Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is proud to announce its 2026/27 season, the first curated by newly appointed Artistic Director Reggie D. White. This five-play lineup reaffirms Woolly’s commitment to audacious, evocative theatricality and artists whose work pushes the boundaries of form, perspect ive, and imagination. Spanning cosmic dark comedy, intimate ensemble work, workplace satire, technological ubiquity, and genre-defying adaptation, this season showcases five playwrights making their Woolly Mammoth debuts. It kicks off with Venus, a meet-cute gone spectacularly wrong by Steve Yockey which White will direct. It continues with Hanukkah Spectacular, a raucous holiday show in the making by Max Posner, directed by renowned director David Cromer. Next is Ten Grand by Kate Cortesi, also directed by White, a love letter to Goodwill stores and daytime soap operas until things take a dangerous turn. Woolly Mammoth Company Member Jared Mezzocchireturns to direct Bobby Robotowitz, a journey of AI proportions, co-produced with City Theatre of Pittsburgh, and written by Matt Schatz. Rounding out the season is a.k. payne’s love i awethu further, a poetic reimagining of Julius Caesar, produced in association with Jamila Ponton Bragg and directed by Tamilla Woodard. Artistic Director Reggie D. White and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s 2026/27 season “Woolly’s work has existed on the bleeding edge of theatrical provocation for nearly 50 years.” says White, “As I poured over hundreds of plays deciding which stories would be part of my first season as Artistic Director, these five plays left indelible impressions on me. Steve, Max, Kate, Matt, and a.k. have crafted virtuosic offerings that are unmistakable in their voice, unapologetic in their point of view, and undeniable in their storytelling. These plays ask big, existential questions: questions that make us lean forward, arouse our curiosity, and feel less alone. It’s such an honor to have the torch passed down to me from Howard and Maria, and I’m so excited to introduce the Woolly herd to five of the most incredible minds in the American Theatre.” Says Woolly Mammoth’s Managing Director Kimberly Douglas: “Woolly Mammoth’s 47th season is a thrilling celebration of artistic vision and rigor exploring the complexities of our humanity, delighting in the distinctive and unique voices creating exciting art, and honoring a moment in our nation’s capital where we need art to help us all be braver, freer, and unabashedly courageous in living our values.” With both longtime collaborators and bold new voices, the 2026/27 lineup reflects Woolly Mammoth’s dedication to new work that is both fearless and radically welcoming. In addition to these five plays, Woolly’s season will include Connectivity events and learning opportunities, the continuation of a new Playwrights Group, and additional programming to be announced later this year. The 2026/27 season Includes: VENUS by Steve Yockey Directed by Reggie D. White September 9 – October 4, 2026 A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere Sometimes the scariest part of dating is what you bring with you. Nicole likes things orderly: curated dating profiles, classic decor, clean breaks. Beth is all instinct: showing up to book club meetings uninvited, sending too many flowers, and spontaneous first kisses. What begins as an intoxicating collision of opposites turns bizarre as romance descends into obsession, fear takes on a life of its own, and both women find themselves haunted by their pasts, their patterns, and a strange woman in a red raincoat.  A star-gazing dark comedy, Venus launches the 2026–2027 season with a bang (or a shovel?), as Woolly’s new Artistic Director Reggie D. White helms this celestial fever dream by Steve Yockey (creator of HBO’s Flight Attendant, Netflix’s Dead Boy Detective).  HANUKKAH SPECTACULAR by Max Posner Directed by David CromerNovember 14 – December 13, 2026 World Premiere Four artists, three days, one conference room, and a play that could combust before it’s even finished.   Set over a long weekend in a Midtown talent agency, Hanukkah Spectacular drops us into a glass-walled pressure cooker where a group of Jewish artists attempt the seemingly impossible: to make a commercially viable holiday hit about Hanukkah. What starts as a rehearsal comedy becomes a reckoning as lines between actor and character dissolve, a brother and sister’s unresolved history cracks the room open, a writer’s nervous system short-circuits, and a veteran director discovers his real job: to be the parent nobody cast him as.   