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The People Issue 2025
Get to know a drag king, a rapper, an exotic dance expert, and more.
washingtoncitypaper.com
The People Issue is back: a nomadic chef, a persistent muralist, an exotic dance expert, a lawyer who won’t stay quiet, and one very familiar face weighing a fourth term.
We’re grateful to share their stories with you. Photos by @darrow-m.bsky.social:
We’re grateful to share their stories with you. Photos by @darrow-m.bsky.social:
Lie Low, Ciara Elizabeth Smyth's subversive and "thrillingly twisted" play, is “a welcome addition to the contemporary feminist theater canon,” writes critic Daniella Ignacio. Read the review:
Lie Low’s Funny, Feminist, and Flawed Truths Are Unforgettable
Solas Nua’s production of Ciara Elizabeth Smyth’s subversive play, Lie Low, will stick with you long after the lights go down.
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November 14, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Lie Low, Ciara Elizabeth Smyth's subversive and "thrillingly twisted" play, is “a welcome addition to the contemporary feminist theater canon,” writes critic Daniella Ignacio. Read the review:
“DHCD is a mess.” The agency forfeited roughly $35M in federal affordable housing assistance.
Part of that money went to a “credit swap” used to bail out a well-connected developer. Full story:
Part of that money went to a “credit swap” used to bail out a well-connected developer. Full story:
How DHCD Forfeited $35 Million in Federal Assistance for Affordable Housing and Bailed Out a Well-Connected Developer
DHCD Director Colleen Green failed to disclose the loss of funding when asked during a D.C. Council hearing earlier this year.
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November 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
“DHCD is a mess.” The agency forfeited roughly $35M in federal affordable housing assistance.
Part of that money went to a “credit swap” used to bail out a well-connected developer. Full story:
Part of that money went to a “credit swap” used to bail out a well-connected developer. Full story:
What do Rachel Sennot, Kim Kardashian, and Sarah Snook have in common? They’re all starring in shows columnist Bill Frost says you should stream right now.
What to Stream: New in November
The 2025 TV season isn’t over. From Rachel Sennott’s I Love LA to David Duchovny’s new thriller, here are seven new shows to stream.
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November 14, 2025 at 12:00 AM
What do Rachel Sennot, Kim Kardashian, and Sarah Snook have in common? They’re all starring in shows columnist Bill Frost says you should stream right now.
This year, our newsroom showed up when it counted. We broke stories, uplifted local voices, and held power to account.
Every dollar brings us closer to our $36,260 goal. Give today:
Every dollar brings us closer to our $36,260 goal. Give today:
Join | Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper is supported by people like you. Support Washington City Paper today.
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November 13, 2025 at 10:01 PM
This year, our newsroom showed up when it counted. We broke stories, uplifted local voices, and held power to account.
Every dollar brings us closer to our $36,260 goal. Give today:
Every dollar brings us closer to our $36,260 goal. Give today:
Victor Salinas and Gabriel de la Cruz are honoring the queer Latine community and sparking conversation with La Pluma Theatre company.
“We cannot be silenced. We have to keep doing this,” Salinas says. “There’s not a better moment to do it.”
“We cannot be silenced. We have to keep doing this,” Salinas says. “There’s not a better moment to do it.”
Underground But Not Hidden: A New Queer Latine Theater Company Uses Art as Resistance
Victor Salinas and Gabriel de la Cruz’s La Pluma Theatre will open the doors for its first show at Dupont Underground this December.
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November 13, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Victor Salinas and Gabriel de la Cruz are honoring the queer Latine community and sparking conversation with La Pluma Theatre company.
“We cannot be silenced. We have to keep doing this,” Salinas says. “There’s not a better moment to do it.”
“We cannot be silenced. We have to keep doing this,” Salinas says. “There’s not a better moment to do it.”
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t brings a new generation of magicians together with the Horsemen of yore for the ultimate heist.
It’s a bit overstuffed, writes critic Lydia Wei, but the franchise has still got a few new tricks up its sleeve. The review:
It’s a bit overstuffed, writes critic Lydia Wei, but the franchise has still got a few new tricks up its sleeve. The review:
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t: Can You Teach an Old Franchise New Tricks?
Though sometimes overstuffed, the third Now You See Me is a return to form that introduces a charismatic new generation of illusionists.
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November 12, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t brings a new generation of magicians together with the Horsemen of yore for the ultimate heist.
