ART

Through March 3
Germany for Beginners
From “A” for arbeit (work), to “F” for fußball (soccer), all the way to “Z” for zukunft (future), viewers will gain insight into the German way of life and German identity though oversize sculptures of letters that engage visitors and transmit information about history, politics and culture.
Goethe-Institut

Through March 4
What’s on Your Mind?
Technology becomes artistic media as 40 artists from Latin America and the Caribbean use videos, projections, interactive projects, music, computers and robotic installations to demonstrate how contemporary art relates to all of us.
World Bank MC Building

March 4 to April 4
Latvian Art in Exile: 1944-1950
Paintings and drawings by refugee artists from Latvia, done between 1944 and 1950 in post-World War II Germany, reflect the creativity that sprung during a time when Latvian refugees came to terms with their decision to flee their homeland, turning to artwork in difficult camp conditions, where art materials were scarce. For information, visit www.latvia-usa.org.
Embassy of Latvia

Through March 6
Washington Color and Light
Major works by the artists associated with the Washington Color School and their contemporaries are united by an exploration of the language of abstraction, a desire to experiment with materials, and a love of color. Complementing the show, “Family Festival 2011: D.C. Color Splash!” invites children and families for a day of interactive performances to discover the magic of color and to experiment with painting techniques used by Washington Color School artists (Sat., March 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Corcoran Gallery of Art

March 9 to April 29
Approximate Landscape (Ungefähre Landschaft – Superficies)
In Christoph Engel’s photographs, golf courses in a barren, rocky landscape start to look like the palm of an outstretched hand — abstractions that visualize the grave consequences of human interventions into nature and the transformation of entire swaths of land pushed to the brink of ecological catastrophe.
Goethe-Institut

Through March 10
Wrestling with the Image: Caribbean Interventions
Contemporary artists from 12 Caribbean countries working in a variety of media — including photography, video, painting, sculpture and installation — confront stereotypes about the Caribbean without denying their own surroundings, urging others to reconsider their ideas about the region by examining issues such as history, tourism, globalization, popular culture and gender.
Organization of American States   Click Here to Read the Story
Art Museum of the Americas

Through March 13
Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats
The most revered clothing in 19th-century Central Asia was the ikat — named for the difficult technique used to create the fabric — a traditional design of tremendous socio-cultural significance that has resurfaced today in trendy fashion and home décor.
The Textile Museum

Through March 13
The Dark and Humorous Mind of Heather Wilcoxon
About 50 cartoon-like yet politically charged images reflect on the absurdity and fear of modern society, including “Sludge Drawings” on the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
American University Katzen Arts Center

Through March 13
Nicole Cohen: Driving in Circles
Large-scale drawings, video projections and prints center on Washington’s traffic circles, including Ward, Dupont, Garfield, Washington and Observatory circles, as a commentary on the ways that people intersect on a daily basis.
American University Katzen Arts Center

March 13 to Oct. 2
In the Tower: Nam June Paik
A new exhibition featuring 20 works by groundbreaking contemporary artist Nam June Paik (1923–2006) is the third in a series of shows installed in the Tower Gallery that centers on developments in art since the midcentury.
National Gallery of Art

Through March 22
Festival des Artistes: Diplomacy through Art
Paintings, photography, jewelry and ceramics showcase the amateur and professional artistic talents of Washington’s diplomatic community through a festival launched in 2004 by The Hospitality and Information Service for Diplomats (THIS) to explore the ways art can connect people while building international understanding. Diplomatic artists hail from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, China, Djibouti, France, Germany, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Malaysia, Peru, Switzerland and Ukraine. For information, visit http://bsiw.stanford.edu/art_gallery/index.html.
Bing Stanford in Washington Art Gallery

Through March 27
Directions: Cyprien Gaillard and Mario Garcia Torres
Parisian-born Cyprien Gaillard and Mexican-born Mario Garcia Torres represent a new generation of conceptual artists who examine the architectural and artistic “ruins” of the recent past, investigating whether the convictions and achievements of today’s artists, architects and theorists will prove any more enduring than those of previous generations.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Through March 31
The Gulag Collection
A selection of paintings depicting the notorious Soviet penal system by former prisoner Nikolai Getman — provided by the Heritage Foundation — are part of “Democracy and Human Rights: Lessons from the Past for the Current Czech Foreign Policy,” a series of events hosted by the Czech Embassy through June highlighting the country’s totalitarian past and its current human rights priorities, including the promotion of women and children’s rights. Getman (1917-2004) created an unparalleled visual record of the vast Gulag network of forced labor camps — which held more than 14 million people, most of whom died — used to repress political opposition and fuel the Soviet economy. For information, visit www.mzv.cz/washington.
Embassy of the Czech Republic

