Call it the “Season of Psalm.” While assembling this year’s Fall Arts Preview Stage roundup, one thing became increasingly clear: the local visionary Psalmayene 24 has emerged as one of the city’s most sought-after talents. He’ll be helming future productions at Arena, Studio, and Ford’s, and has at least one written work — Mosaic’s Monumental Travesties — currently running.

There is nothing more exciting than watching an artist take dazzling flight, especially one who is willing to stretch the boundaries of theater. He’s Washington’s answer to Mary Zimmerman, who, incidentally, will make an appearance of her own, as she reshapes Mozart’s Magic Flute at The Shakespeare Theatre into something otherworldly.

Speaking of The Shakespeare, artistic director Simon Godwin hooked one of the biggest fish ever to swim in our sparkling theatrical pond — Ralph Fiennes, who will star in Godwin’s staging of Macbeth this spring.

But all of the 30 theaters listed in this year’s preview are investing their all into their work and their audiences, producing compelling, thoughtful, insightful plays that relate to our present times, often through looking at the past.

The season is also replete with musicals — some new, some revived, some reimagined. A breathtaking array of Broadway tours place emphasis on their movie origins — from Disney’s Frozen at the Kennedy Center to Pretty Woman at The National to Xanadu at the Richmond Triangle Players.

Signature, naturally, takes some of the biggest musical swings of all, with a massive production of Ragtime on the boards, as well as a spring fling into Hair. Meanwhile, Keegan is wandering (in reverse chronology) into Sondheim territory with Merrily We Roll Along.

Plays get their due as well, with Constellation offering up what is sure to be an intoxicating Orlando, adapted by Sarah Ruhl, Baltimore’s Everyman tapping into its inner-Hitchcock with Dial M for Murder, Woolly inviting John Jarboe to showcase the compelling one-person tour de force Rose: You Are Who You Eat and Synetic eerily dancing their way into Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart.

And then there’s Rorschach’s Night of the Living Dead Live, which, if the company truly honors the film the show is based on, will be a production with some real guts.

1ST STAGE

1524 Spring Hill Rd.
Mclean, Va.
703-854-1856
www.1ststage.org

• The Chosen — Aaron Posner adapts Chaim Potok’s beloved novel, telling the story of two young Jewish boys in 1940s Brooklyn as they navigate the complexities of their relationships with each other, their families, and their religion. Directed by Alex Levy (9/28-10/15)
• Quilters — Set on the American frontier, the Barbara Damashek and Molly Newman’s musical tells the story of a group of women who come together to create a quilt that reflects their shared history, struggles, and triumphs (12/7-12/24)
• Shutter Sisters — A white woman named Michael struggles with strained family relationships at her adopted mother’s funeral, while a Black woman named Mykal navigates a challenge of her own: becoming an empty nester. A surrealist journey through womanhood, identity, and what it means to belong (2/2-18)
• The Nance — Nick Olcott directed Douglas Carter Beane’s Tony Award-winning play that recreates the naughty, raucous world of burlesque’s heyday and tells the backstage story of gay performer Chauncey Miles (4/4-21)
• Postcards from Ihatov — Adapted from the works of Kenji Miyazawa, a spellbinding tale of friendship, self-discovery, and the transcendent power of imagination that takes audiences on a cosmic journey through the stars. Directed by Natsu Onoda Power (6/6-23)

ARENA STAGE

1101 Sixth St. SW
202-488-3300
www.arenastage.org

• Potus — When the Commander-in-Chief publicly calls his wife a “See You Next Tuesday,” hell breaks loose in the White House. POTUS hilariously follows how seven women of dramatically different backgrounds minimize the damage done by male arrogance and political posturing (10/13-11/12, Fichandler)
• Swept Away — When a violent storm sinks their whaling ship off the Massachusetts coast, the four survivors face a reckoning: how far will they go to stay alive? Featuring music and lyrics from The Avett Brothers and directed by Broadway hit-maker (and local native) Michael Mayer (11/25-12/30, Kreeger)
• Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show — A fresh new take on holiday entertainment as only Step Afrika! can deliver it (12/8-17, Fichandler)
• Tempestuous Elements — Born into slavery in North Carolina, Anna Julia Cooper was a visionary Black feminist and educator in the early 20th century, and only the fourth African American woman to earn a doctoral degree. Kia Corthron’s play shines a light on Cooper’s tumultuous tenure as Principal of Washington, D.C.’s historic M Street High School where she fought to keep Black education alive, despite the racism, gossip, and sexism that threatened to consign her efforts to obscurity. Directed by Psalmayene 24 (2/16-3/17, Fichandler)
• Unknown Soldier — A sweeping, elegiac musical from Daniel Goldstein and the late Michael Friedman on a woman’s journey to unearth the secrets of her family’s past (3/29-5/5, Kreeger)
• The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence — Step Afrika tells the story of one of the largest movements of people in United States history, when millions of African American migrants moved from the rural South to the industrial North in the 1900s to escape Jim Crow, racial oppression, and lynchings (6/6-7/14, Kreeger)

