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.
Prologue Theatre presents the May gatherings of afterword, Prologue’s play reading and discussion group. This month, the group is reading and discussing Natural Shocks by Lauren Gunderson and Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe. Join afterword in person Monday, May 11 at 7:00 PM at Prologue Theatre, 6408 Williamsburg Blvd, Arlington, VA, or online Wednesday, May 13 at 7:00 PM. Register (free!) for either date here. Registrants will receive the scripts via email.
Classic Theatre of Maryland presents When You Wish Upon a Star, a family-friendly cabaret featuring Broadway’s Ian Knauer, Monday, May 11 at 7:30 PM and Tuesday, May 12 at 7:30 PM at Classic Theatre of Maryland, 1804 West St, Annapolis, MD. Monday’s cabaret is for CTM subscribers only and included in season packages. Tickets for Tuesday’s cabaret are $81.75-$88.75 (including fees) 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.
