Arlington, VA’s Theater Scene is Bigger & Better Than Ever

You don’t have to leave Arlington to get a healthy dose of culture. From Tony Award®-winning theater and contemporary dance to Shakespeare classics and outdoor performances, seeing a show in Arlington is the perfect way to complete a day of sightseeing and experience the reason Arlington is known for an artsy vibe. 

Signature Theatre 

Arlington’s Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre company is known for contemporary and classic musicals and plays. “Our 2018/19 season continues Signature’s commitment to reimagining great musicals and premiering exciting new work,” said Maggie Boland, Signature Theatre’s managing director. 

Its 2018-19 season includes: 

• Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical Passion (Aug. 14 – Sept. 23, 2018)
• Heisenberg (Sept. 18 – Nov. 11, 2018)
• Billy Elliot the Musical (Oct. 30, 2018 – Jan. 6, 2019)
• Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical Show (Jan. 23, 2019 – March 10, 2019)
• Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (Feb. 26 – April 7, 2019)
• Grand Hotel, The Musical (April 2 – May 12, 2019)
• Spunk (April 30 – June 23, 2019)
• Blackbeard (June 11 – July 7)
• Sizzlin’ Summer Nights Cabaret Series (July 19 – Aug. 4, 2018) 

• Blues Revolution (Aug. 21 – 25, 2018) 

• Motown: The Reprise (Dec. 4 – 22, 2018) 

• Judy Garland: A Star is Born (Jan. 8 – 26, 2019)

 • Unforgettable (April 2 – 6, 2019)

 • Blowin’ In the Wind: Folk-Rock in America (June 25 – June 30, 2019)

The theater is located at the Village at Shirlington, a neighborhood of shops and restaurants on a picturesque promenade where you can enjoy an al fresco dinner before or after the show.

Synetic Theater

Learn the secrets of visual storytelling at Synetic Theater in the Crystal City neighborhood. Founding artistic director Paata Tsikurishvili is unveiling a 2018-19 season of “theater that moves” with wordless performances of popular Shakespeare plays and other favorites. See: 

• King Lear (Oct. 17 - Nov. 11, 2018)
• My Father’s Dragon (Dec. 4 - Jan. 6, 2019)
• Cyrano de Bergerac (Feb. 6 - March 10, 2019)
• Richard III (May 15 - June 16, 2019)
• Treasure Island (July 17 - Aug. 18, 2019)

WSC Avant Bard

WSC Avant Bard produces classic works with a provocative edge, as represented in this year’s production The Tempest through July 1, 2018. Avant Bard’s offbeat take on Shakespeare’s classic comedy tells the story through the lens of refugees and exiles. It asks, “How can we all get along on this island Earth?”

Dance Troupes

Arlington’s stages are also set for professional dancers who perform throughout the area. Bowen McCauley Dance Co. offers a contemporary summer dance performance at Lubber Run Amphitheater in Arlington on June 22, 2018 and a free performance at the Kennedy Center on July 28, 2018. Local dance group Jane Franklin Dance offers cutting edge shows throughout the year like programs by Forty+ which performs a varied repertory by multiple choreographers to celebrate the collective creativity of people past the age of 40.

And There’s More

Check the StayArlington events calendar for the latest schedule of performances and cultural happenings.