Be ready for a unique mix of presenters including a writer of fashion crime mysteries, directors of Moliere, an organizer of pillow fights, a wonderland creator, a Floating Museum curator, an expert on voyeurism, a tactile dinner planner and transformers of the underground.

Featured presenters:

. Ellen Byerrum, well-known Author of the Crime of Fashion mysteries

. Bruce Witzenburg of the Capitol Improv Group responsible for the No Pants Metro Ride, DC Pillow Fight and Survive DC

. Edgar Endress of the Floating Lab Collective known for transforming a taco delivery truck into a mobile museum

. Breeze Giannasio of the Arts Coalition for Dupont Underground on the quest of the DC Creative Community to revive the old Dupont Trolley Station into an Arts Hub

. Stanley Hallet, Architect and Professor, discusses Voyeurism and the Moving Image

. Cade Martin, Photographer known for his collaboration on the Wonderland Commemorative Book

. Carmen Wong of Banished Productions on the synæsthetic experience of A Tactile Dinner

. Bruce MacPhail and Oli Robinson, Cofounders of the Picnic Theater Company, give an exclusive peak behind the scenes of their outdoor summer production of Moliere’s “The Hypochondriac”

When: Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 8:00pm

Reception 8:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Presentations 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM
After Party 9:30 – Midnight with Music by Resident DJ Brien Watson

Where: 3334 Cady’s Alley, NW,
Washington, DC 20007 map

Ticket & Registration

Complimentary wine, beverage and finger food will be provided

Those of you not familiar with Pecha Kucha, here is the history:

Pecha Kucha is pronounced “pe-chak-cha”. It is the onomatopoeic Japanese word for the sound of conversation.

The Pecha Kucha event, is a pretty unique international movement that organizes forums in cities around the world for designers and other creative people to present and show their work in all media, including the visual arts, architecture, design, music, fashion, film and literature in an exhilarating kaleidoscope of inspirations, ideas and work.

Pecha Kucha Night originally was devised in 2003 by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Tokyo’s Klein-Dytham Architecture (KDa), as a way to attract people to Super Deluxe, their experimental event space in Roppongi. Pecha Kucha Night events consist of around a dozen presentations, each presenter having 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds. Each presenter has just 6 minutes 40 seconds to explain their ideas before the next presenter takes the stage. Conceived as a venue through which young designers could meet, show their work, exchange ideas, and network, the format keeps presentations concise, fast-paced and entertaining.

In 2004 Pecha Kucha began running in a few cities in Europe, and has since spread virally since has become a worldwide phenomenon, now running in more than 260 cities in almost every corner of the globe including our beloved Washington, DC.

Pecha Kucha DC was organized and launched in early 2007 by two sisters Rouzita and Bita Vahhabaghai creator of the architectural, interior and graphic design service company, ita-design based in DC.

Bita Vahhabaghai

Rouzita Vahhabaghai

Here is a related video you may watch:

After months of Facebook correspondence, the DC Defenstrators, a Washington based improv comedy troupe kicked the festivities off in C Street Park. Hundreds of people, spanning the ages from high school student to high school principal, were in attendance, along with a man in a bear costume and a dozen or so reporters.

The group awaiting the first train in L'Enfant Plaza

The organizers split the crowds into groups, divided us up and sent us in every direction across the District. L’Enfant Plaza station was bubbling with anticipation as hundreds of people were jumping around, taking photographs and joking about their pending exploits.

I noticed a mother and father with two small children standing near me on the platform… the only thought I could thing of was “oh shit, they are in for a surprise.” So, going against my directions of the group, I gave them a heads up. I quietly updated the mother about our plans and, much to my amazement, fully supported it, as long as we kept our undies on. (which we did!)

Stripping

The train arrived and was packed to the brim. While my car was about 80% participants, luckily the man in the seat next to me wasn’t. As soon as the car doors closed and the happy little Metro bell chimed, the pants hit the floor. I popped my belt, sat back and kicked off the jeans. Laughter filled the train and eyes started popping out of the heads of innocent onlookers.

Apprehension, surprisingly, never entered my mind as I was stuffing my pants into my backpack. We switched lines at the next stop, in pursuit of a more unsuspecting train. The blue line was a home run! Saad, Ivy, Chad and I jumped on that train and were the ONLY undressed people to be seen.

Ivy

A group of French tourists loudly commented about the “silly Americans without pants” as we waited at the Foggy Bottom station. Much to their surprise, they were not the only French speakers there. I explained to them that today was a special American holiday called “L’Emmanciapation de Pantalons”… a celebration of freedom from denim’s tyranny. I’m not sure if my French was comprehensible enough, but they certainly laughed a lot.

Catching funny looks

All in all, it was a raging success. I can’t wait till next year.

Saad