Since its founding in 1996, The Keegan Theatre has presented powerful productions of classic and modern plays and musicals brought to bright and compelling life with the highest caliber acting and design, a straightforward and authentic approach to storytelling, and in a unique and intimate 120-seat theater space which envelopes audiences in the world of the work.
Keegan’s guiding values are honesty, integrity, courage and excellence in the exploration of the full range of human…
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Since Keegan’s first Helen Hayes Award nomination in 1997 for Mark A. Rhea’s direction of Translations, it has built a…
Explore Keegan’s mainstage archive, including Helen Hayes award-winners, Ireland tour productions, and so many more.
To take audiences to the vital heart of the theater experience: extraordinary artists in an intimate setting exploring the human condition. To foster connections and positive change in our community through vigorous, inclusive, empowering education and outreach.
The Keegan Theatre believes that any open and honest exploration of the human condition requires active promotion of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism. It is only through a commitment to these critical tenets, on both an individual and an institutional level, that artists, patrons, students, and arts advocates can learn, create, and connect in an environment free from the insidious, debilitating effects of prejudice, discrimination, and marginalization.
The first show ever produced by The Keegan Theatre was Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Church Street Theater in 1997. Guided by the principles of boldness and honesty, the young company presented stories about humanity in an intimate setting, attracting and embracing artists who valued honest storytelling above all and earning overwhelming support and sold-out audiences.
In 1999, as part of a unique vision to bridge theatrical traditions of America and Ireland, fueled by the conviction that the cultures of both countries could be enriched through their connection, The Keegan Theatre toured an American classic, A Streetcar Named Desire, to Ireland. The inaugural tour earned high praise and the tradition continued, forging a strong bond between the two rich cultures.
Thus began an annual tradition of touring an American play to Ireland. Between 1999 and 2017, Keegan embarked on 14 tours of Ireland, presenting American classics from The Crucible to A Few Good Men to Irish audiences throughout the country. Keegan played venues on both coasts of Ireland and everywhere in between: from Dublin to Galway to Kilkenny to Armagh in Northern Ireland. The company was warmly welcomed by audiences and venues alike, nurturing rich relationships with theatergoers and theatermakers in Ireland, many of which remain strong today.
In 2009, the Church Street Theater became Keegan’s official home, making The Keegan Theatre the resident theatre company of Dupont Circle. In 2013, thanks to the generous support of an anonymous donor, Keegan purchased the Church Street Theater, renamed it The Andrew Keegan Theatre, and launched the “In Good Company” Capital Campaign to raise the funds needed to modernize the building through a major renovation project. Ground was broken on the project in 2014, and in 2015, The Andrew Keegan Theatre was officially reopened with a new production of the vital play that originally put the company on the map – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
