WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Opening night at the Shakespeare Theater has always been one of the best places to see and be seen -- and soak up a bit of high culture. Monday's debut of "Major Barbara" was tops.

For one, more local pols than ever filled many of the seats at the new Harman Center for the Arts. D.C. Council members Phil Mendelson and Jim Graham made the scene. Likewise, Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi, former Mayor Tony Williams and his mother, Virginia, were there. The city fathers paid well for their seats, seeing as the city put up $20 million for the Harman Center, around the corner from our downtown sports arena.

More importantly, the opening of "Major Barbara" was especially rewarding for the McSweeny family. Bill and Dorothy McSweeny beamed from their center orchestra seats. Their younger son, Ethan, was directing the play.

"People were astounded when they found out Ethan was directing," Dorothy told me the day after. "We were the proudest parents in the world."

When I caught up with Evan he said: "It's been a big week for Dorothy and Bill." He knew he was playing second fiddle to his sister, who was expecting the McSweenys' first grandchild.

You may not know about the McSweenys. Look behind many of the artistic and cultural ventures in the city, and you will find their energy and their largesse. She was head of the Commission on Arts and Humanities for years; he's on the Shakespeare board, to name one of many. Both are active in politics, locally and nationally.

Three of their four children turned out well and became lawyers. What happened to Ethan?

"We took our kids early on to the Sylvan Theater and the Kennedy Center," Dorothy says. "You never know what the impact will be."

Evan remembers it this way: "We lived across from the Kennedy Center. If they couldn't find a baby sitter, we got to go. That probably sealed my fate."

He says the family's Irish roots in story telling, better false than true, helped. Both his parents were journalists back in the day. And then there was Michael Kahn.

Ethan was a student actor at St. Albans when Kahn welcomed the drama club to the Shakespeare Theater, where he was the relatively new artistic director. They kept in touch when McSweeny went to Columbia University. He dreamed of being a foreign correspondent but wound up becoming Columbia's first theater major.

Kahn, also a graduate of Columbia, advised McSweeny to take internships, at the Manhattan Theater Club and later with the Shakespeare Theater in D.C. McSweeny was assistant director for a season and then directed "The Persians" in 2006.

"My graduate school was here," he says.

Coming home to direct "Major Barbara" was sweet in many ways. McSweeny could reconnect with actors he had worked with, like Floyd King, Helen Carey and Ted van Griethuysen. It was the first time he was directing his partner of 10 years, Vivienne Benesch, the play's leading lady.

And he knew he was the apple of his parents' eyes - until his sister's new baby arrived.

Comments from Examiner Readers

10:53 PM MST on Wed., Feb. 6, 2008 re: "School Closing Manifesto II: Barry's Destructive Game"

J G G Coolidge "68" said:
Marion Barry has done more singlehandedly to create a Black middle class in Washington DC than any other single individual. As far as MR Jaffe's article is concerned, he does not remember, wasn't in DC OR was not affected, by DC Public Schools being the jobs program for the families of congressional staffers and elected officials while in town. DC had a carpetbagger led education system with not enough graduates of Miner College in leadership positions. Barry had faults, I see many people writing who live in glass houses. His singlemost political fault is not having the political will to mandate DC employees to remain DC residents. Thus they became disconnected with the community and its growth or safety. By the way for another who knows nothing than to complain Barry Farms was the first public project housing in DC built long before Mayor Barry entered DC. The nerve of you media and personal complainers who never did, fought, contributed or sacraficed for DC yet you enjoy and take

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4:52 PM MST on Mon., Jan. 28, 2008 re: "School Closing Manifesto II: Barry's Destructive Game"

Examiner Reader said:
"when are we going to get past what Marion Barry did years ago and focus on today?" Pray tell, what has he done besides spend half his time in court for drug use and making headlines about his inability to manage his own finances? He certainly hasn't done anything for his Ward 8 constituency? Any new development has simply been a by product of having water views in his ward. Barry Farms - sonething he put name on - is a symbol for all that is wrong with this city. But say one thing for Barry, he got a good government job that he doesn't have to do anything but collect a check.

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4:26 PM MST on Mon., Jan. 28, 2008 re: "School Closing Manifesto II: Barry's Destructive Game"

Muckle John said:
For the love of god, why is this slug still holding public office?!

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3:12 PM MST on Mon., Jan. 28, 2008 re: "School Closing Manifesto II: Barry's Destructive Game"

GAB said:
"when are we going to get past what Marion Barry did years ago and focus on today?" When Marion Barry retires from the city council, and when all the lazy, chair-warming, and corrupt city employees he is responsible for hiring leave.

