DC Theatre Week: The Kickoff
What I love most about Washingtonians is that, whatever they find themselves doing, they take it way too seriously.
This rule seems to apply both to those who were born here and those who transplanted themselves for whatever reason. In this town, everything is high-stakes with geopolitical implications; so when DC decides to do art, it’s serious business. Terms like “community arts ecosystem” and “global majority” get thrown around, and instead of eyes glazing over, you’ll see people perched on the edge of their seats and nodding eagerly in agreement while quietly Googling the definition of “global majority.”
Visitors and Washingtonians alike might be surprised to know that DC ranks second (behind NYC, obviously) when it comes to the number of theater venues in one city. The theater scene is the District’s unintentionally best-kept secret. But the folks behind Theatre Week hope to change that by letting people know there is more to the cultural scene than the Kennedy Center and museums that close at 5PM.
Theatre Week, which officially ran from September 26 - October 13 this year, is the kickoff of the DC theater season. Over 30 venues, collectives, and production groups participate in this endeavor organized by Theatre Washington, one of the biggest advocates of DC performing arts since the 1980s. The big selling point of the Theatre Week is ostensibly the discounted ($20-$40) tickets offered by the participating productions. However, the kickoff event itself is arguably the best part of the program for those who are avid theater-goers or who wish to learn more about DC’s performing arts “ecosystem.” This is because, for those who don’t work in the industry, Theatre Week Kickoff is probably one of the few opportunities where you can actually interact with representatives of venues and production companies from all over the city, discover small or upstart theaters you’ve never heard of before, and listen to playwrights and art directors talk about their work (which refreshingly does not involve politics or congressional budgets)…all in one day and in one building.
This year’s kick-off event took place at the Arena Stage, which is a great multi-level venue with large windows providing all the natural sunlight you could ask for on a Saturday afternoon. First floor: general info, give away, and free samples of meatballs from Carmine’s. Second floor: a small stage with pop-up live music performances, booths for just about every theater company in DC, and auditoriums for fascinating panel discussions. Third floor: improv workshops and an excellent exhibit on the women who helped shape the DC jazz scene.
Visitors visit vendor booths for the Theatre Week Kickoff Fest at Arena Stage. Cultural Capitol, D.C.
And all of this is FREE! And to top it off, I won two tickets to any show at the Round House Theatre.
The best part of the kick-off was all of the info booths where you could ask questions about the theater companies and their upcoming shows, win cool prizes, and sign up for newsletters. During my visit I clocked: Round House Theatre, Rorschach Theater, Adventure Theater and ATMTC Academy, Creative Cauldron, Mosaic, National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, Toby’s Dinner Theater of Columbia, Constellation Theater Company, Studio Theater, Theater Prometheus, 1st Stage, Ford’s Theater, Open Circle Theater, Washington Stage Guild, Anacostia Playhouse, YPT (not to be confused with PYT), Theater Alliance, Prologue, Signature, Folger Shakespeare Library, and Indie Stage Collective. None of the major venues you’ve probably heard of (Kennedy Center, the National Theatre, Warner Theatre, etc.) were there, but these places don’t really need the exposure.
The panel discussions also introduced attendees to local theater professionals including Psalmayene 24 (DC-born playwright and director), Raymond O. Caldwell (DC-born director and producer), Rex Daugherty (Artistic Director at Solas Nua), and Jenny McConnell Frederick (co-Artistic Director of Rorschach). In the “Locally Grown” discussion, Psalamayene 24 and Caldwell shared how their upbringing inspired their work and how they collaborate so well with each other in spite of their very different personalities. In the “Space Cases” discussion, Daugherty and Frederick talked about the logistical challenges and creative opportunities of operating a theater company with no permanent performance space, instead relying on underrated local spaces to bring a performance to life.
Overall, I came away from this event inspired to engage more with these organizations, explore the work of local creatives, and discover more unconventional acts and installations.
After living in the District for over a decade, I’ve met all types of people in this wonky town: fast-talking entrepreneurs, brutally honest bus drivers, bright-eyed students, backpack-toting Hill interns, backpack-toting Hill reporters, tight-lipped members of Congress, buzz-killing lobbyists, long-suffering non-profit workers and educators, mind-bending astro-physicists, and secretly interesting federal workers…to name a few. But I hope people realize we have our share of passionate, thought-provoking, delightfully eccentric artists as well. And as the theater community nationwide makes room for more voices, more talents, and more perspectives, I also hope that Washingtonians (or DC locals, if you prefer) who exist outside of the Federal Triangle or the boundaries of Capitol Hill become more visible and more appreciated for their culture and contributions.
