The Atlas Performing Arts Center would like to congratulate Rorschach Theatre and Theater of the First Amendment for being Helen Hayes Recommended.

Rorschach Theatre
After the Quake

By Haruki Murakami
Adapted for the stage by Frank Galati
Directed by Randy Baker

In the aftermath of a terrible earthquake, a writer fueled by heartbreak heals a broken little girl, while a menacing frog saves Tokyo from an enormous worm.  Adapted from the short stories of Haruki Murakami, Galati’s play brings to life Murakami’s “hallucinatory world where the real and surreal merge and overlap, where dreams and real-life nightmares are impossible to tell apart”.   (New York Times)

For tickets to After the Quake, click here.

Theater of the First Amendment
Can’t Scare Me:  The Story of Mother Jones

A TFA World Premiere written and performed by Kaiulani Lee

“Mark Twain says that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme,”
according to Mother Jones, as brought to life by OBIE Award-winner
Kaiulani Lee in this brave new work about the formative days of the
American labor movement.  Called “the most dangerous woman in America,”
Mother Jones “educated, agitated, and organized” on behalf of child
laborers, coal miners, steel workers, and all working people.  Through
an artful blend of history, biography, and a liberal dose of Mother
Jones’s famous wit, “Can’t Scare Me” brings out some urgent “rhymes” of
yesterday and today in a riveting, passionate, and fiery solo performance.

For tickets to Can’t Scare Me:  The Story of Mother Jones, click here.

Our diverse ensemble of talented young people will perform an eclectic array of songs from many different time periods and corners of the globe. Join us as we travel around the world with witty 16th century French chansons and folksongs from Inner Mongolia. American works range from the 19th music of Stephen Foster to the late 20th century settings of African American spirituals and edgy 21st century works. The evening will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

Get Tickets to American Voices/Global Songs

Gay 101: Thursdays at 8pm. June 23 – September 1

Movie Musicals: Fridays at 8pm. June 24 -September 2

Family Series: Saturdays at 5pm. July 2 – September 3
Spike Lee Presents: Sundays at 4pm. July 3 -September 4

All Film Series Tickets are FREE ($2 booking fee)

Gay 101 Thursdays 8pm

September 1 Brokeback Mountain

Musicals Fridays 8pm

September 2 Grease

Family Series Saturdays 5pm

September 3 The Goonies

Spike Lee Presents Sundays 4pm

September 4 She’s Gotta Have It

Come buy, sell, or trade all types of sneakers,snapbacks and custom handbags. “LET’S MAKE A DEAL”

Join the Atlas and the DC Center for Independent Living for The Tale of Despereaux and a kids dance party with a DJ.  The movie will begin at 5:00 PM and the party will follow.

Movie tickets are free with a $2 reservation fee.

Tickets for the dance party can be purchased at the door for $10. Parents and children under 2 are free!  All proceeds benefit the DC Center for Independent Living.

For more information about the event, click here.

PLEASE NOTE: SATURDAY’S AUGUST 27- 8PM PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER AS A RESULT OF HURRICANE IRENE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE ATLAS BOX OFFICE AT 202.399.7993 EXT. 2.

Comedy on H presents Ari Shaffir live at the Atlas

Stand-up comedian and actor, Ari Shaffir, describes his comedy as a puppet show, but much filthier and without the puppets. He has been a  featured comedian on the HBO comedy series “Down and Dirty” with Jim Norton.  Shaffir’s satirical shorts, “The Amazing Racist”, for National Lampoon went viral with millions of views. He has appeared on TBS’s “Conan”, and Comedy Central’s “Jon Benjamin Has A Van”. Additionally, he has been seen in dozens of national commercials, and he frequently tours with Joe Rogan.  Shaffir, a Silver Spring native, currently resides in Los Angeles where he is a regular at The Comedy Store.

Local comedians Adrian Rodney and Lafayette Wright will open and MC the evening.

The Contract
Monday, September 12 at 7:30 pm

Written by James Webb
Directed by Otis Ramsey-Zöe
Dramaturgy by Sybil Roberts and J.E. Lawton

Playwright James Webb explores the controversial complexities and intersections of religion and homosexuality within the Black Church. Rather than divorce her husband and publicly destroy
his reputation after his indiscretion, Deborah, a high profile preacher’s wife, chooses to save her marriage by taking control of the situation. Through this telling of this “tale,” audiences
explore the great divide between Gay and God and are asked to consider why the two can’t coexist, particularly within the Black Church.

The Rest of Me
Monday, September 19 at 7:30pm

Written by Eugene Lee
Directed by Shirley Basfield Dunlap
Dramaturgy by Sybil Roberts and J.E. Lawton

“The human body wasn’t built to be lonely. God knew that. That’s why Adam got Eve.”  Or so speaks one of the lonely characters seeking truth and companionship in this new play about the lies we live in and denials we believe and live with that keep us alive. Amos Huckleberry (aka “Texas Tuxedo and his Tales) gets at the truth about the daughter he buried under all his tales. On the eve of her retirement from a distinguished career as one of the first Black female Texas Rangers, Willie Mae Beaudreaux solves one of her most troubling outstanding cases and confronts some hard truths about herself when she is brought face to face with her long estranged twin brother.

Tickets on sale now!

Will Vinson (alto saxophone)
Mike Moreno (guitar)
Matt Penman (bass)
Rodney Green (drums)
www.willvinson.com

Alto saxophonist and composer Will Vinson makes his Washington debut in the inaugural season of Jazz at the Atlas. Described by All About Jazz as “spirited and uplifting… a leading force on his instrument,” Vinson’s dramatic jazz interpretations have garnered respect from his colleagues and audiences in the USA, UK, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands. Originally from London, Vinson has performed with artists including Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jonathan Kreisberg, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Marcus Gilmore, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Geoffrey Keezer, Lage Lund, Ari Hoenig, John Benitez, Madeleine Peyroux and Seamus Blake, just to name a few. Vinson has also toured and performed with Rufus Wainwright, Sean Lennon, Beth Orton and Harper Simon.

