EVENT CATEGORIES

ART 

Oct. 3 to Dec. 3

Fragonard: The Fantasy Figures

Combining art, fashion, science, and conservation, this revelatory exhibition brings together — for the first time — some 14 of the paintings known as the fantasy figures by Jean Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806). He is considered among the most characteristic and important French painters of his era, and the fantasy figure series — several rapidly executed, brightly colored paintings of lavishly costumed individuals — are some of his most beloved works.

National Gallery of Art

Oct. 6 to 27

Hangeul, the Aesthetics of the Lines

This new exhibition of works by Korean contemporary installation artist EunHye Kang draws inspiration from the geometric and abstract forms of Korea’s phonetic, philosophical and linguistically rich alphabetic writing system, Hangeul. Kang’s work starts with the fundamental line, the basic element of formative language. By repeating and overlapping these elements, vertical and horizontal lines crisscross the physical art space, form images and create new places in between, just as written language generates endless knowledge and emotion.

Korean Cultural Center

Oct. 7 to Jan. 7

Renoir and Friends: Luncheon of the Boating Party

This special exhibition will focus on The Phillips Collection’s celebrated “Luncheon of the Boating Party” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and the diverse circle of friends who inspired it. The first exhibition to focus on this singular masterwork in more than 20 years, it is comprised of more than 40 carefully chosen works — paintings, drawings, pastels, watercolors and photographs from public and private collections around the world — that reveal the story of “Luncheon of the Boating Party” and the artists and patrons who were instrumental in its creator’s success.

The Phillips Collection

Oct. 8 to Jan. 7

Bosch to Bloemaert: Early Netherlandish Drawings from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam

Founded in the 19th century, Rotterdam’s Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen possesses one of the world’s finest collections of 15th- and 16th-century Netherlandish drawings. “Bosch to Bloemaert” offers American audiences an exceptional opportunity to see a selection of 100 master drawings from this collection. The exhibition presents a beautiful and remarkably comprehensive overview of the period, encompassing nearly all media and types of drawings of the time.

National Gallery of Art

Oct. 13 to Jan. 21

Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today

This landmark exhibition of abstract paintings, sculptures and works on paper by 21 black women artists places the visual vocabularies of these artists in context with one another and within the larger history of abstraction. This exhibition celebrates those under-recognized artists who have been marginalized, and argues for their continuing contribution to the history and iconography of abstraction in the United States.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through Oct. 14

Home + Discordance + US

Solas Nua, in collaboration with New York University, Washington, DC, presents this exhibition that explores the idea of the U.S. as a place of “home.” Typically, the word home conjures up an image of warmth, welcome and a place of safety. However, for some that image does not fully hold true; some are less welcome than others, some are less equal and some are less safe.

NYU Washington DC

Oct. 14 to Nov. 29

Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia

Encounter Buddhist art through the lens of spiritual practice and the perspectives of practitioners. Drawing on the Freer|Sackler’s collections from across Asia, this exhibition expands the understanding of Buddhism in Asian art through both beautiful objects and immersive spaces.

Freer and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Oct. 14 to Jan. 15

Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt

Cats’ personalities have made them internet stars today. In ancient Egypt, cats were associated with divinities, as revealed in “Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt.” Cat coffins and representations of the cat-headed goddess Bastet are among the extraordinary objects that reveal felines’ critical role in ancient Egyptian religious, social and political life.

Freer and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Oct. 20 to Jan. 28

Murder Is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death

This fascinating exhibition explores the surprising intersection between craft and forensic science. Frances Glessner Lee (1878-1962) crafted her extraordinary “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death” — exquisitely detailed miniature crime scenes — to train homicide investigators to “convict the guilty, clear the innocent, and find the truth in a nutshell.” These dollhouse-sized dioramas, created in the first half of the 20th century and still used in forensic training today, were the equivalent of virtual reality in their time and helped to revolutionize the emerging field of forensic science. They also tell the story of how a woman co-opted traditionally feminine crafts to advance a male-dominated field and establish herself as one of its leading voices.

