Washington Area Theaters Go Virtual! 

Washington regional theaters have found creative ways of keeping in touch with their stuck-at-home audiences. From streaming past productions to offering virtual classes and workshops to podcasts and online panel discussions, our incredible Washington theater community has a whole host of offerings that bring the theater experience right into your home. We'll keep updating this list as new events and activities are announced. 

If you have a digital class, event, or streaming performance upcoming, please contact Michael at mkyrioglou@theatrewashington.org with the name of the event, date/time, short description, who it's for, cost, and link to participate or watch.

Updated 9/25/20

Discussions, Panels & Round Tables
Classes, Workshops & Activities
Storytelling & Art
Virtual Tours
Fitness & Health
Streaming Productions, Readings & Events
Podcasts
Benefit Events

IN-PERSON EVENTS

AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE CENTER - Summer 2020 SafeStart Season Performances of Twelfth Night & Othello
August thru October, 2020 or on-demand purchase for virtual viewing (see listing for Online Viewing of Performances under Streaming)
American Shakespeare Center announced their Summer 2020 SafeStart Season of Shakespeare’s hilarious romp Twelfth Night and his tragic masterpiece Othello at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, VA. ASC is among the first companies to produce live theatre for in-person audiences since the pandemic shut the performing arts. As part of its 2020 SafeStart Season the company offers audiences three ways to enjoy performances this summer: online via BlkFrs LIVE/Marquee TV (2 performances only, then on-deman); appropriately socially distanced at the Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor stage; and outdoors on the lawn of the Blackburn Inn and Conference Center. Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night in a fast-paced ninety-five minute experience runs August 21 to October 16. Next, envious machinations and evil intentions take hold in Othello running August 20 to October 18.

COST: $33-60, $40 for outdoor performances
www.americanshakespearecenter.com

CREATIVE CAULDRON - 2020 Outdoor Summer Cabaret and Concert Series
July 24 - September 26, 2020 (Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm) - see also Virtual Cabarets & Concerts under streaming
Creative Cauldron launches its 2021 Summer Cabaret and Concert Series, one of its most popular seasonal offerings, in an all outdoor format, that mandates the wearing of masks, and adherence to social distancing protocols. 22 performances are scheduled featuring a diverse and talented array of performers and bands. The concert locations will include the Mission Loft Apartments, a new live-work luxury apartment complex near Baileys Crossroads, and Cherry Hill Park behind the Community Center in the City of Falls Church. Upcoming events:

Sept. 11 Jade Jones - postponed
Sept. 12 Tia Rountree
Sept. 18 Abby Middleton
Sept. 19 Griefcat
Sept. 26 Night at Newcastle - Alan Naylor, Andre Hinds, Rachel Felstien 

COST: $30
https://www.creativecauldron.org/

GALA HISPANIC THEATRE - Staged Reading of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings
September 21, 2020 (7-8:30pm, Columbia Heights Green - 3300 11th Street NW - Alley)
Join GALA Hispanic Theatre for a staged in person reading of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings by Nilo Cruz. A play based on the short story by/Una obra basada en la historia corta de Gabriel García Márquez. Directed by/Dirigida por Tony Koehler. In English / En inglés. Bring your blanket and snacks. Purchase a beverage at the reading and be amazed at how our world is challenged and changed when a stranger appears among us. / Trae tu cobija y aperitivos. Adquiere una bebida en el evento y sorpréndete de cómo nuestro mundo cambia cuando aparece un extraño.
 

THE KENNEDY CENTER - Victura Park Wine Bar & Cafe and Tours JKF Memorial
Cafe hours: Friday 3-10pm, Saturday 12-10pm, Sunday 12-8pm. Thurs 3-10pm starting Sept. 3. (Labor Day Wkend add'l hours Thurs 3-10pm & Mon 12-8pm)
Tour hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10am-5pm
Victura Park is a family-friendly outdoor oasis located at the River Pavilion at the REACH named after John F. Kennedy’s iconic wooden sailboat The Victura, purchased when he was 15. A collaboration between the culinary creative team of The Hilton Brothers and Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, Victura Park is a winery-inspired landscape. Dotted with picnic and café tables and shade umbrellas, there’s plenty of space to enjoy a snack overlooking the Potomac or spread out a blanket on the grass with a glass of wine.

JFK Memorial - The Kennedy Center is now inviting patrons to safely visit the Grand Foyer of their main building to view the JFK bust created by Robert Berks and explore an interactive exhibit about JFK's life and legacy. Visitors may enter the Grand Foyer on the River Plaza (west side) of the Kennedy Center and are required to wear a mask and maintain social distance.

COST: Tours are free; wine bar & cafe is open for purchases
Cafe: https://www.victuraparkdc.com/
Tour: https://www.kennedy-center.org/visit/the-memorial-is-open/

NEXTSTOP THEATRE COMPANY - Parking Lot Concerts
September 26 to October 31, 2020 (Saturdays at 7:30pm)
With indoor performances cancelled since March, we have missed bringing entertainment and joy to our community. After careful planning and consideration, we are proud to announce this special, limited series of outdoor concerts, featuring some of the most talented and acclaimed performers in our history. NextStop will transform the parking lot just outside of our building into an intimate outdoor venue and wine garden, with socially-distant, cafe-style seating for 40 patrons. Join us for an evening under the stars, featuring music, laughter, and a chance to be transported. Guests are invited to pack a meal, bring take out, and are particularly encouraged to order from one of the many fine local restaurants, such as Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern and A Taste of the World,  some of which will even deliver to the event! NextStop will also offer beer, wine, and other soft drinks at their outdoor bar, arranged specially for these performances.

Sept 26 - The Rain Guys, Together Again, Robert Mintz and Wood Van Meter
Oct 3 - Woulda Coulda Shoulda!, Sarah Anne Sillers
Oct 10 - A Cockeyes Optimist: Songs That Make Me Smile, Katherine Riddle
Oct 17 - An Evening with a Hapless/Hopeless Romantic, Ryan Burke with special appearance by Awa Sal Secka
Oct 24 - A Marvelous Night for Moondance, Jim Van Slyke
Oct 31 - A Halloween Comedy Spectacular, Rebecca Ballinger & Josh Simon

COST: $80 for a table for two. A limited number of “standing room single stools” are available for $40
https://www.nextstoptheatre.org/the-parking-lot-concerts

NEXTSTOP THEATRE COMPANY - NextStop Cinema, Rent the Theatre
Ongoing
Now introducing NextStop Cinema, where you can rent our entire theater in Herndon, Virginia for your small gatherings, while staying safe and keeping social distance. We are proud to share this new initiative to serve the community while we cannot all gather in the theatre together for live performance. We have a high-power projector, a 16’ wide screen and movie theater quality sound. We provide the space and the staff support—you provide the movie, friends and family (up to 16 people). You can bring a DVD, blu-ray, or streaming service login. Perfect for Family Movie Night, Date Night (or Double Date Night), The Big Game, Kids "Play Dates," Birthday Celebrations, Adult Social Gatherings, Company Events, and more.

COST: $50 per hour (3 hour min), plus a $50 refundable deposit. Visit website for details and available dates.
https://www.nextstoptheatre.org/nextstop-cinema

NU SASS PRODUCTIONS - Backyard Arts
Ongoing
Bring some theatre to your backyard! Choose from our rotating cast of solo performers on a day and time that works for you and them! We'll send a performer and a stage manager to present a low-tech solo show in your backyard. Bring out the couch, grab some snacks and drinks, and enjoy the show. Two current offerings are:

• White-ish written & performed by Deidre Staples. Dotty is black. Dotty discovers she wants to be white. White-ish takes us on a black girl's comical journey of identity and acceptance through a panhandling street kid, a black revolutionary, and sorority girls. 1-Week Performance only.
• Wombat Drool written & performed by David Kessler. Wombats! K, an easily distracted zookeeper, wants to tell you about Wombats. And Red Pandas. And Naked Mole-Rats. And Tortoise poop. And sleeping Siamangs. And Vertigo. And Moonrat vaginas. And Sex Education movies. And Wombats! Exalt in the Remarkably Unremarkable. The hit of 2015’s Capital Fringe Festival. This show is 13+

COST: Tickets start at $200 per household. This fee is negotiable - we will work with households to find a number that fits your budget.
https://www.nusass.com/
 

DISCUSSIONS, PANELS & ROUNDTABLES

1ST STAGE - Virtual Community Conversations
Now streaming
1st Stage presents a new series of virtual Community Conversations, introducing you to the creative minds behind the theatre we love. Conversations will take place through Zoom, and will be recorded for streaming

COST: FREE
http://www.1ststagetysons.org/

ARENA STAGE - Molly’s Salon
Ongoing, Thursdays (7pm), then streaming
Molly’s Salon (with Artistic Director Molly Smith) will take place each Thursday and will feature artists and leaders of Arena Stage. These half-hour long weekly conversations will include some of our best thinkers and creative firebrands. Molly will sit down with a variety of artists and leaders to discuss new ideas they are excited about and glimmers of hope for the future. Past events now streaming online.

Upcoming Schedule:

• September 3 - Idris Goodwin, playwright and Power Play Commissioned Writer, Philippa P.B. Hughes, Social Sculptor and Cultural Strategist, Jocelyn Clarke, Arena Stage dramaturg
• September 10 - Psalmayene 24, playwright, director, actor and Arena Stage Master Teaching Artist, Deborah Breevort, playwright and musical theatre librettist/lyricist, The Women of Lockerbie, Lex Sant, President, The Sant Foundation
• September 17 - Caleen Sinette Jennings, Professor of Theatre Emerita at American University, playwright, actor; JJ Johnson, actor, playwright, screenwriter; Monica Hopkins, executive director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia, (ACLU-DC)

COST: FREE
https://www.arenastage.org/tickets/virtual-events/

ARENA STAGE - Civic Dialogues
Next events: September 21, October 19, then streaming
Arena Stage continues their series of community conversations that provide an opportunity for members of the Washington, D.C., community to engage in civil discourse about social and political issues, and will demonstrate — with the goal — that people of diverse viewpoints can have fruitful dialogues with one another. Previous events are streaming.

