Season at a Glance, 2008-2009

Comedy? Drama? Contemporary?  Musicals? Classics? Theatre for Kids?

Washington Area Theatres have something for everyone!

(as of September 2, 2008)

Brief information about the current seasons of the members of the League of Washington Theatres. Please contact the theatres directly for show times, location, directions, and other information. Note: Plays and dates are subject to change.  Click here for Season at a Glance arranged by opening date.

Index: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

 

 

Adventure Theatre
7300 MacArthur Boulevard

Glen Echo, MD  20812

(301) 634-2270
      Educating, entertaining and enriching the lives of children and their families.

Sept 19 - Nov 4

Harold and the Purple Crayon based on the book by Crockett Johnson, book, music, and lyrics by Adam W. Roberts
      Come join our hero, Harold, who sets out to conquer the world armed only with an oversized purple crayon. Ready, set, draw! Need a setting? Harold draws a landscape full of beauty and excitement. Stuck in deep water? He sketches a boat. See if Harold can draw himself out of any dilemma! All ages.

Dec 5 - Jan 4

Frosty the Snowman written by William Francis, music and lyrics by Steven Nelson and Jack Rollins
      In this merry wintertime romp, chock-full of chuckles and comic antics, Frosty comes to life one day and makes plenty of mischief. Come sing the classic song as you laugh along with everyone's favorite snowman. All ages.

Feb 6 - Mar 29

Holes written by Louis Sachar
      Unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Stanley spends all day, every day, digging holes. While this activity is intended to "build character", it doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more going on here.Will Stanley finally dig up the truth? Ages 8 and up.

Feb 20 - Mar 30

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie based on the book by Laura Joffe Numeroff, adapted for the stage by Jody Davidson
      Pair one hungry mouse with one hospitable little boy and you get a tale of endless delight. Who ever thought that one little cookie could lead to such a big adventure! All ages

Apr 24 - June 7

Strega Nona based on the book by Tomie de Paola, adapted for the stage by Thomas W. Olson, original lyrics by Roberta Carlson and Thomas W. Olson, music by Aron Accurso

      When Strega Nona leaves Big Anthony in charge of her house, she warns him not to touch her magic pasta pot. But Big Anthony can’t resist and soon the town is swimming in pasta. Can Strega Nona save the day? Does anyone have a recipe for a good Marinara sauce? All ages.

 

 

American Century Theater
Gunston Arts Center, Theatre II
2700 S. Lang Street
Arlington, VA  22206
703-553-8782 (box office)
703-548-0695 (fax)
    Producing great, important, or unjustly neglected American plays from the 1920s to the 1970s for preservation, perspective, and rediscovery.

Sep 9– Oct 4

Dr. Cook's Garden by Ira Levin
    The American Century Theater opens the season with Ira Levin’s seldom-seen 1968 Broadway thriller, Dr. Cook’s Garden.  Without spoiling the fun, Dr. Cook's Garden  has common elements with both Levin’s later works Deathtrap and The Stepford Wives. Like Stepford, it involves an outsider coming into an idyllic New England town that is not quite as perfect as it seems. And like Deathtrap, the play involves a complex and betrayal-filled relationship between an older man and his younger protégé.
Nov 25 –Dec 7 and Jan. 8-25

Harvey by Mary Chase
      America’s best-loved comedy, it is the tale of a pleasant eccentric and his drinking buddy, a six-foot, invisible rabbit. This is a show for the whole family, and a true American classic too seldom seen in these cynical times.
Dec 10-Jan. 4

An American Century Christmas (Premiere)
      Traces the most memorable dramatic and comic moments from 100 years of Christmas on stage, screen, radio and TV. By the creators of American Century Theatre’s revue, If Only in My Dreams.

Apr 14 – May 9

Native Son by Richard Wright and Paul Green
      A legendary production by Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater, and a ground-breaking portrayal of the forces that turn a poor black man into a criminal and killer. Often written about, but rarely produced.
Jul 30 – Aug 22

Seascape by Edward Albee
      Answers the intriguing question: if an older couple on a beach holiday encountered a younger couple…of sea monsters ….what would they talk about? One of Albee’s most acclaimed and entertaining works.

 

Arena Stage
1101 Sixth Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
202-488-3300 (box office)
202-554-9066 (administration)
    Providing Washington and the nation with huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit.
Aug 29 – Oct 5

Resurrection by Daniel Beaty, music by Daniel Bernard Roumain (world premiere)

      In a unique blend of music, poetry and dance, Daniel Beaty brings us six show-stopping characters—from Eric, a budding child scientist, to The Bishop, the leader of a mega church, to his son Isaac, a corporate executive. The stories of these African-American men collide one evening in an unforgettable look at identity, relationships and, above all, our human connections. Co-production with Hartford Stage.  Presented at Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA

Sep 5 – 28

Wishful Drinking written & performed by Carrie Fisher

      Carrie Fisher is the life of the party in this uproarious and sobering look at her Hollywood hangover.  The daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher became a cultural icon when she starred as Princess Leia in the first Star Wars trilogy at 19 years old. Forever changed, Carrie’s life did not stay picture-perfect. A demanding career and single motherhood followed, as well as her struggle with addiction. Fisher tells a true and intoxicating story with the strong, wry wit that she poured into bestsellers like Postcards from the Edge. In association with Jonathan Reinis Productions.  Presented at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street, NW, Washington, DC

Nov 21 – Jan 18

Next to Normal music by Tom Kitt, book & lyrics by Brian Yorkey

      How does an almost average family navigate today’s over-stimulated and over-medicated world? In this darkly funny and haunting new musical, one suburban household confronts its past and its future. With provocative lyrics and an electrifying score, Next to Normal explores how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their world intact. Presented at Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA

Jan 29 – Feb 15

Irving Berlin’s I Love a Piano music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, conceived and written by Ray Roderick and Michael Berkeley

      I Love a Piano is an enchanting musical journey spanning seven decades of American history as seen through the perceptive and hopeful eyes of Irving Berlin. Using 64 of Berlin’s enduring and popular favorites, I Love a Piano captures the spirit of America from the Ragtime rhythms of the early 20th century through the swinging sophistication of the 1920s and ’30s, from the sentimental songs that inspired a nation during two World Wars to the optimism of the 1950s.  Presented at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street, NW, Washington, DC

Feb 6 – Mar 15

A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee

      Meet Agnes and Tobias, a retired married couple living in a suburban neighborhood with Claire, Agnes’s alcoholic sister. When the couple’s adult daughter comes home after her fourth failed marriage and two friends move in unexpectedly, the “delicate balance” of their family life begins to topple. As bitter family rivalries play out over two evenings’ cocktails, Albee’s sharp and witty dialogue cuts straight to the heart.  Winner of the 1967 Pulitzer Prize, A Delicate Balance further established Albee as a giant of the American Theater.  Presented at Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA

Mar 27 – Apr 26

Crowns by Regina Taylor, adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry

      Hold onto your hat—one of our most popular musicals returns with a new production of Crowns. Come see the crowns worn by the “hat queens” of the South—women whose storied lives are woven into the straw, silk, wool and lace that adorn their heads. With soulful, spiritual and joyful music, they celebrate family and faith, love and loss, seeking (and finding) one’s true identity. Based on the acclaimed book by photographer Michael Cunningham and journalist Craig Marberry, Crowns captures the thrill of self-expression with an intimate look at six women’s lives.  Presented at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street, NW, Washington, DC

May 8 – Jun 14

Legacy of Light by Karen Zacarías  (World premiere)

      Enter the world of Emilie du Châtelet, an 18th century physicist who falls in love with the renowned writer and philosopher Voltaire. Jump forward to the present day world of Olivia, also a physicist, in remission from cancer. What could these women’s stories have in common? Facing motherhood with some trepidation, Emilie fears she will die in labor, leaving her work unfinished, and Olivia wonders how much she will have to sacrifice to be a mother. A riveting drama with unexpected twists, this Arena commissioned play brings a new voice to our stages—one that speaks with great eloquence on two women’s quest for knowledge and love.  Presented at Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA

May 29 – Jun 28

Looped
Presented at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street, NW, Washington, DC

 

ARENA PRESENTS…

Oct 9 – 26

Citizen Josh written & performed by Josh Kornbluth

      Troubled by the election in 2004 and the health of American democracy, Josh Kornbluth (author of Red Diaper Baby) came to the conclusion that perhaps voting is just not enough. As a result of his distress, Kornbluth created this smart and funny exploration of active citizen participation. Just in time for election season, Citizen Josh weaves a web of entertaining and moving autobiographical tales into a personal quest to examine and engage the fundamentals of democracy.   Presented at Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA

Mar 31 – Apr 12

A Long and Winding Road co-conceived and written and performed by Maureen McGovern and Philip Himberg

      A Long and Winding Road is an entertaining and introspective look at the songs that inspired Maureen McGovern before her Academy Award-winning hit song “The Morning After.” A nostalgic tribute to Maureen’s roots as a folk singer, this show-stopping concert celebrates her love affair with the early works of Jimmy Webb, Carole King, Bob Dylan, Randy Newman and other groundbreaking singer-songwriters from her youth. A co-production with the Huntington Theatre Company.  Presented at Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA

 

B

Bay Theatre Company

275 West Street

Annapolis. MD  21401

(410) 268-1333 

      Producing plays of superb quality and richness for audiences of diverse ages and cultures

Oct 3 - Nov 8

True West by Sam Shepard

      Set in the desert east of Los Angeles, True West is the tale of two brothers: Austin, a "successful" young man with a budding screenwriting career, who comes to house-sit for his mother and to work on a screenplay for a Hollywood producter, and Lee, an alcoholic, thief, and "loser" who has also decided to return home to steal from his mother’s neighbors before moving on. Rather than leaving, Lee pitches his own movie idea to the producer, who decides he wants to make Lee’s movie instead. Gradually, the two brothers reverse roles. Their tragicomic struggle ends in a stalemate, but along the way this Pulitzer Prize-winning author takes potshots at Hollywood, the myth of the frontier, and the escape fantasies that drive the American imagination

Dec 12 - Jan 17

The Fantasticks by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt

      This musical allegory concerns two parents who put up a wall between their houses to ensure that their children fall in love. Elements of Shakepeare’s Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and other classic love plots give the story its sweetness and romance. The beauty of the music and the poetry of its dialogue carried the play through 17,162 performances Off Broadway. This warm and funny musical will appeal to all ages, for those who try to remember as well as those who are just beginning.

