theatreWashington's Summer Hummer Raises Money with a Bump and Grind!

Summer Hummer 3: How the Washington, DC Theatre Scene Takes Care of Its Own

Life often brings unexpected circumstances, and for theatre professionals, who often work without the benefit of health insurance, those circumstances can jeopardize their physical and financial health. Enter: theatreWashington and their Taking Care of Our Own (TCOOO) initiative, a fund financed by the generous donations of theatre patrons and the theatre community at large. Donations to TCOOO are made throughout the year, but the signature event that raises the most donations to the fund in a single evening is The Summer Hummer, a DC version of Broadway Bares, with local DC theatre scenesters bumping and grinding for a great cause. This year's Summer Hummer, held at Signature Theatre, was the bawdiest ever with crazy costumes, great singing, and cheesecake and beefcake to spare. Here is the PG-13 highlights reel!

Patrick J. Hurston and Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer at Summer Hummer

theatreWashington President and CEO Linda Levy with Helen Hayes Award winning actor, Matthew DeLorenzo at Summer Hummer

Members of the cast of Studio Theatre's "Rocky Horror" pose with orange-boaed conductor/songwriter Christopher Youstra

Victor Shargai is all smiles at Summer Hummer 3

Joshua Morgan of No Rules Theatre Company and Luigi Filiputti

Those gams belong to none other than actor Ryan Patrick Welsh

Actors Bobby Smith and Erin Gardiner join conductor/composer Christopher Youstra in a squeeze and a giggle at Summer Hummer

Actor Michael Litchfield crowdsurfs for donations at the Summer Hummer

Portrait of An Artist: Actor Frank Britton, Strength in Black and White

When actor Frank Britton was brutally attacked and robbed Memorial Day, the #DCtheatre community came together in a wave of financial and emotional support. Frank continues to prove, through his miraculous recovery, that love will always win.

My Night with Carbon Leaf!

The band, Carbon Leaf, is described as indie rock, alt country, Celtic, and indie folk, but I know them as fellow classmates who roamed the campus of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia with me. Last night, I got to hear and see them in performance at The Hamilton in Washington, DC. They formed Carbon Leaf in 1992 while we were all attending Randolph-Macon, and judging by their energetic performance and the obvious love of the singing, swaying, screaming, dancing audience members, they've not wasted one minute of those 22 years. What a night it was and here are a few images from my first of many Carbon Leaf concerts:) For more Carbon Leaf images, go to my Facebook page!