Renwick Gallery

Oct. 22 to Jan. 21

Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry

This landmark exhibition examines the artistic exchanges among Johannes Vermeer and his contemporaries from 1650 to 1675, when they reached the height of their technical ability and mastery of depictions of domestic life. The exhibition brings together some 65 works by Vermeer and his fellow painters of the Dutch Golden Age, including Gerard ter Borch, Gerrit Dou, Pieter de Hooch, Gabriel Metsu, Frans van Mieris, Caspar Netscher and Jan Steen. Juxtaposing paintings related by theme, composition, and technique, the exhibition explores how these artists inspired, rivaled, surpassed and pushed each other to greater artistic achievement.

National Gallery of Art

Through Oct. 27

Bahia and Africa Through the Lenses of Verger

Pierre Verger, a 20th-century photographer and a scholar of Afro-Brazilian culture, photographed celebrities such as Ernest Hemingway and Walt Disney, but the heart of his work was the everyday lives of common people. When Verger arrived in Bahia, Brazil, he fell in love with the city and its residents, and between the 1950s and the late 1970s, he spent almost as much time in Africa as in Bahia, where he was given the name Fatumbi after having been initiated in the Ifá religion.

OAS Art Museum of the Americas

Through Oct. 28

Brilliant Dilletantes (Geniale Dilletanten)

“Geniale Dilletanten” was the deliberately misspelled title of a concert that took place at Berlin’s Tempodrom in 1981. But over the years since then, it has come to represent an artistic scene in West and East Germany during the mid-1980’s, an era of upheaval in which people in all the arts experimented with new ways of expression. Rather than persisting with the cause of world revolution, energies were channeled into achieving alternative ways of life. By adopting German rather than English as the language for song lyrics and band names, the protagonists of this new scene set themselves apart from the mainstream, giving credence to the movement’s claim to be representing a radical new departure.

Goethe-Institut

Through Oct. 29

Equilibrium: Fanny Sanín

This spotlight exhibition, featuring five paintings and more than 30 preliminary drawings by Fanny Sanín, invites viewers into the artist’s meticulous, intuitive process, as she creates compositions of geometric forms with precisely defined fields of color.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through Oct. 29

Spain’s Eleven & Estrada Design Kitchen

This double exhibition on design and food by Spanish designer Manuel Estrada serves as a framework for the “Eat Spain Up!” program about the gastronomy of Spain. “Spain’s Eleven” is a photographic journey across Spain’s geography through its most relevant foods, from cheese and wine to olive oil, its fish preserves or its coveted ham. “Estrada Design Kitchen” explores the Spanish designer’s conceptual work at pulling apart the everyday elements of food we take for granted, transforming them into works of art.

Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain

Through Oct. 29

Shipwrecked! Preserving Our Underwater Heritage

Spanish design and video-mapping artists Cynthia Gonzalez and Ines Vila from WOT Studio, and Spanish archaeologist Carlos León come together to present this audiovisual exhibit on the untold stories of Spanish vessels lost at sea that seeks to raise awareness about the need to preserve and protect our underwater heritage.

Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain

Through Nov. 17

Wonder Women!

From the Guerrilla Girls righting the wrongs of the art world to painter Edna Reindel’s tough World War II riveters, to vintage feminist comic books — it’s the celebration of the Wonder Women! Explore images of the powerful woman, real and fictional, in a wide-ranging selection drawn from the special collections and artists’ archives of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through Nov. 26

Human Landscapes: Paisajes Humanos

“Human Landscapes,” organized in conjunction with the Argentine Embassy, presents a multifaceted approach to the diverse and idiosyncratic aspects of Argentina’s geography, through the eyes of contemporary photographers. Images depict the human footprints left on the land from the urban centers of Buenos Aires and Salta as well as islands along the Paraná River, interactions between indigenous and other Argentina people and tourists, as well as the artists’ personal lives.

OAS Art Museum of the Americas

Through Dec. 10

Stories of Migration – Sweden Beyond the Headlines

Migration is old news. It has helped shape countries and the world. But the current situation is unprecedented: More than 65 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes. Migration is also an integral part of the history of Sweden; in today’s population, one in six was born in another country. Since the 1930s Sweden has been characterized by more immigration than emigration, including offering refuge to people fleeing war and political unrest. This exhibition aims to add new perspectives to the story of Sweden and migration and give insights into the current situation in the country. Beyond headlines of chaos and collapse, beyond politics and public authorities, there are people who try to build a life in a new country.

