Mean Girls premieres at the National Theatre on October 31 (National Theatre)
DON’T MISS
Mean Girls, the musical, is actually happening. Tina Fey’s classic is finding its way to the National Theater before it makes it to Broadway (October 31).
Also on the big ticket front, the comic phenomenon The Book of Mormon is back at the Kennedy Center for another run (October 24).
Musical fans looking for something a little more classic can pick up some steam heat at Arena Stage’s The Pajama Game (October 27).
Or avoid musicals entirely with The Very Last Days of the First Colored Circus, a world premiere at Anacostia Playhouse looking at the plight of black performers in the 20s (October 19)
Shirine Babb and Cody Nickell in Antony and Cleopatra, starting October 10 at the Folger. (James Kegley/Folger)
ALSO OPENING
Arena also has the Arthur Miller classic, The Price, on hand for October (October 6).
Visit ancient Egypt with the Folger: Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra kicks off its run October 10.
Gala’s fairy tale Blanca Flor is geared towards younger audiences (October 7). Children may also be interested in The Smartest Girl in the World at Imagination (October 7).
Kennedy Center’s multi-media show Wilderness addresses the topics of mental health, addiction, and gender identity (October 12).
Langston Hughes is the focus of MetroStage’s Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been (October 5).
Damn you, Booth! October brings two productions of Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant Assassins, at Pallas Theater Collective (October 5) and NextStop (October 19).
If you haven’t seen the omnipresent Our Town, you may as well see Aaron Posner’s version at Olney—with puppets (October 4).
The events in Pinky Swear’s Safe as Houses surround an ominous flood (October 18).
Is Chloe a comedian or a musician? Find out in I’ll Get You Back Again at Round House (October 4).
Tom Story plays God, literally, at Signature in An Act of God (October 3).
Antidepressants and love collide in Studio’s The Effect (October 4).
Want to see what the kinetic Synetic can do with The Adventures of Peter Pan? Tune in October 18.
A refugee is at the heart of Theater J’s Sotto Voce (October 3).
The Welders put on a seven-room, indoor/outdoor immersive theater production with Hello My Name Is(October 20).
Avant Bard studies the 18th-century scientist Emile du Chatelait in Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatelait Defends Her Life Tonight (October19).
Emily Zickler, Jimmy Mavrikes, Farrell Parker, Tiziano D’Affuso, and Patricia “Pep” Targete in The Wild Party, at Source through October 29. (Daniel Schwartz)
STILL PLAYING
Based on the life of 19th century socialite Marian Hooper Adams, Ally’s Clover is at Caos on F through October 28. We wrote that, “the playwrights make these 19th century figures relatable to a modern audience.”
Lin Manuel-Miranda’s pre-Hamilton tour de force In The Heights, from Round House and Olney, is still running until October 22.
1st Stage’s look at the death of a cult leader, Jesus Hopped the A Train, closes October 8.
Kids can learn How I Became a Pirate at Adventure through October 22.
Trippy musical The Wild Party runs at Constellation through October 29. We wrote that the “script’s surprising emotional heft shine[s] through without sacrificing the hedonistic spectacle the title implies.”
Ford’s Theater continues its run of Arthur Miller’s iconic Death of a Salesman through October 22.
Forum’s Love and Information, stuffed with a hundred characters, closes October 21.
Keegan’s comedy Stones in His Pockets, which takes place on a movie set, closes October 15.
A matinee? A Pinter play? How about two of the latter with Shakespeare Theater’s The Lover and The Collection (October 29).
Signature’s A Little Night Music just keeps running, with a final closing date set for October 15. Our critic calls it “a festive, sophisticated romp that more than earns its laughs, but it shouldn’t be overlooked as an impressive technical achievement.”
Studio’s Skeleton Crew runs through October 15. We found it to be “the best type of ensemble show: one that transcends its humble presentation to address an experience that exists beyond its characters.”
Taffety Punk wins for title of the month with She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange, which wraps up October 14.
In Theater Alliance’s Word Becomes Flesh a character writes letters to his unborn son (October 8).
Woolly Mammoth’sThe Arsonists ends October 8. We wrote that the show needs to take things further: “What could be a nuanced exploration of morality and the true definition of violence instead reads as black-and-white.”
LOOKING AHEAD Round House has the Shakespeare-themed The Book of Will, Arena turns its attention to one great artist in Nina Simone: Four Women, and much more.