Through April 8
Trent Parke: Borderlands
Unsettling, sensual and brooding, more than 50 photographs created during a two-year, 55,000-mile journey through Australia demonstrate why Trent Parke — the first Australian to become a full member of the renowned Magnum Photo Agency — is one of the most innovative young photographers of his generation. (Photo ID required for entrance.)
Embassy of Australia Gallery

Through April 17
Shahnama: 1,000 Years of the Persian Book of Kings
This exhibition celebrates the millennium of the poet Firdawsi’s “Shahnama (Book of Kings),” considered one of the greatest literary works ever written — composed in more than 50,000 couplets that retell the story of Iran from the beginning of time to the conquest of Islam in the seventh century.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through April 29
Canadian Impressions
To mark the 52nd Annual Meeting of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank in Calgary, Alberta, in March, the IDB Cultural Center pays tribute to Canada by showcasing 12 printmakers from different regions in Canada whose multicultural backgrounds exemplify the fascinating cultural spectrum of Canada today.
Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center

Through May 1
Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations
Cyprus, the eastern-most island in the Mediterranean Sea, situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, has been a meeting point for many of the world’s great civilizations. Presented on the country’s 50th anniversary of independence, “Crossroads” features more than 200 artifacts — covering nearly 11,000 years of history — from the earliest villages to masterpieces of medieval religious art.
National Museum of Natural History

Through May 14
Beyond Home Remedy: Women, Medicine, and Science
In this fascinating look at historic medicine concocted by women in Shakespeare’s England, this exhibition highlights women at all levels of society — from the Countess of Kent to Mrs. Anne Coates — who were known to practice medicine.
Folger Shakespeare Library

Through May 15
Blinky Palermo: Retrospective 1964-1977
Though long celebrated throughout Europe, the influential postwar German-born painter Blinky Palermo has mostly escaped America’s notice even though he continually expanded the definition of painting throughout his career. This exhibition marks the first comprehensive survey of his work in the United States.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Through May 15
David Smith Invents
David Smith (1906-65), one of the country’s most celebrated sculptors, was the first American sculptor to make welded steel sculpture, infusing this industrial material with a fluidity and imaginative creativity that is at once beautiful and muscular. The Phillips showcases pivotal moments in Smith’s illustrious career, revealing the evolution of his personal aesthetic.
The Phillips Collection

Through May 15
Philip Guston, Roma
From the films of Federico Fellini to the vestiges of ancient Rome and the works of Italian masters, Philip Guston (1913-80) drew inspiration throughout his career from Italian art and culture. This exhibition of 39 paintings is the first to examine work Guston completed as an artist-in-residence at the American Academy in Rome in the early 1970s. (Part of “La Dolce DC,” a citywide series of events celebrating Italy)
The Phillips Collection

Through May 22
Eye Wonder: Photography from the Bank of America Collection
By selecting offbeat subjects, shooting intense close-ups, or manipulating focus and color, the artists featured in “Eye Wonder” have created dreamy and often haunting photographic images from 1865 to today, sharing a universal understanding that photographs offer an illusion of reality that is as subjective a means of expression as other visual art forms.
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through May 29
A Photographic Journey of the Ambassador’s Daughter: Moscow, 1937-38
While life in 1930s Moscow was a mystery to the outside world, special diplomatic access was granted to Emlen Knight Davies, daughter of U.S. Ambassador Joseph E. Davies, whose large photographic prints — 30 of which are seen here — offer a rare insider’s view of day-to-day life in the Soviet Union before the Cold War.
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens      Click Here to Read the Story

Through May 30
Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals
Venice inspired a school of competitive painters whose achievements are among the most brilliant in 18th-century art. This exhibition celebrates the rich variety of these Venetian views, known as vedute, through some 20 masterworks by Canaletto and more than 30 by his rivals. (Part of “La Dolce DC,” a citywide series of events celebrating Italy)
National Gallery of Art

