Our 31st Anniversary Season: 2017 – 2018
Discover our bold, authentic productions that will transport you to Europe and beyond.
story by William Shakespeare (England)
directed by Robert McNamara (US / DC)
Sept 1 – 24, 2017
Senators Cassius and Brutus are suspicious of Caesar’s growing power in the Republic. They fear he will accept offers to become Emperor. Cassius is jealous, and with his allies, he convinces Brutus to assasinate Caesar. All conspirators stab Caesar to death on the Ides of March. Yet, their troubles have just begun. Citizens unite and rebel. Unrest sweeps Rome. And the rebels flee to Greece, form an army, and wage battle against Caesar-loyalist Mark Antony and his troops in a vain attempt to reclaim power. Political aspirations and the fate of all Rome hang in the balance during this climactic battle.
ATLAS Performing Arts Center, Lab I (1333 H St. NE, Washington, DC 20002)
story by John Shand (Australia)
directed by Robert McNamara (US / DC)
Jan. 10th – Feb. 4th, 2018
Set in 17th-century France and based on historical events, the play tells of the charming, clever, philandering French priest Urbain Grandier (1590-1634), who accrues male enemies and lovelorn women with equal ease. When an entire convent of nuns becomes infatuated with him he is accused of witchcraft, suggesting other motivations may be at work in cases of intolerance, xenophobia and persecution. UltimatelyGUILT depicts a collision between the lives of five people who can’t tell truth from lies. It is its focus on the inner worlds of its characters that sets it apart from other works (of theatre, cinema and opera) that have dealt with these historical events.
ATLAS Performing Arts Center, Lab I (1333 H St. NE, Washington, DC 20002)
written by Samuel Beckett (Ireland)
directed by Robert McNamara (USA / DC)
Previews: T.B.A.
March 16 – April 8, 2018
Footfalls
Not I
Rockaby
Come revel in a trio of classic, yet irreverent plays by the master of minimalism and theatre of the absurd, Samuel Beckett. These three short but powerful plays explore the nature of life in a complicated world and our place in the grander universe. This series will feature renowned DC-area actors including acclaimed actress & Helen Hayes Award-winner, Nanna Ingvarsson.
ATLAS Performing Arts Center, Lab I (1333 H St. NE, Washington, DC 20002)
written by George Orwell (England)
directed by Robert McNamara (USA / DC)
Previews: Apri 27 & 28 & 29
April 30 – May 27th, 2018
Don’t miss our masterful take on totalitarianism. This dystopian drama could be set in the past, the future, or even the present. The protagonist, Winston Smith, must survive in a fascist society controlled by a legion of henchmen and their intimidating leader, “Big Brother”. 1984 is set in a state of perpetual war in Oceania and Eurasia where Stalin-like purges from society are a daily reality—unless you conform to the accepted modes of speech, behavior and allegiance. Discover Orwell’s twisted world of double-speak, where your thoughts are not your own. This brazen play is a forewarning metaphor for the P.C. culture of today, the draconian societies of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, and whatever lies ahead in our near future? Be careful what you say or even think—because Big Brother is watching!
ATLAS Performing Arts Center, Lab I (1333 H St. NE, Washington, DC 20002)