• September 21 - Suffer the Children: Child Care and Schools if COVID-19 Persists. Dialogue Starters to be announced at a later date
• October 19 - The First Hundred Days: Under Biden, Trump, or Biden and a GOP-controlled Senate. Dialogue Starters to be announced at a later date

COST: FREE, registration encouraged
https://www.arenastage.org/tickets/virtual-events/

DC THEATRE SCENE - Gender-Diverse Black Theatre Leadership Roundtable
Now Streaming
While the last few months have been a time of transformation, it has been particularly difficult on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) women, femmes and nonbinary folx, who are often tasked with much of the labor of pushing for change, as well as the herculean emotional labor of supporting and educating their white and male peers. Even after all that work, we often do not give them a seat at the table; they still have to fight for that inclusion. This is even more especially egregious in our treatment of our gender diverse black and indigenous family. This roundtable celebrates them by listening in on the voices that are so often excluded, despite the immeasurable number of contributions made to said community. This begins a series of conversations and interviews with our gender diverse black theatre community, highlighting their efforts and issues facing them. Moderated by JR Nexus, featuring Panelists Dane Figueroa Edidi, Farah Lawal Harris, Temidayo Amay, Ari Roth, Alex Levy, Boneza Valdez Hanchock, Nicole Ruthmarie, Paige Hernandez, Billie Krishawn

COST: Free
https://dctheatrescene.com/2020/07/16/tonight-dcts-live-streams-gender-diverse-black-theatre-leadership-roundtable/

FORD'S THEATRE - Cabinet Conversations: Creativity, History and Leadership
Live, bi-weekly (4pm), then streaming
Join Ford's Theatre live as we stream interviews with scholars, artists and other thought leaders as they think aloud about the future of the arts, civics and history. With each conversation, we connect the lessons of the Civil War, Lincoln's presidency, theatre, arts and education to our contemporary life. Cabinet Conversations are offered every other Thursday at 4pm EDT, are 30-60 minutes, and are simulcast on the Ford’s website, Facebook Live, Twitter and YouTube channel. Archived videos also available on the same platforms. Upcoming schedule:

• September 24 - A live streamed conversation about voting rights and civic engagement with former Attorney General Eric Holder and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele, moderated by The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart 

COST: FREE
https://www.fords.org/visit/virtual-events-and-special-tours/cabinet-conversations/

FOLGER THEATRE - Shakespeare Lightning Round
Ongoing on Wednesdays at 5pm
What’s your favorite Shakespeare play? Best disguise in Shakespeare? Most overrated Shakespeare play? Tune in on Instagram Live for a fun, fast-paced, Shakespearean chat show. We ask our guests 30 lightning-fast questions about their favorite—and least favorite—things about the Bard. Past episodes are streaming online. 

COST: Free
https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-lightning-round

IMAGINATION STAGE - Playwrights' Voices Series
Streaming
Introducing Imagination Stage's Playwright’s Voices series. The arts can be a great way to express yourself – just ask some of the great playwrights who have worked with Imagination Stage. We asked them about why they write, and how children can make sure their voices are heard.
Next Up: Award-winning playwright Miriam Gonzales, continuing her work with Imagination Stage with 10 Seconds, an upcoming play about teens and their encounters with police, and a second ¡Óyeme! play based on the experiences of refugee youth from Central America. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=604819353785452

Previous offerings:
Deborah Wicks LaPuma, composer, music director, orchestrator, and choral conductor - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=617234589174396
Barry Kornhauser, whose honors include the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America’s Orlin Corey Medallion, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Play, Bonderman Playwriting Prize, and three AATE Distinguished Play Awards - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2341330906173941

COST: Free

MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC - Mosaic Alive: Virtual Public Programming
Mondays and Fridays at 4pm starting April 2020, then streaming
Engage with Mosaic artists, scholars, local and national leaders, and most of all, with others as we explore urgent themes, compelling topics, and behind-the-scenes stories from our soon-to-be-announced new slate of Season 6 offerings.  MOSAIC ALIVE, builds on all the exciting community-building practices that have distinguished the Mosaic experience – an intercultural community engaging with joy and with rigor on some of the most pressing issues of our moment, informed by art of the highest order.

• Mondays are Peace Cafe conversations to discuss readings, play excerpts, and other writings that illustrate how our playwrights are writing at the front line of conflict zones and the ways our current moment is reflected in the work.
• Fridays are Creative Conversations, discussions are recorded and posted for viewing ahead of time, or as part of the Round Table Happy Hour group viewing parties and discussions that follow.

COST: FREE
https://www.mosaictheater.org/alive
 

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER - Streaming Saturdays: Artists Envision the Future
Now streaming
Starting May 9, Olney Theatre Center presents “Streaming Saturdays: Artists Envision the Future,” a new series of live, online discussions that will feature the perspectives of a wide range of theatre makers locally and across the country.  On alternate Saturdays on OTC's Facebook and YouTube pages, Washington Post Chief Theatre Critic Peter Marks will host a live-streamed discussion with artists in different parts of the industry, and Olney Artistic Director Jason Loewith will talk with Olney-affiliated artists with productions slated for the 20-21 Season. Panelists include Michael R. Jackson (winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for A Strange Loop), Lauren Gunderson (I and You), Stephen Brackett (Be More Chill), Tracy Lynn Olivera (Matilda: The Musical), Sandra Mae Frank (DeafWest’s Spring Awakening) and Alexandria Wailes (also DeafWest’s Spring Awakening). See website for panelists and dates.

COST: FREE
Info: https://www.olneytheatre.org/whats-playing/streaming-saturdays-artists-envision-future
Viewing: https://www.facebook.com/olneytheatre/ or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLDkljLr1qM-mbcXvawQCwQ

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE - Playwrights on Plays Discussions
Now streaming
Join Round House for a weekly online discussion series featuring Round House-affiliated artists. Literary Manager Gabrielle Hoyt will interview celebrated theatremakers about their own work and a play of their choice that has inspired them. This LIVE and interactive virtual event will give you the chance to ask questions of the playwrights and Gabrielle. Past episodes are posted on their website and include Martyna Majok on The Weir, Rachel Chavkin on Lear, Octavio Solis on Edward II, J.T. Rogers on Julius Caesar, Charly Evon Simpson on A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sarah Ruhl discussing Paula Vogel's The Baltimore Waltz, Tim J. Lord discussing Iphigenia 2.0 by Charles L. Mee, Aaron Posner discussing George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman, Mfoniso Udofia, and Caleen Sinnette Jennings.

COST: Free
https://www.roundhousetheatre.org/RHathome

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY - Shakespeare Hour LIVE!
Returns September 9, 2020 (7:30pm); Previous episodes available streaming
Join Artistic Director Simon Godwin and Resident Dramaturg Drew Lichtenberg for Shakespeare Hour LIVE!, an online tour through every corner of the Shakespeare universe. Each week, Simon and Drew will examine the world of Shakespeare and our own by discussing two plays from the Shakespearean canon which speak to each other thematically, dramaturgically, and historically. Special guests and friends of the STC extended family will also drop by. In Shakespeare’s lifetime, the theaters were closed  periodically due to plague outbreaks. These live conversations will take place online on Zoom. Access links will be shared with ticket holders in their order confirmation email. Upcoming dates and Special Guests: 

COST: Free for STC members and subscribers; $10 for non-members
https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/shakespeare-hour-live/

SIGNATURE THEATRE - The Signature Show
Ongoing
Signature Theatres's The Signature Show is a biweekly half-hour digital experience featuring performances by acclaimed artists, interviews, celebration of new musical voices and tributes to the past, present and future of Signature Theatre. Watch for new episodes every two weeks on Signature’s YouTube channel – sigtheatre.  View past episodes - or catch the latest, which features performances and interviews with Felicia Curry, Christian Douglas, Nkrumah Gatling, Adam Gwon, Mark G. Meadows, Bobby Smith and more.

COST: FREE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQqea-D2oLE&feature=youtu.be

SPOOKY ACTION THEATER - Writing in Times of COVID-19, Conversation with Playwrights
Now streaming
With playwrights Kevin Kautzman, Matthew Kelly, Laura Shamas and Jack Novak, Moderator: Gillian Drake. Almost 600 people watched our recent live-stream readings.  Four talented playwrights let us translate their brilliant plays – intended for a live audience in a theater space – to a wholly different platform.  Our artists explored the storytelling options of teleconferencing technology to find new ways of bringing theatrical magic to an audience at home. To celebrate the success of our first round of New Works in Action Live!, we engage our playwrights in a conversation about their current experience writing during COVID-19 and their plans for producing new work in the near future.

CLASSES, WORKSHOPS & ACTIVITIES

1ST STAGE - Virtual Classroom - Fall Classes
September thru November 2020
1st Stage is excited to announce our second series of online theatre education courses, taught by experts from the 1st Stage network of artists and educators. These exhilarating introductory courses will be held in a Zoom classroom environment, and are available for both adults and children. Each course will consist of six class sessions. Registration deadline is September 21, 2020.

KID'S COURSES

• Drama Games (1st-2nd Grade)
• Introduction to Improvisation (3rd-6th Grade)
• Introduction to Improvisation (Middle School)
• Building Your Book (High School)
• Play Reading And Discussion (High School)

ADULT COURSES

• A Director Prepares: Alex Levy
• Playwriting: Caleen Sinnette Jenning
• Introduction to Improvisation: Heidi Fortune Picker
• Beginning Acting: Deidra LaWan Starnes
• Beginning Voice Training: Jane Margulies Kalbfeld
• Play Reading And Discussion: Laura Esti Miller
• Intermediate Improvisation: Heidi Fortune Picker

FOR: Adults, Young Adults and Children
COST: $100 per course
http://www.1ststagetysons.org/plays-events/#special-events

THE ACTORS' CENTER - Online Classes
Ongoing
Join The Actors' Center Online for a variety of classes and workshops. Check their website and EventBrite for more details and schedule. There's something for everyone and every level.

June 24, 2020 - "New. Not Normal. Acting in a Shifting Landscape" - A virtual panel discussion with casting & production experts and professional actors. Members only! Join on our website.

COST: Varies per event;  AC Member and non-Member fees, and Pay-What-You-Can pricing
https://actorscenter.org/
https://actorscenter.org/calendar-node-field-date/month/2020-01?mc_cid=cb89258ebd&mc_eid=b2a6512f15

ARENA STAGE - Virtual Master Classes
September - November 2020
Arena Stage’s popular masterclass series returns with eight virtual offerings for pre-professional and early-career adults in the fall. Each class will meet twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays via Zoom. In an intimate setting of no more than 10-16 people per class, it is an exciting opportunity for community members to connect with experts in the field to hone their craft or be inspired to learn a new skill. Upcoming classes include:

• September 30 and October 2 (5 – 7 p.m.) Dramaturgy with Naysan Mojgani
• October 7 and 9 (5 – 7 p.m.) Choreography with Parker Esse
• October 14 and 16 (5 – 7 p.m.) Hip Hop Theater with Psalmayene 24 and DJ Nick tha 1da
• October 21 and 23 (5-7 p.m.) Create and Collaborate: Devise a Performance in 4 Hours with Arena Stage’s Community Engagement Staff
• October 28 & 30 (5 – 7 p.m.) Sound Design with Roc Lee
• November 4 & 6  (7 – 9 p.m.) Personal Playwriting: Writing from within with Aaron Posner
• November 11 & 13 (5 – 7 p.m.) Freeing the Intuitive Voice with Timothy Douglas
• ​November 18 and 20 (5 – 7 p.m.) Costume Design Workshop: Character Costume Collage with Ivania Stack

FOR: pre-professional and early-career adults
COST: $70
https://www.arenastage.org/tickets/virtual-events/#block-Masterclasses

ARENA STAGE - Fall Classes
Starting September 28-October 2 and running to November 2020
Online classes at Arena Stage allow participants, from preschoolers through adults, to try something new or explore a favorite artform more deeply. No experience is required. Classes are held weekly via Zoom. Zoom links are emailed to registered participants. 