Through June 5
Gauguin: Maker of Myth
Paul Gauguin’s sumptuous, colorful images of Brittany and the islands of the South Seas are among nearly 120 works in the first major look at the artist’s oeuvre in the United States since the blockbuster 1988 National Gallery of Art retrospective “The Art of Paul Gauguin.”
National Gallery of Art

Through July 17
The Orchid in Chinese Painting
Coinciding with the National Museum of Natural History’s annual orchid show, the Sackler presents 20 works related to orchids in Chinese painting, ranging in date from the 15th to the 19th century.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through July 24
Word, Shout, Song: Lorenzo Dow Turner Connecting Community through Language
Lorenzo Dow Turner’s foundational work in the 1930s established that people of African heritage, despite slavery, had retained and passed on their cultural identity through words, music and story wherever they landed. Features of the exhibition include rare audio recordings, photographs and artifacts from Turner’s linguistic explorations into the African Diaspora.
Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum

Through July 31
Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan
Majestic sixth-century Chinese Buddhist sculpture is combined with 3D imaging technology in this exploration of one of the most important groups of Buddhist devotional sites in early medieval China: the Buddhist cave temples of Xiangtangshan carved into the mountains of northern China — home to a magnificent array of sculptures, from monumental Buddhas and divine attendant figures to crouching monsters framed by floral motifs.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through Dec. 4
Artists in Dialogue 2: Sandile Zulu and Henrique Oliveira
The second in a series of exhibitions in which two artists are invited to create new works — each inspired by, and in response to the other — this installment features Sandile Zulu, who lives in Johannesburg, and Henrique Oliveira, who lives in Sao Paolo, and their site-specific works composed of unlikely materials such as weathered wood and fire.
National Museum of African Art

Through December 2011
African Mosaic
A towering, striking sculpture of Haitian leader Toussaint Louverture by contemporary Senegalese artist Ousmane Sow is the centerpiece of this exhibition of important acquisitions over the last decade, including more than 100 traditional and contemporary works, some never before on display.
National Museum of African Art

CONFERENCES / DISCUSSIONS

Thu., March 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Annual GWU Bilingual Special Education Conference
Educators, grant participants, policymakers and administrators discuss best practices for meeting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse, exceptional learners in our schools. For information, visit http://gsehd.gwu.edu/bilingual.
The George Washington University Marvin Center

Thu., March 3, 4 p.m.
One Muslim is Enough!’ — Evidence from a Field Experiment in France
David Laitin, a political science professor who has examined the causes of religious discrimination in France, discusses the rationales that sustain discrimination against Muslims in the French labor market.
Library of Congress – Room 119
Thomas Jefferson Building

March 8 to 10
CARE 2011 National Conference and Celebration
Humanitarian organization CARE celebrates the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day and the group’s 65th anniversary during its annual conference, which unites hundreds of CARE advocates to learn about the group’s work, including panels on social entrepreneurship, aid effectiveness and gender norms. Featured speakers include Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, former first lady Laura Bush and Judy Woodruff of PBS’s ” NewsHour,” as well as overseas staff from nearly 40 CARE countries, from Egypt to Afghanistan. The three-day event kicks off with a diplomatic reception hosted by Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar. For information, visit www.carenationalconference.org.
Washington Hilton

Wed., March 9, 1:30 p.m.
The U.S. Constitution and National Security
This panel examines changes in the constitutional interpretations of national security, beginning with the Korean War, when U.S. presidents began to assert unilateral authority to embark on war by seeking “authority” from outside organizations (the U.N. Security Council and NATO members) or claiming an “inherent” authority to protect the nation, without effective checks from the legislative or judicial branches.
Library of Congress – Room LJ-119
Thomas Jefferson Building

Wed., March 16, 7 p.m.
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
Award-winning historian and author Timothy Snyder examines the history of the greatest calamity of our time: the killing policies of both Hitler and Stalin as applied to the peoples between Berlin and Moscow. Free but reservations are required and can be made by calling (202) 234-3800 ext. 2165 or e-mail washington.culture@msz.gov.pl.
Embassy of Poland

