Play readings and workshops offer a chance to see exciting new work at various stages of development. Want to see the next big thing while it’s still being crafted? Get in on the ground level and see the creative process in action. Featuring new plays and musicals by local and national artists, h ere are the upcoming play readings and workshops in the DMV. FEBRUARY 2026 Annapolis Opera presents the first reading of The Alchemists, a new opera by Christian De Gré Cárdenas and Joseph Reese Anderson, followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists and creators, Sunday, February 22 at 3:00 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, 333 Dubois Rd, Annapolis, MD. Tickets are $36 ($22 for students) and available here.  Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents Heart and Soul, a celebration of Black excellence in music, Saturday, February 21 at 5:00 PM at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets range from $54.77-$72.28 (fees included) and are available here.  Shakespeare Theatre Company presents its 37th annual Mock Trial, “IF THE HANDKERCHIEF COULD TALK”: Estate of Emilia v. Estate of Desdemona, Tuesday, February 17 at 7:30 PM at STC’s Harman Hall, 610 F St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets range from $95-$250, with a livestream option for $25, and are available here.  Everyman Theatre presents a reading of The Regular by Bob Bartlett, the story of an Army veteran rebuilding a life on the open road, Monday, February 16 at 7:00 PM at Everyman, 315 West Fayette St, Baltimore, MD. This reading is presented as part of Everyman’s Script Tease series previewing new works. Tickets are pay-what-you-can (minimum $5) and available here.  The Essential Theatre presents No Ways Tired, a pre-celebration and reflection on 250 years of America’s independence, Monday, February 16 at 3:00 PM at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library, 901 G St NW, Washington, DC. The event features spoken word by Sonia Sanchez arranged by the late Bernice Johnson Reagon, and a cappella spirituals performed by In Process and Reverb. Admission is free; RSVP here. Live Garra Theatre presents Voice of the Human Living Experience, a live Playback Theater experience inviting audiences to share stories from their life and see these moments turned into improvised scenes on the spot, Sunday, February 15 at 4:00 PM at the Silver Spring Black Box Theatre, 8641 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD. Tickets are pay-what-you-can (minimum $5) and available here.  Cahoots NI, a company from Northern Ireland dedicated to delivering “theatrical magic for young audiences,” presents Secrets of Space, Sunday, February 15 at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM at George Mason University’s Hylton Center for the Performing Arts, Merchant Hall, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. This production is recommended for ages 7+. Tickets are $24 and available here.  Atlas Performing Arts Center presents the 2026 Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival, February 14-March 15 at the Atlas, 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC. The INTERSECTIONS Festival invites audiences of all ages to engage with a diverse lineup of performances in the genres of story, movement, and sound. Tickets range from $25-$37 for individual events, with a 3-show pass available for $69, a 4-show pass for $88, and a 5-show pass for $100. Festival lineup and tickets are available here. Virginia Opera presents the Virginia premiere of Intelligence by Jake Heggie, an operatic drama that tells a gripping true story of espionage, sacrifice, and the fight for freedom during the Civil War. Performances are Saturday, February 14 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, February 15 at 2:00 PM in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus, 4373 Mason Pond Dr, Fairfax, VA. Tickets are $45-$116 (half price for youth up to grade 12), and available here.  Opera Lafayette presents Queen of Hearts, a Valentine’s Day revel featuring guest conductor Nic McGegan, soprano Maya Kherani, and tenor James Reese, Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 PM at St. Francis Hall, 1340 Quincy St NE, Washington, DC. Tickets are $60 and available here.  Young Playwrights’ Theater presents Riot: The Beat of Freddie Gray by Ty’Ree Hope Davis, Monday, February 9 at 7:00 PM at Everyman Theatre, 315 West Fayette St, Baltimore, MD. Tickets are $25 in-person ($15 students and seniors) and $15 livestream ($5 students and seniors) and available here.  Cirque Mechanics present Tilt! A Circus Thrill Ride, Saturday, February 7 at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM at George Mason University’s Hylton Center for the Performing Arts, Merchant Hall, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets are $38-$60 (half price for youth up to grade 12), and available here.  Future Ghost presents a reading of DADDY: a love story by Lyam Gabel, a tender, funny, and mythic love story about trans* pregnancy, desire, and lineage, Saturday, February 7 at 11:00 AM at The Voxel, 9 West 25th St, Baltimore, MD. Bites and childcare provided. Tickets are on a sliding scale from $5-$20 and available here.  George Mason University’s School of Theater presents Mason Cabaret: The Songs of William Finn, Friday, February 6 at 7:30 PM at George Mason University’s Hylton Center for the Performing Arts, Gregory Family Theater, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets are $35 ($19 seniors and students) and available here.  Alliance for New Music-Theatre presents Music Without Borders by Javier Arrey, the latest in ANMT’s George Fulginiti Series: Cabaret, Cocktails, Conversation, Tuesday, February 3 at 7:00 PM at the Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I St NW, Washington, DC, and Friday, February 6 at 7:30 PM at the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St, Alexandria, VA. Tickets are $65 for the Arts Club cabaret and available here. Tickets are $40 for the Lyceum cabaret and available here.  JANUARY 2026 Theatre@CBT presents Annie, Saturday, January 31 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, February 1 at 2:00 PM at Congregation B’nai Tzedek, 10621 S. Glen Rd, Potomac, MD. Tickets are $18 and available here.  Wishing Star Productions presents Curious George: The Golden Meatball, Saturday, January 31 at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus, 4373 Mason Pond Dr, Fairfax, VA. This production is recommended for ages 4-9. Tickets are $24 and available here.  Aquila Theatre presents The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sunday, January 25 at 4:00 PM at George Mason University’s Hylton Center for the Performing Arts, Merchant Hall, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets are $35-$55 (half price for youth up to grade 12), and available here.  Theater J presents Stories from the Brink by Iris Bahr, Saturday, January 24 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM and Sunday, January 25 at 2:00 PM at the Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St NW, Washington, DC. The Sunday performance features a preshow conversation with Theater J Education Programs Manager Hester Kamin. Tickets are $79.99 ($69.99 for DCJCC members) and available here. Theater J subscribers can purchase $39 tickets as a subscription add-on; contact the box office directly at [email protected].  Pipeline Playwrights presents an on-demand stream of It’s My Party! by Ann Timmons, exploring the rivalries and personalities behind the women’s suffrage movement, available from Thursday, January 22 through Thursday, February 5. Tickets are $22 ($15 for students and $30 for small groups) and available here.  Signature Theatre presents public performances of This Ends in Blood by Dani Stoller, the 2026 Signature in the Schools play, Monday, January 19 at 7:00 PM and Monday, January 26 at 7:00 PM at Signature, 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA. Tickets are $15 and available here.  Creative Cauldron presents its 15th annual Passport to the World of Music Festival, January 9 – February 1 at 127 E. Broad St, Falls Church, VA. The concert series offers musical styles for every taste: Latin, jazz, blues, folk and world music. Performances are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 7:30 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $30 (Tier 1), $25 (Tier 2), $90 (Table for 2, including 2 glasses of wine), or $180 (Table for 4, including one bottle of wine), with a livestream option available for $15. Full festival lineup and tickets available here.  The post Calendar: Play Readings, Workshops, and Short-Run Theater Events in the DMV appeared first on DC Theater Arts. ...read more read less