DC Shorts Film Festival comes back to the Atlas.  This eleven-day festival runs throughout the city September 8-18.  The final weekend’s events will be held at the Atlas September 16-18.  Free daily films will be shown on September 17 & 18 at noon. The closing party will be held September 17.  Check back soon for screening times and tickets.
www.dcshorts.com

Tickets on sale now!

Lee Konitz (alto saxophone)
Brad Linde (tenor saxophone)
Dan Tepfer (piano)
Tom Baldwin (bass)
Tony Martucci (drums)

www.bradlinde.com

Lee Konitz emerged in the 1940s as one of the few alto saxophonists to avoid the influence of Charlie Parker, creating a personal style. He was a featured member of Claude Thornhill and Stan Kenton’s big bands, the Miles Davis’ “Birth of the Cool” nonet, and the small groups of Lennie Tristano with Warne Marsh, Gerry Mulligan, and Gil Evans.  He worked with his own Nonet in the 1970s and revisited large ensemble repertoire with music by Ohad Talmor.

His discography includes collaborations with drummer Elvin Jones, a saxophone ensemble with Jimmy Giuffre, duos with Joe Henderson, Ray Nance, Martial Solal, and Dan Tepfer. His most recent recording is “Live at Birdland” (ECM), recorded live in December 2009 with Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden, and Paul Motian.

Pianist Dan Tepfer, Konitz’ frequent improvising partner,  will release a solo album on Sunnyside/Naïve entitled Goldberg Variations/Variations. In this new work, he performs Bach’s original variations as written while adding his own improvised variations in between each, thus generating a dialogue with the old master. A contemporary commentary on a revered masterpiece, the project affirms the timelessness and continuity of musical expression.

In addition to working with his new trio, Dan continues to focus on full solo piano concerts of freely improvised music. As France’s Jazz Magazine has noted, he is “gifted with a heightened sense for form and an extraordinary confidence in his angles of attack.” His playing, whatever the context, is a model of fluidity and steady, effortless motion, immersed in jazz history but creating new history in turn.

Written and directed by Award Winning and critically acclaimed playwright Michael McCorckle, “A Change is Coming” tells the story of a family drifting apart and a grandmother and matriarch whose faith and belief in the power of prayer brings everyone together.

“A memorable stage celebration of family and Christian values with an engaging intergenerational cast and original score…Entertaining and thought provoking…A definite must see for the entire family.”

Tickets on sale now!

Tony Martucci (drums)
Jeff Antoniuk (tenor saxophones)
Luis Hernandez (tenor saxophones)
John Lee (guitar)
Tom Baldwin (bass)

www.dcjazz.com/tonymartucci

Tony Martucci brings original drumming style to the Atlas in a performance that showcases his deep understanding of the jazz tradition. No stranger to Washington audiences, Martucci is a skilled accompanist and a having played and recorded with several well-known jazz artists including Mose Allison, Joe Henderson and Sonny Stitt. He currently teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University and has recorded two studio albums, one of which, Earthtones, was listed as one of the top ten favorite recordings of 1990 by the critics of Jazz Times Magazine. Music Monthly wrote that, “Martucci’s drum set magic is rich in detail and ambience…”

Tickets to this performance are now sold out.  A limited number of standing room only tickets is available.  Click here to purchase standing room only.

Bettye LaVette brings her unique and powerful voice to the Atlas. An R and B performer for nearly 40 years she has found a new audience since her appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors for The Who where she reinterpreted Pete Townsend’s Love Reign O’er Me and won thousands of new fans. She then appeared at President Obama’s pre-inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial where she sang A Change is Gonna Come with Jon Bon Jovi. Her latest album is a recording of classic Bristish Rock songs called Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook.

The tour engagement of Bettye LaVette is funded through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Click here to purchase standing room only.

The legendary Teddy Charles, considered to be one of the great jazz vibraphonists and composers of all time, makes his Atlas debut with his tentet.  Atlas. The legendary performer has played with jazz icons such as Charlie Mingus, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis in addition to recording numerous albums. In 2008, after an extended hiatus in which Charles lived at sea, he returned full force to the jazz scene with performances in the US, a tour in the Netherlands and a new studio recording, Dances with Bulls.

Teddy Charles (vibraphone)
Brent Madsen (trumpet)
Jarrod Williams (tuba)
Sarah Hughes (alto saxophone)
Brad Linde (tenor saxophone)
Leigh Pilzer (baritone saxophone)
Rodney Richardson (guitar)
Alex Shubert (piano)
Tom Baldwin (bass)
Tony Martucci (drums)
with Heidi Littman (horn) and Jen Krupa (trombone)

www.teddy-charles.com

Mayzsoul Inc., a Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area based dance company, will celebrate its fifth year with the presentation of its newest work “Siren”.

Mayzsoul, a collaboration of local dance artists, and Founding Artistic Director Melanie Lalande, Cirque Du Soleil’s “The Beatles LOVE” Artistic Director, present “Siren”, a new evening length performance in celebration of the company’s fifth anniversary.  “Siren” tells the story of two creatures drawn together by an undeniable attraction, who must struggle against forces outside of their control to maintain their affection. Through their eyes, we see what it means to love and care for something, then learn it may not be enough to simply love. Unlock your heart and come feel the call of “Siren”.

“Siren” includes premier choreography of the company members, guest choreographer

Connie Weis O’mara, and feature work by Melanie Lalande.