EVENT CATEGORIES
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ART
Nov. 1 to 24
Vaiven. Six Visual Journeys Back and Forth Between Spain and the U.S.
This exhibition showcases six photographers from Spain and the United States who interpret the realities of both countries from multiple perspectives, creating a visual round trip, as part of FotoWeekDC 2013; for information, visit www.spainculture.us.
Former Spanish Residence
Nov. 5 to 8
Moods – Young Austrian Photography @ FotoDC
The works of the Austrian artists selected for this exhibition examine the perception and manipulation of our daily surroundings, providing a cross section of young, enterprising artists shaping the country’s contemporary photography scene with innovative technique, striking composition and stirring imagery.
Embassy of Austria
Nov. 6 to Jan. 31
Portraits of Power: Works by Alejandro Almaraz of Argentina
Since 2006, the Organization of American States’s Art Museum of the Americas has aimed to promote OAS values of social progress and cultural exchange through the visual arts. Continuing along this path, Alejandro Almaraz’s examinations of popular authority figures encourages conversation on vital OAS interests such as democracy and good governance.
Art Museum of the Americas
Through Nov. 8
Jorge Caligiuri: The Other Lands
Inspired by interior design and decorative objects, Argentine-born Jorge Caligiuri’s latest body of work is a series of frescos where the primary intention is to create a simple visual experience working with ordinary elements: dots, squares, strips, texture and light playing off elements of repetition, geometry and color.
Embassy of Argentina
Through Nov. 10
American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold’s Paintings of the 1960s
Faith Ringgold is well known for originating the African American story quilt revival in the late 1970s. In the previous decade, she created bold, provocative paintings in direct response to the civil rights and feminist movements. Ringgold’s unprecedented exploration of race and gender in America is examined in this comprehensive survey of 49 rarely exhibited paintings.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through Nov. 10
Awake in a Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger
The first major museum exhibition of visual artist and author of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” reveals a mysterious, strange and whimsical world, both real and imagined, through 239 paintings, drawings, prints and book art.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through Nov. 10
Las Calles Hablan (Mapping Barcelona Public Art)
“Las Calles Hablan” shows the evolution of street art in Barcelona, where opinions on graffiti and street art span the spectrum from love to indifference to hate.
Embassy of Spain
Nov. 12 to 29
The Vienna Model – Housing for the 21st Century
This exhibition presents 36 case studies of public housing in Vienna, where about 60 percent of the population lives in municipally built, owned or managed buildings, which is in stark contrast to America’s mostly privately run housing market. The predominance of public housing in Vienna has a visible impact on the city’s life, atmosphere and communities, as evidenced by surveys that regularly rank Vienna as the world’s most livable cities.
Embassy of Austria
Nov. 23 to March 9
Alex Prager: Face in the Crowd
Los Angeles artist Alex Prager’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States debuts her latest series — elaborately staged crowd scenes, both poignant and revelatory — alongside earlier photographs and video works.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Through Dec. 8
Different Distances: Fashion Photography Goes Art
Five artists — whose images are a game of balance between art and fashion photography, rooted in cultural history as well as personal experiences — overcome the difference between the intimate and the distant to create atmospheres that bewitch us.
House of Sweden
Through Dec. 8
The Third Room
Children enter a playroom that serves as a set on which they will be the leading characters in a theater piece of their own interpretation. Through headphones, they are instructed to find things in the room, to quiet a talking suitcase, and to fly through space. Exactly how they do this is completely up to them.
House of Sweden
Through Dec. 8
United Stockholms of America
Using figures and facts, design and photography by Charlie Bennet, “United Stockholms of America” tells the story of the migration of 1.3 million Swedes who left their home for a better future in the Promised Land.