Wed., March 16, 6 p.m.
Masters and Masterpieces of Netherlandish and Dutch Art
Art historian Karin Alexis provides an overview of Dutch art, emphasizing great masters from the Northern Renaissance and the Golden Age of the 17th and 18th centuries, including Vermeer and Rembrandt. The lecture also features a tour of the stately early 20th-century art collection at the residence of Dutch Ambassador Renee Jones-Bos, followed by a reception. Tickets are $70. For information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
Dutch Ambassador’s Residence

Wed., March 23, 7 p.m.
La Nuit du Conte
(A Night of Storytelling)
Four Francophone storytellers recount tales from the Caribbean, West Africa, Louisiana and North Africa, reflecting a common Francophone heritage that has survived in written and oral legends, from the bawdy poems of the French Middle Ages to the tales of mythical Acadia to today’s Cajun stories (in French). Tickets are $15.
Alliance Française de Washington

March 28 to 30
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 21st Annual Legislative Summit
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) hosts its 21st Annual Legislative Summit to provide Hispanic business owners, chamber leaders and corporate executives a forum to advocate for issues such as broadband access, green energy and financial services reform that impact their businesses and the Hispanic community. For information, visit www.ushcclegislative.com.
W Hotel

DANCE

March 4 to 12
WAM2! (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
The In Series presents this double-bill mélange of imagination, movement and music that includes shortened versions of Mozart’s opera masterpieces “Don Giovanni” and “Cosi fan tutte,” in collaboration with the Washington Ballet Studio Company — bringing Mozart’s immortal characters to life through a combination of ballet and song. Tickets are $39.
Atlas Performing Arts Center

March 25 to 27
Protégés III
Showcasing rising stars from some of the world’s greatest ballet academies, “Protégés III” highlights the academies’ different styles of training and offers a glimpse into the future of ballet with performances from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the Royal Danish Ballet School and the New National Theatre Tokyo’s Ballet School. Tickets are $19 to $60.
Kennedy Center Opera House

FESTIVALS

March 1 to 20
Maximum India
India is home to a million art forms, traditional and modern — a healthy sampling of which will be on display in this massive showcase at the Kennedy Center of the country’s diverse arts and culture, from dance to music to film to literature to theater. Highlights include bharatanatyam-style dancer Malavika Sarukkai (March 10), pop singer Kailash Kher (March 5), “Nati Binodini,” which recounts the true story of a Bengali star born into prostitution (March 2-3), the “Portrayal of Indian Women in Film Series” (March 16-20), “A Taste of India” culinary lessons at the Roof Terrace Restaurant (March 5 and 12), as well as a large-scale exhibitions of contemporary Indian art. For full festival information, visit www.kennedy-center.org/india.
Kennedy Center

March 2 to April 15
Francophonie 2011 Cultural Festival
This annual extravaganza celebrating the cultural diversity of the Francophone (French-speaking) world features concerts, film, literary salons, seminars and other events. Highlights include Grammy-nominated international recording artists Les Nubians (March 17); art by Togo-born artist Bethel Aniaku at the French Embassy (March 2-24); jazz and poetry at the Swiss Embassy (March 31); Lebanese-born actress and filmmaker Darina al-Joundi’s semi-autobiographical play “The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing” (March 24-25); Tunisian-born poet Hubert Haddad (March 11); the Balafon West African Dance Ensemble (March 9); Haitian writer Yanick Lahens (March 29); and the Grand Fête de la Francophonie, with more than 35 embassies and associations presenting the culinary specialties and traditions of the Francophonie countries (March 18). For information, visit http://francophoniedc.org or www.HouseofFranceDC.org.
Various locations

Sat., March 5
Lincoln Inauguration Celebration
A series of events celebrate the 150th anniversary of the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, starting with a public ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center at 10 a.m., when actor Sam Waterston reads from Lincoln’s first inaugural address, followed by a reenactment inaugural luncheon at the Willard featuring Waterston, live music from the Civil War period, and a menu reminiscent of the luncheon served to President Lincoln, who stayed at Willard’s Hotel with his family before the inauguration. Tickets for the luncheon are $75. For information, visit www.lincolninauguration2011.com.
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Willard InterContinental Washington