Feb 20 - Mar 28

The Gin Game by D. L. Coburn

      A woman in her twilight years, Fonsia Dorsey, enters a "home for the aged" and is for a while saved from melancholy by the crusty charm of Weller Martin. The sardonic Weller cajoles Fonsia into playing a series of gin games on the home's sunlit porch. As they seemingly become close companions, much is revealed about their respective regret-filled lives, Their mutual need for solace is momentarily satisfied, until Weller's pent-up rage, and Fonsia's subtle needling, build to a final heart wrenching conclusion.  Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, 1978

Apr 25 - May 30

Candida by George Bernard Shaw

      Candida is the wife of a first-rate clergyman named James Mavor Morell, a popular Christian Socialist Reverend in the Church of England, yet his wife Candida is responsible for much of his success. She returns home from a trip to London with Eugene Marchbanks, a young poet who worships her and wants to rescue her from what he presumes to be a dull family life. Ultimately, Candida’s wisdom saves the days as the two men become rivals for her love. Although set in the 19th century, the strength of the play lies in its very modern humor which springs from the timeless humanity of its characters.

 

C

Catalyst Theater Company

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

545 7th Street, SE

Washington, DC  20003

(202) 494-3776

    Producing plays that reflect a moment of remarkable change in the world view of the culture from which they were written.

Aug 27 - Oct 5

1984 based on the book by George Orwell, adapted by Christopher Gallu

George Orwell's masterpiece about a dystopian society, 1984 is the story of life under the watchful gaze of Big Brother. Winston Smith is a party member who struggles with his day-to-day life under The Party. He dreams of freedom and follows his hopes to try and find a life beyond The Party's reach. His struggle against a nightmarish totalitarian government is one of the 20th century's most terrifying and enduring stories.

Feb 11 - Mar 15

Roundheads  & Peakheads by Bertolt Brecht
Roundheads and Peakheads is a story of the mythical land of Yahoo, a country on the brink of civil war. The government is run by wealthy landholders who are facing an uprising from their poor tenants who are unable to pay their rent. In order to prevent their own overthrow, the landholders devise a scheme to trick the poor into fighting with each other. They tell the poor Roundheads that all of their problems are due to the minority Peakheads. There begins a story of class and race warfare that serves nobody but the wealthy and powerful. Originally based on Measure for Measure, this seldom-produced piece is sure to resonate with audiences today.

 

Charter Theatre
PO Box 3505
Reston, VA 20195
202-333-7009
Performance space:  Theatre on the Run, 3700 South File Mile Run Drive, Alrington, VA.
    Creating, developing and producing new plays, striving to provide playwrights with an environment conducive to exploring the full potential of their work; bringing vital new work to the stage in productions that fully realize the playwright's vision; and engaging and
educating both new and veteran theater-goers in the art of new plays and new play development.

Sep 18 – Oct 12

This Perfect World by Chris Stezin

Alan is having some problems. Is that the lake in the living room? Who is that man filming company headquarters? And why is his sister such a... you know? Join Alan in his watery world as he tries to figure it all out.
Jan 9 - Feb 8

Quartet by Richard Washer

Is it possible to say the things that should have been said years ago? Are we forever tied to the friends and the music of our youth? And the secrets that we keep – who do they hurt in the end? A poetic, haunting look at old friends coming to terms with the music they thought they had silenced.

Apr 24 - May 24

Fat Gay Jew by Mario Baldessari

Why are those people calling each other such horrible names? Are we allowed to say things like that about people? Well... yeah! Come join us for this rollicking, cruelly funny – yet somehow warm-hearted – meditation on our various bigotries.  From the folks who brought you Sacred Cows and Fear Itself.

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D

Discovery Theater
The Smithsonian Associates
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20078-0401
202-357-1500 (box office)
202-357-2588 (fax)

Performance space:  In the Smithsonian Institution's Ripley Center (unless otherwise specified)
    The Smithsonian Institution's Performing Arts venue for children, presenting an outstanding variety of live theater performances including commissioned works and world premieres, for young people in pre-school through high school, their parents and teachers.

Season TBA

 

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F

Folger Theatre
201 East Capitol Street, SE
Washington, DC 200003
202-544-7977 (box office)
202-544-7077 (administration)
202-544-7520 (fax)
    Producing a 3-play season featuring house playwright William Shakespeare as well as contemporary adaptations of the Bard and other classics in a 250 replica of the innyard theatres popular in Shakespeare's time.

Oct 8–Nov 16

1 Henry IV  by William Shakespeare
      In an unstable political landscape, Henry IV's rule is threatened by rebellion. His son Prince Hal must choose between carousing with Falstaff and his band of rogues or embracing his noble character and protecting the throne. The drama of the battlefield and the comedy of the tavern converge in Shakespeare's great history play that weighs the nature of honor and obligation

Jan 28–Mar 8

The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare

      Shakespeare's Late Romance is filled with the fantasy of a fairy tale. Suspecting his wife Hermione and his friend Polixenes of infidelity, King Leontes is driven to acts of jealous rage. Years later, a miraculous turn of events brings a chance for redemption. What was lost is found and, with it, new wellsprings of happiness.

May 5–June 14 
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard

      This modern masterpiece, part history, part mystery, calibrates the relationship between the past and the present in the lush setting of an English country house. Encompassing many endeavors of the mind -- from mathematics and physics to poetry and landscape architecture -- Stoppard's play is wildly intelligent, extremely funny, and poignantly human.

 

 

Ford's Theatre
511 Tenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Information: (202) 347-4833
Tickets: (202) 397-7328 or (800) 551-7328 
    Producing new musicals and plays that center on the lives of cherished Americans, and works that celebrate the American experience in an historic 19th century setting.

Dec 2 - 28

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adaptation by Michael Wilson

Charles Dickens’ magical story of Christmas is brought to delightful life in this exciting and imaginative retelling. Now in its fifth season, this haunting production, full of ghosts and spirits, is a Washington Holiday Tradition!  Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead Ebenezer Scrooge on this most famous story of redemption and transformation. Performed at the Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th Street, NW
Feb 3- Mar 8

The Heavens are Hung in Black by James Still  (World Premiere)

To celebrate our grand re-opening and the bicentennial of President Lincoln’s birth, Ford’s Theatre has commissioned a new play, The Heavens are Hung in Black by award winning playwright James Still.  Heavens will be the first play offered in the newly renovated Ford’s Theatre.  Highlighting the five months between the death of Lincoln’s son Willie and the delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation, Heavens will offer audiences a glimpse into the person who was Abraham Lincoln.  Faced with unbearable personal, political and historical pressures, watch how Lincoln copes with the world around him and eventually, through an amazing transformation of thinking, conquers it. 

Mar 27 - May 24

The Civil War book and lyrics by Frank Wildhorn, Gregory Boyd, and Jack Murphy, music by Frank Wildhorn

Ford’s Theatre is proud to present the Tony Nominated musical The Civil War for our grand reopening season. A musical landscape of the people, voices and sentiments of the American Civil War, the show is inspired by the words of Walt Whitman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth and Abraham Lincoln as well as the lives (as documented through letters, photographs, and journals) of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.   This dramatic theatrical event puts a human face on the greatest tragedy of American history.

 

Forum Theatre
PO Box 34572

Washington DC 20043-4572

(202) 489-1701

     Forum is a theatre and dance company focused on the collaboration of artists from theatre, dance, visual arts, and music to create unique, multi-genre productions.

Performance venue:  H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street, NE. Washington, DC

Oct 11–Nov 2
Drunk Enough to Say I Love You? by Caryl Churchill (Washington area premiere)
      Guy would do anything for Sam. Sam would do anything. But when Sam wants total, unquestioning commitment, what's a guy to do? Forum is thrilled to present 
the DC premiere of Caryl Churchill's new play about the sexuality of politics. On one level a dissection of a dysfunctional relationship, Drunk Enough is also an 
incisive look at U.S. foreign policy and the seduction of power. The perfect play to reexamine our nation's place in the world as we enter this pivotal election season.
Dec 5-21
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis
      Forum’s hit from last year is back.  The Bible's greatest villain is on trial in a town called Hope, deep in the heart of present-day purgatory. Everyone from 
Mother Teresa to Sigmund Freud to Satan is being called to testify. But how can a jury condemn a man for betrayal when no one in the courtroom can agree on 
the nature of faith, free will, or redemption? Forum takes on this challenging question in the DC premiere of this darkly funny, deeply challenging examination of 
faith and forgiveness. 
Mar 14–Apr 5
Marisol by Jose Rivera (Washington area premiere)
      Life just got a lot more dangerous for a young Latina copyeditor named
Marisol. Already, the moon has disappeared, food tastes like salt, and a bad credit report could mean death. But now her guardian angel has abandoned her to lead 
a celestial war against a dying God. Left unprotected, Marisol and the other displaced New York City survivors must decide which side to take in this epic battle. 
Dark, humorous, political, and poetic, Jose Rivera's modern fairy tale is not to be missed.
Jul 11–Aug 2
Dark Play by Carlos Murillo (Washington area premiere)
      Deception is easy in today's Internet age, and victims are only a click away. Fresh from the 2007 Humana Festival, Carlos Murillo's hit play explores the seductive 
power of reinventing yourself online. Nick, a teenage outsider, creates a dream girl to entice the idealistic and gullible Adam.  But what starts as a game soon turns into 
a dangerous obsession.

 

 

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G

GALA Hispanic Theatre
P.O. Box 43209
Washington, DC  20010
202-234-7174 (administration/box office)
202-332-1247 (fax)

Performance space:  GALA at Tivoli, 14th and Park Road NW.

    GALA was founded to preserve and promote Hispanic culture in the U.S. and to introduce a wide general audience to this rich heritage through the presentation of plays in Spanish and English.

Sep 18–Oct 12

The Aging of the Plum by Arístides Vargas (Washington area premiere)
      A fantastic journey through the memories of two sisters who, with humor and tenderness, reveal three generations of women as they liberate themselves from a
world bound by tradition. Playing poetically with elements of time and aging, Vargas evokes Latin American magical realism at its best.  In Spanish with English surtitles.

Jan 29-Feb 22

The Best Judge, the King by Lope de Vega (U.S. Premiere)
      This powerful drama of honor and justice is considered one of Lope’s masterpieces, yet is rarely produced. When Galician peasants Sancho and Elvira’s wedding plans are cancelled by feudal lord Tello, who wants Elvira for himself and cruelly violates her, the King disguises himself as a magistrate to personally see that justice is served. In Spanish with English surtitles.

Apr 2–26

The True Story of Coca-Cola in Mexico by Patrick Scott and Aldo Velasco
      Fasten your seatbelts for this politically charged and far-reaching comedy about exploitation. Two filmmakers – a young second generation Latino and his gringo friend – travel to Mexico to document how American pop culture has invaded the Mexican way of life. The actors play multiple roles, from a Spanish conquistador, to five Mexican presidents, to an entire village, in a hilarious medley of historical reenactments interspersed with “real-life” scenes. In English with Spanish surtitles.

Jun 4–28

Mummy in the Closet conceived and composed by Mariano Vales, book by Gustavo Ott (World premiere)
      Follow Eva Peron’s corpse around the world as political puppeteers manipulate her legacy and corruption and intrigue reign. A darkly comical look at the forces that dominated Argentina’s public arena prior to the “dirty war,” set to the beat of infectious Latin American popular rhythms. In Spanish with English surtitles.