AVANT BARD

2700 S. Lang Street
Arlington, Va.
703-418-4808
www.avantbard.org

• 8th Annual Free Scripts in Play Festival — A staged reading festival that both develops and showcases new works by playwrights from the D.C. area and beyond. The festival will take place Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons in the latter half of January and early February
• Coriolanus — Director Séamus Miller says this production of Shakespeare’s tragedy will be “inspired by video games, virtual reality, and our cultural embrace of ultra-violence” (Run begins 2/29)
• Homeless Garden — Playwright Matt Minnicino modernizes and deconstructs Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard with an eye on the interconnection of environmental and class issues. Kathleen Akerley directs (Run begins May 2)

BALTIMORE CENTER STAGE

700 N. Calvert St.
Baltimore, Md.
410-332-0033
www.centerstage.org

• Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill — In March 1959, four months before her passing, Billie Holiday gives an unforgettable performance at Emerson’s Bar & Grill in South Philadelphia. In between renditions of some of her greatest hits, like “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child,” Billie shares the triumphs and heartbreaks of a life and career like no other in Lanie Robertson’s groundbreaking play, turned here into an immersive cabaret experience that marks the directorial debut of the Pulitzer nominated Nikkole Salter (Now-10/8)
• Cinderella — Kevin S. McAllister directs the Rogers and Hammerstein classic adding a few enchanted twists inspired by the 1997 TV movie starring Whitney Houston and Brandy (11/25-12/23)

CONSTELLATION THEATRE

1835 14th St. NW
202-204-7741
www.constellationtheatre.org

• Orlando — An adaptation by Sarah Ruhl of Virginia Woolf’s luminous, ahead-of-its-time novel about a timeless, gender-bending nobleperson (10/12-11/11)
• Desperate Measures — In the Wild West, a gun-slinging nun must team up with a shrewd sheriff and a salty saloon dancer to save her bad boy brother from certain death in this musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. Book and lyrics by Peter Kellogg and music by David Friedman. Allison Arkell Stockman directs (2/15-3/17)
• Is God Is — A fierce and funny drama that follows impassioned twin sisters as they go on an epic adventure across America to exact righteous revenge on the man who betrayed their family. Directed by KenYatta Rogers (6/13-7/14)

CREATIVE CAULDRON

410 South Maple Ave.
Falls Church, Va.
703-436-9948
www.creativecauldron.org

• Monarch: A Mexican American Musical — A new musical that follows the journey of dreamers and undocumented immigrants who live and work in this country, but still must remain in the shadows. Directed by Matt Conner and Mayu Molina Lehmann (10/5-29)
• The Adventures of Pinocchio — An inventive adaptation of the classic Collodi tale featuring music and lyrics by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith, and Spanish language elements (11/3-19)
• The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin — In a humorous and pointed coming-of-age story spanning the sixties through the nineties, a young Black girl blithely sails through the confusing worlds of racism, sexism, and Broadway showbiz until she’s forced to face the devastating effect self-denial has had on her life. Book, music and lyrics by Kirsten Childs (2/8-3/3)
• Chicks in Heaven — When four friends come together in a rural southwest Virginia town for a reunion, and a local boy sets fire to the van of one of the friends. Clashes ensue. Directed by Laura Connors Hull (4/11-28)
• Working — Based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers, the classic has been updated for a modern age, featuring new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as favorites by Stephen Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, James Taylor, and Micki Grant. Directed by Matt Connor (5/16-6/9)

EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE PLAYERS 2

The Writer’s Center
4508 Walsh St.
Bethesda, Md.
202-355-6330
www.universeplayers2.org

• The Caretaker — First staged in London, 1960, Harold Pinter’s first success still has the power to surprise, entertain, and unsettle audiences. Directed by Stephen Jarrett (9/29-10/22)