Through March 13
Intersections
After its premiere last year, Intersections: A New America Arts Festival returns for nine days of multidisciplinary, curated performances celebrating art as an inspiration for conversation and connection. Participants include the Washington Ballet and InSeries, World Dance Theater, Step Afrika!, SpeakeasyDC, the Spilling Ink Project, Silk Road Dance Company, Nasar Abadey and Supernova, Furia Flamenca and much more. For information, visit http://intersectionsdc.org.
Atlas Performing Arts Center

March 26 to April 10

National Cherry Blossom Festival
To commemorate the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, D.C., this widely anticipated festival offers a series of citywide events, from the popular family day at the National Building Museum to photo safaris around the Tidal Basin. For information, visit www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.
Various locations

GALAS

Fri., March 4, 6:30 p.m.
THIS for Diplomats Spring Soiree
As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, THIS for Diplomats presents a spring soiree featuring musical performers from China, Argentina and the Philippines, as well as an international buffet, libations and silent auction. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by calling (202) 232-3002 or e-mail this@meridian.org.
Meridian International Center

Fri., March 11
The Prevent Cancer Foundation Spring Gala
The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 17th annual Spring Gala: The Enchanting Principality of Monaco attracts more than 800 guests and over the years has raised more than $15 million to support cancer research and direct service programs for medically underserved communities. This year’s special guests include Foreign Minister José Badia of Monaco, as well as Ambassador of Monaco Gilles Noghes and his wife Ellen Noghes. Tickets are $500 or $1,000. For information, call (703) 519-2103 or e-mail linda.chastain@preventcancer.org.
National Building Museum

Sat., March 19, 6:30 p.m.
Catholic Charities Building a Brighter Future Gala
Café Milano owner Franco Nuschese chairs the 2011 gala for the Catholic Charities Spanish Catholic Center that provides health, employment and other vital services to the Latino and larger immigrant community in D.C. For information, call Elizabeth Petrich at (202) 939-2437 or e-mail Elizabeth.petrich@catholiccharitiesdc.org.
Organization of American States

MUSIC

Fri., March 4, 7:30 p.m.,
Sat., March 5, 8 p.m.
Sublime Confluence: The Music of Lou Harrison
The Post-Classical Ensemble celebrates Lou Harrison (1917-2003), an American composer who famously and influentially merged Indonesian gamelan music with Western concert traditions — producing a sublime catalogue of symphonic and chamber works applying the techniques and principles of Indonesian sounds. The gamelan concert at the Indonesian Embassy, with commentary and historic films, is free; tickets for the Lisner Auditorium performance are $15 to $55.
Embassy of Indonesia (March 4)
Lisner Auditorium (March 5)

Fri., March 4, 7:30 p.m.
Caroline Chéhadé, Violin
The winner of numerous solo competitions, including the Prix d’Europe, Egyptian violinist Caroline Chéhadé comes from Canada for this Washington black-tie engagement at the Egyptian ambassador’s residence, joined by pianist Jennifer Jackson. Tickets are $150, including reception, and can be purchased through the Embassy Series at www.embassyseries.org.
Egyptian Residence

March 3 to 6
Tango Buenos Aires
Tango Buenos Aires, known as Argentina’s most authentic representative of the tango, never fails to enrapture audiences with its diverse display of tango styles, marked by the company’s signature dramatic flourishes and deep passion. Tickets are $23 to 46.
George Mason University
Center for the Arts (March 5-6)
Hylton Performing Arts Center (March 3)

Fri., March 11, 7:30 p.m.
Narek Hakhnazaryan, Cello
Acclaimed young cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, joined here by pianist Noreen Polera, performs a program of Beethoven, Brahms and Rachmaninoff. Tickets are $100, including reception, and can be purchased through the Embassy Series at www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of Armenia

Sun., March 13, 4 p.m.
Missa Solemnis: Choral Fantasy
The Cathedral Choral Society presents two of Beethoven’s finest compositions in one spectacular program — rarely performed works that stand as testaments to his creative genius, written near the end of his life and completed in total deafness. Tickets start at $25.
Washington National Cathedral

Tue., March 15, 7:30 p.m.
Béatrice Martin, Harpsichord
Highly respected for her skills as a continuo player, les Arts florissants harpsichordist Béatrice Martin dazzles with the exoticism of French music from the 18th century. Tickets are $20.
La Maison Française

