The second half of the theater season always feels like the downhill rush of a roller coaster, a new hill coming into view just as you hit the dip, as local venues begin the time-honored ritual of announcing their upcoming seasons. Still, our focus here is on what’s about to bloom — and this year, that bloom is as big and bold as it gets.
A highlight is Shakespeare Theatre Company, showcasing Hamnet (no, not the movie), Suzy Eddie Izzard in a tour-de-force one-person Hamlet, and the great Wendell Pierce in the title role of Othello. (Pierce joins a notable Othello lineage at STC — including, for those who remember, Patrick Stewart and Avery Brooks.)
Arena, meanwhile, takes on the legend of musical supergroup TLC in a world-premiere musical, Mosaic captures the making of a movement in Young John Lewis, and Signature has some “magic to do” with a new production of Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin. Everyman dips into Durang, Round House adds a splash of Suzan-Lori Parks, and Olney welcomes chef extraordinaire Carla Hall. Oh, and let’s not forget Keegan, which offers up a raucous comedy where a malfunctioning set is the rightful star.
Despite the tragic loss of the Kennedy Center, there’s still room for big musicals, as Broadway at the National trots out The Wiz, Book of Mormon, Suffs, and The Great Gatsby. There’s plenty of dramatic nourishment in smaller rooms, where companies like Happenstance, Prologue, and Nu Sass are bending form, blurring reality, and getting gloriously weird. It’s a season of collisions — past and present, politics and identity, proven spectacle and daring experiment — and it’s asking us all to enjoy the ride.
1ST STAGE
1524 Spring Hill Rd.
Mclean, Va.
703-854-1856 1ststage.org
Young Americans — A young immigrant couple sets out on a cross-country drive to start a new life, bonding over roadside stops and shared dreams. Two decades later, that same journey is revisited with their daughter, revealing a layered portrait of family, memory, and the enduring pull of the past. By Lauren Yee. Directed by Nikki Mirza (4/9-4/26)
Indecent — Inspired by the true story of a controversial 1923 Broadway debut, Paula Vogel’s acclaimed drama traces the artists behind a once-scandalous play and their fight to bring it to the stage. A sweeping, deeply human story about art, censorship, and the power of love. Directed by Alex Levy (6/4-6/21)
Inherit the Wind — Inspired by the real-life Scopes “Monkey” Trial, the courtroom drama pits two towering legal minds against each other in a battle over science, religion, and the right to think freely. Directed by Ryan Guzzo Purcell (Now-4/5, Fichandler)
A Good Day to Me Not to You — A 40-something dental lab tech’s life unravels, sending her into a chaotic new chapter living in a boarding house run by nuns. By Lameece Issaq. Directed by Lee Sunday Evans (3/27-5/3, Kogod Cradle)
The Motion — What begins as an intellectual debate expands into a sweeping journey through memory, identity, and belief as four scholars find their lives upended in unexpected ways. By Christopher Chen. Directed by Hana S. Sharif (5/6-6/14, Fichandler)
CrazySexyCool – The TLC Musical — The story of iconic ’90s trio TLC comes to the stage in a new musical tracing their rise, impact, and enduring legacy. With hits like “Waterfalls,” “Creep,” “Unpretty,” and “No Scrubs,” the show explores the group’s trailblazing sound, sisterhood, and the challenges behind the fame. Written and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah (6/12-8/9, Kreeger)
The Two Gentlemen of Killarney at Avant Bard
AVANT BARD
2700 S. Lang Street
Arlington, Va.
703-418-4808 avantbard.org
The Two Gentlemen of Killarney — Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona gets an Irish twist in this adaptation set during the Great Famine, following friends-turned-rivals as they journey from Ireland to America (Now-3/28)
Ghost Limb — Set during Argentina’s Dirty War, this haunting drama follows a mother whose son has been “disappeared” by the military, leading her to uncover a mysterious psychic connection between her body and his suffering. By Marisela Treviño Orta. Directed by Elena Velasco (4/30-5/23)
BALTIMORE CENTER STAGE
700 N. Calvert St.
Baltimore, Md.
