Editor’s Picks: Titus Andronicus, The Slits, Flower Mart, Leather Pride and more

TITUS ANDRONICUS

Synetic founder Paata Tsikurishvili tackles the revenge-driven tragedy as the 13th entry in the company’s celebrated “Silent Shakespeare” series — meaning no words, all fiery action, energy, and violence, with choreography led by Irina Tsikurishvili, who also portrays Tamora. Philip Fletcher is Titus in the large ensemble show including Irina Kavsadze, Audrey Tchoukoua, Dallas Tolentino, and Alex Mills. To May 27. 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. Tickets are $15 to $55. Call 800-494-8497 or visit synetictheater.org.

HERE TO BE HEARD: THE STORY OF THE SLITS

The first all-female punk band, formed in London in 1976, The Slits catapulted to the limelight when they nabbed the opening slot for The Clash on their 1977 White Riot tour of England. The “punky reggae” band didn’t last long, but their legacy has inspired countless of other musicians in the decades since. Director William E. Badgley will be on hand for a post-screening Q&A. Part of a two-month-long Rock Doc series at AFI, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Thursday, May 10, at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $13 general admission. Call 301-495-6720 or visit afi.com/Silver.

HOODED, OR BEING BLACK FOR DUMMIES

A nominee for the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play at the upcoming Helen Hayes Awards, this irreverent comedy is being remounted by Mosaic Theater Company after its original sold-out run last year. All but one of the cast members as well as all of the designers return to the show, a deft examination of two young black teens from vastly different circumstances. Metro Weekly‘s André Hereford praised the voice of playwright Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm as “authentic and original,” further noting the “smart, funny staging” of director Serge Seiden. But he heaped the most praise on lead actor Jeremy Keith Hunter as “the engine that keeps the show humming along.” Now to June 3. The Sprenger Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $65. Call 202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater.org.

PETER PAN

Not just the standard fantasy foray to Neverland, Baltimore’s adventurous, innovative professional company Single Carrot Theatre has put an up-to-date, localized queer spin on the classic tale. Los Angeles-based writer Joshua Conkel (Off Broadway’s MilkMilkLemonade, Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) has drawn inspiration and source material from stories shared by local LGBTQ residents for a world-premiere adaptation with contemporary conversations about gender, sexuality, and identity, and in which Neverland becomes a modern-day safe-haven — a place where Peter and the Lost Boys can finally be themselves. To May 20. 2600 N Howard St., Baltimore. Tickets are $25 to $29. Call 443-844-9253 or visit singlecarrot.com.

PAPERHAUS

The D.C. band makes rhythmically oriented, richly instrumented psychedelic/prog rock with a mournful edge, recalling everything from The Doors, Pink Floyd, and Television to experimental contemporaries Deerhunter and Lower Dens. Fans of melodic electrified rock will be hooked upon first listen to the hazy, moody rocker “Told You What To Say,” the first track off new set Are These The Questions That We Need to Ask? D.C.’s The Effects and Richmond’s Dove Lady open. Saturday, May 5. Doors at 7 p.m. MilkBoy ArtHouse, 7416 Baltimore Ave., College Park, Md. Tickets are $7 to $10. Call 240-623-1423 or visit milkboyarthouse.com.

BRAND NEW: ART AND COMMODITY IN THE 1980S

The Hirshhorn Museum presents an expansive exhibition that looks at pivotal moments in the 1980s, when artwork became a commodity and the artist, a brand. Sharp, witty, satirical, and deeply subversive, the nearly 150 works in this exhibition examine the the origins and rise of counterculture artists in New York who appropriated modern commercial strategies to create an entirely new artistic language, a revolutionary shift that continues to define contemporary art today. Artists represented in Brand New include Gran Fury, Jessica Diamond, R.M. Fischer, Guerrilla Girls, Peter Halley, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Joel Otterson, Richard Prince, Erika Rothenberg, Sarah Charlesworth, Haim Steinbach, Meyer Vaisman, and Julia Wachtel. To May 13. Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

JEFFREY EVERETT: ARCHITEXT

The local graphic designer and illustrator has worked with some of the biggest names in rock, concocting vividly designed concert posters. Strathmore presents an exhibition combining Everett’s signature style, inspired by traditional printmaking, with his interests in architecture and cinema, as evidenced in digital art prints highlighting iconic buildings, structures, and quotes from cult classic films in custom-designed typography. Opens Saturday, May 5. The opening reception is Thursday, May 10, at 7 p.m. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

HAMLET

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Paapa Essiedu makes his U.S. debut portraying a college student full of promise with the world at his feet — until he’s called home to avenge his father’s brutal death and immerse himself in local politics. A rising star in the U.K., Essiedu was lauded for his revelatory portrayal as Hamlet in the original 2016 run in the U.K. Director Simon Godwin was also heralded for reimagining the play’s setting of Denmark as a modern state in West Africa, a culture steeped in ritual and tradition, beauty and drama. With original music composed by Jamiroquai percussionist Sola Akingbola. Remaining performances are Thursday, May 3, through Saturday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. Also Saturday, May 5, and Sunday, May 6, at 1 p.m. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are $49 to $139. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL: FLOWER MART 2018

Since as far back as 1939, Washingtonians have flocked to the city’s grand neo-gothic edifice the first weekend in May in a nod to Spring. A plethora of plants and flowers are on display as well as for sale, with proceeds benefiting the organization All Hallows’ Guild, responsible for the upkeep of the cathedral’s beautiful gardens and grounds. Yet the greenery alone isn’t what draws thousands of people to the historic 59 acres in Cathedral Heights. There’s also the gifts, collectibles, and food available from local artisans and vendors set up at over 80 booths. Add to that the garden tours, gargoyle walks, and many games and activities for children, most notably riding the Guild’s historic carousel dating to 1890. And of course people come to visit the nave — decked out in an International Floral Display by area embassies — and/or to climb to the top of the Cathedral for a bird’s eye view of the city. (Tower Climb tickets are $20.) There’s also the option of a Taste in the Tower seated luncheon in the South Tower. (Advance reservations are $35 per person.) Live music will also be performed throughout. Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Call 202-537-2937 or visit allhallowsguild.org.

DC LEATHER PRIDE 2018

Originally organized during Capital Pride, this locally focused leather weekend event successfully moved last year to the month prior, a pattern followed with this year’s lineup, which kicks off Thursday, May 11, with the popular weekly promotion enticing men to strip their shirts for free drinks from 10 to 11 p.m., and again for those willing to strip to their underwear from 12 to 12:30 a.m., at Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct. NW. The next evening, Friday, May 11, starts at 6 p.m. with Bear Happy Hour at Town, and ends with a Play Party from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Crucible, 412 V St. NE. The DC Eagle is the destination for events Saturday, May 12, starting with the Kink Du Soleil Expo with demos, from 1 to 6 p.m., followed by a Rubber Gear Social from 8 p.m. to midnight, and concluding with the monthly DistrktC Dance Party in the Exile upstairs from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Kristina Kelly kickstarts the final day, returning as emcee for the Drag Out Your Leather event, this time offered over brunch with fellow drag entertainers including Tula, Moka Loka Latte, Ashley Madison Kuter, and Pam d’Ammonia, and served with bottomless mimosas and food provided by Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. Sunday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Cobalt, 1639 R St. NW. Later comes the Closing Beer Blast featuring $10 pitchers of Trade Lager and XL Happy Hour drinks, from 3 to 8 p.m. Trade, 1410 14th St. NW. A Weekend Pass is $70. Visit facebook.com/DCLeatherPride for more information.