FOR: PreSchool, Elementary, Middle & High School and Adult offerings
COST: $60-$240
https://www.arenastage.org/tickets/virtual-events/#block-Fall-Classes

ARTS ON THE HORIZONS - Virtual Fall Classes
Starting in October 2020
Offerings include:

• Stories on the Horizon: Fall-ing Together (4 week session, Sundays, October 4 - October 25, 11-11:45am), Ages 9 months to 2.5 years, Parent/Caregiver and Child class
• Stories Come to Life: Superhero City (6 week session, Saturdays, October 10 - November 14, 10-10:45am), Ages 3 to 5 years
• Stories Come to Life: Dramatic Designers: 101 (6 week session, Saturdays, October 10 - November 14, 11-12:00pm), Ages 5 to 7 years

CARE ACTOR - Online Classes

COLUMBIA CENTER FOR THEATRICAL ARTS (CCTA) - Fall Classes
Information Coming Soon
Look out for amazing virtual theatre opportunities for all ages to provide students with a wonderful theatre learning experience. 

FOR: TBA
COST: TBA
https://cctarts.org/

CREATIVE CAULDRON - Fall Classes
September 12 thru November 5, 2020
You’re never too old to pursue your creative spirit. Creative Cauldron launches new classes for ages 4-104 in theater, visual art, music, dance, podcasting, and more, all virtual with the possibility for some hybrid outdoor/distanced fun and games. Along with some of our most popular programs, like the Learning Theater, we’re adding: pre-professional auditions and fringe workshops for teens who are serious about pursuing the arts, professional dance workshops specifically for actors, and fun classes for adults designed to reconnect with their artistic passions and the community. In addition, Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater catalogue and original summer camp videos, made by kids and for kids, are available to watch for free on the YouTube channel.

ETC, EDUCATIONAL THEATRE COMPANY - Online Fall Classes
Beginning September 2020
Feeling some pent-up energy as school starts? ETC has your after school active needs covered! ETC continues to offer online classes for families.

FOR: PreK thru 12th grade
COST: varies, check website
https://www.educationaltheatrecompany.org/collaborative-classroom

FOLGER THEATRE - Shakespeare Challenges - Shakespeare for Kids
Ongoing
Test your Shakespeare knowledge with an online Shakespeare scavenger hunt by searching for the answers to three trivia questions posted online.

COST: FREE
https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-challenges?

IMAGINATION STAGE - Arts Everywhere: School Skills
September 23-October 21, 2020
Looking for something fun to do to complement your school week? Keep the digital learning going with one of our all-new school skills classes, Wednesday afternoons during MCPS independent learning time. These 5-week online arts-integrated classes are a great supplement to school curriculum. Using the arts as a springboard for learning, these courses provide a blend of hands-on kinesthetic learning, deep engagement with academics, and artistic expression–all while playing in our virtual classrooms!

COST: $90-200
https://imaginationstage.org/school-day-programming/

IMAGINATION STAGE - Online Fall Classes
Registration Open, Classes Begin September 21, 2020
For 40 years, Imagination Stage has offered programming that inspires youth to grow as artists and innovators. Our virtual arts education is no exception. Coming off of a successfully reimagined summer, we're excited to bring our interactive online classes into the fall semester. Options for ages 1-18 in creative drama, dance, musical theatre, and filmmaking. Plus performance opportunities for grades 4-12 - auditions now open. Financial Aid Applications for fall due September 2, 2020.

FOR: Ages 1-18, Grades 4 thru 12
COST: varies per class
https://imaginationstage.org/classes/

IMAGINATION STAGE - Virtual Events & Activities, You & Me At Home
Fridays at 10:30am and Ongoing
Imagination Stage is doing what we can to bring lively entertainment and activities from our stages and classrooms to your living rooms! Visit their website blog and Facebook page for past and upcoming events for young people and families to enjoy and stay active, including:
- learning Bollywood dancing or dance moves from Zomo the Rabbit,
- build a castle model and more,
- take an "Imagination Stage Brain Break" (Fridays at 10:30am) with an online class in creative drama and storytelling games,
- You and Me At Home - join Early Childhood Program Coordinator Stacy Steyaert for an at-home version of one of our popular You & Me classes, caregiver and child experiences using props and materials to stimulate the senses and promote your child’s development (ages 12-36 months)

FOR: Youth and Families
COST: FREE
https://imaginationstage.org/blog/ or https://www.facebook.com/imaginationstage

THE KEEGAN THEATRE - PLAY-RAH-KA Fall Classes
September to November, 2020
Thanks to the success of our summer programs, PLAY-RAH-KA (Keegan Theatre's brand for young people and families) is pleased to continue virtual classes this fall, helping students engage with peers while discovering their unique voices, moving their bodies in all kinds of fun ways, and growing as confident young people — even in social isolation. The new slate of classes is designed for students of all interests - check out the variety of offerings! PRK is rooted in the belief that all young people should have a platform for discovering their authentic voice and expressing themselves creatively.

FOR: Ages 1 to 8th grade
COST:  $90-135, and $5/class for Family Story Corner
https://keegantheatre.com/playrahka/

THE NATIONAL CONSERVATORY OF DRAMATIC ARTS - In the Moment mini acting lessons
Ongoing, added each Wednesday
In The Moment is a series created by The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts to help actors take their performances to the next level. These streaming videos - each a mini acting lesson are availabe for everyone on The Conservatory's YouTube channel.

COST: FREE
https://www.youtube.com/user/ncdadrama/featured

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER - Online Fall Classes
Beginning the week of September 21, 2020

Need an after school activity for the Fall? Registration has opened for Olney's online classes for learners of all ages. Check out the

• FREE classes for kids! Unleash your student's creativity with our fall line-up of after-school classes - for students of all ages and skill levels. Play theatre games, devise new work, or create virtual theatre with OTC staff
• a new Weekend Musical Theatre Academy for teens (ages 12-18, 8 weeks, Sept. 26- Nov. 14)
• adult classes with members of our Artistic Staff including Artistic Director Jason Loewith, Associate Artistic Director for Music Theatre, Chris Youstra and Senior Associate Artistic Director Jason King Jones.

The class schedule has something for everyone in your household to unleash their creativity. 

FOR: All ages
COST: Free with a suggested $15 donation. Adult Classes - $150 ($100 for members). Weekend Musical Theatre Academy - $500 ($425 for members).
https://www.olneytheatre.org/education/online-classes

PROLOGUE THEATRE - Virtual 1:1 Coaching Sessions
Ongoing, 4 week sessions
Take this time to hone your craft and register for our Virtual 1:1 Coaching Sessions with local DC-area actors and educators, Regina Aquino, Scott Ward Abernethy, Tamieka Chavis. The 50 minute Coaching Sessions will focus on developing performance skills through monologue work. You can sign up for a 4-week period with either one or two sessions per week. Sessions on Monday to Friday at 3-6pm or 6-9pm; Saturday/Sunday at 10am-1pm, 1-4pm or 4-7pm.

FOR: students 14+
COST: 4-week package costs $160 (one session/week) and $280 (two sessions/week)
https://www.prologuetheatre.org/coaching

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE - Virtual Fall & Winter Classes
September to December 2020
Following the success of our online summer camps, Round House Theatre Education is now offering fall classes! Students will make the most of their time at home and continue to experience the joy of creating and sharing theatre through highly interactive activities. Our virtual classrooms are filled with young theatre artists and led by professional teaching artists. All instruction is LIVE in virtual classrooms and classes are intentionally kept small to enhance the experience. We will provide and mail any supplies your student needs—no need to shop or print materials! In addition to classes for Pre-K thru grade 5, our Young Artist Performance Companies bring together young artists, grades 4-8, with prior experience and a passion for theatre.

FOR: Pre-K, and K thru grade 5; grades 4-8 for Young Artists Performance Companies
COST: $75-180, check website for details
https://www.roundhousetheatre.org/Education/Classes

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY - Online Fall Classes
Fall Classes Online start September 21, 2020 and will be posted on their website by mid-August
With all public spaces temporarily closed, classes at STC will take place online. All of classes are taught by working professionals, award-winning actors and STC Affiliated Artists and staff who have adapted their curriculum to successfully reach students in an online format with no more than 12-16 students. Although we look forward to reopening our spaces soon, in the meantime, since we believe theatre provides an essential place for creativity, learning, and human connection, and since our artists and educators depend on your continued engagement for their livelihoods, we will be offering Classes at STC online at a reduced rate of $149. Email us at Classes@ShakespeareTheatre.org with any questions and see scholarship application information online if you need further-reduced tuition.

COST: $149 (less than $10 per hour of instruction)
http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/education/classes-and-camps/classes/

SIGNATURE THEATRE - All-Virtual Signature Conservatory for Teens
Fall Semester September 16-November 18, 2020; Spring Semester February 3-April 28, 2021
Now accepting applications for Fall 2020 Semester and Spring 2021 Semester. Applications for full year or fall semester are due September 4. The Signature Conservatory will be meeting virtually for the fall semester of 2020. The Signature Conservatory is a weekly session for the nation’s strongest teenage actors to make the move from good actors to great actors. Hone your skills outside of the pressures of the rehearsal room, work with Signature’s acclaimed staff and award-winning affiliated theater artists, prepare for your college audition, and find connections with other young actors across the nation – all from your own home.

