Director Thembi Duncan has announced the addition of three Yellowman post-show discussions on the following dates:
Saturday, July 30, matinee
Thursday, August 11, 8pm
Saturday, August 13, matinee
Join Thembi and guest panelists in lively discussion of Dael Orlandersmith’s deeply moving play. If you haven’t bought your tickets, do it soon!
The rain stopped and the skies cleared just in time for us to welcome a theater full of friends both new and old for the opening of Yellowman, starring Stori Ayers and Justus Hammond and directed by Thembi Duncan. Kojo Nnamdi and wife Pam were in attendance and we’re excited to announce that Kojo has invited Thembi to be on his broadcast this Thursday, July 21. Stay tuned for exact details. Yellowman rotates back to the stage Wednesday July 27 at 8pm, and don’t forget that Wednesday night tickets are only $10 if you use the code WEDS when ordering online. Order Yellowman here. And remember, the Riches get back in the ring this Wednesday through Sunday with $10 tickets on Wednesday as well. Order Riches here.
Lee Blessing’s Riches, under the direction of Paul Douglas Michnewicz, opened last weekend to lots of laughter from enthusiastic audiences. We had a terrific opening night party and we look forward to continuing the show July 20 as we alternate with Yellowman. Come see it for the laughs and come see it for the costumes. It features Dana Scott Galloway and Adele Robey.
Next up, Yellowman under the direction of Thembi Duncan. Previews start Friday July 15 and the show opens Saturday evening July 16. You won’t want to miss this stunning Pulitzer Prize finalist featuring Story Ayers and Justus Hammond. Following opening weekend, Yellowman will continue July 27, running in rotation with Riches. See them both as we completely transform the theater weekly for each show. Click here for tickets to Riches and here for tickets to Yellowman and remember that Wednesday nights are $10 when you use the code WEDS.
Anacostia Playhouse is excited to announce an event for the entire family! We are so happy to welcome Shakespeare For The Young and their puppet production of Midsummer Magic, which tells the fairy story from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare for the Young is a theatrical company of puppeteers and designers dedicated to bringing Shakespeare to young children, ages 2 and up, in order to give them a fun, interactive cultural experience that will encourage language growth, risk-taking creativity, and empathy for others. Three puppeteers use the medium of puppetry in combination with the artists’ voices to present the stories and poetry of Shakespeare. The puppeteers provide a workshop after the performance to help children explore their imaginations.
For more information on the troupe, see www.shakespearefortheyoung.com.
Two performances only! Saturdays, August 6 and 13 at 10:30am. Don’t miss out! Get your tickets today.
Anacostia Playhouse is proud to present two powerful, emotional plays in repertory this summer helmed by two of our favorite directors.
Riches by Lee Blessing and directed by long-time friend, collaborator and colleague Paul Douglas Michnewicz, was first produced under the title War of the Roses (later to become a well-known film). It tells the story of David and Carolyn Rich who “have it all,” in a powerful, disturbing study of a family divided against itself. On their anniversary the Riches return to their honeymoon hotel where Carolyn calmly and unexpectedly announces she wants a divorce. Seducing us with humor and well timed, weighted dialogue, Mr. Blessing then takes the cleverly invented characters through to a chilling end. Featuring Dana Galloway and Adele Robey.
Paul Douglas Michnewicz is a founder and a former Artistic Director for Theater Alliance. He has directed at the Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium and Strathmore. He is currently the Director of Arts and Events in Reston where he has presented Anna Deavere Smith, Julian Sands, Stephen Lang and Sweet Honey in the Rock among others. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
Yellowman, by Dael Orlandersmith, will be directed by Thembi Duncan, an Anacostia Playhouse favorite. Yellowman is a memory play about an African American woman who dreams of a life beyond the confines of her small-town Southern upbringing, and the light-skinned man whose fate is tragically intertwined with hers. Yellowman explores the negative associations surrounding male blackness as well as the effect these racial stereotypes have on black women and offers endless insights into the internal racism and oppressive determinism that haunt the African-American community. Featuring Stori Ayers and Justus Hammond.
Thembi Duncan is a director, producer, playwright, teaching artist, and actor who serves as the Creative Programs Director at Young Playwrights’ Theater. Her most recent directing project was Tearrance Chisholm’s award-winning play Br’er Cotton at Catholic University of America. Thembi has also served as the Producing Artistic Director of African Continuum Theatre Company and the Lead Teaching Artist at Ford’s Theatre.
Tickets are on sale now! For Riches click here and for Yellowman click here.
In partnership with DC Jazz Festival’s Jazz in the ‘Hoods 2016, EAST RIVER JAZZFest presents Phil Wiggins in Blues-Jazz Gumbo on Monday, June 13, 2016 at the Anacostia Playhouse. Phil Wiggins is arguably America’s foremost blues harmonica virtuoso. While rooted in the melodic Piedmont or “Tidewater” blues of the Chesapeake region, his mastery of the instrument now transcends stylistic boundaries. Along with Mr. Wiggins will be Ian Walters, piano.
Click here for more information.
Going to a Place
where you Already Are
By Bekah Brunstetter
Directed by Colin Hovde
Roberta has always agreed with her husband Joe that there is no heaven, no afterlife, just life. Their granddaughter Ellie has never even stopped to think about it. But as the years have passed and the idea of mortality becomes more real, Roberta has started to wonder. And when she claims to have gone to heaven and back, Roberta knows where she will spend eternity. With humor, humanity, and the guidance of an Angel, Brunstetter’s hopeful new play explores life, family, and moving on. Commissioned by South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, CA, Going to a Place where you Already Are had its World Premiere in March.
