This up and coming actor chose to launch his acting career in the District over New York City. That choice is paying off.

Alexandra Strain in front of poster for "Angels in America" at Forum Theatre. (Photo by James Brantely)

By Kevin Chaffee

Photo by James R. Brantley

The young British-born actor’s outsized talents have earned the acclaim of critics and audiences alike in a flurry of diverse roles in plays ranging from School for Scandal and Rosencranz and Gildenstern Are Dead to Lord of the Flies. The 28-year-old graduate of New York University’s Tisch Institute of Performing Arts currently inhabits the character of Louis, a neurotic and nebbishy “word processor” forced to come to terms with his abandonment of a lover dying of AIDS in the Forum Theatre’s production of Angels in America.

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Drew Chafetz

Love.fútbol founder Drew Chafetz

Photo by James R. Brantley

Drew Chafetz may live in his parent’s basement and hang out with his laptop at Tryst, but it would be a big mistake to call him a slacker. One of a new generation of socially responsible young overachievers trying to make a real difference in the world, Chafetz, 26, a former Maret School (shown above) and University of Colorado/Boulder soccer player, is the heart, soul, and shoe leather behind Love.fútbol’s efforts to build soccer fields for children in impoverished Latin American communities. 

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The second overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft, Maryland native Marissa Coleman gained a reputation as a fierce competitor while playing for the University of Maryland College Park. Coleman was a freshman when the 2006 team won the program’s first national title, and went on to average 18.1 points per game her senior year, making her one of the most prolific scorers in this year’s draft. She will certainly be filling the Verizon Center with hometown fans during this summer’s WNBA season.
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While a senior at Georgetown, Nathaniel Ru, now 23, partnered with friends Jonathan Neman and Nicolas Jammet to develop an eco-friendly salad and frozen yogurt eatery. Ru graduated in 2007 and three months later sweetgreen opened, grossing over $1 million in its first year. Not a bad way to start a business career. (The trio plan to open a Dupont Circle location this month and Bethesda location soon).
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WL catches up with Shepard Fairey, the groundbreaker behind the iconic image of Barack Obama.
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As a newly-minted NBC political correspondent, Russert, 23, traveled the country this fall with both presidential campaigns, scored exclusive interviews, and channeled the energy of America’s young voters into compelling journalism. His late father, Tim Russert, would have been proud.
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The development boom has made Washington a hotbed of contemporary architecture, and Christy Schlesinger is one of its rising stars. She and her father, award-winning architect Frank Schlesinger, have designed everything from schools to the loft Cady’s Alley where this photograph was taken.
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Miss District of Columbia 2008 is uniquely well-suited to represent her city. Intelligent and self-effacing, by day she’s a hard-working staffer at Innocents at Risk, a non-profit that combats human trafficking; by night she’s a vivacious addition to Washington’s social scene.
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The recent publication of their bestselling book, Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream, proved that these co-authors are two of the brightest young stars in the Republican firmament. Both write at The Atlantic, and Salam appears on MSNBC’s Race for the White House, while Douthat has a widely read blog at Atlantic.com. Expect to see a lot more of these two regardless of the outcome in November.
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Isaac Lidsky’s career trajectory began at the age of six months with a diaper commercial, the first of many show biz breaks that included playing geeky teen Barton “Weasel” Wyzell in the ’90s TV hit, “Saved By The Bell.” Next stop: Harvard, where he graduated at 19 in Mathematics and Computer Science and then tacked on a law degree that led to a successful internet startup, a U.S. Court of Appeals clerkship, a three-year stint on the Justice Department’s civil division appellate staff, an associate’s position at the tony Jones Day law firm and, most recently, a Supreme Court clerkship (for retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor). We wouldn’t have mentioned his invitation to pitch the first ball at the Florida Marlins-Chicago Cubs game last September except for the fact that Lidsky, 29, has suffered from retinitis pigmentosa since he was 15 and has been legally blind for five years.
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Since moving to Washington to complete a Master’s degree, Burke quietly been devoting her time to worthy causes. By day she works in development at The National Conservancy, and by night she serves on boards and committees for non-profits like The Washington Ballet and the Washington Humane Society.
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The laid-back new guy with the big smile and cool designer glasses broke the newscaster mold when he moved from San Diego to cover metro for WJLA-TV ABC-7 News/NewsChannel 8 a year and a half ago. But don’t be fooled. Beyond the funky, earnest on-air charm is one intrepid reporter – and he’s got four Emmys to prove it.
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Environmentalist Annie Kaemper with her dog, Ella, at their home in Foxhall. Kaemper served as Executive Director of the Environmental Film Festival from 2005-2008.
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The UVA grad who gave up a career in investment law to pursue art event planning. Hughes chronicles her adventures as a local art connector and collector advocate on her blog, hoogrrl.com.

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Up-and-coming soprano Sarah Coburn, daughter of Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn and a former Miss Oklahoma, will star as Asteria in the Washington National Opera’s spring production of Tamerlano.
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After receiving his his B.A. from Stanford University, Cohen earned his M.Phil in International Relations from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. In September 2006, this author was named the youngest member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning staff. His latest book, Children of Jihad, has been endorsed by everyone from Tom Brokaw to Chris Matthews.
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Pink November’s “retail therapist” helps to set the trends in Washington.

Savvy shoppers know Pink November, a small boutique located on both Wisconsin Avenue and U Street, as the place store for innovative designers with an eclectic vision for timeless femininity. At the helm of this shop is Shelley McNair, a Maryland native, who brings her unique sense of style which she refers to as “comfy chic.” She loves to mix casual with chic designs which help to create looks that easily transition from work to evening. She also helped to bring such designers as Mara Hoffman, Mel en Stel, T-Bags and Trina Turk to the District.

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After Washington’s favorite sportscaster and a pioneer, George Michael stepped down, hometown girl Lindsay Czarniak stepped up to the plate. As Redskin season heats up, NBC4 is still a ratings leader for sports coverage and Czarniak, by many industry leaders, is considered to be a rising star.
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Every woman understands the difficulty of finding the perfect shoe. But Lacey Kirstein, a Vienna, Va., native, found the task to be a real challenge, thanks to her incredibly narrow feet. After enduring years of not-so-stylish footwear, Lacey started designing shoes for women like her. The collection is handcrafted in Italy and was recently expanded to include medium widths. The shoes can be found at D.C.’s Sassanova, and LaceyK recently debuted her line in InStyle magazine.

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Better known as one half of the Grammy award-winning musical DJ duo, Deep Dish, Ali Shirazina has also become an internationally, critically acclaimed DJ in his own right. After working with Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Dido, Shirazina has now released his first solo album, Dubfire GU31 – Tapei, which is already regularly played at nightclubs here to Ibiza to Brazil.
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In 2003, Polla brought parents’ line of high-end beauty products from Switzerland to the States. She also created the Network of Entrepreneurial Women in D.C. to help women find resources to start their own businesses.

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During her sophomore year at Yale University, Lodal worked with Brian Kreiter to found National Student Partnerships, an organization that works with college student volunteers to combat poverty in the US. Following the success of their first site in New Haven, CT, NSP expanded to operate in 11 cities across the country.
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Alex Pareene, the witty and controversial new editor of Wonkette.com, making his livelihood from the scandal and gossip surrounding the Washington political scene. After Ana Marie Cox’s departure last January, the 24-year-old Pareene had big shoes to fill and he’s successfully perpetuated the Wonkette’s reputation.
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This newly arrived interior designer and D.C. native brings her sophisticated eye for design and style back home. Here, she sits down with personal stylist Alison Lukes.
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