Whether you’re a veteran theatre-goer or a newcomer, Theatre Week gives you a chance to take in a wide range of the area’s onstage offerings at a bargain price.
Amy Austin, the president and CEO of Theatre Washington, says Theatre Week is “more like Theatre Three Weeks,” given that it runs September 26 through October 13. But in its seventh year, Austin says, the event still runs on the same principle: “It’s a real community event, and we’ve got a great community.”
Theatre Week brings shows by more than DC-area companies under their umbrella with discounted prices ($20, $40, and $60) as well as special events that bring even more companies into the mix.
Austin didn’t want to give out any favorites, but among Northern Virginia companies she mentioned The Waverly Gallery, Kenneth Lonergan’s Tony Award–nominated play about an irascible matriarch, put on by First Stage, in Tysons Corner; and Primary Trust, the 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama, put on by Signature Theatre, in Shirlington. She also mentioned Synetic Theatre, which is reviving the wordless, movement-based production of Hamlet that it performed as its first production in 2002.
The kickoff to the event will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on September 28 at Arena Stage, in Southwest DC. (Tickets are free, but you have to get them online.)
Austin says the event is filled with “performances, demonstrations, workshops and more, “and the theaters are all there with their table activations, which means some people will be demonstrating how costumes work; others will be demonstrating how you write a play. So there’s all these activities that sort of get you into the inside of theater and how it works.”
She’s also hyped about the third annual City on the River Concert, to be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 22. It features performances by area theatre artists performing songs from Jersey Boys, In the Heights, Frozen, and more. (Get free tickets on the Theatre Week site.)
Austin says the number of participating theatres has held roughly the same over the last few years, which is a testament to the diversity, vibrancy, and staying power of the area’s theatre scene. “Other regions have had some losses in terms of numbers of theaters that are producing, and we really haven’t seen that here yet.”
The area’s theatre companies are bouncing back from pandemic closures strongly.
“There’s still a need for more audiences to come back, but the numbers are good. And there’s a lot of really great work, which also drives audiences getting back,” she says.
You can find out more, including a full list of productions on the Theatre Week website.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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