Featuring: MacGregor Arney (Jonas), Gregory Ford (Joe), Tricia Homer (Ellie), Annie Houston (Roberta), and Alan Naylor (Angel).
Design by Brian Gillick (Scenic), Patti Kalil (Props), Mary Keegan (Lights), Matthew M. Nielson (Sound), and Kara Waala (Costumes).
June 2 – 26, 2016
Anacostia Playhouse
2020 Shannon Place SE
Tickets and info here
The Anacostia Playhouse’s first children’s production, The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf, is deep into rehearsal. This place rocks every Saturday morning with 50s-themed music courtesy of our wonderful music director, cool dance moves and lots of laughter as the jury sashays and the wolf pack howls. The judge bangs her gavel trying to keep this courtroom in order, although it doesn’t always work, and the attorneys (two of whom are weasels) face off and try to sway the ladies of the jury. But we’re not going to give the end away… you’ll have to come and see it! With only five performances, May 19-22, seats are going fast so click and buy your tickets today. Our cast, all 25 of them, will give you a great show you’ll give them the applause they deserve (and also help ensure we can continue the youth program into the future).
Anacostia Playhouse is proud to present two powerful, emotional plays in repertory this summer helmed by two of our favorite directors. Yellowman, by Dael Orlandersmith, will be directed by Thembi Duncan, an Anacostia Playhouse favorite. Yellowman is a memory play about an African American woman who dreams of a life beyond the confines of her small-town Southern upbringing, and the light-skinned man whose fate is tragically intertwined with hers. Yellowman explores the negative associations surrounding male blackness as well as the effect these racial stereotypes have on black women and offers endless insights into the internal racism and oppressive determinism that haunt the African-American community. Featuring Stori Ayers and Justus Hammond.
Thembi Duncan is a director, producer, playwright, teaching artist, and actor who serves as the Creative Programs Director at Young Playwrights’ Theater. Her most recent directing project was Tearrance Chisholm’s award-winning play Br’er Cotton at Catholic University of America. Thembi has also served as the Producing Artistic Director of African Continuum Theatre Company and the Lead Teaching Artist at Ford’s Theatre.
Riches by Lee Blessing and directed by long-time friend, collaborator and colleague Paul Douglas Michnewicz, was first produced under the title War of the Roses (later to become a well-known film). It tells the story of David and Carolyn Rich who “have it all,” in a powerful, disturbing study of a family divided against itself. On their anniversary the Riches return to their honeymoon hotel where Carolyn calmly and unexpectedly announces she wants a divorce. Seducing us with humor and well timed, weighted dialogue, Mr. Blessing then takes the cleverly invented characters through to a chilling end. Featuring Dana Galloway and Adele Robey.
Paul Douglas Michnewicz is a founder and a former Artistic Director for Theater Alliance. He has directed at the Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium and Strathmore. He is currently the Director of Arts and Events in Reston where he has presented Anna Deavere Smith, Julian Sands, Stephen Lang and Sweet Honey in the Rock among others. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
Tickets are on sale now! For Riches click here and for Yellowman click here.
Just around the corner in the Anacostia Arts Center at 1231 Good Hope Road, SE, is our newest neighborhood addition, the Art-Drenaline Cafe. Opening February 19, 2016, Art-Drenaline offers a fabulous fixed price pre-theater dinner menu and will get you in and out in time for curtain at the Playhouse. We’re delighted to welcome the wonderful pairing of art+food. Art-Drenaline comes from chef Shawn Lightfoot and artist Amanda Stephenson, who in September launched a Hyattsville, Md.–based food incubator called the Fresh Food Factory for underrepresented and undercapitalized entrepreneurs. As the name suggests, art will also play a prominent part in the cafe. Local artists will be represented in everything from the tables to the plates to the paintings on the wall. Sephenson says she hopes to give the place a more “vibrant” look. Both Lightfoot and Stephenson live in Anacostia, and they say they want to succeed in a neighborhood where others have failed. Not only is there a need for fresh options, Stephenson says, “there’s a desire for it.”
Tonight’s Menu (ask about our pre-theater options):
Sweet and Savory Chili 2.5
Roasted Marinated Vegetable Salad (red peppers-artichoke-green beans) 7
Hummus and Black Lava Salt Pita Chips (smooth garbanzo beans-garlic-tahini paste) 5
Ginger Salad w/Cranberries and Pistachios (field greens tossed with citrus ginger) 5
Thai Chicken or Salmon Salad w/ Mango Chutney (sesame and ginger-kale-brussel-broccoli-chicken) 11
Smoked Salmon Flatbread Pizza (pesto-feta-sundried tomatoes) 7
Asian Chicken Pizza (hoisin sauce-shredded cheese and chipotle chicken) 8
Vegetarian Pizza with Mango Salsa (roasted red peppers-baby portabella-artichoke) 7
Wasabi and Cucumber Salmon w/ Lime Scented Whole Wheat Pasta (cream-wasabi-cucumber) 11
Tuna Melt Panini (picked tuna-sauce-bacon-spices-cheese) 6
Southwest Turkey Club (Turkey breast , tomato, pepper jack cheese, Texas petal sauce and bacon) 9
Reservations Strongly Suggested. Call 202.306.5545
V=vegan