EVERYMAN THEATRE

315 West Fayette St.
Baltimore, Md,
410-752-2208
www.everymantheatre.org

• A Doll’s House — Offering a fresh perspective on Ibsen’s timeless classic, Joanie Schultz’s 90-minute adaptation of the classic play invites audiences to engage with updated themes of gender, power, and identity while holding true to the playwright’s original intentions (Now-9/29)
• The Chinese Lady — A poetic journey of discovery and enlightenment inspired by the true story of Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to step foot in America in 1834 and whose destiny was to become a living curiosity in a museum (10/22-11/19)
• Dial M for Murder — The classic murder mystery that inspired Hitchcock’s iconic film follows a former tennis player who concocts a plan to murder his wealthy wife. This new adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher layers clever dialogue, intense suspense, and unexpected plot twists with a modern exploration of greed, power, and manipulation. Directed by Vincent M. Lancisi (12/3-31)
• Crumbs From the Table of Joy — A 17-year-old adjusts to her new life in 1950s Brooklyn after the passing of her mother. Caught between her father’s spirituality and her aunt’s activism, she learns to find her own definition of the American Dream. A poignant and gripping drama by Lynn Nottage. Directed by Mosaic’s Reginald L. Douglas (1/28-2/25)
• The Book Club Play — D.C.-based playwright Karen Zacarías’ Helen Hayes Award-winning comedy follows Ana and her friends whose book club becomes the subject of a legendary documentarian (3/17-4/14)
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream — Noah Himmelstein directs Shakespeare’s most magical and beloved of comedies, set in a mystical forest and swooning in mismatched romance (5/12-6/9)

FLYING V THEATRE

Silver Spring Black Box Theatre
8641 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, Md.
www.flyingvtheatre.com

• Monstress — An immersive horror experience that reimagines the legacy of the Manananggal, previously contained to folklore. Designed for small-batch audiences, the show features an innovative fusion of live and digital performance, some technological wizardry, and atmospheric and sensory immersion (10/19-28)

FOLGER THEATRE

201 E. Capitol St. SE
202-544-7077
www.folger.edu

• The Winters Tale — The Folger at last returns to its home stage, opening its season with Shakespeare’s fantastical romance, a journey filled with emotional depth, extreme behavior, complex relationships — and a bear. Directed by Tamilla Woodard (11/4-12/17)
• Where We Belong — Mohegan theater-maker Madeline Sayet presents a solo piece, echoing a journey to England braved by her Native ancestors in the 1700s following treaty betrayals, forces audiences to consider what it means to belong in an increasingly globalized world (2/15-3/10)
• Metamorphoses — Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of Ovid’s classic tales where gods and mortals experience love, loss, and transformation. Directed by Psalmayene 24 (5/7-6/16)

FORD’S THEATRE

511 Tenth St. NW
202-347-4833
www.fordstheatre.org

• Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard — A timely and poignant world premiere that is part of Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions program. Playwright Pearl Cleage explores the election of Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first Black mayor. Cleage’s unique theatrical voice turns Atlanta into a full-blooded character while allowing her audience to feel what it was like to be part of a true historic moment in the Southern capital city. Directed by Seema Sueko (Now-10/15)
• A Christmas Carol — Craig Wallace dons his Scrooge nightcap yet again and returns as the miser who would spoil Christmas (11/17-12/31)
• Little Shop of Horrors — Ford’s has always had stunning success with musicals (witness their flawless Into the Woods from several seasons back), and this Alan Mencken-Howard Ashman masterpiece could be the one to top them all. Can’t wait to see the plant. Directed by Kevin McAllister (3/15-5/18)

GALA HISPANIC THEATRE

3333 14th St. NW
202-234-7174
www.galatheatre.org

• Baño de luna (Bathing in Moonlight) — Love’s forbidden allure leads to a relationship between Father Monroe, a devout Catholic priest, and a beguiling Havana pianist from his parish. Written and directed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz (Now-10/1)
• Picasso — From the lush stroke of his paintbrush to the beat of his heart, the artful canvas of Picasso’s life unfolds through memories of cherished family and friends, his passion for bullfights, the circus, and the stage in this play by Cornelia Cody (10/14-21)
• XIX Fuego Flamenco Festival — The popular three-weekend festival turns 19 this year and features performances by the mesmerizing bailaor Rafael Ramírez and a new piece co-directed by Edwin Aparicio and Aleksey Kulikov (11/4-11/19)
• Las hermanas Palacios (The Palacios Sisters) — Cristina García’s gripping play catapults Chekhov’s Three Sisters forward to Florida in the 1980s, where an ambitious young ballerina joins forces with her culturally refined siblings and their talented classical pianist brother. They navigate Miami’s treacherous landscape filled with drug wars, rampant violence, and an escalating AIDS epidemic (2/1-25)
• Momia en el clóset (Mummy in the Closet) — With tantalizing lyrics and the seductive allure of tango, waltz, and salsa, this wicked musical by Mariano Vales and Gustavo Ott blends history and fantasy as the preserved corpse of Argentina’s Eva Perón ignites political scandals, clandestine affairs, and mysterious murders (5/9-6/9)

