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## **Theatre Week 2025, starts Sept. 18**
Theatre Week, when numerous companies across the DMV offer discounted tickets to their season openers for three weeks, is a staple of fall in D.C. (I know, the name is misleading.) With a lineup spanning more than 20 productions, some of which can be found within our Fall Arts Guide recs (such as IN Series’ _St. John the Baptist_ , featured in Friday’s Dance & Performance picks) and many of the shows we’ve already reviewed this month (_Play On!_,___Dodi & Diana_, _Damn Yankees_), Theatre Week creates a chance for folks feeling the financial strain to splurge on a more affordable ticket option. From Sept. 18 to Oct. 5, tickets to participating shows can be purchased for $25, $45, or $65. But it’s not just cheaper tickets. Theatre Week also features a panel discussion on the 2025–26 season, a concert of musical theater favorites performed by Vagenesis, Victoria Gomez, Deimoni Brewington, Caro Dubberly, Nicholas Yenson, and Kara Tamekia-Watkins, and #DCTheatre at the Nats. _Theatre Week 2025 kicks off on Sept. 18 and runs through Oct. 5 at theaters throughout the DMV.__theatreweek.org_ _. Free–$65._ **—Sarah Marloff**
Theatermakers Psalmayene 24 (center) and Raymond O. Caldwell (right) at last year’s Theatre Week; Courtesy of Theatre Washington
## **_Artist Descending a Staircase_****, Oct. 16**
**Aaron Posner** directs **Tom Stoppard** ’s existential whodunit in a site-specific staged-reading at the Phillips Collection. Originally written as a radio play, _Artist Descending a Staircase_ (1989) begins in 1920 with the sudden—and suspicious—death of **Donner** , an avant-garde artist who tumbles down the stairs of his modest attic apartment. His roommates and fellow artists, **Martello** and **Beauchamp** , immediately suspect foul play and just as quickly turn their suspicions on each other. As the play progresses to the present time, 1972, audiences learn that all three artists were infatuated with a young blind woman named **Sophie** , who fell in love with one of them after viewing his picture in a gallery. In a twisted game of unrequited passion and unsolved murder, can Martello and Beauchamp crack the case without unraveling themselves in the process? The Phillips Collection seems like the perfect setting for a play that asks big questions about the meaning of art, even if Stoppard wrote the play strictly for radio—and his convoluted script proves as much. _Artist Descending a Staircase_ ’s layered sound design adds to its mystery, feeding into growing paranoias through auditory misdirection and provoking a deluded sense of reality. Posner, however, is no stranger to sleight of hand (especially for those who remember his collaboration with **Teller** of **Penn** and**Teller** on _The Tempest_ back in 2022). Even with a staged reading, the director is sure to have more than a few tricks up his sleeve. The knockabout cast of this one-night-only event features D.C. favorites and newcomers alike: **Craig Wallace** as Martello,**Karl Kippola** as Donner, **Sedona Salb** as Sophie, and **Holly Twyford** on stage directions. Artist Descending a Staircase _plays at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the Phillips Collection.__phillipscollection.org_ _. $12._**—Melissa Lin Sturges**
Holly Twyford (here in David Auburn’s _Summer, 1976_ at Studio Theatre) is part of the artistic team for _Artist Descending a Staircase_ , directed by Aaron Posner at the Phillips Collection. Credit: Margot Schulman
## **_Dr. Moloch_****, opens Oct. 17**
Courtesy of Flying V
If you’re both a sci-fi nerd and a theater fan, chances are you’ve already come across Flying V, the small-but-mighty Silver Spring-based company known for fusing nerd culture with the stage. With a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what theater can be, Flying V is once again raising its geek banner high with _Dr. Moloch_ , a play that dives headfirst into the complexities of artificial intelligence. The name “Moloch,” rooted in Biblical lore, has long been sci-fi shorthand for a destructive, all-consuming force. In playwright **Carla Milarch** ’s new work, **Dr**.