About Theater J 

 

Hailed by The New York Times as “The Premier Theater for Premieres,” Theater J has emerged as one of the most distinctive, progressive and respected Jewish theaters on the national and international scene. A program of the Washington DC Jewish Community Center, Theater J works in collaboration with the other components of the Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts: the Washington Jewish Film Festival and Screening Room, the Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery, and the  Program in Literature, Music and Dance.

 

OUR MISSION

Theater J produces thought-provoking, publicly engaged, personal, passionate and entertaining plays and musicals that celebrate the distinctive urban voice and social vision that are part of the Jewish cultural legacy. Acclaimed as one of the nation’s premiere playwrights’ theaters, Theater J presents cutting edge contemporary work alongside spirited revivals and is a nurturing home for the development and production of new work by major writers and emerging artists exploring many of the pressing moral and political issues of our time. Dedicated above all to a pursuit of artistic excellence, Theater J takes its dialogues beyond the stage, offering an array of innovative public discussion forums and outreach programs which explore the theatrical, psychological and social elements of our art. We frequently partner with those of other faiths and communities, stressing the importance of interchange among a great variety of people wishing to take part in frank, humane conversations about conflict and culture.



Performing in the 236-seat Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater in the vibrant Dupont Circle neighborhood, Theater J works with some of the world’s most distinguished authors for the stage. It has produced world premieres by Richard Greenberg, Thomas Keneally, Robert Brustein, Joyce Carol Oates, and Ariel Dorfman, with many debuts from emerging writers like Stefanie Zadravec, Sam Forman. The late Wendy Wasserstein’s play Third, which began at Theater J, received its New York premiere at Lincoln Center Theatre, while Neena Beber received an OBIE for her New York production of Jump/Cut (co-produced with Woolly Mammoth). Theater J’s diverse body of work features thematically linked festivals including its ongoing “Voices From a Changing Middle East” series. With hit productions ranging from Talley’s Folly and The Disputation to Pangs of the Messiah, The Price, Honey Brown Eyes (Winner of the 2009 Helen Hayes Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play), Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears and Zero Hour, which both opened this past November in New York, it’s no surprise that Washingtonian Magazine notes, “Theater J productions keep going from strength to strength.” Most recently Theater J received a special citation in The Washington Post‘s “Best of 2009 Theater” list for its community inquiry in presenting a reading of Caryl Churhill’s Seven Jewish Children.

Winner of the 2008 Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, Theater J offers a number of additional programs including Artistic Director’s Roundtables, Peace Cafés, Tea@2 (a monthly reading series) and our PASSPORTS education program. Theater J has garnered support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and is a member of the Cultural Alliance, the League of Washington Theatres, TCG and the  Association for Jewish Theatre.