"This...festival of original work in repertory propels Round House Theatre into the admirable ranks of companies pumping extra resources into new drama." 
- Peter Marks, The Washington Post

Round House Theatre is proud to present the fourth National Capital New Play Festival, an annual event celebrating new work by some of the country’s leading playwrights and newer voices. In addition to a fully staged world premiere (part of Round House’s main stage season), audiences are invited to readings of plays in development, where they can sit alongside dramaturgs, directors, and other theatre professionals for an inside look into a play’s journey to the stage. 

Industry Weekends
APR 12 – 13, 2025 • APR 19 – 20, 2025

We invite our professional colleagues from around the country to join us for either (or both!) Industry Weekends in celebration of these exciting new plays. Each weekend has been planned to allow guests to attend the main stage world premiere and two staged readings, while leaving plenty of time to catch up with other guests and artists. Contact literary@roundhousetheatre.org for additional information or questions. 

ON THE MAIN STAGE

Bad Books

By Sharyn Rothstein
Directed by Ryan Rilette
Featuring Kate Eastwood Norris and Holly Twyford
April 2 - April 27, 2025 | NNPN Rolling World Premiere

When a troubled teen is given a controversial book, his mother visits the local library to discuss “appropriate” reading material with the librarian. However, their reasonable discussion quickly turns into a heated confrontation, sparking a dramatic chain reaction of unexpected consequences. With both heartbreak and humor, Sharyn Rothstein offers compassion and empathy as an antidote to the deep debates that divide us. Staged in the round, this brilliant world premiere challenges us to see past our political divisions and first impressions, and asks us what it truly means to care for our children. 

►BUY TICKETS

Bad Books is produced at Round House Theatre as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere.  Other Partner Theaters are Florida Studio Theatre (Sarasota, Florida), Curious Theatre Company (Denver, Colorado), and Williamston Theatre (Williamston, Michigan). For more information, please visit nnpn.org. 

Bad Books is sponsored by Mitch & Heidi Dupler, Bonnie & Alan Hammerschlag, Rick Kasten, and Judy & Leo Zickler. 

DEVELOPMENTAL READINGS

Tickets for developmental play readings are free, but reservations are required.

Please note that there is limited capacity for the developmental readings. Once a reading is sold out, you can join the waiting list online or by calling the box office. Patrons will be contacted if/when tickets become available in advance. Otherwise, patrons may join the standby line by arriving at the theatre 90 minutes before each reading to claim last minute tickets as they become available. Unclaimed tickets will be released to the standby line ten minutes before the performance begins. 

Baby Shower Katie 
By Beth Hyland
Thursday, April 10 and Saturday, April 12 

In this hilarious comedy, best friends Rebecca and Hannah are at a crossroads: Rebecca desperately wants to have a child, but Hannah can’t imagine anything worse. Over the course of four baby showers (held for three different women named Katie), Rebecca and Hannah are confronted by their different dreams, the absurd expectations placed on mothers, and the terror and uncertainty that can accompany pregnancy.

PIN. 
By Sam Mueller
Directed by Caitlin Sullivan
Friday, April 11 and Sunday, April 13

Nonbinary high school athlete Jo Wagner has been kicked off their wrestling team for being on testosterone, but their rival MJ McKinnon is determined to have one final showdown before graduation. As the local community becomes more invested in their rivalry, their final, “unofficial” match causes both fascination and conflict. With joy, insight, and nuance, Sam Mueller questions the arbitrary nature of gender binaries and imagines a world in which nonbinary and trans kids can thrive.

Indian Princesses
By Eliana Theologides Rodriguez
Directed by Miranda Cornell
Thursday, April 17 and Saturday, April 19

Five young girls of color and their white fathers sign up for a Native American-themed father-daughter program designed to strengthen their bonds. Frustrations and tension grow during a series of increasingly chaotic excursions as the girls try to form friendships and express themselves while their fathers are reluctant to talk about race and diversity. Inspired by real-life experiences from Rodriguez’s childhood, Indian Princesses is a poignant and hilarious celebration of complicated identities and complex conversations.  

Proximity  
By Harrison David Rivers
Directed by Paige Hernandez
Friday, April 18 and Sunday, April 20 

Ulises and Ezra are recently divorced and trying to navigate the COVID-19 lockdown with their two young children. Irie and Elliott are still together but straining under the pressures of marriage, parenthood, and the pandemic. When Irie loses her temper in an aggravating virtual PTA meeting, she and Ezra form a much-needed connection. This funny and beautiful play explores isolation, the messiness of parenting, and the importance of relationships with empathy and insight.

 
The Bonnie Hammerschlag National Capital New Play Festival Developmental Reading Series is sponsored by Clare Evans. 

Additional support for The Bonnie Hammerschlag National Capital New Play Festival is provided by the Morgan Fund at Seattle Foundation.