By Julian Oquendo and Nicole Hertvik for DCTA’s Editorial Team
On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, the DCTA leadership team woke up to the news that President Trump would be making a major announcement at the Kennedy Center. Amid internet rumors that he would be making a name change to the organization, and days after his orders to federalize the DC Metropolitan Police Department and activate the National Guard on American citizens, we made the choice to listen in.
In a rambling speech, Trump instead announced that he would be hosting the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors award ceremony, an announcement that was met with tepid applause. Going off script, Trump engaged in several minutes of performative mock humility, insisting that he did not want to host the event but that his advisors, led by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, begged him to host so it would get “much higher ratings.”
He then went on to announce the recipients of this year’s awards. The choices of honorees — Gloria Gaynor, KISS, Michael Crawford, George Strait, and Sylvester Stallone — are indicative of Trump’s personal taste and vision for the center: icons of pop culture and mass appeal.
We don’t question the worthiness of these artists to be recognized for their body of work. Each has contributed substantially to American culture. We do note that what is missing is any representation from the fields of opera, classical music, jazz, dance, or other less mainstream performing arts, an element that has been present in previous choices of honorees.
The speech at the Kennedy Center also gave Trump a podium to reiterate his claims that the Kennedy Center is in a state of severe disrepair, and that he would “make Washington, DC the safest, most beautiful capital in the world” through deployment of the National Guard, with a reminder that statehood for DC was “not gonna happen.”
We are witnessing the deployment of a police and military force against U.S. citizens, against the will of many members of that same force, and very much against the will of the people and the government of DC.
So, DC theater friends, what do we do? On Tyranny author Timothy Snyder discusses the importance of community and solidarity, particularly in the context of resisting tyranny and authoritarianism. He emphasizes the need for active participation, individual responsibility, and a strong sense of shared values to safeguard freedom and prevent the erosion of democratic principles. So what can our theater community do for our city during this crisis?
Organizations like Free DC and DC Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid have offered to work with groups and organizations to train in bystander actions and provide legal resources where available. HIPS and Remora House provide resources for unhoused individuals, as well as harm reduction practices for people impacted by sex work and homelessness. These are the people who are being harassed and taken off the streets at this time. We have definitely missed a few organizations. Get in the comments (on Facebook and Instagram) and shout them out. These are the companies that have opened their doors to this community to support them, to film and share online when there is a police officer occupying space where they shouldn’t be in our city.
We are inviting our theater community, venues, and companies to consider what actions they can take at this time, whether to support these organizations or support their immediate community.
DC Theater Arts is here to support and magnify any company or individual that supports our community during this time. We look forward to serving as a hub for community action. Let’s start a conversation to brainstorm ways the DC theater community can stand up to tyranny. Or, if you are able to take action yourself, fill out this form, and we will share your story with our readership. It appears that the president will keep MPD under his control for 30 days. We will pursue this endeavor through September 30, 2025.
We look forward to hearing from you.
—The DCTA Editorial Team
DC Theater Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Your contributions are tax-deductible and help us continue this important work. If you are able to contribute, we invite you to donate to our work.
SEE ALSO:
How can theater talk back to Trump? (feature by Deryl Davis, March 31, 2025)
