Samuel Beckett’s critically acclaimed final full-length play, essentially a one-woman tragicomic monologue, has been a tour-de-force for many an actress since its 1961 premiere. Winnie, a woman in her 50s, is inexplicably buried waist-deep in a mound of scorched earth in a bleak landscape, while nearby, her husband Willie dozes. She spends her day going through familiar routines, endlessly chattering and reminiscing about better days almost as a vaudeville routine for one. Then a bell rings, and she starts again. Is she trapped in this cycle or free to leave? Beckett’s absurd satire about the human condition lets you ponder what it all means.
Directed by Alan Wade. Featuring WSG Founding Company Members Lynn Steinmetz and Bill Largess.
“Happy Days remains ONE OF THE MOST UNSETTLING AND UNFORGETTABLE PLAYS in the modern canon.” – The New York Times
“a STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL attempt to grapple with the fragility of time and the fleeting poetry of optimism” – ArtsHub.com
April 9 – May 3, 2026
Under an Egyptian moon, the aging Julius Caesar meets teenage Cleopatra by chance one night. With turmoil afoot as Cleopatra and her younger brother vie for the throne, Caesar helps the young queen grow into a great ruler favoring wisdom, honor, and clemency. With the palace under siege by insurgents, Caesar might not be able to keep the country together or even escape alive — let alone manage the headstrong Cleopatra. DC’s premiere producer of Shaw stages this slimmed down version (by artistic director Bill Largess), a riveting exploration of power, politics, vengeance, and mercy.
Featuring Craig Wallace as Caesar.
“COMPELLING & RICH” – StageLeft
“[Shaw] believed he could do history with more wit and insight than the Bard ever could” – DC Theater Arts
January 29 – February 22, 2026