House of Sweden

Through Dec. 10

Witnesses by Anna U Davis

Anna U Davis is known for her bold, colorful, graphic mixed-media work, where she explores her fascination with gender relations. This exhibit examines the notion of personality traits that are often classified as either good or bad — from curiosity, passion and jealousy to maturity, independence and insecurity — delving into where these features stem from.

House of Sweden

Through Dec. 13

Matthias Mansen: Configurations

German-born artist Matthias Mansen creates large-scale woodcuts that explore abstraction and figuration. He advances the tradition of woodblock printing by transforming pieces of scavenged wood—discarded floorboards or fragments of abandoned furniture—into printing blocks, which he progressively carves and recarves.

National Gallery of Art

Through Dec. 17

Between Two Rounds of Fire, The Exile of the Sea: Arab Modern and Contemporary Works from the Barjeel Art Foundation

This exhibit showcases a diverse selection of works, grouped around the theme of technologies in conflict. The works come from the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation, an independent United Arab Emirates-based initiative established to manage, preserve and exhibit Arab art.

American University Museum

Through Dec. 17

I Am: An East-West Arts Initiative Organized by Caravan

“I Am” spotlights the insights and experiences of Middle Eastern women as they confront issues of culture, religion and social reality in a rapidly changing world both in the Middle East and West.

American University Museum

Through Dec. 29

Before the 45th | Action/Reaction in Chicano and Latino Art

This display of 60 works examines how Southern California-based Chicano and Latino artists worked tirelessly in an effort to shed light on the economic, political and social injustices faced over the past four decades. Concentrating on various themes and ideas, the exhibition highlights the diverse approaches taken by these artists to communicate their individual and community needs.

Mexican Cultural Institute

Through Jan. 1

Spectacular Gems and Jewelry from the Merriweather Post Collection

For centuries, extraordinary gemstones have been the centerpieces of stunning jewelry made to adorn royalty, aristocracy, high society and Hollywood stars. Over 50 pieces that once belonged heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, one of the greatest jewelry collectors of the 20th century, will tell the story behind some of the remarkable stones and the jewelry into which they were transformed.

Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens

Through Jan. 7

Scraps: Fashion, Textiles and Creative Reuse

Textile and apparel manufacturing is one of the most polluting industries in the world. This exhibition explores the work of innovative designers taking a lead in sustainability and reducing waste in the design process.

The George Washington University Textile Museum

Through Jan. 15

Architecture of an Asylum: St. Elizabeths 1852-2017

Established by Congress in 1855 as the Government Hospital for the Insane, St. Elizabeths is widely considered a pioneering psychiatric facility. The hospital is a prime example of the “Kirkbride Plan” for mental health hospitals, which promised to help patients with a specialized architecture and landscape. This exhibition traces St. Elizabeths’ evolution over time, reflecting shifting theories about how to care for the mentally ill, as well as the later reconfiguration of the campus as a federal workplace and a mixed-use urban development.

National Building Museum

Through Jan. 28

Edvard Munch: Color in Context

In the second half of the 19th century, advances in physics, electromagnetic radiation theory and the optical sciences provoked new thought about the physical as well as the spiritual world. Aspects of that thought are revealed in this exhibition of 21 prints that considers the choice, combinations and meaning of color in light of spiritualist principles.

National Gallery of Art

Through Jan. 28

The Face of Battle: Americans at War, 9/11 to Now

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States has been engaged in multiple wars, varying in intensity, locale and consequence. After fifteen years, this warfare has become normalized into our social and cultural landscape; it is ongoing, yet somehow out of sight, invisible. These 56 portraits by six artists explore the human costs of ongoing wars through portraiture. The exhibition title is drawn from John Keegan’s classic military history, which reorients our view of war from questions of strategy and tactics to its personal and individual toll.

National Portrait Gallery

Through Jan. 28

Posing for the Camera: Gifts from Robert B. Menschel

A selection of some 60 photographs in the National Gallery’s collection made possible by Robert B. Menschel are on view in an exhibition that examines how the act of posing for a portrait changed with the invention of the medium. Featured works come from the early 1840s — just after photography was invented — through the 1990s.