**Moloch** is a humanoid AI doctor—clinically flawless but fatally flawed. His problem? A total absence of empathy. Unable to win over investors, his creator launches a desperate mission to teach him compassion … but at what cost? Flying V artistic lead, **navi** —one of the region’s most boundary-pushing artists—brought the piece to the region for its premiere. “As the DMV’s nerd and pop culture theater company, how could we not play with the complexities of the AI zeitgeist?” asks navi in the press release. “ _Doctor Moloch_ gives us an opportunity to explore the entwined paths of humanity and technology on stage in a uniquely Flying V fashion!” I caught a staged reading of the show last spring, and even in that early form, _Dr. Moloch_ was a sharp, thought-provoking work, brought to life by some of the region’s top and rising talent including director **Madeleine Regina** and actor **James Finley** as Dr. Moloch. I left the theater both a little smitten with that robot and a little more wary of AI in my own life. If you’ve been wondering how far you’re ready to let artificial intelligence in, _Dr. Moloch_ just might give you new answers. Dr. Moloch _opens Oct. 17 and runs through Nov. 2 at Flying V.__flyingvtheatre.com_ _. $15–$35 with pay-what-you-can and doorbuster deals available. —_**Nicole Hertvik**
## **_The Wild Duck_****, opens Oct. 18, and**** _An Enemy of the People_****, opens Oct. 29**
Courtesy of STC
“**Henrik Ibsen** is having a moment” sounds like a headline ripped from _The Onion_ , but with a doubleheader _An Enemy of the People_ at Theatre J and _The Wild Duck_ at Shakespeare Theatre Company this fall, one could argue that Despondent Norwegian Autumn is the new Hot Girl Summer. Either way, I’m here for it, because if the Ibsen bump of the past few years— _An Enemy of the People_ , _A Doll’s House_ , and _Ghosts_ have all enjoyed major New York revivals—has proven anything, it’s that the playwright had a keen sense for our most stubborn social impulses and knew how to mine them for maximum perennial dramatic effect. What is old is new again (and again, and again). _The Wild Duck_ and _An Enemy of the People_ share a common conundrum in the power of truth to be a force for good and destruction. In the former, a well-intended revelation of a long-buried secret bends a family to its breaking point, while the latter centers on a man who earns the harsh scorn of his neighbors when he brings a threat to public health to light. “[_The Wild Duck_] challenges us to exercise our moral sympathies, to grapple with the compromises that the characters make, the lies that they tell themselves in order to live, and the terrible cost of looking honestly at one’s self and one’s society,” says director **Simon Godwin** , who also serves as STC’s artistic director. Godwin has demonstrated his aptitude for staging fresh interpretations of classic works with recent productions of _King Lear_ and _Macbeth_, the latter of which starred**Ralph Fiennes** and brought audiences to a Northeast warehouse. Here, Godwin is poised to continue the trend in this co-production with Brooklyn’s Theatre for a New Audience. “I think it is seldom done because it is a nuanced ensemble piece, a real test for actors and a director, much like my production of Chekhov’s _Uncle Vanya_ was last year,” he says. Theatre J’s artistic director **Hayley Finn** calls _An Enemy of the People_ “a potent reminder of the power of an individual to speak the truth,” and has selected **Amy Herzog** ’s adaptation of the play (which was performed on Broadway last year with**Jeremy Strong** in the role). Excitingly, **János Szász** , whose sprawling, sand-floored production of _Angels in America: Part 1_ _–_ _Millennium Approaches_ was a highlight of Arena Stage’s 2022–2023 season, will direct the production. His staging of _Angels_ was memorable in large part for its vastness, which met the text’s epic nature. But if the timely relevance of Ibsen’s play is immediately obvious, how Szász will leverage Theatre J’s stage, which is a postage stamp in comparison, is among the season’s big questions. The Wild Duck _opens Oct. 18 and runs through Nov. 16 at Shakespeare Theatre Company,__shakespearetheatre.org_ _. $43–$132._ An Enemy of the _People opens Oct. 29 and runs through Nov. 20 at Theater J.__edcjcc.org_ _. $11.99–$59.99._**—D**.**R**.**Lewis**
## **_Furlough’s Paradise_****, opens Oct. 30**
Courtesy of Theater Alliance
Playwright **a**.**k**.**payne** is a storyteller through and through. The Yale-trained writer was just named one of _Variety_ ’s 10 storytellers to watch and DMV audiences get the opportunity to do so this fall as Theater Alliance stages their play _Furlough’s Paradise_. Earlier this year, payne won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the oldest and largest annual honor recognizing women and nonbinary playwrights working in English-speaking theater for _Furlough’s Paradise_. The show is making its D.C. debut after its world premiere in Atlanta last year and a Los Angeles production earlier in 2025. _Furlough’s Paradise_ follows two cousins, **Sade** and **Mina** , one on a three-day furlough from prison, the other on