Theater J at the Edlavitch DCJCC has been a staple for theater-loving Jewish and non-Jewish Washingtonians since the beginning of the 1990s.
The theater has been awarded the DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline. It has also been nominated for more than 70 Helen Hayes Awards and has won nine times.
“Theater J explores plays that deal with the complexity and nuance of the Jewish experience, plays that examine ethical questions of our time and the changing landscape of Jewish identity, as well as plays that deal with the universal human condition,” said Hayley Finn, who has been artistic director since 2023.
“At Theater J, we strive to create plays that engage audiences in dynamic productions with fresh aesthetic perspectives, around topics that are meaningful to our community, working with the top artists both locally and nationally,” added Finn.
The original home of Theater J was a 50-seat black box theater inside the original home of EDCJCC at 1836 Jefferson Place, NW, according to Theater J’s website.
When the EDCJCC moved to its current location on 16th Street in 1997, Theater J moved with it, and now uses a 238-seat proscenium theater.
Finn said a highlight of the past year “was a sharing of work by playwrights in our Expanding the Canon program.”
“Six racially and ethnically diverse playwrights were commissioned to create work about stories that explore the Jewish experience from their perspectives,” added Finn. “It’s been a joy to see audiences respond with so much enthusiasm about the plays we have presented over the past year.”
