STAY INFORMED!
“Excellent venue. Plenty of off street parking. Great performances.” – Michelle E.
“Great theater space! Kind employees and great artists make it a wonderful experience.” – Michael R.
“I loved the intimate feel of it. The stage, in the center, allows for you to be seated close to the performers without being too close.” – Wilson B.
“Hidden gem in downtown Anacostia walking distance to great restaurants and venues.” – Marcus M.
Stephawn Stephens has become a recognizable presence as a local actor, singer, and director in the Metropolitan area theater scene. He is a native of Cleveland, Ohio where he received his formal training at the Karamu House, Cleveland State University, majoring in English and Music Education, and then also Bowie State University completing his studies in Musical Theater/Acting. In his professional endeavors, Mr. Stephens has performed at several local and well-known venues such as Arena Stage, African Continuum Theater Company, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Ford’s Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Round House Theatre, Theater Alliance, Theater J, Signature Theatre and Woolly Mammoth. He is a member of Actors Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA unions. Throughout his career, Mr. Stephens has developed his craft, and gained invaluable knowledge and experience in theater and education. He believes in cultivating an atmosphere where undiscovered talent is trained and perfected. While building partnerships within the community through volunteering and his faithfulness to his church, Mr. Stephens has been touted by his peers as a “game changer.” He strives to help build and motivate cross-functional teams that exceed worldly expectations while marrying passion to purpose.
Pamela is an actor, playwright, and lifelong supporter of the arts. At the age of seven, she found her niche after snagging her first acting role with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Since then, she has become a well-rounded thespian committed to keeping theatre alive. Her vast experience has spanned all facets of theatre management from serving as the Executive Director of Serenity Players, Inc., a non-profit community theatre, to directing, stage management, and box office management . Pamela has worked throughout the Greater Washington, D.C. area including Arena Stage, Studio Theatre, Round House Theatre, The Atlas, The Kennedy Center, ACTCO, DC Playback Theatre, Positive Image Performance Project, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company. She also served for many years as a grant reviewer for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Most recently, Pamela, completed readings of her play, The Butterfly Waltz, as well as served on the Steering Committee for the documentary, “Fierceness Served! The ENIKAlley Coffeehouse”, which premiered at the 2022 DC International Film Festival.
Shawna Williams is a native of Washington, DC born in Little Rock, AR, and raised in Alexandria, VA. She began dancing at age four with Mrs. Davis and then furthered her training at the Russell School of Ballet, Home of the Fairfax Ballet. She holds a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has taught in various schools, studios, and settings throughout the DC metropolitan area including the Washington School of Ballet. She has danced with Revision Modern Dance company, danced and choreographed in her own works as well as productions for the Anacostia Playhouse. She is currently the Director for CAAPA: Coalition for African-Americans in the Performing Arts, Director of Programming for Pennies for Pointe, and is also studying to become a certified dance instructor of the dance technique created by the legendary Katherine Dunham. She is a sought-after choreographer, teacher, and (triple-threat ) performer whose goal is to inspire, uplift, educate, and facilitate healing and connectedness through the arts.
Kenneth Chaletzky
Paul Michnewicz
Jennifer Lee
Frank Koiner
Dobromir Vassilev
Kathy Robey Hunter
Sandra Smith
Andre Hunt
Cheryl` Hawkins
Thomas Walsh
Laura Schiller
Akela Crawford
Patrick Martin
Carolyn Jeff Serfass
Wilma Lynn Horton
Frederick Werth
Gloria Roberts
Parker Jayne
David Crowley
Mark Tannenbaum
Carl and Rise Cole
Martha Huizenga
Doyle Mitchell
James Kidney
Virginia Gano
Elizabeth Gill
Erica Rojas
Alice Norris
Susan Perry
Earl-Rodney Holman
Sharyn Danch
David Tannous
Gayle Pinderhughes
Michael Olding
Emma Willridge
Joseph Cannavo
Ella Davis
Cheryl Hawkins
Kathryn taylor
Anna Jacobs
Sherry Compton
Barbara Wells
Carolyn Serfass
Fahad Ashraf
Leslie Buhler
Raymond Phillips
Thomas Hamilton
Timothy LaCasse
Carolyn M. Thomas
Priscilla LaVallee
