On this blistering Friday morning our amazing Catalogue nonprofits both indoor and outdoor (for the brave souls) activities this weekend and next week! Romantic plays and open-mic nights for the couples, family-friendly performances for the whole crew, and invasive species removal for the adventurous. What’s not to love about these activities and the amazing nonprofits that host them!

Friday, February 13, 2015

House of Desires at GALA

GALA Hispanic Theatre Don Pedro loves Dona Leonor who loves Don Carlos, who is desired by Dona Ana. Los empenos de una casa is a romantic Spanish Golden Age comedy of intrigue that mixes lyrical poetry, puns, songs, cross-dressing, and mistaken identities. Written in the 17th century, but staged by director Hugo Medrano in 1940s Mexico with its machismo and sounds of mariachi, this farce examines the idea of free will for women at a time when they were still subject to a strict moral code. Featuring the talents of Natalia Miranda, Mauricio Pita, Carlos Castillo, Luz Nicolas, Oscar Ceville, Hector Diaz, Alina Collins Maldonado, Erick Sotomayor, Miguel Amaguana, and Roberto Colmenares.

When: Fri Feb 13 2015 (8:00 PM) Where: GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010 Fee? yes $20 if you mention the Valentine’s Special (otherwise $42 GA; $26 Seniors; $20 Student/Military) Contact: GALA Box Office, (202) 234-7174 For more information: click here

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood

Adventure Theatre MTC Take a toe-tapping trip to the bayou in this family-friendly, Zydeco-driven musical soaked in N’awlins hot sauce! Based on the classic fairy tale and adapted from the book by Mike Artell and Jim Harris, a red-hooded duckling named Petite Rouge and her sidekick cat lead the Big Bad Gator on a wild “duck” chase through New Orleans and Mardi Gras. Will they make it to Grandmere’s house with a basket full of Cajun goodies? Recommended for all ages.

When: Sat Feb 14 2015 (11:00 AM – 12:00 NOON) Where: Adventure Theatre Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD 20812 Fee? yes $19 (kids under 1 are free) Contact: Box Office, (301) 634-2270 For more information: click here

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Community Open House at Project Create

Project Create Project Create Studio has finally been built! Classes start in March, but we will have a series of February events for families in Anacostia to learn more about studio programming. We’re hosting a community open house from 1-5pm for community members of all ages. Check out the space, meet the staff and do a short, fun art activity.

When: Sun Feb 15 2015 (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM) Where: Project Create Studio (above Mama’s Pizza – entrance on V St), 2028 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE, Washington, DC 20020 Fee? no Contact: Project Create, (202) 889-0655 For more information: click here

Invasive Plant Removal and Park Clean Up

Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment ACE will be teaming up with Arlington County’s Remove Invasive Plant Program (RiP) to remove invasives from Long Branch Park, and clean up some trash while we are at it!

When: Sun Feb 15 2015 (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM) Where: Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA 22204 Fee? no Contact:ACE, (703) 228-6427 For more information: click here

Sunday Kind of Love Open Mic Featuring Ailish Hopper and Bettina Judd

Split This Rock Open Mic and Poetry Reading featuring Ailish Hopper and Bettina Judd (Bios below). As always, open mic follows! Co-Sponsored by Busboys and Poets and Split This Rock About the Featured Poets:

Ailish Hopper grew up in DC, and is the author of Dark~Sky Society (2014), selected by David St. John as runner up for the New Issues prize, and the chapbook Bird in the Head (2005), selected by Jean Valentine for the Center for Book Arts Prize. Individual poems have appeared in Agni, APR, Blackbird, Harvard Review Online, Ploughshares, Poetry, Tidal Basin Review, and other places. She has received support from the Baltimore Commission for the Arts and Humanities, the MacDowell Colony, Maryland State Arts Council, and Yaddo. Her poems have appeared in Torch, Mythium, Meridians and other journals and anthologies. Most recently, her collection of poems titled Patient won the Black Lawrence Press Hudson Book Prize and was published in November of 2014. As a singer, she has been invited to perform for audiences in Vancouver, Washington DC, Atlanta, Paris, New York, and Mumbai.

When: Sun Feb 15 2015 (5:00 PM – 7:00 PM) Where: Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 Fee? yes $5 online or at the door Contact: Split This Rock, (202) 787-5210 For more information: click here

Monday, February 16, 2015

President’s Day Invasive Removal at Melvin Hazen East

Rock Creek Conservancy (formerly Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment) Join Rock Creek Conservancy and the National Park Service as we remove invasive plant species from the eastern section of Melvin Hazen. Tools, gloves, bags, and training will be provided at each site, and SSL hours can be earned.

When: Mon Feb 16 2015 (10:00 AM – 12:00 NOON) Where: 2601 Quebec Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 Fee? no

Volunteer Info: Volunteers will help remove invasive plants from the trees and the ground in the eastern section of Melvin Hazen Park, a section of Rock Creek Park. Please dress appropriately for the weather. It may be chilly so dress warmly and in layers. Wear sturdy boots or sneakers, no sandals. If it is raining or snowing on the morning of the event, it will be cancelled. All cancellations will be updated and announced on our event calendar listing. What to Bring: Bring water. Tools and gloves will be provided. Feel free to bring your own tools and gloves if you have them. Students can earn SSL hours, but please bring needed forms. Volunteers will meet at the end of Quebec Street NW where a social trail begins. There is limited street parking, so volunteers are encouraged to carpool or use public transportation. This site is MetroRail accessible through the Cleveland Park Metro Stop (red line) Contact: Rena Subotnik (leader), (301) 579-3105 For more information: click here

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Adult Literacy Tutor Information Session

Literacy Council of Montgomery County The Literacy Council of Montgomery County will hold an information session for volunteers interested in helping adults learn to read, write, or speak English. Once volunteers have completed the information session, they can select a two-part training session that fits their schedules. No foreign language skills are necessary. Tutors work one-on-one or with small groups, and typically meet with students in libraries or community centers at mutually convenient times.

When: Tue Feb 17 2015 (7:30 PM – 9:00 PM) Where: Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Ave., Wheaton, MD 20904 Fee? no Contact: Jennifer Redding, (301) 610-0030 ext 208 For more information: click here

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The Great (Urban)Escape: Enter the Woods with The Spa Room

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company What happens when we stop trying to relax away tension and instead tune IN to our own embodied selves. Join The Spa Room for an exploration of the five senses through meditation, mindfulness, and movement led by body-mind psychotherapist Mary Szegda and Somatic Ecologist Rob Bettmann. After the workshop, join us for a complimentary glass of wine and our 8:00pm showing of Cherokee, by Lisa D’Amour. Note: Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat (if possible) and RSVP to reserve your seat!

When: Wed Feb 18 2015 (6:15 PM) Where: Rehearsal Hall, 641 D St NW, Washington, DC 20004 Fee? no Contact: Woolly Mammoth, (202) 393-3939 For more information: click here

Writing Workshop for All Ages

Split This Rock Split This Rock and The Beltway Poetry Slam are hosting bi-monthly writing workshops on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month. All ages are welcome; no need to RSVP. Just come ready to write! Split This Rock’s programs are made possible in part by grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.

When: Wed Feb 18 2015 (6:30 PM – 8:30 PM) Where: 1112 16th St NW – 6th Floor Conference Room, Washington, DC 20036 Fee? yes $5 cash or check (payable to Split This Rock) Contact: Split This Rock, (202) 787-5210