Monumental exhibit seeks viewer input
In recent years, monuments have loomed large in many Southern cities — both literally and figuratively — as citizens have debated the ways we commemorate the past. After the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville’s Emancipation Park and the white supremacist rally that followed, David Voelkel, the Valentine’s Elise H. Wright Curator of General Collections, made a... READ MORE
From CIA to pageant circuit
Karen Moore won her first competition at age 4. To reach the microphone in a talent contest at her nursery school teacher’s church, she had to stand on a chair. She crooned a song called “God Bless Us All,” popular in the early 1950s. Now 69 and a resident of Hyattsville, Md., Moore has continued to wow pageant audiences over the years. She was once a finalist for Cherry Blossom... READ MORE
The ties that bind never lose their import
Spring cleaning is usually a major bore and a major chore. Find a large plastic trash bag. Head for the main closet. Identify t-shirts and socks that no human being ever will (or ever should) wear again. Stuff the stuff into the bag. Repeat. And then head for Amvets or Goodwill, drop it all off, feel virtuous, go home. But this past spring, the ritual annual purge brought me up... READ MORE
A voice for Virginia’s Native Americans
The cement path in Capitol Square spirals like a nautilus, leading to a fountain and meditation circle inscribed with the names of Virginia Indian tribes and the rivers that ran near their homes. Called “Mantle,” the abstract monument to local Native Americans was dedicated in April. Its name is symbolic on several levels — referring to the mantle of the earth, the mantle of... READ MORE
Washington shines in the literary spotlight
The Bibliophile Whether you choose to join the summer tourists or wait until they’ve left town, reading about the District’s sites broadens your horizons. These books about Washington, D.C. hold a special appeal. America’s Greatest Library: An Illustrated History of the Library of Congress, by John Y. Cole, 256 pages, 250 color illustrations, D Giles Limited in association with... READ MORE
Five upcoming plays with Jewish themes
In August, September and October, five theaters in Montgomery County will produce plays with Jewish themes. It’s entirely a “happy coincidence,” says David Fialkoff of the newly formed Jewish Community Theater of Montgomery County (JCTMC), as the plays were not planned to coincide. As its name suggests, the group is dedicated to presenting plays and musicals in the county about... READ MORE
Area pageant winners from D.C. and Va.
Everything that could go wrong indeed went wrong as Phyllis Jordan was preparing for June’s Ms. Senior D.C. pageant. She brought a complicated pattern for her evening gown to a dressmaker that ended up a “hot mess.” She hired a second seamstress to start again, but her results were “deplorable.” “I told her I would absolutely lose if I wore this,” said Jordan, 62. So she ... READ MORE
Former politico sculpts a new passion
Most days you’ll find Karen Montgomery in a makeshift carport that she and her husband adapted into an art studio. There she wields hammer and chisel to bring forth sculptures from her ideas. She’s currently coaxing a large angel to emerge from a hunk of marble. Montgomery, 83, has recently returned to her first love, art, following a 16-year stint in Maryland politics. From 2000... READ MORE
‘Mamma Mia!’ returns with gusto to Toby’s
Abba fans rejoice. The popular musical Mamma Mia! is back in town, this time at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, and it’s a smash. If you’re unfamiliar, this jukebox musical was created by Catherine Johnson, stitched together entirely through songs by Swedish pop duo Abba. There was a film adaptation in 2008, which now has a sequel in theaters. The show is loosely based on the... READ MORE
Christopher Plummer’s new first
Regal and commanding even in his youth, Christopher Plummer has turned into an even mightier force in old age. The 88-year-old Plummer earlier this year became the oldest actor ever nominated for an Oscar (for his J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World), six years after setting the mark for eldest acting winner (for his coming-out 75-year-old in Beginners online pharmacy buy bactrim ... READ MORE
