From Here to El Salvador

By Lavanya Ramanathan
Thursday, January 24, 2008

A quarter of the U.S. population of Salvadorans and Salvadoran Americans lives in the Washington area -- 500,000 or so people who have become part of the multicultural fabric here even as they maintain strong ties with El Salvador.

But do the rest of us really know anything about the Central American nation?

It was enough of a mystery to eight photography students from the Corcoran College of Art and Design that they traveled to the country for a week last spring to trace the sojourns of the viajeros , the Salvadorans who live and work here but travel back to connect with and provide for families left behind.

"FotoViajeros," a new exhibit at the Corcoran's student gallery, displays images from their trip. Led by Corcoran professors Susan Sterner and Muriel Hasbun, an artist who is a native of El Salvador and conceived the trip, the students snapped school children, bus depots and residents living and working, to create a small portrait of the homeland.

The show, ultimately, is a sparsely worded collage of colorful and common scenes of life. Children have a heavy presence in the images, too; many of the youths of Suchitoto, El Salvador (and elsewhere in the country, we imagine), remain behind while one parent or both work in the United States. You get the feeling they're viajeros, too, if only in spirit.

The reception for the show is tonight from 6 to 8.

Free. Through Feb. 10. Corcoran Gallery of Art, Gallery 31, 500 17th St. NW (enter the gallery on New York Avenue; the reception is in the North Atrium). 202-639-1700.

Save the Date

ON STAGE: "Macbeth," With Magic Courtesy of Teller Yes, Teller, half of immensely popular Las Vegas magic act Penn and Teller, works his magic in the upcoming run of the dark Shakespeare classic at the Folger Shakespeare Library. For an idea of what you'll get when it comes to gore, Teller (who co-conceived the work with Aaron Posner and co-directs) said in an interview that he has watched a lot of "Psycho" and "Dawn of the Dead." The show (said to be perfect for bloodthirsty teenage boys) opens for previews Feb. 28. $25-$55; college students and those younger than 18 are $24-$45. Various times through April 6. Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. 202-544-7077 or visit http://www.folger.edu (click on "Buy Tickets").

CONCERT: Linkin Park and Coheed and Cambria The guys of Linkin Park, the last remaining stars of the so-called nu metal movement that also spawned Korn and Limp Bizkit, have persevered by leaving the metal out of their latest album, "Minutes to Midnight," and speaking out about a slew of social causes, including the environment. On tour with Coheed and Cambria and Chiodos, they hit Baltimore Feb. 19. $38.50-$54. 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore. 202-397-7328.

CONCERT: Monterey Jazz Festival Anniversary Tour It has been 50 years since the founding of the Monterey Jazz Festival in California, and in honor of the occasion, some of the illustrious performers from last year's anniversary shows have taken to the road. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard, saxophonist James Moody, pianist Benny Green and guest singer Nnenna Freelon are joined by drummer Kendrick Scott on Feb. 19 at Strathmore. (And if you're already booked for that night, there's a second chance March 9 when the tour visits George Mason University's Center for the Arts in Fairfax. Tickets for that show are $21-$42, with children 12 and younger at half price. Call 888-945-2468.) $25-$58. 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. 301-581-5100.

The District

Today

THE SCENE: Expand Your Mind at the Meat Market It's "Performance Week" at the funky 17th Street NW gallery, and a slate of dance, films and lectures is scheduled at the year-old art space (planned with the Pink Line Project, Civilian Art Projects and Goethe-Institut). Catch the artful mini-receptions (which seem to us like modern-day salons) tonight from 6 to 8, tomorrow from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Later Saturday, come back from 6 p.m.-1 a.m. for a closing party. Meat Market Gallery, 1636 17th St. NW. 202-328-6328 or for a schedule, visit http://www.meatmarketgallery.com.