HAPPENSTANCE THEATER

www.happenstancetheater.com

• Cabaret Macabre — Dark, comic vignettes inspired by the illustrations of Edward Gorey. At the Baltimore Theater Project. 45 West Preston St. in Baltimore, Md. (10/26-11/12)

KEEGAN THEATRE

1742 Church St. NW
202-265-3767
www.keegantheatre.com

• An Irish Carol — The Keegan holiday tradition, set in a Dublin pub and based on the classic by Charles Dickents, returns. Written by Matthew J. Keenan and directed by Mark A. Rhea (12/2-31)
• Merrily We Roll Along — Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s compelling Broadway fable about friendship, compromise, and the high price of success unspools its two decade-long narrative in reverse chronology (2/3-3/3)
• Webster’s Bitch — In Jacqueline Bircher’s dark comedy, the employees of Webster’s Dictionary find themselves at the center of an internet uprising over gender and obscenity in the age of social media. Directed by Susan Marie Rhea (4/6-5/5)
• The Elephant in the Room — Priyanka Shetty’s one-woman show is a witty, dark comedy about an Indian software-engineer-turned-actor who must navigate life as an immigrant arriving in Trump’s America (6/1-23)
• Noises Off — A revival of Keegan’s hit 2010 production of one of the funniest door-slamming farces ever to grace any stage, anywhere. Mark A. Rhea directs Michael Frayn’s beloved comedy (7/27-9/1)

KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600
www.kennedy-center.org

• Love Letters — To celebrate National Recovery Month, Martin Sheen and Melissa Fitzgerald perform their virtual production of A.R. Gurney’s two-person masterpiece live for the first time (9/28-10/1, Terrace)
• Shear Madness — With more than 17,800 performances under its beauty shop chair, the interactive comedy is the second longest-running play in the history of American Theater (10/3/23-9/20/24, Theater Lab)
• Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks — Through ten stories, New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds offers glimpses into the private struggles, strengths, and secrets of students who only know each other in passing. A co-production with Theater Alliance. Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell (10/14-29, Family Theater)
• The Improvised Shakespeare Company — Based on one audience suggestion (a title for a play that has yet to be written), The Improvised Shakespeare Company creates a fully improvised masterpiece right before your very eyes, using the language and themes of William Shakespeare (12/4-23, Theater Lab)
• Girl From the North Country — Written and directed by  Conor McPherson, the musical, set in 1934 Minnesota, reimagines twenty legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before, including “Forever Young,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” and “Like A Rolling Stone” (12/12-31, Eisenhower)
• Disney’s Frozen — An unforgettable theatrical experience filled with spectacular effects, stunning sets and costumes, and powerhouse performances, Frozen is everything you want in a musical based on a Disney animation (12/20-1/21, Opera House)
• Broadway Center Stage: tick, tick…BOOM! — Jonathan Larson’s explosive musical about life, death, and the necessity of art. Directed by Neil Patrick Harris (1/26-2/4, Eisenhower)
• Ain’t Too Proud — An electrifying Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2/13-18, Opera House)
• Company — The most recent revival of the Stephen Sondheim crowd-pleaser, directed by three-time Tony-winner Marianne Elliott (3/12-31, Opera House)
• Message in a Bottle — The peaceful village of Bebko is under attack and three siblings must embark on perilous journeys in order to survive in this spectacular new dance-theatre show from five-time Olivier Award nominee Kate Prince, set to the iconic hits of Sting (4/9-21, Opera House)
• The Illusionists — Extraordinary magic, Broadway-style (4/23-28, Opera House)
• Dixie’s Tupperware Party — Dixie Longate is a fast-talking, gum-chewing, ginger-haired Alabama gal bringing your grandma’s Tupperware party into the 21st century (5/7-6/6, Family Theater)
• Broadway Center Stage: Bye, Bye Birdie — Elvis-style heartthrob Conrad Birdie is being drafted into the army and his PR machine plans one heck of a farewell for him and a lucky teenage fan in this lighthearted 1960 Broadway mainstay (6/6-16, Eisenhower)
• Funny Girl — Boasting one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, an updated book from Harvey Fierstein, and direction by Michael Mayer, the Broadway revival makes its way to the Kennedy Center (6/25-7/14, Opera House)
• The Kite Runner — Matthew Spangler adapted Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel about a man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption (6/25-30, Eisenhower)
• Back to the Future: The Musical — Well, that didn’t take long to tour… (7/23-8/11, Opera House)
• Broadway Center Stage: Nine — Suffused with a haunting score, the Tony Award–winning musical blends genres and styles and asks audiences: Can a great artist also be a great lover? Based on Fellini’s groundbreaking film (8/2-11, Eisenhower)
• Mamma Mia! — A tale of love, friendship, and identity is told through the timeless hits of ABBA (8/13-9/1, Opera House)

