Late December is the season of top-ten lists, but in a region as theatrically rich as the DMV, how does one distill such abundance into a mere ten? To help guide our choices this year, DCTA’s editorial team posed a single question to our writers: Which production stood out not only for its artist ic excellence, but for how powerfully it engaged with the social and political realities shaping life in the DMV in 2025? The resulting list — comprising plays and a handful of musicals — reflects the unique capacity of live theater to help audiences process the world around them. For anyone paying even cursory attention to the news, 2025 was not an easy year. Locally, we mourned the loss of beloved theatrical homes, including Source Theatre and Anacostia Playhouse, and reckoned with the dismantling of programming and job stability at the Kennedy Center following its takeover by the Trump administration. Beyond our stages, ICE agents appeared on our streets, sexual abuse of minors became a near-constant presence in the news cycle, war in the Middle East entered its third devastating year, and antisemitism resurged at home. Nationally, DEI initiatives once considered standard practice were effectively outlawed, the rights of trans people came under renewed attack, while gun violence continued to claim American lives with numbing regularity.  Try as we might, it was a year in which heavy subjects were nearly impossible to tune out. Theater serves many purposes, but among its most vital is its role as a communal space for reckoning: a place where people gather, in real time, to confront difficult truths. In the shared darkness of an auditorium, theater offers not solutions but something equally necessary — context, catharsis, and connection. It helps us make sense of a fractured world while reminding us that we are not bearing its weight alone. With that in mind, this year’s top ten list honors productions that achieved artistic distinction while also engaging deeply with the most urgent and complex issues of our time — works that, in grappling with pain, confusion, loss, and division, reminded us why live theater remains an indispensable act of collective witnessing. Enjoy our list and drop us a line to let us know what shows resonated most with you this year. — Nicole Hertvik, Editor-in-Chief A Case for the Existence of God, Mosaic Theater Company Lee Osorio as Ryan and Jaysen Wright as Keith in Mosaic Theater’s production of ‘A Case for the Existence of God’ by Samuel D. Hunter. Photo by Chris Banks. Adult men do not readily form bonds of platonic love and trust with each other, much less across societal divisions of race, economic disparity, and sexual orientation. The rarity of unabashed male-male rapport is cast into sharp relief by Samuel D. Hunter’s heart-wrenching two-hander, A Case for the Existence of God. Hunter’s pitch-perfect script tells the engrossing story of a down-to-earth, uncommon friendship that grows between two men who are of the same age but in nearly every other respect starkly different: One, Ryan (Lee Osorio), is white, a dirt-poor factory worker, straight, and getting divorced by his wife. The other, Keith (Jaysen Wright), is Black, a comfortably middle-class mortgage broker, single, and gay. Their connection begins improbably when they meet at a day-care center where each takes his toddler daughter. They meet again, at what is the start of the play, in Keith’s sleekly neat home office, where Ryan has come in hopes of obtaining a loan to buy land on which to build a home for his daughter. Both actors have moments of sweet humor and extraordinary monologues of emotional self-disclosure, which they embody with such inner truthfulness that we are drawn steadily into their human pain. Slowly and surely, their daughter-centered affinity becomes a reciprocal regard between them that could, in other contexts, surpass the connection of affection. The open-hearted performances of Osorio and Wright reveal a dimension of two men beholding one another wholly that in less secular contexts could pass for beatitude. A Case for the Existence of God depicts a kind of open-heartedness that the world dearly needs.  — John Stoltenberg Uncommon buddies build ‘A Case for the Existence of God’ at Mosaic Theater (DCTA review by John Stoltenberg) A Strange Loop, Visionaries of the Creative Arts and Deaf Austin Theatre  Tyler ‘T’ Lang, Gabriel Silva, Wade Green, Damien DeShaun Smith, and Jeremy Rashad Brown in ‘A Strange Loop.’ Photo by Andrew Robertson. In 2025, the theater industry became increasingly worried about the state of the Broadway musical: multiple Broadway productions closed prematurely, and The New York Times reported that only three new Broadway musicals had recouped their production costs since the COVID-19 pandemic. These very questions of commercial viability, audience “palatability,” and artistic integrity were put onstage in DC with A Strange Loop, presented by Visionaries of the Creative Arts and Deaf Austin Theatre. Michael R. Jackson’s metatheatrical show already grappled with a queer Black artist navigating an oppressive theater industry. But director and choreographer Alexandra Wailes boldly reimagined the show’s protagonist as a Deaf character, with the ensemble performing in ASL and music. The result was an overwhelming production in the best way: it overwhelmed the audience with all of the code-switching, language barriers, and quiet fears faced by members of the Black Deaf community. The production itself was a welcome reminder that the best musicals will endure beyond Broadway  —  and that artists will transform them beyond anything their original creators could imagine.  — Nathan Pugh With a Deaf protagonist, ‘A Strange Loop’ finds more resonance and dissonance (DCTA review by Nathan Pugh) Downstate, Studio Theatre Stephen Conrad Moore (Dee), Richard Ruiz Henry (Felix), Kelli Blackwell (Ivy), Jaysen Wright (Gio), and Dan Daily (Fred) in ‘Downstate.’ Photo by DJ Corey. Bruce Norris‘ Downstate tackles a topic that was, unfortunately, top of mind in 2025  — pedophilia. But rather than focus solely on the victims, Norris shines his light on a group of convicted child offenders living in a halfway house. Studio Theatre’s superb production of this 2018 drama explores the ways in which each finely etched character recalls his offense. Some still issue glib denials while others are wracked with unending guilt. Yet, under the supervision of a weary social worker, they form a genial enough household until a hapless former target arrives to face his perpetrator. This timely production forces us to think beyond stereotypes and consider the essential humanity that lurks deeply within even those who have committed some of society’s most reviled crimes. — Amy Kotkin At home with sex offenders in brilliant and disturbing ‘Downstate’ at Studio (DCTA review by Amy Kotkin) Fremont Ave., Arena Stage  Bradley Gibson (Joseph), Doug Brown (Older George), Kevin Mambo (Older Roberg), and Galen J. Williams (Damon) in ‘Fremont Ave.’ Photo by Marc J. Franklin. Fremont Ave., raw and real in its portrayal of triumph and trauma, was the highlight of my theatergoing this year. This moving story of Black male family relationships and friendships spanned generations and decades, and was rich with depth, humor, warmth, and truth. The play by Reggie D. White felt exquisitely attuned to this political and cultural moment, showcasing a defiant testament to the resilience and joy of the Black family. Artistically, it was a radiant achievement: design and music worked as one, reflecting Black culture and perfectly complementing the storytelling of one family in one house over time. At its heart, Fremont Ave. illuminated the fierce desire each generation has to make the previous generation proud — to succeed where they could not, not out of competition, but out of love and gratitude for what they endured. The play resonated through my own lived experience, and I wish other members of my family could see it too, especially the Black men — even if we played Pinochle instead of Spades.  —  Aileen Johnson Tender and turbulent Black male bonds in ‘Fremont Ave.’ at Arena Stage(DCTA review by Debbie Minter Jackson) Furlough’s Paradise, Theater Alliance Renea S. Brown (Mina) and Hillary Jones (Sade) in ‘Furlough’s Paradise.’ Photo by Chris Banks courtesy of Theater Alliance. Furlough’s Paradise at Theater Alliance, a DC premiere by a.k. payne, was a breathtaking exploration of love and liberation. The award-winning play, directed by Autumn Angelettie and featuring two incandescent performances by Renea S. Brown and Hillary Jones, is the story of two very different cousins. Mina (Brown) is a successful writer. Sade (Jones) is on a three-day furlough from prison. They come together for the funeral of Sade’s mother. As Victoria Sosa notes in her review, “Mina has learned to ‘make white people comfortable’ to share in their opportunities, a key aspect of respectability politics. Sade represents the desire for an exodus from white society, envisioning a haven for Black girls everywhere.” The legacy of slavery, the prison system, and the tensions between family members with disparate destinies are all vividly present. These obstacles render the triumph of love and connection even more moving. Furlough’s Paradise enhances Theater Alliance’s reputation for showcasing socially conscious new work, celebrating ties with the community, and taking audiences to richly imagined destinations. — Sophia Howes Love and liberation in ‘Furlough’s Paradise’ at Theater Alliance(DCTA review by Victoria Sosa) GUAC, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Manuel Oliver in ‘GUAC’ at The Public Theater. The image at left is his son Joaquin, nicknamed ‘Guac.’ Photo by Donna Aceto Photography. GUAC came to Wooly Mammoth Theatre Company at the very start of this year. It was a stunner and the most moving theater experience I had witnessed in a long time, so much so that I went back three times, and it is still rolling around inside my head. GUAC was conceived, written, and performed by Venezuelan mural artist Manuel Oliver as a response to the murder of his son Joachin, who was one of the victims of the Parkland High School shootings. This father keeps the memory of his son alive, recounting with equal parts humor, admiration, and unmitigated grief events and the close relationship they shared. The show’s strength came from the urgency and commitment “Manny” shares with his audience. January was the month that Trump took office, and the immigrant artist had stepped up with courage, using his voice to speak out against this country’s gun violence. To my mind, this is what theater in our capital city should be — a catalyst for conversation and social/political change. — Susan Galbraith A shooting victim’s papi turns to art and action in ‘GUAC’ at Woolly Mammoth(DCTA review by Lisa Traiger) Lie Low, Solas Nua Megan Graves as Faye and Cody Nickell as Naoise in ‘Lie Low.’ Photo by DJ Corey Photography. Anyone who has been sexually assaulted by a stranger, or anyone who cares about someone who has been similarly violated and traumatized, will readily recognize the all-consuming characterological crisis of the woman named Faye (Megan Graves) at the center of this staggeringly brilliant play by Irish playwright Ciara Elizabeth Smyth. What will come as a surprise is the tense hilarity with which Smyth has imbued the story of Faye’s inner turmoil and her attempts to heal (“I won’t allow myself to be a victim a second time,” she vows). At the core of this brisk absurdist comedy is a deep darkness that many would likely look away from had not Smyth the wit and ingenuity to frame it as improbably funny. The laughs are notably never at the survivor’s expense, as might be expected in a culture obsessed with victim-blaming. Through a series of “exposure therapy” episodes, Faye pluckily revisits and rehearses what happened to her  —  with the reluctant assistance of her older brother, Naoise (Cody Nickell), whom she initially feels safe with  —  and becomes the conquering heroine of her own life. I can’t recall seeing a more explosive depiction of contemporary sexual politics between two people onstage.  — John Stoltenberg A hilarious replay of vulnerability to sexual assault in ‘Lie Low’ from Solas Nua(DCTA review by John Stoltenberg) November 4, Voices Festival Productions Mitch Greenberg (as Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin) and Noah Mutterperl (as Rabin’s assassin, Yigal Amir) in ‘November 4.’ Photo by Peggy Ryan. It is hard to imagine that a story about the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin could succeed as a musical, yet in many ways, it does. Nicole Hertvik and Daniella Ignacio called it, though imperfect, “a laudable contribution to discourse on a path forward in the Middle East, which is never more urgent and necessary than right now.” According to John Stoltenberg, one might not imagine that the human backstories of a political assassination would lend themselves to musical-theater-ification, much less to a memorable new work in which past and present collide onstage and in one’s conscience. But that is exactly what the storytelling team of Danny Paller (music and lyrics) and Myra Noveck (book) has made happen. Showcasing a musical about Rabin, the Israeli Prime Minister who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve peace with his Palestinian and Arab neighbors, is an important reminder that dialogue and compromise can be more effective tools than violence and war.  — Sophia Howes Voices Festival Productions’ ‘November 4’ sets a political assassination to music(DCTA review by Nicole Hertvik and Daniella Ignaciio)Why did two Gentiles enjoy a musical about the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin?(DCTA “Post-Play Palaver” by John Stoltenberg and Sophia Howes) The American Five, Ford’s Theatre Ro Boddie as Martin in the 2025 Ford’s Theatre production of ‘The American Five.’ Photo by Scott Suchman. Not often in American theater  —  or not often enough  —  does a play come along like Chess Jakobs’ The American Five. In dramatizing the making of a momentous mobilization for social justice (the 1963 March on Washington, during which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech), Jakobs’ powerfully crafted play has the effect of galvanizing in its audience a response that is itself a catalyst for activism for hope and change. In rousing resistance to injustice and inspiring cohesion and connection, the play is a triumph. I was left with the exhilarating feeling of rejoicing in resistance, which is exactly what the nation needs right now. Had the landmark keeper of Abraham Lincoln’s memory just staged an implicit anti-anti-DEI epic? Yes, I think so. I think that’s what has just happened at Ford’s.  — John Stoltenberg A galvanizing triumph at Ford’s Theatre in ‘The American Five’(DCTA review by John Stoltenberg) The Inheritance, Round House Theatre The cast of ‘The Inheritance’ at Round House Theatre. Photo by Margot Schulman. When I think of The Inheritance, the first word that comes to mind is “endurance.” Sprawled across two separate parts and clocking in at a whopping seven hours, director Tom Story‘s production of Matthew López‘s gay epic was the clear highlight of Washington’s theater year. López spins a lyrical yarn, but it was Story who deserved the flowers here. His tender hand pushed the sometimes saggy play steadily across time, never allowing it to drift or dip, and though first-rate performances abounded, the ultimate reward for our attention was the ever gut-wrenching Nancy Robinette. Her mere appearance in the last minutes of the second part was met with sighs of relief. This was the kind of production that comes only once every few years: devastating, restorative, and so demanding of both its artists and its audiences that the bond between the two remains long after the show has closed. — D.R. Lewis Thrilling and awe-inspiring ‘The Inheritance’ now at Round House (DCTA review by Gregory Ford) The post Ten of 2025’s top shows that got real about the tough stuff  appeared first on DC Theater Arts. ...read more read less