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.
MAY 2026
Theater J and the Edlavitch DCJCC present a Festival of Favorites and Firsts, May 30-June 7 at the Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St NW, Washington, DC. Staged readings include:
- The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry, Saturday, May 30 at 2:00 PM
- Linguicide by Ali Viterbi, Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 PM
- Queens Girl in the World by Caleen Sinnette Jennings, Sunday, May 31 at 2:00 PM
- The Sisters Rosensweig by Wendy Wasserstein, Saturday, June 6 at 1:00 PM
- I Know of Plagues by Kendell Pinckney, Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 PM
All-access passes are $100 ($50 for Theater J subscribers) and single tickets are $28. Tickets and information available here.
The Arts Club of Washington presents My Favorite Things: The Songs of Richard Rodgers, featuring vocalist Anna Bergman and pianist Howard Breitbart, Saturday, May 30 at 6:00 PM at the Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets are $65 ($60 for ACW members) and available here.
African American Collective Theater (ACT) presents OUT/spoken, its 34th annual LGBTQ+ theater festival for DC Black Pride Weekend, Sunday, May 24 at 5:00 PM at the Undercroft Theater, 900 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC. Tickets range from $20-$28.52 and are available here.
The Artless Bards, DC’s longest-running Shakespearean improv comedy troupe, presents a night of improv, sketch, and stand-up comedy Saturday, May 23 at 7:00 PM at The Puppet Co Playhouse, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD. Tickets range from $15-$35 and are available here. Proceeds benefit The Puppet Co. 18+.
Solas Nua presents Galway-based children’s theater company Branar in You’ll See, a 45-minute reimagining of James Joyce’s Ulysses for young audiences, Friday, May 15 at 7:30 PM at Spooky Action Theater (1810 16th St NW, Washington, DC) and Saturday, May 16 at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM at Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St NE, Washington, DC). Tickets for Friday’s performance, presented with Spooky Action Theater and The Keegan Theatre, are $25 and available here. Tickets for the Saturday performances, presented with Atlas Performing Arts Center, are $18 and available here.
The Rose Theatre Co. presents a reading of The Further Adventures of R. Prudhomme, a new play by Chris Stezin, Tuesday, May 12 at 7:30 PM at the Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St NW, Washington, DC. Admission is free; RSVP here.
Olney Theatre Center presents The Business of the Business, a masterclass with director Lili-Anne Brown on directing for regional theater, Tuesday, May 12 at 7:00 PM at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd, Olney, MD. Tickets are $25 ($20 for Olney members) and available here.
Spooky Action Theater presents a staged reading of Balance by Ukrainian veteran and playwright Alena Sarnatska, Monday, May 11 at 7:30 PM in Spooky Action’s performance space at Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th St NW, Washington, DC. Directed by Elizabeth Dinkova and performed by 3-time Helen Hayes Award winner Natascia Diaz, Balance is inspired by Sarnatska’s experience as a frontline medic in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Tickets are free; reserve here with code spookyactionbalance.
Playing Against presents (One) Acts of Resistance, Monday, May 11 at 7:00 PM at Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC. The performance will include an opening monologue by Rick Foucheux, a reading of The Boy by Rick Foucheux, performed by Vince Eisenson, and a reading of The Beggar and the King by Winthrop Parkhurst, performed by Erika Rose, Kimberly Schraf, and Craig Wallace. RSVP here and do one of the following: pay cash at the door, 100% of which will be donated to Common Cause, or show a receipt for a donation to Common Cause in calendar year 2026. Minimum $5 donation for either option.
The Arts Club of Washington and Scena Theatre present a book launch for Making the Scene: Theater on 14th Street in the 1980s by Amy Schmidt, PhD historian and cofounder of Scena Theatre, Monday, May 11 at 7:00 PM at the Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St NW, Washington, DC. Open to ACW members and guests. RSVP here.
ARTfactory’s Pied Piper Theatre presents Oliver!, Saturday, May 9 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM, and Sunday, May 10 at 2:00 PM at George Mason University’s Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets are $30 ($24 for seniors 55+ and youth ages 2-18) and available here.
Tela Coral presents Music for the Ocean, an evening of new compositions and improvisations by Emmy-nominated violinist and composer Chad Cannon, performed with concert pianist Hui Wu and guest harpist Cate Cannon Todd and featuring immersive original animations by Timothy Rauch, Saturday, May 9 at 7:00 PM at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC. The event will close with a live Q&A with ocean scientists. Tickets are $100 general admission, $70 seniors, and $50 students with ID, and available here. Proceeds go toward building the first coral gene bank and marine biology laboratory on the Honduran mainland.
Edwin Bernal Productions presents Dar en la Tecla (Madre solo hay una), Friday, May 8 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, May 10 at 4:30 PM at the DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW, Washington, DC. This play is performed entirely in Spanish, without subtitles. Tickets are $28.52 and available here.
The Washington Ballet presents Cinderella, Friday, May 8 at 7:00 PM, Saturday, May 9 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM, and Sunday, May 10 at 2:00 PM at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC. Tickets range from $58-$150 and are available here.
Spooky Action Theater presents All The Selves I Never Was, a new cabaret by Aaron Bliden, Thursday, May 7 at 8:00 PM and Friday, May 8 at 8:00 PM in Spooky Action’s performance space at Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets are $28 for a riser seat ($23 for theater industry professionals) or $38 for a table seat and are available here.
Creative Cauldron presents its 2026 Bold New Voices Festival of new work by women playwrights and composers, April 11-May 9 at Creative Cauldron Stage, 127 E. Broad St, Falls Church, VA.
All performances take place on Saturdays at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM. The lineup includes:
- April 11: The C Word Written by Sarah Lina Sparks | Directed by Sally Imbriano
- April 18: Live From My Dad’s Couch Written by Gaelyn D. Smith | Directed by A.
Lorraine Robinson - April 25: His Girl Friday Book by Danielle Moore | Music & Lyrics by Zachary Sloan and
Danielle Moore | Directed by Matt Conner - May 9: Policarpa: Apocalypse Sur Amerikka Written by Diana Burbano | Directed by
Elena Velasco
Tickets are free for in-person or livestream viewing and available here.
