ABOUT AVANT BARD THEATRE

avant•bard

[ah-VAHNT bard]

noun.

A bold, innovative approach to theatre that reimagines classical works through fresh, thought-provoking productions.
Theatre that challenges convention while engaging contemporary audiences with classic texts.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

OUR MISSION

Avant Bard produces thought-provoking theatre. We are dedicated to interrogating the classics and classical themes via innovative, bold approaches in intimate settings. Gratefully in its 36th season, Avant Bard has delivered high-quality, diverse, and accessible arts to the Washington, D.C. region since 1990.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Rachel Johns in 'The Two Gentlemen of Killarney'

Jeremy Keith Hunter in 'Topdog/Underdog'

Dina Soltan & Matthew Pauli in 'Ada and the Engine'

OUR HISTORY

Founded in 1990 as Washington Shakespeare Company, Avant Bard Theatre is a performing arts organization dedicated primarily to producing classic works—both time-tested and contemporary classics; emphasizing a provocative, bold approach in an intimate setting; and training and showcasing the best emerging talent in the region, mentored by seasoned, professional theatre artists.

Avant Bard’s mission is expressed through its commitment to artistic excellence, collaboration, developing talent, and promoting educational and social outreach.

Our history is replete with edgy, innovative productions of Shakespeare, from Julius Caesar on the top floor of an unfinished office building in Ballston to a Kubrick-inspired Richard II; productions of works by other world literary giants, from Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot to Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman; American classics, from Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire to Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour and Edward Albee’s Tiny Alice; exciting new plays, including Jonelle Walker’s TAME, Matt Minnicino’s A Misanthrope, and Lauren Gunderson’s Ada and the Engine.

Our main stage programming, as well as our exciting “Scripts in Play” reading series, build on this tradition of bold productions of rarely produced classics, both time-honored and contemporary.

In 1995, Avant Bard converted a cavernous warehouse in Arlington into the Clark Street Playhouse, creating one of the DC area’s most flexible performance spaces. In 2010, Avant Bard became the resident theatre company at the 125-seat Black Box theater at Artisphere in Arlington. Since January 2013 Avant Bard has had Theatre Two of Arlington’s Gunston Arts Center as its primary performance venue.

Avant Bard enjoys the support of many sponsors and partners in the community, and we count on our audiences to support us through donations and ticket sales, including our popular Pay-What-You-Can Saturday matinees. Please consider making Avant Bard part of your commitment to the arts.