Consistently strong productions within a beautiful historic building. Highly recommend!

Tight seating. Entry is at the bottom of the theater not top. There's a small concession, but items are cheaper in the vending machines just around the corner. Men's restroom is on the first floor, women's on the second floor, which is nice if you're a woman seeing a play, but if you're a man, you'll have to go downstairs. The sound was good, the temperature was good, and the seats while well-maintained, we're still the typical narrowly push together seats. There's really nothing not to like about the place! read more

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Theater J is the theater at the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center (JCC). It's a professional theater just puts on shows relating to the Jewish experience and the universal human condition. My friends and I visited for the first time yesterday for a performance of "Prayer for the French Republic," a play I had seen on Broadway earlier this year (and that was nominated for 2024 Best Play Tony Award and won the 2020 Trish Vradenburg New Jewish Play Prize). The performance was great (including the acting and the set). The theater is small-ish but comfortable. I really enjoyed the performance and the overall experience! I'd be happy to return to the theater for another performance later this season (they have three performances in the spring that seem very interesting)! read more

Theater J - Gyms Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This was a wonderful production within a wonderful facility. We thoroughly enjoyed "Two Jews Walk Into a War" (Vaudeville) at Theater J, even though we're not Jewish. Good theater is good theater, and touching story is touching story. First of all, the website was user-friendly and it was a cinch to reserve seats to this play. When you arrive on the first level, you do have to go through a metal detector (understandable). The entrance to the theater is up a few flights of stairs, or an easy ride up in the elevator. The ushers were friendly and helpful, the theater seats were comfortable, and the space itself was very nice and raked to provide visibility throughout. This production will have closed but this review will remain, therefore in broad strokes: equity & non-equity performers were top-notch, kudos to the playwright and director, the lighting was breathtaking at times, the set and costumes and properties all served the story with an authenticity that was deserved and never grandiose. The music was a fun contrast and the scene changes kept things very interesting. Bottom line: The Chosen People know what they are doing! Thank you so much for an immensely profound theatergoing experience. I hope to return to Theater J when I'm in the area again. read more

This afternoon my spouse and I saw Queens Girl of the World at the J. The dialogue was wonderfully written by Caleen S Jennings. The acting by Dawn Ursula was superb. As a one women show she skillfully transformed into each character seamlessly. Go see this performance , everything was very well done. The seats are comfortable. I'm short but can see over the person in front of me. The sound is good even from rear of the room. read more

Theater J - The new 2016-17 looks like a joyful time. - Gyms Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We saw Brighton Beach Memoirs here. It was an excellent show with a superb cast. Well worth the price of the ticket. Try Gold star for last minute discounted tickets. There are really no bad seats in this small theater so don't worry about being stuck in nose bleed seats. The only sour note was the theater ushers who were fairly rude. read more

Theater J - Set for Brighton beach memoirs - Gyms Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My sister and I saw a reading of "Honey Brown Eyes," by Stefanie Zadravec here today. This dark, frightening, and poignant play portrays rape, murder, mayhem, genocide and discovery of humanity in the Serb/Muslim slaughter days, and studies the plight of two broken families' wrenching escape to Sarajevo. The reading of Honey Brown Eyes was one thing. Theater J itself is quite another. It's housed inside the DC Jewish Community Center, which in itself deserves its own review. Here is a bit of how Theater J bills itself - I can't describe it better then they do: "Hailed by The New York Times as 'The premier theater for premiers,' Theater J has emerged as one of the most distinctive, progressive and respected Jewish theaters on the national and international scene... 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 a part of the Jewish cultural legacy...." Hmmm, "Honey Brown Eyes" was about Serbs and Muslims...it wasn't thematically Jewish...ooops..of course it was. What am I saying?! Theater J: a GEM. read more

Theater J - Bikel as Shylock at Theater J - Gyms Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I came here for a Sunday matinee and really enjoyed it. I had been to theater J while in high school but have not been back in the eight or so years since. Before coming I was excited to see that there were under 35 tickets which made it a lot more affordable, and I hope to get a group of friends together to come to the theater. The theater itself is really cool, and the group of shows seems fantastic. The day I was there it seemed like it was mostly being staffed by volunteers who were all very sweet and helpful. I specifically saw Copenhagen and I liked that before our performance the artistic director of the theater addressed the crowd. Great show choice, overall wonderful experience. Look forward to seeing more shows here! read more

Theater J - Stage as seen before the show Copenhagen. View from the aisle of the second to last row. - Gyms Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

After watching many of the Republican debates I decided to truly listen to the conservative message by attending "Electile Dysfunction: The Kinsey Sick for President" at Theater J. The show provided the conservative platform from a Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet seeking to win the Republican nomination. I must say that Trampolina, Winnie, Trixie, and Rachel's performance was quite entertaining compared to the debate attacks Newt G, Ron P, and Rick S gauge on Mit R. The political satire was nicely performed a capella style with classic songs such as Van Morrison's "Gloria". The best part of the show was the audience participation. If your tickets are by the isle there's a good chance you might be on stage (see my pictures). Overall a great time was had by all at Theater J. Its a cosy and friendly place to watch show. There's even a sit down restaurant downstairs with a full menu. read more

