District of Columbia Arts Center

Teensy weensy theater where I have seen the greatest production ever (the Evil Dead Musical) and the not so greatest (the Margins).
Still, the venue has some serious indie charm, despite being located smack dab in the middle of Adams Morgan. There’s a little gallery to keep you occupied while you wait to be seated, and the bathroom was clean. Plus, you get a token for a free taco with each ticket. Perhaps I’m setting the bar a bit low, but I’ll take what I can get in terms of culture in that neighborhood. Please support this venue so that Adams Morgan isn’t totally lost to dude-​bros!

Great venue! Saw some Chinese Menu Improv show there and it has ruined me. I have been to several improv shows since and nothing has measured up. I will be back to see what got me hooked to begin with

DCAC is fun place to go on a quirky date or just to try something new. They have art on display that frankly I find appalling to be called art. But… i’m not an artist… but apparently putting a rod through a pillow is called art.
As for the theater itself… they put on some fun shows. I’ve been there for a couple of them… one about China history and another for Evil Dead Musical. The seats are first come first serve. I’d recommend showing up a bit early if you want to sit dead front and center.

Usually I’m hanging out in Adams Morgan to get my party on; however, this was not the case on a Saturday (4÷7÷12) as DCAC presented S-​P-​I-​D-​E-​R-​M-​U-​S-​I-​C-​A-​L.
I consider myself a Spiderman fan as I’ve watched the cartoons back in the 1980’s. So attending a show about Spiderman in DC and not NYC was quite a treat!
**DCAC Background**
The DC Arts Center is somewhat hidden in Adams Morgan as the entrance is between a C-​store and Smoothie King. We walked up the stairs to art gallery where I noticed fellow Spiderman fans waiting in line as only general admission tickets are sold. Everyone must check-​in to the will call table, which also serves as the cash bar.
I had no issues picking up the tickets as I provided my receipt from
saving 50% off. Once it was show time we walked on the rooftop to an adjacent stage with 20 to 30 seats available over ⁴⁄₅ rows.
The intimate setting provided an excellent view for all seats. The stage controls was directly over us while the band was secluded to the side wall.
**SPIDERMUSICAL REVIEW**
The cast consisted of 11 actor/​esses with Peter Partker, Mary Joan, and Colin Cosborne highlighting the main characters. The musical has a similar storyline as the original Spiderman leveraging romance, heroism, and comedy.
Everyone had terrific singing voices and acting mannerisms. In addition, both actors and actresses looked great in their costumes. My favorite costumes were of course SpiderOne (not Spiderman) shooting his web the naturale way (to put it mildly) and Mary’s sleek tight black leather super hero outfit!
Overall I would say my favorite character was the evil villain Colin Cosborne based on the acting he displayed.
The show’s duration was about 1.5 to 2 hours. After the conclusion of the show, the actors and actresses visited with the audience back in the gallery. Mickey D. DaGuiso (Peter Partker) was the first to come out and visit. Later on Ally Jenkins (Jamie Sorrentino) visited and thanked us as well. She stated we were the best audience. Both of them were real easy going to talk with as well.
I had such a wonderful time that I may consider joining DCAC as member to save on future shows while promoting and supporting emerging artists and performers in the DMV.
For more information on DCAC and/​or the spidermusical visit

Hipster central! B and I went to see Cannibal the Musical recently at Landless Theater and we had a great time. We tried to get there an hour early because seating was first come, first served and there was no one there! There is not point in coming early, because there is literally only 4 rows of seats so you’re guaranteed a good view. The theater is actually through a stairway behind the gallery and its extremely intimate setting where you can see the sweat beads flowing from the actor’s face. I really felt the passion from these actors, and there love of performing more so than at fancy smancy places like the Kennedy Center.
The theater is a nonprofit so the plays are always around $ 20. I highly recommend this experience and there are tons of cheap eats nearby (Amsterdam Falafel, pizza, wok n’ roll sushi, Ethiopian Restaurant, and empanadas place).

I just finished writing a review of the restaurant that my theatre girl and I had dinner at, before the Landless show last night, and I thought I’d do a quick search to see if Landless is on Unilocal.I guess not, but DCAC is. My review is more for Landless than for DCAC, but I’ll say good words about both. The black box theatre at DCAC is a small, intimate place for seeing a show. There are only a few rows of seats, so nobody is far from the stage, and no binoculars are needed (unless, I guess, if you really want an up close look at the actors’ pores!). I think that this is the third year that my babe and I have been Landless season ticket holders, and unless there’s some major change for the worse, we’ll probably do it again next year. The thing we like the best about the Landless shows is that they don’t take themselves seriously, and every show is just ridiculously goofy (as I am, so I fit right in, and would love to be in one of the shows!). A few of our favorites have been Spooky Dog (a Scooby Doo parody), Evil Dead the Musical (with the splatter zone in the audience), and Cannibal the Musical (their last production). The one we saw last night (Devil Boys From Beyond) was a silly, high heeled drag queen, foul language goof, and a lot of fun. Support Landless and go see their shows. Hi Ally!

Came to see a show at Landless Theater Company (Cannibal). Really impressive. The actors were all amazing and it was an intimate venue. No complaints here.