410-332-0033 centerstage.org
Holes — Based on Louis Sachar’s beloved Newbery Medal-winning novel, this stage adaptation follows Stanley Yelnats, a teenager sent to a mysterious desert camp where boys dig endless holes as punishment. The story unfolds into a tale of friendship, fate, and the courage to rewrite one’s destiny. Adapted for the stage by Louis Sachar. Directed by Johanna Gruenhut (4/16-5/10)
(pray) — Inspired by the energy of a Sunday church service, this vibrant choreopoem blends music, movement, and ritual in an exploration of faith, Black womanhood, and spiritual inheritance. Directed and choreographed by nichi douglas (6/13-7/5)
Beauty and the Beast — Disney’s beloved musical returns in a new North American production, bringing the story of Belle and the Beast to life with updated sets and costumes (Now-4/5)
The Wiz — The Tony Award-winning Best Musical returns in a new Broadway tour, reimagining The Wizard of Oz with a score blending soul, gospel, rock, and funk (4/7-4/12)
The Book of Mormon — The nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical follows a mismatched pair of missionaries sent halfway across the world, where their efforts to spread the Good Word take an unexpected turn (4/28-5/3)
The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel is adapted into a new musical capturing the glamour and excess of the Roaring Twenties, tracing a story of love, ambition, and illusion (5/12-5/24)
Suffs — The Tony Award-winning musical centers on the women who fought for the right to vote, following the leaders and organizers behind the suffrage movement and the complexities of their campaign for equality (6/16-6/28)
Beetlejuice — Based on the Tim Burton film, this musical comedy follows a teenager whose life changes after encountering a mischievous demon (7/7-7/26)
The Notebook — Based on the bestselling novel and film, Ingrid Michaelson’s musical traces the lifelong relationship between Allie and Noah, telling a story of enduring love across time and circumstance (8/18-8/30)
OR, — Liz Duffy Adams’ fast-paced comedy follows Aphra Behn — spy, poet, and one of the first professional female playwrights — as she races through a single chaotic night of intrigue, romance, and secret missions in 1660s England. Blending wit, wordplay, and farce, the play explores art, ambition, and sexual freedom. Directed by Allison Arkell Stockman (5/15-6/7, Atlas Performing Arts Center)
Bold New Voices Festival — Creative Cauldron’s annual initiative supporting new works by women returns with a series of professionally staged readings, inviting audiences to help shape the development of future productions in an interactive, pay-what-you-can format (4/10-5/2)
Little Women: The Musical — Based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, this Tony Award-nominated musical follows sisters Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy as they come of age during the Civil War, navigating ambition, love, and family. Music by Jason Howland. Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. Book by Allan Knee. Directed by Laura Connors Hull (5/14-6/7)
Loot — Joe Orton’s dark farce follows two young men who rob a bank and hide the stolen money in a coffin, setting off a wildly chaotic chain of events. A sharp, subversive comedy by Joe Orton. Directed by Stephen Jarrett (6/5-6/28)
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike — Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-winning comedy follows two siblings whose quiet lives are upended when their glamorous movie-star sister arrives with her much younger boyfriend. Directed by Vincent M. Lancisi (3/22-4/19)
Emma — Kate Hamill’s playful, fast-paced adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel brings Emma Woodhouse’s matchmaking misadventures to the stage with wit and modern flair. Directed by Laura Kepley (5/17-6/14)
Pressure — After one misstep too many, a young man sits in a jail cell awaiting sentencing, while those around him grapple with questions of identity, responsibility, and belonging. As tensions rise and a protest spirals out of control, Arad Dabiri’s drama explores racial profiling, family conflict, and the pressures that shape personal and political choices (Now-4/5)
As You Like It — Shakespeare’s beloved comedy follows Rosalind and her cousin Celia as they escape into the Forest of Arden, where disguises, romance, and mistaken identities lead to unexpected connections. This contemporary staging, envisioned by artistic director Karen Ann Daniels, reimagines the play with a distinctly D.C. spirit, blending classic text with a modern sense of place. Directed by Timothy Douglas (Now-4/12)
1776 at Ford’s Theatre
FORD’S THEATRE
511 10th St. NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-347-4833 fords.org
1776 — This Tony Award-winning musical follows John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson as they push for independence amid heated debate in the Second Continental Congress. Music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Book by Peter Stone. Directed by Luis Salgado (Now-5/16)
Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders — This world-premiere musical follows two immigrant writers reconnecting with their roots, drawing on Caribbean rhythms and the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez. Blending music, dance, and storytelling, the bilingual production explores identity, memory, and cultural heritage. Music by Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez. Book and direction by Luis Salgado. (4/30-5/24)
