Going Out Guide: Free and easy

MONDAY

‘The Man Who Came to Dinner’

(Matt McClain/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) - Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews," will read from his biography of John F. Kennedy on Tuesday at Politics and Prose Bookstore.

National Theatre’s three-film holiday cinema series kicks off with the 1942 farce “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” starring the inimitable Bette Davis. Free tickets will be distributed 30 minutes before showtime.

6:30 p.m. National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-628-6161. www.nationaltheatre.org .

TUESDAY

Chris Matthews reads from ‘Jack Kennedy’

Most people know Chris Matthews as the straight-talking anchor of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” but the pundit will be wearing a different hat at Politics and Prose, reading from his biography of the 35th president.

7 p.m. Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-364-1919. www.politics-prose.com.

WEDNESDAY

Beckett shorts

While John Hurt is starring in “Krapp’s Last Tape” at the Lansburgh Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre Company is offering another, more budget-friendly glimpse of playwright extraordinaire Samuel Beckett through a selection of short works, co-hosted by Forum Theatre.

Noon. Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. 202-547-1122. www.shakespearetheatre.org.

THURSDAY

Holiday open house

Say aloha to the holiday season with the Torpedo Factory’s annual celebration, which has a Hawaiian theme this year. Don your most outrageous shirt while listening to a performance by the Aloha Boys and snacking on treats from Bittersweet Cafe. Then do some holiday shopping at the galleries, which stay open until 9 p.m.

6 p.m. The Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. 703-838-4565. www.torpedofactory.org.

FRIDAY

The Psychic Paramount

The next installment in the Capital Punishment music series, hosted by radio station WVAU, features the instrumental hard rock of this New York-based trio.

9:30 p.m. Kay Chapel at American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. www.wvau.org.

SATURDAY

Bethesda’s Winter Wonderland

This two-day spectacle, which begins Friday evening with a free concert, promises an afternoon of ice-sculpture crafting, music and a visit from Santa.

1-4 p.m. Veterans Park, Woodmont and Norfolk avenues, Bethesda. 301-215-6660. www.bethesda.org.

SUNDAY

Wolf Trap Holiday Singalong

It’s time to belt it out when the U.S. Marine Band provides accompaniment to Christmas and Hanukkah songs. Participants should bring a candle, because after the performance, the audience — er, performers — will exit the Filene Center in a procession while “Silent Night” plays.

4 p.m. Wolf Trap Filene Center, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna. 703-255-1900. www.wolftrap.org .

— Stephanie Merry