Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. has announced its 2024–2025 season, the first under new Artistic Director Hana Sharif. Among the nine productions that have been announced is the world premiere of A Wrinkle in Time, a new musical written by composer Heather Christian (Oratorio for Living Things), with a book by Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band). It will be directed by Lee Sunday Evans.
A Wrinkle in Time is being produced at Arena with special arrangements from a team of Broadway producers, including Plate Spinner Productions and Diana DiMenna, Aaron Glick, and Charlotte Jones Voiklis. It will run June 12-July 20, 2025. Based on the Madeleine L’Engle novel, it follows a young girl named Meg who must travel space and time to search for her missing father. In a previous interview, Christian told Playbill that there will be "a choir of, like, 28 people" and singing planets. The project has been in development since at least 2022, and held a workshop presentation last year.
The other shows that are on docket at Arena include hosting the previously announced national tour of Jocelyn Bioh's Jaja's African Hair Braiding by Jocelyn Bioh (September 6–October 6), which will open the theatre's season. The work is currently nominated for Best Play at the 2024 Tony Awards. Tony nominee Whitney White will direct after staging the Broadway bow, following a Harlem hair braiding shop over the course of one day. The tour is a co-production between Arena, Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
After that will be the world premiere of The Other Americans, written by and starring John Leguizamo, and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson (October 18–November 24). It follows a Colombian American laundromat owner living in Queens, who is grappling with a failing business and buried secrets. The show will be produced in association Off-Broadway's Public Theater, pointing to a potential New York City engagement to follow.
The world premiere of Data by Matthew Libby will play next (October 31–December 15). The show takes place at a data-mining firm in California's Silicon Valley. It is directed by Tyne Rafaeli.
Arena will also present a world premiere adaptation of Agatha Christie's mystery novel Death on the Nile, from playwright Ken Ludwig (November 22–December 29). The whodunnit follows a murder that occurs on a river cruise in Egypt. It will be directed by Hana S. Sharif.
Then over the holidays, Arena will present Step Afrika's Magical Musical Holiday (December 13–22), which combines African American stepping with holiday cheer.
In 2025, Arena will present a new adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel The Age of Innocence, written by Karen Zacarías (February 28–March 30, 2025). The story takes place in 1870s New York high society, as a forbidden romance clashes with family duty.
The springtime will also include the world premiere of Fake It Until You Make It by Larissa FastHorse (April 3–May 4, 2025). The comedy follows rivals at two Native American non-profit organizations. It is produced in association with Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.
Arena will also present a new musical in early 2025 and a new play by Tarell Alvin McCraney; both titles will be announced at a later date.
Said Sharif in a statement: “This season is a collection of 10 dynamic American stories from our nation’s most exciting and provocative artistic voices. Arena Stage has a long and rich history of launching groundbreaking new plays into the world and I am honored to dream boldly as we lay the foundation for a future as limitless as our imaginations.”
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