THE INHERITANCE, SALLY & TOM, and More Come to the Round House Theatre

Round House Theatre has announced its 2025-2026 Season. The lineup will introduce audiences to four new-to-DC plays, with the regional premiere of the most honored play in a generation, a celebrated British holiday comedy, a world premiere magic show from the creators of The Tempest, and the newest hit by a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. The season celebrates the power of storytelling and theatricality while reflecting Round House's ongoing commitment to amplifying diverse voices and stories in the American theatre community. 

“The epic, thought-provoking, awe-inspiring comedies, dramedies, and magic shows in our 2025-2026 Season explore how our stories define us and how our history influences our present,” says Artistic Director Ryan Rilette. “With shows that are sure to make you laugh, cry, and gasp in wonder, this is a season not to be missed!” 

 

The 2025-2026 season opens with the regional premiere of The Inheritance, Parts One and Two, by Matthew López and directed by Tom Story (August – October 2025). Inspired by the 1910 novel Howards End by E. M. Forster, it premiered in London in 2018 before transferring to Broadway in 2019, eventually becoming the most honored American play of its generation, having received multiple "Best Play" awards in London and New York (including Tony, Olivier, and Drama Desk awards, among others). The modern classic follows a group of young gay men in New York as they navigate themes of love, legacy, and the impact of the AIDS crisis. Profoundly moving and sharply humorous, this remarkable production explores the questions: What do we owe to those who came before us, and what will we leave behind? Round House's production of The Inheritance is made possible by an extraordinary gift from The Roy Cockrum Foundation, which enables theatres to reach beyond their normal scope of activities and undertake ambitious and creative productions.

 

This season's holiday show is the U.S. premiere of Sam Holcroft's Rules for Living (December 2025). Directed by Round House Artistic Director Ryan Rilette, this dark comedy—a raucous hit in its run at London's National Theater—explores family dysfunction and societal norms as a family prepares for Christmas lunch amidst rising tensions. 

 

In January, Round House kicks off the fifth annual National Capital New Play Festival (January 2026) with the world premiere of Nothing Up My Sleeve, written by The Tempest collaborators Aaron Posner (director) and Dendy (Ariel). Previously presented as a workshop in the 2024 Festival as The Sorcerer's Apprentice, this captivating, family-friendly, one-man coming-of-age story and magic show—directed by Posner and performed by illusionist Dendy—delves into the history of magic while narrating Dendy's own journey to becoming a magician. The performance features a score of mind-blowing tricks and plenty of surprises, making it an excellent way to kick off the new year.

 

Round House Theatre will close the season with the regional premiere of the newest play by playwriting legend Suzan-Lori Parks (the playwright behind last season's Helen Hayes Award-nominated Topdog/Underdog). Sally & Tom (May – June 2026) is a backstage dramedy about an off-off-off-Broadway theatre company as they stage a production about Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. The playwright herself portrays Sally, while her partner directs and plays Tom. Art and reality intertwine as rehearsals progress, revealing profound truths about race, power, and art.

National Capital New Play Festival

Round House will continue its commitment to producing compelling new work with the fifth annual National Capital New Play Festival with the world premiere of Nothing Up My Sleeve in January 2026. Four plays will feature in the Festival as part of the reading series. More details will follow later this year.

 

In April 2022, Round House launched the inaugural National Capital New Play Festival, a regional celebration of new plays that forms an annual part of the Theatre's programming. In service of Round House's longstanding investment in diversifying the voices that are amplified through live theatre, the festival seeks to nurture relationships with both established and early-career playwrights while cultivating an interest in new work among audiences in the DC metro area and demystifying the new play development process. 

The 24th Annual Sarah Metzger Memorial Play

Established by the Metzger family and friends to celebrate the memory of Sarah Metzger, an inspiring and active member of the theatre community who was killed in an automobile accident during her freshman year of college, the “Sarah Play” is the culminating performance of the Teen Performance Company each year. Following a year of training, master classes with artists working in the field, and behind-the-scenes access to Round House productions, the TPC members direct, design, stage manage, and perform a full production on the Round House stage. Next season's Teen Performance Company production will be announced at a later date.

“We are thrilled to introduce DMV audiences to a lineup of fantastic plays that celebrate the power of great stories and the magic of theatre. I am especially grateful to the Roy Cockrum Foundation for their extraordinary support of The Inheritance.” adds Managing Director Ed Zakreski. “I hope to see you at Round House for a season of joy and connection.” 

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