Best Theatres near me in Washington DC
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
To fulfil its mandate, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must:Perform classical and contemporary music, opera, Theatre, and dance from the United States and other countries.Promote and maintain the Center’s status as a National Center for the Performing Arts.Work to ensure that the Center’s educational and outreach initiatives meet the mandate outlined in its authorizing statute.A living memorial to President Kennedy’s legacy, the Kennedy Center presents world-class art by today’s most influential artists, provides powerful arts education opportunities across the country, and embodies the Center’s values in all its activities. Website
Ford’s Theatre
Ford’s Theatre uses Theatre and education to explore and celebrate the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and the American experience.One of Washington’s most popular entertainment venues during the Civil War, Ford’s Theatre offered Washingtonians a much-needed respite from the drudgery of war. President Lincoln visited Ford’s Theatre at least ten times because of his love of Theatre, opera, and Shakespeare. Lincoln and his wife decided to go to the Theatre on April 14, 1865, to see Our American Cousin, a comedy. When John Wilkes Booth sneaked into the President’s Box, he used a single-shot Deringer pistol to shoot Lincoln dead in the chest. Booth fled just after midnight, and Lincoln died in the Petersen House, a nearby boarding house. Website
Studio Theatre
Studio Theatre has been putting on some of the best contemporary plays in D.C. and beyond in small, deliberately intimate spaces for over a decade. Website
Anacostia Playhouse
The Colored Museum premiered at the H Street Playhouse in July 2002, and ever since then, the Playhouse has rarely been dark. Thanks to our confidence in H Street’s essential past and future potential, there was a continual flow of producing theatre groups eager to be a part of something new and exciting and eager to help restore the area. Thousands of people flocked to the H Street Corridor to see the Playhouse’s diverse lineup of critically acclaimed performances. New pubs and eateries sprang up to take advantage of the increased foot traffic due to this critical mass. As soon as the Playhouse opened, finding a cup of coffee was almost impossible. The whole length of H Street is now bustling with new businesses, restaurants, live music venues, and other entertainment options. It’s a shining example of how essential the arts are to a thriving, varied community. Website
Keegan Theatre
An intimate environment with world-class performers addressing themes of human nature is the ideal way to engage theatregoers. To promote good change in our community by promoting a proactive, inclusive, and powerful education and outreach effort. Website
Theatre Washington
Theatre Washington fosters and maintains a healthy, innovative, and diverse regional theatre community through a partnership of theatre groups, actors, and supporters.Theatre Washington helps the professional theatre community in the Washington, DC region celebrate creative excellence, enhance the theatrical workforce, promote institutional growth and progress, and foster collective Action via collaborative partnerships and activities. The Helen Hayes Awards, Theatre Week, Theatre Summit, Theatre Work, and the Taking Care Fund are some of Theatre Washington’s major activities. Website
Woolly Mammoth Theatre
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company has maintained its position as a national leader in the creation of new plays. Website
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
It’s a place where anyone may come to learn about, create, and perform in American theatre. Website
National Theatre
Whether it’s Broadway shows, family shows, or award-winning educational initiatives, the National Theatre brings the best performing arts to Washington, D.C.’s dynamic cultural and economic scene. Website
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Actors from all walks of life are welcome to attend Shakespeare Theatre Company’s productions of classic plays with universal themes. Website
Atlas Performing Arts Center
The Atlas Performing Arts Center is a non-profit performing arts facility located in a historic theatre. We’re a vital part of the cultural fabric of the H Street, Northeast neighbourhood in the nation’s capital. Art in cinema, dance, music, drama, vocal and choral work, and a spoken word are all shown at the Atlas. Free events are often held in our foyer at the Atlas, where we have four performance areas. On top of that, we stage Atlas Presents shows and make our premises available to other artists’ organizations for their projects. Our Arts Partners in D.C. include the Capital City Symphony, Mosaic Theater Company of DC, Joy of Motion Dance Center, and Step Afrika! We are proud to work with and support these fine artists. Our City at Peace youth development programme and the Atlas’ Stagecraft Training and Apprenticeship Program are also at the forefront of our arts education programmes. During the winter, we organize the well-known INTERSECTIONS Festival, which brings together up to 400 artists and performing groups, all of whom come together to amuse and engage thousands of visitors over several weeks. We want to bring people together via the arts to broaden our community’s influence and deepen its ties. We provide a shared place in a creative atmosphere that inspires extraordinary performances, events, and projects that inform, entertain, and represent the finest of the arts and mankind. The Atlas has been a vital part of D.C.’s creative economy for decades, at the heart of H Street’s thriving arts, cultural, and networking scene. Website
