A Literary Celebration Writ Large

By Lavanya Ramanathan
Friday, April 18, 2008

Even in this bookish town, the ninth annual Bethesda Literary Festival, which begins today, offers enough variety in its packed weekend of 20 free events to make it worthwhile to venture beyond your local Barnes & Noble.

What to see:

· Tomorrow at 11 a.m., catch best-selling novelist Alice Hoffman (famed for her Oprah's Book Club pick, "Here on Earth") talking about her new book, "The Third Angel," which is set in London and follows three perfectly intelligent women, some of whom make very bad choices in love (one falls for her sister's fiance). Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 1 Bethesda Metro Center.

· There are plenty of journalists on the schedule, including Helen Thomas, the inveterate White House reporter, who has been known to express her displeasure at totally uninformative news conferences by announcing, "You're stonewalling." She will talk about her book "Watchdogs of Democracy? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public." 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda.

· Sugar-holics can hear Food Network star Warren Brown, who has elevated the birthday cake to elaborate, peanut-butter-spiked buttercream, hazelnut meringue affairs with his mini-chain of bakeries called CakeLove, discuss his cookbook of the same name, in which he shares secrets for baking cakes from scratch. Free. Tomorrow at 7 p.m. Heineman Myers Contemporary Art, 4728 Hampden Lane, Bethesda.

And other events:

Tonight, catch the Poetry Slam at the Washington School of Photography. For ages 18 and older only. 8 p.m. 4850 Rugby Ave. Or at 8:30, catch poets including E. Ethelbert Miller reading at the Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh St.

And tomorrow, see "Sidesplitting Standup!," hosted by comic Matt Kazam. Free. Ages 21 and older. The Barking Dog, 4723 Elm St.

The Literary Festival is held at venues across Bethesda through Sunday. For information, call 301-215-6660 or for a full schedule and map, visit http://www.bethesda.org/specialevents/litfest/litfest.htm.

Save the Date

ON STAGE "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" -- The Concert With screens on the lawn as well as in-house, you can sit in the pavilion or out on the lawn under the stars and still get a good view of this U.S. premiere performance of composer Howard Shore's multimedia show, which screens the first film in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy with a live symphonic score performed by the Filene Center Orchestra, City Choir of Washington and World Children's Choir. The concerts are at Wolf Trap next month. $45-$55; lawn, $25. May 21-22 at 8:30 p.m. both nights. Wolf Trap, Filene Center, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna. 877-965-3872.

ON STAGE Bill Maher The TV talk host (HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher"), author ("New Rules: Polite Musings From a Timid Observer") and generally politically outspoken comic is stopping in Washington for a night of stand-up next month at DAR Constitution Hall. And what great timing -- with the presidential election ahead, we're curious to hear Maher's take, and the response of a Washington crowd. Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. today. $52.50-$68.50. 8 p.m. May 29. DAR Constitution Hall, 18th and C streets NW. 202-397-7328.

The District

Today

EXHIBIT "Craigslist" Artists Speak Three of the four artists behind this show co-curated by Civilian Art Projects and the Curator's Office will visit tonight for a talk about the show and their processes -- which for all three include the buying/selling/dating/job searching Web site Craigslist. With his brother, Joseph, John Dumbacher finds models on Craigslist and photographs them in darkened movie theaters; Jason Horowitz also uses the site to find models for anonymous portraits; Jason Zimmerman compiles posts by hookup-seeking Craigslisters. Free (but RSVP suggested). 7 p.m. The show is up through April 26. Civilian Art Projects, 406 Seventh St. NW, third floor. 202-347-0022.

ON STAGE Short Play Festival The American College Theater Festival is in full swing at the Kennedy Center, and tonight you can see this one-night fest-within-a-fest focusing on short plays, featuring the works of students from Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins University and Ohio University, to name a few. $10. 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.

Tomorrow

CONCERT In Store: These United States Tomorrow is Record Store Day, which, like Valentine's Day, is about money and you spending it. See, record stores want Record Store Day to remind you that they're still there, even if you've moved on to burned CDs, iTunes and ringtones. In celebration of this special occasion, the perfectly lovely local bands Vandaveer, These United States and Revival play at Olsson's Books & Records in Dupont. (If you care not whether the record store lives or dies, you can also see some of the bands at an outdoor show at Rose Park, off 27th Street between Dumbarton and N streets NW, with the always awesome Brandon Butler and Kitty Hawk at the fourth annual family-friendly Spring Celebration, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Visit http://www.roseparkdc.org.) Free. In-store 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Olsson's, 1307 19th St. NW. 202-785-1133.