Tue., March 22, 7:30 p.m.
Le Nouveau Trio Gitan
Since 1985, guitarist Christian Escoudé — recipient of the Golden Django prize — has been a symbol of European jazz, surroundeding himself with the most prestigious musicians of gypsy and romani music. Tickets are $20.
La Maison Française

THEATER

March 3 to 26
From Uruguay with Laughter
(Del Uruguay con Humor)
Teatro de la Luna presents two of the most well-respected and well-known comedians from South America: From March 3 to 12, Graciela Rodríguez performs “Cómo Evitar Enamorarse del Hombre Equivocado (How to Avoid Falling in Love with the Wrong Man)” and from March 17 to 26, Petru Valenski stars in “A3vidos (Atrevidos / The 3 Rascals).” Tickets are $20 to $30. For information, visit www.teatrodelaluna.org.
Gunston Arts Center

March 4 and 5, 8 p.m.
Aliens, Immigrants & Other Evildoers
Performance artist José Torres-Tama, an Ecuadorean who resides in New Orleans, performs a sci-fi Latino noir, multimedia solo that satirizes the status of Latino immigrants as “aliens” and explores the rise in hate crimes against Latinos across the United States. Tickets are $20.
GALA Hispanic Theatre

Through March 6
The Comedy of Errors
A shipwreck, one of Shakespeare’s favorite launching devices, starts off this comedy of coincidence and confusion as Antipholus and his servant Dromio journey in search of their long-lost, identically named twin brothers. Tickets are $39 to $60.
Folger Shakespeare Library

Through March 6
Oedipus el Rey
The “mother” of all tragedies and the ultimate story of forbidden love is transporting to the sizzling rhythms of central Los Angeles — the gang capital of America — where a juvenile delinquent rises to be a king, but his passion for one woman violates sacred law. Tickets start at $30.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

March 8 to 27
The Chosen
Theater J becomes Arena Stage’s first local guest company in residence with its award-winning adaptation of the much-beloved story of two boys, two fathers, and two very different Jewish communities in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Tickets are $35 to $60.
Arena Stage

March 8 to April 10
An Ideal Husband
In Oscar Wilde’s witty social commentary, Sir Robert Chiltern, a well-regarded politician living in wedded bliss (or so he supposes) with his morally upstanding wife, finds his comfortable life challenged when a past crime comes to light and threatens his status as the “ideal husband.” Tickets start at $37.
The Shakespeare Theatre

Through March 12
One Flea Spare
As the streets of 1665 London pile up with bodies during the Black Plague, a rough-spoken sailor and a precocious young girl find themselves quarantined for a month with the wealthy master and mistress of the house in this searing and bawdy Black Plague comedy. Tickets are $25.
Round House Theatre Silver Spring

March 15 to April 3
Penelope
In Dublin playwright Enda Walsh’s riff on Homer’s “Odyssey,” Penelope’s surviving admirers tangle with prophecy and mortality as they contemplate the return of her husband — and the end of their lives. Tickets are $44 to $65.
The Studio Theatre

Through March 19
The Washington National Opera: Madama Butterfly
In this romantic production from San Francisco Opera, one of the world’s most beloved operas returns to Washington, featuring Puccini’s haunting, poignant music and the iconic protagonist, the innocent Butterfly who gives up everything for love. Tickets are $55 to $300.
Kennedy Center Opera House

March 21 to April 10
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs
Mike Daisey pulls back the curtain veiling America’s most mysterious technology icon with a wickedly funny tale of pride, beauty, lust and industrial design, illuminating the high-tech war — from China to Silicon Valley — and the human price we pay for our toys. Tickets start at $40.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Through April 10
Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
As wickedly hilarious today as when it first shocked audiences, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” is an ingeniously funny play that starts as a verbal sparring match between an older married couple at an impromptu cocktail party and devolves into a no-holds-barred battle of wits and wills. Tickets start at $40.
Arena Stage

Through April 24
Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo
In this meticulous and nuanced look at the lives of three New Yorkers, an everyday conversation between a husband and wife takes an unexpected turn into dangerously personal territory as American master Edward Albee offers a riveting new drama that expands on The Zoo Story, the one-act that launched his career 50 years ago. Tickets start at $40.
Arena Stage