MOSAIC THEATER

Atlas Arts Center
1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993, x501
www.mosaictheater.org

• Monumental Travesties –With sharp humor, hijinks, and a palpable love for D.C., playwright Psalmayene 24’s searing new comedy explores race, memory, and the often privileged act of forgetting. Directed by Reginald L. Douglas (Now-10/8)
• Confederates — Sara is an enslaved rebel turned Union spy. Sandra is a tenured professor at a modern-day university. Despite living 160 years apart, their parallel struggles unite them across time in Dominique Morisseau’s gripping drama (10/26-11/19)
• Nancy — In 1985 two Washington, D.C. women are trying to steer their futures — Nancy Reagan from the White House, orchestrating her husband “Ronnie’s” political career according to daily astrological trends, and Esmeralda, a Navajo mother advocating for her community. Their worlds converge in Rhiana Yazzie’s play about ancestry and ambition (3/28-4/21)
• MeXodus — History meets hip-hop in a groundbreaking theatrical experience that explores the often-untold stories of enslaved people in the United States who sought freedom in Mexico, rather than looking north. Created by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson and directed by David Mendizábal (5/16-6/9)

NATIONAL THEATRE

1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
202-628-6161
www.thenationaldc.org

• Mrs. Doubtfire — Rob McClure reprises his Tony-nominated Broadway performance on tour alongside co-star Maggie Lakis in the internationally acclaimed hit musical based on the beloved film and directed by Jerry Zaks (10/10-15)
• The Wiz — An all-new production of the groundbreaking, Tony Award-winning musical adapted from The Wizard of Oz in a pre-Broadway tour (10/24-29)
• Pretty Woman: The Musical — Based on the film, and directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (12/12-17)
• Annie — The sun is coming out — in January — as one of the most beloved musicals in Broadway history visits the National (1/23-28)
• The Book of Mormon — Shocking, hilarious, and unexpectedly filled with heart, the hit musical from the creators of South Park returns to D.C. to spread its comedic mission (3/5-17)
• Peter Pan — A new production of the classic directed by Emmy Award-winner Lonny Price with additions to the book by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse (4/9-21)
• MJ — The unparalleled artistry of Michael Jackson comes to life in a musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. Created by Christopher Wheeldon and Lynn Nottage (8/13-9/8)

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER

2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd.
Olney, Md.
301-924-3400
www.olneytheatre.org

• The Brothers Paranormal — It’s 2007 somewhere in the American Midwest, and Thai-American brothers Max and Visarut haven’t had a single case for their paranormal investigation business since they opened. Finally, a customer arrives, and strange things begin to happen (9/27-10/29, Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab)
• Fiddler on the Roof — A rich and re-imagined Fiddler for a new generation to embrace through unforgettable songs like “If I Were a Rich Man,” “To Life,” and “Sunrise, Sunset.” Directed by Peter Flynn (11/8-12/31, Roberts Mainstage)
• A Christmas Carol — Paul Morella’s one-man adaptation of the Dickens’ holiday classic returns (11/24-12/31, Theatre Lab)
• Lend Me A Soprano — Ken Ludwig adapts his rollicking farce, the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Lend Me A Tenor, with the genders swapped (2/7-3/10, Mainstage)
• Avaaz — Beginning in Iran as part of that country’s small but ancient Jewish community, Roya’s epic journey out of Tehran after the revolution, and the challenges she faces as an immigrant and the single mother of a queer son in “Tehran-geles.” Roya is portrayed by her adult son and the author of Avaaz, Michael Shayan, in a breathtaking solo performance (3/6-4/7, Theatre Lab)
• Islander — Winner of Best New Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this modern myth features two actors who use live mixing and looping technology to create a sonic landscape as dramatic as the Scottish coastline (4/11-4/28, Mainstage)
• Long Way Down — An emotional hip-hop journey through the cycles of violence, this Rolling World Premiere musical is based on the Newberry Medal Honor-winning Young Adult novel by local author Jason Reynolds (5/22-6/23, Theatre Lab)
• Beautiful: The Carole King Musical — The life of the great songwriter told through her songs. Directed by Amy Anders Corcoran (7/3-8/25, Mainstage)