FOR: students aged 14 —18
COST: Tuition is $275.00 per semester. Scholarships for discounted or free tuition are available each semester to highly committed and qualified students for whom paying for the full cost of the program is not an option.
https://www.sigtheatre.org/learn-and-engage/signature-conservatory/

SIGNATURE THEATRE - Virtual Coaching for Adults & Teens, and Virtual Master Classes
Coaching - Ongoing; Master Classes October 1 to November, 5 2020
Virtual Coaching for Adults & Teens: Private coaching sessions are now available for adults and teens aged 14 and up and are meant to be tailored to anyone, from those who want to land a part in their local school or community theatre production to pre-professional and professional actors. We will work with you to choose a coach and schedule that fits your needs. Conducted via Zoom. https://www.sigtheatre.org/events/201920/virtual-private-coaching-for-adults/ or https://www.sigtheatre.org/events/201920/virtual-private-coaching-for-teens/

Virtual Master Classes: Keep learning new skills with Signature’s newest Virtual Masterclasses, with classes for theater lovers, students and professionals alike. Clear some space to dance with choreographer Maurice Johnson (Joy of Motion Senior Faculty Member) or Jeff Gorti (Helen Hayes Award winner for A Chorus Line), practice your accents with dialect coach Zach Campion (Heisenberg), build a character with Natascia Diaz (Helen Hayes Award winner for Passion; West Side Story), find the funny in a song with Evan Casey (Assassins), and more. Schedule includes:

https://www.sigtheatre.org/about/press-and-blogs/2020/september/signatur...

COST: $40 for Virtual Coaching, $10 per class for Master Classes

SPOOKY ACTION THEATER - After School Theater Program - Fall Classes
Fall 2020
Since 2015, Spooky Action Theater has been offering after-school classes to the DC community, including students who couldn't afford our fees. In times of COVID-19, we see the virtual classroom as an opportunity to reach a broader range of students. We want to keep your children engaged, creative and active!  This Fall, we are offering two virtual classes, including a never-seen-before class on the Japanese art of Kamishibai.

• The Actor's Toolbox - Students will learn how to use their bodies, voices, imaginations and webcams to create silly characters, play improv games. Wed 9/16-11/4, 3:30-4:30
• Plays out of Paper - Students will explore the Japanese art of Kamishibai. Creating stories through drawing and painting they will build the skills of storyboarding and storytelling. Thu 9/17-11/5, 3:30-4:30

COST: $100
https://www.spookyaction.org/after-school.html

STORY DISTRICT - Online Learning Opportunities with Storytelling
Starting April 8, 2020

• Do you manage a team? Sign up for a free consultation to learn more about using storytelling.
• Are you an individual new to storytelling and interested in developing your skills? Register for Story District’s Virtual Storytelling 101,  a four-week introduction to finding, crafting, and performing your own stories.
• Are you an alum looking to hone your storytelling skills with an experienced coach and a small group of peers? Register for the Alumni Workspace as an individual or put together your own group of four.

FOR: Adults
COST: varies
https://storydistrict.org/classes

STUDIO ACTING CONSERVATORY - Online Fall Adult Acting Classes & Young Adult Actors Ensemble
Beginning September 8, 2020 to January 25, 2021
Having made the successful mid-spring semester transition to online classes, the Studio Acting Conservatory is expanding its online offerings to include a semester on contemporary Irish playwrights and new workshops on the art of drag, executive public speaking, foundations of musical theater, self-taping for auditions, and devising theater today. Join the Conservatory for their online fall semester. Adult classes will meet once a week on Zoom and are all 10% off.

The Young Actors Ensemble program begins September 19 (Auditions for placement in the Young Actors Ensemble will take place on September 12).

SYNETIC THEATER - Fall Classes, Virtual and Outdoor In-Person Options
September 19 - October 21, 2020
Fall 2020 class registration is now open! This Fall, Synetic's Saturday Morning classes for Elementary and Middle School kids will have a virtual and an outdoor in-person option. Teen class will still be offered in a virtual capacity.

Virtual: The virtual class will be hosted over Zoom. A customizable "Classroom kit" will be assembled and mailed to students after three classes. This kit will include all necessary props, scripts, and art supplies.

THEATER J - Digital Classes for Theatre Lovers
New Fall Offerings beginning in September 2020
Theater lovers can learn online from Theater J artists in a welcoming, participatory atmosphere. Schedule includes:

• Reading Between the Lines; Acting Out the High Holy Days - with performer/director Tyler Herman (Sept. 16-Oct. 14)
• How to Zoom Better: Actor's Technique for Improving Performance - with performer Erin Weaver (October 1 – 22)
• Introduction to Acting - with director Jose Carrasquillo (October 6 – November 3)
• How to Write a Play - with playwright Caleen Sinnette Jennings (October 12 – November 9)
• Yiddish Theatre: From Purim Plays to Second Avenue - with Debra Caplan (October 14 – November 18)
• How to Watch a Play - with Theater J's Adam Immerwahr and  Kevin Place (October 16 – November 13)
• Advance Playwatching - with Theater J's Adam Immerwahr and  Kevin Place (November 16 – December 14)

COST: Varies, $149-189 (discount for subscribers & donors)
https://theaterj.org/classes-for-theater-lovers/
 

THE THEATRE LAB - Virtual Fall Classes
Starting in September & October 2020
Our fall youth semester will take place entirely online via Zoom. Classes require live participation at the scheduled times using your own device. Zoom is most effective when used on a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. Students using a cellphone to access class are likely to experience reduced functionality that may limit their ability to participate fully in class. Please review the technical requirements necessary to take part in an online class before enrolling. If these requirements pose any difficulties for you, please let us know. 

FOR: Pre-K/Kindergarten, Elementary & Middle School, Teens Age 13-19 and All Ages
COST: various, check website for details, financial aid and discounts available
https://theatrelab.org/content/fall-catalog-age
 

TRAVELING PLAYERS ENSEMBLE - Digital Open House & Improv Jam, and Auditions for Acting Conservatories
Summer 2020

• Open House & Improv Jam (June 12 & 19) - Get a taste of summer! Play theatre games & learn about our summer programs. (grades 3-12, plus parents)
• Acting Camps - Students perform a play (sets, costumes) uniting theatre & filmmaking (grades 3-12) - see listing under CAMPS
• Auditions for Advanced Acting Conservatories (June 13 & 20) – via Zoom (grades 4-12) 

COST: Varies, check website
Open House: https://travelingplayers.org/summer-camp/open-house/
Camps: https://travelingplayers.org/summer-camp/ensembles/
Auditions: https://travelingplayers.org/summer-camp/auditionfaq/

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER (WIT) - Online Classes
Ongoing
WIT is hard at work creating Improv for All workshops to help people blow off some steam as everyone stays home. These workshops will be adapted versions of our regular, in-person workshops designed to work over video chat. Check back for upcoming offerings.

NEXT: Advanced Scene Study: Second Beats with Jordana Mishory (4-week class beginning Sept 23); Madeline ensemble member Erin Murray teaches Level One (beginning Sept 23; Anuj Christian will also teach a section beginning Oct. 19); Accents for Improv: England vs. New England with Sarah Nichols (Sept 24)

COST: $30 (sliding scale)
https://witdc.org/classes/

WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY - Woolly for the Mind, Body and Spirit Classes & Convenings
August - October 2020
During this time of physical distancing, marked by a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice and inequality in the US, we are thinking expansively about how to provide space for community connection outside of our building. As a result, we have expanded our groundbreaking engagement work, Connectivity,  to offer a slate of communal activities that foster learning, enhance existing abilities, and most importantly, activate joy. In support of individual growth and community resilience, we are introducing our own unique offering of classes and convenings: Woolly for the Mind, Body and Spirit.  Each of these sessions is designed to either spark your imagination, activate your individual creativity, or support your physical well-being -- and sometimes all of the above at the same time. Visit the website for registration deadlines, class schedule and pricing information. FALL/SUMMER Offerings:

• The Liberation Library Book Club
• Remix: A Musical Theatre Choreo Class with SOLE Defined
• Woolly's Wonderlist, Hosted by Artistic Director, Maria Manuela Goyanes (see listing under "Discussions, Panels & Roundtables" above)
• Let's Get Digital: An Actor’s Guide to Self-tapes and Online Auditions

COST: Book Club (PayWhatYouWill, Suggested Donation); Remix ($25/class); Wonderlist (Free); Let's Get Digital ($150)
https://www.woollymammoth.net/events/classes

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS' THEATER - Digital Playwriting Program & The Playwrights’ Lab
September to November 2020
As part of its initiative to launch a responsive digital curriculum, Young Playwrights’ Theater (YPT) presents a series of online programs and courses for youth and adults this fall. Registration is now live for the Digital Playwriting Program, an after-school program for students, grades 3-12, and The Playwrights’ Lab, a series of beginning and intermediate playwriting courses for adult writers, ages 18 and above. Students can enroll for both programs online.  

The Digital Playwriting Program takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays, from September 28 to November 4, 2020, at the following times: Grades 3 - 5: 3:30pm - 4:15pm, Grades 6 - 8: 3:00pm - 3:45pm, Grades 9 - 12: 2:30pm - 3:30pm

The Playwrights’ Lab - with The Welders (September 29 - November 15 | Tuesdays, 6pm - 7:30pm). Introduction to Playwriting is a great primer for playwriting basics: story structure, character building, plot development, and best practices in the craft.

Exploring Style and Form (October 1 - November 17 | Thursdays, 6pm - 7:30pm) is the perfect follow up to Introduction to Playwriting, or a great opportunity for writers who have written plays before and would like to dive further into style, writing techniques, genre, and more. 

FOR: grades
COST: Digital Playwriting: basic registration fee is $20, and discounts are available to ensure all students can attend with no financial barrier. Playwrights' Lab: $300 and tuition support is available
bit.ly/YPTOnline

STORYTELLING & ART

ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC - Black is Beautiful: A Celebration of Art for Children & Families
Now streaming
Adventure Theatre MTC presents a celebration of the African-American experience with readings of family-friendly poetry and/or stories in its Sunday Storytime, Black is Beautiful: A Celebration of Arts and Contributions from African-Americans. These are followed by honest discussions about race, racism, how to express yourself, love, bullying, and pain.
Schedule:
2:00-2:40pm Storytime for Kindergarten and 1st Grades
3:00-3:40pm Storytime for 2nd and 3rd Grades
4:00-4:40pm Storytime for 4th and 5th Grades
5:00-5:45pm Reflections and discussions with a guest host, Christina Conolly, Psy.D, NCSP, is the Director for Psychological Services with the Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, MD.

The Adventure Theatre Executive Team, Staff, and Board believe these discussions are more important than ever during this tumultuous time in our nation's history.

FOR: Families and children
COST: FREE
https://www.facebook.com/AdventureTheatreMTC/videos/?ref=page_internal

 

ARTS ON THE HORIZON - Interactive Storytime & Craft Sessions
Ongoing
In an effort to continue to offer programming to children and families while schools and daycares are closed, Arts on the Horizon is launching a new series of videos on our YouTube channel. We are offering FREE 20-minute, interactive storytime sessions three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) and bonus craft sessions once a week (Tuesdays or Thursdays). Each session will be led by one of our teaching artists.

