Theater News

Robert Schenkkan's The Great Society Joins Arena Stage's 2017-18 Season

The sequel to the Tony-winning drama ”All the Way” continues the story of President Lyndon Johnson.

Tony-winning All the Way playwright's sequel, The Great Society, is part of Arena Stage's new season.
The Great Society, the sequel to Tony winner Robert Schenkkan's All the Way, is part of Arena Stage's new season.
(© David Gordon)

Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage has announced the lineup for its 2017-18 season.

The season kicks off with the return of John Strand’s 2015 political drama The Originalist, featuring acclaimed D.C. actor Edward Gero, reprising his role as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Directed by Molly Smith, the coproduction with Asolo Repertory Theatre and the Pasadena Playhouse will run from July 7-30.

Next will be a Guthrie Theater coproduction of Native Gardens, written by Karen Zacarías and directed by Blake Robison. Performances will run from September 15-October 22.

Arthur Miller's The Price, directed by Seema Sueko, will then run from October 6-November 5.

The Pajama Game will follow from October 27-December 24. Directed by Alan Paul, the classic musical features a book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. James Cunningham will lend musical direction with choreography by Parker Esse.

Nina Simone: Four Women, a play with music by Christina Ham, will then run from November 10-December 24. Timothy Douglas directs.

Arena Stage will then present the world premiere of Sovereignty, a new drama written by Mary Kathryn Nagle. Directed by by Molly Smith, performances will run from January 12-February 18, 2018.

Next will be The Great Society, the second half of Robert Schenkkan's Tony-winning history play All the Way, running from February 2-March 11, 2018. Kyle Donnelly directs.

Jeanne Sakata's Hold These Truths will follow, running from February 23-April 8, 2018, with direction by Jessica Kubzansky.

Seattle Repertory Theatre will then join Arena Stage in a coproduction of August Wilson's Two Trains Running. Performances will run from March 30-April 29, 2018.

Closing out the season will be the new musical Snow Child, a coproduction with Perseverance Theatre, running from April 13-May 20, 2018. Based on the novel by Eowyn Ivey, Snow Child features a book by John Strand, music Bob Banghart and Georgia Stitt, lyrics by Stitt, and direction by Molly Smith.

For more information about Arena Stage's 2017-18 season, click here.

Featured In This Story

The Originalist

Closed: August 6, 2017

Native Gardens

Closed: October 22, 2017

Snow Child

Closed: May 20, 2018

The Price

Closed: November 19, 2017

The Pajama Game

Closed: December 24, 2017

Nina Simone: Four Women

Closed: December 24, 2017

Sovereignty

Closed: February 18, 2018

The Great Society

Closed: March 11, 2018

Hold These Truths

Closed: April 8, 2018