House of Sweden
Through Dec. 20
Camus in a Digital Age
Scannable QR codes create a virtual bridge between physical media and digital content, connecting gallery displays with online videos, photographs, newspaper and audio archives that explore the life of Albert Camus, a French Nobel Prize-winning author, journalist and philosopher. The exhibit is part of “Celebrating 100 Years of Albert Camus,” a series of events that includes author talks, a panel discussion and mixed-media performance; for information, visit www.francedc.org.
Alliance Française of Washington, D.C.
Through Dec. 31
S.O.S. Spanish Office Showroom
As part of the SPAIN arts & culture program (www.spainculture.us), “S.O.S. Spanish Office Showroom” presents the most avant-garde pieces of Spanish design conceived for modern working environments, highlighting how the creativity of contemporary Spanish designers adapts to any office space and how Spanish design companies are successfully competing in international markets, such as the United States.
Former Spanish Residence
Through Jan. 5
Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris
The first retrospective exhibition in the United States, and the only scholarly catalogue on the renowned 19th-century French photographer Charles Marville (1813-79), presents recent groundbreaking discoveries informing his art and biography, including the versatility of his photographic talents and his true identity, background and family life.
National Gallery of Art
Through Jan. 5
A Democracy of Images: Photographs from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
More than 100 photographs selected from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the museum’s photography collection, examine photography’s evolution in the United States from a documentary medium to a full-fledged artistic genre, and showcase the numerous ways in which it has captured the American experience.
American Art Museum
Through Jan. 5
Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa
Some 100 exceptional works of art from the late 18th to 21st centuries come together for the first major exhibition and scholarly endeavor to comprehensively examine the rich relationship between African artists and the land upon which they live, work and frame their days.
National Museum of African Art
Through Jan. 5
Northern Mannerist Prints from the Kainen Collection
Some 50 works embody the sophisticated imagery, extraordinary stylization and virtuoso technique of the printmaking industry that flourished in the northern Netherlands and at the imperial court of Prague in the late 16th century.
National Gallery of Art
Through Jan. 5
Wanderer: Travel Prints by Ellen Day Hale
A selection of prints, drawings and original printing plates demonstrates Ellen Day Hale ‘s passion for travel and her mastery of printmaking.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through Jan. 5
Yes, No, Maybe: Artists Working at Crown Point Press
Featuring 125 working proofs and edition prints produced between 1972 and 2010 at Crown Point Press in San Francisco, one of the most influential printmaking studios of the last half century, “Yes, No, Maybe” goes beyond celebrating the flash of inspiration to examine the artistic process as a sequence of decisions.
National Gallery of Art
Through Jan. 12
Living Artfully: At Home with Marjorie Merriweather Post
From the glamour of Palm Beach, to the rustic whimsy of the Adirondacks, to the distinguished social scene of Washington, D.C., heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post brought to her multiple residences a flawless style of living and entertaining that was made possible only through the gracious management of loyal staff.
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens
Through Jan. 12
Pakistani Voices: A Conversation with The Migration Series
In April 2013, the Phillips partnered with the State Department to conduct a series of workshops in Pakistan focusing on art and social change. This exhibition features 29 works by emerging Pakistani artists and 20 works by students and orphans who worked together to create visual narratives about identity, personal struggle and Pakistani history.
The Phillips Collection
Through Jan. 25
A Night at the Opera
The grandeur of opera — its unforgettable music, stellar performers, and lavish scenery and costumes — has transfixed audiences for more than 400 years. This 50-item display will feature manuscripts, printed scores, librettos, photographs, correspondence and set designs dating from the late 18th century through the beginning of the 20th century.
Library of Congress James Madison Building
Through Jan. 26
Van Gogh Repetitions
In the first Vincent van Gogh (1853-90) exhibition in D.C. in 15 years, the Phillips Collection takes a fresh look at the van Gogh’s artistic process, venturing beneath the surface of some of his best-known paintings to examine how and why he repeated certain compositions during his 10-year career.
