Imagination Stage

‘Corduroy’ at Imagination Stage is laugh-out-loud adorable

A lighthearted, fun adventure for families with young children.

Imagination Stage begins in-person season with safety paramount

Five live productions to bring joy to the young and very young.

Imagination Stage’s ’10 Seconds’ to debut at MLK Library

Imagination Stage in Bethesda debuts its stage play, 10 Seconds, at a premiere event on November 18 at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC. Honorary Chairs for the...

Imagination Stage brings free kids show to Olney Outdoors

Enchanting dance theater piece ‘Paper Dreams’ to play weekend mornings.

How Imagination Stage is making sure the kids are okay during COVID

A new guard is stepping in at Imagination Stage, led by longtime Artistic Director, now Producing Artistic Director Janet Stanford. Rounding out the leadership trifecta are Meghann Babo-Shroyer as...

Imagination Stage strikes gold with ‘Spy Academy & the Lost Treasure of Atlantis’

There are jumping dogs, ninja fights, and double crosses. The story is fast-paced and offers many moments for kids to chime in on how the story should advance (remember Choose Your Own Adventure...

‘Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth’ returns to Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage brings back its Helen Hayes nominated show, Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth, written by Psalmayene 24. With the title character, Zomo, inspired by a Nigerian folktale, the...

Natsu Onoda Power’s adaptation of ‘Thumbelina’ captivates audiences of all ages at Imagination Stage

By Kelly Hanson Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina, a beloved fairy tale about a tiny girl searching for a place to belong, has been captivating children for hundreds of years. Though this story has...

Review: ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show’ at Imagination Stage

Shadow puppets, sock puppets, masked performances, large scale festival puppets, and marionettes appear in cultures around the world. Enduring over the centuries, puppetry is an art, in multiple...

Review: ‘The Ballad of Mu Lan’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage’s The Ballad of Mu Lan is the funny and poignant tale of a Chinese woman warrior who defies tradition in order to protect her father and be the person she feels she was meant to be....

Imagination Stage Announces 2019-2020 Season

Imagination Stage celebrates its 40th anniversary season in 2019-2020 with an exciting lineup of shows for children of all ages. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show September 28-October 27, 2019 Eric...

Review: ‘Anatole: Mouse Magnifique’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage is currently playing Anatole: Mouse Magnifique, a musical adaptation of the children’s book series “Anatole” by Eve Titus. Book and lyrics are by John Maclay and Lee Becker, with...

Ally Theatre Company Commissions Playwright Doug Robinson for Mapping Racism Project

Ally Theatre Company is pleased to announce Doug Robinson as the commissioned playwright for our 2019 Mapping Racism Project, produced in partnership with the Hyattsville Community Development...

Review: ‘Cinderella’ at Imagination Stage

Full disclosure: I love fairy tales. All of them. I always have, despite also being a girl who asked myself one day why Rapunzel couldn’t just make a ladder with all her own hair and escape the tower...

Review: ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, based on the comic strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz. Clark M. Gesner provides book, music, and lyrics, with additional dialogue by...

Review: ‘Twelfth Night’ at Imagination Stage Acting Conservatory

Imagination Stage’s production of Twelfth Night is an inventive update of Shakespeare’s classic play. Adapted and directed by Randy Baker, the show features the teenage actors from the Acting...

Review: ‘Robin Hood’ at Imagination Stage

Long live King Richard! Robin Hood (Chris Dinolfo) and his Merry Men (Jon Jon Johnson, Jason B. McIntosh, Nick DePinto) embark on their quest to steal from the rich, give to the poor, and join (not...

Review: ‘The Princess and the Pauper – A Bollywood Tale’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage proudly debuts The Princess and the Pauper- A Bollywood Tale, a musical adaptation of the classic Mark Twain novel. Written exclusively for Imagination Stage by Anu Yadav (read my...

Interview: Playwright Anu Yadav on ‘The Princess and the Pauper – A Bollywood Tale,’ Debuting at Imagination Stage

Playwright Anu Yadav’s first commissioned piece The Princess and the Pauper–A Bollywood Tale, debuts this February at Imagination Stage. This play is the perfect platform to introduce children to the...

Interview: Musical Improv Duo Tara and Rance Discuss their Critically-acclaimed Show ‘HERE’ Coming to Imagination Stage in Bethesda

Veteran Chicago improvisers Tara DeFrancisco and Rance Rizzutto have traveled together to 20 countries and more than 50 U.S. cities to perform their improvised musical, HERE, recently called “nothing...

Review: ‘Charlotte’s Web’ at Imagination Stage

If you’re on the lookout for an engaging, kid-friendly activity this holiday season, look no further than the classic tale of Charlotte’s Web at Imagination Stage. Based on the renowned children’s...

Review: ‘Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure’ at Imagination Stage

Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure follows the timeless Lewis Carroll tale, with all the memorable characters we know and love, but with a Rock ‘n’ Roll twist. Written by Rachel Rockwell and...

Review: ‘The Jungle Book’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents The Jungle Book, based on the classic story by Rudyard Kipling and adapted for the stage by Greg Banks. Janet Stanford directs a small cast of five in this production who,...

Review: ‘Paper Dreams’ at Imagination Stage

One of the wonders of children is their capacity to take the simplest object and create a whole new world filled with curiosity and excitement. Paper Dreams, a new children’s dance theatre production...

Review: ‘The Freshest Snow Whyte’ at Imagination Stage

Far off the radar of most grownup theatergoers, the writer/director Psalmayene 24 has been creating an extraordinary body of work for children. I’ve been an admirer of the trenchant work he has...

