August 11, 2023: The Keegan Theatre is pleased to announce its 27th season, featuring 5 mainstage productions in its beautiful, intimate theater on Church Street in Dupont Circle. The season includes a Sondheim musical, 2 comedies receiving their DC premieres, and 2 audience favorites back by popular demand.
“We’re taking big swings next season,” remarks artistic director Susan Marie Rhea, “and we’re eager to see how this vibrant lineup will connect with audiences, both new and returning. Keegan is a theater of connection — a place where people gather to have an extraordinary theatrical experience with the artists on stage, the stories being told, and each other — and these connections will be more kinetic than ever next year, in our 27th season.”
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online or through the Box Office. Patrons can save 25% by purchasing tickets to 4 or more productions at the same time, and young patrons can take advantage of a new Young Professionals Package which includes tickets to all 5 of the Happy Hour performances throughout the season for just $200.
by Matthew J. Keenan
directed by Mark A. Rhea
** KEEGAN’S OWN HOLIDAY TRADITION **
An original work by Keegan company member Matthew J. Keenan, AN IRISH CAROL is an homage to Dickens’ classic – told as only the Irish can. This comic and touching play, set in a modern Dublin pub, follows one evening in the life of David, a wealthy pub owner who has lost touch with his own humanity in the interest of self-protection and material success. But on this Christmas Eve – challenged by a voice from the past, provoked by those in the present, and faced with the reality of a lonely future – David’s life may change forever. LEARN MORE
by Stephen Sondheim & George Furth
co-directed by Christina A. Coakley & Jennifer Hopkins
choreographed Jennifer Hopkins
music directed by Nathan Blustein
The authors of the landmark musical COMPANY reunite to turn the traditional showbiz musical on its head in this thrilling and compelling Broadway fable about friendship, compromise, and the high price of success. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth expertly blend the excitement and energy of a backstage musical with a poignant and emotional contemporary story about the importance of staying true to one’s ideals. LEARN MORE
by Jacqueline Bircher
directed by Susan Marie Rhea
** DC PREMIERE **
When their Editor-in-Chief gets caught using some unexpected profanity, the employees of Webster’s Dictionary find themselves at the center of an internet uprising over gender and obscenity in the age of social media. As office politics collide with ambition, morality, and lexicography, the future of the English language hangs in the balance. A dark comedy about vulgar words and the people who define them. LEARN MORE
written & performed by Priyanka Shetty
directed by Theresa M. Davis
** DC PREMIERE **
“One-Woman Wonder” Priyanka Shetty’s THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM is a witty, dark comedy about just your typical Indian metalhead and software-engineer-turned-actor who must navigate life as an immigrant arriving in Trump’s America. When Priyanka makes the bold move to defy her family by quitting her IT job and moving to the US to pursue an acting career, things don’t quite turn out how she imagined. Watch Priyanka’s real life story unfold as she transitions from her deeply embedded roots in India to find context and common ground in America. Gear up for a funny, tumultuous ride through immiscible cultures, unforgettable love, irreparable loss, and the desperation of not belonging anywhere. LEARN MORE
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM returns to the Keegan stage after its 2020 developmental workshop and public presentation as part of the Boiler Room Series, Keegan’s brand for new works and unique performances.
by Michael Frayn
directed by Mark A. Rhea
Called “the funniest farce ever written,” NOISES OFF presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called NOTHING’S ON. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play. Keegan’s acclaimed 2010 production of NOISES OFF played to sold-out houses — and finally returns in 2024 by popular demand! LEARN MORE
In addition to these mainstage performances, Keegan will also host its annual gala celebration and fundraiser, the 2024 Boiler Room Series featuring workshops and presentations of new works in progress by an exciting new cohort of writers, and more special events throughout the season.
