FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2007 

DC PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS ANNOUNCES 2007-2008 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Planning a cultural getaway? DC's theatres and performing arts groups have put together plenty of reasons to check out the cultural capital city.

• John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: From Feb. 5-17, the Kennedy Center plays host to JAPAN! culture + hyperculture: an unprecedented showcase of traditional and contemporary Japanese arts, featuring 467 artists from 17 different performing companies in 47 performances of music, dance and theatre. A special exhibition, Robotopia Rising highlights the science and culture of Japanese robotics, with free demonstrations daily.

Also coming up at the Kennedy Center:

• Four original family productions in the Family Theater, including a new family production co-commissioned by the White House Historical Association, "An American Home: The White House."
• August Wilson's 20th Century: Wilson's ten-play cycle will be performed for the first time in chronological order as staged readings, featuring an all-star cast. (Mar. 4-29, 2008).
• A Cappella: Singing Solo: a ten-day showcase of a cappella performances from internationally-known artists, including Grammy winners Bobby McFerrin and Ladysmith Black Mambazo (May 28-June 6, 2008).
• Arena Stage: Artistic Director Molly Smith celebrates her 10th year at Arena with a season of three world premieres ("33 Variations" by Moisés Kaufman; "The Women of Brewster Place,"a musical retelling of Gloria Naylor's novel; and "Christmas Carol 1941," a fresh take on the Dickens tale by James Magruder, set in DC.) Arena Stage is also staging a tribute to Arthur Miller, performing two of his plays, "A View from the Bridge" and "Death of a Salesman" in repertory, March 14-May 18.
• The Studio Theatre celebrates its 30th anniversary next season by staging hot productions like Tony Award-winner "The History Boys" (opening March 26), "Jerry Springer: The Opera," (opening July 16) and the world premiere of "This Beautiful City" by the OBIE Award-winning troupe The Civilians (opening June 11). It's also returning to its roots with a production of "The Rimers of Eldritch," the theatre's first-ever production, directed by Artistic Director and founder Joy Zinoman (opening Dec. 31).
• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Woolly is planning another season of wacky, compelling contemporary works. A few of the highlights "Current Nobody," the world premiere of a modern interpretation of Homer's Odyssey by Melissa James Gibson (Oct. 29-Nov. 25); "No Child…," a solo show by writer/ actress Nilaja Sun, who transforms herself into the various players in a New York City public school (Jan. 14-Feb. 10) and "Stunning," a world premiere by David Adjmi, inspired by "A Streetcar Named Desire" (March 10-April 6).
• Signature Theatre: In its first full season at its new home in Arlington, Va., Signature will stage the East Coast premiere of "The Studio," a dance play written and directed by Christopher D'Amboise (Nov. 6-Dec. 2) and "Glory Days," a world premiere musical chronicling four high school friends who reunite after a year apart (Jan. 15-Feb. 17). Signature will also celebrate Broadway songwriting partners John Kander and Fred Ebb with productions of three of their works: "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (March 11-April 20), "The Happy Time" (April 1-June 1) and "The Visit" (May 13-June 22).
• Folger Shakespeare Theatre: The Folger Shakespeare Theatre's season includes "As You Like It" (Oct. 17-Nov. 25); "Macbeth" - with magic conceived by Teller, of Penn & Teller fame - (Feb. 28-April 6); and Richard Brinsley Sheridan's "School for Scandal" (May 7-June 15).
• Washington Ballet: Budding dancers will enjoy the Ballet's new family productions, including "Where the Wild Things Are" (Nov. 2-4); "The Nutcracker" (Dec. 6-23), "Peter and the Wolf" (Mar. 13-16) and "Cinderella" (May 7-11).

Shakespeare Theatre Company Prepares to Open New Facility

The Shakespeare Theatre Company will expand its downtown presence with the opening of the Harman Center for the Arts, slated for Oct. 1. The facility will consist of two mid-sized theatres in the heart of the booming Penn Quarter, the new 776-seat Sidney Harman Hall (6th and F Streets, NW) and the existing 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre. 

With its new space, the Company will expand its season from five to eight plays, adding performances in repertory, new family and lunch-time programming and even creating a mini-Christopher Marlowe festival. The Company will also reach out to younger audiences with a new $10 ticket program. Through its repertory program, the Company will cater to Shakespeare-savvy visitors, enabling them to see as many as three productions in one weekend. 

During the 2007-2008 season, the Shakespeare Theatre Company will present "The Taming of the Shrew" (Sep. 25-Nov. 25, 2007) and Moliere's "The Imaginary Invalid" (Jun. 10-Aug. 3, 2008) in the Lansburgh Theatre.

At the Harman Center, theatre-goers can catch two plays by Shakespeare contemporary Christopher Marlowe performed in repertory: "Tamburlaine" (Oct. 28-Jan. 6) and "Edward II" (Oct. 27-Jan. 6). During the series, patrons will also enjoy exhibitions, lectures, films and poetry readings to explore Marlowe in greater depth. Harman Hall also hosts repertory productions of Shakespeare's Roman works, "Julius Caesar" (Apr. 27-Jul. 6) and "Antony and Cleopatra" (Apr. 26-Jul. 6). Other highlights include Mary Zimmerman's "Argonautika" (Jan. 15-Mar. 2), George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara" (Feb. 19-Mar. 23).

Families can introduce their budding actors and actresses to classical theatre with new kid-friendly programming. For the 2007-2008 season, the Company has commissioned award-winning playwright Norman Allen to write "On the Eve of Friday Morning," a modern retelling of classic Persian folktales, running in Dec. 2007. Downtown workers and visitors can take advantage of the Company's new semi-monthly free lunch-hour programming, including conversations with artists and community leaders. And to further its efforts to build younger audiences, the Company will launch a $10 ticket program, offering 20,000 tickets during the 2007-2008 season for just $10.

Summer Theatre Spotlights Edgy Performances

The fun, funky Capital Fringe Festival returns for its second showing July 19-29 to once again break the boundaries of traditional art and theatre. Throughout the ten-day festival, audiences can choose from more than 500 audacious and inventive performances of theatre, dance, music, poetry and puppetry, performed by more than 120 local, national and international artists. More than 30 unique venues, including the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Goethe Institut, Bus Boys and Poets, Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre and Gala Hispanic Theatre, will share the stage with Fringe artists. Admission prices vary by show and range from free to $35. Six-Pack Passes are also available for $75 each; or, patrons can choose the All-Access Pass for $300 and receive entry to any show. Tickets may be purchased online at capfringe.org, by phone at 1-866-811-4111 and at performance venues on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Festival Box Office, located at 507 7th Street N.W., will also sell tickets up to two hours before showtime from noon to 6pm, Monday through Saturday. For a complete list of participating artists, venues and performance times, log onto capfringe.org

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