 

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H

Horizons Theatre
3700 South Four Mile Run Drive
Arlington, VA  22206
703 578-1100  (admin/box office)  
703 228-1851  (fax)
    Producing theatre from a woman's perspective, with interest in producing women playwrights and creating opportunities for women theatre artists.
Season TBA

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I

Imagination Stage
4908 Auburn Avenue
Bethesda, MD
301-280-1660
    Imagination Stage celebrates innovation, diversity and inclusion.  The theatre presents fresh interpretations of world classics and commissions new plays and musicals that reflect our community and culture.  Imagination Stage aims to inspire and uplift audiences at home while contributing to the repertory of excellent theatre for young people across America.

Sep 27 - Nov 2

Busytown based on the books of Richard Scarry, adapted by Kevin Kling, music by Michael Koerner. lyrics by Kevin Kling and Michael Koerner  (Washington premiere)
“Big day today!” is how the characters greet each other in Busytown, Richard Scarry’s vividly drawn world. As the day unfolds, Grocer Cat, Stitches the Tailor, and Alfalfa the Farmer tell of their jobs in silly songs and scenes. One catchy number explores vehicles from the Broom O’Cycle to the Pickle Car, another, sung by Able Charlie Baker, describes goodies from donuts to biscotti, and there’s even a sea shanty from Captain Salty. Enjoyed by all ages!

Nov 1 – 30

Playing from the Heart by Charles Way
Playing from the Heart is inspired by the life of internationally acclaimed percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Evelyn begins having earaches at age 8, but even as her hearing worsens, her love of playing drums grows. Although she is eventually pronounced “profoundly deaf,” she excels in the school orchestra and, with unshakeable determination, applies and is accepted by the Royal Academy of Music. The story is a tribute to all kids, whatever their circumstances, who find the inner strength to overcome all obstacles and pursue their passions.  Enjoyed by Ages 6+
Nov 22 - Jan 4

Miss Nelson Is Missing! based on the book by Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall, book, music & lyrics by Joan Cushing
Miss Nelson is Missing . . . is back! Meet the fifth graders in Room 207 at Horace B. Smedley Elementary, whose poor behavior drives away their sweet teacher, Miss Nelson. her substitute is the dreaded Viola Swamp. So the kids engage the bumbling Detective McSmogg to search for Miss Nelson and try to make amends.  Enjoyed by Ages 4+

Jan 24 - Mar 8

Zomo the Rabbitt, a Hip Hop Creation Myth  written and Directed by Psalmayene 24
This world premiere, set right here in our Nation’s Capital, is a contemporary, high-energy take on an African tale. Zomo the Rabbit calls the Sky God (on his cell phone, of course) and raps that he wants the ultimate prize of wisdom. Sky God gives him three tasks: 1) get the dance shoes of Big Fish at the DC Waterfront; 2) get the spray paint can from Wild Cow at the National Zoo; 3) get the turntable from DJ the Leopard in Adams Morgan. Zomo succeeds in trickster fashion, but it’s only by sharing the prizes he’s won that he invents hip-hop, leading all the characters to celebrate their African American culture together.  Enjoyed by Ages 4+

April 4 - May 24

Heidi based on the novel by Johanna Spyri, book by Martha King De Silva, music & Lyrics by Joan Cushing
In this world premiere musical retelling of the classic Victorian-era book, Heidi moves from a small Swiss village to the Alps, to Frankfurt, Germany, and back to her beloved mountains (complete with singing goats!). Everywhere she goes, Heidi brings joy to the people around her: her lonely grandfather and neighbor Peter in the Alps, as well as her sickly friend, Clara, in the city. This richly emotional show is a welcome breath of mountain air that celebrates how the power of love can restore hope for the future and a better life. Enjoyed by Ages 5+

June 23 - August 9

Lyle the Crocodile based on the books by Bernard Waber, adapted by Kevin Kling
What a croc! Loveable Lyle is a "resting" mime-artist and magician who’s meant to liven up a lazy summer’s day. When the Primm family moves into their New York City apartment, their son Joshua is surprised to find a crocodile in the tub. The multi-talented Lyle quickly becomes part of the family, but a nasty neighbor, Mr. Grumps, has it out for the reptile, and it is only a matter of time before he accuses Lyle of frightening his cat. Lyle is shipped off to the zoo, but his old showbiz partner, Hector P. Valenti, springs him just in time to save the day when Mr. Grumps’ brownstone catches fire.  Enjoyed by Ages 4+

The In Series
At Flashpoint
1835 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC  20009
(202) 204-7760
    Dedicated to exploring our shared cultural heritage through the performing arts, by presenting affordable performances in a variety of artistic disciplines and genres, emphasizing a musical core.

Sep 21-29

Mozart‘s Men

      Music from the three Mozart & DaPonte operas (Figaro, Giovanni, Cosi). Libretto by Charlotte Stoudt. An “opera-musical” that will keep you laughing!  Homecoming Inaugural Production! At Source Theatre, 1835 14th Street, NW

Oct 11-19

Fall[en] Angels

      A magical art-song, (Brahms, Wagner, Kurt Weill) cabaret and dance collaboration with the Washington Ballet‘s Studio Company, directed by Septime Webre. Choreography by Jared Nelson, David Palmer and Webre.  At ATLAS Performing Arts Center—Lang Theater, 1333 H Street, NE

Nov 7-16

Puerto Rico, My Love

      A sizzling cabaret of music, poetry and dance, directed by Abel Lopez. At GALA Theatre-Tivoli Square, 3333 14th Street, NW

Jan 17-25

Orpheus in the Underworld

      Full production of the hilarious satirical operetta by Offenbach (containing the famous Can-can). New English book and lyrics by Kelley Rourke. Directed by Rick Davis and Joel Lazar.  At ATLAS Performing Arts Center—Lang Theater

Apr 4-26

A Berliner Kabarett

      An edgy cabaret of songs and satire from Germany between the two World Wars. Music director John Burrows. At Source Theatre
Apr 11-May 1

From U St to the Cotton Club
      A jazz-age revue to take you on the A-Train from DC‘s U Street to Harlem! Directed by KenYatta Rogers and Stanley Thurston.  At Source Theatre

Jun 20-28

Zarzuela 2009!

      Treasures from Spanish light opera/musical theater. A complete short zarzuela—La Gran Via [The Avenue]—and stellar excerpts from other Top Ten zarzuelas for an overview of the style's unique charm. English dialogue weaves it all together.  At ATLAS Performing Arts Center—Lang Theater

J

Journeymen Theater Ensemble
4100 16th Street, NW

Washington, DC  20011

(202) 660-7229

Performance venue:  Church Street Theatre, 1742 Church Street, NW

      Dedicated to providing a nurturing environment for theater professionals to create art that addresses social and moral issues that challenge and inspire the artists and audiences.

Oct 22-Nov 15
As American As by Ken Prestininzi
      The war comes home to middle America when the Penini's basement is transformed into a black-site where a hooded man is interrogated by two men named Frank. How far would you go to save your only son?
Feb 4-28
The Inspector General by Nikolai Gogol
      This famous ensemble comedy by Nikolai Gogol plays out in a backwater Russian village, where government leaders and local cronies are willing to give a visiting official money, women, and whatever else he wants—just as long as he gives them a good report. But are they even greasing the right man's palms?  Packed with sizzling scandal, local flavor, and politicians behaving very, very badly, The Government Inspector could easily be set here in Washington, DC.

May 20-Jun 13
Tartuffe by Moliere
      The wealthy Orgon has fallen under the spell of Tartuffe and refuses to see what's as plain as the nose on his face: beneath a pious facade, Tartuffe is an imposter- a grasping schemer intent on the family's fortune and their daughter's hand in marriage. Will he be rewarded with riches, or will the hypocrite get the comeuppance he richly deserves?  Molière's savagely brilliant comedy has seduced audiences for nearly 350 years with an engine driven by secrets, scandals and lies, Tartuffe remains as wickedly pointed as when it first played in 1664.

 

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K

The Keegan Theatre
P.O. Box 17407
Arlington, VA  22216
703-892-0202
703-536-4090 (fax)
    Presenting diverse productions and theatrical experiences including at least one work by an Irish playwright each season and establishing relationships with local playwrights to identify and stage original new productions.

Nov 28-Dec 20

Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet

Infused with David Mamet’s trademark rhythm and dialogue, Glengarry Glen Ross explores the cutthroat world of selling and its ruthless inhabitants. Once named "the bard of immorality," Mamet pits five real estate salesmen in a ferocious battle for their lives as they ricochet from the exhilaration of success to the degradation of failure.  At Church Street Theater, 1742 Church Street, NW
Nov 28-Dec 20
Love, Peace & Robbery by Liam Heylin (U.S. Premiere)

Originally premiered at the Meridian Theatre in Cork, Ireland, in September 2007, Heylin’s hysterical and moving 90-minute play examines the lives of Gary and Darren, two ex-cons straight out of Cork Prison.  Trying to go straight, trying to stay clean, living with a curfew on a probation scheme, they stumble through the obstacles of getting back into everyday life.  But then, there’s always one more heist….  At Theater on the Run, Arlington, VA
Feb 19-Mar 14
Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett

It is Krapp’s 69th birthday and, as has become his custom, he hauls out his old tape recorder, reviews one of the earlier years – in this case the recording he made when he was 39 – and makes a new recording commenting on the events of the previous twelve months.  A technical tour de force and probably the most famous of Beckett's shorter plays, Krapp's Last Tape was indicative of the playwright’s great skill as a dramatist – and was directed by Beckett himself on several occasions.Samuel Beckett's profound examination into the anger and regret of aging is tackled by Helen Hayes nominee and frequent performer on the Keegan stage, Brian Hemmingsen.   At Theater on the Run, Arlington, VA
Mar 19-Apr 18
Elizabeth Rex by Timothy Findley (Washington area permiere)

In 1601, Queen Elizabeth I was forced by duty to condemn to death a man widely believed to be her former lover. On the night before the execution, she demanded that William Shakespeare's acting troupe, The Lord Chamberlain's Men, perform a play to distract her from the heartbreak that would occur in the morning. This much is truth. Timothy Findley takes these historical facts, blends in a few "what if's?" and creates a powerhouse play about men, women, fantasy, death, and ultimately, love.  At Church Street Theater
Jun 4-28
Lincolnesque by John Strand
At Theater on the Run

<>Jul 11-Aug 15
Dizzie miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue presents:  The Oresteia book, music & lyrics by Debra Buonaccorsi & Steve McWilliams <>If the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus had gone on tour with Led Zeppelin, Woody Guthrie and a carnie troup, this is what he would have written.   A tale of blood, guts and vengeance, this is Aeschylus’ Oresteia, re-charged.  At Church Street Theater

Jul 16-Aug 15
One Flew Over the Cockoo’s Nest by Dale Wasserman

At Church Street Theater

 

 

The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences
2700 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
202-467-4600
    Producing new works and a year-long series of performances for young people and their families.