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1:39 PM MST on Mon., Jan. 28, 2008 re: "School Closing Manifesto II: Barry's Destructive Game"

Examiner Reader said:
well said

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1:23 PM MST on Mon., Jan. 28, 2008 re: "School Closing Manifesto II: Barry's Destructive Game"

Examiner Reader said:
when are we going to get past what Marion Barry did years ago and focus on today?

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5:03 AM MST on Fri., Oct. 26, 2007 re: "Opinion: The whole city is watching Anacostia"

Examiner Reader said:
Not sure why there records were mentioned as that does not mean that they ae guilty. Why did they get so little time? This officer never stated what she said first to get the response from the boys which is the reason why they were no lengthy sentences. Officers need to hold themselves to higher standards. These boys are being targeted because she's not satisfied. On 10/19 she had the entire 7 district outside the boys grandma house just because she thought one of the two boys were outside the house (confirmed by a 7 district captain. Neither was present and as a result an estimated 30 police officers are on this one street when they could have been somewhere else doing nothing. By the way these boys do live with their grandma. Was it convenient to pick these two out of 10 because she knew them. What happened to the other 8?

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6:17 PM MST on Thu., Oct. 25, 2007 re: "Opinion: The whole city is watching Anacostia"

Examiner Reader said:
Imagine that the "GRANDMA" calls to defend these kids, wonder where Mom and Dad are???? It's a matter of time and these kids will be in trouble again. Another kid brought up in a broken home blaming the streets for his decisions. Parents need to get a better grip on these kids.

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3:54 PM MST on Thu., Oct. 25, 2007 re: "Opinion: The whole city is watching Anacostia"

Examiner Reader said:
why doesn't she just move? get out of a bad neighborhood?

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12:07 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 16, 2007 re: "Parisian cool comes to D.C. on two wheels"

Mike Licht said:
Is DC Government letting the bike vending corporation use city streets for free, like they let advertising companies use it for bus shelters, or is there DC funding?

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1:24 PM MST on Tue., Sep. 11, 2007 re: "Column: Feeding Frenzy Over $100 Million In D.C.'s Found Money"

Examiner Reader said:
Harry Jaffe...here you go again....postulating: "...Our commercial real estate market is still one of the hottest in the country, pushing tax revenues up by 16 percent.." Jaffe...every year [5 years past] this city has had a surplus...starting at 90 million -2002 up to $130 million in 2005...HIGH PROPERTY TAXES!!!!!!! Black Families property taxes where higher than most families homes west Rock Creek Park. Jaffe...you failed to ask or Follow WHAT HAPPEN TO THE DISTRICT TOBACCO SETTLEMENT MONEY.... JAFFE...YOU ARE TALKING SMOKE CIRCLES AND your background is definitely not FINANCE. CALVIN H. GURLEY

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1:57 PM MST on Mon., Sep. 10, 2007 re: "Column: Feeding Frenzy Over $100 Million In D.C.'s Found Money"

EyesWideOpen said:
To Mayor Fenty: "Keep your promises. Fix the schools, train the jobless, repair the lousy roads and eat more leafy vegetables."

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12:54 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 30, 2007 re: "Column: Peaceable coexistence in the wilds of Rock Creek Park"

Erica said:
This is just lovely. On a Monday afternoon it's nice to stop and appreciate Bambi and his still-living mom. I wish we could treat all of nature with this kind of respect.

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7:06 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 16, 2007 re: "D.C. students will lack books on opening day - as usual"

Examiner Reader said:
Ms. D: Although the former superintendent had the support of Mayor Williams, why would the former superintendent need support to get textbooks? That is something superintendents all over the country do each year.

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1:58 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 16, 2007 re: "D.C. students will lack books on opening day - as usual"

Elizabeth Davis said:
I don't know whether to regard this story as a 'news' article or merely a propaganda campaigned to trash the outgoing superintendent. It would have been more beneficial for me to know how many schools did not receive books and the list of schools rather than the blatant fingerpointing at an administration that never had the underpinnings and mayoral support that our chancellor is afforded. While I'm happy that the Mayor is so willing to provide Ms. Rhee the support she'll need to improve services to schools and children, it would have been great if Dr. Janey and former DC public school administrations had this same level of support from the Mayor and council. If Ms. Rhee fails to turn the system around in two years, I wonder if she will also get a media lynching by the DC power brokers and the media that serves them.

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6:14 PM MST on Thu., Jul. 12, 2007 re: "D.C. students will lack books on opening day - as usual"

Mike Licht said:
>>Re: D.C. students will lack books on opening day - as usual<< Hilda L. Ortiz, DCPS Chief Academic Officer and Gloria L. Benjamin, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, issued updated Learning Standards for many subjects last week. Have these folks order textbooks NOW. In September, as I understand it, Fairfax County Public School teachers will choose from among county-approved textbooks for the 2008-2009 school year, and books will arrive by June 2008. Why can't DCPS do this?

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