a planned break from her tech career, as they gather for their mother and aunt’s funerals. Like the rest of payne’s work, it’s a story of survival and the kinship that gets us through life and toward a more liberated world. In a March statement to Playbill about the Blackburn Prize win, they said, “I began _Furlough’s Paradise_ with a curiosity about grief at the end of the world. As we face a range of catastrophes on national and global scales, I find myself craving art that speaks to our desires for transformative communal mourning, connection, and healing.” D.C. audiences may feel like we’re at the end of the world right now but payne’s art can help usher us through this moment of mourning and toward a future of healing and action. _Furlough’s Paradise opens on Oct. 30 and runs through Nov. 23 at Theater Alliance.__theateralliance.com_ _. $5–$40._**—Serena Zets**
## **_Fiddler on the Roof_****,** **opens** **Nov. 4**
Courtesy of Signature Theatre
Nothing says sticking it to the patriarchy like a timely production of **Sheldon Harnick** and **Jerry Bock** ’s _Fiddler on the Roof_. In this classic 1964 musical, **Tevye** , a poor Jewish milkman and his tight-knit community strive to honor their traditions—for without them “our lives would be as shaky as … as … as a fiddler on the roof!” In 1905 Anatevka, where this play takes place, Tevye’s plan to marry each of his five children off to a wealthy and eligible bachelor (cue: the “MATCHMAKER”) is quickly foiled when his three eldest daughters, **Tzeitel** , **Hodel** , and **Chava** , choose to follow their own hearts instead. Rather than forcing them into lives and marriages they didn’t choose, Tevye makes the radical decision to lead with compassion, empathy, and love for these three young women—reminding audiences that the beaten path refers only to where we have been, and not where we might be going. Sometimes, the best way forward is to forge a path of one’s own. Touching on themes of antisemitism and political unrest, and featuring classic songs like “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Tradition,” **Joe Calarco** directs this Broadway favorite with help from **Jon Kalbfleisch** as musical director and **Sarah Parker** as choreographer. Signature has been tight-lipped about this revival, but this critic is especially eager to see what Calarco, Signature’s director of new work, has in mind for what many consider an untouchable mainstay of the golden age canon. Signature is known for its high-quality revivals of celebrated American musicals, and its brand-new production staged in-the-round in the Max Theater is sure to impress traditionalists and skeptics alike. Fiddler on the Roof _opens Nov. 4 and runs through Jan. 25 at Signature Theatre.__sigtheatre.org_ _. $47–$133._**—Melissa Lin Sturges**
## **_Lie Low_****, opens Nov. 6**
Solas Nua’s artistic director **Rex Daugherty** is very excited to bring _Lie Low_ to America in honor of the Irish arts organization’s 20th anniversary. Written by **Ciara Elizabeth Smyth** , a rising Irish playwright and mentee of the acclaimed theater-maker **Enda Walsh** , _Lie Low_ uses humor to confront the realities of trauma and the aftermath of sexual assault. But despite the heavy subject matter, Smyth’s dark comedy promises plenty of laughs and loads of absurdity—two avenues that walk viewers down an easier path to examine topics most would rather turn away from. Daugherty describes Smyth as an artist to watch—her work has been presented throughout Ireland, the UK, and in New York as well; she’s also under commission with several TV production companies, but Solas Nua’s production marks the North American premiere of _Lie Low_. “Over the past few seasons, we’ve intentionally introduced Ciara’s work to Solas Nua audiences through our play reading series, and the response has been overwhelming,” Daugherty writes in a press release. “As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, it’s the perfect moment to present our first full production of her work—and to introduce North American audiences to a playwright whose voice is both fearless and unforgettable.” _Solas Nua’s_ Lie Low _runs Nov. 6 through 23 at Atlas Performing Arts Center.__solasnua.org_ _. $45–$65._**—Sarah Marloff**
## **_Hello, Dolly!_****, opens Nov. 6**
Courtesy of Olney Theatre Center