It’s a bit overstuffed, writes critic Lydia Wei, but the franchise has still got a few new tricks up its sleeve. The review:
It’s a bit overstuffed, writes critic Lydia Wei, but the franchise has still got a few new tricks up its sleeve. The review:
At Theater Alliance, Furlough’s Paradise follows cousins reunited to grieve a family loss. They're living different lives, but both are searching for freedom.
The play’s “greatest victory is its dedication to empathy,” writes Douglas Corzine. Read the review:
The play’s “greatest victory is its dedication to empathy,” writes Douglas Corzine. Read the review:
Furlough’s Paradise Offers “Paradise” on Borrowed Time
At Theater Alliance, a.k. payne’s intimate two-hander turns a one-bedroom apartment into a world of grief, tenderness, and fleeting utopia.
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November 11, 2025 at 11:00 PM
At Theater Alliance, Furlough’s Paradise follows cousins reunited to grieve a family loss. They're living different lives, but both are searching for freedom.
The play’s “greatest victory is its dedication to empathy,” writes Douglas Corzine. Read the review:
The play’s “greatest victory is its dedication to empathy,” writes Douglas Corzine. Read the review:
Margaret Hutton’s debut novel traces the decades-long relationship between two women who arrive in D.C. to fill the jobs left vacant by men serving in WWII.
Contributor Costa Beavin Pappas chats with Hutton about the local history behind If You Leave:
Contributor Costa Beavin Pappas chats with Hutton about the local history behind If You Leave:
Margaret Hutton on the Forgotten History of D.C. That Inspired Her Debut Novel
Set during World War II in a Washington absent of men, If You Leave charts the lives of two women living autonomously for the first time.
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November 11, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Margaret Hutton’s debut novel traces the decades-long relationship between two women who arrive in D.C. to fill the jobs left vacant by men serving in WWII.
Contributor Costa Beavin Pappas chats with Hutton about the local history behind If You Leave:
Contributor Costa Beavin Pappas chats with Hutton about the local history behind If You Leave:
Train Dreams is a thoughtful historical drama about the struggles of an ordinary man who modernity threatens to leave behind. Critic Alan Zilberman reviews:
Train Dreams Is About the Kind of Man Who Rarely Gets the Epic Treatment
In this moving adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella, the filmmakers never strike a false note in a logger’s quiet search for meaning and joy.
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November 10, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Train Dreams is a thoughtful historical drama about the struggles of an ordinary man who modernity threatens to leave behind. Critic Alan Zilberman reviews:
In Predator: Badlands, a bisected bot and a young-and-hungry Yautja take on interstellar capitalism. Somehow, it becomes “a borderline schmaltzy adventure about found families,” writes critic Chris Klimek.
Predator: Badlands: Some Country for No Men
Bisected bot Elle Fanning and a young-and-hungry Yautja take on interstellar capitalism in Predator: Badlands, and it slaps. I just wish I could see it a little better.
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November 8, 2025 at 1:00 AM
In Predator: Badlands, a bisected bot and a young-and-hungry Yautja take on interstellar capitalism. Somehow, it becomes “a borderline schmaltzy adventure about found families,” writes critic Chris Klimek.
Paula Vogel, the “frank and fearless” Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, talks to contributor D.R. Lewis about ancient Greece, “mother plays,” and her third play at Studio Theatre. Read their conversation:
Theater Matriarch Paula Vogel Brings Revised The Mother Play to Studio
The DMV native talks to City Paper about the state of the art form, ancient Greece, and the genre of “mother plays.”
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November 7, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Paula Vogel, the “frank and fearless” Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, talks to contributor D.R. Lewis about ancient Greece, “mother plays,” and her third play at Studio Theatre. Read their conversation:
The People Issue is back: a nomadic chef, a persistent muralist, an exotic dance expert, a lawyer who won’t stay quiet, and one very familiar face weighing a fourth term.
We’re grateful to share their stories with you. Photos by @darrow-m.bsky.social:
We’re grateful to share their stories with you. Photos by @darrow-m.bsky.social:
The People Issue 2025
Get to know a drag king, a rapper, an exotic dance expert, and more.
washingtoncitypaper.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:37 PM
The People Issue is back: a nomadic chef, a persistent muralist, an exotic dance expert, a lawyer who won’t stay quiet, and one very familiar face weighing a fourth term.