RICHMOND TRIANGLE PLAYERS

1300 Altamont Ave.
Richmond, Va.
804-346-8113
www.rtriangle.org

• One In Two — In Donja R. Love’s play, three Black queer men sit in an ethereal waiting room, inviting audiences to join them in a powerful theatrical experiment that is equal parts harrowing, hilarious, and hopeful (Now-10/14)
• Scrooge In Rouge: An English Music Hall Christmas Carol (11/15-12/23)
• Torch Song — A lean version of Harvey Fierstein’s gay classic that packs all of the punch of the original (2/14-3/9)
• Airswimming (4/10-5/4)
• Xanadu — The whacked-out, extravagantly campy musical featuring music by ELO’s Jeff Lynne and Oliva Newton John hitmaker John Farrar and featuring a book by Douglas Carter Beane (6/5-7/13)

RORSCHACH THEATRE

202-399-7993 x180
www.rorschachtheatre.com

• Night of the Living Dead Live — Rorschach will transform a two-level 8,000 square foot former retail space into an unforgettable theatrical experience with thrills and surprises for both horror fans and those new to the genre. The adaptation examines George A. Romero’s classic film, the period in which it was made, and the film’s influence on the horror genre. Directed by Lilli Hokama (10/27-11/19, 1020 Connecticut Ave. NW)
• Human Museum — Set in a future where humans have gone extinct, Miyoko Conley’s play follows a group of robots on Earth that run a museum dedicated to organizing the physical and digital artifacts of human life. Directed by Randy Baker (4/12-5/5, Source Theatre)
• Sleeping Giant — When a firework-filled marriage proposal goes very wrong, the accompanying explosions wake up something very old that has been sleeping in the nearby lake for thousands of years (July, Location TBD)

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE

4545 East-West Highway
Bethesda, Md.
240-644-1100
www.roundhousetheatre.org

• The Mountaintop — The night before his untimely death, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a mysterious maid embark on a soul-searching discussion about their mutual hopes and fears in Katori Hall’s Olivier Award-winning drama (10/11-11/5)
• The Seafarer — During a stormy Christmas Eve on the Irish coast, a man is forced to confront his past and fight for his future. Written by Conor McPherson and directed by Ryan Rilette (12/6-31)
• Spring Break — Nineteen teenagers celebrate friendships, nurse broken hearts, and challenge assumptions as they search to find their unique place in the world in this work by Joe Calarco (3/15-17)
• Next to Normal — A family confront their shared griefs and struggles and learn how to finally connect with each other in this Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical from Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt. Alan Paul directs (1/24-2/25)
• A Jumping Off Point — A promising Black writer has just landed her first deal with HBO, but her celebration is cut short when she gets a surprise visit from a white man who accuses her of plagiarizing his script. The world premiere of Inda Craig-Galván’s new drama (4/10-5/5)
• Topdog/Underdog — In this Pulitzer Prize-winner by playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, two brothers, abandoned by their parents as teenagers, are locked in a cycle of love and resentment, foretold by the names they were given by their father as jokes and compounded by the challenges of poverty and racism. Directed by Jamil Jude (5/29-6/23)

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY

Sidney Harman Hall
610 F Street NW
202-547-1122
www.shakespearetheatre.org

• Evita — The Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice Tony Award-winning rock opera details Eva Perón’s meteoric rise to First Lady of Argentina. Brought to life with heart and spectacle by director Sammi Cannold (Now-10/15, Harmon Hall)
• Macbeth in Stride — Obie Award-winning artist Whitney White uses one of the Bard’s most iconic characters to examine just what it means to be an ambitious Black woman (10/10-29, Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street NW)
• As You Like It — Shakespeare’s blithe comedy is set in the free-spirited, flower-powered 1960s. Director Daryl Cloran melds The Bard’s verse with the music of The Beatles in what Vancouver Presents called “one of the clearest renderings of As You Like It that you will ever see.” Conceived by Cloran and the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (12/2-31, Harmon)
• The Lehman Trilogy — The Lehman brothers build an American dream that crumbles into a chaotic nightmare for future generations in Stefano Massini’s Tony-winning powerhouse. A cast of three actors covers 160 years of family struggles, achievements, and missteps (2/22-3/24, Harmon)
• Macbeth — When three witches tell Macbeth that he will become King of Scotland, he plots with his wife to attain the title through an assassination, a bloody act that gives him his crown and sends him careening down the path of his own undoing. Artistic Director Simon Godwin directs Tony and BAFTA Award-winner Ralph Fiennes and Olivier Award-winner Indira Varma in one of Shakespeare’s crowning achievements (4/9-5/5, Off-site)
• The Matchbox Magic Flute — Theater legend Mary Zimmerman conceives a fantastical new theatrical adaptation of Mozart’s beloved opera, The Magic Flute (5/21-6/16, Klein)