Located in the DC Jewish Community Theatre, Theatre J is a hotbed of great theatre. I was last acquainted with this jewel when attempting to score rush tickets for Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers" last year. I cannot speak for the rest of the community center, because I have not had an opportunity to explore it yet. The theatre itself is clean and modern. The acoustics were great for those of us occupying the "standing room only" area in the nosebleed section. (I know almost every word of this play so it wouldn't have mattered if they were whispering.) As a mentioned above, my rush ticket didn't actually come with a seat. Wondering why? Because this place is hot. Washington, D.C. may not be broadway, but Theatre J proves that D.C. has some power in it's corner. Be sure to check out their website for their their 2011 season. Hot Tip: Want rush tickets? Some of the recent plays are getting rave reviews and making these babies a hot commodity. In my experience, they have a first-come first-serve list for these tickets. So get to gettin' and put the shoes to the pavement. read more

I made my way over to Theater J after snagging cheap tickets through Goldstar for Yellow Face, a semi-autobiographical play by David Henry Hwang. The cast was phenomenal and the experience in the theater was exceptional. It is clear that the DC Jewish Community Center works hard to bring great casts together to put on exceptional plays - and in this experience, they easily succeeded. There doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the 200-ish seat theater. The ushers were well-versed and ready for the crowd. They provided refreshments at an expected cost, but nothing absurd. They had televisions in the lobby advertising a slew of interesting plays and events coming up at the community center. I am eager to go back, if not solely because the programming is exceptional, then because the staff ensures that all goes smoothly. read more

I've seen two shows at Theater J and it's not that I was disappointed with them, it's more that I was baffled. The theater itself is really nice. It's a good size space, they sell snacks, the seats are cushy, and they run pretty much on time. I also appreciate that they offer half off tickets to anyone 35 and under. It's hard to find affordable theater in DC. Here's the thing: I understand that Theater J is a part of the Jewish Community Center and therefore the plays will naturally be Jewishy, but they seem to overdo this. They make Jewish references where I didn't even think it would be possible. I saw the "Rise and Fall of Annie Hall," and while it was good, there was just one too many references to "nice Jewish boys" for my liking. It's still worth going, just be wary that you will feel like you're hanging out with a stereotypical Jewish grandmother. read more

Theater J holds just a couple hundred seats, but has produced world premieres for Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Greenberg, Thomas Keneally, and Wendy Wasserstein. It hosted the first reading of Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change." The New York Times called it "The Premier Theater for Premieres": http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/15/theater/newsandfeatures/15grah.html?emc=eta1 The other night we braved snowmageddon for a pay-what-you-can performance of "The Four of Us." I'm a sucker for clever storytelling, the kind that jumps around the timeline and exposes the frailty of memory (It's partly why I loved Memento, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and 500 Days of Summer). "The Four of Us" is another nice example. The playwright, Itamar Moses, has been called "a young American Stoppard," and though the dialogue isn't that intellectual, the play is a perceptive, carefully structured bromance, with one scene near the end that makes you rethink everything you've just heard. Not to mention it's pretty funny. Theater J also hosts playwright and author discussions, community panels on topics raised in the plays, and intimate readings of new works (served with tea) in the library. It's a superb and affordable venue. Tip: Follow the @TheaterJ twitter feed to get word of pay-what-you-can performances and $10 specials. read more

I have to say I love this place for what it is. It is an intimate room without a bad seat. They put on great productions. I have seen several shows, my favorites recently, Zero Hour and Lost in Yonkers. Both were done tremendously well with Superb acting and great sets (again for the space they have to work with)...Best of all, it's extremely affordable. I can't find anything wrong with Theater J and look forward to returning soon. read more

I've seen a couple shows at Theater J and they were both just ok. If something got really great reviews and it sounded like something I might like then I would try them again, but I don't go their website and check out what they are doing. read more

Studio J did a fabulous job with the classic The Odd Couple. It was funny, but not because it tried to be funny, but their examination of male friendships and reaction to divorce had poignant and funny moments, just like life. I loved it! read more

saw New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch De Spinoza. the location is not far from the dupot metro, plus if you go early you can get something to eat on your way to the performance. the seating was thoughtfully planned so you won't have a obscured view of any performance; because of this there probably isn't a bad seat in the place. the staff is friendly & helpful. read more

You will want to go see this play. If you don't, you will be sorry that you didn't get a chance to see this cast performing this play. You can't put a price on the overall experience of seeing new young talent before they become well known, and it seems that this may well be the case with a few here. To begin with the lead actor, Cole Sitilides as Eugene, carries this play from beginning to end with such ease and excellent timing that, in this record and play back era, you end up wishing you had that option here. The entire cast has embodied their characters so well, and the set so meticulously designed, that it really does give you an up close and personal look at what life was like at that point in time. Susan Rome (Kate) is the quintessential jewish mother who's impeccable portrayal and deadpan humor helps make this Neil Simon play, must see theatre. read more

Good, small, community theatre. Comfy seats about 200 in the theater. Snacks served at intermission. Saw 3 productions here ranging in quality. The content was diverse and uncensored. Inexpensive shows. Don't know about the rest of the community center but the people and the building were nice. Worth seeing whats playing. read more

So disappointed in production of RACE by David Mamet. Acting was mediocre. Set and costumes (were there costumes??) were like a poor high school play. Mostly disappointed in the choice of this play. It was filled with stereotypes and few true insights. If they wanted to explore race issues, which they should, they could have found a more nuanced show. The reviews of this play from NYC basically say the same thing. Did they just want the prestige of a Mamet play? I found "Good People" at the Arena a much better play - real characters with believable dialogue raising issues of class, race, ethnicity and more. read more