Clean House
Nomadic Theater, October 8-12, Walsh Black Box. Tickets are $9.
While this house may be clean, it is filled with emotional baggage. With everything from depression to an affair to an identity crisis, there is much for Matilde, the new Brazilian live-in maid, to do. The only problem is she hates to clean and is on a quest to find the perfect joke. With a comedic spin on the usual dramatic struggles, expect equal parts smart and serious from this Pulitzer Prize finalist play, as well as a number of monologues in Portuguese.
…And Jesus Moonwalks the Missisippi
Black Theater Ensemble, October 16-18, Davis Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $7 for students.
Don’t worry, the title of this play is not a metaphor—there is a glorious moment when Jesus does indeed glide backwards effortlessly. If the idea of Jesus moonwalking isn’t enough to convince you to go, there is also the mix of lyrical poetry and historical backstory in this retelling of the Greek myth about Demeter in search of her daughter, Persephone. Instead of the underworld, this play takes place in the American South during the Civil War, which, for an escaped slave, might as well be one and the same.
Twelve Angry Men
Mask and Bauble, October 23-30 and November 1, Poulton Hall. Tickets are $8 for students.
All aspiring lawyers eager to see what they’re really up against should catch this dramatized glimpse of what happens behind closed doors in the jury room. Sure to challenge preconceptions about guilt and redefine notions about reasonable doubt, this play will definitely live up to its title on the “anger” front with a number of passionate monologues. What it won’t live up to is the number of men, as Mask and Bauble plans gender-blind casting, so anticipate some angry women this time around.
The Race
Davis Performing Arts Center, October 30-November 8, Davis Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $7 for students.
Do you watch CSPAN for fun? Can’t get enough election coverage? Are you a political junkie looking for another hit? We’ve found the perfect play for you in The Race, which blends fact and fiction, blurring the line between news and theater as it follows this year’s presidential election. A meld of political science with “living ethno-fiction,” it’s unclear if the play will change after the votes are tallied. See it as an opportunity to re-watch the road to success, or see the play-by-play of mishaps for your favorite candidate.
The T Party
Davis Performing Arts Center faculty and students, December 4-6, Gonda Theater. Tickets for students are free with reservation.
At this party, the ‘T’ stands for transgender, so you can count on anything but the typical theater fanfare. Inspired by D.C.’s transgender community and created by Georgetown’s Performance and Gender class, this event promises to defy gravity and gender norms while being mad crazy fun.
