About Theater J

Theater J is a nationally-renowned, professional theater that celebrates, explores, and struggles with the complexities and nuance of both the Jewish experience and the universal human condition.

Our work illuminates and examines: ethical questions of our time, inter-cultural experiences that parallel our own, and the changing landscape of Jewish identities. As the nation’s largest and most prominent Jewish theater, we aim to preserve and expand a rich Jewish theatrical tradition and to create community and commonality through theater-going experiences.

Theater J draws audiences from all eight wards of the District, as well as Maryland and Virginia, and reflects the diverse residents of the metropolitan DC region. Theater J is committed to creating partnerships that deepen our connections to our community. Through our Passports Free Ticket Program, we provide over 400 free tickets to reach populations that are historically underserved by arts organizations.

Theater J has been honored with the DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, over 70 Helen Hayes nominations and nine Helen Hayes Awards.

coming next

Your Name Means Dream

Written and Directed by José Rivera

Starring Naomi Jacobson and Sara Koviak

March 12–April 6, 2025

Internationally acclaimed playwright José Rivera directs his profoundly intimate tragicomedy that asks what it means to be human as we embrace the technology of our future – and it embraces us.

Aislin needs constant support in her later years, and her care is placed in the hands of an AI robot-caregiver – designed to look and sound human – named Stacy. The unexpected relationship that blossoms between them sparks questions of what it means to have a soul, what defines humanity – and what happens when those definitions begin to shift.

Blending magical realism with science fiction, Rivera’s Your Name Means Dream marries the tension of a thriller with the emotional rewards of a quest. Aislin’s body may be aging, but her mind cannot help but actively seek connection and grow an appetite for true friendship. Stacy’s body was designed to fulfill the role of a caregiver but fails to qualify as being alive. The relationship these women find in each other is both surprising and moving, taking us on a journey that challenges us to know the Other as we attempt to discover more about ourselves.

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