JUNE
Washington Women in Theatre 20th Anniversary Festival of staged readings will showcase new voices of women+ playwrights in the DC community, and beyond at American University on June 9-12 and 15-18. Tickets and more information can be found here. Featured playwrights include Amy Conley, Anu Yadav, Barbara Papendorp, Caleen Sinnette Jennings, Carolyn Gage, Dani Stoller, Judy Klass, Linda Sherbert, Lynn Sharp Spears, Milbre Burch, Miyuki Williams, Mundy Spears, Susan Lansky, Tuyết Thị Phạm. Each event is $12.
Washington Women in Theatre Celebrates 20 Years at June New Play Festival features Art Infinite: The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Shaw, a Staged Reading on June 12, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. Based on the writings of feminist writer Shaw and actress Ellen Terry, the show will feature performances from Susan Lynskey, Holly Twyford, Terrence Currier and Lawrence Redmond. This reading is part of the larger Washington Women in Theatre 20th Anniversary Festival. Tickets are $12.
4615 Theatre is partnering with Temperance Alley, a garden project of the U Street Neighborhood Association all summer long to produce theatre in one of DC’s most historic neighborhoods. From May through September, 4615 will present staged readings of new plays, workshops, and gatherings for a Summer in the Garden initiative. The series continues on June 10, 7:00 PM with a staged reading of You Should Be So Lucky by Alyssa Haddad-Chin. Readings are free to the public. For more information, go here.
Composer John Hardin presents Songs from My Parents’ Basement on Thursday, June 8 at 8pm at The Lyceum in Alexandria, VA: Live from the Lyceum, join composer-lyricist Paul Hardin for an evening of song as he shares selections from his musicals. Soprano Sophia Ross Alvarez and Hardin perform brand new, contemporary musical theatre – all written from the confines of Paul’s parents’ house. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.
Walking Shadows Readers Theatre presents a virtual festival of one-acts from May 26 through June 9. The festival goes live May 26th, 2023 and will feature 7 short plays from playwrights the theater has worked with during our current 2022-2023 season and past seasons. The festival is hosted on the Walking Shadows website, www.walkingshadowrt.com. The festival will go live at 8 pm EST on the 26, and ticket holders will have access to the festival recording until June 9. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased here. Only one ticket is needed per household. This year’s festival lineup includes:
- Closing Doors by John Minigan
When fourth-grade teacher Sandra is called on the carpet by old friend and Assistant Principal Valerie for breaking protocol in an active shooter drill, they must decide how they can protect both their students and their friendship. - My (Diagnosed) Self by Dave Osmundsen
Rachel, a newly self-diagnosed autistic woman, comes out to her gay best friend Timmy. - Nine December by William Cameron
Jack, devastated by the news of John Lennon’s murder the night before, approaches Richard, his older brother and boss, about taking a few days off from work so he can go to New York City and join the crowd of mourners outside the Dakota. While Richard denies Jack’s request, he also challenges his brother to reconsider some of the life choices he has made in recent years. - One Fish, Two Fish by Amy Dellagiarino
Joel and Natasha may not have much in common, but one thing’s for certain: they both don’t want to be at this baby shower. - The Check-Up by Scott Mullen
A young man isn’t happy to have a Zoom exam with a female doctor, but things get worse when others join the session. - The Principal’s Office by Cris Eli Blak
A father decides to take matters into his own hands after the bullying of his daughter, a bright high school student, goes too far and lands her in the hospital. He decides to confront the school’s principal to try and get answers as to why nothing was done to stop it before it got to such a dangerous point. - Things Stalin Never Said by Maximillian Gill
What to do when you feel your store of empathy has been depleted? Visit an empathicist and undergo some truly bizarre therapeutic techniques.
MAY
Voices Festival Productions, in conjunction with the Arts Club of Washington, present Ukrainians Under Siege, Year II, an in-person presentation of five new one acts from the war, part of the Continuing Worldwide Readings Project to benefit the Ukrainian people. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 24 at 7:00 PM at the Arts Club of Washingtons (2017 I [Eye] Street, NW, Washington, DC). Tickets are free through the Arts Club of Washington – with donations encouraged to support the United Nation’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund or HIAS’ Ukraine Crisis Response.
Prologue Theatre presents a reading of Monsters by Michael Mobley on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 as part of its FOREWORD New Works Series. Selected playwrights are paired with a creative team of artists, including a director, performers, and dramaturg, to work together for two weeks on their script and then present a reading to our community. More information about this free event can be found here.