Oct 10 – 26

Mermaids, Monsters, and the World Painted Purple by Marco Ramirez  (World premiere)

      A girl with fins answers the plea of a starving town. A video-game whiz faces off against a creature on the subway. A boy wields a paintbrush to stop his grandfather from losing his sight. Inspired by characters from Hispanic folklore and culture, this magical and heartfelt series of stories uses color and imagination to capture the vibrant spirit of the Latino community. Up-and-comer Miami native Marco Ramirez weaves together this rich tapestry of fantastical tales, ranging from a daughter who duels with the Devil to bring her father back, to a young superhero moving to the beats of the street. Age 9 and up.  

Dec 4 – 6

The Trumpet of the Swan: A Novel Symphony based on the book by E.B. White, adapted for the stage by Marsha Norman, music by Jason Robert Brown  (World premiere)
      Though Louis is a trumpeter swan, he can't honk like the rest of his family because he was born without a voice. Since he can't proclaim his affections, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him. But then his father gets him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love? In this uniquely entertaining world-premiere concert event, an onstage orchestra, a solo trumpet player, and noted actors come together to tell E.B. White's classic story.  Age 7 and up.  

Jan 30 - Feb 22

Unleashed! The Secret Lives of White House Pets by Allyson Currin (World premiere)

      Young Alastair's father has just been elected President, so she and her jittery chihuahua Tipp are moving into the White House. When their new celebrity status begins to overwhelm them, wise old custodian Max takes them on a hilarious journey back in time to meet other First Kids and their pets! Pretty soon, they're rubbing elbows with a couple of Texas hounds, a grandmotherly spaniel, and more White House mutts. But some unexpected personalities pop up too, including a voracious Cajun alligator, some country-bumpkin goats, a stuffy mocking bird, a well-mannered bovine, and even a garter snake! Gathering advice from them all, Alastair learns the power of friendship, courage, and responsibility in this third installment from our popular co-commissions with the White House Historical Association. Age 7 and up.

Mar 12 – 15

OMAN…O Man! created and choreographed by Debbie Allen (World premiere)

      Follow Kennedy Center favorite Debbie Allen to the farthest reaches of the globe, as she showcases all the beauty and culture of the Sultanate of Oman--one of the most fascinating countries in the Arab world! Bringing together young dancers from the Sultanate of Oman, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and the D.C. area, this exciting music and dance extravaganza will transport you to where the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea meet and the desert dunes mystify. It's the land from where Sinbad the Sailor sailed, the land of frankincense. As they say in Arabic, yalla everyone...let's go!   Presented in association with the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center of Oman.  Age 9 and up.

 

Kennedy Center Presentations

Oct 12

NSO Family Concert: Orchestra from Planet X

      Look out--there are aliens in the Concert Hall! During the course of this fun-filled program, two devious but somewhat bumbling space creatures try to take over an NSO performance--and then, the world! Emil de Cou, conductor, and the Magic Circle Mime Company   

Nov 2

NSO Children's Concert with Iván Fischer

      Bringing all the fun and insight from his popular children's concerts in Europe, the NSO's new Principal Conductor leads this charming 50-minute journey through the art of listening, applause, and great music!

Nov 22 – 23

Native Pride Dancers

      Rainbow-colored headdresses… pulsating drumming… fancy footwork… experience the excitement of a Native American powwow! Age 5 and up.

Dec 12 – 14

Jason and the Argonauts

      Experience all the spills, thrills, and monsters from the classic Greek myth as brought to life by… plastic action figures?! Two actors from Scotland's acclaimed theater company Visible Fictions roll their big wooden cart onto the stage and suddenly it transforms into a replica of that legendary ship, the Argo. Climbing aboard is our valiant hero Jason and his misfit crew the Argonauts, who must sail the perilous seas to find the Golden Fleece and unite their kingdom. Age 9 and up.  

Dec 27- Jan 4

Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny based on the books written by Margaret Wise Brown  and illustrated by Clement Hurd  

      Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia presents two beloved bedtime stories featuring cute, cuddly rabbits come to life on stage! For age 3 and up.

Jan 10

NSO Kinderkonzert: Strings and Stories

Back by popular demand! If you love animals and silly slapstick (and who doesn't!), then don't miss four NSO musicians in this zany program! For age 4 and up.

      Jan 17 – 18

NSO Teddy Bear Concert: More Tunes 'n' (Pig) Tales!

      Back by popular demand! Enjoy stories with music with NSO principals Marissa Regni on violin and Dotian Levalier on harp, with Marissa's father Albert Regni on four different saxophones. For ages 3 to 5.
Mar 15

NSO Family Concert: Go, Team, Go! 

      In preparation for the first game of the 2009 baseball season, the NSO presents a thrilling music program inspired by teamwork! Starting with our national anthem--just like a day at the stadium--the concert then launches into favorites that show how instruments interact to make beautiful music.

Mar 27 – 29

Circus INcognitus written and performed by Jamie Adkins

He's a clown with something to say--but can't quite get it out! Beginning with an empty stage and a single microphone, shy clown Jamie Adkins musters the courage to face what he fears most: speaking in public. Age 5 and up

Apr 4

NSO Teddy Bear Concert: Tunes 'n' Tales

Back by popular demand! Join NSO principals violinist Marissa Regni and harpist Dotian Levalier as they show how different sounds, melodies, rhythms, and instruments can be used to bring a story to life. For ages 3 to 5.

Apr 5

NSO Kinderkonzert: Got Rhythm?

Take a journey around the world and discover the exciting pulse of music! From Africa to America, nature to noise, classical to Cuba, explore where rhythm comes from, how it flavors our lives and lives within the music of the orchestra. For age 4 and up.

May 2 – 9

NSO Teddy Bear Concert: The Tale of Teddy and the Ten Hats!

Little kids love dress-up, as do the playful musicians spinning this story about a teddy bear whose zany collection of hats represents a wide variety of music, from Haydn to Sousa and beyond. For ages 3 to 5.

May 16 – 17

Parachutists (or On the Art of Falling)

What goes up must come down, right? In this charming, wordless performance driven by original music and rhythms, two actors from Croatia's Theatre Mala Scena playfully explore how gravity impacts our everyday lives. Age 4 and up.  

May 31

NSO Family Concert: Maestro Mouse Is in the House
With a twitch of his whiskers and a shake of his tail, D.C.'s favorite baton-wielding mouse is ready to make his Family Concert debut! The program will feature the world premiere of a new Kennedy Center–commissioned symphonic adventure for orchestra and actors. Composed by Susan Kander with a story by Mary Hall Surface, the new work tells of a maestro of a mouse who opens up a whole new world to a little girl through music.

              
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M

MetroStage
1201 N. Royal Street
Alexandria, VA  22314
(703) 548-9044
fax: (703) 548-9089
    Presenting an eclectic season of plays and musicals and serving a broad based, diverse audience in a dramatic yet intimate setting in North Old Town Alexandria.
Jul 25 - Sep 7
ROOMS, a rock romance music & Lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman, book by Paul Scott Goodman and Miriam Gordon (World premiere)
      Monica, an ambitious singer/songwriter, and Ian, a hard driving rocker, become creatively and romantically entangled as they journey from their native Glasgow to London and New York and are catapulted into the punk rock explosion and a quest for stardom.  A gritty rock musical, Rooms explores the universal desire to escape and create, to love and explore.  A co-production with Geva Theatre Center, Rochester, NY.

Oct 16 - Nov 9

Pearl Bailey...By Request
    In this new tribute, actor/ singer Roz White, accompanied by a four piece band, becomes Pearl Bailey as the audience is transported to a late 1940's night spot and is set to witness the musical magic Ms. Bailey made her claim to fame!  Anecdotes, monologues and “Pearlie Mae's" infectious, sultry tone are merged with ballads, standards and swing numbers.  Expect to enjoy a fulfilling evening of entertainment, as Roz White captures Pearl Bailey's ability to create brilliantly candid pictures with a song!

Nov 20 - Dec 21

Isn't It Romantic written and directed by David Koch
      MetroStage favorite Jimi Ray Malary returns to MetroStage after past hit shows Ellington: The Life and Music of The Duke and Nat King Cole: King of Cool.  This tribute features the songs that epitomize romance from three of popular music’s most prolific and enduring song writing teams: Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart and George & Ira Gershwin.
Jan 29 - Mar 8

Cool Papa's Party book and Lyrics by Thomas W. Jones II, original music by William Knowles  (World premiere)
      A 20th century musical odyssey through the eyes of the "last great American hipster.”  It is to Sammy Davis, Jr. and Nat King Cole what "Dreamgirls" was to the Supremes, Barry Gordy and Motown.  Mr. Cool Papa's life stands on the world stage as a testament to the traveler, the survivor, the conqueror.  And what a life defined by artistry, underscored by excellence and distinguished always by style.
Apr 22 - May 17
HEROES written by Gerald Sibleyras, translated by Tom Stoppard
      "Waiting for Godot" meets "Art".  Three soldiers in a Parisian veterans' home pass the time with tales that are at once achingly funny and piercingly sad.  With his rapier wit and dazzling use of language, Tom Stoppard offers a brilliant new translation that mixes comic curmudgeonry, camaraderie and nostalgia.

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N

The National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20004
202-628-6161 (general information)
202-783-3372 (Saturday/Monday outreach)
    Washington's oldest cultural institution, the "Theatre of the Presidents."

Dec 16 – Jan 17

West Side Story book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

      Pre-Broadway run.  This production, with an onstage cast of 37 and 30 musicians in the orchestra pit, will introduce the unprecedented element of selectively weaving Spanish throughout both the book and songs. West Side Story transports the achingly beautiful tale of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the turbulent streets of the Upper West Side in 1950’s New York City. Please note:  Ticket sales dates have not yet been set.  Please do not call for information.

Mar 10-22

A Chorus Line conceived by Michael Bennett, book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban

      In an empty theatre, on a bare stage, casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. The field’s been narrowed down to just 17 dancers. For these men and women, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. It’s what they’ve worked for — with every drop of sweat, every hour of training, every day of their lives. It’s the one opportunity to do what they’ve always dreamed of. Not to be the star, but to get the job …


Monday Night at the National.  Free performances in the Helen Hayes Gallery at 6pm and 7:30pm.
Saturday Morning at the National.  Free performances for children ages 4 and up in the Helen Hayes Gallery at 9:30am and 11am.

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O

Olney Theatre Center for the Arts
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road
Olney, MD 20832
301-924-4485 (administration)
301-924-3400 (box office)
www.olneytheatre.org
    Producing a diverse theatre season: Main stage season for general audiences; National Players, a classical touring company for young adults; free Summer Shakespeare Festival and Potomac Theatre Project, alternative theatre in residence (see separate listing).

