Theatre Week is underway, which means you can snag cheap tickets to a number of local plays and musicals. To help you choose, we’ve compiled a preview of some of the top productions you can see around town during the multi-week commemoration, as well as through the rest of fall.
PLAYS
1. The American Five
Ford’s Theatre | September 19-October 12
Ford’s Theatre travels through time to the ’60s when five civil rights pioneers—Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levinson, and Clarance B. Jones—plan one of the biggest catalysts to the movement, the March on Washington ($26+).
2. Julius X
Folger Theatre | September 23-October 26
Julius X: A Re-envisioning of the Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare parallels ancient Rome and its ambitious leader with the civil rights movement’s Malcolm X ($20+).
3. Play On
Signature Theatre | through October 5
Play On remixes Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with Duke Ellington swing tunes and sets it in Harlem, New York. Signature Theatre’s jazzy production follows an aspiring songwriter who attempts to navigate the gender gap in music by disguising herself as a man to pitch her songs to the Duke ($47+).
4. Merry Wives
Harman Hall | through October 5
Shakespeare’s Merry Wives gets a Harlem rework at Shakespeare Theatre Company. The joyful production adapted by Ghanian playwright Jocelyn Bioh narrates the witty scheme of two West African wives ($65+).
5. Fremont Ave.
Arena Stage | October 8-November 23
This world premiere at Arena Stage by award-winning playwright Reggie D. White uncovers the love, legacy, and dreams between three generations of Black men during an intense game of family cards ($59+).
6. The Great Privation
Woolly Mammoth Theatre | through October 12
Check out The Great Privation—a new dark comedy about burials, history, and community—at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s cozy venue (free for standing room, $41+ for seats).
7. The Inheritance
Round House Theatre | through October 19
Audiences can experience both parts of The Inheritance inside Round House Theatre’s intimate circular-style venue. The Tony-awarded play is about a group of young gay men navigating life and love in New York ($50+, show intended for ages 16 and older).
8. Mother Play
Studio Theatre | November 12-December 21
DC-area native and Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel brings her latest semi-autobiographical work to the Studio Theatre stage this fall. Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions spans four decades of family, relocation, and comedy ($55+).
MUSICALS
9. Some Like It Hot
National Theatre | November 25-December 7
This Broadway hit is a lively adaptation of the classic movie, which is set in Chicago during the Prohibition era. Audiences can expect theater-ringing vocals and high-energy choreography at its DC run ($89+).
10. Lizzie the Musical
Keegan Theatre | October 31-November 30
Get spooked at this punk-rock musical opening on Halloween night. The production tells the story of an 1892 axe murder that may have been committed by Lizzie ($65).
If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
