Washington Stage Guild Reveals 2023/24 DC Theatre Season
The Washington Stage Guild recently unveiled its lineup for the 2023/24 season, which is set to include two regional debuts and a global debut by female dramatists, in addition to a classic by George Bernard Shaw, the theatre company's favored playwright. The upcoming season's plays are An Unbuilt Life by Elizabeth DeSchryver, Dorothy's Dictionary by E.M. Lewis, The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective by Patricia Milton, and George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man. These productions will be under the directorship of Steven Carpenter, Laura Giannarelli, Morgan Duncan, and Michael Rothhaar respectively. The curtain rises on September 28, 2023, at the Washington Stage Guild's residence, The Undercroft Theatre, situated within Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church at 900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.
"After a smashing 2022/23 season, we are excited to jump in again with a quartet of plays that, in 2023/24, will deal with discoveries and revelations,," mentions Artistic Director Bill Largess. "Preconceived notions about heroism, guilt or innocence, honesty, and altruism are upended by the truth. The resonances with our world, where truth is being challenged by so many, are very surprising. And it's especially pleasing for us to not only return to one of Shaw's most beloved plays but to accompany it with two area premieres and a world premiere by three emerging American female playwrights."
2023/24 SEASON
DOROTHY'S DICTIONARY
September 28-October 22, 2023The power of words and the transformation through books. When Zan, a rebellious high schooler, is compelled to fulfill his community service by assisting the spirited, yet ailing librarian Dorothy, sparks ignite. Despite apparent differences, the duo might uncover profound significance in each other's life stories... if they can just find the right words. Regional Debut.
ARMS AND THE MAN
November 16-December 10, 2023In this sparkling comedy, Shaw dismantles romanticized notions surrounding love and war. Post the Serbo-Bulgarian war in 1885, the seemingly valiant reveal themselves as frauds while the apparent cowards rise as the true heroes. A love-struck young woman faces a dilemma when she discerns her heart might belong to an unexpected suitor. Arms and the Man returns to the Stage Guild in a refreshed adaptation since its initial production in 1992.
THE VICTORIAN LADIES' DETECTIVE COLLECTIVE
February 1-25, 2024Imagine Sherlock Holmes in cahoots with Arsenic & Old Lace. In 1893, as a daring serial killer stalks London, two formidable sisters running a boarding house for single women take action, particularly when Scotland Yard proves ineffectual. Along with a spirited American actress, they embark on solving the crime, culminating in a captivating murder mystery featuring modern empowered female leads. Regional Debut.
AN UNBUILT LIFE
April 11-May 5, 2024Agatha Ganner stumbles upon a mysterious painting within her late husband's art trove, and enlists the help of a dynamic grad student for its investigation. As they dig deeper, they uncover sinister past events. Torn between rectifying history and the potential to devastate lives, Agatha faces a dilemma: Is the pursuit of justice always the moral path? Global Debut.