National Gallery of Art

Through Jan. 29

The Box Project: Uncommon Threads

This exhibition explores contemporary fiber artworks commissioned through a challenge to international artists and features pieces by 36 acclaimed international artists, including Richard Tuttle, Cynthia Schira, Gerhardt Knodel, Helena Hernmarck and Gyöngy Laky, among others. It showcases a diverse collection of works that reflect the artists’ creative and ingenious use of fiber to create new works of art.

The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum

Through Feb. 17

Painting Shakespeare

Discover the paintings collection at the Folger — its stories, its glories and Shakespeare’s power to inspire visual artists. From humble oil sketches to international masterpieces, this exhibition presents kids and adults alike, with a sometimes surprising, and always eye-catching, view of the man and his works.

Folger Shakespeare Library

Through March 4

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: The Utopian Projects

Spanning 1985 through present day, this survey comprises more than 20 of the Kabakovs’ maquettes, whimsical models, for projects realized and unrealized, including monuments, allegorical narratives, architectural structures and commissioned outdoor works. Opening nearly 30 years after the Hirshhorn hosted Ilya Kabakov’s first major U.S. exhibition, these intricate creations invite the viewer into their surreal world in miniature and offer a rare glimpse into the duo’s artistic process.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Through June 24, 2018

Jim Chuchu’s Invocations

The museum is the first institution to acquire and display Kenyan multimedia artist Jim Chuchu’s mesmerizing suite of video projections, in which two distinct videos loop in succession and follow the structure of initiation rituals. Surrounded by Chuchu’s pulsing house beats and evocative imagery, viewers are invited to contemplate the separations and releases that shape our individual and collective identities.

National Museum of African Art

DANCE

Oct. 4 to 8

The Washington Ballet Presents Russian Masters

The Washington Ballet opens its 2017-2018 Kennedy Center season with “Russian Masters,” an evening of works that clearly reveal where classical ballet began and how these choreographers have shaped and influenced our art form over the last 175 years. Tickets are $25 to $140.

Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

Oct. 17 to 22

Mariinsky Ballet: La Bayadère

Replete with forbidden love, shocking betrayal and a spectral voyage to the afterlife, this enchanting journey to a fabled past radiates with colorful characters, vibrant sets and costumes, and virtuosic moments. Petipa created “La Bayadère” for the Mariinsky more than 140 years ago, and this dazzling ballet continues to be “theirs” well into the 21st century. Tickets are $39 to $150.

Kennedy Center Opera House

Fri., Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.

Sukhishvili Georgian National Dance Company

Back by popular demand, the Sukhishvili Georgian National Dance Company brings 50 awe-inspiring, magnificently costumed, choreographic “warriors” that thrill and astound its audience. The Washington Post exclaimed: “They are First, Foremost, Magnificent!” Tickets are $50 to $125.

GW Lisner Auditorium

DISCUSSIONS

Wed., Oct. 11, 6:30 p.m.

Austrian-American Relations in a Period of Turmoil

What are Austria’s foreign policy interests and how are they pursued? Is there a “distinguishing feature” of Austrian foreign policy? If so, how is it defined? Ambassador Franz Cede and Ambassador Christian Prosl will discuss these and other topics, including Austrian-European-U.S. relations, the EU’s future after Brexit as well as immigration and integration issues. Admission is free; to register visit acfdc.org.

Embassy of Austria

GALAS

Thu., Oct. 12, 6 p.m.

39th Annual Ambassadors Ball

The annual National MS Society Ambassadors Ball, a premiere event in the D.C. fall social season for the past 38 years, has raised more than $20 million to support the National MS Society. The 39th Ambassadors Ball — co-hosted by UAE Ambassador Youself Al Otaiba — welcomes members of Congress, ambassadors, business and philanthropic leaders and their spouses to honor the diplomatic corps for their charitable activities and humanitarian endeavors. Tickets are $600; for information, contact Andrew Edwards at (202) 375-5602 or Andrew.Edwards@nmss.org.

