Shows in DC: Current DC Theatre Productions

When a troubled teen is given a controversial book, his mother visits the local library to discuss "appropriate" reading material with the librarian. However, their reasonable discussion quickly turns into a heated confrontation, sparking a dramatic chain reaction of unexpected consequences. With both heartbreak and humor, Sharyn Rothstein offers compassion and empathy as an antidote to the deep debates that divide us. Staged in the round, this brilliant world premiere challenges us to see past our political divisions and first impressions, and asks us what it truly means to care for our children.

It is 2016 and it has been 936 days and counting since Flint, Michigan, has had clean water. Third-generation General Motors employee Marion finds herself on the cusp of a promotion until her sister begins participating in protests accusing the company of poisoning the water. Forced to confront their past and weigh their limited options for the future, the family finds their tight-knit unit threatened by more than just the toxicity of the water.

You are cordially invited to a meeting of The Drunk Shakespeare Society. In a hidden speakeasy, five classically-trained actors assemble for their sacred ritual. One actor takes five shots of whiskey and then attempts to perform a major role in a Shakespeare play. Hilarity and mayhem ensue as the remaining sober actors attempt to keep the play on track. Every night is different depending on who's drinking ... and what they're drinking! Drunk Shakespeare is a New York Times' Critics Pick and "the best thing to ever happen to the theater" according to Slate Magazine. Craft cocktails are served throughout the show.

In Larissa FastHorse's uproarious comedy, a collision of friends and foes within the non-profit sector sets the stage for a whirlwind of competition, chaos, and comedic revelation. Meet Wynona, the Native American proprietor of N.O.B.U.S.H., and River, her white counterpart at Indigenous Nations Soaring. Their escalating rivalry ensnares colleagues and bystanders, leading to the unraveling of secrets that highlight the absurdities of ambition and authenticity. Amidst the laughter, genuine connections form, emphasizing the value of unexpected paths to success. Fake It Until You Make It is a humorous exploration of ambition, demonstrating that laughter often accompanies the pursuit of goals.

With killer heels and a fabulous wig, Hedwig tours the country, trailing the ex-lover who stole her songs and made it big. Tonight, Hedwig will tell her story on her own terms, in an unforgettable show about growing up in Communist East Germany, the botched sex change operation that allowed her to come to the United States, and life beyond the binary.

Synetic premieres The Immigrant, a new project from Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili based on the classic 1918 silent comedy. It is a simple, comedic story about the arrival of a new immigrant in turn of the 20th-century New York, with all the trials, adventure, mishaps, and high hopes of the American immigrant journey. As a theater founded, led, and populated by immigrant artists, Synetic considers this the perfect time and opportunity to adapt, expand, and develop its own version of story, bringing its adept physical comedy, innovative style, and great heart to the legacy of this cinema classic.

Lights up on Washington Heights, NYC where the streets are full of music, and everybody's got a dream. With the neighborhood on the brink of gentrification, and a life-changing winning lottery ticket somewhere in their midst, the vibrant inhabitants share hope, loss and love as they plan their futures while cherishing their home.

Applause Unlimited celebrates one of the 20th century?s greatest storytellers with their award-winning show, ?The Magic of Hans Christian Andersen.? Sometimes serious and heartwarming, sometimes downright silly, but always fun, the show features storytelling and song as well as over twenty hand puppets, rod puppets, and marionettes in three of Andersen?s best-loved tales: ?The Ugly Duckling,? ?Thumbelisa,? and ?The Emperor?s New Clothes.? Filled with humor and messages suitable for all ages, this show presents the stories that grandparents will recognize, parents will love to share, and every child will long remember.

This rousing production of "the great All-American musical" follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he promises to invigorate a small Iowa town by selling the idea of a boys' band. Marian, the town librarian, is skeptical until she too falls for his charm. This 6 time Tony Award winning musical features: 76 Trombones, The Wells Fargo Wagon, Trouble, Goodnight My Someone and Till There Was You. THE MUSIC MAN is "Musical comedy at its feel good best." ~ The New York Times

Sister Act is a riotous musical comedy smash based on the hit 1992 film that has audiences jumping to their feet! To escape the mob, a nightclub singer hides in a convent. While there, she helps her new sisters to discover their powerful voices while she finds her own. This uplifting, Tony-nominated musical features original music by Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors). It is directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun (Broadway: Newsies, Ford's: Violet, The Civil War, Freedom's Song, Shenandoah).

This fringe hit from London makes its U.S. Premiere in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab! Whether or not sleepover parties with friends were part of your upbringing, you're invited to join Elle, Shan, Funmi, and Rey at theirs. These four Black British teenagers are growing up fast, each coping with their unique challenges of disability, sexuality, religion, and family. Their sleepover parties are a complex dance of adolescent bluster and aspirational performance, interspersed with moments of intimate honesty that seem to take them all by surprise. Most of all, Sleepova is a testament to the joys of friendship, centering a quartet of young women tentatively making their way in the world.

She was one of the first known female artists. And one of the first women artists to establish an international reputation. A student of Michelangelo, 27-year-old noblewoman and renowned portrait artist Sofonisba Anguissola travels from Italy to Spain to paint for King Philip II. In her 20 years at the Royal Court, she must play to and against the expectations of the king, friendship with and service to a 14-year-old Queen Isabel, and navigate the tricky waters of court politics as an unmarried woman. A play about the hunger for creation - of birth and of art - and what it costs.