The Phillips Collection
Through Jan. 26
Yoga: The Art of Transformation
Through masterpieces of Indian sculpture and painting, “Yoga” — the first exhibit to present this leitmotif of Indian visual culture — explores yoga’s goals; its Hindu as well as Buddhist, Jain and Sufi manifestations; its means of transforming body and consciousness; and its profound philosophical foundations.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through Jan. 31
Icons of the Desert
This exhibition of early indigenous Australian paintings from Papunya, from the private collection of John and Barbara Wilkerson, took more than 10 years of development in close consultation with the aboriginal community and descendants of the artists.
Embassy of Australia Art Gallery
Through Feb. 9
Lines, Marks, and Drawings: Through the Lens of Roger Ballen
This exhibit considers the 40-year-plus career of Roger Ballen, one of the more recognized photographic artists working today, through a new approach: an examination of line and drawing in his photographs.
National Museum of African Art
Through March 2
Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections
In the first exhibition devoted to Byzantine art at the National Gallery, some 170 rare and important works, drawn exclusively from Greek collections, offer a fascinating glimpse of the soul and splendor of the mysterious Byzantine Empire.
National Gallery of Art
Through March 2
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
Nearly 100 works in all media by 72 leading modern and contemporary artists present the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-20th century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Through May 26
Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950
The first in-depth exploration of the theme of destruction in international contemporary visual culture, this ground-breaking exhibition includes works by a diverse range of international artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, film, installation and performance.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through June 8, 2014
Perspectives: Rina Banerjee
Born in India and based in New York City, artist Rina Banerjee draws on her background as a scientist and her experience as an immigrant in her richly textured works that complicate the role of objects as representations of cultures and invite viewers to share her fascination in materials.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
DANCE
Through Nov. 3
Giselle
Love, betrayal and forgiveness reign as the Washington Ballet takes on one of the world’s most beautiful and technically difficult ballets. Tickets are $25 to $125.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theatre
Thu., Nov. 7, 8 p.m.
Luis Bravo’s Forever Tango
Tracing the brilliantly hued history of tango through music, dance and dramatic vignettes, this sizzling, Tony-nominated show features an all-Argentine cast of 14 dancers and an 11-piece orchestra. Tickets are $36 to $78.
Music Center at Strathmore
Nov. 8 to 17
Fuego Flamenco IX
GALA Hispanic Theatre’s acclaimed flamenco festival is back for its ninth year, exploring traditional flamenco and its diversity through contemporary expressions, as well as its impact in the United States. This year’s attractions include the world premiere of “Uno Más Uno” created by Edwin Aparicio and Aleksey Kulikov for D.C.’s Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company, and the U.S. premiere of “Templanza,” performed by the sensual duo José Jurado and Isabel Rodríguez from Madrid. Tickets are $35.
GALA Hispanic Theatre
Nov. 12 to 17
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty — New Adventures
Renowned British choreographer Matthew Bourne returns with his latest re-imagining of a ballet classic — as the tale of a young girl cursed to sleep for 100 years becomes a supernatural love story that even the passage of time cannot hinder. Tickets are $30 to $120.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Sat., Nov. 23, 8 p.m.
Shanghai Ballet: The Butterfly Lovers
This extraordinary classical ballet company from China performs one of its signature ballets, “The Butterfly Lovers,” based on an ancient legend often considered the Chinese equivalent of “Romeo and Juliet.” Tickets are $28 to $56.
George Mason University Center for the Arts
Sun., Nov. 24, 4 p.m.
Shanghai Ballet: La Sylphide
Bringing its gifted dancers from the Far East to Northern Virginia, this dazzling ensemble will spellbind audiences with its production of “La Sylphide,” a gripping ballet that tells the tale of a young man who loses his heart on his wedding day to a beautiful and mysterious spirit. Tickets are $28 to $56.
George Mason University Center for the Arts
DISCUSSIONS
Sat., Nov. 2, 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
The Inca and Machu Picchu
This daylong seminar explores the Inca and Machu Picchu through the lenses of geography, history, and culture to uncover new truths about a people and a place that fascinate us still. Tickets are $130; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center
Wed., Nov. 6, 6:30 p.m.
