1st Stage

1524 SPRING HILL ROAD | TYSONS, VA 22102 | (703) 854-1856

Archives

Lobby Hero

When Jeff, a luckless young security guard, and his tightly wound supervisor are drawn into an unexpected criminal investigation, loyalties are strained to the breaking point. This timely comic drama, by one of the most acclaimed writers of his generation, explores the way race, gender, and duty influence our perceptions and define our moral codes. How do we find justice when we live in a world of conflicting truths? Status, allegiance, and social conventions are all called into question as Lonergan unravels this quirky, philosophical drama. Time Out NY has hailed the piece as, “A masterpiece. The best drama, the best comedy and the best romance of the year, all rolled into one.”

Broadway Bound

Part three of Neil Simon’s acclaimed autobiographical trilogy finds Eugene and his older brother Stanley trying to break into the world of show business as professional comedy writers while coping with their parents break-up and eventual divorce. When their material is broadcast on the radio for the first time, the family is upset to hear a thinly-veiled portrait of themselves played for laughs. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Time Magazine called this tender, humorous play, “…the best play of the decade.”

Trevor

Inspired by true events, Trevor is a subversive comedy about fame, success, and the lies we tell ourselves in order to keep people from taking away an erratic, 200-pound chimpanzee. At the center of this hilarious and heart-wrenching play are two individuals fighting against a world unable to understand their love: Trevor, a chimpanzee who once performed in commercials with the likes of Morgan Fairchild, and his owner Sandra, who swears he would never hurt a fly…at least not on purpose. A moving exploration of family, flawed communication, and humanity.

Well

“This play is not about my mother and me,” begins the character of Lisa. But, of course, it is about her mother, and her mother’s extraordinary ability to heal a changing neighborhood, despite her inability to heal herself. In this “solo show with people in it,” Kron asks the provocative question: “Do we create our own illness?” The answers she gets are much more complicated than she bargained for as the play spins dangerously out of control into riotously funny and unexpected territory. “A drama of depth, infectious humor and great humanity. Riveting.” – The Star-Ledger

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

The time is 1927. The place is a rundown recording studio in Chicago. Ma Rainey, the legendary blues singer, is due to arrive with her entourage to cut new sides of old favorites. Waiting for her are her black musician sidemen, the white owner of the record company, and her white manager. What goes down in the session to come is more than music. This first play of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning 20th Century Cycle, is a riveting portrayal of black rage…of racism, of the self-hate that racism breeds, and of racial exploitation.