HAPPENSTANCE THEATER
Prince George’s Publick Playhouse
5445 Landover Rd.
Hyattsville, Md. happenstancetheater.com
PLAYdate: Coven Edition — Happenstance invites a group of women artists to devise an original performance in just one week, resulting in a series of vignettes inspired by themes of passage, oceans, and play. A fast-moving, collaborative showcase of storytelling and creativity (5/2-5/3)
Adrift, A Medieval Wayward Folly — A ship of fools drifts through a post-apocalyptic world, bringing to life characters inspired by Bosch and tarot in a wildly imaginative blend of music, puppetry, and physical comedy. A visually inventive, darkly comic meditation on survival and hope. Produced by Happenstance Theater (7/16-8/2, Round House Theatre)
The View Upstairs — An original musical tribute to queer history, community, and resilience, with a genre-blending score by Max Vernon, set in 1973 New Orleans at the Upstairs Lounge, a haven for queer joy, chosen family, and radical self-expression (5/29-6/14, Baltimore Theatre Project)
The Minutes — Tracy Letts’ darkly comic drama unfolds during a small-town city council meeting that gradually reveals buried secrets, shifting alliances, and unsettling truths. A biting satire of power, politics, and the stories communities tell themselves. Directed by Susan Marie Rhea (4/4-5/3)
The Play That Goes Wrong — A hapless theater troupe attempts to stage a murder mystery, but everything that can go wrong does — collapsing sets, missed cues, and escalating chaos in this fast-paced British farce by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields (6/6-7/12)
MOSAIC THEATER
Atlas Arts Center
1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993, x501 mosaictheater.org
Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest — A bold new musical by Psalmayene 24 tracing the early life of civil rights icon John Lewis, from student activist to national leader, shaped by the murder of Emmett Till and his work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Music by Kokayi. Directed by Reginald L. Douglas (3/26-5/3)
Precarious — A newly retired woman sets out to reinvent her life just as her daughter arrives and a sweltering summer complicates everything. The world premiere blends family comedy with reflections on generational divides and the pressures of a changing climate. By Steph Del Rosso. Directed by Jaki Bradley (6/4-6/28)
The H Twins — Identical twins raised in a highly controlled children’s home in 1940s Germany begin to question everything after exposure to American movies and music sparks dreams of vaudeville stardom. A darkly comic, genre-bending play by Hope Campbell Gundlah. Directed by Karen Lange. Co-produced by Pinky Swear Productions (3/21-4/5, Spooky Action Theatre, 1819 16th St. NW)
Everything, Devoured — Ronald Reagan is a demon. Ronald Reagan is a drag queen. Ronald Reagan is here, queer, and ready to eat you alive in a darkly funny queer ghost story by Katherine Gwynn. Directed by Tracey Erbacher and Ileana Blustein (4/17-5/10, TBA)
Brönte Sister House Party — The Brontë sisters host the same party over and over again in purgatory. By Courtney Bailey. Directed by Kathleen Barth (8/28-9/20, TBA)
Appropriate at Olney Theatre Center
OLNEY THEATRE CENTER
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd.
Olney, Md.