ON STAGE: "25 Questions for a Jewish Mother" Oh, that stereotype again. But wait. Judy Gold's one-woman show sets out to address exactly what makes one a "Jewish mother," drawing its material not from some dusty old concept but from real women. Gold (a former "Rosie O'Donnell Show" writer and producer) and fellow playwright Kate Moira Ryan interviewed more than 50 very different Jewish women nationwide and pieced together the characters in this comedy, a onetime off-Broadway offering that opened this week at Theater J. A pay-what-you-can preview is tonight at 7:30 p.m. The box office opens at 6. (Tickets are regularly $15-$50.) Various times through Feb. 24. Theater J, District of Columbia Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW. 800-494-8497.

Tomorrow

CONCERT: Cornelius The Japanese electronic pop musician-composer (who made a splash as a star on the Matador label in the 1990s) is making one of his rare visits to the United States, and he's stopping at the 9:30 club tomorrow night. Find out why he's known as Japan's answer to Beck. $15. 9 p.m. 815 V St. NW. 800-955-5566.

EXHIBIT: "Frogs: A Chorus of Colors" The National Geographic Museum brings in this traveling show, which features 15 varieties of live amphibians and sets them up with habitats so you can catch them in their (somewhat) natural environment. The show, opening tomorrow, allows visitors to hear different frog calls and learn about the varieties and how they adapt. Free. Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 10-5, through May 11. 1145 17th St. NW. 202-857-7588.

Maryland

Today

THE SCENE: Vintage to Vogue Heineman Myers Contemporary Art gives itself over to fashion (and food and drinks) tonight, when it plays host to this fashion show spotlighting vintage clothing for both its workmanship and its green qualities. (It's recycled.) Stylist Elizabeth Gibbens of Bayou Muse discusses ways to be creative with old clothes. $35 at the door (proceeds fund scholarships for fashion students). 7 p.m. Heineman Myers Contemporary Art, 4728 Hampden Lane, Bethesda. RSVP to http://info@heinemanmyers.com or call 301-951-7900.

LITERATURE: What Ever Happened to . . . That "Women Are From Venus" Dude? John Gray's 1992 self-help book "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" caused a stir and became a cultural phenomenon by proving once and for all that men are from a completely different, far redder place than we women. (Okay, okay, our interpretation.) Well, since then, there haven't been any real revelations, just a series of "Mars and Venus" books, including his latest, "Why Mars and Venus Collide." Gray is visiting Borders at White Flint Mall tonight to talk about his work. Free. 7 p.m. Borders Books-White Flint, 11301 Rockville Pike, Kensington. 301-816-1067.

FOR KIDS: The Puppet "Alice in Wonderland" The latest strings-attached production from Puppet Co. Playhouse is Lewis Carroll's story of Alice and her adventures. Recommended for ages 5 and older. $8. 10 and 11:30 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 24. Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. 301-320-6668.

Saturday

ON STAGE: "Jungle Books" Families will dig a second chance to see CityDance Ensemble's take on Rudyard Kipling's stories (they were at the Lansburgh Theatre in December), this time presented by the Kaleidoscope Performance Series of Class Act Arts. $10 at the door; $7 in advance (at http://www.classactsarts.org). 2 p.m. Woodside United Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall, 8900 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. 301-588-4475.

Northern Virginia

Today

ON STAGE: "Romeo and Juliet" . . . Silent Synetic Theater never brings to the stage a rote offering; this time, the movement-based company does for "Romeo" what it did for "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" (two acclaimed productions). That is to say, it's silent -- so no teenage talk of roses, not even the famous "O Romeo, Romeo" bit. You can catch it tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. in pay-what-you-can shows. (Regularly $15-$30.) 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Through March 8. Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre, 1611 N. Kent St., Arlington. 703-824-8060 or visit http://www.instantseats.com.

CONCERT: Six Organs of Admittance Ben Chasny's a one-man outfit, a psych-folk guitarist (whose other gig is Comets on Fire) with a pack of albums under his belt. On tour with a softer, more contemplative album, "Shelter From the Ash," he visits Iota Club & Cafe tonight. $12. 9 p.m. 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. 703-522-8340.

Saturday

FOR KIDS: Rocknoceros The perfectly agreeable, not-too-rock-at-all rockers from Virginia sing to get kids excited about brushing their teeth, the days of the week and even going potty. They're at Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse for a morning show Saturday. $8. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. 703-486-2345.