Constellation Theatre Company
Big, compelling tales are told in an intimate setting by Constellation Theatre. Plays from across the globe that offer visual extravaganza, innovative music, dynamic dance, and passionate performing groups pique our interest and imagination. To immerse our viewers in fantastical realms full of high stakes action, we rely on fantasy, comedy, and epic adventure elements. Website
GALA Hispanic Theatre
As the nation’s capital’s primary home for Latino performing arts, the GALA Hispanic Theatre serves as a National Resource Center for the genre. GALA has been promoting and sharing the Latino arts and cultures with a wide audience since 1976, generating work that relates to today’s communities and conserving the rich Hispanic history for future generations to come. Latino artists are given a platform to showcase their work and teach the next generation via GALA’s productions and development of new works that explore Latino performing arts. Website
Theater Alliance
Theater Alliance creates provocative and socially relevant work that brings people of all backgrounds together through the power of imaginative presentation and active involvement. Website
Lincoln Theatre
D.C.’s cultural rebirth was influenced and preceded by the Lincoln Theatre, which opened in D.C. in 1922. In addition to Pearl Bailey, Duke Ellington, Billie Holliday, Nat King Cole, Cab Calloway and Sarah Vaughn, other nationally famous musicians frequently played on the legendary stage. Lincoln Colonnade, a party hall that originally occupied the Theatre, hosted Roosevelt’s birthday celebrations. For the first time, a theatre in Washington, DC’s U Street district will be operated by I.M.P. in June 2013. The 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., are run by I.M.P. Website
Spooky Action Theatre
Richard Henrich, an actor and director, launched Spooky Action Theater in 2004 to present more plays that compel viewers to use their imaginations. When Spooky Action was first established, it held productions in leased spaces across the Washington, DC, and Maryland region. An agreement was established in 2010 between Spooky Action Theater and the Universalist National Memorial Church at 1810 16th Street N.W. to refurbish the basement auditorium and create a multifunctional performance venue. The new Theatre at Dupont Circle opened its doors to the public in 2010 after more than a year of construction. Consequently, a performance space that is economical, adaptable, and easy to use has been created, and it is located near a metro station. Spooky Action has acquired a reputation as a vital part of the D.C. performing arts scene. The Washington Post, Washington City Paper, and Maryland Theatre Guide are among the publications that often evaluate our shows. D.C. Metro Theatre Arts.com named S.A.T.’s Reckless production one of the finest of 2012. Frank Galati’s adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s book Kafka on the Shore was lauded by D.C. Theatre Scene for its “beautiful and haunting imagery.” The Helen Hayes Awards nominations we received for Optimism! or Voltaire’s Candide, a new adaptation by TJ Edwards, for outstanding ensemble and movement (Monalisa Arias) and our winter 2014 production of The Wedding Dress, by Nelson Rodrigues, received the honour of being named a Helen Hayes Awards recommended production and received rave reviews. Website
Warner Theatre
Your corporate event, private concert, wedding reception, or business conference will be a success at this amazing venue. Main entrance poster boxes may raise the bar for your event, while a huge, brilliantly lighted marquee in any colour will draw attention to your company’s logo. From 25 to 1,960 people may be accommodated in this Theatre located less than a mile from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. You don’t have to worry about a thing since we take care of everything for you! ” Website
Theater J
This professional theatre company is known for its explorations of the Jewish experience and the general human condition. Theater J is nationally recognized for its work. Ethical problems of our day, inter-cultural experiences that mirror our own, and the shifting terrain of Jewish identities are all examined in our work. Through theatre-going, we want to foster a sense of community and commonality among people of all backgrounds. Audiences from over the metropolitan D.C. area come to Theater J to see a wide range of plays representing the city’s multicultural population:Jewish professionals, African-Americans, Arab-Americans and AsiansThe LGBTQ community, students and seniors. Website
Discovery Theater
