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.
OCTOBER 2026
Theater Alliance, IN Series, and 4EYE Film Center welcome the community to their new home at the Revada Arts Center, 340 Maple Dr SW, Washington, DC, with a Family Day and Community Open House on Saturday, October 24 from 11:00 AM-3:30 PM. Tickets are free; RSVP here.
Nu Sass and The Sirens of Sin present Cluelesque: A Musical Murder Mystery Burlesque, Sunday, October 18 and Sunday, October 25 at The Comedy Loft of DC, 1523 22nd St NW, Washington, DC. Both performances are at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $30 general admission ($45 VIP) and available here.
Chad Dexter Kinsman presents the DC premiere of Fringe hit Oedipus in Seattle by Savannah Reich, Saturday, October 10 through Monday, October 12 at Studio 1469, 1469 Harvard St NW, Washington, DC. All performances are at 7:00 PM. Two new actors will perform the show each night, without rehearsing or reading the script in advance. Martina Schabron and Dylan Arredondo perform Saturday, October 10; James J. Johnson and Erika Rose perform Sunday, October 11; and Kimberly Gilbert and Jacob Yeh perform on Monday, October 12. Tickets are $19.93 and available here.
Nootana, a DC-area Indian classical music and dance ensemble, presents Afterglow: Stories that Linger, an evening of storytelling, music, and dance, Saturday, October 10 at 7:00 PM at Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Rd, Mount Rainier, MD. Tickets are $40 and available here.
Washington Concert Opera presents the final performances of its 2026 Opera Outside season, Friday, October 9 at 5:30 PM at Union Market (1309 5th St NE, Washington, DC) and Sunday, October 11 at 1:00 PM in Dupont Circle Park (21 Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC). Performances feature tenor Jason Gonzalez and soprano Jouelle Roberson, accompanied by pianist Joy Schreier. Free and open to the public.
Theatre Washington and City Cast DC present a live discussion and podcast recording on The State of Theatre in Washington, DC, Monday, October 5 at 7:00 PM at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets are free; RSVP here.
George Mason University presents its annual ARTS by George! benefit concert, featuring Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Saturday, October 3 at 8:30 PM at George Mason University, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax, Virginia. Concert tickets range from $75-$145 and are available here.
Avant Bard Theatre presents its 2026 Scripts in Play Festival, running October 2-18 at venues across Arlington, VA. The lineup includes:
- Every Single Ophelia by Ryan Stevens, directed by Kathleen Akerley
Friday, October 2 at 7:30 PM, Ballston Quarter, Level 2
Sunday, October 4 at 2:00 PM, Mason Exhibitions Arlington - Three Sisters by Suneeta Misra, directed by Mekala Sridhar
Friday, October 9 at 7:30 PM, Ballston Quarter, Level 2
Sunday, October 11 at 2:00 PM, Ballston Quarter, Level 2 - Gracie vs. The People by Shoshannah Boray, directed by Tara Giordano
Friday, October 16 at 7:30 PM, MOCA Arlington
Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 PM, Mason Exhibitions Arlington
Full festival information and tickets (free with RSVP) are available here.
SEPTEMBER 2026
Washington Stage Guild presents An Evening with Rip Van Winkle and Washington Irving, a reading by WSG founding members Laura Giannarelli and Bill Largess, Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30 PM at the Undercroft Theatre in the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC. The reading is Pay-What-You-Can (cash or credit card) at the door, no reservations necessary.
The Theatre Lab School for the Dramatic Arts presents its 2026 Fall Reading Series, featuring the following staged readings:
- The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, Tuesday, September 29 at 7:30 PM
- Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello, Tuesday, October 6 at 7:30 PM
- The History Boys by Alan Bennett, Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30 PM
- Museum by Tina Howe, Tuesday, October 20 at 7:30 PM
All readings will be held at The Theatre Lab, 900 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC. Admission is free; select reading(s) and RSVP here.
Ford’s Theatre presents 25 Years After 9/11: Lessons in Leadership, Resilience and Finding Our Better Angels, Tuesday, September 29 at 6:00 PM at Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St NW, Washington, DC. Speakers include Hillary Rodham Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Senator and First Lady; Mitch E. Daniels Jr., former Indiana governor and Purdue President Emeritus; and Norah O’Donnell, CBS News correspondent. Tickets are free; register here.
Theatre Washington presents Make A Scene: The Theatre Week Concert, featuring musical theater classics and new songs by local performers, Tuesday, September 29 at 6:00 PM at Transit Pier at The Wharf, 970 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC. Come at 6:00 PM for happy hour drink specials, ticket and must-have swag giveaways, and pop-up performances. The concert will begin at 7:00 PM. Tickets are free; reserve here.
Pipeline Playwrights presents a video-on-demand streaming run of Around the Snake Turn by Patricia Connelly, September 17-October 1. Tickets are $22 general admission, $15 for students, and $30 for small groups of 2-5 people, and available here.