Widowhood and poverty can’t keep a good woman down. Or at least not **Dolly Levi** , the crafty matchmaker at the heart of**Jerry Herman** and **Michael Stewart** ’s _Hello, Dolly!_ , playing at Olney Theatre Center later this fall. For many, memories of **Carol Channing** ’s caricatured performance and **Barbra Streisand** ’s lavish 1969 film (among the most expensive movies ever made) have melded with those of high school productions to imbue the classic musical with a reputation as little more than fluffy farce. But a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and audiences would do well to listen past the hummable Herman tunes—“Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” and, of course, the title song—to the little pieces of **Thornton Wilder** wisdom Stewart preserved in adapting the _Our Town_ writer’s play _The Matchmaker_. While _Hello, Dolly!_ is devoid of any sniff of cynicism and the brand of broodiness you’re more likely to find from the **Stephen** **Sondheim** –**John Kander** –**Fred** **Ebb** set, it is chock-full of evergreen reminders of the serious responsibility we have to ourselves and our neighbors. “The difference between a little money and no money at all is enormous and can shatter the world,” Dolly says. “And the difference between a little money and an enormous amount of money is very slight, and that can shatter the world too.” While it doesn’t skate over the pain of loss or the heavy feeling of powerlessness, it doesn’t wallow in them either. It is a balm for the brokenhearted, a salve for the serotonin-starved. At any rate, the cost of admission for any production of this perfect musical is money well spent, but your dollar is likely to go farther at Olney with a promised star turn by a D.C.-area favorite, **Nova Y**. **Payton** , and under the direction of another, **Kevin S**.**McAllister**. “This production will do everything it can to honor a fresh perspective on _Dolly_ with the triple threat that is Nova Y. Payton,” whose voice “can stop any show,” says McAllister. “Nova and I have worked together many times over the years, and each production is filled with so many great memories of artistry and joy.” Sounds like a match of which the savvy Mrs. Levi would approve. Don’t let this parade pass you by. Hello, Dolly! _opens Nov. 6 and runs through Jan. 4 at Olney Theatre Center.__olneytheatre.org_ _. $27–$112._ **—D**.**R**.**Lewis**
## **_Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions_ , opens Nov. 12**
Paula Vogel; Courtesy of guzman@foureleven
There is no such thing as “too much **Paula Vogel** ,” only “too little,” and with seven years since the last major staging of one of her plays in the D.C. area, we are now firmly in that territory. Fortunately, Studio Theatre will remedy the situation with the regional premiere of _Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions_ , a semi-autobiographical work that hits close to home, literally: Vogel grew up in the Maryland suburbs around Washington. Vogel remains one of our foremost structural and stylistic experimentalists—she was awarded the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for _How I Learned to Drive_ , but _Indecent_ , _The Baltimore Waltz_ , and others are equally masterworks—and director **Margot Bordelon** , who demonstrated her versatility with recent successful stagings of Big Tech drama _Data_ and political romp _POTUS_ at Arena Stage, is a great match. In _Mother Play_ , siblings **Martha** and **Carl** are forced to navigate a steady stream of new apartments and maternal antics as they come of age and defy their mother’s expectations. Like so much of Vogel’s canon, the play is moving and surreal. Come for the shifting furniture arrangements, stay for the cockroach ballet. Studio recently announced that veteran D.C. actor**Kate Eastwood Norris** will take on the titular mother, **Phyllis** —at times floozy, boozy, and emotionally abusey—which **Jessica Lange** has played on Broadway. With**Holly Twyford** , Norris was most recently seen at Studio in last fall’s ___Summer, 1976_, one of the season’s best plays. That production and other recent turns in _The Winter’s Tale_ at Folger Theatre, _Ink_ at Round House Theatre, and _Our Town_ at Shakespeare Theatre Company have showcased Norris’ easy knack for elegant sophistication. _Mother Play_ promises a stark departure from that type and a special opportunity to see the versatility of one of Washington’s finest performers. _Mother Play opens Nov. 12 and runs through Dec. 21 at Studio Theatre.__studiotheatre.org_ _. $42–$102._ **—D**.**R**.**Lewis**
## **_A Case for the Existence of God_****, opens Nov. 13**
Playwright Samuel D. Hunter; Courtesy of Hunter