Discovery Theater has presented live educational performances to children in the D.C. metro region for more than three decades. The Discovery Theater, a Smithsonian Associates initiative, introduces children to the exhibits, artefacts, and cultures found across the museums on the National Mall and abroad via live performances. The Smithsonian Institution has so much to offer! Website
Rorschach Theatre
Innovative set design and gut-wrenching performances are hallmarks of Rorschach Theatre’s productions. A play’s environment is created around the audience by the company’s productions, referred to as “installations.” There is an interplay between magical and everyday human experiences in this work. Self-exploration of difficult themes might be stimulated by Rorschach, which does not advocate for any one religion or philosophy. It has become a crucial showcase for young talent because the company believes in early-career performers and directors, writers and designers, and the abundance of resources they have at its disposal. A yearly new play development series (called “Magic in Rough Spaces”), a new artist development event (called “Klecksography”), and a summer stage fighting training programme (called “Fight Camp”) are all part of Rorschach’s regular season. Non-theatre social activities, such as “Other People’s Ink,” is organized by the company regularly. Website
Teatro de la Luna
A poetic-musical recital honouring “EARTH DAY” will be presented by TEATRO DE LA LUNA on April 22nd, with performances by Marcela Ferlito, Verenice Higuera, Azul Pirrera Higuera, Carolina Sánchez, Simón Ruiz, and Nucky Walder, with musical accompaniment by Gabriel Lora and technical support from Mariano Lucioni. Website
CulturalDC’s Source Theatre
CulturalDC has commissioned an ever-evolving multimedia project by renowned visual artist Maya Freelon. Tissue paper artwork by Freelon is woven together like a patchwork and inspired by family tradition. Moving across the exhibition area triggers interaction with the dynamic quilts, which mimic organic forms. It’s a piece of art, but it’s also a call to Action for spectators to reflect on their past. Her work has been called “visualizing the truth about fragility and strength of the human person” by the late poet Maya Angelou. Modern Luxury Magazine named her one of the city’s best; Huffington Post named her one of the “30 Contemporary Art Makers Under 40 You Should Know”; and Complex Magazine named her one of the “15 Young Black Artists Making Waves in the Art World.” Maya conducted residencies at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, the Korobitey Institute in Ghana, and the Brandywine Workshop in Philadelphia. Accredited by the School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, she has a bachelor’s degree in art history from Lafayette College. Website
American University Greenberg Theatre
Location: American University’s Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre is Tenleytown, DC. For more than a decade, it has served as an important cultural resource for students and those from surrounding communities. It officially opened in March 2003. Website
Washington Improv Theater
For long-form improv, Washington Improv Theater is the place to be. For more than 20 years, our goal has been to unleash the creative power of improv in Washington, DC. Our performances exhilarate and inspire our audience members. With a new training programme, we bring the spirit of play to Washington. We offer a place where improv may thrive during the city’s bustling activity. Website
DC Arts Center (DCAC)
Arts education and cultural interchange are facilitated at DCAC by exhibiting high-quality, challenging works of art and fostering professionalism among artists. An alternative arts centre for local artists was established in 1989 due to dwindling funding for local artists. As a result, our gallery, which has an area of 800 square feet, and our 42-seat black box theatre, have become a centre for the visual and performing arts. Poets, painters, actors, storytellers, sculptors, and performance artists worldwide have been inspired by DCAC’s open call for submissions. It’s our mission to showcase the work of developing and under-recognized artists and to stimulate new approaches to creative growth by showcasing work that other galleries would ignore. Applications to the gallery are always being scrutinized. All kinds of artistic expression are encouraged in our Theatre, and we are open to a wide range of presenting methods. Long-running plays, one night performances, readings and film screenings are all accepted. Year-round auditions are welcomed for theatre roles. Individual applications for our Sparkplug artists’ collective and Curatorial Initiative programmes are required. DCAC does not discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation in any of our programmes. Whether you’re an artist, a supporter, a volunteer, a member of the board or a committee, there’s an opportunity for you to become involved with DCAC at every level. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, Sam Gilliam, Jr., the Clark Construction Group L.L.C., the Kay Family Foundation, Inc., the Maxwell C. Weaver Foundation, Artery Capital Group, the Kogod Family Foundation, and members of the D.C. Arts Center, helps to fund the D.C. Arts Center. Website