By Brian Trompeter
2024 is shaping up to be a bountiful year for local theater, with troupes in McLean, Vienna and Tysons already lining up a wide range of entertainment for the public.
• Vienna Theatre Company will present “Shakespeare in Hollywood” Jan. 19 through Feb. 4 at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St., S.E.
Written by Ken Ludwig, the play centers around Shakespearean fairy characters Oberon and Puck as they navigate circa-1934 Hollywood at a Warner Bros. production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“We feel audiences want to laugh in the post-COVID environment,” said VTC president Eric Storck, who will be playing Oberon. “‘Shakespeare in Hollywood’ is among his funniest and really crosses whimsy with a 1930s Hollywood feel.”
The production is directed by Sabrina McAllister and produced by Rama Johnson.
Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. Sunday performances Jan. 28 and Feb. 4. Tickets cost $16 and may be purchased in advance or at the door (if still available) at the Vienna Community Center or by visiting www.viennava.gov/webtrac.
VTC later this spring will produce “The 39 Steps,” by Patrick Barlow, which will run from April 19 through May 5.
To learn more about VTC and its productions, go to viennatheatrecompany.org.
• Vienna Theatre Company for Young Audiences also during that same time frame, and using the set for “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” will present Tom McCabe’s “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.”
The show combines the plots of “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Three Little Pigs,” both of which feature a ravenous wolf.
The company will perform the show, aimed at ages 3 and up, at the Vienna Community Center on Saturdays, Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tickets, available only at the door, cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children. Attendees may pay by cash, check (made out to Vienna Theatre Company) and credit card (Visa or Mastercard).
• 1st Stage Theatre will perform “Shutter Sisters” Feb. 1 through 18 at its stage at 1524 Spring Hill Road in Tysons.
The play, written by Mansa Ra, is having its regional premiere at 1st Stage. The plot revolves around a white woman coping with tense family relationships at a funeral and a black woman coming to terms with being an empty nester.
“The play is fascinating in its structure as it weaves together the story of two women living parallel lives,” said associate producer Emily Wall. “It is a play that highlights contrast. It explores life’s intricacies and the forces that bring these women together while also keeping them apart.”
1st Stage also will perform Douglas Carter Beane’s “The Nance” April 4 through 21 and Natsu Onoda Power’s “Postcards From Ihatov” June 6 through 24.
For more information about 1st Stage, visit www.1stStage.org.
• The Providence Players of Fairfax will produce “Surviving Grace” from April 12 to 27 at the James Lee Community Center Theater, 2855 Annandale Road in Falls Church.
Written by Trish Vrandenburg, the mature-themed play is about a daughter caring for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Shows are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinee performances at 2 p.m. on April 14 and 21. Tickets are $21 for adults, $18 for students and seniors. See providenceplayers.org for details.
• Fans of productions by McLean Community Players will have to wait a while longer to see the company’s next show. The troupe will perform “Chicago” this summer and “The Compleat Works of Shakespeare” this fall, both with dates yet to be determined.