Sunday

CONCERT Earth Day on the Mall Think green, this mega-concert on the Mall (the biggest of eight such events across the nation) on Sunday will demand. Sure thing. Can you put Talib Kweli on now? Also slated to perform: Jordin Sparks, D.C. legends Thievery Corporation, Black Eyed Pea/producer extraordinaire Will.I.Am and the Roots (who come with "Friends"). The event is intended to rally support around the issue of global warming. Free. Noon-7 p.m. The Mall, between Fourth and Seventh streets NW. For details, visit http://www.earthday.net.

Maryland

Today

ON STAGE "Thom Pain (based on nothing)" Rep Stage, the Howard County company, has brought its production of this Will Eno one-man show (a 2005 Pulitzer finalist) to Montgomery College's black box theater for a short run ending Sunday. Before you go, know that the play is an exercise in the one-man show, a lot of air without a clear narrative. Post reviewer Nelson Pressley liked the production for its heart and sharp dialogue but noted the premise is also "unsurprisingly polarizing." $10. Today, tomorrow and Sunday at 8 p.m. Also Sunday at 2. Black Box Theatre, Montgomery College, Philadelphia and Chicago avenues, Takoma Park. 410-772-4900 or visit http://www.repstage.org.

Tomorrow

FESTIVALS The Crazy Quilt Festival Don't let the name confuse you. The Crazy Quilt Festival is actually a music festival -- all day, for free, with a lot of great performers (rumbling "freakout jet punks" the Points, popular electronic act Arthur Loves Plastic, hip-hop act Rosetta Stoned, fire dancers). And if the weather agrees, much of it outside on a sunshiny day. The best part: It's in Greenbelt, for all your Marylanders who don't often make it out to the Black Cat to see these bands. The event celebrates music, and the anniversary of the opening of the New Deal Cafe. Free. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Roosevelt Plaza, 113 Centerway, Greenbelt. For details, visit http://www.crazyquiltfestival.com.

Northern Virginia

Today

CONCERT Lez Zeppelin This all-female New York outfit tours constantly not on recordings, but a conceit: It's an all-female tribute to Led Zeppelin, trancy, trippy affairs that are so much like the real thing, they can last just as long (the band's version of "Dazed and Confused" -- complete with the violin-bow guitar theatrics -- that can stretch for 20 minutes, and shows often have an intermission). Lez Zeppelin plays the State Theatre tonight. $16. 7 p.m. 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church. Visit http://www.thestatetheatre.com for tickets or call 703-237-0300.

CONCERT Sean Taylor, in Song? Composer Phillip Quy Mai (who is just 18) composed "21" for the slain Washington Redskins player, and tonight, the Northern Virginia Community College-Annandale Symphony Orchestra performs the song as part of a program that will also include works by Beethoven, Bizet and Schubert. $15; seniors and students, $10; children ages 12 and younger, free (tickets available at the door). 8 p.m., Ernst Community Cultural Center, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus, 8333 Little River Tpk., Annandale. For information, 703-569-0973.

Tomorrow

THE SCENE Trolling for Beauty: The Garden Week Walking Tour This weekend marks the start of the statewide Garden Week, and in Alexandria, you can mark the occasion with the Historic Garden Tour tomorrow (the tour is a regular tradition, having been in place for 75 years). What you get: The tour offers flower fans a self-guided look at six Old Town properties (many of them Federal-style houses on Prince, Duke and North Royal streets). $35 in advance; $40 the day of the tour includes tour, refreshments (served at the Historic Christ Church Meade Hall, 121 N. Columbus St., from 2 to 3:30 p.m.) and admission to other historic spots on Saturday; children 11 and younger, $20. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Get tickets at the Ramsay House, 221 King St. 703-838-5005. For a list of the homes, visit http://www.vagardenweek.org/schedule-alexandria.htm.