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Church Street Theater
Category: Arts & Entertainment Performing Arts Performing Arts [Edit]
1742 Church St NW(between N 17th St & N 18th St)
Washington, DC 20036
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
(202) 265-3767
- Nearest Transit:
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Dupont Circle Metro Station (Red)
Farragut North Metro Station (Red)
- Good for Kids:
- No
9 reviews for Church Street Theater
9 reviews in English
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Review from Fatima K.
10/24/2011
This is a tiny theater. Tiny!
I saw "The Crucible" ( I believe it's running until November 22, 2011) here Saturday night and it was amazing. Like most middle schoolers the nation over, I was forced to read the book years ago and have since seen the movie and I must say this is on par. In my *cough cough* old age, the play holds considerably more meaning than it did and I truly enjoyed it and even let a tear drop at the end. Yes, fellow Yelpers, sometimes, I shed real tears.
The actors are damn good. They are so convincing in their portrayals that you won't feel the three hour show time one bit. Yes, this play goes on for three hours but you'll love every moment of it. Arrive early (like 30 - 45 min.) because the higher up you're seated the more uncomfortable it gets. Trust me. Save yourself from cramped legs, poor circulation, unintentional leg kicks from behind, sharp elbows in your side, and unpleasant wafts of bodily funk; come early. They sell booze, I saw mainly just red wine; not sure about their beer selections, so you can get "your drink on" while you get "your arts on". However, I don't recommend the drinking and the theater going in this instance because of the, um, ahem, "bathroom situation".
There are only two restrooms in the basement of the theater and while the theater is small waiting for the restroom during intermission took forever.
Fooooooooreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeever.
If you have friends that live in the area you might even want to head over to their place, say "hi" and take a leak -- it'd probably be faster. It has to be faster. You'd be surprised how many people they pack into that theater. The bathrooms are unisex so, so much for cutting in on the boys' bathroom line. Before the show started my date and I looked at each other with panic stricken faces when we realized that if there were was a fire we would most likely have to fight our way out and throw some old people down to evacuate the building from our high perched seats. Now, I'm not against assaulting the old and throwing 'bows in order to get myself to safety but, you know, I rather not.
The set changes were remarkable especially with how small the stage was. It somehow all worked and very well at that. Also, as a good thing since the theater is so intimate all seats are good seats. Ticket prices were not pricey at all at $35 per person and for the quality of the show it was really a steal. The only reason why I didn't give this place a 5 star rating was because of the seating and the bathroom situation. One of the two toilets didn't flush and I didn't find this out until after 20 minutes of waiting in line, using said toilet and panicking when my futile attempts to flush rendered nothing. I had to play plumber and reach into the tank -- the tank NOT the bowl -- and jiggle some chains. Fun! Not entirely the theater's fault but I was a little salty about that.
Seriously, stake out one of the many nearby restaurants and use the bathroom there. Intermission is a good while, you'll have time. You won't have to shove your hand into some random toilet tank and you'll probably give this venue / play 5 stars. -
Review from Valarie C.
Alexandria, VA
12/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
A small but lovely theater. They allow drinks at the seats and unfortunately, this fact kept me from being able to fully enjoy the show. While I understand and appreciate concessions, the concession stand was open throughout the entire show so people would constantly be going to and from their seats. In addition, glass bottles were sold and many people around me kept kicking and dropping their empty bottles throughout the show, so it was tough for me to enjoy the show. They really should serve drinks in plastic cups or not sell during the show. I have no problem with being able to eat throughout the show but they need to limit the distractions for other guests.
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Review from Kristin M.
Washington, DC
5/24/2011 1 photo
This theater is tricky to find! It's very small and tucked amongst rowhouses on Church St., which is a short block between P & Q (parallel to them), near 18th. It's not fancy (and there's just 2 individual, unisex bathrooms, so go before you get here), but it's totally sufficient for enjoying a quality production. Sidenote, there's a bunch of restaurants on 18th with outdoor seating that you can dine at beforehand, one fun choice being Agora, which serves yummy Turkish tapas (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
I recently saw "National Pastime" here, and the whole family loved it. The performers were far better than I expected, good voices and fun, showy actors.
If you're with a group, you'll want to come early to be sure to sit together, as seats aren't assigned. Since the theater is super small, there are no really bad seats, other than a few in the upper row behind the sound guy, and the acoustics weren't noticeably different in the two different spots I tried (back left, front right).
For such a small theater with an outwardly low-budget appearance, the show they put on far surpassed my expectations. I definitely anticipate returning for more great nights! -
Review from Gayle G.
Woodbridge, VA
11/26/2006
This theater is on the small side. Having the seating capacity of about 100, I would describe it as cute.
Inside, the walls are exposed brick and the theater itself has high ceilings. The Church Theater is home a few groups such as to the The Keegan group which is a professional nonprofit theater company with a focus on local artists and technicians.
Starting December 7th, A Funny Christmas Carol will be playing here which is an alternative take on the famous tale with cross-gender casting. I saw it here last year and it was hilarious. -
Review from Rob R.
3/31/2008
I recently saw "The Hostage" put on by the Keegan Theater Co. at the Church St. Theater. A lot of times when going to see a play, I've felt detached from the actors on stage. With it's cozy arrangement and small size, I really felt more engaged. It's within easy walking distance of the Dupont Circ. Metro.
The only drawback would be the bathroom situation. There are two small unisex bathrooms in the basement. Luckily with the theater's small capacity it wasn't too much of an issue.
I am looking forward to my next visit! Recommend! -
Review from Matt T.
3/13/2011
I recently saw "the Weir" at the Church Street Theater and came away quite impressed. The set was beautiful and this was the perfect venue for a play that takes place inside an Irish pub. There was no assigned seating at the performance I saw, but that did not keep my group of four from finding seats together. The theater is very intimate with pretty cozy seats. We were not close to the stage, but still had a great view of the stage and felt very drawn into the performance. The Keegan theater group impressed us with some excellent acting. All in all, a great experience. And at $35 for our tickets, this was pretty reasonable for high quality theater.
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Review from Debbie S.
Washington, DC
9/13/2009
I've been here a few times to support a friend who works in theater and was involved in the production of a few shows.
The first time I went was in the wintertime, so I didn't notice that they don't have AC but the second time I went in June, boy did I notice. No AC made it very stuffy and uncomfortable in there. Such a shame because the acting was good but I was having a hard time paying attention. And it's not like fans would help because then you can't HEAR the actors.
Lesson learned. I will only frequent in the wintertime. -
Review from Nicole L.
8/5/2008
My first time to church street theater for Keegan Theater Co's Man of La Mancha it is located off 17th st amongst nicely restored townhouses so it was not easy to notice. Man of La Mancha is usually presented on a grander scale and this theater is quite small. In general the interior seemed dilapitated and the bathrooms in the basement were tiny and old. It's like going to someone's house. The set was rustic and basic. The musical used the entire theater from the entrance to the stage and side exits. I thought it was quite interesting the use of space it feels more intimate and personal. The musical was excellent -the story is classic and the actors with great singing voices made it all convincing.
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Review from Mary K.
Arlington, VA
12/11/2009
I saw Of Mice and Men, and what a great production. To be able to convey the power and emotions of this story with very few props is a true testament to the talent of these actors. Bravo!