Written by Lucille Lortel Nominee Max Posner (The Treasurer) and directed by Tony-winner David Cromer (The Band’s Visit), Hanukkah Spectacular is a comedy about collaborating with trauma. TEN GRAND by Kate Cortesi Directed by Reggie D. White February 1 – 28, 2027 World Premiere Welcome to Goodwill, where everything has a past and everyone has a story.   In a Boston-area Goodwill store, it’s business as usual. Employees and customers form quiet alliances, rituals, and rivalries amid piles of stuff that’s been “gently used” and “twice loved.” One highly detail-oriented worker crushes on a coworker. A production assistant working on a nearby film set likes her too. Her manager just wants her to get to work on time. And All My Children plays in the breakroom every day like gospel.   But when an unexpected item shows up in the donation bin, ordinary workplace drama takes on life-or-death stakes.  Ten Grand, by Princess Grace Award winner Kate Cortesi is a play about discarded people, community care, and how the stories we tell become our destiny.  BOBBY ROBOTOWITZ by Matt Schatz Directed by Jared MezzocchiMarch 29 – April 25, 2027 A co-production with City TheatreWorld Premiere Dina is a novelist. Technically.  Down on her luck and running out of words, Dina turns to a chatbot — Bobby Robotowitz — for a little help: punch up a sentence, polish a pitch, maybe some life coaching. Bobby delivers. And then some. As Bobby evolves from assistant to collaborator to something a little more…intimate(?), Dina’s real life starts to glitch. Who’s writing whom?   Woolly Mammoth Company Member Jared Mezzocchi (The Arsonists, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity) directs this sharp comedy about creativity, codependency, and the seductive pull of technology.   LOVE I AWETHU FURTHER by a.k. payne Directed by Tamilla WoodardJune 1 – 27, 2027 Produced in Association with Jamila Ponton Bragg World Premiere Time slips. Breath syncs. A revolution begins.  Callie dreams up a plan — slow-grown in tobacco rows, memorized in the body, waiting for the right storm. On the plantation that Mistress Catherine insists is a utopia of women, a constellation gathers around Callie: twin, lover, reader, seer, ancestor. Together, they wrestle with an infinite question — what does it cost to be free?  In this explosive and poetic adaptation of Julius Caesar, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize winner a.k. payne (Furlough’s Paradise)defies genre and gender expectations as they show history as something unstable, collective, and still unfolding.  CONNECTIVITY Woolly’s nationally acclaimed Connectivity Department continues to curate illuminating show-specific events and conversations designed to dive deeper into the themes, big ideas, and civic questions embedded in our work, and support audiences in drawing connections to their own lived experiences. Connectivity also deepens Woolly’s relationships throughout the DMV in the form of partnerships and collaborations that allow Woolly to remain responsive to community needs. The company’s programming and initiatives, both in and beyond the building, serve to link Woolly’s artistic, social, and political missions. Placing the arts at the center of civic life, Connectivity invites you to celebrate America’s 250th birthday ALL MONTH LONG this July! Taking place at Woolly’s home in the heart of Downtown DC, equidistant from the Capitol and the White House, this dynamic series of free events, We the Woolly: Remixing 250 honors and celebrates the diversity of the Nation’s capital and its people while inviting attendees to collectively envision the DC of the future. These events will feature live music, dance, spoken word, circus acts, family friendly programming, and more as we continue to push the boundaries of theatrical storytelling with interdisciplinary programming and partnerships. During this monumental celebration, Woolly Mammoth will serve as a cultural hub for the city, strengthening and connecting communities while fostering a more equitable, participatory, and creative society.  Additionally, during the 2026/27 season, recently named Connectivity Core Partners Howard University and SMYAL will join Black in Space and Miss Chief Rocka (nêhiyaw/Cree) in collaborating with Woolly on vibrant, community-driven artistic and cultural events that encourage a sense of belonging and strengthen community identity. The return of the fourth annual Native American Art Market, curated by Mary Phillips (Umoⁿhoⁿ/Pueblo of Laguna), and the 25th season of Spit Dat, DC’s longest running open mic (in residence at Woolly since 2019), mark Woolly’s continued commitment to centering local voices and amplifying the work of local creatives.  