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The complete guide to theater, dance, performance art, and visual arts in the nation's capital. Curated descriptions, honest recommendations, one click to tickets.
Now Playing
9 shows
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Chez Joey
Jan 30 – Mar 15
This is essential viewing for those drawn to character-driven drama with psychological depth—particularly audiences interested in stories about performance and identity that avoid easy sentimentality. If you're looking for spectacle or uplifting narrative arcs, look elsewhere; if you appreciate productions that sit with uncomfortable truths about ambition and loss, Arena Stage's intimate Southwest Waterfront setting makes this a worthwhile investment.
Closing Soon
On Beckett
Feb 11 – Mar 15
If you've always found Beckett's reputation for bleakness a barrier to entry, Irwin's physicality and genuine warmth might be your gateway. Skip this if you want conventional narrative momentum, but if you appreciate watching a master performer think through complex ideas in real time, this is essential.
Closing Soon
THE BONNIE HAMMERSCHLAG NATIONAL CAPITAL NEW PLAY FESTIVAL
Feb 11 – Mar 15
Seek this out if you're interested in where theater is heading rather than where it's been. This is essential for playwrights, theater professionals, and audiences who want to engage with new work before it becomes canonized elsewhere—expect unpolished edges alongside genuine discoveries.
Inherit the Wind
Feb 27 – Apr 5
If you value substantive drama that treats intellectual conflict as genuinely dramatic—not just as a vehicle for preaching—this is essential. This is also smart for anyone wrestling with how institutions should balance tradition and progress. Fair warning: if you're looking for a cozy, apolitical evening, look elsewhere.Advertiser Creative / Image
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Safety Not Guaranteed
Safety Not Guaranteed
Mar 3 – Apr 12
If you love character-driven comedies with genuine emotional stakes and don't mind theatrical logic that favors the heart over plausibility, this lands squarely in your wheelhouse. This isn't for audiences needing everything explained or characters they can easily pin down—it requires a willingness to meet the material's gentle weirdness halfway.
The Humanities Lab: As You Like It
This is for people who want to understand *why* a play matters, not just experience it passively. If you've ever left a Shakespeare production wishing you'd caught more layers, or if you're the type to linger in museum galleries reading every placard, this Capitol Hill intensive will satisfy that hunger. Skip it if you prefer entertainment divorced from intellectual engagement.
Family Workshop: My Shakespearean Monologue
This works beautifully for families with kids ages 8-14 who are curious about language but might find traditional Shakespeare daunting. Skip it if your family needs passive entertainment, but if you want your kids to actively play with words and discover that Shakespeare's vocabulary can express *their* voice, this delivers exactly that.
Family Workshop: Celebrations - Shakespearean Style
This works best for families with children ages 6-12 who aren't intimidated by Shakespeare and parents who want their kids to experience literary classics as living, playful things. Skip it if your family needs highly structured, performance-focused activities; this is exploratory and messy in the best way.