6 Logan Circle: That Face

After eating at the Commissary on P St, Sam and I caught the closing performance of That Face at Studio Theatre.

A theatre friend of mine, Zehra, was in it and I always love seeing her perform. But even if she wasn't in it, the piece was compelling in and of itself. I was actually written by a young playwright, Polly Stenham, who dropped out of University to finish writing this particular play, when she was still a teenager.

The piece went and lived across the line of comfort for most people, and personally had me torn between feelings of pity to...well, from lack of a better word, "ickiness".

It's a bit of a tragedy that revolves around miscommunication or plain lack of communication.

And it just had a degree of rawness which was actually relieving to experience on stage. It was also performed in one of Studio Theatre's smaller spaces, to begin with. I don't believe it would've had a similar effect in a larger venue.

If you haven't seen a production at Studio, I recommend you do. It's also an interesting time for the organization, as its going through a transition this year; the Founding Artistic Director, Joy Zinoman, is passing on the torch after 30 years.

5 Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Miles Away From DC: Manoli Canoli

You can take me out of the Mediterranean but you can't take the Mediterranean out of me. You can take me out of DC but…well, I become totally helpless. I asked JR the other day where our next performance was and he replied "Chevy Chase, Maryland".

NOOOOO!!!

I got anxious since I'm clueless about restaurants beyond DC! Luckily, JR had a couple of suggestions, French and Italian/Greek/Mediterranean, and of course, I went for the Mediterranean option – Manoli Canoli.

I heard that the best eats exist outside of the District. Manoli Canoli did not disappoint. The place is small, cute, and homey. The decorations made up of family photos and Mediterranean products (which can also be purchased at the restaurant) are a charming touch to the diningroom-like setting. The friendliness of the staff also reinforces the homey feel of the restaurant – we caught a glimpse of the owner, Stavros Manolakos, introducing the menu to some customers and it seemed to be very natural and a normal part of what Manoli Canoli is.

The menu is a mixture of Italian and Greek. We started with a 1/2 carafe of a San Vito Chianti and an order of Spanakopita. I didn't recognize the name of the dish but when I looked at the description I automatically thought about the Spinach Fatayer (Spinach Pies) that I love so much from back home! The Spanakopita was slightly different: flaky dough with cheese in the filling – it was savory. I appreciated the subtle lemon taste in the spinach and the small block of white cheese that came on the salad garnish – so Mediterranean, so great!

We both ordered pasta as a main course. JR got the Spinach Agnolotti and I got the Fettuccine alla Genovese. JR liked the ravioli stuffed with spinach and cheese. He seemed to be enjoying the spinach cheese dish and kept on saying that it was really good :). I also liked the Fettuccine. It was meaty but it also had vegetables. I thought that it required a little bit of oomph but I couldn't pin down what was missing. After a while though, the Chianti began to work its magic and both wine and food started to assert one another, giving a sense of wholeness to the meal.

The owner came up to us to inquire about our meal. He explained that the secret of the food at Manoli Canoli was the extra virgin olive oil and the olives that they get directly from their family orchard in Elos, Greece. He was kind enough to bring out a bottle, and it made me wish that he had done so earlier during our meal. The olive oil was so good and it went better with the complimentary bread that was brought out with butter. The combination of bread and olive oil felt like home and I wanted to purchase a bottle of my own. But we were running late for our next performance and we had to drive to the venue so I didn't have time to get the olive oil and browse through their products section. We promised the manager that we'll be back, and he recommended trying out more of the Greek side of the menu the next time we're there. I thought that it was definitely a worthwhile cause to leave the District.

525,600 miles from DC: RENT

So we weren't really that far out of DC. We were just in Kensington, MD (right outside the beltway) catching Kensington Arts Theatre's production of RENT.

Now RENT's dear to me. I specifically have memories of my junior year being the Sound Board Op for my high school's winter play, The Misanthrope. If you're familiar with the show, as you might imagine there weren't too many sound cues. The running time was also just a little longer than the soundtrack of RENT. However it came about, I ended up listening to the full soundtrack on my headphones (without missing my 5 sound cues from my Stage Manager)*.

*Let me add a bit of a disclaimer as well...this was a good 12 years ago. Operating boards now, I would not be listening to anything but the production AND my stage manager...but I digress.

Anyway, this is actually the first Kensington Arts Theatre mainstage production I've seen, and they presented the work wonderfully. I definitely saw why KAT is one of the better known community theatres in the DMV area.

There's really not much else to say about the production. It was just a fun evening with a full house with high energy performances all around, directed well and with great choreography. While outside of La Vie Boheme, there's not much "dance" dance, there's a lot of musical blocking.

RENT definitely is one of those shows you either love or you don't. However, particularly with recent studies regarding the above average rate of HIV infection, issues regarding affordable housing, same-sex relationships, class issues, life purpose...it's story and context are just as relevant (if not more so) today, than ever.

4 Culture Kids: Souk

It was my first night out on H Street so I wanted to go to somewhere multi-culti and edgy, and Sticky Rice seemed like the perfect place. It was a Friday night and we found out that Sticky Rice was full so we played it cool (and told Sticky Rice to stick their famous Sticky Balls up their Sticky $@&)* and went down the road to find Souk.