Redeeming The Prince: The Meaning of Machiavelli’s Masterpiece
Professor Maurizio Viroli, one of the world’s leading Machiavelli scholars, discusses his book “Redeeming The Prince,” in which he puts forth a startling new interpretation of arguably the most influential but widely misunderstood book in the Western political tradition.
Inter-American Development Bank
Wed., Nov. 6, 7 p.m.
Sur La Route: Jack Kerouac’s Francophone Roots
“On the Road,” Jack Kerouac’s immortal contribution to Beat literature, became a cultural touchstone for generations of American readers. But few people realize that Kerouac began writing his masterpiece in French, a language in which he was fluent. Tickets are $25; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center
Thu., Nov. 7, 11:30 a.m.
Translational Medicine: Advancing from Bench to Bedside
The Library of Congress will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the DNA structure with a panel discussion that includes Nobel Laureate James D. Watson, the world-renowned molecular biologist, who — in collaboration with several other scientists — discovered the structure of DNA.
Library of Congress James Madison Building
Tue., Nov. 12, 10 a.m.
The Golden Age of Finnish Art and Architecture
By popular demand, Finnish Ambassador Ritva Koukku-Ronde again welcomes guests to her elegant residence to enjoy an art-themed morning featuring a lecture and special viewing of paintings by renowned Finnish artists. Tickets are $70; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
Finnish Ambassador’s Residence
Tue., Nov. 19, 6:45 p.m.
How the Monuments Men Rescued Italy’s Art from the Nazis
In August 1943, on the eve of the Allied invasion of Italy, bombs threatened Michelangelo’s “David” and nearly destroyed da Vinci’s “Last Supper,” and the race to save Italy’s masterpieces was on. Tickets are $25; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
National Museum of Natural History
Sat., Nov. 23, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Britain’s Crown Jewels: Splendor, Symbols, and Power
David Thomas, royal crown jeweler from 1991 to 2007, gives a talk on British crown jewels, which symbolize a monarch’s power and a nation’s royal heritage — and whose ceremonial role in the life of the democracy is so important that the collection, known as the regalia, commands its own carriage in the annual procession to the state opening of Parliament. Tickets are $135; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
National Museum of Natural History
FESTIVALS
Sat., Nov. 2, 12 to 4 p.m.
Day of the Dead Altar
This well-known community event features an intricate altar dedicated to Juan García de Oteyza, former director of the Mexican Cultural Institute who passed away earlier this year. In addition, 2013 marks the centennial of the passing of José Guadalupe Posada, one of Mexico’s most famous artists, partially responsible for popularizing the calavera, or skull, through his engravings and images, which have become iconic representations of the Day of the Dead and Mexican culture as a whole. The opening event will feature Mexican hot chocolate and pan de muertos, a traditional sweet bread served on the holiday, and the altar will remain open to visitors and school groups until Nov. 8.
Mexican Cultural Institute
Fri., Nov. 8, 3 to 6 p.m.,
Sat., Nov. 9, 1 to 6 p.m.
Czech Christmas Market
The Czech Christmas Market will feature beautiful hand-blown Czech ornaments from the European Trading Company; special performances of Czech and Slovak Christmas carols performed by children from Sokol Washington, D.C.; a music workshop called “Rhythm and Body”; Czech nativity scenes on display; the opportunity to decorate traditional gingerbread cookies; Christmas cookies from Bistro Bohem; and delicious mulled wine (svařák). Admission is free and reservations are not required.
Embassy of the Czech Republic
Through Nov. 13
Kids Euro Festival 2013
The largest children’s performing arts festival in the United States returns to the Washington area for its sixth edition, with more 200 free, family-friendly, European-themed events including performances, concerts, workshops, movies, storytelling, puppetry, dance, magic and cinema — all brought to you by the 28 European Union member states. For information, visit kidseurofestival.org.