301-924-3400 olneytheatre.org
Appropriate — A family gathers at their late father’s crumbling Arkansas estate and unearths more than memories, as long-buried secrets and resentments surface with explosive force. By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Directed by Jason Loewith (Now-4/19, Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab)
I & You: The Musical — Two teenagers connect over a homework assignment in this musical adaptation of Lauren Gunderson’s hit play, blending humor, vulnerability, and unexpected emotional turns. Music and lyrics by Ari Afsar. Directed by Sarah Rasmussen (4/22-5/24, Roberts Mainstage)
Carla Hall: Please Underestimate Me — Celebrity chef and television personality Carla Hall takes the stage in a one-woman show charting her path from awkward theater kid to culinary star. Directed by Lili-Anne Brown (6/3-7/12, Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab)
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder — A penniless heir discovers he’s eighth in line to a fortune and sets out to eliminate the competition in this Tony-winning musical farce. Music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman. Directed by Eleanor Holdridge (7/2-8/23, Roberts Mainstage)
A Mirror — What begins as a wedding quickly unravels into something far more unsettling as truth and fiction blur and trust becomes impossible. Sam Holcroft’s drama turns paranoia into theater, pulling the participants into a world where no one is safe — not even the audience (4/16-5/17)
Immediate Family — A prodigal son returns home for a wedding with his new boyfriend, setting off a charged family reunion filled with secrets, tensions, and long-simmering questions about identity and acceptance. By Paul Oakley Stovall. Directed by Tedarrell Perry (Now-4/11)
The Three O’Clock Briefing — A journalist and her brother, a U.S. Marine public affairs officer, clash in an unnamed Middle Eastern region as personal loyalties collide with professional duty. By Bo Wilson. Directed by Lucian Restivo (4/23-5/2)
The War Shirt — In this autobiographical multimedia solo piece, Michael Downey traces his life, identity, and family history through the legacy of his father and the influence of African American and Native American ancestry (5/8-9)
RORSCHACH THEATRE
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993 x180 rorschachtheatre.com
Dragon Play — A woman confronts the dragon who was once her lover, while a boy discovers what it means to love a girl who upends his world. Jenny Connell Davis’ intimate, haunting play blends myth and memory into a meditation on love, loss, and transformation. Directed by Randy Baker (4/17-5/17, The Stacks at Buzzard Point, 101 V St. SW)
At the End of the World — In the wake of an apocalypse, a group of teenagers grapple with fear, identity, and what comes next. This year’s Sarah Metzger Memorial Play, which is directed, designed, stage-managed, and performed by high school students. Directed by Scout Amakali (3/27-3/29)
Sally & Tom — A scrappy theater troupe stages a play about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, but rehearsals spiral into chaos as art and reality collide. By Suzan-Lori Parks. Directed by Timothy Douglas (5/27-6/28)
Adrift, A Medieval Wayward Folly — A ship of fools drifts through a post-apocalyptic world, bringing to life characters inspired by Bosch and tarot in a wildly imaginative blend of music, puppetry, and physical comedy. A visually inventive, darkly comic meditation on survival and hope. Produced by Happenstance Theater (7/16-8/2)
Suzy Eddie Izzard in Hamlet at Shakespeare Theatre Company
Hamnet — When the plague claims their young son, Agnes and William Shakespeare are left to navigate grief and loss, finding unexpected resilience in the wake of tragedy. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel. Directed by Erica Whyman (Now-4/12, Harman Hall)
Eddie Izzard in Hamlet — Eddie Izzard takes on 23 roles in a virtuosic solo staging of Shakespeare’s famed tragedy, a bold, inventive interpretation that distills the epic drama into a tour-de-force performance. Adapted by Mark Izzard. Directed by Selina Cadell (3/27-4/11, Klein Theatre)
Othello — Shakespeare’s searing tragedy of jealousy and manipulation follows a celebrated general undone by the scheming of his most trusted advisor. Starring Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Elsbeth) in the title role. Directed by Simon Godwin (5/19-6/28, Harman Hall)
I’m Here: Black Broadway — Powerhouse vocalist Awa Sal Secka pays tribute to the Black luminaries who changed Broadway, from Shuffle Along to The Wiz to The Color Purple (Now-3/29, The Ark)
Safety Not Guaranteed — A journalist answers a mysterious classified ad seeking a partner for time travel and finds herself swept into a strange, heartfelt adventure in this indie-rock musical adaptation of the cult film. Music and lyrics by Ryan Miller. Directed by Oliver Butler (Now–4/12, The Max)
I Put a Spell on You: Nina Simone — Felicia Curry channels the spirit and sound of Nina Simone in a stirring musical tribute (3/31-4/19, The Ark)
