Our Past
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.
Our Present and Our Future
In late summer 2013 Playhouse reopened as The Anacostia Playhouse. 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.
Venue Address
2020 Shannon Place SE
Washington, DC 20020
United States
Public Transportation
How to reach The Essential Theatre @ Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road, SE, Washington, DC 20020
From Anacostia Station on the Green line metro rail
Take either bus marked
P6 Rhode Island Avenue
90 Duke Ellington Bridge
Circulator bus marked union Station
Exit bus at Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road, SE.
Walk one tenth of a mile east to Anacostia Arts Center
From Minnesota Avenue metro rail Stations blue/orange/silver line
Take either metro bus marked:
V2 Anacostia Station
92 Congress Heights Station
Exit bus @Good Hope Road, SE and 13th Street, SE
Walk one tenth of a mile west crossing Good Hope Road, SE to Anacostia Arts Center.
How to reach The Essential Theatre @ Anacostia Playhouse
2020 Shannon Place, SE, Washington, DC 20020
From Anacostia metro rail station on the green line:
Take either bus marked:
P6 Rhode Island Avenue
90 Duke Ellington Bridge
Circulator bus marked union Station
Exit bus at Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road, SE.
Walk across Martin Luther King, Jr Avenue, SE. Walk two tenths of a mile southwest up U street to Shannon Place, SE and turn left to Anacostia Playhouse.
From Minnesota Avenue metro rail Stations blue/orange/silver line:
Take either metro bus marked:
V2 Anacostia Station
92 Congress Heights Station
Exit bus @Good Hope Road, SE and 13th Street, SE
Walk one tenth of a mile southwest to corner of Good Hope Road, SE and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. Walk across Good Hope Road, SE. Turn right to walk across Martin Luther King Avenue, SE. Turn Left to walk one block south up Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. Turn right on U street, SE and walk one tenth of a mile up U street, SE to Shannon Place, SE. Turn left to Anacostia Playhouse.
For updates or advisories on the metro bus or metro rail system, please call (202) 637-7000 or visit www.WAMATA.com
From Anacostia Station on the Green line metro rail
Take either bus marked
P6 Rhode Island Avenue
90 Duke Ellington Bridge
Circulator bus marked union Station
Exit bus at Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road, SE.
Walk one tenth of a mile east to Anacostia Arts Center
From Minnesota Avenue metro rail Stations blue/orange/silver line
Take either metro bus marked:
V2 Anacostia Station
92 Congress Heights Station
Exit bus @Good Hope Road, SE and 13th Street, SE
Walk one tenth of a mile west crossing Good Hope Road, SE to Anacostia Arts Center.
How to reach The Essential Theatre @ Anacostia Playhouse
2020 Shannon Place, SE, Washington, DC 20020
From Anacostia metro rail station on the green line:
Take either bus marked:
P6 Rhode Island Avenue
90 Duke Ellington Bridge
Circulator bus marked union Station
Exit bus at Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road, SE.
Walk across Martin Luther King, Jr Avenue, SE. Walk two tenths of a mile southwest up U street to Shannon Place, SE and turn left to Anacostia Playhouse.
From Minnesota Avenue metro rail Stations blue/orange/silver line:
Take either metro bus marked:
V2 Anacostia Station
92 Congress Heights Station
Exit bus @Good Hope Road, SE and 13th Street, SE
Walk one tenth of a mile southwest to corner of Good Hope Road, SE and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. Walk across Good Hope Road, SE. Turn right to walk across Martin Luther King Avenue, SE. Turn Left to walk one block south up Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. Turn right on U street, SE and walk one tenth of a mile up U street, SE to Shannon Place, SE. Turn left to Anacostia Playhouse.
For updates or advisories on the metro bus or metro rail system, please call (202) 637-7000 or visit www.WAMATA.com