender performance as a form of subversion.

“I’m doing a lot of gender play,” Hymen said. “I love showing off the fact that I am trans, while also dressing up in a feminine way, and subverting the fact that I was born a woman, but I am now becoming a man in my day-to-day life, but then I want to be a woman again on stage. It’s absurd and fun, and I love it.”

Hymen said their drag is both playful and political. Yet when queer styles become a trend, they said the problem isn’t the performance, it’s the failure to credit the queer legacies behind it.

“Knowing your histories and connecting to the queerness of it, and lifting the queer community and the trans community, rather than taking this as something for cis people,” Hymen said.

To view the full gallery of photos of contestants, visit 91ÇŃŚÓ’s .

The post Hi, performative men: drag queens did it first first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.

After a week of Washington being the nation’s spotlight, Kara Levchenko was glad to organize a show glowing with queer joy and artistry.

Hundreds packed into ÌęThursday for Sapphic Songwriters Night to mosh and celebrate live music written and performed by sapphic, LGBTQ+ artists , , and .

A portion of the night’s proceeds were donated to , a provider of LGBTQ care and advocacy, including gender-affirming healthcare services in the D.C. area.

The evening was abundant in music debuts. Levchenko performed her latest single, “,” with Artist and Co-Collaborator . Swataa released their EP “” at midnight on Friday.

Levchenko decided to throw a show with a solely DMV-based sapphic artist line-up in March at Ìęa venue she said playing is a “rite of passage” for DMV musicians.

“We wanted to lift up queer artists in the area,” Levchenko said. “It just feels even more important that we’re putting on this event today.”

Concert Attendee Nik Battaglia said that “sharing joy” is vital right now.

“It’s so important to be supporting artists,” Battaglia said. “It’s important to be gathering together, taking up space.”Ìę

Headliner Levchenko grew up on a steady music diet of theatre, jazz and classical, a mix her parents would put on during long car trips, despite not being musicians. On Sundays, her grandparents often took her to the orchestra.

“From a young age, I was taking musical theater, and I was excited about studying,” Levchenko said.

Alongside her technical foundation, Levchenko’s dreamy sound and pop-punk stage presence are a culmination of her songwriting capabilities and authenticity.

“I think that a song is a snapshot of a feeling,” Levchenko said.Ìę “It’s wild to look back at your song that you’ve written and realize that it has a whole other meaning years later.”

Levchenko honed her creative side through long-standing friendships. She met her best friend and part-time songwriting partner, Larae, in high school choir.

“That element of trust is really important when you write a song with someone, to feel like they know you very well and can be honest with each other,” Levchenko said.Ìę

For the DMV native, her inner critic can sometimes get the best of her – so collaboration and trust can help, most recently, on “House of Cards.”Ìę

“When you have another person to bounce ideas off of, things come together so quickly and in such a special way where your two sounds mesh,” she said.Ìę

The collaborative energy is at the soul of her new single, “,” which drops Sept. 10 with .

“I wrote it with my friends; we wrote it together at ,” Levchenko said.

Her performance streak continues with a show at Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit .

The post Sapphic Songwriters Night packs D.C.’s Songbyrd first appeared on 91ÇŃŚÓ.