Dupont Underground premieres The Trumpeter, a fully staged theatrical experience, marking its first presentation in Washington, DC, as part of the inaugural “Drama In Your Face” season. Written by Inna Goncharova, the play explores art in war through the story of a trumpeter composing a s ymphony amid the siege of Mariupol in Ukraine. A production of Alliance for New Music-Theatre, it is directed by renowned Hungarian director János Szász and features performances by Michael Kevin Darnall and Lise Bruneau, transforming the underground stage into a haunting testament to resilience, memory, and the enduring power of the human spirit. Building on two readings offered last spring, The Trumpeter brings the suffering of Ukrainians up close during the fourth year of the Russian invasion. The production resonates with evocative trumpet music by Kevin McKee and the stirring voices of a Ukrainian vocal ensemble, led by Ruslan Bondar, a Ukrainian conductor of secular and sacred choral music. After leaving Ukraine in 2022, Bondar now lives in the Washington, DC, area with his young family as a refugee. “At Dupont Underground, we believe theater can bridge distances and make urgent stories impossible to ignore,” said Ana Harvey, CEO of Dupont Underground. “With The Trumpeter, audiences encounter the courage and pain of the Ukrainian people in a setting that brings every note, every gesture, and every emotion into immediate, unforgettable proximity.” This performance exemplifies Dupont Underground’s dedication to bringing vital stories to the stage, offering audiences an intimate, immersive experience of the human condition in their new theater. The Trumpeter runs from January 22 to February 1, 2026, at Dupont Underground, 19 Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC. Showtimes are Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $40 and available online. About Alliance for New Music-Theatre  Alliance for New Music-Theatre was founded in 1994 as a group of composers, librettists, and performers united to explore new collaborations and directions possible for music-theater. Now a cornerstone of the DC theater scene, New Music-Theatre is known for developing new works across the spectrum of music-theater: opera, musicals, drama with music, jazz, cabaret, dance-theater, or even hybrids such as mixed media performance art. Celebrated for the eclectic nature of its work and the different forms and musical languages they employ, New Music-Theatre specializes in cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary opportunities in order to explore new voices, vocal techniques, and unfamiliar instrumentation to tell under-celebrated stories. About Dupont Underground Dupont Underground is dedicated to transforming the historic streetcar station beneath Dupont Circle into a dynamic cultural hub. Its mission is to nurture and showcase diverse forms of artistic and creative expression, promoting innovation and emerging talent. Dupont Underground’s vision is to transform this unique landmark into a beacon of DC’s rich cultural identity, amplifying the voices of independent and emerging talent. They foster meaningful dialogues between local communities and international contemporary artists and designers. Dupont Underground serves as an inspirational setting and a catalyst for new ideas, creative production, and cultural exchange. SEE ALSO:In Ukrainian play ‘The Trumpeter,’ the cacophony of war in microcosm (report on the staged reading by John Stoltenberg, May 1, 2025) The post Dupont Underground to premiere Ukrainian play ‘The Trumpeter’ appeared first on DC Theater Arts. ...read more read less