DCAC seems like a perfect space to host an event. the rates are reasonable and the space is fantastic. the staff is very helpful, except for b. stanley, who is the exec director. it’s quite apparent that mr. stanley is used to having things his way — he feels little no obligation to return emails or phone calls after money is secured, and was quite condescending when posed with simple questions. as the exec director i can understand that he perhaps feels he’s worked for this privilege. he *did* warm up a bit when he realized that the folks we were bringing into the space were competent, but was still woefully absent after the screening, despite promises of deposit reimbursement. it’s my humble suggestion that he remove himself from the booking procedure, or at least *explicitly* hand off clients once the dates/​moneys have been secured. the space is great, and there’s none like it in this town; hopefully one ego won’t continue to mar it.

Really cool spot, I recently performed on a variety show there. The seating was very small and intimate which can be cool for stand-​up comedy. The green room set up was cool, and the art along the walls up stairs was the best part. I’d definitely recommend stopping by.

What fun, it’s a tiny theater… perhaps a bit too small, but I saw a great show there even though the audience was about 35 people. It’s small, and cramped, but it’s very personal, and so much fun!

I’ve been here twice, both for plays by the Landless Theater Company. I should probably be reviewing Landless as well, but have included them below.
The venue: Well, it’s in the middle of Adams Morgan, for all that that may entail on a Saturday night. That being said, most of the shows start at 730 or 8, so at least you can arrive before the place gets too crazy and grab a bite or a drink at one of many places that are perfectly nice until about 10pm. The theater lobby is a small art gallery. I’m not the most sophisticated person, so usually I don’t «get» the art but it beats staring at empty walls. The theater couldn’t possibly seat more than 30 people and all seats are right on top of the stage. It’s a very intimate arrangement but you should arrive early as seating is first come first served.
The crowd: mostly 30ish yuppy sorts but don’t worry, the lights will be off soon and you won’t have to see them (us).
The shows: like I said, both of my experiences have been with Landless. Their mission statement is «Committed to infusing vitality into the D.C. Arts by producing exciting and accessible alternative theatre (sic) to generate new and diverse audiences.» Meaning their plays are cool, funny, and accessible to people who are not the usual theater-​going crowd. This has been exactly my experience with The Flying Spaghetti Monster Holiday Pageant as well as A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant (no, I don’t have a «thing» for fake pageants, it’s just a coincidence). Both were cheap (like $ 15 per ticket), hilarious, and only about an hour long. In this case I consider the length to be a good thing, as I have the attention span of someone who was raised by a television.

Adams Morgan: the name doesn’t exactly conjure an image of high culture, does it? Unless your idea of art is pick-​up artistry the thought of an Arts Center in Adams Morgan seems like a cruel joke. The District of Columbia Arts Center is anything but a joke.
I’ll admit that I’ve walked by the DCAC dozens of times and even looked directly at the sign and discarded the meaning while I sought respite from drunken crowds or a wait-​free brunch. In fact, you do have to do a bit of searching to access the DCAC. Located next door to Millie & Al’s and in the exact same building as Alberto’s (I know) — opening the DCAC door and ascending the stairs is akin to being transported to another world. Were it not for the pizza smells that waft in you’d think that the doorway was some sort of surreal transporter.
I visited the DCAC with the intention of taking in a show but ended up not making it past the gallery that the stairs lead into. Though you won’t spend hours in this small space, the exhibit (Ellington Robinson’s «Yesterday’s Tomorrow») held my attention and an attentive volunteer provided commentary on the various artwork.
Perusal of DCAC’s website and fliers about ongoing and upcoming shows/​exhibits further piqued my interest — so much to see so close to my home! I began silently cursing myself for not visiting the DCAC sooner. Now that I know where it is I’ll certainly be back.

I’m a fan of this great little gallery in the heart of Adams Morgan. I try to always take part in their summer Wall Mountables show.

If you like quirky little places, paying dirt cheap prices for tickets, and where every seat in the house is great, this is your place. I’ve seen a bunch of shows here like Debbie Does Dallas the musical, Deep Inside Oz, and A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant and I’ve loved every one of them. The space is great, the people are nice, and the beverages are affordable. Nothing to complain about here.

DCAC is a combination art gallery and black box theatre. The gallery is a very nice space, and the theatre is small but perfectly serviceable. The best part is that it is run by one of the coolest guys in town, Mr. B Stanley, and he works hard to find new and interesting stuff for you to see.
DCAC is non-​profit — they aren’t out to make the big bucks. What this means for you is that you can go see live theatre for cheap! Depending on the size of the production and how well-​known the playwright is, tickets can cost from $ 5 to $ 20 dollars. I’ve never seen them go much higher than that.
DCAC stays busy. Keep your eyes on their calendar — you will see poets, painters, actors, storytellers, sculptors, and performance artists come in and out. If you are really lucky, you might catch Mr. Stanley himself performing with his puppet Ubu — the last time I saw those two together, it was truly one of the wackiest and amusing nights I’ve had at a theatre.
The gallery shows up and coming artists, usually avant garde, often controversial. I’ve never seen an admission charge for the gallery. If you come into Adams Morgan to enjoy the club scene, maybe you can get here before 7 pm, catch whatever is up in the gallery, then grab a bite to eat before abusing yourself. Just a thought.

DCAC was made to serve local artists facing a lack of funds from other art organizations. Today you can find local and national artists as well as poets, scuptors, painters and more here. This gallery and theater has become the first step for many towards a professional art career.
With so many galleries in and around the D.C. area, it is nice to find a small, intimate one what not many people know about. This is the spot to see what’s new on the D.C. art scene.