ho ho ho ha ha ha ha Brings Holiday Magic to Woolly Mammoth Theatre

If your December brain is a tangled string of family logistics, gift anxiety, and end-of-year existential static, ho ho ho ha ha ha ha is here to lovingly poke it, untie it, and maybe set it gently on fire for comedic warmth. Now playing at Woolly Mammoth Theatre through December 21, 2025, this holiday-tinted edition of Julia Masli’s celebrated ha ha ha ha ha ha ha turns the audience’s real-life problems into the night’s raw material, making every performance a one-of-a-kind communal event.

ho ho ho ha ha ha ha at Woolly Mammoth Theatre

The show arrives at a moment when audiences need it most. Masli opens each performance with the stark declaration, "Christmas is very difficult. We are all going to die," before inviting the audience into a deeply personal, improvised journey. Unlike traditional holiday entertainment, this wholly unscripted performance builds itself around the real problems shared by audience members each night, creating an experience that is simultaneously profound and playfully bizarre.

At the heart of the show is Masli's singular approach to connection. Emerging from darkness in a striking blue gown with a spotlight affixed to her helmet, she extends a golden mannequin leg fitted with a microphone toward audience members, asking simply: "Problem?" What follows transforms the theater into an unexpected space of vulnerability and belonging. From heartbreak and holiday loneliness to the weight of societal struggles, each shared problem is met with Masli's radical empathy and creative problem-solving that defies convention.

The production's magic lies in its ability to weave disparate threads into something meaningful. Through minimal words and maximum presence, Masli creates improvisational rituals that might involve repairing a ceremonially smashed chair to mend a broken heart, or inviting strangers to collaborate on unexpected solutions. Audience members have been surprised by everything from surprise anniversary gifts lowered from the ceiling to invitations to join Masli for ice skating, demonstrating her commitment to creating real connections that extend beyond the stage.

The creative team's contributions elevate the improvised nature of the work. Sarah Chapin's live lighting design and Sebastián Hernández's live sound design respond in real-time to wherever the performance goes, creating an atmospheric choreography that shifts seamlessly from intimate moments to celebratory crescendos. The costume design by Alice Wedge, Annika Thiems, and David Curtis-Ring gives Masli an otherworldly presence, complete with her French-horn-like hat and various props suspended above the stage, ready to descend at just the right moment.

Director Kim Noble has crafted a framework that honors both the absurd and the sincere. The sparse set allows for maximum flexibility, with props scattered strategically to enable Masli's imaginative solutions. A work desk here, suspended chair pieces there, and mysterious bags hanging overhead all become tools in Masli's arsenal of compassion and creativity. The show even includes what Masli calls a "love database" for those seeking connection, and she promises to ceremonially burn a bag of audience-donated socks on F Street after the final performance.

What makes the show particularly resonant is its refusal to treat serious problems as material for cheap laughs. Masli approaches each shared struggle with genuine care, sometimes meeting vulnerability with her own stories and emotions. When faced with topics like cancer or systemic injustice, she doesn't retreat into comedy but instead creates space for authentic acknowledgment and collective support. The laughter that fills the room feels like a communal exhale—a release that comes from being truly seen and held by strangers who, for 75 minutes, become something like a temporary family.

The performance builds to a crescendo that feels both earned and surprising, with Masli demonstrating impressive skill in crafting narrative arcs from whatever ingredients her audience provides. Her timing is impeccable, her silences intentional, and her ability to unite a room of strangers through shared humanity is genuinely transformative.

For DC audiences navigating the complexities of the holiday season, "ho ho ho ha ha ha ha" offers something rare: a space where problems are acknowledged without judgment, where vulnerability begets connection, and where the absurd and the profound dance together in unexpected harmony. It's a reminder that sometimes the best holiday gift is simply being present with one another, even—or especially—in our struggles.

"ho ho ho ha ha ha ha" plays through December 21, 2025, at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW, Washington, DC 20004.

To see a list of all holiday shows in the area, visit our Holiday Plays In DC page.