Play readings and workshops offer a chance to see exciting new work at various stages of development. Want to see the next big thing while it’s still being crafted? Get in on the ground level and see the creative process in action. Featuring new plays and musicals by local and national artists, here are the upcoming play readings and workshops in the DMV.
DECEMBER
MetroStage presents Mayhem and Musical Merriment at the Old Bull and Bush, Sunday, December 21 at 4:00 PM and Monday, December 22 at 7:00 PM at The Lyceum: Alexandria’s History Museum, 201 South Washington St, Alexandria, VA. Tickets to this classic British music hall experience are $30 and available here.
Best Medicine Rep presents a free reading of Todd and Pitts by Rand Higbee, directed by Rocky Nunzio, Wednesday, December 17 at 7:00 PM. The reading will take place at Hefner Auditorium on the campus of Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg. No tickets or reservations are required.
Voices Festival Productions presents a free workshop reading of a newly updated version of The Admission by Motti Lerner, Wednesday, December 17 at 3:00 PM at Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th St NW, Washington, DC. Seating is limited; RSVP to info@voicesfestivalproductions.com.
The Artless Bards, DC’s longest-running Shakespearean Improv Comedy troupe, present Comedy at the Puppet Co, Sunday, December 14 at 7:00 PM at The Puppet Co Playhouse at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD. This event is a fundraiser for the Puppet Co. Tickets are $15 ($30 VIP) and available here.
GALA Hispanic Theatre presents The Other Side Story, a hilarious one-man musical created and performed in Spanish and Spanglish by Ángel Vázquez, Friday, December 12 through Sunday, December 14 at GALA, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $30 and available here.
Maryland Ensemble Theatre presents A Christmas Carol, Friday, December 12 through Sunday, December 14 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St, Frederick, MD. Showtimes are Friday at 8:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $28 ($25 seniors, military, and Frederick city employees; $17 students and children) and available here.
Cagedbird Productions presents The GAY Best Man by Anthony Green, Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13 at the Chateau, 3439 Benning Rd NE, Washington, DC. Showtimes are 7:00 PM Friday and Saturday and 2:00 PM Saturday. Tickets range from $35-$50 and are available here.
The Arts Club of Washington presents a reading of Guilty Pleasure, a new play by Charlie Probus, Friday, December 12 at 7:00 PM at 2017 I St NW, Washington, DC. Guilty Pleasure is the winner of the Arts Club of Washington’s 2025 One Act Play Competition. The reading will be followed by a buffet dinner with the playwright, director, and cast. Tickets are $77 (free for Arts Club members, $50 for member guests) and available here.
Voices Festival Productions presents Imperfect Allies: Children of Opposite Sides, written and performed by Najla Said and Judith Sloan, directed by Suzanne Agins, Thursday, December 11 through Sunday, December 14 at Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th Street NW, Washington, DC. Showtimes are Thursday and Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 8:00 PM, and Sunday at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $25 and available here.
Spooky Action Theater presents composer, rock musician, and playwright Stew Stewart in concert, Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM at Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th St NW, Washington, DC. Stew will perform an hour-long set of his songs, including songs from his 2008 Tony Award-winning Broadway show Passing Strange. Tickets are $75 general admission, $100 table seating, and available here.
Woolly Mammoth Theater Company presents a reading of In the Continuum, an Obie-winning and Pulitzer-nominated drama by Nikkole Salter and Danai Gurira, performed by Salter and Erika Rose, Monday, December 8 at 6:30 PM at Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St NW, Washington, DC. The reading will be followed by a panel discussion on HIV Research and Policy in a Post-USAID World, featuring HIV/AIDS experts Dr. Shannon Hader, Dr. Goulda Downer, and Dr. Doris Macharia. Tickets are $75 ($150 VIP), with special $19.61 pricing for USAID alumni, students, and artists, and a pre-show networking reception for USAID alums. Purchase tickets here.
Viral content creator Grace Fennell and her gang of local comedians present Grace and the Gang Live Show + After Party, Saturday, December 6 at 7:00 PM at the Treehouse, 4722 14th St NW, Washington, DC. An evening of original comedy sketches followed by an after party with the cast. Tickets are $18.92 and available here.
The Creative And Performing Arts Center presents Black Nativity by Langston Hughes, Friday, December 5 at 7:30 PM at George Mason University’s Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets are $40 ($35 seniors, $30 students, military, and groups 10+) and available here.
Signature Theatre presents Inside Signature: Douglas Sills, Thursday, December 4 at 1:00 PM in the Mead Lobby at Signature, 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA. Best known for his role in HBO’s The Gilded Age and his Tony-nominated performance in Broadway’s The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sills is now playing Tevye in Signature’s Fiddler on the Roof. Learn about his life, career, and what Fiddler means to him in this open conversation. Free to attend in person or to livestream at Signature’s YouTube channel; details here.
NOVEMBER
Strathmore presents A Swingin’ Little Christmas Starring Jane Lynch, featuring Kate Flannery and Tim Davis with the Tony Guerrero Quintet, Saturday, November 29 at 7:00 PM at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Ln, North Bethesda, MD. Tickets range from $28-$88 and are available here.
The Academy of Russian Ballet and Northern Virginia Ballet present The Nutcracker, featuring exquisite costuming, European hand-painted sets, and international award-winning dancers, Saturday, November 29 at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM at George Mason University’s Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets are $50 ($40 seniors 55+, military, and youth under 18) and available here.
Virginia National Ballet presents its perennially popular production of The Nutcracker, Friday, November 28 at 2:00 PM and 6:30 PM at George Mason University’s Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets range from $40-$65 and are available here.
The Cincinnati Ballet presents a colorful, family-focused performance of The Nutcracker, Wednesday, November 26 through Sunday, November 30 in the Opera House at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets range from $53-$213 and are available here.
The Kennedy Center presents Shamrock Tenors: Christmas in Belfast, Tuesday, November 25 through Sunday, November 30 in the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets range from $39-$139 and are available here.
Theatre Prometheus presents its Firecracker Festival of New Work, running November 14-December 6 at Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center, 7995 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD. The lineup includes:
- We Are the Demons Inside Our Bodies, November 14-15
- Mother of, November 15-16
- Jean/ne, November 21-22
- Rebels vs. Royals: A Night of Deception and Succession, November 22-23
- The Pit, December 4-6
- In Spite of Everything, December 5-6
Tickets are $15 per performance and available, along with showtimes and full festival details, here.