SIGNATURE THEATRE

4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington, Va.
703-820-9771
www.sigtheatre.org

• King of the Yees — A vibrant, semi-autobiographical comedy about community, culture, and the connection between fathers and daughters written by and starring Lauren Yee (Now-10/22, Ark)
• Ragtime — One of the biggest undertakings in Signature’s history, the Tony Award-winning musical is a portrait of America at the turn of the 20th century based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow. Signature is reinventing the expansive epic for its trademark intimate space. Directed by Matthew Gardiner (10/24-1/7, Max)
• That’s What Friends Are For — Nova Y. Payton sings the songs of Burt Bacharach in this special cabaret that includes such timeless hits as “I Say A Little Prayer,” “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “What the World Needs Now is Love” (1/16-2/4)
• Private Jones — A world premiere musical inspired by the true story of a deaf Welsh sniper in World War I. A gripping musical adventure about service, friendship, and the cost of war written and directed by Marshall Pailet (2/6-3/10, Max)
• Penelope — The wife of Odysseus is fed up and has some things she wants to say. With glass of bourbon in hand, she takes the microphone to chronicle those twenty years waiting on the small island kingdom of Ithaca. Based on the writings of Homer and featuring music and lyrics by Alex Bechtel. Directed by Eva Steinmetz (3/5-4/21, Ark)
• Hair — A tribe of long-haired bohemian hippies on the cusp of adulthood champion freedom, pacifism, and joy in the face of the Vietnam War. One of history’s most groundbreaking musicals, with hits like “Aquarius,” “Let the Sunshine In,” “Good Morning, Starshine,” and “Hair.” Will there be a full-cast nude scene? Only director Matthew Gardiner knows for sure at the moment (4/16-7/7, Max)
• Where the Mountain Meets the Sea — After he learns of his estranged father’s death, a son recreates the cross-country trip his Haitian immigrant parents took before he was born. As he traces their journey across America, and bonds with the music his father adored in this lyrical and evocative musical written by Jeff Augustin (The Morning Show), with music by The Bengsons. Timothy Douglas directs (5/21-7/7, Ark)

SPOOKY ACTION

1810 16th St. NW
202-248-0301
www.spookyaction.org

• Agreste (Drylands) — In the drylands of northeast Brazil, a husband and wife of 22 years confront the gossip and gibes of a conservative community (10/26-11/19)
• Frontiéres Sans Frontiéres — Three stateless youth have cobbled together a scrappy living at a landfill. A whirlwind of tourists, social media influencers, foreign investors, and do-gooders invade their home with promises of assistance and civilization (4/25-5/19)

STUDIO THEATRE

1501 14th St. NW
202-332-3300
www.studiotheatre.org

• Fat Ham — James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play tells the story of Hamlet but with a modern twist by swapping a Danish castle for a North Carolina BBQ pit. Directed by Taylor Reynolds (10/25-12/4, Mead)
• Love, Love, Love — Playwright Mike Bartlett turns his sharp eye and biting humor on the Baby Boomers and the generation they spawned. Directed by David Muse (11/9-12/11, Victor Shargai)
• The Colored Museum — George C. Wolfe’s provocative and satirical tour of eleven “exhibits” about Black American experiences. Directed by Psalmayene 24 (7/3-8/11, Victor Shargai)

SYNETIC THEATER

1800 South Bell St.
Crystal City, Va.
800-494-8497
www.synetictheater.org

• The Tell-Tale Heart — Synetic takes on Poe in this twisted tale of an eccentric old man and his caretaker, who embark on a lethal dance that spirals into madness and murder (9/29-11/5)
• The Tale of the Fisherman and the Golden Fish — A kind, poor fisherman discovers a wish-granting fish in this adaptation of a tale by Alexander Pushkin (12/8-1/7)
• Snow Maiden — A story of love, hope, and the transformative power of dreams, as a lonely man in a frozen world builds a woman from snow (12/9-1/6)
• Romeo & Juliet — Shakespeare’s timeless tale of star-crossed lovers unfolds as a bitter family feud sends the pair on a race against an ill-fated destiny in this wordless production told through Synetic’s masterful physicality and choreography (2/16-3/24)
• Cyrano de Bergerac — A brilliant poet and soldier with a massive nose courts the object of his affection, Roxanne, through a handsome emissary. Choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili and directed by Vato Tsikurishvili (7/27-8/13)