We’re grateful to share their stories with you. Photos by @darrow-m.bsky.social:
We’re grateful to share their stories with you. Photos by @darrow-m.bsky.social:
Melanie Field opens up about motherhood, playing Gina in The Wild Duck, and her D.C. bucket list. Read the full chat with contributor Serena Zets:
From A League of Their Own to The Wild Duck, Melanie Field Knows How to Transport an Audience
TV actor Melanie Field returns to Shakespeare Theatre Company for the second time in 2025 to take on Henrik Ibsen’s least-produced play.
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November 5, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Melanie Field opens up about motherhood, playing Gina in The Wild Duck, and her D.C. bucket list. Read the full chat with contributor Serena Zets:
Council Chair Phil Mendelson attended his annual lobbyist-filled fundraiser to replenish his constituent services fund last night. We took a look at spending from each elected official’s fund, and how you can access the dough:
Phil Mendelson Is Back at the Watergate for a Lobbyist-Fueled Fundraiser
Your annual reminder that the slushy constituent services funds are available to help with bills, rent, and plastic leis, apparently.
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November 5, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Council Chair Phil Mendelson attended his annual lobbyist-filled fundraiser to replenish his constituent services fund last night. We took a look at spending from each elected official’s fund, and how you can access the dough:
Little District Books’ new home means more room for readers, events, and a tea bar coming soon.
“We can do things that create more community,” says owner Patrick Kern. “But it’s also that now, we’re not tucked away.”
“We can do things that create more community,” says owner Patrick Kern. “But it’s also that now, we’re not tucked away.”
Little District Books Begins Its Next Chapter
After three years along Barracks Row, the city’s only queer-focused bookstore has moved into a bigger space with even bigger plans.
washingtoncitypaper.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Little District Books’ new home means more room for readers, events, and a tea bar coming soon.
“We can do things that create more community,” says owner Patrick Kern. “But it’s also that now, we’re not tucked away.”
“We can do things that create more community,” says owner Patrick Kern. “But it’s also that now, we’re not tucked away.”
Our end-of-year campaign starts today! Washington City Paper was built for moments like these: keeping our community informed when it matters most.
Help us reach our $36,260 goal and power the reporting D.C. depends on:
Help us reach our $36,260 goal and power the reporting D.C. depends on:
Join | Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper is supported by people like you. Support Washington City Paper today.
buff.ly
November 3, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Our end-of-year campaign starts today! Washington City Paper was built for moments like these: keeping our community informed when it matters most.
Help us reach our $36,260 goal and power the reporting D.C. depends on:
Help us reach our $36,260 goal and power the reporting D.C. depends on:
The latest masterpiece from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi follows ordinary people who seek retribution against their past tormentor.
The film is “a dangerous act of defiance” from a man whose work has been banned in his home country, writes critic Alan Zilberman.
The film is “a dangerous act of defiance” from a man whose work has been banned in his home country, writes critic Alan Zilberman.
In Its Search for Justice, It Was Just an Accident Finds No Easy Answers
The latest masterpiece from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi will resonate with anyone wary of their country’s rightward shift.
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October 31, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The latest masterpiece from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi follows ordinary people who seek retribution against their past tormentor.
The film is “a dangerous act of defiance” from a man whose work has been banned in his home country, writes critic Alan Zilberman.
The film is “a dangerous act of defiance” from a man whose work has been banned in his home country, writes critic Alan Zilberman.
Annapolis-based artist Tawny Chatmon uses portraiture to show the reality and beauty she sees among her loved ones.
Her solo show at NMWA “doesn’t just unpack racial stereotypes but explodes them completely,” writes contributor Stephanie Rudig.
Her solo show at NMWA “doesn’t just unpack racial stereotypes but explodes them completely,” writes contributor Stephanie Rudig.
Tawny Chatmon Makes Reclaiming an Art
Tawny Chatmon: Sanctuaries of Truth, Dissolution of Lies, the artist’s first solo show in D.C. offers a corrective to a history of racist imagery.
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October 31, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Annapolis-based artist Tawny Chatmon uses portraiture to show the reality and beauty she sees among her loved ones.
Her solo show at NMWA “doesn’t just unpack racial stereotypes but explodes them completely,” writes contributor Stephanie Rudig.
Her solo show at NMWA “doesn’t just unpack racial stereotypes but explodes them completely,” writes contributor Stephanie Rudig.
