RSS FeedPQNA To Host Briefing On Inaugural Parade
We thought this was of enough interest that it merited its own post.
The Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association is hosting an Inaugural Parade security briefing with Secret Service and Metropolitan Police Department representatives on Monday, December 15 at 9 am at the Navy Memorial Heritage Center (701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW).
From the Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association e-mail,
Special Agents Carlos Castro and Mindy O’Donnell of the Secret Service and Lt. Stuart Emerman of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Operations Division will brief those attending on the impact security provisions will have on Penn Quarter prior to, during, and after the Inaugural Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. They will tell us what limitations and restrictions to anticipate within blocks of The Avenue and how security will affect Penn Quarter’s inhabitants and those catering as well as those attending parties at homes and offices facing The Avenue…It will be an excellent opportunity to ask Special Agents Castro and O’Donnell and Lt. Emerman, all of who have been involved with security planning for the Inaugural Parade, questions on what will and what will not be permitted.
A Night At Twelfth Night
As is my typical modus operandi, I didn’t do any advance reading before settling into my seat at the Shakespeare Theatre for the play Twelfth Night currently on at Sidney Harman Hall at 610 F Street, NW. What I witnessed was a delightful and entertaining production.
The major twists and turns set in motion by the key characters of Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night include Orsino (Duke of Illyria) trying to remotely win the love of Countess Olivia using a woman disguised as a man as his proxy (Viola (woman)/Cesario (man)), Feste (Olivia’s jester) acting as a shuttle diplomat and members of Olivia’s household playing a huge practical joke on Malvolio (Olivia’s head of household) for much of the presented timeline. It is against this backdrop that Shakespeare wields his comic and sometimes bawdy pen. Productions distinguish themselves by the edge given to the characters and the set by the director and Twelfth Night has that edge.
Orsino and Violo/Cesario present themselves with intent, Olivia comes off as a bit of a nutter as she falls in love, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew are hilarious in their mischievous revelry and Feste does a laugh inducing job of jesting both the characters and the crowd. But for his more jovial nature, Sir Andrew could almost be a stand in for Jim Carrey’s character Count Olaf from the movie A Series of Unfortunate Events. The set is a simple, modern interpretation consisting of a large curved plane inset with a pair of double doors, graphic panels that appear as needed and a few props/pieces of furniture. The recurrent theme of attainable love is emphasized by the presentation of roses and red in a variety of ways throughout the production.
My litmus test, not yawning, checking my watch or wondering when it will end, passed with flying colors, although it took a few of the opening minutes for the production’s tone to get set. I don’t want to rerun the whole story in this post thus spoiling the ending. Besides, it’s no secret that you can find the full text of the play on the Internet. My conclusion? Shakespeare’s ability to wring the most possible out of the English language was nicely, entertainingly sharpened and presented by this production and it gets my kudos.
STC Director Rebecca Bayla Taichman discusses Twelfth Night [podcast]
STC Director Rebecca Bayla Taichman discusses Twelfth Night
PQ Weekend Guide
Ongoing: Penn Quarter Holiday Market! Noon-8pm daily. 8th & F St NW
Civilian Art Projects, Media.Mix: 21st Century Collage (Opening Reception) (pdf)
Friday, December 12, 7-9pm
406 7th St NW, Third Floor
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian Encore Chorale
Saturday, December 13, 1pm
8th & F St NW, Kogod Courtyard
National Gallery of Art, Norwegian Christmas Festival
New York Opera Society and Soloists from Norway
Sunday, December 14, 6:30pm
3rd – 7th & Constitution Ave NW
Do you know of an event occurring in the Penn Quarter area this weekend that we should add? Please contact us or leave a comment on this post!
What’s Next For F Street?
For the last few weeks workers have been removing a variety of debris from the space formerly housing the K & B Newsstand at 10th & F Streets NW. Michael Neibauer of the Examiner had a story on the owner of the K & B shortly after this location closed. According to Neibauer’s article this land is slated to become an 11 story office building, presumably the same one that will encompass the former Waffle Shop location.