Marriott Marquis

Fri., Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

Meridian Ball

The Meridian Ball is one of the most prestigious annual events in Washington, D.C. Now in its 49th year, this event brings together members of the public and private sector to celebrate Meridian’s ongoing efforts to prepare leaders for a complex global future. Guests have the option of choosing between an intimate Ambassador-hosted dinner or the White-Meyer dinner on Meridian’s campus. Following the dinners, guests from both the Ambassador-hosted Dinners and White-Meyer Dinner gather for dancing, dessert, and conversation at Meridian House. Individual dinner tickets are $650; for information, visit www.meridian.org/programs/ball/.

Meridian International Center

Fri., Oct. 27, 8 p.m.

Vampire’s Ball

Synetic Theater hosts its 11th annual Vampire’s Ball, which this year follows Synetic’s high-flying adaptation of “Peter Pan.” After returning from Neverland, where audiences played with the mermaids and fought Captain Hook’s pirates, guests will dance the night away with music courtesy of Resident Composer and Halloween DJ Konstantine Lortkipanidze. The event will include an open bar, light appetizers and a costume contest with Synetic prizes. Tickets are $60 to $75.

Synetic Theater

FESTIVALS

Sun., Oct. 1, 12 to 6 p.m.

Al Mahragan – Arabian Festival

This cultural diverse and family-friendly event features a plethora of vendors, arts and crafts, henna demonstrations, moon bounces and delectable Middle Eastern food.

Frying Pan Farm Park, Herndon, Va.

Sat., Oct. 14, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Sun., Oct. 15, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

IlluminAsia: A Festival of Asian, Food and Cultures

The Freer|Sackler Galleries mark its reopening with a free weekend-long celebration in which the museum grounds will be transformed into a vibrant night market, complete with food stalls, live music and performances. Inside the museums, experience the newly reimagined galleries and a series of new temporary exhibitions, as well as specially programmed in-gallery experiences.

Freer and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Oct. 21 to Nov. 5

Kids Euro Festival

Now in its 10th year, Kids Euro Festival is one of the largest performing arts festivals for children in America, bringing Europe’s most talented children’s entertainers to the DC metro area each fall for two weeks of free performances, concerts, workshops, movies, storytelling, puppetry, dance, magic and cinema. With programs both for the general public and for school groups, more than 10,000 DC-area children and their families enjoy Kids Euro Festival programs each year. For more information, visit http://events.euintheus.org/landing_page/kids-euro-fest/.

Various locations

Through Oct. 29

Eat Spain Up!

This month-long program of activities explores Spain and its regions through its foods, its traditional cuisine and its new gastronomic innovation. The cultural initiative includes exhibitions, discussions, screenings, lectures and much more, accompanied by tastings of regional foods and wines, iconic and avant-garde Spanish dishes. For information, visit visit www.spainculture.us/city/washington-dc/.

Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador

Through Nov. 2

Mutual Inspirations Festival 2017

The 2017 Mutual Inspirations Festival pays tribute to Gregor Mendel, the father of modern-day genetics, his scientific achievements, and the vibrancy of his homeland by bringing science and the arts alive through over 20 events in the nation’s capital. Festival highlights include the symposium “Mendel’s Peas and Today’s Genes” at Georgetown University on the ethical issues and possibilities of modern genetics; lectures by Director of the Mendel Museum in Brno Ondrej Dostal, Villanova University Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Edward Guinan, and renowned geneticist and holocaust survivor Renata Laxova; a garden concert in the U.S. Botanic Garden with U.S. Mandolin Champion Radim Zenkl; a performance of the Libor Smoldas Organ Trio mixing jazz, blues, soul and funk at the Czech Embassy and Kennedy Center; the U.S. premiere of Lenka Lichtenberg’s album “Masarykinspired” inspired by the folk music of Moravia; a “Great Experimenters” film series at the National Gallery of Art showcasing the early works of Czech filmmakers; and the exhibition opening of “Czech Scientists and Their Inventions” at the Czech Embassy. For more information, visit www.mutualinspirations.org.

Various locations

MUSIC

Sun., Oct. 1, 5 p.m.