Woolly Mammoth also serves as a launching pad for early career theater practitioners from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the field by providing a sustainable, accessible point of entry into the industry. Woolly contributes to the city’s creative ecology through workforce development opportunities with programs such as the Connectivity Core Partner Theatre Lab/AICA and the Miranda Family Fellowship. Other programs focused on learning, such as the Arts and Social Justice Fellowship with Connectivity Core Partner Strathmore, support youth development and leadership while nurturing the next generation of artists and changemakers. Learn more about Connectivity programming at woollymammoth.net/connectivity. PLAYWRIGHTS GROUP The 2026/27 season will include the continuation of a new initiative at Woolly Mammoth — the Playwrights Group. Woolly Mammoth began a new Playwrights Group during the 2025/26 season with eight local playwrights and funding from the Weissberg Foundation. The program’s goals are to foster community among local artists, encourage learning and resource sharing, and aid writers in developing their work and their understanding of the field.  Playwrights were selected from nominations by colleagues at five DMV theaters: Arena Stage, Mosaic Theater Company, Round House Theatre, Theater Alliance, and Studio Theatre. The inaugural cohort includes Aeneas Hemphill, Caleen Sinnette Jennings, Doug Robinson, Jason Tseng, KJ Moran Velz, Mekala Sridhar, Seshat Yon’shea Walker, and Sopan Deb. Playwrights meet monthly to share work and give feedback leading up to a showcase of excerpts from the writers’ plays on June 27, 2026. In the coming season, Woolly will be expanding the program to offer these writers full readings of their plays. Learn more about the Playwrights Group at woollymammoth.net/playwrights-group. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING Stay tuned for additional programming during the 2026/27 season which includes projects that highlight Woolly’s commitment to new works by queer writers.  TICKETS Woolly continues its commitment to radical access and deep audience engagement through its Golden Ticket program — the best way to experience the full journey of the season. This all-access pass invites audiences to dive fully into Woolly’s work, offering the flexibility to see any show, on any date, in any seat, as many times as they like across the year (subject to availability).  With early booking access, free exchanges, special event invitations, and the ability to return to productions with new perspectives, the Golden Ticket makes theater-going frictionless — removing barriers to attendance while deepening engagement with Woolly’s work.Golden Tickets are on sale now and are valid for a year after purchase. Golden Ticket holders will get first access to reserve seats for the 2026/27 season. Purchase at woollymammoth.net/goldenticket. Single tickets for the 2026/27 season will go on sale Summer 2026, at a date to be announced. ABOUT WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY The Tony Award-winning Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company creates radically redefining theater that highlights the tremendous complexity of our world. For almost 50 years, Woolly has exemplified a standard of artistic rigor that dares to take theatrical risks, showcases new and diverse voices, and pushes the culture forward. One of the few remaining theaters in the country to maintain a company of multi-disciplinary artists, Woolly serves an essential research and development role within the American theater. Plays premiered here have gone on to productions at hundreds of theaters all over the world and have had lasting impacts on the field.  Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is led by Artistic Director Reggie D. White and Managing Director Kimberly E. Douglas. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is located in Washington, DC, equidistant from the Capitol and the White House. This unique location influences Woolly’s investment in actively working towards an equitable, participatory, and creative democracy. Woolly Mammoth stands upon occupied, unceded territory: the ancestral homeland of the Nacotchtank whose descendants belong to the Piscataway peoples. Furthermore, the foundation of this city, and most of the original buildings in Washington, DC, were funded by the sale of enslaved people of African descent and built by their hands. ...read more read less