THEATER ALLIANCE

Anacostia Playhouse
2020 Shannon Pl. SE
202-241-2539
www.theateralliance.com

• Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks — Through ten stories, New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds offers glimpses into the private struggles, strengths, and secrets of students who only know each other in passing. A co-production with the Kennedy Center. Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell (10/14-29, Kennedy Center Family Theater)
• The Trans-Atlantic Time Traveling Company — In this devised work of dance theater, three freedwomen travel through the American South in the 1860s with a medicine show, but unlike other snake oil salesmen of the day, these mysterious women give away their healing potions in an attempt to cure a dangerous disease that threatens to destroy future generations. Developed by Holly Bass (2/27-3/17)

THEATER J

1529 16th St. NW
202-777-3210
www.theaterj.org

• The Chameleon — Riz Golden-Kruger finally gets her big break, the starring role in a new superhero franchise, The Chameleon. But when news leaks that could threaten to ruin Riz’s career, she must decide to hide or fight for what’s right. An outrageous, laugh-out-loud world premiere by playwright Jenny Rachel Weiner (10/11-11/5)
• See You Tomorrow — A mother in Israel and daughter in Los Angeles connect via WhatsApp video daily. When the mother is confronted with an emergency, the daughter must navigate the life-and-death situation through a screen. Written, directed, and starring Iris Bahr (11/14-11/22)
• Moses — One man’s epic journey as he searches for forgiveness, a long-lost dream, and himself (12/1-24)
• How to be a Korean Woman — A hilarious, heartfelt, and personal telling of Korean-American adoptee Sun Mee Chomet’s search for her birth family in Seoul, South Korea. Written by and starring Chomet (1/4-14)
• This Much I Know — In the midst of a lecture, a psychology professor’s marriage fractures, sparking a theatrical study of three characters as they become entangled in a search for self-discovery (1/31-2/25)
• Hester Street — The world premiere of the theatrical adaptation by Sharyn Rothstein of the beloved 1975 film by Joan Micklin Silver. Awash in the humor, heartbreak, and hope essential to the Jewish immigrant experience in New York’s Lower East Side in the late 19th century. Featuring original music by Joel Waggoner (3/27-4/21)
• The Hatmaker’s Wife — A young woman moves in with her boyfriend, and when she has trouble getting comfortable, her strange new home seems determined to help out, literally. The walls start to talk, words magically appear, and a golem with a taste for Cheetos gets into the action. Directed by Dan Rothenberg of Philadelphia’s renowned Pig Iron Theatre Company (6/5-6/30)

WASHINGTON STAGE GUILD

900 Massachusetts Ave. NW
240-582-0050
www.stageguild.org

• Dorothy’s Dictionary — Sparks fly when Zan, an angry high school student, is forced to work off his community service assignment helping ailing, but feisty librarian Dorothy. The unlikely pair find deep meaning in each other’s life experiences (9/28-10/22)
• Arms and the Man — George Bernard Shaw’s sparkling comedy about love and war, set in the aftermath of the Serbo-Bulgarian war of 1885. First produced by the Stage Guild in 1992. Directed by Michael Rothhaar (11/16-12/10)
• The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective — Sherlock Holmes meets Arsenic & Old Lace in this entertaining murder mystery set ina boarding house in 1893 London (2/1-2/25)
• An Unbuilt Life — When a woman discovers a mystery painting in her deceased husband’s art collection, she engages an energetic graduate student to research it for her and disturbing crimes of the past are unearthed (4/11-5/5)

WOOLLY MAMMOTH

641 D St. NW
202-393-3939
www.woollymammoth.net

• My Mama & The Full-Scale Invasion — Holly Twyford plays 82-year-old Olga, who is on the frontlines of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is thrust into increasingly fantastical situations in Sasha Denisova’s timely play (Now-10/8)
• Public Obscenities — Choton returns to Kolkata on a research trip with his Black American boyfriend Raheem, who begins to notice things Choton can’t. A bilingual play from visionary writer-director Shayok Misha Chowdhury (11/13-12/23)
• The Sensational Sea Mink-Ettes — Days away from a Homecoming half-time dance performance, the pressure is on for the Mink-Ettes in Vivian J.O. Barnes’ funny and surprising world premiere play (2/4-3/3)
• Amm(i)gone — Creator and performer Adil Mansoor invites his Pakistani mother to translate Antigone into Urdu as means of exploring the tensions between family and faith but should he keep his queerness buried from his devout Muslim mother? (4/20-5/12)
• Rose: You Are Who You Eat — John Jarboe not only had a twin sister in the womb, but consumed her. A one-person tour de force about gender through song, storytelling, and a full plate of wordplay (6/3-6/23)

Be sure to read André Hereford and Kate Wingfield‘s stage reviews throughout the coming season. Subscribe to Metro Weekly’s free magazine at www.metroweekly.com/subscribe.