GUYS AND DOLLS

Based on a Story and Characters of Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Choreographed by Joshua Bergasse
Directed by Francesca Zambello
DEC 18, 2025 | Harman Hall | 11am

The oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York just got busted and Nathan Detroit needs cold hard cash to get it up and running again. Enter high-roller Sky Masterson, who Nathan wagers can’t get a date with the straightlaced Sarah Brown, a Salvation Army missionary trying to save them all from sin. Directed by Washington National Opera Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse (Smash, Bull Durham), dance the night away to “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and more classic tunes in the must-see show of the holiday season.

This production of Guys and Dolls was licensed by Music Theatre International.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

A New Story Live on Stage
Written by Levi Holloway
Directed by Felix Barrett
By arrangement with Paramount Pictures and Melting Pot
In co-production with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Center Theatre Group, and American Conservatory Theater
FEB 4, 2026 | Harman Hall | 11am


James and Lou move from Chicago to London to escape their past… An original story set in the world of the terrifying Paranormal Activity film franchise, this thrilling new play will haunt you long after the lights go out. We can’t say anything else.

The North American Premiere production is written by Levi Holloway, whose Tony Award-nominated Grey House chilled Broadway audiences in 2023. Felix Barrett—pioneering founder and artistic director of the acclaimed Punchdrunk, whose immersive Sleep No More played more than 5,000 performances in a record-breaking 14-year run—directs.

ON BECKETT

Conceived and performed by Bill Irwin
An Irish Repertory Theatre Production, Produced in association with Octopus Theatricals
FEB 25, 2026 | Klein Theatre | 11am

Tony Award-winning actor and master clown Bill Irwin (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Sesame Street) has spent a lifetime captivated by Samuel Beckett. With little more than a funny hat and a podium, Irwin mines the comedy and tragedy of Beckett’s work—including Waiting for Godot, Texts for Nothing, and more—in a nonstop display of jovial verbal and physical comedy that has become Irwin’s signature. Whether you’re encountering the Nobel Prize winner’s writings for the first time or building on a body of Beckett knowledge, the “pure, energizing joy” (The New York Times) of Irwin’s dynamic showcase is not to be missed.

The Royal Shakespeare Company and Neal Street Productions
Present
Maggie O’Farrell’s

HAMNET

Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti
Directed by Erica Whyman
MAR 25 & 26, 2026 | Harman Hall | 11am


When the plague steals 11-year-old Hamnet from his loving parents, Agnes and William, they must each confront their loss alone. And yet, out of the greatest suffering, something of extraordinary wonder is born. Experience the U.S. premiere of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “sweeping and sentimental” (The Guardian) stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel, adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi) and directed by Erica Whyman.

Wendell Pierce in

OTHELLO

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Simon Godwin
JUN 2, 3, 4 & 11, 2026 | Harman Hall | 11am


Simon Godwin directs Wendell Pierce (Elsbeth, The Wire) in Shakespeare’s towering tragedy about the power of words to kill. Venice is scandalized when its protector, Othello (Pierce), elopes with a nobleman’s daughter, while his most trusted lieutenant, Iago, seethes after being passed over for a promotion. Vengeful Iago speaks a word and contorts the world: transforming Othello’s faithful wife into an adulteress and upright men into beasts.

Pricing

With support from our program sponsors, we offer the following price-per-ticket options based on the percentage of free and reduced priced lunches provided at your school.

• D.C. Public and Public Charter Schools: $5
• Title I Schools: $5
• Non-D.C. Public Schools and Home School Groups: $15
• Private/Independent Schools: $25

All requests for Matinees must be submitted no later than one month prior to the desired date.

FAQ

How can my school pay for the tickets? 
Schools can pay by check or with credit card.

How do we get our tickets? 
We do not hand out physical tickets for student matinee performances. The group leader should check in with the STC representative in the lobby upon arriving at the theatre. Groups will be seated by STC staff in order of arrival.

What if I need to change the number of tickets I need? 
We realize that the number of students attending may fluctuate as the performance date approaches. All requests to add or subtract tickets after the original Letter of Agreement is issued must be made in writing and no later than one month prior to your scheduled performance. Changes are subject to the approval of the theatre and will not be accepted once final payment is submitted.

Will the performance be appropriate for my students? 
Generally, our student matinees are recommended for grades 6–12. If a show has a more specific age recommendation, we will post it on our website and notify ticket holders. If there is any questionable content that comes up during the rehearsal process, we will notify the group leader and they can choose to cancel the ticket reservation or attend as planned.

Where do the performances take place? 
Our theatres, Harman Hall and the Klein Theatre, are located in Penn Quarter in downtown Washington, D.C. Learn more about getting to our theatres.

Is there a place for buses to park? 
There is no place for buses to park at the theatres. Buses should drop off students in front of the theatre and pick them up in the same location for dismissal.

How long do the performances last? 
Each play has a different duration. In general, the play and post-performance talkback with the actors will last no longer than three hours total. The School Programs Manager will be in touch with a more accurate run-time as your specific performance date gets closer.

Can students eat during intermission? 
Intermission will last fifteen minutes. This time should be used for bathroom/water breaks and eating a snack. Additionally, concessions will be available during intermission.

IMPORTANT: No food or drink is allowed in the theatre. Water bottles with lids are fine. You may bring snacks/lunches for your students to eat in the lobby during intermission. If you do so, please bring one large box with your school name on it. STC will also provide bins for lunches before the show. Students must place snacks/lunches in your school’s designated bin before entering the theatre. The Learning staff will have the boxes out and ready for students during intermission.

Can our school have lunch in the theatre following the performance? 
All groups must leave the theatre when the event is over. Staff is not available to supervise and there are often rehearsals and other events that are scheduled in the theatre after the matinee. Groups are welcome to eat lunch at one of the many restaurants in Gallery Place or Penn Quarter.

Testimonials

What teachers and students are saying about STC's student matinees:

“I love the set! Actors were AMAZING. It’s amazing to be afforded this opportunity to see live plays! This was my first play ever.”
–Student from SEED Public Charter School (D.C.) who attended King Lear  

“Before I saw the play, I thought Shakespeare was simply difficult and boring language but the play brought it to life. In the play, it was much more interesting because they added scenes and modern characteristics to draw people my age in.”
–Student who attended A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“Amazing production value and modernization! Great acting, post-show talkback, all of it was wonderful. Thank you for making this possible for my students.”
–Teacher from Center City Public Charter School (D.C.)

“The play was absolutely fantastic! So uplifting and awe-inspiring for our group of English Language Learners who have never seen a live professional play. Enjoying a live, professional play of this caliber is transformational. It also helps them feel more confident in tackling Shakespeare in their English curriculum. For our emergent English learners, I couldn’t think of a better introduction to live theater in general and to Shakespeare in particular than this contemporary and hysterical production of Much Ado About Nothing.”
–Sharon Faber, Theater Program for Emergent English Learners Teacher at Watkins Mill High School (Montgomery County, MD)

Have questions?

Contact Schools@ShakespeareTheatre.org