From the Editor: Why There Are Two Fall Arts Previews
We split this year's Fall Arts Preview into two volumes because there are just too many things happening in D.C. to be contained in just one.
In September of 1994, Metro Weekly published its very first Fall Arts Preview, setting the stage, so to speak, for an issue that would become an annual source of pride, as we cemented the magazine’s commitment to Washington, D.C.’s incomparable arts and entertainment scene.
Twenty-eight Fall Arts Previews later, we’re still at it, highlighting the best the region has to offer in film, stage, music, dance, art, comedy, readings, and more.
Our listings, as extensive and as descriptive as we can make them, are meant to be browsed casually, perhaps over a cup of warm herbal tea or a rich glass of Argentinian malbec, as the autumn gently nestles in, so that you can plan your next few months, singling out the shows, events, and exhibits that you absolutely do not want to pass you by.
The last printed edition of the Fall Arts Preview was released in 2019. The following year, thanks to the collective societal shuttering during the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue was scrapped. Ditto in 2021, as the arts scene, while re-emerging, hadn’t yet fully recovered. Last year, however, everything was back with a vengeance, and our resulting digital issue comprised a record-breaking 146 pages.
In retrospect, that turned out to be a few too many pages for a digital issue, especially one consisting of miles and miles and miles of listings. Call it swipe fatigue, but it was too much of a good thing.
So this year, we decided to split the one good thing into a far more manageable two good things. Yes, it was a last-minute decision made by our editor, but then, our editor is infamous for his manic shouts of “HEY, EVERYONE! LET’S RIP UP THE FLOORBOARDS AND CHANGE EVERYTHING!”
So, this year, we give you two Fall Arts Previews!
Volume 1, which you can read now, boasts insightful, witty coverage of upcoming popular films, penned by the magazine’s film critic, André Hereford. André also looks at the season in dance, while his fellow senior contributing editor, Doug Rule, tackles classical and choral music with his usual impressive deep dive.
Volume 2, which will be released next week, will tackle stage, popular music concerts (pop, rock, folk, blues, and all that jazz), and our catch-all assortment of comedy, readings, art, festivals, and oddities that we call “Above & Beyond,” which, if we’re being honest about it, is our head-bowing homage to The New Yorker, this magazine’s founding inspiration.
Before we go, a word on the cover illustration, seen again to your left. It was created by our longtime, extraordinary collaborator Scott G. Brooks from an idea by art director Todd Franson. Scott will be holding an Open Studio on October 21 and 22 from noon to 6 at his Baltimore studio. For more information, visit his website at www.scottgbrooks.com. Can we just say that a piece by Scott elevates any home, just as a cover by Scott elevates any issue of Metro Weekly.
Okay. Time to immerse yourself in the arts. Read on.
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