By Southwester Staff
Arena Stage announced the ten shows that will comprise its 2024-2025 season, the first led by Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. The company’s 74th season will feature a mix of new works and reimagined classics, including six world-premiere productions and collaborations with some of the nation’s leading theater-makers.
“This season is a collection of ten dynamic American stories from our nation’s most exciting and provocative artistic voices,” Sharif said in a press release. “Arena Stage has a long and rich history of launching groundbreaking new plays into the world and I am honored to dream boldly as we lay the foundation for a future as limitless as our imaginations.”
The shows scheduled for the upcoming season include:
Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of
JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING
By Jocelyn Bioh
Directed by Whitney White
September 6 – October 13, 2024
Direct from Broadway, where it earned five Tony Nominations, including ‘Best Play,’ this comedic gem unravels the complexities of cultural identity, assimilation, and the pursuit of the American Dream within the African immigrant community in Harlem.
The World-Premiere Production of
THE OTHER AMERICANS
By John Leguizamo
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
October 18 – November 24, 2024
This world-premiere drama will star Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian, and producer John Leguizamo. In Queens, a Colombian American laundromat owner grapples with a failing business and buried secrets, until his son returns from a wellness facility after a traumatic incident and his world unravels.
The World-Premiere Production of
DATA
By Matthew Libby
Directed by Tyne Rafaeli
October 31 – December 15, 2024
A fast-paced techno-thriller unveiling dark secrets within Silicon Valley, this intriguingly suspenseful and relevant new play follows a brilliant entry-level programmer at a data-mining firm. An internal transfer reveals the true nature of his company’s highly controversial and secretive work, sparking a crisis of conscience.
The World-Premiere Production of
DEATH ON THE NILE
By Agatha Christie
Adapted for the Stage by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Hana S. Sharif
November 22 – December 29, 2024
Sharif’s DC directorial debut is a thrilling adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. Hercule Poirot becomes entangled in a web of deceit and desire aboard a cruise ship on the Nile River, and when a murder takes place, Poirot springs into action to unmask a killer.
Limited Holiday Experience
STEP AFRIKA!’S MAGICAL MUSICAL HOLIDAY STEP SHOW
December 13 – 22, 2024
Step back into the holiday spirit with the joyful return of Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show, where the rich tradition of African American stepping blends with the magic of the season. DJ Nutcracker and his Arctic friends amplify the festive atmosphere.
TO BE ANNOUNCED NEW MUSICAL
January 31 – March 16, 2025
THE AGE OF INNOCENCE
By Edith Wharton
Adapted for the Stage by Karen Zacarías
Directed by Hana S. Sharif
February 28 – March 30, 2025
Against the lavish backdrop of 1870s New York, Edith Wharton’s timeless masterpiece The Age of Innocence offers a searing critique of high society’s suffocating norms and a riveting tale of forbidden desires.
The World-Premiere Production of
FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT
By Larissa FastHorse
Directed by Michael John Garcés
April 3 – May 4, 2025
This uproarious comedy satirizes the non-profit sector with the story of Wynona, the Native American proprietor of N.O.B.U.S.H., and River, her white counterpart at Indigenous Nations Soaring. Their escalating rivalry ensnares colleagues and bystanders, highlighting the absurdities of ambition and authenticity.
The World-Premiere Production of
UNTITLED TARELL ALVIN McCRANEY PLAY
By Tarell Alvin McCraney
May 16 – June 15, 2025
A new play about queer love and forest magic from the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Moonlight features a couple facing a milestone anniversary and fundamental questions about their relationship. With a little support and a lot of confusion from family, friends, and a stranger in the dark, the question remains: will they find their way together or will they let fear and a secret lead them asunder?
The World-Premiere Production of
A WRINKLE IN TIME
Book by Lauren Yee
Music and Lyrics by Heather Christian
Based on the Novel Written by Madeleine L’Engle
Directed by Lee Sunday Evans
June 12 – July 20, 2025
A world-premiere musical adapts the classic young adult novel, featuring the epic quest of young Meg Murray, who must search for her missing father across time and space, energizing spirits with an exploration of boundless imagination, love, camaraderie and unwavering determination.