Shakespeare Theatre Harman Center for the Arts
Ion by Euripides, translated by David Lan, opens March 10. Director Ethan McSweeny says the play about abandonment and reconciliation is “by turns funny, touching, dramatic and it’s a Greek play with a happy ending. . . . Euripides was really busting the form; there’s a reason he’s called the father of modern drama.” Closes April 12; tickets are $20 to $79.75.
Shakespeare Theatre Lansburgh Theatre
The Dog in the Manger, a romantic comic tragedy by Lope de Vega, closes March 29. The title, which comes from both the Bible and Aesop’s fables, refers to the notion that people often begrudge others what they can’t enjoy themselves. For tickets ($23.50 to $74.75), call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.
The Civil War —a musical combining the words of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, and Walt Whitman with the stirring songs and music of the time—opens March 27. A decade ago, when the show was on Broadway, it was nominated for a Tony Award. Closes May 24; tickets are $25 to $52.
The Heavens Are Hung in Black, about President Lincoln and Congress in 1862, closes March 8. For tickets ($25 to $52), call 202-397-7328 or visit fords.org.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
Richard III: An Arab Tragedy, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play set in the contemporary Middle East, will be performed March 6 and 7 by the Sulayman Al Bassam Theatre of Kuwait. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, it’s part of the Kennedy Center’s Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World festival. Tickets are $35. 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org.
Synetic Theater at Rosslyn Spectrum
Dante’s Divine Comedy, the journey from hell to heaven told in movement rather than words, closes March 22. For tickets ($20 to $40), call 800-494-8497 or visit synetictheater.org. 1611 N. Kent St., Arlington; 703-276-6701.
Stoop Stories, a one-woman, multicharacter show of personal pieces written and performed by Dael Orlandersmith, opens March 20. Tickets are $41 to $61.
The Receptionist, Adam Bock’s comedy about every office’s all-knowing one, continues through March 22. For tickets ($30), call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org. 1501 14th St., NW.
In Douglas Carter Beane’s Hollywood satire, The Little Dog Laughed, a closeted gay actor and his agent tussle over the effect that playing gay onscreen will have on his career. Closes March 8. For tickets ($56 and $81), call Ticketmaster at 703-573-7328 or visit signature-theatre.org. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington; 703-820-9771.
In A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee, an unhappy family tries—and fails—to hide its emotions. Closes March 15. For tickets ($27 to $69), call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org. 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington.
Arena Stage at the Lincoln Theatre
Crowns, a musical about church ladies putting on their Sunday best, returns March 27 through April 26. Newcomer Zurin Villanueva, a Howard University senior, joins the cast. For tickets ($27 to $69), call 202-488-3300, or visit arenastage.org. 1215 U St., NW.
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