‘Public Obscenities’ unpacks private desires at Woolly Mammoth
The play is strongest when examining moments of cultural tension for LGBTQ Bengalis. By D.R. LEWIS
Folger Shakespeare Theatre weathers ‘Winter’s Tale’ with gusto
The skillful, buoyant production does not so much solve the Bard’s 'problem play' as show the invention equired to engage it. By JARED STRANGE
Black women seek freedom then and now, in ‘Confederates’ at Mosaic...
Nikkole Salter and Deidre Staples command attention. They are the heart and soul of this production. By AILEEN JOHNSON
‘Fat Ham’ at Studio Theatre is a scrumptious feast for the...
Our critic saw the Tony-nominated Broadway production and says this one's even better. By AILEEN JOHNSON
A mesmerizing queer parable in ‘Agreste (Drylands)’ at Spooky Action Theater
From Brazil, a lyrical retort to heteronormativity. By JOHN STOLTENBERG
A fierce feminist fantasy in ‘Kill the Ripper’ from We Happy...
The exceptionally entertaining dark comedy is set in Victorian London where three scrappy women set out to whack the notorious Jack. By JOHN STOLTENBERG
Gender fluidity comes naturally in Constellation’s ‘Orlando’
Acceptance and self-exploration are timelessly relevant in this visually delicious and humorous production. By KENDALL MOSTAFAVI
In Theater J’s world-premiere ‘Chameleon,’ humor confronts chaos
The family play ultimately addresses the nature of Jewish identity and the presence of neo-Nazis in America. By SOPHIA HOWES
A rollicking ‘POTUS’ kicks dumbass at Arena Stage
Sharp-tongued irreverence, laugh-out-loud absurdism, and performers who elevate Selina Fillinger’s play to jubilation. By D.R. LEWIS
Laughing and feeling our way to ‘The Mountaintop,’ at Round House...
In Katori Hall’s brilliant play, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. finds comfort in an unlikely source. By WHIT DAVIS
Exhilarating ‘Macbeth in Stride’ at STC exalts what Shakespeare did not
Whitney White reimagines Lady Macbeth and celebrates the power of the Black woman in an abundance of visual and aural delight. By SOPHIA HOWES
‘Dorothy’s Dictionary’ defines two-hander perfectly at Washington Stage Guild
Playwright E.M. Lewis has created a gentle, witty, and moving example of a two-character play. By JEFFREY WALKER
Gripping and timely ‘The Chosen’ profoundly resonates at 1st Stage
The moment we are living in gives even greater urgency to this production's deep questions on faith, family, and friendship. By CAROLINE BOCK
Brave new ‘Monarch: A Mexican-American Musical’ dreams big at Creative Cauldron
But the show could be pushed to achieve its inherent power. By DANIELLA IGNACIO
‘The Brothers Paranormal’ at Olney Theatre is a spooky-season adventure
A horror play with relatable characters and plenty of jump scares. By NICOLE HERTVIK
A gloriously bizarre ‘Tell-Tale Heart’ beats at Synetic Theater
The Edgar Allen Poe adaptation marks a triumphant return for Director Paata Tsikurishvili and affirms the company's status as a world-class theater. By SOPHIA HOWES
Taffety Punk’s rousing ‘La Salpêtrière’ hears women’s roar
Playwright Kelsey Mesa shrewdly makes hysteria the centerpiece of her satiric dark comedy, and the show's originality and substance make it a must-see. By JOHN STOLTENBERG
‘King of the Yees’ offers metatheatrical humor and sorrow at Signature...
Playwright Lauren Yee stages surreal moments of Chinese identity in her semi-autobiographical show. By NATHAN PUGH
A rich electoral history is rehearsed in ‘Something Moving’ at Ford’s
Playwright Pearl Cleage meditates on Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first Black mayor, in a fascinating depiction of the citizens who voted for him. By AMY KOTKIN
‘Scorched’ fuses love and war, fable and tragedy, at ExPats Theatre
The storytelling is complex and gripping — a tragedy wrapped in a fable and a memory play set in a war zone. By JOHN STOLTENBERG