Souk (meaning “market” in Arabic) offered the edgy multi-culti element that we were looking for. The hole-in-the-wall place reminded me of the low-key Hummus and Falafel places back home, but a little bit more hip with the colorful lanterns and cushions. I also appreciated that the kitchen was open (just right over the ceramic tile counter), adding a sense of intimacy and allowing yummy smells to fill up the restaurant.

Of course, we started our meal with small plates of Hummus and Baba Ghannuoge. The Hummus we got (Hummus b'Shawarma) came topped with Shawarma style chicken. I liked the chicken, but I wasn’t crazy about the Hummus. The Baba Ghannuoge was also fine. The bread seemed to be the generic pita that you got from the super market so our appetizers were boarding towards unmemorable. But our group was still hungry and JR suggested ordering the Hummus Special.

Coming from the Middle East, "Hummus Special" translated to "Made Up Crap" but the dish surprised me – it was delicious. The Hummus topped with spiced ground meat worked. It actually reminded me of the Fatteh that my Syrian grandma used to prepare…and being compared to Teta's cooking means that you're way up there!

It was time for the main entrée. The Mahshi caught my attention. One usually doesn’t find Mahshi (stuffed vegetables, usually zucchini) at Middle Eastern restaurants here so I was very glad to see it featured on Souk's menu. The rice stuffing in the zucchini and red bell pepper was flavored with delicious Middle Eastern spices. The dish was so substantial that I forgot it didn't come with meat in the stuffing (which it usually does). JR ordered the Kotlet (lamb with couscous), which I thought could've been juicer and less dry (both with the lamb and couscous). JR liked it though and he enjoyed the dish to the last bite :). We came with a couple of friends, one also ordered the Kotlet, and the other the Moroccan Salad - both reported “really good!”

The food was fine but one of the best aspects of Souk was the atmosphere. As I said before, I really liked the hole-in-the-wall setting, edged-up low-key style, and most of all, the open kitchen. The openness of the place made it easy to strike a conversation with the owner, who was cooking away while smiling at the customers every now and then. The owner is Moroccan so I talked to him in Arabic. I like talking to restaurant staff in their native language whenever I have the chance to do so – not only for the special treatment that one could possibly receive, but also for fostering the support that we immigrants have for one another in this foreign country. This was a great way to end our meal at Souk before heading to Atlas for a performance that discussed the different experiences of immigrant life and families in America.

* I still really want to go Sticky Rice so please excuse my Japanese – I take back what I said :)

4 Culture Kids: Speakeasy DC's Wetbacks, Aliens & Towelheads

So after quite an adventure trying to find a place to eat on H St NE on a Friday night, and discovering Souk, Sam, myself, and several friend made our way to the Atlas Performing Arts Center, to catch one of a multitude of offering during Intersections, a New America Arts Festival.

The one we were attending tonight was a SpeakeasyDC performance titled Wetbacks, Aliens & Towelheads: Stories from the First Generation.

I really can't sum it up any better than SpeakeasyDC does on their own website:

"Poet Regie Cabico tells the story of trying to fulfill the American Dream for his Filipino mother in “My H’Oprah”; TV News Reporter Delia Perry tells her story about negotiating the New and Old World rules of her Cape Verdean parents in “Tough Love”; activist Claire Nelson tells her story about changing her plans to become Jamaica’s first female prime minister in “Counting Myself American”‘; video artist and graphic designer Ayo Okunseinde tells his story about being a Nigerian transplant trying to be cool in suburban New Jersey high school in “International Day”; and comedian and solo performer, Vijai Nathan tells her story of trying to balance life as an Indian girl in Potomac, MD in “Beware”."

Now SpeakeasyDC is a storytelling organization. They have monthly nights where they have a series of "tellers" sharing stories based around a particular topic. The first one I attended was Line in the Sand. The stories were based about making a point, taking a stand, or breaking a pattern. And all it is is each individual at the mic, telling their tale. It's a really great cultivation of what is probably one of the oldest performing arts, storytelling. Check out this site/page on the history of storytelling, if you're interested.

Anyway, Sam was really looking forward to the performance particularly because of our Pinoy connection with Kuya Regie, and I showed him some of Regie's stand-up and spoken word.

But each storyteller was wonderful. It was interesting to see some of the themes which occurred in various stories, especially with regards to parents and grade school being people and places where issues of identity, culturally, ethnically, and nationality really come to a head.

Although, in striking contrast, Claire Nelson's tale is not one of growing up with these issues as a child, but facing them as an adult. The pivotal point in her story happens after years of believing she would only be passing through the U.S. and never quite letting roots dig into American soil. But then 9/11 happened, and (even though she was overseas) Claire thought something to the effect of "why would they do that to us"...

And it was the realization that the "them" became an "us" which catalyzed some reflection on what her cultural and national identity had become without even knowing it.

Anyway, that's about it...not much to say this time. We got to meet the performers and say hi. Definitely intend on catching the next SpeakeasyDC event, when possible (2nd Tuesdays of every month). Maybe we'll see you there :-)