Theatre Prometheus Conjures Laughter and Heart in the World Premiere of Where Dead Women Go to Dance
Theatre Prometheus is closing out its fall run of something truly original. Where Dead Women Go to Dance, a world premiere by DC-based playwright Stephen Spotswood, is playing at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring through Oct 17, and audiences have only a few more chances to catch this darkly funny, deeply felt two-hander before it vanishes.
The premise is as irresistible as it is strange. When Kim discovers that her best friend Ellen has died, she reaches for an old family recipe passed down through generations and brings her back. Mostly. Ellen now has no heartbeat, no need to breathe, a troubling gap in her memory, and one very firm rule to live by: if she leaves Kim's house, she dies all over again. As the night unfolds, the two women, friends since middle school, circle around what really happened, and the real question becomes not how to cheat death but how to find a reason to keep living. Under the direction of Theatre Prometheus Co-Artistic Director Lauren Patton Villegas, the play blends witchcraft, magical realism, and genuine grief into roughly 85 minutes of theatre that tackles heavy subjects without ever losing its sense of humor or its heart.
At the center of it all are Willow Kyteler as Kim and Alex Aspiazu as Ellen, and their chemistry has been singled out as the production's great strength. Kyteler gives a wonderfully expressive performance, using her whole body to land both the comedy and the sorrow, and bringing a raw, earnest vulnerability to the moments when Kim confesses her past attempts at magic. Aspiazu plays beautifully against her as a jittery, edgy, defensive Ellen, trying to piece together the truth of what is happening inside the house. Together they make a perfectly matched pair, calm and frantic, and both bring sharp comic timing and impressive dance skills to the stage. The opening, in which Kim hauls her friend's lifeless body into the house and wrestles with her uncooperative limbs, has been described as genuinely hilarious, and a quick-witted exchange about whether people think Kim's house is haunted is a standout bit of comedy. Just as memorable are the quieter moments, especially a powerful scene around the kitchen table involving a letter, when the energy between the two women shifts and the play's emotional core comes crashing through.
Villegas also delivers some inspired staging, most notably a sequence in which each woman steps outside the house's interior into an imagined bathroom, splashes water on her face, and silently confronts her own reflection, a simple and striking moment that says more than any dialogue could. Intimacy and fight director Alana Isaac has drawn praise for helping the actors land the production's most physical and intimate beats.
The production is also a visual treat. Scenic and properties designer Simone Schneeberg has created a richly detailed home that feels both timeless and modern, a space that could sit deep in the woods or on any suburban street, with striking paintwork and shelves of carefully filled ingredient jars that lend a real sense of enchantment once Kim starts pulling them down to work her spell. Costume designer Jaya S. Basu's chic, cottagecore-meets-modern looks add to the witchy atmosphere, and when the music kicks in and the two friends finally get to dance it out in the kitchen, the show finds a giddy, joyful release.
Theatre Prometheus has long been dedicated to queer and feminist stories, and this new work fits that mission beautifully, giving its audience a story about friendship, identity, and survival wrapped in a bit of magic. With a gorgeous set and two terrific performances at its center, Where Dead Women Go to Dance is well worth a trip to Silver Spring before it closes.
Where Dead Women Go to Dance plays through Oct 17, 2026, at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center Studio Theatre, 7995 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD. The running time is approximately 85 minutes with no intermission.