Before he used his plays to explain how rock ’n’ roll impacted the Prague Spring or how marital relationships evolve over time, Tom Stoppard turned his attention to two of drama’s forgotten characters: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood friends of the Prince of Denmark who make a brief appearance in Hamlet. In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Stoppard amplifies the foolish qualities of the courtiers as they try to figure out what’s happening with the main characters. Anyone who’s read or seen Hamlet knows how it all ends, but this comic twist on the dark tale adds a necessary lightness. Read more >>> The play runs May 12 to June 21 at Folger Elizabethan Theatre, 210 East Capitol St. SE. $30–$75. (202) 544-7077. folger.edu. (Caroline Jones)
EAT THIS
Yet another faux-speakeasy opens in D.C. tonight. The Speak—from former One Lounge owner Seth McClelland—doesn’t have rules like other bars harkening back to the Prohibition era, but it does have a secret entrance down a set of stairs and behind a mirrored door. Once inside, you’ll find familiar cocktails like a margarita or Moscow mule plus some lesser-known drinks using the bar’s housemade infusions. Snacking is limited to Lay’s potato chips, but the owner may bring in other food vendors down the line. Read more on Young & Hungry. The Speak, 1413 K St. NW (downstairs). thespeakdc.com. (Jessica Sidman)
OH AND ALSO
Banda Magda, a musical group with roots in Greece but influences as varied as Colombian cumbia and Afro-Peruvian folk music, performs tonight at Adams Morgan’s Bossa Bistro. Find more details on Facebook. 9 p.m. at 2463 18th St. NW. $10.
Psychedelic Chilean band Follakzoid plays the Black Cat Backstage tonight with Baltimore-based dream pop performer Amos Piper. 7:30 p.m. at 1811 14th St. NW. $12.
Jamaican vocalist Etana takes the stage at the Howard Theatre in support of her latest album, I Rise. 8 p.m. at 620 T St. NW. $20–$45.
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