Bruce Brennan
Buzz Mauro
Gayle Krughoff
Theresa Branch
Ann Houston
Sheila Bunn
Ben Schaibly
Barbara Becker
Emma Horton
Gregory King
Vanessa Gibbs
Hope Mentore-Smith
Claire Schoonover
Dan Sullivan
Delia Taylor
Jane Petkofsky
Janet Griffin
Kris Swanson
Kristina Leszczak
Vicki A Lancaster
Emily Price
Leah Weiser
David Quick
Cornel Dunmore
Chrystal Morris Murphy
Shawn Helm
R Widmann
Brian Doyle
R L Widmann
Tommie Adams
Tom Rall
Gail Spane
Lisa Nickerson
Roger Miksad
Marti Bailey
Ann Matikan
Ashley Chase
Ebony Rosemond
Essence Moore
John Muller
Darlene Meskell
Christie Walser
Frank Leibsly
George Burton
James Foster
Laurinda Brown-Johnson
Kathy Hunter
Thia Hamilton
Jon Reynolds
Mary Procter
Megan Behm
Orlando Brooks
Steven Malone
Terry Nicholetti
Tina L. Fletcher
Vanessa Brooks
Vernard Gray
Mary Fran Miklitsch
Amal Saade
Jenifer Trovato
Ana Cardoso
Elsie Gomes
Marisa Brown
Mae Jennings
Dawn Covin
Ashley Cheatham
Melissa Jones
Andrea Wise
Bettie Graham
Brian Hale
Christy White
Chuck Burger
LaToria Derrough
Derek McClure-Hewitt
Doreen McGill
Evangeline Offiah
Faith Williams
John Johnson
Jonelle Sullivan
Laura Elliott
Leslie Barbour
Marcia Freeman
Maria Perry
Mark Michael
Norman Metzger
Sonja Meder
Vincent G. Carter
Christian Johnson
Katherine Breen
Eberechukwu Njoku
Jessica Hamilton
Michael Kirkwood
Erica Eshun
John Murphy
Sherry Deane
Graylin Presbury
Michael Green
Edwina Davis-Robinson
Raquel Smith
Karla Daly
Nancy Ricks
Harold Maupin
Kathy and Scott Hunter
John Driscoll
Lowell Fox
Christopher Gill
Diane Shages
Michael Neal Bagby
In 2001, Adele Robey and her late husband Bruce founded The H Street Playhouse. The H Street Playhouse opened its doors in July 2002 with a production of The Colored Museum; following that the Playhouse was rarely dark. Our belief in both the important history and the future promise of H Street, NE ensured a steady stream of producing theater companies, ready to be a part of something new and exciting, ready to help rebuild a neighborhood. Because of the wide variety of highly regarded productions at the Playhouse, thousands of visitors traveled to the H Street Corridor. This helped produce a critical mass, jump starting commercial growth with new bars and restaurants eagerly taking advantage of the new foot traffic.
When the Playhouse opened, it was hard to find a cup of coffee anywhere along the corridor. Today the length of H Street is alive with new retail, an enormous variety of dining, music venues and exciting nightlife destinations. It truly has been a testament to how the arts are a basic building block for a vibrant, diverse community.
In 2012, Robey and her daughter Julia Robey Christian co-founded the Anacostia Playhouse and in late-summer 2013 the venue opened its doors in the Anacostia Historic District. The theater at 2020 Shannon Place, SE, is located in a place of both rich history and great promise, much as H Street was when we opened there over a decade ago. As a full time facility we see ourselves as uniquely positioned to serve our local community east of the river, while we work to introduce the neighborhood to members of other communities, thereby helping spur local economic development. Our exciting programming and diverse audience base is part of the movement to restore nighttime vigor to Historic Anacostia. With ample parking and multiple transportation options, Anacostia is uniquely poised to house a thriving arts and entertainment community.
The Anacostia Playhouse is both a rental facility as well as a producing organization. Our mainstage has 100-120 seats with flexible, reconfigurable seating. We have already hosted such respected companies as Theater Alliance (our resident company), Verbal Gymnastics, Pinky Swear, Scena Theater, Restoration Stage and Southeast Trinity on our stage and look forward to housing many other producing entities. Ongoing outreach efforts have resulted in partnerships with Ballou High School, Thurgood Marshall Public Charter School and Young Playwrights Theatre, all of whom had productions in our space. Between mainstage productions we host readings of new plays, jazz concerts, fundraisers and more. With an additional multi-function space, we can host rehearsals and community meetings, and long range plans include a roster of after school and summer activities and a technical apprenticeship program.
We welcome your input. Please give us your suggestions about what you think we should consider offering, both on stage and off. And if you have a creative or technical resume, please send it along. We do contract hires for many productions as well as for after school teaching positions. You can email it to Stephawn Stephens at info@anacostiaplayhouse.com or drop it by.