Aug 3 –Sep 7

Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire

    Becca and Howie Corbett are ordinary people living in an upscale suburban neighborhood. It seems they have everything; but a life-shattering accident turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting perilously apart. With honesty and humor, Rabbit Hole is about searching for hope, comfort, and forgiveness in the darkest moments of our lives. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Sep 24 - Oct 19
The Underpants adapted by Steve Martin from a play by Carl Sternheim
    No one wants to be caught with their pants down. However, Theo and his young wife, Louise, are at the center of a public scandal when her bloomers innocently fall down during a parade for the king. Steve Martin brings his comic genius to this outrageous look at feminism, sex, and politics.
Nov 19 - Jan 4
Peter Pan book by: J.M. Barrie, music by: Mark Charlap with additional music by Jule Styne, lyrics by: Carolyn Leigh with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
   Take a magical voyage this holiday season to a place where dreams are born. Fly to Never Never Land with the wide-eyed Darling children. Meet mischievous Lost Boys, feisty Tiger Lily, swashbuckling pirates, spunky Tinker Bell, and the ultimate young adventurer: Peter Pan. Whether you're grown up or not, this enchanting story and its brilliant score will sprinkle your heart with fairy dust and leave you thinking lovely thoughts.

Feb 11-Mar 8

Is He Dead?  by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives

    Jean-Francois Millet is a brilliant but unrecognized artist who can't sell a painting to save his life. With the help of his madcap bohemian friends, Jean decides to stage his own demise to revive sales. However, in order to keep an eye on his success, he re-emerges as his imaginary twin sister. Authored by Mark Twain in 1897, this play was recently discovered and updated by David Ives. Together these authors have created a farce that will have you laughing loud enough to wake the dead.
Mar 11-Apr 12

King of the Jews by Leslie Epstein (World Premiere)

    Adapted from the acclaimed book by the same name, King of the Jews dares to explore to excruciating moral dilemma of the Judenrat, the group of Jewish officials in the ghettos of Europe who were forced to collaborate with the Nazis. It is a compelling story of power, politics, despair, and courage.

Apr 8-May 3

Call of the Wild -The Musical based on the works of Jack London, book and lyrics by: Jon Lipsky

    Welcome to the ruthless world of the frigid Yukon, where man and beast race to strike-it-rich in the Klondike Gold Rush. Follow the astonishing adventures of two unlikely heroes: Buck, the loyal St. Bernard who becomes the leader of a legendary wolf pack; and White Fang, the half-dog, half-wolf who is tamed by the patience and affection of one man. Full of original songs and theatricality, this thrilling show is about the fight for survival, the unbreakable spirit, and the struggle to remain "human" in an environment ruled by greed and ambition.

Jun 3-Jul 5

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

     Amanda Wingfield hails from a genteel southern family. She was once the most popular girl in town with her pick of eligible bachelors...but she chose poorly. Amanda is desperate to make sure that her two adult children do not replicate her mistakes. As she struggles to create a future for her son, an aspiring poet who is rarely home; and her daughter, who is cripplingly shy and home too much, she might just lose the family she is desperate to save. Join Olney for Tennessee Williams' glittering and haunting masterpiece.

Jun 17-Jul 12

The Millionairess by George Bernard Shaw

     The richest woman in the world, Epifania Ognisanti di Parerga, is glamorous, clever, and determined to live life on her own terms. Epifania has honored a rule of her late father: not to marry until she finds a man with money-making expertise. Unfortunately, her professional athlete husband turns out to be less than Prince Charming and she must continue the search for a worthy partner. In a zany comedy about class, sex, and power; Epifania comes to find that money can't buy you love...but it helps.

Aug 12-30

Waste by Harley Granville Barker

     Groomed since birth to lead London into a new economic vision, Henry Trebell is handsome, smart, talented, and passionate. It seems he has a very promising political career. However, a private affair comes into the public spotlight and threatens to tear his world apart. A play that caused controversy since its early 20th century release (banned in England by the Lord Chamberlain), Waste is fresh enough to have been ripped from today's headlines. This Washington-style story questions the boundaries of personal and professional lives in politics.

Sep 30-Oct 25

Night Must Fall by Emlyn Williams

    Would you take in a stranger? A wickedly charming and attractive young man is hired as a live-in companion for an ailing woman residing in a small Essex town with her niece. When the news of a local murder is revealed, the alluring stranger becomes increasingly suspicious. In this suspenseful psychological thriller, the audience will know the killer, but will the characters figure it out before he strikes again? Don't be left in the dark.

Nov 18, 2008-Jan 3, 2009

Camelot book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Frederick Loewe; original production directed and staged by Moss Hart; based on The Once and Future King by T.H. White

     This irresistible musical takes you inside the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur's dream of creating a utopian kingdom is complicated by love for his new Queen, Guinevere, and friendship with his favorite knight, Lancelot. This ravishing story of passion, chivalry, and betrayal has a gorgeous score that includes "If Ever I Would Leave You," "What Do the Simple Folks Do?," and, of course, "Camelot."


 

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Q

Quotidian Theatre Company
5705 Brewer House Circle #202
North Bethesda, Maryland 20852
(301) 816-1023 (administration/box office)

Performance Space:  The Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD    
    Dedicated to producing the work of realistic and impressionistic playwrights such as Horton Foote and Anton Chekhov, as well as new plays by writers
who continue the tradition of examining the human condition in a spare, understated style.

Nov 14 – Dec 14
Dublin Carol by Conor McPherson
      It is Christmas Eve in Dublin and assistant funeral director John Plunkett is no Scrooge, but he has a lot to consider about his past, present, and future. His alcohol-clouded life has caused great damage to himself and those close to him.  Conor McPherson describes Plunkett’s last chance with the same compassion and unsentimental clarity seen in The Weir, Shining City, and The Seafarer.
Apr 17 – May 17
Monday Evening 1942 by Steve LaRocque (World premiere)
      A father’s painful good-bye with his only daughter before she leaves home to join the Army in World War II is the focus of this World Premiere drama. The farewell takes place against the backdrop of the 1942 baseball All-Star Game at the Polo Grounds and a city-wide air raid drill that included a complete blackout of New York City. 
Jul 10 – Aug 9
Captain Drew on Leave by Hubert Henry Davies
      It is Summer 1905, and Captain Drew finds himself on leave from the Royal Navy, looking for a bit of romantic adventure.  He lands in a totally unexpected situation after meeting Martha Moxon, wife of a local industrialist. Hubert Henry Davies, creator of Quotidian’s Spring 2008 success The Mollusc, applied his same gentle, hilarious touch to this romantic comedy that will also touch your heart.

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R

Rep Stage
10901 Little Patuxent Parkway
Howard Community College
Columbia, MD  21044
410-772-4267 (administration)
410-772-4900 (box office)
410-772-4040 (fax)
    Columbia's professional theatre dedicated to presenting both contemporary literature and the classics at affordable prices.

Aug 27 – Sep 28
Trumbo: Red, White and Blacklisted by Christopher Trumbo (Washington area premiere)

      Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo stood up to the House Un-American Activities Committee, was blacklisted as one of the “Hollywood 10” and sent to prison. Based on letters to friends, former friends, and family, this humorous, heartfelt, and historical play reveals how the writer of Spartacus, Roman Holiday, and Exodus took on Congress, Hollywood, and the Red Scare—and won!

Oct 8 – Nov 9
Intelligence by Kenneth M. Cameron (World premiere)
      In his tightly-guarded command post, the head of our national security is challenged by an idealistic young writer, while the fate of a popular leftist leader, now returning to Central America, hangs in the balance. 

Dec 3, 2008 – Jan 4
The Butterfingers Angel, Mary & Joseph, Herod the Nut, & the Slaughter of 12 Hit Carols in a Pear Tree by William Gibson
      William Gibson (The Miracle Worker) brings to you the story of Mary and Joseph, told from a richly creative point of view. Combining traditional music, contemporary language, children, animals, a drum-playing Herod, and a cherry tree, The Butterfingers Angel… will be presented in the newly renovated Smith Theatre and is perfect for the whole family.  

Feb 4 – Mar 8

A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard
      In this dark comedy the tensions and enmities that motivate two families, connected by the marriage of their children, grow increasingly dangerous after a brutal beating occurs that will alter their lives forever. “Sam Shepard is surely the only dramatist alive who could tell a story as sad and frightening as this one and make such a funny play without ever skimping on its emotional depth.”—The New Yorker.  

Apr 1 – May 3
God’s Ear by Jenny Schwartz (Washington area premiere)
      Playwright Jenny Schwartz is a major find on the American theatre scene. God’s Ear is told with a poetic lyricism that is laugh out loud funny, deeply profound and heartbreakingly true. Mel and Ted have lost their young son.  Now, wherever Ted goes, he meets people with dead sons and whatever Mel touches falls apart.  As Mel and Ted and their daugther, Lanie, struggle to cope with their loss, they are helped along the way by the Tooth Fairy, G.I. Joe and a host of quirky characters.

Jun 3 – Jul 5
Hysteria by Terry Johnson (Washington area premiere)
      London, November 1938: Sigmund Freud is in the final stages of his battle with jaw cancer.  Late one night he receives a visit from a beautiful young woman, Jessica, the daughter of a patient that Freud cured of hysterical paralysis 30 years ago—or so he thought.  Enter Yahuda, the doctor attending to Freud in his last days, and Salvador Dali, and you have an intellectual farce of the highest degree.

 

Rorschach Theatre

1421 Columbia Road, NW  #303

Washington, DC  20009

(202) 265-5057

Performance space:  Casa Del Pueblo/Calvary Methodist Church, 1459 Columbia Road NW, Washington, DC

    Seeking to lure audiences beyond the limits of ordinary theatrical experiences so that they may discover new elements of their own humanity through uncommon uses of environment and intimate passionate performances.

May 28-June 28 
1001 by Jason Grote
"The mother of all storytellers, Scheherazade is the central character in “1001” but she doesn’t stay Scheherazade for long. In Jason Grote’s kaleidoscopic
 reinvention of the “1001 Nights” tales, she morphs into Dahna, a contemporary Palestinian graduate student in New York, just as Scheherazade’s husband, 
the wife-killing Shahriyar, becomes Dahna’s Jewish boyfriend, Alan, and her sister Dunyazade becomes Dahna’s sister, Lubna. Moving fluently back and forth
 from the “Arabian Nights” of legend (complete with jeweled turbans and scimitars) to New York in a dusty, apocalyptic near-future, these stories within stories 
come to include Flaubert during his wild-oats days in Egypt and even a cameo appearance by Jorge Luis Borges, the master of labyrinthine fictions." 
-- New York Times
<>June 25-July 26 
Brainpeople by Jose Rivera
“…It’s a return to the postapocalyptic landscape this most magical-realist of major American playwrights has explored in such compelling works as Marisol 
and References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot. The result is an engrossing descent into the traumatized inner realms of three very different, isolated 
women…”  -- San Francisco Chronicle
< style="font-weight: bold;">July 16-August 16 
Dead City by Sheila Callaghan
"Dead City, Sheila Callaghan's riff on James Joyce's Ulysses is stylish, lyrical, fascinating and eminently worthwhile... the kind of work that is thoroughly 
invigorating."  
--Backstage.
July 30-August 23
Living Dead in Denmark by Qui Nquyen
"Qui Nguyen's comic book fantasia on Bardic themes takes characters from the main tragedies and throws them into an us-versus-zombies apocalyptic 
scenario, with enough rock-accompanied stage combat to keep an Elizabethan groundling satisfied. This gamely trashy treat is a perfect storm of theater 
and horror geek obsessions." -- Time Out New York

 

Round House Theatre
4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814

8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
240-644-1100 (box office)
    Offering plays that tackle and embrace the contemporary world.