Get Down Tonight: Classic Funk — A high-energy musical journey through the golden age of funk, featuring hits from Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton, Chic, Prince, and James Brown (5/5-5/17, The Ark)
Pippin — Stephen Schwartz’s beloved musical fuses spectacle, humor, and heart in a dazzling coming-of-age story about what it means to be fulfilled. Directed by Matthew Gardiner (5/12-7/26, The Max)
What Became of Us — Two siblings navigate a lifetime of shared memories, cultural identity, and diverging paths, exploring connection, conflict, and forgiveness across years and continents. By Shayan Lotfi. Directed by Ethan Heard (6/16-7/26, The Ark)
Jonah — A scholarship student at a boarding school, Ana finds joy and desire with Jonah, but their connection deepens into a decades-spanning story of intimacy, survival, and resilience. By Rachel Bonds. Directed by Taylor Reynolds (Now-4/19, Milton Theatre)
Purlie Victorious — A determined preacher returns home to reclaim his church and liberate his community from a racist landowner, setting off a sharp, satirical battle of wits. Ossie Davis’ classic comedy blends humor and urgency in a story of resistance and justice. Directed by Psalmayene 24 (5/6-6/14, Victor Shargai Theatre)
Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going to Happen — A chronically single stand-up comic finally meets Mr. Right, only to spiral into self-sabotage and anxiety about whether love is worth the risk. Marcelo Dos Santos’ darkly funny solo show dives into modern relationships with emotional candor (6/4-7/12, Mead Theatre)
Eureka Day — At a progressive private school in Berkeley, every decision must be made by consensus, until a mumps outbreak exposes the cracks in their idealism. Jonathan Spector’s uproarious satire asks how a community can function when no one agrees on the truth. Directed by Hayley Finn (Now-4/5)
Caesar and Cleopatra — An aging Julius Caesar encounters a young Cleopatra amid political turmoil, guiding her rise as Egypt teeters on the brink of chaos. Adapted by Bill Largess from the George Bernard Shaw classic. (4/9-5/3)
Travesty — Sasha Velour channels a kaleidoscope of characters to trace the hidden queer history of a single place, from persecution to protest to liberation. Blending drag, performance art, and storytelling, this electrifying solo work is part history lesson, part rallying cry, and wholly immersive (3/24-4/12)
A Fine Madness — Justin Weaks crafts a deeply personal and communal performance that blends poetry, music, and storytelling into a living archive of Black queer experience. Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell (Dates and Locations TBD)
Critics André Hereford and Kate Wingfield deliver the best in theater every week. Get their latest reviews delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up at MetroWeekly.com/subscribe.
As Vanessa Williams, radiant as ever in sparkling gold, rose to accept her award as Signature Theatre's 2026 Sondheim Award honoree, a question came up at our table: "Do you think they'll hold the plane for her?"
The audience at Monday's black-tie Sondheim Award Gala, held for the fourth year at the Anthem on the Wharf, had already been informed Miss Williams had a plane to catch -- and soon. Currently starring as the ruthless Miranda Priestley in the West End production of the new musical The Devil Wears Prada, Williams needed to make that British Airways flight from Dulles to London in order to go on with the show the following night.
The word and feeling for dance this season is "immersive," as companies and artists throughout the DMV invite audiences to fully experience the joy of motion, whether you're watching from your seat or joining in the movement. A preponderance of performers promise interactive dances, games, and environments for viewing the classics, discovering experimental new visions, or just finding community in music and culture, be it Bhangra and Bharatanatyam dance or ballet and beatboxing. So dive in, immerse yourself, and let the rhythm move you.
"What inspires me? People," says costume designer Emilio Sosa, connecting via Zoom from his workspace in rehearsals for Manhattan Theatre Club's upcoming drama The Balusters, by David Lindsay-Abaire.
"I'm a huge people watcher, which in New York could be a little tricky because you can't look at anyone more than two seconds or they'll ask you, 'What you looking at?!' But people inspire me, because, just like the saying, life is stranger than fiction."
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and raised in New York's South Bronx, Sosa is living a life emblematic of the phrase. Familiar to reality TV audiences for his two high-impact seasons as a contestant on Project Runway, the former assistant wardrobe supervisor for the Alvin Ailey Dance Company has long since transcended his relative success on the TV franchise through his formidable work on theater stages.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
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