Wage theft is costing D.C. workers millions. Suzie Amanuel reviewed dozens of local lawsuits and complaints that show how employers dodge pay—and what it’s costing workers.
“They’re not asking for a handout. They’re asking for what’s theirs,” says one local employment attorney. Full story:
“They’re not asking for a handout. They’re asking for what’s theirs,” says one local employment attorney. Full story:
How D.C. Employers Are Stealing Millions from Their Workers
From construction sites to cocktail bars, wage theft in the D.C. area has allowed some employers to cut costs by up to 48 percent while workers struggle to make ends meet.
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October 31, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Wage theft is costing D.C. workers millions. Suzie Amanuel reviewed dozens of local lawsuits and complaints that show how employers dodge pay—and what it’s costing workers.
“They’re not asking for a handout. They’re asking for what’s theirs,” says one local employment attorney. Full story:
“They’re not asking for a handout. They’re asking for what’s theirs,” says one local employment attorney. Full story:
Kathryn Bigelow returns after eight years with another divisive film. In her latest nail-biter, A House of Dynamite, POTUS and his team have 40 minutes to respond to an incoming nuclear missile. The review:
Dr. Strangelove and Rashomon Collide in Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite
The divisive director returns with a nail-biter that never relents wherein POTUS has 40 minutes to decide whether to press the button.
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October 29, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Kathryn Bigelow returns after eight years with another divisive film. In her latest nail-biter, A House of Dynamite, POTUS and his team have 40 minutes to respond to an incoming nuclear missile. The review:
A revival of The Wild Duck, Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 tragicomedy, might just be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Shakespeare Theatre Company gives the seldom-performed drama a stirring new staging:
The Wild Duck and the Claim of the Ideal
Henrik Ibsen’s seldom-revived 1884 drama, The Wild Duck, gets a stirring new staging at Shakespeare Theatre Company.
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October 28, 2025 at 9:30 PM
A revival of The Wild Duck, Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 tragicomedy, might just be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Shakespeare Theatre Company gives the seldom-performed drama a stirring new staging:
A federal agent fired three times at an unarmed driver during a traffic stop in D.C. MPD officers left it out of their report.
“He thought they were trying to kill him,” his attorney says. Full story:
“He thought they were trying to kill him,” his attorney says. Full story:
A Federal Agent Shot at a Driver in D.C. An MPD Officer Was Told To Omit the Shooting from His Report.
An HSI agent fired three times into a vehicle police claimed was trying to flee. The charges were dismissed during a preliminary hearing.
washingtoncitypaper.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:11 PM
A federal agent fired three times at an unarmed driver during a traffic stop in D.C. MPD officers left it out of their report.
“He thought they were trying to kill him,” his attorney says. Full story:
“He thought they were trying to kill him,” his attorney says. Full story:
Fifth Date follows two 30-somethings trying to seal their relationship while personifications of their worst fears and anxieties try to sabotage the evening.
Nu Sass’ production leans into Y2K vibes, but not always for the best. The review:
Nu Sass’ production leans into Y2K vibes, but not always for the best. The review:
The 2000s Called: They Want Nu Sass’ Fifth Date Back
Fifth Date is a lighthearted rom-com about the anxieties of dating that brings back Y2K vibes—but not always for the best.
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October 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Fifth Date follows two 30-somethings trying to seal their relationship while personifications of their worst fears and anxieties try to sabotage the evening.
Nu Sass’ production leans into Y2K vibes, but not always for the best. The review:
Nu Sass’ production leans into Y2K vibes, but not always for the best. The review:
Columnist Hannah Grieco chats with local author Amber Sparks, whose debut novel follows a young girl solving the mystery of her haunted apartment building. Plus, more books for your TBR and some lit events.
Spot LIT: A Novel Haunting
D.C.'s Amber Sparks on her debut novel Happy People Don’t Live Here. Plus new releases, readings and, one Rare Book Collecting Festival.
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October 24, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Columnist Hannah Grieco chats with local author Amber Sparks, whose debut novel follows a young girl solving the mystery of her haunted apartment building. Plus, more books for your TBR and some lit events.
Here's the final installment of Postcards of Home, staff photographer @darrow-m.bsky.social’s trip through his early archives. Take a look back: buff.ly/Qj2pbbr
October 24, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Here's the final installment of Postcards of Home, staff photographer @darrow-m.bsky.social’s trip through his early archives. Take a look back: buff.ly/Qj2pbbr