Sep 17 – Oct 12

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Karen Zacarías, based on the novel by Julia Alvarez  (World premiere)

      Discover a new world with the Garcia sisters.  A sexy, sensual, and wildly theatrical adaptation of Julia Alvarez's acclaimed best-selling novel by Karen Zacarías (The Book Club Play) launches our season. Uprooted from their home in the Dominican Republic, the four Garcia sisters arrive in New York City in 1960 to find a life far different from the genteel existence of maids, manicures, and extended family they left behind. As they plunge headfirst into the American mainstream, they remain forever caught between the old world and the new. What they have lost -- and what they find -- is revealed in a story of assimilation, family, and America from a Hispanic perspective.

Nov 26 – Dec 28

Alice adapted and directed by Mary Hall Surface from the novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll  (World premiere)

      Get to know Alice over a spot of tea.  Lewis Carroll's beloved story comes to life in an inventive, magical new production adapted and directed especially for our stage by Mary Hall Surface. When the precocious young Alice follows a White Rabbit down his rabbit hole, she tumbles into a fantastic new world and encounters an array of curious and curiouser creatures – including a mysterious Cheshire Cat and a manic Mad Hatter. Alice enters a race with no rules, endures a zany tea-party, and journeys to a magical sea in her many adventures to reach the Queen of Hearts' illusive, beautiful garden. Ideal family entertainment, Alice will delight children with colorful escapades and characters and charm adults with Carroll's fascinating imagery and audacious wordplay.

Feb 4 – Mar 1

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

      Visit Eurydice on the bottom floor.  In an emotionally powerful yet funny play, Sarah Ruhl (The Clean House, Dead Man's Cell Phone) retells the myth of Orpheus from the perspective of his beloved Eurydice. On the day she is to be married, a misstep sends Eurydice plummeting to the surreal depths of the Underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to retain memories of her lost love. With contemporary characters and ingenious plot twists, Ruhl offers a fresh spin on a timeless love story.

Apr 1 – 26

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest a play by Dale Wasserman, based on the novel by Ken Kesey

      Nurse Ratched will see you now.  Boisterous, ribald and shattering, Cuckoo's Nest has proven to be as powerful on the stage as it is on the page. It explores a world where sanity means conformity and following the rules is the only way to survive. Playing crazy to avoid prison work detail, the brash Randle P. McMurphy is sent to the state mental hospital for evaluation. Gleefully rebellious, he wins friends among the inmates and instigates insurrections against the tyrannical Nurse Ratched, who exercises near-total control over those in her care.

May 27 – Jun 21

A Sleeping Country by Melanie Marnich

      Find out how hilarious terminal insomnia can be.  Round House closes the season with a dreamy new comedy about sleep lost and hope found. In New York City, a desperate woman becomes certain that she has the "Worst Insomnia in the World." In a search for answers, she travels to Venice to chase down the fabulous (and sleepless) Countess who might be a distant relative and hold the remedy to her dilemma – as well as the key to her heart. Gregg Henry directs the area premiere of a humorous but poignant play about facing your fears and knowing the difference between not sleeping and being truly awake.

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 S

Scena Theatre
1614 19th Street NW (mailing address)
Washington DC 20009
703-684-7990
Performance space:  The Warehouse, 1201 &th Street, NW, Washington, DC

    Specializing in international repertoire.

Season TBA

 

 

Shakespeare Theatre Company
Lansburg Theatre, 450 Seventh Street, NW
Sidney Harmon Hall, 610 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-547-1122 (box office)
    Recognized as the country's premier classic company, The Shakespeare Theatre Company produces alive, challenging, and enriching productions of plays by Shakespeare and other classic writers.

Sep 9-Oct 12

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
      The world’s greatest and most enduring love story, Romeo and Juliet follows its star-crossed lovers as they hurtle from their first shy glances to their last heartrending kiss. Caught between their feuding families, Romeo and Juliet desperately struggle to build a world insulated from the violence, but their love races toward a final confrontation with fate. Inspired by the Elizabethan tradition of all-male casts, Associate Artistic Director David Muse stages this poetic masterwork as Shakespeare would have, with men playing all of the roles.   Sidney Harman Hall
Sep 30-Nov 16

The Way of the World by William Congreve
      Featuring witty repartee in the grand tradition of The Country Wife and The Beaux' Stratagem, Congreve's delicious comedy of manners sends up courtship and marriage. Amid the gossip and frivolous love affairs of fashionable London society, the clever and conniving lovers Millamant and Mirabell are determined to pursue "a marriage of true minds." But Millamant's jealous guardian stands in their way. The only way to achieve their goal is to beat the fops, the fools and the resentful rivals at their own game—through double-dealing and outrageous deception. The Lansburgh Theatre
Dec 2-Jan 4

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
      One of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies, Twelfth Night ponders love lost and found. A shipwreck separates twins Viola and Sebastian, but tragedy quickly turns to comedy when they wash up in a land turned upside-down by love. With raucous antics, ravishing language and rich characters, Shakespeare creates a bittersweet tale of laughter and longing. Sidney Harman Hall

Feb 10-Mar29

The Dog in the Manger by Lope de Vega, translated and adapted by David Johnston
      A master of Spain's Golden Age, Lope de Vega explores love, fidelity and class with wry humor in The Dog in the Manger. The haughty countess Diana rejects her many aristocratic suitors only to fall in love with her handsome young secretary, Teodoro. To pursue this forbidden love, Diana must sabotage her suitors, deceive her friends and concoct ever-more elaborate schemes. De Vega balances high tragedy and low comedy, examining the savage whims of the human heart. Jonathan Munby makes his STC debut directing the East Coast premiere of David Johnston’s translation of this rarely performed classic.

Mar 10-Apr 12

Ion by Euripides, translated and adapted by David Lan
      In Ion, the Greek playwright Euripides crafts a remarkable romance of loss and reconciliation. Abandoned by his parents, Ion grows up as an orphan at Apollo’s temple. But when his mother appears in search of a prophecy, Ion must confront both his painful past and his unexpected destiny. Euripides’ plot twists and turns with jealousy and revenge before culminating in a reunion scene of deep tenderness and pathos.

May 12-Jun 28

Design for Living by Noël Coward
      The master of 20th-century English comedy, Noël Coward continued the style of William Congreve and Oscar Wilde with this hilarious and sophisticated look at love, friendship and the joys and perils of fame. Filled with Coward’s trademark sparkling wit, Design for Living follows three glamorous Bohemians—Otto, Leo and Gilda—as they fall in and out of love with each other. Moving restlessly from Paris to London to New York, the three both pursue and repel each other in an ever-more-maddening love triangle.

Jun 16-Jul 19

King Lear by William Shakespeare
      One of the most powerful dramas in Western literature, King Lear is both an intimate family drama and an explosive political epic. Beginning with a monarch’s division of his kingdom amongst his three daughters, Lear explores the most basic questions of human existence: love and duty, power and loss, good and evil. Tony Award winner Robert Falls remounts his 2006 production, which captures both the stark violence and devastating passion of Shakespeare's masterpiece. Stacy Keach will play the title role, returning to STC for the first time since Macbeth in 1995.

 


Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Avenue
Arlington, VA 22206
703-820-9771
    Featuring contemporary theatre with special emphasis in musical theatre and new plays.

Aug 26 – Sep 28

Ace book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker, music by Richard Oberacker  (Broadway-Bound Premiere)
      Set in 1950s heartland America, Ace is the epic story of one boy’s attempt to find his place in the present, and unlock his future. When 10-year-old Danny Lucas receives a toy plane as an unexpected gift, he is launched on an adventure of discovery to reconstruct the pieces of his shattered past.  Through a series of mysterious revelations, Danny is transported back in time — flying into the gathering storm over Europe during aerial dogfights of WWI and soaring with the daring Tiger squadrons of WWII in the skies above Southeast Asia. A tale of triumph, transcendence, humor, and heart as seen through the prism of a child’s eyes, Ace magically explores the heroic lives and unforeseen legacies of the men and women of our greatest generations.
Sep 23 – Nov 16

The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh (Washington area premiere)
      On a lonely road on the island of Inishmore, someone killed an Irish Liberation Army enforcer’s cat. Padraic may be a terrorist, but he loves that cat more than life itself, and someone is going to pay for kitty’s execution… just as soon as Padraic returns from his stint of torture and chip-shop bombing in Northern Ireland. This witty, ironic, and wild look at the hypocrisy of violence escalates from mayhem to a hilarious surprise ending that leaves audiences gasping for breath. If you loved Sweeney Todd, you won’t want to miss The Lieutenant of Inishmore.  A viciously funny tale that contains mature themes, adult language, and graphic depictions of violence. No cats were harmed in the creation of this play.

Opening Dec 2

Les Misérables a musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on a novel by Victor Hugo, music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by               Herbert Kretzmer, original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton

Based on Victor Hugo's 1862 classic novel, this beloved show is a sweeping, uplifting, epic saga that has thrilled audiences throughout the world. The fugitive Jean Valjean is pitted against the tenacious Inspector Javert in a lifelong struggle to evade capture; their high-stakes conflict is a deeply personal tale set brought to vivid life against a historical backdrop of unparalleled scale. Packed with show-stopping musical numbers like “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” and “One Day More,” this brand-new production features a 28-member cast and a 14-piece orchestra, all in Signature’s intimate, 280-seat black box theater. This promises to be the musical experience of a lifetime!

Jan 13 – Mar 8

The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane (Washington area premiere)
      Sure, we love the cinema for its great “auteurs,” its glorious faces, and its daring images. But in this tabloid age where big stars go on Oprah and make such spectacles of themselves, what we really love is all that dish! The Little Dog Laughed follows the adventures of Mitchell Green, a movie star who could make it big if it weren’t for one teensy-weensy problem— his hard-driving agent, Diane, can’t seem to keep him in the closet. Trying to help him navigate Hollywood’s choppy waters, the devilish Diane is doing all she can to keep Mitchell away from the cute rent boy who’s caught his eye…and the rent boy’s girlfriend! (Wait....the rent boy has a girlfriend???) Will there be a happy ending when the final credits roll?  This production contains brief nudity, sexual content, and side-splitting humor.

American Music Voices Project Part One:  Michael John LaChiusa

Apr 28 – May 31
Giant music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa, book by Sybille Pearson, based on the novel by Edna Ferber  (World premiere)

Adapted from the American classic by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edna Ferber (Showboat), Giant is a daring new musical, already acknowledged as one of the most promising contemporary theater debuts. Epic in vision and scope, swept with passion and violence, touched by humor and sorrow, Giant is the powerful story of a Texas rancher and his Virginia-born wife as they face increasing challenges in their marriage and family in an ever-changing American landscape.