At Mosaic Theater Company, playwright **Samuel D**.**Hunter** ’s _A Case for the Existence of God_ centers two single Idaho fathers figuring out a loan application and finding kinship over fatherhood: Straight White factory worker **Ryan** wants to buy back land that belonged to his family while in a custody battle; mortgage broker **Keith** , a Black gay parent, wants to adopt his foster daughter. _Case_ premiered off-Broadway at New York’s Signature Theatre in 2022. _Case_ , set in Hunter’s home state, examines empathy and connection across class lines; to him, it’s “about how class goals become unreachable,” Hunter tells _City Paper_. Director **Danilo Gambini** says he was drawn to _Case_ ’s depiction of the American dream and the American nightmare, told through the lens of masculinity, fatherhood, queerness, race, and class. “The American dream myth is in direct conflict with class struggles; we can’t believe in meritocracy if we are aware of class struggles,” Gambini says. “We want to believe that you can work to get through all these walls and ceilings, but _really_? Why is it just that some people have all this privilege they were born into?” Hunter, who’s now a father, remains cautiously optimistic. “Whether or not we like it, the year 2100 will exist,” he says. “Hope is really hard, to find a reason to continue is increasingly difficult in 2025, but cynicism is easy and irresponsible. I don’t have the luxury of being cynical anymore.” In other words: He’s making the case for humanity. _Mosaic Theater Company’s_ A Case for the Existence of God _opens Nov. 13 and runs through Dec. 7 at Atlas Performing Arts Center.__mosaictheater.org_ _. $53._ **—Daniella Ignacio**
## **_The Other Side Story_****, opens Dec. 12**
Ángel Vázquez in his one-man show _The Other Side Story_ ; Courtesy of GALA Hispanic Theatre
For its 50th anniversary season, GALA Hispanic Theatre is inviting several of their longtime collaborators to perform, including Puerto Rican actor **Ángel Vázquez**. In the one-man show _The Other Side Story_ , Vázquez will take on 10 characters, sing, dance, and even play the timbales in service of telling the history of Puerto Ricans in the States. “GALA stands for ‘Grupo de Artistas Latino Americanos’ and we really try to make it symbolic of the whole Hispanic voice,” says GALA executive director **Rebecca Medrano** , who founded the theater with her husband in 1976. This desire to include the Puerto Rican experience is how Vázquez and his director**Ernesto Concepción** were recruited by GALA in 2005. _The Other Side Story_ follows a Puerto Rican native who travels to Spanish Harlem to take over the affairs of a family friend. As he digs through her paraphernalia, he finds a treasure trove of history. The play’s title is meant to signify Vázquez’s less-than-favorable relationship with the 1961 film _West Side Story_. According to Vázquez, the film—which portrays Puerto Ricans as gang members—was one of the sole images of Puerto Rican in the American consciousness. In many ways, Vázquez views _The_ _Other Side Story_ as an expansion on that narrative. Vázquez and director Concepción want to entertain, but Vázquez adds, “I hope [the audience] feels proud of the people who fight to keep our culture alive.” The Other Side Story _opens Dec. 12 and runs through Dec. 14 at GALA Hispanic Theatre.__galatheatre.org_ _. $27._ **—Orrin Konheim**
## **_Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical_ , opens Dec. 30**
Courtesy of National Theatre
According to an Instagram post from the account of the touring production of _Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical_ , the show has visited more than 70 cities over the course of 15 years, resulting in more than 2 million Christmases stolen. That’s an awful lot of confusing punctuation and statistics for a musical that promises to offer some sweet childlike entertainment. Based upon the classic holiday children’s book, the musical brings the pages to life with songs that flesh out the **Grinch** and the residents of Whoville. If you’re looking for a rousing live performance of the absolute Christmas banger “You’re a Mean One, Mister Grinch,” this is the place. The sets include **Dr**. **Seuss** ’ scribbly line drawings of trees, houses, and mountains blown up to gargantuan size, and the Grinch also seems to be larger than life in a furry, campy, drag-adjacent role. The lights and costumes are wacky and colorful, sure to capture the imagination of young audiences. If the subject matter didn’t give it away, this is not only kid-friendly entertainment, but might actually be best for those looking for something to do with children in the postholiday doldrums—it’s billed as a good first performance for budding theater fans aged 4 and up. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical _opens Dec. 30 and runs through Jan. 4 at the National Theatre.__thenationaldc.com_ _. $66–$187._**—Stephanie Rudig**
## Read more Arts stories
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