FOR: geared for children ages 2-6

COST: FREE
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnJnN58a34fjnGHqLg0jhjQ

 

 

GALA HISPANIC THEATRE - Stories Read for Children in Spanish
Ongoing
GALA EN FAMILIA was launched by Artistic Producing Director Hugo Medrano as GALA's digital strategy to continue to serve the community through high-quality online contents for both adults and children including stories being read for children and families. Some of the stories currently available include

*El día en que descubres quien eres (The Day You Find Out Who You Are) by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López, read by Melissa Strova-Valencia

*Wonder: Todos somos únicos by R.J Palacio, read by Tsaitami Duchicela
*Francisca y la muerte (Francisca and Death) adapted by Onelio Jorge Cardoso and Genaro Cantú, read by Catherine Nunez
*Soñadores (Dreamers) by Yuyi Morales, read by Karen Morales-Chacana
...and many others

FOR: Children & Families

COST: FREE
http://www.galatheatre.org/gala-online

 

IMAGINATION STAGE - You & Me: Story Adventures
Ongoing
Join Imagination stage for 3-part story series as they guide you through Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Stone Soup, following the format of Imagination Stage's popular You & Me classes. Explore these beloved stories anew. FOR: ideal for ages 1-5 and caregivers.

COST: FREE
https://imaginationstage.org/blog/

 

THE KENNEDY CENTER - The Small Works Project with Mo Willems
Ongoing Weekdays after 11am EST
The problems of the world are so large, they can overwhelm.  But you can effect change by helping in small ways. Did you feed your neighbor’s cat while they were in the hospital?  Or visit an elderly person from outside their window?  Did you bring water to protestors marching in your city?  Every positive action you take, no matter how small, is important. We want to hear YOUR Small Work Stories to show the world how small works add up. For the next 50 weekdays, we’ll spotlight one Small Work Story and pair it with an original small artwork by Mo Willems. As a way of thanking each spotlighted storyteller’s small act, we will mail them Mo’s paired small work of art to keep! Check back each weekday after 11am ET to see the next selected Small Work Story!  These small works add up!

COST: FREE
https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/

 

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER - Share Your Story
Ongoing
While COVID-19 means we can’t gather together in the theatre to experience the thrill of a live performance, we can still connect to one another through stories. We want to hear a 3-minute story from you about what your life at home is like now. How has the meaning of "home" changed during quarantine? What unique experience can you share that will make us laugh, surprise us with an unexpected twist or help us feel less alone? We’ll share the best ones we get on this page. And when all this is behind us, we’ll ask some of our favorite storytellers to join us onstage for a StorySlam at SummerFest on July 18, 2020.

COST: FREE
https://www.olneytheatre.org/whats-playing/share-your-story

 

STORY DISTRICT - Free Virtual Story Swap
Fridays starting April 3, 2020 (6-7pm)
Story District is hosting an interactive virtual story party every Friday! They’ll give story prompts and assign pairs to virtual breakout rooms to swap stories. At the end they'll give a couple people time to share their stories with the whole group. RSVP to participate.

FOR: Adults
COST: Pay-What-You-Can
https://www.facebook.com/StoryDistrict/ or https://storydistrict.org/virtual-community

 

VIRTUAL TOURS

FORD'S THEATRE - Distance Learning Programs & Virtual Tours
Ongoing
Bring the story of President Lincoln’s assassination and the world of Civil War Washington into your classrooms through Ford's Theatre's distance-learning program. Using live videoconferencing, students and history lovers of all ages engage with primary source images and Ford’s Theatre Education staff in our interactive, Virtual Field Trips. Join us for a live event with open registration or request a private session for your class or group (available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays).

Upcoming:
Guided Virtual Tours on Sept. 29 at 1pm; Exploring Lincoln in Washington on Oct. 2 at 12:10pm; Reacting to Lincoln's Assassination on Oct. 1 at 1pm; Inside the Peterson House on Sept. 24 and Oct. 6 at 1pm.

Also available, Ford's Theatre After the Assassination (for history lovers of all ages and students grades 5 & up. 40 minutes) and Investigating the Lincoln Assassination with Detective McDevitt (students will connect simultaneously with other students from around the country. 60-minutes. Recommended for grades 5 and up).

FOR: appropriate for students and life-long learners. Specific grade recommendations are included with each program
COST: FREE
fords.org/for-teachers/programs/distance-learning

 

 

FITNESS & HEALTH

JOE'S MOVEMENT EMPORIUM - Virtual Yoga and Fitness Classes
Ongoing
Find great ways to move, learn and experience wellness with our virtual movement classes and tutorials - there’s a wellness way for everyone at Joe’s from Gentle Flow Yoga via Zoom and Vinyasa Yoga with Brooke Kidd, Floor Fitness via Zoom with Shaiday Dancy, Easy Yoga Community Class with Pauline Dunn, Movement Graffiti Community Class with Shawn Stone and more. Check schedule for details.

COST: flexible Pay-What-You-Can, $5-$15 per class
https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/mainclass

STREAMING PRODUCTIONS, READINGS & EVENTS

ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC, CONVERGENCE THEATRE & 4615 THEATRE COMPANY - Q-Fest Playwriting Fest 2.0
Now streaming on the individual theatre's social media pages
Adventure Theatre MTC, Convergence Theatre, and 4615 Theatre Company invite playwrights, devisers, and theatre makers to DMV QFEST 2.0. As theatre artists continue to seek ways to share their work in new platforms, these organizations hope to provide that platform to speak one’s truth. For this edition of DMV QFEST, we are committed to defining this space for POC artists from the DMV, who have worked in the DMV, or feel connected to the DMV. As we also recognize that this is Pride month, we encourage hearing from DMV artists in the LGBTQ+ community as they intersect with the POC community. Our thanks in advance to all for taking note.

COST: FREE
https://www.facebook.com/AdventureTheatreMTC/
https://www.facebook.com/convergencetheatre/
https://www.facebook.com/4615theatre/

ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC, DISTRICT DRAMATISTS and 4615 THEATRE COMPANY - QuarantineFest New Play Festival 2020
Now streaming on Adventure & 4615's Facebook pages 
Adventure Theatre MTC, in partnership with District Dramatists and 4615 Theatre Company, has invited DC, Maryland, or Virginia writers to take part in a flash creation of new work for a series of online readings. Each writer had 3 days to write a 10-page script contain 5 required elements. Professional actors from the DC Area will read these works live - and the plays that receive the most likes during their live stream will receive cash rewards.

COST: FREE 
https://www.facebook.com/AdventureTheatreMTC/ and https://www.facebook.com/4615theatre/
 

ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC - Virtual Readings & Story Time series
Ongoing
Visit Adventure Theatre MTC for a variety of recent virtual readings of new works, including a series of online readings for family audiences, Jingle in July which looks to bring the magic of winter into the homes of children and families and expand the body of work focused on winter and holiday themes; their Story Time series; and a world premiere of Finding Christmas by Adventure Theatre Artistic Director Chil Kong about a family matriarch battling dementia, who visits her memory and her past as she struggles to connect to the magic of Christmas.

FOR: Families and children
COST: FREE
https://www.facebook.com/AdventureTheatreMTC/

AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE CENTER - Online Viewing of Live Summer 2020 SafeStart Season Performances 
August 21 and August 28, 2020 or on-demand purchase
American Shakespeare Center announced that their Summer 2020 SafeStart Season will be available for online viewing. Dubbed “BlkFrs LIVE,” live performances of Shakespeare’s hilarious romp Twelfth Night and his tragic masterpiece Othello will be available for synchronous streaming from the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, VA (see listing for In-Person Performances.at top of page).  ASC is among the first companies to produce live theatre for in-person audiences since the pandemic shut the performing arts. As part of its 2020 SafeStart Season the company offers audiences three ways to enjoy performances this summer: online via BlkFrs LIVE/Marquee TV; appropriately socially distanced at the Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor stage; and outdoors on the lawn of the Blackburn Inn and Conference Center. Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night, debuts in a fast-paced ninety-five minute experience on August 21 at 7:30pm EDT. Next, envious machinations and evil intentions take hold in Othello, live streaming on August 28 at 7:30pm EDT.  Both shot in 4-camera cinema-quality, live from the stage of the Blackfriars Playhouse.

COST: $20.00. A household need only purchase one ticket per show. Synchronous viewing will only be available on August 21 and August 28, but each video will be available for on-demand purchase for 16 days after its respective live stream.
www.americanshakespearecenter.com

ARENA STAGE - Film Premieres
Now streaming
Arena Stage opened its online Spring/Summer Season, Looking Forward in June with two world premiere films, May 22, 2020 and Inside Voices: a film by Arena Stage’s Voices of Now ensembles, through Arena’s new Supper Club and are at the core of Arena Stage’s mission to support our region’s talented artists of all ages and to champion new work and authentic voices. Now starting September 17, their latest new docudrama, The 51^st State, is available.

• The 51^st State: The hyper local 60-minute film created by Washington, D.C. artists through the voices of 11 residents was inspired by protests and the reignition of a movement after the murder of George Floyd and the quest for creating the 51^st state and sovereignty in Washington, D.C. From a first-time protestor to a fourth-generation Washingtonian political scientist, to artists, an attorney, people of faith, and a retired couple moved to take part in the movement despite the COVID-19 risks, these diverse perspectives and real-life stories are vividly told and transformed into affecting narratives by 10 local playwrights.
• May 22, 2020, a filmed docudrama, directed by Artistic Director Molly Smith, captures one day in the life of our region. Ten D.C.-Maryland-Virginia subjects ranging in age from 18 – 89, and from a variety of backgrounds, were interviewed by 10 area playwrights on May 22, 2020, from which, writers composed original monologues, a window into radically changed lives during the COVID-19 pandemic filmed with Washington actors. Featured playwrights include Randy Baker, Audrey Cefaly, Annalisa Dias, Caleen Sinnette Jennings, Aaron Posner, Psalmayene 24, John Strand, Gregory Keng Strasser, MaryHall Surface and Karen Zacarías. Arena’s artistic leader Molly Smith, Deputy Artistic Director Seema Sueko and Director of Community Engagement/Senior Artistic Advisor Anita Maynard-Losh will direct the monologues.
• Inside Voices: a film by Arena Stage’s Voices of Now ensembles. Voices of Now (VON) is a season-long drama program that devises autobiographical plays with ensembles of middle-school, high-school and adult artists locally and internationally. Voices of Now plays are fast paced, collaboratively written physical theater pieces that pose challenging social questions relevant to the ensemble of artists and their communities. The plays investigate those questions through poetry, movement and the recounting of the artists’ personal stories.