Apr 7 – May 31

See What I Wanna See  words and music by Michael John LaChiusa, based on short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, as translated by Takashi Kojima  (Washington area premiere)
See What I Wanna See, a musical about lust, greed, murder, faith, and redemption, was named one of the Best Musicals of 2005 by New York Magazine. Nominated for nine Drama Desk Awards, including Best Musical, the show is based on three short stories that unfold like a Japanese screen painting. In Kesa and Morito, set in medieval Japan, two lovers sing of the ecstasy and torment of their affair. R Shomon, set in 1951 New York City, follows the investigation of a crime of passion and the witnesses’ contradicting versions of the event. Gloryday, set in present day New York, presents a priest during a crisis of faith after a terrible tragedy strikes the city. See What I Wanna See asks the question, “what is truth?” You’ll be amazed by the kaleidoscope of answers.

 

Solas Nua

Flashpoint’s Mead Theatre Lab
916 G Street, NW
Washington, DC  20001
202-315-1318

Solas Nua is a non-profit arts organization that seeks out both feted and obscure work by contemporary artists in Ireland to promote awareness of modern Irish cultural in Washington, DC. 

Oct 2-26

Take Me Away by Gerald Murphy

Eddie and his sons are creatures of the night shift--it's the days that give them trouble. Bren (the love child) surfs the net alone. Andy (planned) can't confirm the whereabouts of his girlfriend and son. Kev (the mistake) isn't throwing his money around like the IT whizzkid they take him for. A duty visit to their mother in hospital requires them to act like model siblings; but confusion around her illness and her mysterious good news become the fuel for this unsettling comedy which charts the meltdown of a family of men caught in the claw of tiger Ireland.
Feb 25-Mar 22

Pumpgirl by Abbie Spallen.
May 7-31
Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr

 

 

The Studio Theatre
1333 P Street, NW (14th & P Streets)
Washington, DC  20005
202-232-7267 (admin)
202-332-3300 (box office)
202-588-5262 (fax)
    Washington's premier stage for contemporary theatre. 

Sep 3 - Oct 19

The Road to Mecca by Athol Fugard
      From the author of last season’s My Children! My Africa! comes a stunning drama about art and adversity. Fugard tells the story of two strong-willed women—an elderly artist and a young teacher and the struggle for independence at every stage of life.

Nov 12 - Dec 21

Grey Gardens book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie
      Behind the closed doors of a dilapidated mansion, alongside fifty cats and piles of rubbish, live two bizarre and beautiful women who just happen to be the cousins of a Kennedy. Based on the groundbreaking documentary by David and Albert Maysles, this cult hit was nominated for 10 Tonys.

Dec 3-21

Blackbird by David Harrower

      An inappropriate relationship.  A life-changing confrontation.  From Scottish playwright David Harrower comes a controversial and mesmerizing drama about love and regret.

Jan 14 - Feb 22

The Seafarer  by Conor McPherson
      Another sharply observed and brilliantly written portrait of haunted Dublin from the author of Shining City. Four Irish mates—one blind, the rest blind drunk—play a Christmas Eve poker game with the devil.

Apr 22 - May 31

Rock’N’Roll by:Tom Stoppard
      Sophisticated, funny and electrifying, Stoppard’s latest play spans decades and dynasties with the spin of a record player. The master playwright takes a tender, imaginary journey through the life he might have led if he had returned to his native Czechoslovakia.

May 20 - Jun 28

Radio Golf by August Wilson
      Tackling gentrification and one African-American man’s bid for elected office, Radio Golf is the culmination of August Wilson’s ambitious 10-play cycle covering every decade of the 20th century.

 

Studio Secondstage

Oct 8 - Dec 2

A Beautiful View written and directed by Daniel MacIvor

      Acclaimed playwright Daniel MacIvor comes to The Studio 2ndStage to direct his latest play. Both a mysterious comedy and a powerful love story, A Beautiful View follows two women through their tumultuous thirty-year relationship. The Studio 2ndStage will also present a special world premiere reading of MacIvor’s latest play, Was Spring

Feb 25 - Mar 22

The Receptionist by Adam Bock
      The lady behind the front desk goes from cheery to chilling in Bock’s surreal and hilarious comedy. The author of recent hits like Swimming in the Shallows and The Thugs, Adam Bock brings his unique sense of humor to our culture of surveillance.
Jul 15-Aug 9

Fucking A by Suzan-Lori Parks
      A bloody, modern riff on The Scarlet Letter, as only Suzan-Lori Parks could do it—with wicked poetry, biting comic songs and unforgettable style. In Fucking A, Parks takes a wild, theatrical carnival ride through a post-apocalyptic future, where an outcast abortionist will do anything to reclaim her lost son.

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Synetic-Classika Theatre
Rosslyn Spectrum, 1611 North Kent, Rosslyn, VA
Classika Theatre, 4041 South 28th Street, Arlington, VA
703-824-6200 (box office)

Seeking to advance and enrich the theater arts through a unique performance style of a synthesis of the arts, fusing the classical elements of drama, movement, dance, mime, and music into a distinct form of non-realistic theater.

Sep 26 - Nov 9

Host and Guest by Roland Reed, is based on an epic poem by Vazha Pshavela

      Host and Guest centers around two men, one Muslim and one Christian, who befriend each other despite their cultures' long-standing hatred. The people from both villages punish them violently for their friendship, and the entire community is shattered by war. Both villages are Georgian, the confrontation between individual morality and ancient community prejudices is the conflict that brings about the central tragedy of this moving piece.  At Rosslyn Spectrum

Feb 6 - Mar 21

Dante's Divine Commedy

      In an unprecedented, ambitious production, Synetic Theater takes on the entirety of Dante Alighieri's epic masterpiece, the tale of a lost traveler's visionary journey through the torments of Hell and up the slopes of Purgatory, before the final attainment of redemption and Paradise. Delving into the core of Dante's original work, this modern retelling will bring the Italian classic to life in a way never seen before.   At Rosslyn Spectrum

March 27 - April 26

Lysistrata
      Athens and Sparta have been at war for years with no end in sight, and Lysistrata has an answer. She unites the women of Athens in a sex strike to force the men to come to their senses. Synetic, in collaboration with Georgetown University's Theater and Performance Studies Program, brings its unique blend of movement, dance, text, and music to Aristophanes' timeless political satire, a smash since its premiere in 500 B.C.  Mar 27 - Apr 5 at Georgetown University; April 9 - 26   at Rosslyn Spectrum

May 28 - Jun 15

A Midsummer Night's Dream
      After stunning audiences with wordless adaptations of Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, Synetic now tackles one of Shakespeare's most renowned comedies, a fantastical, darkly playful game of love, mistaken identity, and the supernatural. Synetic's fourth installment of its "Silent Shakespeare" series will bring this time-honored favorite to new life with signature bravado and dramatic physicality.  At The John F. Kennedy Center

 

Classika Theatre Family Series
At Classika Theatre

Sep 20-Nov 4

A Classical Fool.  (ages 4 and up)

Nov 22-Jan 25 
The Penguin Story (ages 3 and up)

Jan 17-Mar 29 
The Armadillo’s Song (ages 4 and up)

Feb 14-May 17 
Mother Goose (ages 3 and up)

Jun 13-Aug 16

The Monkeys of Danyang (ages 4 and up)

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T

Teatro de la Luna
4020 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20011
703-548-3092 (box office)
202-882-6227 (administration/box office)
202-291-2357 (fax)
Performance space:     Gunston Arts Center, Theater II, 2700 S. Lang Street, Arlington, VA
    Bringing Hispanic and Latin American theatre to the widest possible audience through culturally unique stage productions (with English surtitles at all performances), readings, and drama workshops for adults and children.

Sep 12-13

Arpas de América:  Latin American Harp Festival

      Come hear the strings of the Americas vibrate to the virtuosity of these brilliant harpists. Two unforgettable nights! An incomparable musical gift!

Oct 7 - Nov 15, 2008

11th International Festival of Hispanic Theater

      The area's only international theater festival! As always, this year's festival combines the vibrancy and sauciness of the New World with the introspection and avant-garde of the Old.

Feb. 12 - Mar. 7

Mujeres al poder/Kick-Butt Women based on Lady Godiva by Jean Canolle, adapted by Mario Marcel

       From the first moment – as is well known – it was Eve in control. But if any doubt remained, during a most violent and war-torn époque, when all was invasion, military, knights, armor and screams, there appeared the soft, ethereal, sweet and blonde Lady Godiva. And although it wasn’t admitted at the time, She knew what to do. And so history continued till today, when we must again remember and call on... KICK-BUTT WOMEN!  In Spanish with English surtitles.

17th Poetry Marathon:  La Pluma y la Palabra/The Pen and the World

Fri, Apr 17 (2-4pm) at the Mary Pickford Theater, James Madison Building, Library of Congress.

Sat Apr 18 (2-8pm) at Casa de Luna, 4020 Georgia Avenue, NW

If you would like to share your own poetry in Spanish with the audience, or read your favorite poem, please send it by fax at 202-291-2357 or email: info@teatrodelaluna.org by April 10 (space is limited.)

May 21 – Jun 13

Ellos No Usan Smoking/The Don’t Wear Black Tie by Gianfrancesco Guarnieri  (U.S. Premiere)

       Today - and always - it is a worker's right to strike. The word frightens, until we ourselves are the workers craving justice. 'They Don't Wear Black Tie' not only lays bare working class struggles in 1960s' Brazil, it delights in equality and liberty through a song of love and hope.  In Spanish with English surtitles.

 

 


Theater Alliance
H Street Playhouse
1365 H Street, NE
Washington, DC  20002
202-396-2125
fax:  202-547-5133
    Producing new or rarely performed plays that attract diverse and alternative audiences to our Northeast community in Washington.

Feb 5-Mar 1

The Women of Tin Pan Alley conceived by Joanne Schmoll

    Enjoy delicious food and drinks in a relaxed cabaret atmosphere while some of DC’s finest singers reveal The Great American Songbook...but who know that they were written by women?  Bring your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day and receive a wonderful gift at intermission.

Apr 16-May 10

The Bread of Winter by Victor Lodato (World premiere)

    A haunting post-apocalyptic look at a world where the sun no longer shines, strange stars encircle the earth and the instinct to mother has been forgotten.  Bring you Mother on Mother’s Day and receive and delightful present for her!

May 16-Jun 7

The Woman Who Amuses Herself by Victor Lodato

    What makes Mona Lisa smile?  One man aims to find out by kidnapping her and hiding her in his garret.  This comedy examines the role of art and femininity on our culture.

Jun 11-Jul 5

Five Flights by Adam Bock

     An aviary built to honor a deceased wife, fear of commitment, Russian Ballet and hockey, a gay hockey player, the Church of the Fifth Day...all of this id folded into this funny and deeply touching comedy about love and grief.