Concert Benefiting Earthquake Relief in Mexico

The Embassy of Mexico, through its Cultural Institute, invites you to a recital by maestro Juan Pablo Horcasitas to benefit the victims of the September earthquakes in Mexico. The donations collected will go to the #FuerzaMexico trust, a private-sector initiative set up to aid recovery and reconstruction efforts. Tickets are $80 to $200; for information, visit www.instituteofmexicodc.org.

Mexican Cultural Institute

Thu., Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.

Brasil Guitar Duo

Brasil Guitar Duo is the classical/world music collaboration of guitarists João Luiz and Douglas Lora. With the winning combination of Luiz’s innovative arrangements and Lora’s own compositions, the duo is expanding the repertoire for two guitars around the world, appearing in diverse, nontraditional spaces and combining a broad yet masterful program of classical guitar duos from Bach, Scarlatti and Debussy with traditional Brazilian dance like choro, samba, maxixe and baião. Tickets are $30.

Music Center at Strathmore

Wed., Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Japanese Connections Featuring Kazunori Kumagai and Yumi Kurosawa

Tap dancer Kazunori Kumagai and koto player Yumi Kurosawa join forces to pay tribute to the connection forged between the Kennedy Center and the government and people of Japan who supported the original opening of the Terrace Theater. Tickets are $29 to $49.

Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

Thu., Oct. 19, 8 p.m.

An Evening with Sergio Mendes

Grammy winner Sergio Mendes’ influence on the music industry has spanned five decades. The megastar musician’s signature mix of bossa nova, samba and pop have come to define Brazilian music. His classic song “Mas Que Nada” is the first Portuguese language song to ever hit Billboard’s U.S. Pop chart, making the composer, keyboardist, and vocalist one of the most successful Brazilian artists of all time. Tickets are $29 to $69.

Music Center at Strathmore

Thu., Oct. 19, 8 p.m.

Paco Peña

Legendary flamenco guitarist Paco Peña is “a virtuoso, capable of dazzling an audience beyond the frets of mortal man” (The New York Times). Tickets are $35 to $45.

Wolf Trap

Fri., Oct. 20, 8 p.m.

Lila Downs

Grammy-winning Mexican-American artist Lila Downs has an unforgettable voice, innovative approach to music and poignant storytelling ability that transcends language and cultural barriers. One of the world’s most singular voices, she reinterprets music from its roots, fusing together pop, Mexican and indigenous sounds informed from her upbringing in both Minnesota and Oaxaca, Mexico. Tickets are $38 to $78.

Music Center at Strathmore

Tue., Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

Jaroslav Sveceny, Violin
Václav Mácha, Piano

Jaroslav Svěcený is one of the most notable contemporary Czech violinists in the world. Svěcený’s numerous concert tours and festival performances have taken him across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia, and to date, he has recorded 44 albums with works by international and Czech composers; many have been awarded gold or platinum discs. In fact, he was the first Czech violinist to record a CD for Sony Classical. Tickets are $95 and include buffet, wine and beer; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.

Embassy of the Czech Republic

Fri., Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Nilko Andreas Guarin, Guitar and Friends

Back by popular demand, classical guitarist Nilko Andreas Guarin has been praised as an “electrifying performer for his powerful stage presence and spontaneity that grows irresistible”. Since his Carnegie Hall debut in 2009, Guarin has been captivating audiences on two continents as a soloist and chamber musician. Tickets are $150 and include buffet, wine and valet parking; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.

Colombian Residence

Fri., Oct. 27, 8 p.m.

Sachal Ensemble

Taking inspiration from the acclaimed documentary “Song of Lahore,” these expert Pakistani musicians create an evening of cross-cultural re-creations of songs made iconic by the likes of Duke Ellington, The Beatles, Richard Rogers, as well as traditional Pakistani folk songs. Tickets are $45 to $55.

Wolf Trap

Tue., Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m.

Jacque-Pierre Malan, Cello
Sahun Hong, Piano

Jacques-Pierre Malan, the winner of several national and international competitions, performs a centennial commemoration of Oliver Reginald Tambo, former acting president of the African National Congress, in cooperation with the Science & Technology Train Project. Tickets are $110, including buffet and drinks; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.