AVANT BARD THEATRE - Work From Home series
Ongoing
Avant Bard Theatre presents Work From Home, a series of livestreamed events. Next on September 11 (then streaming) - She Speaks! Scenes from Shakespeare, Centering Black Femme Performers. Directed by Boneza Valdez Hanchock and Lisa Hill Corley featuring an ensemble of Black, Femme performers (to be announced...stay tuned!), She Speaks! recenters the Bard’s texts into a mixtape focusing on feminine stories. It features scenes from Antony & Cleopatra, MacBeth, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and more than a few Romance and History mashups. It is performed by a Black Femme ensemble in pursuit of a long overdue, more complete kind of Shakespearean universality. Past episode of "An Evening with Miss Kitty" is streaming at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSIOOtpNyF8&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR17fM4F1o9axQoVHB4MeIMbIW22hjDP5efl12350eFndp-45oze_fppCpw

COST: Free
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2GlplmtNL7sZ8F_9NN5Pkg

BEST MEDICINE REP - Streaming Solo Play & New Play Reading New Play Reading: September 14, 2020 (7pm); Streaming Play now streaming til October 4 Our free play reading series returns, but on a virtual platform, with Bridgette Dutta-Portman's La Fée Verte.  Chaos ensues in a small town when France bans absinthe in 1914.  A priest and a poet walk into a bar and clash over the "Green Fairy." With Kira Burri, Mason Catharini, and Kenneth Jackson. Email us, if you would like to attend this reading, and we will send you a link to the performance. Playwright/Performer John Morogiello takes us on a funny and poignant journey through the stories he has not yet written as plays. Filmed during the pandemic before a small, invited, socially-distanced, and thoroughly masked audience, Stories I May Not Tell is a wild combination of stand-up comedy, playwriting lesson, and uplifting celebration of humanity. Streaming now on Vimeo through October 4, 2020  COST: FREE http://bestmedicinerep.org/

BEST MEDICINE REP - I Know Jack, a Zoomedy web series
Weekly and Streaming
In our effort to keep you entertained, and to keep ourselves from going crazy, we’ve started a web series via Zoom called I Know Jack, written by Stan Levin and John Morogiello, starring Rebecca A. Herron and John Morogiello and directed by Stan Levin.  Episodes posted weekly. 

COST: FREE
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrVr2HFH4LVhlGlty3JxnPCttD-1-T8pE

BRAVE SPIRITS THEATRE - Shakespeare's Histories: Online Reading Series
Series completed June 2, now streaming on YouTube
Brave Spirits Theatre presents a virtual summer staged reading festival celebrating the history plays of the English early modern stage. A supplement to their two-year Shakespeare’s Histories project, these plays reveal the breadth and popularity of the history genre during Shakespeare’s era. Performed by BST's Histories ensemble cast and collaborators from across the world. Written by playwrights such as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Heywood, George Peele, and John Ford, these plays span historical events from 1199 to 1499. These plays live in conversation with Shakespeare’s Histories, providing sources for Shakespeare’s plays and alternate versions of events and characters.

COST: Free, donations are welcome
www.youtube.com/user/BraveSpiritsTheatre

CREATIVE CAULDRON - Virtual Cabarets and Concerts
Beginning August, 2020
When possible, Creative Cauldron will professionally record some of their outdoor 2021 Summer Cabaret and Concert Series (see full listing under In-Person events at top of page) and make them available for streaming.  These are multi-camera recordings at the highest video and sound quality. Performances will premiere on Thursday nights at 8pm on a special YouTube link, followed by a Virtual Lobby, hosted on Zoom by Producing Artistic Director Laura Connors Hull, Matt Conner, Ken Avis and Lynn Veronneau, and the performers. You can mingle with other patrons, ask the artists questions, and kick back with a nosh or a glass of something. Can't watch Thursdays at 8 ? The recording will remain up on that private YouTube link in your receipt for a week or more, so you can watch at your leisure or watch it over again.

COST: $25 suggested donation - or select "Other Amount" and add donation of your choice at end of transaction. 60% of the net proceeds go to the artists
https://www.creativecauldron.org/virtual-concerts-and-cabarets.html - or call 703-436-9948 to purchase

DARK HORSE THEATRE COMPANY - Spirit Seekers, A play written for virtual performance
Now streaming
Dark Horse presents the first Video Play of their Rogue Runner Series - Spirit Seekers, A play written for virtual performance By Amy Dellagiarino. Synopsis: An amateur group of ghost hunters camps out in the haunted and infamous Hunterville House only to end up encountering more then they bargained for. A fast-paced comedy for online theatre filled with laughs, ghosts, and face paint. The Rogue Runner series is the home for all of the Dark Horse virtual entertainment options, including: Performances of plays written specifically for virtual presentation, short films, video sketches, and readings of new plays with our sister company Walking Shadow Readers' Theatre. There will be a Q&A with cast, crew, and the playwright after the performance. 

ETC, EDUCATIONAL THEATRE COMPANY - Twelfth Night
Now Streaming
For the first time in 21 years, ETC Presents a virtual performance of the work of their campers - in their Shakespeare Camp's presentation of Twelfth Night.

COST: Free
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=577584116292268

FACTION OF FOOLS THEATRE COMPANY - Foolish Fridays
August 7-October 23, 2020. Every Friday
The esteemed company members of Faction of Fools, DC’s Commedia dell’Arte theatre company, kick off a 12-week series chock full of dynamic, short, fun videos released every Friday. Foolish Fridays are meant to provide a little Commedia dell'Arte amuse bouche featuring company members, guest stars, and more. Featured company members: John Bellomo, Danny Cackley, Francesca Chilcote, Colin Connor, Natalie Cutcher, Darius Johnson, Ben Lauer, Drew Kopas, Rachel Spicknall Mulford, Toby Mulford, Jack Novak, and Kathryn Zoerb.

COST: Free
https://www.facebook.com/FactionofFools/

FLYING V - Paperless Pulp: Season 1
Ongoing
Give a listen to the podcast Washington City paper called "highly bingeable" and deep dive into the world of audio plays with Flying V's Paperless Pulp. In 2019, Flying V began its foray into podcasts with the first nine episodes of a creative anthology series inspired by the traditions of old time radio and pulp magazines. Paperless Pulp presents original, fully produced audio plays exploring intimate aspects of the human condition set in worlds of high genre – horror, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, and more!

COST: FREE
http://flyingv.libsyn.com/

FOLGER THEATRE - Macbeth (2008)
Now available thru the end of 2020
Watch a full recorded performance of Folger Theatre's 2008 Macbeth. Shakespeare’s chilling Scottish tragedy is realized by Emmy-winning magician Teller (of Penn & Teller) and Helen Hayes Award-winning director Aaron Posner as a startling, supernatural show brimming with magic, mayhem, and madness. With eight special features, streaming on YouTube. Featuring Ian Merrill Peakes, Kate Eastwood Norris, Cody Nickell, Eric Hissom, Paul Morella

COST: FREE
https://www.folger.edu/video-macbeth-folger-theatre

FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY - Shakespeare Unlimited Podcasts
Ongoing
Home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare materials. Advancing knowledge and the arts. Discover it all at www.folger.edu. Shakespeare turns up in the most interesting places—not just literature and the stage, but science and social history as well. Our "Shakespeare Unlimited" podcast explores the fascinating and varied connections between Shakespeare, his works, and the world around us. Latest episodes include:

• Directing Shakespeare - with Laura Gordon, a Milwaukee-based freelance theater director, and Vivienne Benesch, Artistic Director of PlayMakers Rep at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and, in 2019, directed Folger Theatre's Love's Labor's Lost.
• The Booksellers - Focusing on the recent documentary
• The King's Men - Who were the actors who first performed Shakespeare’s plays? You might know the names of some of the King’s Men—the company of which Shakespeare was a shareholder.

COST: Free
https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited

FORD'S THEATRE - Virtual Play Readings
September 17, 2020 (4pm) & streaming thru September 21, 2020; Other dates & plays To Be Announced
Ford's Theatre continues their virtual monthly play reading series on September 17 with a reading of Pulitzer prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel. Set in 1905 New York, the play tells the story of Esther, a single African-American woman who makes her living sewing beautiful corsets and ladies' undergarments. She embarks on relationships that transcend race, social class and distance and discovers that her own self-reliance and certainty of personal worth will see her through lief's challenges.

FOR: Recommended for varying ages
COST: FREE
https://www.fords.org/performances/current-and-upcoming/virtual-play-reading-series/

4615 THEATRE COMPANY - Wannabe Virtual Presentation
Now streaming
4615 Theatre Company presents a live-streamed reading of Wannabe, the first full-length play by actor and playwright James. J. (J.J.) Johnson, directed by 4615 resident artist Reginald Richard. Synopsis: Wannabe follows a young black dreamer from the age of six to eighteen, as he zealously navigates the distractions of growing up in a small, working-class town nestled in the mountains of Virginia. Jay wants to be a lot of things in life, but his aspirations can feel too big for such a small town. Wannabe is a hilarious exploration of how identities are carved from the people and the environment by which we are surrounded, and how life can not only manifest whom we want to be but also whom we need to be.

COST: Free
https://www.facebook.com/4615theatre/videos/2646739358987470/

HAPPENSTANCE THEATER - Quarantine Cinema
Ongoing
Short films during quarantine from the award-winning Happenstance Theater. Founded in 2006, this professional company is committed to devising, producing and touring original, performer-created visual, poetic theatre.

COST: FREE
https://www.happenstancetheater.com/

IMAGINATION STAGE - Digital Field Trips: The Snow Queen
November 18, 2020 - February 26, 2021
Join Imagination Stage this winter for a new kind of theatre experience designed expressly for the current moment. A virtual Field Trip with Imagination Stage allows students to experience the joy of live theatre safely from their socially distant classrooms or homes. The class attends a virtual, actor-lead workshop that connects students to the themes of the show and asks students to participate in activities that directly involve them, then Classes “attend” a fully-produced theatre performance of The Snow Queen – streamed right into their classrooms or home. Teachers are provided with a wrap-around guide and worksheets to help guide further activities and instruction, and the opportunity to participate in a professional development session.

FOR: Ages 5+
COST: performance workshops and video-taped show package costs $300 per classroom. There is a discounted price of $200 for Title I schools
https://imaginationstage.org/imagination-stage-virtual-field-trips/

IMAGINATION STAGE - Virtual Annual Children's Festival: Larger Than Life
Now streaming for suggested donation
The Children’s Festival went virtual June 27. Enjoy engaging and interactive Imagination Stage-curated activities along with activities from our wonderful event partners. A dance party and raffle will round out the party. So throw on your best garden party attire and join us for this larger than life event! Proceeds from this event will help us continue our mission to empower ALL young people to discover their voices and identities through performing arts education and professional theatre.

