Last night we also went to Shakespeare Theatre Company's Happenings Happy Hour: Story District at the The Forum in Sidney Harman Hall. We saw Brazen: True Stories by Bold Women inspired by the Women's Voices Theater Festival. We snapped media arts specialist Sarah Metz, UN Refugee Agency's Jessica Kirk-Bowman, and arts manager Katie Atkinson.
Story District has brought storytelling to the stage since 1997 with classes and training, more than 25 original storytelling shows each year so all voices can be heard. Here, STC's Krista Forney, Teddy Roger and American Red Cross' Kimberly Gube.
Happenings Happy Hours performances bring local artists into conversation with the play on STC’s stage. Each features a different type of performance, such as musicians, dancers, actors and puppeteers. Afterward, guests proceeded to the Lansburgh Theatre for the current production of Yaël Farber’s Salomé, which turns the biblical tale from a vengeful femme fatale into an agent of revolution. It runs through Nov. 8. Here, Peace Corp's Meleia Egger, education fellow Thanh Nguyen, and STC's Hannah Hessel Ratner.
Among those who shared their stories was National Storytelling Festival Champion Anne Thomas, who told of visiting a New Mexico McDonald's that refused to accommodate her wheelchair. The manager said his store didn't have to adhere to ADA laws. When she said she was an ADA lawyer and that was wrong, he said it wasn't architecturally feasible. She was with an architect, who said that was also wrong.
