This July, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company invites Washingtonians to celebrate, question, remix, and reimagine America’s 250th birthday through We the Woolly: Remixing 250 — a dynamic month-long series of free public events designed to place the arts at the center of civic life.
Taking place at Woolly’s home in the heart of Downtown DC, equidistant from both the Capitol and the White House, We the Woolly: Remixing 250 will transform the theatre into a cultural hub where artists, neighbors, families, activists, and audiences come together to envision the future of the nation’s capital — and the country itself.
This series celebrates the diversity, creativity, and resilience of DC and its people with live music, dance, spoken word, circus arts, interdisciplinary performance, community conversations, and family-friendly programming. Through these partnerships, and institutions Woolly Mammoth reaffirms its ongoing commitment to building deeper civic connections through the arts.
“Art of all disciplines has always served as the collision point where we discover language for those inexpressible ideas inside our consciousness,” said Woolly Mammoth’s Artistic Director Reggie D. White. “America’s semiquincentennial arrives at a moment where many of us are deeply seeking to understand what story America wants to write for itself, and We the Woolly offers those wrestling with their own inexpressible ideas a place to convene, to ponder, and to dream – together.”
Curated by Woolly’s nationally acclaimed Connectivity Department, this series continues the company’s mission of linking artistic expression with social and political engagement. Woolly’s Connectivity Department is known for creating show-specific events and public conversations that explore the urgent questions embedded in Woolly’s work. The team also fosters partnerships and programs that remain responsive to community needs while creating spaces for reflection, celebration, and collective imagination.
“At a moment when the country is reflecting on who we are and who we hope to become, We the Woolly: Remixing 250 creates space for joy, dialogue, artistry, and possibility,” said Kristen Jackson, Associate Artistic Director and Director of Connectivity. “This series is about honoring the many voices that make up DC and using creativity as a way to imagine a more equitable, participatory, and connected future.”
With We the Woolly: Remixing 250, Woolly Mammoth continues its legacy of championing bold, unexpected work while serving as a gathering place where civic life and cultural life intersect.
This Project is being fully funded through DowntownDC Business Improvement District and the District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor – Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Says Gerren Price, President & CEO of DowntownDC BID: “The Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID) is excited to partner with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company to bring We the Woolly: Remixing 250, A Month-Long Celebration Reimagining America 250. With our investment in the revitalization of Downtown DC, this is a moment to continue to highlight the vitality and eclectic mix of artistry to amplify community building in Penn Quarter. This series of activations and engagements serves to meaningfully enhance the DowntownDC BID’s commitment to the formation of moving towards a vibrant arts, culture and entertainment district.”
EVENTS
All events are free and open to the public!
Events are located at Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St. NW, Washington DC, 20004
Wednesday, July 1 | Summer Series Kickoff | 6 – 8 PM
Line Dancing with DMV City Slickerz + District Daiquiri
We’re kicking things off the DC way with line dancing, community, and fun! DMV City Slickerz will get everyone moving just in time for those July 4th cookouts, while District Daiquiri keeps the celebration cool with free red, white, and blue daiquiris while supplies last. 21+ for daiquiris, with 100% ID check.
IG: @thedmvcityslickerz, @districtdaiquiri
Friday, July 10 – 12 | New York Circus Project | 7 – 8 PM
The circus comes to Woolly with a bold, contemporary twist. New York Circus Project brings spectacle, movement, risk, and wonder to the heart of downtown, reminding us that imagination has always been part of the American experiment. The show features world premieres of two works, Cinderella and Hansel & Gretel, which are part of the company’s ongoing development of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales project. Pre-show performances will start in the lobby, followed by the main performance at 7pm on the Woolly Mammoth stage.
IG: @newyorkcircusproject
Wednesday, July 15 | Native American Dance with Angela Gladue (Fancy Shawl & Hoop Dancer) & Denmi Whiteman (Jingle Dress Dancer) | 6 – 8 PM
Come celebrate dance, imagination, Native American heritage, and the artists helping shape the District’s next chapter of storytelling! Join Angela Gladue (nehiyaw (Cree)/Greek) and Denmi Whiteman (Oglala Lakota / Southern Cheyenne) as they bring movement, power, and presence to Remixing 250.
IG: @misschiefrocka, @denmiwhiteman
Friday, July 17 | Record Fair with HR Records + Jamal Gray of Mezzanine Records | 6 – 8 PM
Music by The Elijah Easton Trio
Drop the needle and remix the soundtrack. HR Records and Jamal Gray of Mezzanine Records bring a record fair rooted in DC music culture, with live sounds from The Elijah Easton Trio. From jazz to soul to funk and beyond, this night celebrates the rhythms and grooves that keep America moving.
