Charm at Atlas Performing Arts Center

Charm offers a peek into the colorful inner-workings of an etiquette class taught by Mama Darleena Andrews, an African-American transgender woman working at an LGBTQ organization known as The Center. Mama attempts to share her rules of proper behavior with an eclectic youth group that counts a Latina transwoman, a cisgendered straight black couple and a gay suburban teen among its ranks. Though her students initially struggle to see how etiquette relates to their daily battles with identity, poverty and prejudice, Mama's powerful love and unapologetic attitude eventually win them over. Inspired by a true story, Charm carries a message of peace and dignity, as Mama and her students must ultimately find a new way to respect each other and redefine what "having charm" means. Now, the Atlas Performing Arts Center brings Philip Dawkins' fresh-faced take on sexuality, race and gender identity to Washington, DC.