Various locations
MUSIC
Sat., Nov. 2, 8 p.m.
Sir James Galway with the Irish Chamber Orchestra
This world-class ensemble, renowned for its driving energy and explosive power, shares the stage with Ireland’s great flutist, Sir James Galway. Tickets are $37.50 to $75.
George Mason University Center for the Arts
Thu., Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.
The Operetta Spirit – The Merry Widow
Music from “The Merry Widow,” the 1923 Hollywood film version directed by Ernst Lubitsch, is accompanied by a discussion with the artists ( a concert by PostClassical Ensemble on Nov. 16. Admission is free but RSVP is required and can be made at http://theoperettaspirit.eventbrite.com.
Embassy of Austria
Fri., Nov. 8., 7:30 p.m.
Drumartica
The Slovenian percussion duo Drumartica is one of the most active percussion ensembles in Europe today, performing at prestigious competitions in Luxembourg and Bulgaria, as well as shows in the United States, Russia and around Europe in venues such as the Hermitage Theater in St. Petersburg and Carnegie Hall in New York. Tickets are $15; to purchase, visit http://eunic-drumartica.eventbrite.com.
Embassy of Austria
Fri., Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Raffi Besalyan, Piano
Hailed as “a true heir of the mainstream of Russian pianism, like Horowitz” by Chopin Magazine, Armenian-born pianist Raffi Besalyan has toured North and South America, Europe, Russia and Asia as a recitalist and orchestral soloist. Tickets are $100, including buffet dinner; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of Armenia
Fri., Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m.
‘Song of the Monarch’ Album Presentation
Award-winning Mexican pianist Ana Cervantes, a Yamaha Concert Artist and Fulbright Senior Scholar, presents her album “Song of the Monarch: Women in Mexico!” — featuring composers from Mexico, the United States, Britain, Brazil and Colombia. RSVP to rsvp@instituteofmexicodc.org.
Mexican Cultural Institute
Sat., Nov. 9, 8 p.m.
Lost Childhood
The National Philharmonic present the first complete concert performance of the opera “Lost Childhood,” based on the memoir by Holocaust survivor Yehuda Nir and premiering on the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”), when a wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms throughout Germany marked the unofficial start to the Holocaust. Tickets start at $28.
Music Center at Strathmore
Thu., Nov. 14, 7 p.m.
Itamar Zorman, Violin
Born in Tel Aviv in 1985 to a family of musicians, Itamar Zorman graduated from the Israeli Conservatory of Music in Tel Aviv in 2003, received his bachelor’s of music from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, was the first violinist in the Israel Defense Force’s String Quartet, and received his master’s of music from the Juilliard School in 2009. Tickets are $65, including reception; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Venue TBA
Sat., Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Fallin’ for Jazz
The Swedish Jazz ensemble consists of saxophonist Anders Lundegård, a native Swede, and guitarist and singer Al Baumann, married to a Swede, both of whom have careers in finance and banking. Together, they form a unique blend of jazz standards, popular songs and folk music. Tickets are $17 or $20 at the door; for information, visit www.theswedishjazz.com.
Lyceum
Sat., Nov. 16, 8 p.m.
Tales from the Vienna Woods
PostClassical Ensemble presents Johann Strauss’s most beloved waltzes in a variety of scintillating transformations — including a chamber-orchestra version of “Emperor Waltz” as lovingly transcribed by Arnold Schoenberg, Adolf Schulz-Evler’s spectacular solo piano paraphrase of “The Blue Danube” performed by Benjamin Pasternack, soprano Jennifer Casey Cabot singing “Vilja” from Franz Lehár’s “The Merry Widow,” and other operetta favorites. Tickets are $30 to $35; for information, visit www.dumbartonconcerts.org.