 

 

Theater J
1529 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-777-3229
202-518-9421 (fax)
    To renew the American-Jewish repertoire with plays that retain the distinctive urban voice and social vision that are part of the Jewish cultural heritage.

Sep 9-28

Sandra Bernhard’s Without You I’m Nothing by  Sandra Bernhard & John Boskovich
      An electrifying fusion of satire, cabaret, and sizzling rock 'n' roll, Sandra's diatribe on the state of modern culture still burns bright and smart. With her band, The Rebellious Jezebels, Sandra launches this brand-new version of the show that propelled her into the stratosphere 20 years ago.
Oct 22-Nov 30

Honey Brown Eyes by Stefanie Zadravec  (World premiere)
      Bosnia 1992. In two kitchens, two soldiers recover a little of what they’ve lost during the war. A Serbian paramilitary must face the consequences of his own brutality, while a Bosnian resistance fighter, crippled by the limits of his own courage, seeks refuge with a kindred soul. Unlikely partnerships emerge in this play of horror, humanity, and stunning relevance.

Dec 17 - Jan 11

Theodore Bikel in Sholom Aleichem:  Laughter Through Tears written and performed by
Theodore Bikel (World premiere)
      This great theatrical legend returns to Theater J after his titanic roles in The Disputation and Shylock, to unveil the world premiere of this movingly delivered, beautifully sung show about the pioneering 19th Century author Sholom Aleichem. Told with warmth, humor and a rich catalogue of Yiddish music in a major event not to be missed.   

“Voices From a Changing Middle East: A Festival”
Performances, panels, and Peace Cafes at Theater J, 6th and I Street Historic Congregation and The National Cathedral, co-sponsored by the Embassy of Israel

Feb 4–Mar 8

The Accident by Hillel Mitelpunkt

A fatal accident leaves a Chinese foreign worker dead and no one to accept responsibility. Two couples' lives unravel, their indiscretions revealed, as a daughter discovers their hidden secret.  From “Israel's David Mamet,” a brilliant metaphor and biting look at the way we live. Featuring Pangs of the Messiah's Michael Tolaydo

Jan 14-18

Dai (Enough) written and performed by Iris Bahr
Fresh from its healded Off-Broadway run, the Israeli-American comic chameleon, Iris Bahr (of Curb Your Enthusiasm) leads us into the colorful world of a Tel Aviv café and the lives of eleven inhabitants from every strata of Israeli society only minutes before a terrible calamity.

Mar 14-29

Plonter (Tangle) co-written and directed by Yael Ronen

The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv's Production.  Nine Israeli Arabs and Jews create a scathing, satirical tale of lives bound up in each other in the shadow of the security wall. A hit production from the heralded Israeli company that brought its acclaimed Hamlet to DC last year.

Apr 16 - May 24

The Rise and Fall of Annie Hall by Sam Forman (World Premiere)
      Henry's a hungry librettist with a great idea and the moxie to pull it off.  But complications ensue as he betrays his loved ones securing the rights to Woody Allen's famous film.  The closer he get to his dreams, the more havoc he wreaks. A hilarious tale about skyscraper ambitions in a celebrity-driven town.

Jun 17 - Jul 19

The Seagull on 16th Street by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Ari Roth, based on a translation by Carol Rocamora
      Youth is envied, challenged and mortally wounded in this classic by the great Russian master.  Inspired by Louis Malle's Vanya on 42nd Street, our own 16th Street provides the stage for a journey back to the Russian countryside in this tale of love and loss, with laughs and heartbreak.

 

 

Theater of the First Amendment
Center for the Arts
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030-4444
703-218-6500 (box office)
      In celebration of truly free speech, TFA provides playwrights the resources to create and explore new work, and provides audiences the opportunity to experience thought-provoking plays. Our Motto is "We entertain ideas."  Programming includes new plays, rediscovered classics, and family-friendly musicals.
Season TBA

 

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Washington Improv Theater (WIT)

Source Theatre

1835 14th Street, NW

Washington, DC

202.204.7770
    Unleashing the creative power of improv in DC: Engaging audiences with performances that exhilarate and inspire.  Igniting the spirit of play in Washington with a revolutionary training program.  Creating a home for improv, connected to the life of the city.  The revolution will be improvised.

For information on specific events, visit  www.washingtonimrpovtheater.com

 

 

Washington Savoyards

1333 H Street, NE

Washington, DC  20002

(202) 399-7993

The Washington area’s cultural scene as the only professional performing arts organization strictly devoted to the performance of comic and light opera, operetta, and musical theatre. 

Feb 20 - Mar 8

The Music Man by Meredith Wilson

      "Goodnight, My Someone" will be just the beginning of a good night for everyone as Broadway star and Washington Savoyards' favorite, Sandy Bainum, as Marian Paroo—"Marian the Librarian," leads a hilarious cast in this time-loved comedy about the man from "Gary, Indiana" who brings "Trouble" to River City.

Mar 27 - Apr 5

Iolanthe by Gilbert & Sullivan

      Neither fairyland nor the world of politicians will ever be the same when beautiful Iolanthe marries a mortal and gives birth to a half-mortal, half-fairy son. In true Gilbert and Sullivan fashion, this comic light opera has everyone looking for love in all the wrong places. Iolanthe is a "must see" for all Gilbert and Sullivan fans and great time for anyone looking for a fun evening at the theatre.

 

 

Washington Shakespeare Company

Clark Street Playhouse
601 S. Clark Street
Arlington, VA
703-418-4808
703-418-4809 (fax)
    Committed to presenting the classics, from Greeks to Shakespeare to contemporary writers, in an accessible, affordable, and exciting manner.

Aug 28-Sep 26

Peace by Callie Kimball

      Peace (inspired by Aristophanes' classic satire of the same name) pairs two of WSC's brightest stars: Kimball, who wrote last year's critically acclaimed Shakespeare's Rape of Lucrece, and director Alexander Strain, who received a grant from The Boomerang Fund for Artists for his performance in Caligula.  In this world premiere, a Tennessee landowner rides a hot air balloon to Mt. Olympus only to find the place trashed by War, who has declared Peace an enemy combatant.

Nov 6-Dec 7

All's Well that Ends Well by William Shakespeare

      All's Well that Ends Well will be directed by Helen Hayes award-winning director Joe Banno.  Audiences can expect Banno's audacious take on one of Shakespeare's "problem plays," as bad boy Bertram gets duped by the clever Helena.  But can this romance really last?

Jan 15-Feb 15

The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov

      The Cherry Orchard is considered one of the Russian playwright's masterpieces and will be directed by Helen Hayes award nominee and WSC Artistic Director Christopher Henley.   Madame Ranevskaya faces eviction and so does WSC.  The Cherry Orchard will be the last play performed by WSC at Clark Street Playhouse, WSC's home for the past thirteen seasons.  

Apr 9-May 10

Small Craft Warnings by Tennessee Williams

      Small Craft Warnings, a rarely performed American classic set in a bar, will take place in an actual bar, upstairs at Chief Ike's Mambo Room in Adams Morgan.  Blurring the lines between performer and spectator, we will follow a motley group of regulars as they come to grips with the emptiness and loneliness of their existence.  Directed by Jay Hardee, Small Craft Warnings is a perfect play for finding beauty in hard times.  At Chief Ike’s Mambo Room in Adams Morgan.

 

 

 

Washington Stage Guild
4018 Argyle Terrace, NW
Washington, DC  20011-5301
240-582-0050 (administration/box office)
240-582-0051 (fax)
www.stageguild.org
    Dedicated to performing plays that are often overlooked, including lesser-known works of famous playwrights, classics, and new plays of merit.
Readings at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G Street, NW.


Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

641 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-289-2443 (administration)
202-393-3939 (box office)
202-289.2446 (fax)
    Seeking to ignite an explosive engagement between theatre artists and the community by developing, producing, and promoting new plays that explore the edges of theatrical style and human experience and by inventing and implementing new ways to use the artistry of theatre to serve the citizens of Greater Washington DC.

Aug18 – Sep 14

Maria/Stuart by Jason Grote (world premiere)
      Stuart fights to keep the lid on his mother’s and aunts’ simmering angst. But the family’s secrets channel themselves into a bizarre shapeshifter that guzzles soda and chatters German verse. Friedrich Schiller’s classic tale of warring queens inspires a macabre romp into all that suburban America tries to repress.

Nov 3-30

BOOM by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
      “Sex to change the course of the world…” A grad student’s personal ad lures a randy journalism coed to his subterranean lab, where he studies fish sleep cycles for signs of the apocalypse. Will their “intensely significant coupling” lead to another big bang, or is mankind’s fate in the hands of someone watching from outside the fishbowl?

Feb 2-Mar 1

Hell Meets Henry Halfway text by Adriano Shaplin, after Possessed by Witold Gombrowicz, created & conceived by Pig Iron Theatre Company.

      Famed Philadelphia theatre company Pig Iron transforms a gothic mystery into an orgiastic celebration of nihilism. As a prince lies dying his bitter secretary schemes, an alchemist conjures, and an egocentric tennis coach moves in on the ladies. An existential classic explodes into delicious darkness and antic acrobatics.

Mar 30-Apr 26

Antebellum by Robert O’Hara.

      In 1939 Gone with the Wind premiered in Atlanta, a city still struggling with the aftershocks of slavery. Meanwhile in Europe, Hitler’s death camps flourished and Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. The romance of Hollywood movies and Berlin cabarets collides with history’s harshest cruelties as a forbidden love transcends the bounds of time, race, and religion.

Jun 1-29

Fever/Dream by Sheila Callaghan

      Chained to his desk in the basement of customer service hell, Segis suddenly finds himself set free in the CEO’s penthouse—but is it a dream? This raucous reinvention of Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s Life is a Dream gleefully skewers corporate America with razor-sharp wit and the biggest cast ever assembled on Woolly’s stage.

 

Woolly presents...

Oct 8-12

MacHOMER created and performed by Rick Miller, adapted from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth with characters created by Matt Groening

      Virtuosic performer Rick Miller brings you 85% of the Bard’s original text delivered by over 50 familiar voices from The Simpsons. This sublimely silly multi-media update of Shakespeare’s chilling tragedy has been a smash hit with sell-out crowds across North America and around the globe.

Dec 15-Jan 4

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 Plays in 60 Minutes) created by Greg Allen, written, directed & performed by THE NEO-FUTURISTS

      An underground Chicago favorite, this long-running late-night hit returns to Woolly with brand new material. The eccentric Neo-Futurists race against the clock to perform 30 miniature plays in 60 breathless minutes. With a menu of vignettes ranging from zany to risqué to profound, it’s the perfect interactive holiday treat for DC’s quickwitted audiences


Y

Young Playwrights Theater
2437 15th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 387-9173
    Encouraging a local appreciation of young artists and serves as a forum of communication between youth and the wider community.
Season TBA

 

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