South African Residence

THEATER

Oct. 3 to 29

Sotto Voce

Nilo Cruz’s lyrical and romantic play deals with the separation of a man and a woman when the man’s expected arrival in Havana aboard the ship is thwarted by the Cuban government. Turned away from the U.S. as well, the ship and its mostly Jewish refugees return to Europe, where many perish in the Holocaust. The ensuing heartbreak causes ripple effects through the lives of the characters — mysteries, revelations, an old romance relived as a new one blossoms. Tickets are $39 to $69.

Edlavitch DCJCC Theater J

Through Oct. 8

The Arsonists

The world may be starting to burn, but our Everyman has it all under control. He’s a respected member of his community with a loving wife and a flourishing business, so surely the arsonists will spare him. As an upstanding citizen, he’s even happy to do his civic duty by opening his home to two new guests, but when they start filling his attic with drums of gasoline, will the fire hit too close to home? Written by Swiss playwright Max Frisch as a reflection on the rise of both Nazism and Communism, “The Arsonists” has uncanny new relevance today in light of the rise of populist nationalism around the globe. Tickets start at $34.

Woolly Mammoth Theater Company

Oct. 10 to Nov. 19

Antony and Cleopatra

Julius Caesar is no more, and Mark Antony, at the peak of his political power, is ensconced in Egypt at the side of the irresistible Cleopatra. Torn between his military duty toward Rome and his passionate love affair with Cleopatra, Antony finds himself engaged in both war and romance. Shakespeare’s classic encompasses politics and power, love and jealousy, alliance and misalliance. Tickets are $35 to $79.

Folger Shakespeare Theatre

Through Oct. 15

A Little Night Music

In 1900 Sweden, on a magical night that smiles three times, an aging actress, a married virgin, a sex-starved divinity student and a buffoonish count find themselves hilariously tangled in a web of love affairs. Winner of four Tony Awards, Stephen Sondheim’s glorious musical masterpiece returns to the Signature stage in a brand new production directed by Eric Schaeffer and featuring award-winning DC actors Holly Twyford and Bobby Smith. Please call for ticket information.

Signature Theatre

Oct. 16 and 17, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

Digital Eye @ Blind Whino

Four of the area’s leading theatres are collaborating with Digital Eye to present an evening of live performance and interactive experiences that explore how the digital age is affecting our everyday lives. Directed by representatives from Baltimore Center Stage, Forum Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company and Studio Theatre and moderated by Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, this unique collaboration will present four performances at the visually-rich Blind Whino SW Arts Club. Tickets are $20; for information, visit www.digital-eye-at-blindwhino.eventbrite.com.

Blind Whino SW Arts Club

700 Delaware Ave., SW

Through Oct. 22

Death of a Salesman

Willy Loman’s career is over. During a pivotal 24 hours, he reflects on his life as a father, husband and traveling salesman. Truth and lies intermingle as Willy tries to reconcile the optimism of his youth with his unfulfilled dreams. As the full force of reality crashes down on him, he places his last hope of success in his two sons in Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic. Tickets are $20 to $64.

Ford’s Theatre

Through Oct. 22

Native Gardens

Tania, a very pregnant Ph.D. candidate, and Pablo, her rising attorney husband, move next door to Virginia and Frank, a deep-rooted D.C. couple with an impeccably trimmed backyard. But when a questionable fence line puts a prize-worthy garden in jeopardy, neighborly rivalry escalates into an all-out border dispute, challenging everyone’s notions of race, privilege and where to draw the line on good taste. Tickets are $40 to $90.

Arena Stage

Oct. 27 to Dec. 24

The Pajama Game

Winner of the 1955 Tony Award for Best Musical, “The Pajama Game” follows Sid Sorokin and Babe Williams in a battle of the sexes romance that soars with seductive dance numbers like “Steam Heat” and “Hernando’s Hideaway.” Tickets are $50 to $99.

Arena Stage

Through Oct. 29

The Lover & The Collection

STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn returns to Harold Pinter’s gripping realm of doubt and disquiet to direct a double bill of short plays, considering how we construct our own realities, which truths we tell and which lies we choose to believe. In “The Collection,” a jealous husband confronts a rival, whom his wife may or may not have met. In “The Lover,” a married couple calmly plans for their scheduled infidelities. Please call for ticket information.

Shakespeare Theatre Company