IG: @hrrecords, @aquatic.gardener, @mezzanine.vinyl, @elijaheastonmusic
Sunday, July 19 | Spit Dat Presents: American Spitstory | 3 – 5 PM
Featuring spoken word artists Drew Anderson, Dwayne Lawson-Brown, and Miko Reed and DC Public Library’s Mobile Bike
DC’s beloved open mic steps into the Remixing 250 series with an evening of poetry, storytelling, and truth-telling. Spit Dat brings the city’s voices into Woolly’s lobby for a night that reminds us that America’s story is still being written, spoken, challenged, and reimagined in real time. DC Public Library’s mobile bike will also be in the building to showcase the DC’s robust literary offerings!
IG: @spitdatdc, @dcpubliclibrary
Wednesday, July 22nd | Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington: Potomac Fever & Pop-Up Market | 6 – 8 PM
Potomac Fever, an ensemble of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, joins Remixing 250 for an evening of harmony, pride, and community. Joining the Chorus will be a pop-up market featuring hand woven Afghan rugs as well as a unique collection of new and vintage jewelry from around the world.
Proceeds from the sale of the jewelry support the International Women’s Democracy Center – IWDC’s programs to strengthen women’s global leadership. Proceeds from the sale of the carpets supports both the Afghan women weavers and the owner Ahmed as he grows his business to support both the weavers and his family in Afghanistan.
IG: @gmcwashington, @potomac.fever
Friday, July 24 | Rumpus Room Kids Dance Party, featuring Stereo Faith | 6 – 8 PM
The kids are taking over Woolly. Rumpus Room brings a full-on family dance party with DJ Stereo Faith. Think tiny dancers, big Woolly energy and a whole lot of summer fun.
IG: @rumpusroomdc, @stereofaith
Saturday, July 25 | Playwriting Workshop (3 – 4:30 PM) and Playwright Slam (5 – 6 PM)
Got a bad case of writer’s block? Join Caleen Sinnette Jennings (Queens Girl in the World) and Jason Tseng (Fear and Wonder) for a playwriting workshop about crafting stories for the stage, even when you’re feeling stuck. After the workshop, stay for a special Playwright Slam, featuring members of Woolly’s Playwrights Group, a cohort of local playwrights developing new work in community with one another.
Wednesday, July 29 | Orquesta Manplesa | 6 – 8 PM
Manplesa brings live salsa energy to Remixing 250 with a night made for dancing, gathering, and celebrating DC’s rich Latino culture. This is America remixed through rhythm, movement, and community joy. DC Public Library’s mobile bike will also be in the building! Come out and dance!
IG: @manplesa, @dcpubliclibrary
Friday, July 31st | The Funset at Woolly | 6 – 8 PM
Featuring live sets by DJ Jahsonic and Harry Hotter, with live painting by Urshula Dunn
We’re closing the series with the hottest party in the city right inside Woolly Mammoth’s lobby. The Funset brings the dance floor downtown with live sets by DJ Jahsonic and Harry Hotter, while DC-based artist Urshula Dunn creates live in the space, adding a visual art experience to the final night. Together, it’s music, movement, creativity, community, and DC joy all in one unforgettable Remixing 250 celebration.
IG: @thenewfunset, @jahsonicdc, @hotterthisyear, @urshuladunn
Each event will feature free Smartwater and Topo Chico while supplies last and other surprises. Be sure to tag #DowntownDCBID, #WoollyMammothTheatreCompany, and #WeTheWoolly250 for a chance to win a prize for the best photo!
TICKETS
Though events are free, RSVP is encouraged at woollymammoth.net
ABOUT WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY
The Tony Award-winning Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company creates radically redefining theater that highlights the tremendous complexity of our world. For almost 50 years, Woolly has exemplified a standard of artistic rigor that dares to take theatrical risks, showcases new and diverse voices, and pushes the culture forward. One of the few remaining theaters in the country to maintain a company of multi-disciplinary artists, Woolly serves an essential research and development role within the American theater. Plays premiered at Woolly have gone on to productions at hundreds of theaters all over the world and have had lasting impacts on the field.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is led by Artistic Director Reggie D. White and Managing Director Kimberly E. Douglas. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is located in Washington, DC, equidistant from the Capitol and the White House.
This unique location influences Woolly’s investment in actively working towards an equitable, participatory, and creative democracy. Woolly Mammoth stands upon occupied, unceded territory: the ancestral homeland of the Nacotchtank whose descendants belong to the Piscataway peoples. Furthermore, the foundation of this city, and most of the original buildings in Washington, DC, were funded by the sale of enslaved people of African descent and built by their hands.