Review: ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage serves up a charming and delightful holiday treat with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. This timeless 1994 Broadway musical was adapted for the stage from the Academy Award-winning...

Review: ‘Aquarium’ at Imagination Stage

For the newest generation of theatergoers, Imagination Stage’s Early Childhood production of Aquarium is a treasure. Wide-eyed and brimming with excitement, the young audience members are lost in the...

Review: ‘The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane’ at Imagination Stage By Julia Exline

Imagination Stage presents The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, a stage adaptation Kate DiCamillio’s award-winning novel. The story follows a china toy rabbit through the era of America’s Great...

2016 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Once Upon a Bedtime’

The Silver Finch Arts Collective is back at the Fringe Festival with their first children’s show: Once Upon a Bedtime. But what a sophisticated children’s show! Five skilled musicians lead a cast of...

Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage, in collaboration with The Washington Ballet, presents the world premiere of The Little Mermaid. This creative partnership follows the highly acclaimed award-winning production The...

Magic Time! ‘Lord of the Flies’ at Imagination Stage

When Randy Baker told me he had directed a production of Lord of the Flies with a cast of mostly teenage girls, I knew I had to see it. William Golding’s classic about British schoolboys whose...

Review: ‘Looking for Roberto Clemente’ at Imagination Stage

Searching for something fun, informative, and meaningful to do with the family this spring? Imagination Stage’s current production of Looking for Roberto Clemente is a touching show centered on a...

Review: ‘JACK and Phil, Slayers of Giants, INC’ at Imagination Stage

There’s no doubt that you have heard the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, but have you ever heard of JACK and Phil, Slayers of Giants, INC? Imagination Stage has produced Playwright Charles Way’s take...

‘A Year with Frog and Toad’ at Imagination Stage

Arnold Lobel’s lovable characters from his classic children’s books, Frog and Toad, come to life at Imagination Stage in a Tony Award-nominated musical, A Year with Frog and Toad, with books and...

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival: ‘When She Had Wings’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents the world premiere of When She Had Wings, a play by Susan Zeder. Inspired by the mystery of famed aviator Amelia Earhart, this production is a proud participator in...

2015 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Belle and the Beasties’

Those who imagine Capital Fringe as a festival with a wealth of heart and a dearth of sophistication, especially in the realm of production design, have clearly not seen the breathtaking costumes and...

‘Double Trouble (AKA The Parent Trap)’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents Double Trouble (AKA The Parent Trap), based on Erich Kastner’s novel, Lottie and Lisa. This production is adapted by David S. Craig, with music by Marc Schubring and...

‘Sinbad: The Untold Tale’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents Sinbad: The Untold Tale, written by Charles Way and directed by Janet Stanford. Over the years, Imagination Stage has built up a reputation for exquisite children’s...

‘Blue’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents Blue, the newest production in their Early Childhood series, written by Annie Cusick Wood and directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer. Best for children ages 1-5, this interactive...

‘Wiley and the Hairy Man’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents Wiley and the Hairy Man, an adventurous folktale about a boy who must face his biggest fear, with Book by Suzan Zeder and Music by Harry Pickens. Pickens and Zeder co-wrote...

‘Wake Up Brother Bear’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage is renowned for its inventive children’s theater, their very popular interactive theatrical experience for youngsters, Wake up Brother Bear is no different. First produced in 2010,...

‘The Night Fairy’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents The Night Fairy, based on the book by Laura Amy Schlitz and adapted by John Glore. Jeremy Skidmore directs this imaginative production full of childhood nostalgia. If you...

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 3: Matt Dewberry

In Part 3 of a series of interviews with the cast of Breast in Show, meet Matt Dewberry How did you get involved in the show? Matt: I had worked with Kate Bryer previously at Imagination Stage (most...

‘The BFG’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant), based on the book by Roald Dahl, adapted for the stage by David Wood, and directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer and Eric J. Van Wyk. Before you...

‘Cinderella: The Remix’ at Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage presents Cinderella: The Remix, an exciting retelling of the classic written and directed by Psalmayene 24, with hip-hop beats by Nick Hernandez. The final production in Psalmayene...

‘Rumpelstiltskin’ at Imagination Stage by Julia L. Exline

Imagination Stage presents the old childhood tale Rumpelstiltskin, written for the stage by Mike Kenny and directed by Janet Stanford. Scenic Designer Daniel Pinha drapes the stage with an entwined...

‘Lyle the Crocodile’ at Imagination Stage by Julia L. Exline

Imagination Stage presents Lyle the Crocodile, an upbeat musical based on the book by Bernard Waber and adapted for the stage by Kevin Kling. Directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer and with Musical Direction...

‘Lulu and the Brontosaurus’ at Imagination Stage By Julia L. Exline

Imagination Stage presents the world premiere of Lulu and the Brontosaurus, a musical based on the book by Judith Viorst, who also wrote the Book and Lyrics for the stage. With music by Shelly Markham...

‘Mouse on the Move’ at Imagination Stage by Lauren Katz

Typically when I review a show, I bring a friend whose feet reach the ground while sitting in the audience. However, for this particular performance, I decided to take a different route. When I...

‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ at Imagination Stage by Julia L. Exline

Imagination Stage presents Peter Pan and Wendy, a musical adaptation of a longtime family favorite by Alyn Cardarelli and Steve Goers. Kathryn Chase Bryer directs this hilarious and enthralling...