Make a plan to be entertained, educated, and moved this fall. An array of excellent plays, musicals, and dance-theater productions are being staged at our area’s best theaters. From fresh takes on classics to exciting new works, here are some of the top shows.
Merrily We Roll Along at Signature Theatre
August 25 through November 1
Based on the original play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, this classic Sondheim musical returns to Signature Theatre, where it was first staged 20 years ago. It’s directed and choreographed by Signature artistic director Matthew Gardiner and tells the story in reverse-chronological order. It moves from the cynicism of age to the optimism of youth as it follows three artists and their changing friendships over two decades.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Round House Theatre
September 9 through October 11
Bethesda’s Round House Theatre is celebrating its golden anniversary with free events and bold programming throughout the 2026–2027 season. The season opens with the acclaimed August Wilson drama Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, produced in partnership with Olney Theatre Center. Set in a 1920s Chicago recording studio, it follows conflicts within a blues group and addresses themes of racism and artistic exploitation in the industry. Helen Hayes Award–winners Lili-Anne Brown (director) and Melody Betts (lead actor), who previously worked together on Fela!, are reuniting for the show.
Venus at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
September 9 through October 4
Woolly Mammoth’s new artistic director, Reggie D. White, launches his first season by directing this new dark comedy. It’s written by Steve Yockey, who is best known for his work as creator and showrunner of the Emmy-nominated HBO thriller The Flight Attendant. In Venus, a meet-cute goes awry as a first date between opposites (orderly Nicole and spontaneous Beth) moves from romantic to sinister. Anyone who has dealt with the modern dating world will appreciate this one.
Come From Away at Ford’s Theatre
September 10 through October 18
On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Ford’s Theatre brings back this Tony Award–winning musical. It tells the true story of how a small Canadian town doubled in size when it hosted the passengers of 38 planes diverted there following the terrorist attacks. Kevin S. McAllister directs and Katy Tabb choreographs the heartwarming production that’s set to a folk-and-rock score.
The Fruits of Our Labor at Arena Stage
September 10 through November 1
This world premiere Step Afrika! production commemorates America’s 250th anniversary and blends stepping, percussion, and visual imagery, including a bold color palette of red, white, and blue. Directed by Jakari Sherman in collaboration with fellow artists Conrad R. Kelly II and Vusi Mdoyi, it’s an exploration of what it means to both love a country and hold hope for a better future.
The Score at Shakespeare Theatre Company
September 11 through October 18
Fresh off its acclaimed U.K. run, this historical drama arrives in the U.S. with a major draw: Succession star Brian Cox as composer Johann Sebastian Bach. The Oliver Cotton drama is set in 1747 and imagines the aging Bach summoned to the court of Frederick the Great. The play — directed by renowned British theater director Trevor Nunn — explores topics including morality, creativity, and the abuse of power. It also features Cox’s real-life wife, actress Nicole Ansari-Cox.
The Second Best School Shooting at NextStop Theatre Company
September 17 through October 11
After making its world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this dark comedy written by former public school teacher Alice Stanley Jr. holds its U.S. premiere in Northern Virginia. In the satirical play, two friends cope with surviving a school shooting that’s eclipsed by another school shooting in a wealthy neighborhood on the same day. Oscar winner Adam McKay (The Big Short, Don’t Look Up) is honorary executive producer, and NextStop producing artistic director Heather Lanza directs.
Measure for Measure at Folger Theatre
September 22 to November 1
This rarely produced Shakespeare problem play was last seen at Folger Theatre in 2006. This time, it’s directed by Helen Hayes Award winner Psalmayene 24. When the Duke of Vienna hands power to his rigid deputy Angelo, Claudio is sentenced to death for premarital sex — leaving his sister Isabella, a novice nun, to navigate extortion, disguise, and impossible moral choices to save him.
Maybe Happy Ending at The National
October 6 to October 11
This winner of six Tony Awards, including for best musical, comes to Washington for a short six-day run, so be sure to book tickets ASAP. This love story is about two lonely robots in Seoul in the near future as they strive for connection — and maybe even find love. Tony winner Michael Arden directs the musical starring Zachary Noah Piser and Hannah Kevitt.
Betrayal at 1st Stage
October 8 through October 25
Directed by 1st Stage artistic director Alex Levy, this retelling of a classic domestic drama from Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter unfolds backward in time, tracing a multiyear affair between Emma and her husband’s best friend as their history collides with her crumbling marriage.
Hundred Days at The Keegan Theatre
October 10 through November 15
This DC-premiere musical poses the question: What would you do if you knew you only had 100 days left to live? Based on the true love story of the show’s composers and creators, Shaun and Abigail Bengson, it’s been praised for its raw, folk-punk score and unflinching honesty.
Frida … A Self-Portrait at Shakespeare Theatre Company
October 8 through November 8
This acclaimed solo show written and performed by Vanessa Severo brings Frida Kahlo to life on the eve of the artist’s death through the framing of Kahlo talking to an interviewer. The 75-minute play is directed by Severo’s frequent collaborator, Joanie Schultz. It draws parallels between Kahlo’s story and the actor’s own, with Severo taking on the roles of Kahlo as well as characters in Kahlo’s orbit, including Diego Rivera.
All the World’s a Stage at Signature Theatre
October 20 through December 20
This regional premiere written by Adam Gwon (Ordinary Days, Cake Off) is directed by Matthew Gardiner with musical direction by Marika Countouris. It follows a closeted high school math teacher in 1996 who agrees to mentor a student for a theater competition, using their shared exploration of Angels in America to navigate their small town’s intolerance.
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at NextStop Theatre Company
November 5 through November 29
Kristoffer Diaz’s Pulitzer Prize finalist takes on professional wrestling as a lens for spectacle, pop culture, and identity. Presented in partnership with Flying V and directed by Stefan Sittig, the play follows a talented wrestler paid to lose so bigger stars can shine.
Prima Facie at Arena Stage
November 13 through January 17, 2027
Suzie Miller’s Tony-nominated legal drama follows a formidable defense attorney who has built her career defending men accused of sexual assault. When an unthinkable event forces her to the other side of the courtroom, she’s confronted with the gap between the law she trusted and the justice it failed to deliver.
Wilderness Generation at Studio Theatre
November 18 through January 3, 2027
This new comedy from Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright James Ijames (Fat Ham, Good Bones) is directed by Taibi Magar in association with Philadelphia Theatre Company. Four cousins reunite at their grandmother’s Tidewater, Virginia, homestead to pack up her house, and over a weekend of board games and inside jokes, unearth some unsettling family secrets.
Feature image of Maybe Happy Ending by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
This story originally ran in our September issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
