Thanks to a million dollar grant from the Shen Family Foundation, Signature Theatre will launch The American Musical Voices Project, consisting of Musical Theatre Composer Grants and Musical Theatre Leadership Awards. The Musical Composer Grants, ($25,000 each per year and health coverage for four years) were presented to Ricky Ian Gordon, Michael John LaChiusa and Joseph Thalken. The award will underwrite the presenting of their new works by Signature, beginning in the 2007-8 season. Visit http://www.signature-theatre.org.
"The David Dance," by Don Scime will run from May 18 – June 10. When David, a gay radio talk show host, goes head to head on the air with a born-again talk show host, the battle lines are drawn on the issue of gay adoption. Meanwhile, David grapples with self doubts when asked to be a father figure to his sister's adopted daughter. Performed by the Trumpet Vine Theatre Company at Theatre on the Run. Call 703-912-1649 or visit http://www.trumetvinetheatrecompany.org.
The Children’s Theatre presents "Alice in Wonderland." The story follows Alice as she tumbles down the rabbit hole into Wonderland and begins an implausible journey where she meets the Cheshire Cat, Tweedledum and Tweeledee, the Mock Turtle, Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts. The show runs June 2-11, Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Shows will be performed at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, 125 S. Old Glebe Road, Arlington (near Glebe Road and Rt. 50). Parking is free. Tickets are available at the door: $10 for adults and $8 for children, students and seniors. Seating is reserved, reservations are recommended. Call 703-548-1154.
"Guachos (Desclasados)/ Wanderers (Orphans)" from May 25 – June 17. The U.S. premiere of this season's runaway hit in Buenos Aires, is a situation comedy about a likeable street person and a young writer. Presented by Teatro de la Luna at the Gunston Theatre Two. Call 703-548-3092 or visit http://teatrodelaluna.org.
The next offering in the American Century Theater’s “Rescues” series is "Call Me Mister" (1946), a musical revue by Harold Rome ("Fanny, Pins and Needles") with book by Arnold Auerbach. "Call Me Mister" will be performed at Theater on the Run, 3700 S. Four Mile Run, Arlington. Shows are June 15-17 at 8 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. matinees on June 17 and 18. All performances are free, but due to limited seating, reservations are required. Call 703-553-8782 or visit www.americancentury.org.
"Two-Headed," by Julie Jensen, is running at the Clark Street Playhouse from June 11- July 9. In repertory with The Children's Hour, the play deals with the pernicious effect of secrets and rumor surrounding strong feelings between women. It follows the friendship of two Mormon frontierswomen over the 40 years following the Mountain Meadow Massacre of 1857. Call 703-418-4808 or visit http://www.washingtonshakespeare.org.
“USA,” by Paul Shyrre and John Dos Passos, will be at the American Century Theater and Gunston Theater Two from June 22-July 15. An ambitious stage version of the epic trilogy of novels by John Dos Passos that paint the portrait of the U.S. between 1900 and 1930. The play mixes historical figures (Isadora Duncan, Rudolph Valentino and the Wright Brothers) with fictional ones to explore America's exhilaration, contradictions and obsessions. Call 703-553-8782 or visit http://americancentury.org
"Assassins," by Stephen Sondheim runs from May 30 – July 23. This 2004 Tony Award-winning show gives a captivating look at the lives and lunacy of nine infamous assassins, from John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald. With music ranging from folk to ragtime to big, Broadway ballads, it is one of Sondheim's most inventive and exquisitely scored shows. At the Signature Theatre. Call 703-820-9771 or visit http://www.signature-theatre.org.
Classika Theatre presents an original family production of "Galactika" from June 10 – July 16 on Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. The production is a joint effort of Classika-Synetic Theatre artistic team and NASA scientists to offer an entertaining way to learn about galaxy, stars and astronomy, in general. The show is created according to the school curriculum in astronomy and will be presented as an edition of "The Galactika News." Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Production takes place at Classika Theatre located in the Village at Shirlington at 4041 S. 28th Street in Arlington. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 703-824-6200 or online at www.classika.org.