COST: suggested donation of $25
https://imaginationstage.org/annual-childrensfestival/

THE IN SERIES - INVISION The Logan Operahouse Without Walls
Ongoing
We've cut the ribbon on our new digital home for diverse, innovative, and surprising opera theater, INVISION The Logan Operahouse Without Walls, and we're filling the halls with the IN Series works you love. Created in response to restrictions imposed by COVID-19 and embracing the opportunity to collaborate broadly and reach worldwide audiences, INvision is IN Series’s first-of-its kind multi-venue digital performing arts center dedicated to disseminating new, transformative works of operatic theater free of charge. Find your favorites from the 2019-20 season in the Carla Hubner Odeon, experience Artistic Director Timothy Nelson's powerful pre-IN Series works in The Box presented by John Fitzgerald, and explore conversations, panels, and our Serse collaboration with the Solidarity Chamber Orchestra of Tehran in the Education Annex.

The first offerings in a season of what will be more than 20 central pieces provide a sampling of the diverse, genre-defying works to come include Here Be Sirens, Pearl Fishers, Viva V.E.R.D.I.: The Promised End, Orphée et Eurydice, Schumann/Wagner, Harawi, A Fairy Queen, Gonzales Cantata, Black Flute, Boheme In The Heights.

COST: Free or paid subscriptions available
https://invision.inseries.org/

THE KENNEDY CENTER - Arts Across America
July 27 - December 11, 2020: Monday - Friday at 4pm
The Kennedy Center is launching a new LIVE concert series on July 27 - Arts Across America. In collaboration with arts organizations from coast to coast, the series will present 20 weeks of free, online programming available on Facebook Live, Instagram, YouTube, and on our website. Over these 20 weeks, Arts Across America will feature over 200 diverse, visionary artists who play leadership roles in their communities, exemplify unique regional artistic styles, and are using their medium as a tool for advocacy and social justice. A rotating performance schedule will feature performers presented by the Kennedy Center and collaborator organizations Arts Midwest; Mid-America Arts Alliance; Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation; New England Foundation for the Arts; South Arts; Western States Arts Federation; jurisdictional arts agencies representing U.S. territories; and Sankofa.org:

• Monday: Mid-Atlantic and New England
• Tuesday: Mid-America and Midwest
• Wednesday: Washington, D.C. and Kennedy Center
• Thursday: South and U.S. Territories
• Friday:  West and Sankofa.org

COST: Free
https://www.kennedy-center.org/digitalstage/arts-across-america/

THE KENNEDY CENTER - Digital Stage Performances
Ongoing
Welcome to the Digital Stage. Watch extraordinary performances from The Kennedy Center's stages and beyond. Featuring original work, news clips and the best from their archives for you to enjoy on your own.

COST: FREE
https://www.kennedy-center.org/digitalstage/

MONUMENTAL THEATRE COMPANY - Monumental Late Night
Now streaming
Join us for Monumental Late Night!  Hosted by Deborah MacKnight (played by Kaitlin Kemp, featured in Monumental's Pippin, 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche) and featuring Special Guest Star Solomon Parker (Mounmental's Pippin, Signature Theatre's Ain't Misbehavin').

COST: Free
https://www.facebook.com/events/732635907480871/

NATIONAL CAPITAL PUPPETRY FESTIVAL - performances, panels and workshops
Some events streaming on Facebook
The National Capital Puppetry Guild (NCPG) presents The National Capital Puppetry Festival, the Guild’s inaugural puppetry festival in which there’s something for everyone over 3 action-packed days highlighting the extraordinary talents of local puppeteers and international artists and promotes the education of puppetry arts through several workshops and panels.  The Saturday Morning Puppet Shows, a program that includes performances from all over the country is available to stream on Facebook along with other puppetry workshops.

FOR: Children & families, amateur and professional puppeteers, educators, theatergoers, and for the general
COST: streaming events are free
https://www.facebook.com/nationalcapitalpuppetry/videos

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER - The Humans On Demand
On Demand thru October 4, 2020
Originally scheduled to run during the 2019-2020 Season, the physical production of The Humans was permanently shelved this summer when the COVID-19 pandemic would not relent. However, the decision was made to create a unique version of the family dramedy from quarantine, filmed with the actors in six different locations. The result is a unique theatrical product of a show that's more timely than ever. Featuring Sherri L Edelen, Catie Flye, Kimberly Gilbert, Mitchell Hebert, Jonathan Raviv & Dani Stoller, directed by Aaron Posner.

By turns hilarious and haunting, the Tony-winning play The Humans tells the story of the Blakes, a middle-class American family celebrating a most unusual Thanksgiving. This year, they gather in New York City at youngest daughter Brigid’s Chinatown apartment - a basement duplex that would feel like a bargain if not for the lack of sunlight and the sudden, unexplained, loud noises coming from upstairs. Normally they celebrate in Scranton, but the break with tradition is just one of many disruptions with which they’re forced to contend. Stephen Karam’s brilliant play delivers both the warm comfort of family and a thoroughly modern anxiety about what’s on the other side of the wall.

COST: $35 per household
https://www.olneytheatre.org/whats-playing/humans-streaming

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER - Just Arts

POINTLESS THEATRE - Pointless Picture Show, Streaming Productions
Ongoing
Pointless Theatre offers a look back at their previous live theatrical experiences translated to film, capturing the intimate spectacle of this DC-based multi-disciplinary company through a new lens. Every Thursday, Pointless will be releasing one free stream of a past production on our Vimeo channel; other productions are available to purchase. Links to the free streams will be posted on our website and our Facebook page.

COST: FREE, then for purchase
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/pointlesstheatre

THE PUPPET CO. - Streaming Productions
Ongoing
Join the Puppet Co. for streaming of some of their favorite productions. Visit their website or Facebook page for announcements of upcoming viewings, generally on Friday and Sunday afternoons.

FOR: Children grades K to 6 and families
COST: FREE
www.facebook.com/thepuppetco

RORSCHACH THEATRE - INDELIBLE: Tiny Works of Impossibility
Every Friday and ongoing
Rorschach has always had a love affair with what we call “impossible stage directions.” We are drawn to moments in which playwrights invite us to create theatre magic and to embody something abstract in a tangible way.  Over the coming weeks, we’re going to explore the phenomenon of Impossible Stage Directions through a new project called Indelible. Each week we announce a new challenge: an actual stage direction from a play we’ve produced. Commissioned Rorschach artists will have a week to interpret that stage direction as a photo, video or audio clip.

COST: FREE
https://rorschachtheatre.com/2020/04/16/indelible/, https://www.instagram.com/rorschachdc/, https://www.facebook.com/rorschachtheatre/

ROUND HOUSE THEATRE - Homebound, New Web Series
Now streaming
Round House shares their next installment of digital programming. Round House Theatre has gathered DC-area playwrights, actors, and designers for Homebound, a ten-episode webseries that explores life under Stay-at-Home orders in the Nation’s Capital. The series will star Round House Resident Artists Craig Wallace and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh, plus the other seven local artists who lost work with us as a result of the cancellation of our spring shows. We’ve paired those artists with ten of DC’s leading playwrights, each of whom will pick up on the prompts offered in the previous writer’s episode, writing a story that the actors can film themselves at home. These episodes will be supported by four of our incredible designers and directed by Round House Artistic Director Ryan Rilette and Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson. Explore the full cast and creative team here.

COST: FREE
https://www.youtube.com/user/RoundHouseTheatre/featured and https://www.roundhousetheatre.org/homebound

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY - Academy for Classical Acting 3 Radio Plays
Now available as podcasts
Embracing the ubiquity of contemporary podcasts while harkening to the earlier radio dramas devised by the great actor and director Orson Welles, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting presents its summer repertory season of three radio plays: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw, and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Returning to the ACA after 2019’s production of As You Like It, award-winning director and playwright Aaron Posner directs his adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman. Posner’s adaption also marks the first ACA production of a 20^th century classic. Helen Hayes Award winner Holly Twyford makes her ACA debut as the director of Romeo and Juliet and ACA Program Director Alec Wild directs Hamlet. “Theatre, more than any other storytelling medium, asks the audience to contribute to the story by lending their imaginations to the experience.” ACA Program Director Alec Wild says, “Radio doubles down on this idea. Everything is up to the imagination of the audience! It is arguably the most purely theatrical experience, and we’re thrilled to be adding these audio dramas to the STC/ACA repertoire.”

COST: FREE
http://aca.shakespearetheatre.org/radioreps, Podcast Availability: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever you find your podcasts

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY - Streaming Romantics Anonymous
September 22-26, 2020 (2:30pm EST except Sept 26 at 4pm EST; broadcast from UK)
Shakespeare Theatre Company has announced that Emma Rice’s (Brief Encounter) musical treat "Romantics Anonymous" will be available for 5 days of live streaming in September. Originally slated to play at the theatre this past spring but canceled due to the pandemic, "Romantics Anonymous" will be part of a “digital tour” of UK & US theatres and will be performed live at Bristol Old Vic each evening and streamed. The story of two French chocolatiers who overcome their anxieties to take a chance on romance is both quirky and classic. The company has been isolating together in one large bubble so that the show can be performed in its original form—with no social distancing! There will be singing, dancing and chocolate eating…and, if true love has its way, even kissing…Imagine that! Just like theatre used to be, the production will take place live and you can watch it as it happens on your TV, phone, laptop, desktop or iPad in glorious (HD) technicolor. The world premiere of Romantics Anonymous was originally produced by Shakespeare’s Globe for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse by special arrangement with Radio Mouse Entertainment.

COST: Tickets are £15, increasing to £20 the week of performances.
https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/romantics-anonymous-live-stream/

STUDIO THEATRE - Psalm's Salons at Studio
Now streaming
Psalm’s Salons are an online gathering space to highlight the work of creatives, signal-boost local and Black-owned businesses, kick back to live music, and promote a sense of community. Mix a cocktail. Grab some food. Feel the beat. Salons are hosted by director, educator, theatre-maker Psalmayene 24 with original music from DJ Nick tha 1da. Events are free and streamed live on Studio Theatre's Facebook and YouTube pages and previous Salons are streaming.

NEXT: September 18 (5pm), a conversation with hip-hop theatre forefathers Will Power, Danny Hoch, and Jonzi D. The trio joins host Psalmayene 24 to discuss the evolution and public embrace of their artform, its power in this moment, and their experience innovating within theatre.

