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
Guillotine Theatre presents The Funeral of Edgar Allan Poe, where actors portraying Poe’s family and friends read from several of his spookiest stories including The Premature Burial and The Raven, Friday, October 30 at 7:00 PM outside the receiving vault at Ivy Hill Cemetery, 2823 King St, Alexandria, VA. Tickets are $20 at the door or may be reserved in advance here.
Maryland Ensemble Theatre presents a revival of its original musical, Planet Claire, a sci-fi go-go musical by Tad Janes with music by the B-52s, Thursday, October 29 through Saturday, October 31 at the Jack B. Kussmaul (JBK) Theater at Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD. Tickets are $30 ($27 for seniors 65+, students, and military servicemembers) and available here.
Visionaries of the Creative Arts presents Deaf BIPOC Solo Shows III, Thursday, October 29 through Saturday, October 31 at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC. Performances include:
- Light Up Within by Treshelle Edmond, Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 PM
- Black Deaf Male: Who Am I? by Fred M. Beam, Friday, October 30 at 7:30 PM
- Wonder by Rosa Lee Timm, Saturday, October 31 at 7:30 PM
Tickets are $25 for one performance, $45 for two, or $70 for all three (before fees) and available here.
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.
George Mason University‘s Hylton Family Series presents Barefoot Puppet Theatre: Galapagos George, Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM at the Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Recommended for ages 5-10. The 2 PM performance will be sensory-friendly. Tickets are $20 and available here.
Bethesda Little Theatre presents Both Sides of Love: The Songs of Joni Mitchell and Jimmy Webb, the latest installment in BLT’s The Soundtrack of Our Lives: A Cabaret Series, Friday, October 23 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, October 24 at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD. Tickets are $25 ($20 seniors and students, $15 children 12 and under) and available here.
The Roundabout Theatre production of Noël Coward‘s Fallen Angels, filmed live on Broadway and starring Kelli O’Hara and Rose Byrne, opens in theaters Thursday, October 22. Washington, DC showtimes and ticket information are available 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.