Historic Dumbarton Church
THEATER
Through Nov. 3
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Synetic Theater reinvents Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” in a unique fusion of visual and verbal poetry that explores Wilde’s only novel, which many consider his most personal work — a timelessly supernatural story of man’s endless conflict with the nature of mortality. Tickets start at $35.
Synetic Theater
Through Nov. 3
This
Jane is a poet-without-a-muse, a single mother trying to reignite her life after she suddenly loses her husband. Her supportive friends try to help but only make things more complicated while a sexy, French Doctor-Without-Borders incites temptation — and perspective. Tickets are $10 to $45.
Round House Theatre
Nov. 8 to 16
Molière Impromptu: Translated and Adapted by Rinne Groff
Based on three short plays by Molière, this wickedly funny look at the magic of theatre is set in 1665 Versailles, where the play presents a director’s nightmare as the members of Molière’s Illustre Theatre gather to rehearse a new play commissioned by the king for a performance that very night. Tickets are $25.
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Nov. 9 to 24
Mies Julie
This unflinching South African adaptation of August Strindberg’s “Miss Julie” ingeniously transposes the 1888 parable of class and gender to a remote, South African estate 18 years after apartheid, tackling the deeper complexities of South African society head on. Tickets are $60.
Shakespeare Theatre Company Lansburgh Theatre
Through Nov. 10
Sister Act
In this crowd-pleasing musical based on the hit film, a wannabe diva witnesses a crime and hides out in a convent, where, under Mother Superior’s watchful eye, she helps her fellow sisters find their voices, not to mention her own. Tickets are $39 to $120.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Through Nov. 17
Love in Afghanistan
An emerging hip-hop artist and a high-level Afghan interpreter both fight to navigate the pitfalls of romance, religious differences and political unrest in war-torn Afghanistan. Tickets are $40 to $90.
Arena Stage
Nov. 19 to Dec. 15
Protest
In this play written in 1978 by famed Czech human rights activist Vaclav Havel, we meet a dissident on his way home from prison and a person involved in a campaign to protest the government. One character is the protesting artist who suffered for his beliefs, the other a compromising and compromised playwright. But in this unique interpretation by Ambassador Theater, the two male characters have counter female egos, emphasizing their universality (for mature audiences). Tickets are $20 to $40; for information, visit www.aticc.org.
Mead Theater Lab at Flashpoint
Nov. 21 to Jan. 5
A Christmas Carol
Ford’s Theatre has delighted Washington audiences with “A Christmas Carol” for more than 30 years. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Please call for ticket information.
Ford’s Theatre
Nov. 21 to Jan. 5
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
This fun musical farce based on the classic plays of ancient Roman playwright Plautus tells the bawdy story of Pseudolus, a slave in ancient Rome, who goes to great lengths to gain his freedom by securing a courtesan for his young master, Hero. Tickets are $20 to $110.
Shakespeare Theatre Sidney Harman Hall
Through Nov. 24
16th International Festival of Hispanic Theater
Teatro de la Luna presents the 16th International Festival of Hispanic Theater with troupes from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Puerto Rica, Uruguay and the United States. Tickets are $35. For information, visit www.teatrodelaluna.org.
Gunston Arts Center
Nov. 29 to Jan. 5
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Broadway and Arena Stage favorite Kenny Leon returns to direct Malcolm-Jamal Warner (in his Arena Stage debut) in a new adaptation of the beloved film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” Please call for ticket information.
Arena Stage
Through Dec. 1
Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare’s timeless story of young, passionate love set against a sea of hate is retold by three-time Helen Hayes Award-winning director Aaron Posner. Tickets are $40 to $72.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Through Dec. 8
Pride in the Falls of Autrey Mill
The Falls of Autrey Mill is the most desired zipcode in town. From the outside, the flawless neighborhood glitters with elegant roman column porches and exquisitely manicured lawns. However, demons lurk behind the designer window treatments when one seemingly perfect family disintegrates from the inside out. Please call for ticket information.
Signature Theatre