The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre and Greedy Reads books will present Doomsday, a 24-hour live-streamed reading of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The live reading of Edgar Allan Poe stories will begin on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at noon at the Greedy Reads location in Fells Point in Baltimore City, and end at noon on Sunday, May 21, 2023. Doomsday 2023 will feature readings from noted public figures in Baltimore who have agreed to share their time for the event. The reading is free and can be attended in person or via live stream.
The Georgetowner presents a Cultural Leadership Breakfast with Maria Goyanes, artistic director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre on Thursday, May 18 at 8:00 am. “Join us at the Four Seasons Hotel for the 50th event in our series of up-close-and-personal talks, always followed by a lively Q&A.Doors open at 8 a.m. for a buffet breakfast. The program begins at 8:30 a.m.” For more information and tickets ($35), click here.
Climbing Out of the Melting Pot: Jews and Judaism in American Theatre. A panel discussion at Arena Stage on Monday, May 15 at 7 PM. In recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month, Arena Stage is hosting a panel discussion about the impact of Jewish writers on the American theater and how their work has radically changed from the melting pot philosophy, which prized assimilation into a broader America, to an intercultural approach that both celebrates and examines Jewish identity. Featuring Playwright Renee Calarco, Director/Playwright Derek Goldman, Director/Playwright Jason Loewith, and Director Joy Zinoman. Free of charge but registration is required.
Keegan Theatre concludes its Boiler Room Series with three readings at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum (1901 Fort Place SE, Washington, DC). You Should Be So Lucky by Alyssa Haddad-Chin (May 8th at 7:00 pm), Waiting for Manilow by Stephen Mills on May 14 at 3:30 pm, and The Oreos by Angelle Whavers on May 15 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are free but should be reserved in advance.
Mosaic Theater presents a “Cross-Continental Public Workshop” of Murdered Men Do Bleed and Drip on May 6 and 7. This imaginative new play by Irish-American playwright Jennifer Barclay and Irish-Palestinian playwright Hannah Khalil affirms the strength of women of all nationalities and the universal need for connection. Written by the artists while living half a world apart, Murdered Men spans continents and mediums, with the play’s action taking place simultaneously in two countries. (Produced in partnership with DC’s Solas Nua and Dublin-based Fishamble.) Tickets are free but advanced registration is required.
Prologue Theatre presents a reading of A Wake At Singh’s by Aeneas Hemphill on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 as part of its FOREWORD New Works Series. Selected playwrights are paired with a creative team of artists, including a director, performers, and dramaturg, to work together for two weeks on their script and then present a reading to our community. More information can be found here.
Alliance for New Music-Theatre presents a reading of On the Road to Arivaca (May 5th from 5-6 pm) by Composer Rosino Serrano & Librettist Susan Galbraith, about refugees struggling to cross the Sonoran Desert border. Featuring soloists Javier Arrey, Melisa Bonetti, Israel Lozano, and Darcy Monsalve and a youth chorus (coro de la comunidad). From the organization: “The program of will last approximately one hour. We hope you will stay after the presentation to be in conversation with the artists about the work and explore how it relates to the issue of global migration. The event will take place at the DC Scottish Rite Center, 2800 16th Street, NW DC. The event is free, but please RSVP by email to info@newmusictheatre.org or go here for more information.
Signature Theatre presents Inside Signature, a discussion with Passing Strange director Raymond O. Caldwell, taking place Thursday, May 4 at 1 PM in Signature’s lobby. The discussion will also stream online. FREE, no RSVP required. Tickets and information at SigTheatre.org or 703 820 9771.
UrbanArias presents a staged reading of the new musical Inbox Zero by the acclaimed composer and librettist team Peter Hilliard and Matt Boresi. Inbox Zero will be performed on May 4, 2023, at 8 PM at Keegan Theatre in Washington, D.C. (1742 Church St NW). Inbox Zero is the story of Jackie, a man whose desire for monetary gain supersedes his understanding of human nature. As he struggles to provide for his wife and child, an internet scam captures his imagination and attention, and he is soon embroiled in an imagined international intrigue that convinces him to drain the family bank account in hopes of a million-dollar get-rich-quick scheme. The monodrama features baritone Keith Phares, with members of the Inscape Orchestra conducted by UrbanArias Artistic Director Robert Wood. Dennis Whitehead Darling directs. Tickets are available here ($25).