Brian C. Monsell

Blue lighted sign that reads 'Lumina Theater Group Presents: The Alchemist' with Silver spring Black Box in large white letters on top of the sign.

Blue lighted sign that reads 'Written by: Ben Johnson' with Silver spring Black Box in large white letters on top of the sign.

Blue lighted sign that reads 'Thurs, feb 19 at 7 pm Fri, Feb 20 at 7 pm Sat, Feb 21 at 7 pm' with Silver spring Black Box in large white letters on top of the sign.

Good to see our show up in lights...

Red chair on top of front porch roof of house surrounded by trees.

When you want to get some sun...

Image of Tor Johnson over a black background.

I am now the proud owner of a Drew Friedman Tor Johnson T-shirt.

The Knicks are up by 40+ over the Celtics before the end of the 3rd quarter, and the 13 year old in me that was thrilled at seeing Willis Reed hobble out of the locker room in game 7 in 1970 is very, very happy.

If you're going to JSM this year, consider going to the Economic Outlook Luncheon.

A picture of me taking a picture of the Bjork poster at AFI #afisilvertheater #bjorkcornucopia

A crowd of people in a cathedral in Cologne Germany - there are arched marble columns on either side, one person is trying to take a picture, and a single flare of light appears in the upper right corner.

Inside the cathedral in Cologne, with one ray of light struggling to reach someone...

Metal gargoyle with face of a lizard with a sad expression.

Sad gargoyle at the entrance of Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg

Will spend the next 5 days on the Amasienna cruising down the Rhine river. Spent today on Duseldorf and Cologne.

Tonight's play, presented by the Lumina Ensemble.

Bailey loved meeting people, and was never happier than when she got a pet and attention from someone she just met. The world is a greyer and less joyful place without her.

Rest well, my queen.

Over the last 5-6 months, our dog Bailey has been battling a kidney condition. The last few weeks, she's been eating less and less, and since Thursday, has not been eating anything at all. When she refused to eat chicken, we knew it was time to let her go.

Two pieces of Detroit style pizza, one half eaten, the other covered with pepperoni

Happy pi day for those who celebrate it, at Red Hound in Takoma Park

Saw Golden Eighties today at AFI. I missed the film noir homage the first time I saw it - a poster of Gun Crazy.

Movie poster for the film the annihilation of fish showing Lynn Redgrave and James Earl Jones carrying umbrellas

Today's film which has nothing to do with Abe Vigoda. #afisilvertheatee

Movies I saw in February (part 4)

The Only Girl in the Orchestra (AFI)
Murder By Numbers (AFI)
Kochiro Amiko (JICC)
The Color Purple (AFI)
Star Trek: Section 31 (Paramount+)
I'm Still Here (AFI)
No Other Land (AFI)

Movies I saw in February (part 3)

Yuck! (AFI)
Wander to Wonder (AFI)
Beautiful Men (AFI)
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (AFI)
Anuja (AFI)
I'm Not a Robot (AFI)
A Lien (AFI)
The Last Ranger (AFI)
Junior Bonner (AFI)
Instruments of a Beating Heart (AFI)
Incident (AFI)
I am Ready, Warden (AFI)

Movies I saw in February (part 2)

The Scarf (YouTube)
The Good Die Young (YouTube)
Macbeth (AFI)
The Substance (AFI)
Claudine (AFI)
In the Heat of the Night (TCM)
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (Max)
Dirty Dancing (LOC Packard Campus Theater)
Magic Candies (AFI)
In the Shadow of the Cyprus (AFI)

Movies I saw in February (part 1)

Quincy (AFI)
The Beast Must Die (Criterion Channel)
The Princess Comes Across (Criterion Channel)
Thirty Day Princess (Criterion Channel)
Tuesday (HBO)
Eraserhead (TCM)
The Merry Widow (TCM)
London Road (Britbox)
Straw Dogs (AFI)
The Three Faces of Eve (TCM)

As if everything weren’t bad enough – I can’t believe I’m typing this – E Street Cinema is Closing In March because of course it is - PoPville 11th and E Street, NW God bless it! Thanks to Justin, Jacob, and Daphney for sharing the terrible news: "I just left E St Cinema, where the staff confirmed they're closing. They said it's not official...

NOOOOOOO... www.popville.com/2025/02/e-st...

Lunch at J Hollingers. I love restaurant week, no matter the season.

Saw an amazing film on Quincy Jones today, co-directed and filmed by his daughter Rashida #afisilvertheater

The Ballad of Cable Hogue at AFI last night, introduced by George Pelicanos.

Second desert at Love Makato

Lunch at L'ardente - love restaurant week

A delightful adaption of 'A Room with a View' at Lumina Studio Theatre For this script-in-hand performance, the casting worked beautifully, and the direction was exquisite.

I'll just drop this very positive notice here - the show was a great lark dctheaterarts.org/2025/01/30/a...

For tickets, access www.luminastudio.org/tickets/

Always nice to see our show up in lights...

Went to the best attended gymnastics meet in Terps history as they had a meet with UCLA. These are shots of Jordan Chiles floor routine - she got a perfect 10 on the bars.

Waiting to get into Maryland vs UCLA gymnastics meet.