COST: Free
https://www.facebook.com/The.Studio.Theatre/

STUDIO THEATRE - Artists Respond to the March on Washington
Streaming
To commemorate the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, Studio invited seven Black artists, all of whom have appeared on our stages in recent productions, to share creative responses that capture their experience in DC for the event. If you have seen our building at 14th and P Streets, you know that we’ve used it as a canvas to express solidarity with the protests for Black lives. The March on Washington video project is a continuation of this support—elevating Black voices and sharing our resources to foster art-making. Release of videos began the week of Sept. 21 on YouTube. Participating artists are Jelani Alladin (Choir Boy), Ro Boddie (Pipeline, No Sisters), Jonathan Burke (Choir Boy), Jason Bowen (Skeleton Crew), Sean Carvajal (Between Riverside and Crazy), Biko Eisen-Martin (No Sisters), and Michael Rishawn (Wig Out!).

COST: Free
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxz0agvcUfh3DS6EPDRblozIFLuV4G2km

SYNETIC THEATER - Joy
October 16 - November 8, 2020
A smile is the same in any language, Joy is no different. How can we find joy when it feels like our world is falling apart? And why does art bring us joy? Join veteran company member Vato Tsikurishvili directed by Paata Tsikurishvili and audience-favorite Maria Simpkins directed by Katherine DuBois for Joy, an intimate, personal, and made-for-Zoom theatrical experience about how our sense of joy connects us to who we are, as well as to one another. This production will be performed in separate but parallel versions, presented via Zoom. Patrons can get a 10% discount to catch a performance from the other artist (see online calendar for the full schedule). In this intimate and personal experience, audiences capped at 25 people will receive a surprise package in the mail inviting them to enjoy interactive solo performances that stimulate the senses and examine the impact of joy in our own lives.

COST: "Single” tickets (for 1-person households) $50 and “Household” tickets (for 2-or-more-person households) $80; Discounted to $25 or $50 for students/senior/veteran.
https://synetictheater.org/event_pages/joy/

TEATRO DE LA LUNA - Streaming Productions
Ongoing
We invite you to relive exciting moments that we have shared in many Teatro de la Luna seasons. About 70 hours of content corresponding to Our productions in Spanish, (ages: 16 years or more), Producciones para Niños (mostly bilingual works), with study guides for parents and educators, International Hispanic Theater Festivals in Spanish, and Musical events. This new site also allows you to freely access productions, register and comment, create your own favorites list and share content.

FOR: All ages
COST: Free, but donations are welcome at https://simplecheckout.authorize.net/payment/CatalogPayment.aspx
https://play.teatrodelaluna.org/

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER (WIT) - Streaming Shows
July 23 and July 28, 2020, then streaming
WIT is thrilled to debut two new shows on Facebook Live!

• Hold Up is a Black performer’s literature circle with a twist—a performer reads an important chapter from standard literature classes. At any point during the reading, anyone can say “hold up” and start a discussion with their thoughts on the text, questions, or even hot takes. Created by Lena Dunham's Derek Hayes and Krystal Ramseur, the show features performers from DC, Baltimore and Atlanta. Tune in to the premiere on July 23 at 8 PM on Facebook live.
•  
• Reunion celebrates Washington Improv Theater's 10 years of Tuesday Harold Night by bringing back teams for encore shows! After the teams perform, we’ll invite them back for a short talkback and trip down memory lane. The first show features Captain PhD and King Bee. Tune in on July 28 at 7:30 PM on Facebook live.

WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY - Spit Dat Digital, The Spook Who Spat by the Dat
Next event: October 5, 2020 (8-9:30pm, virtual lobby open at 7:30pm); Previous events now streaming.
Woolly is thrilled to partner for monthly virtual spoken word performances with SPIT DAT taking place online on Zoom & Facebook Live. Spit Dat is the longest-running open mic in the nation's capital. A profoundly intimate artistic and spiritual experience that has fought to remain a safe space through nearly two decades of societal change, Spit Dat combines world-class talent with a living room vibe.

WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY - Woolly on Demand: Human Resources
October 1-25, 2020
This fall, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Telephonic Literary Union repurpose the customer service hotline for stranger, more tender use in Human Resources, an intimate audio anthology for remote times. Human Resources is the debut production of Woolly Mammoth’s new digital season, Woolly on Demand, that accompanies its in-person offerings. “In the age of constant Zoom meetings, nothing is more welcome to me than a good old-fashioned phone call,” says Woolly Mammoth Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes. "Woolly Mammoth is here to expand the definition of the theatrical experience, and Human Resources does exactly that, all from the safety of your own home.” Telephonic Literary Union makes stories for very small audiences using phones, thoughtfully curated environments, and the theater of the mind. Featuring new works by Brittany K. Allen, Christopher Chen, Hansol Jung and Zeniba Now, wherever you’re calling from, Human Resources is here for you. To file a claim or plan your escape, dial 1-800-804-1573.

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS' THEATER - Tell It Forward - The Power of Stories to Shape Our Future
May 30, 2020 (7pm), then streaming on Facebook
Join YPT for this live-streamed event on YouTube Live and Facebook. Tell It Forward - The Power of Stories to Shape Our Future is an evening of inspirational writing from YPT’s young playwrights, words from our supporters and friends, and the premiere of our 25th Anniversary documentary short. This event is free, and all are encouraged to make a donation in support of YPT. Leading up to the big day, we will be raising a goal of $10,000 to support our programs and operations in this unprecedented time.

COST: FREE
bit.ly/YPT-Tell-It

PODCASTS

FLYING V - Audio Awesome
Currently
A weekly look at all things Flying V with Producing Artistic Director Jason Schlafstein, “Audio Awesome” will feature original content, clips from past shows, exclusive interviews, previews of upcoming productions and events, and more! Episode One: The Adult Fan Fiction World Championships Part 1.

COST: FREE
http://audioawesome.libsyn.com/ or on Spotify or Stitcher

GALA HISPANIC THEATRE - Creatividad Latinx
Ongoing
GALA's Paso Nuevo Youth Program met this summer both virtually and in-person, from which the students created a series of podcasts in Spanish called “Creatividad Latinx.” The first season is available now. The episodes consist of two segments: in the first, youth discuss culture and family stories, and in the second, they share some entertainment presenting a scene from a play, a poem or monologue written by the youth. In this first season, Paso Nuevo presents El Violinista Maldito (The Cursed Violinist) written by three Paso Nuevo students.

COST: Free
https://soundcloud.com/creatividadlatinx or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creatividad-latinx/id1527487420

THE IN SERIES - IN Tune Podcast Series
Ongoing
Catch up with installments of Artistic Director Timothy Nelson's latest podcast series on IN Tune musing about various aspects of opera and the act of creating it.

For: Adults
COST: Free
https://inseriesblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/09/in-sanity/

THE ORIGINAL CAST PODCAST
Ongoing
A podcast about original cast albums and the people who love them with special guests, hosted by playwright Patrick Flynn.

COST: FREE
https://originalcast.libsyn.com/ or on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher
 

BENEFIT EVENTS

FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY - Virtual Folger Gala 2020
Now streaming
In a typical year, the Folger Shakespeare Library's annual gala is our largest and most significant fundraiser of the year, providing critical support for programs and services that bring Shakespeare to life. This has been anything but a typical year. The safety of our guests, artists, and staff is our highest priority, and in keeping with the advice of public safety officials the Folger Gala 2020 will be virtual. Please join for a celebratory evening featuring our co-chairs, José Andrés and Patricia Fernandez de la Cruz, and entertainers, as well as some special updates and recognition of our sponsors.

COST: All are welcome to attend free of charge, but we ask that you consider purchasing a “ticket” for the evening through a fully tax-deductible donation. A gift of $100 supports the Folger’s ongoing work at a time when it is most needed.
https://www.folger.edu/folger-gala

THE IN SERIES - Groundbreaking Groundbreaking, A Virtual Gala Experience
Now streaming
It’s fitting that IN Series should launch building a first-of-its-kind opera house with a first-of-its-kind kickoff celebration - a Groundbreaking Groundbreaking Streaming live for IN Series’ family to watch, we are inviting a limited number of special guests to attend in a fully interactive way with the newest online social gathering tool RALLY. With this invitation YOU are invited to our VIP cocktail-hour with live music and conversation. Then you can travel freely through three themed rooms of different musical programs with over a dozen IN Series artists. The evening is complete with the unveiling of our opera house blueprints, remarks by Artistic Director Timothy Nelson, and surprise guest appearances. The June 26 event is now streaming.

COST: Free
http://siteline.vendini.com/site/inseries.org/groundbreaking-groundbreaking-a-digital-gala-experience

THE KEEGAN THEATRE - 5th Annual Gala: Keegan Galaween Special
October 31, 2020 (8pm)
Announcing our 5th Annual Gala — a virtual celebration on Halloween! Join friends and lovers of Keegan from across the country for this virtual celebration! The event will feature a virtual cocktail hour, Halloween costume contest, performances, and our famous silent auction with many items and experiences you'll only get from Keegan. The event celebrates 24 years of The Keegan Theatre and goes to support the Return to Good Company campaign, our initiative focused on helping to restore our collective sense of community when it's finally safe to open our doors again.

COST: Starting at $35
https://keegantheatre.com/event/5th-annual-keegan-gala/

OLNEY THEATRE CENTER - Olney Onward!:A Free Event to Benefit
Now streaming
You're invited to a celebration of the Olney Theatre Center, a home for extraordinary theatre. Spend the evening with the OTC artists you love. Rhett Guter, Mitch Hebert, Jade Jones, Greg Maheu, Donna Migliaccio, Robert Mintz, Mason Alexander Park, Malinda Kathleen Reese, and Christopher Youstra will perform for you and share stories from backstage. You'll also meet Jai’Len Josey from OTC’s upcoming world premiere of the new musical A.D. 16. You'll also get a sneak peek at our next season and learn a bit more about the many ways OTC brings the community together. The June 20 event is now streaming on our website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page.

COST: FREE
https://www.olneytheatre.org/support/olney-onward-comes-home

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY - Shakespeare Everywhere: Free Virtual Gala Celebration
October 3, 2020 (7pm)
One night only! Join Artistic Director Simon Godwin to experience a celebration of STC’s history and its future. This Free Virtual Gala will include appearances by Angela Bassett, Merle Dandridge, Dame Judi Dench, Maureen Dowd, Harry Lennix, Norm Lewis, Russell Thomas, Courtney B. Vance, and a host of Shakespearean talent from around the world, all in support of Shakespeare Theatre Company. More amazing participants will be announced in the coming weeks! The virtual gala is co-directed by STC's Director of Equity and Enrichment LeeAnet Noble and Associate Artistic Director Alan Paul.

COST: Free - register online
http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/support/special-events/stc-gala/

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