10 Best Performing Arts in Capitol Hill and Northeast, Washington, D.C.

The Choir of the National Shrine, a professional choir of 16 voices, performs every Sunday at the Shrine's Noon Mass, in addition to visiting choral and church groups that occasionally perform at one of the largest Catholic churches in the Americas. Every summer and periodically throughout the year, recitals featuring the massive pipe organ are offered. See the website for times and visiting performers. 

The theater at the Folger Shakespeare Library, an intimate 250-seat re-creation of the inn-yard theaters of Shakespeare's time, hosts three to four productions each year of Shakespearean or Shakespeare-influenced works. Although the stage is a throwback, the sharp acting and inspired direction consistently challenge and delight audiences. The theater is undergoing a multiyear renovation, but you can catch performances and other events at other venues in Washington, D.C.

Known as the "People's Kennedy Center," this performance venue occupies a restored art deco movie theater in one of Washington's up-and-coming neighborhoods. The Atlas's four theaters and three dance studios house a diverse group of resident arts organizations, including the Mosaic Theater Company of D.C., the Joy of Motion Dance Center, Step Afrika!, and the Capital City Symphony. Street parking can be difficult, but you can take the DC Streetcar here from the Metro stop at Union Station.

Since its founding in 2005, the Capital Fringe Festival has grown each year, and it currently offers no fewer than 50 productions (and more than 300 individual performers) over a several-week period in July. Local and national performers display the strange, the political, the surreal, and the avant-garde to eclectic crowds at all times of the day in venues throughout the city. With tickets around $15, this is an affordable theater experience. Tickets go on sale in June.

Don't forget your Fringe Button, a pin that grants the holder access to all festival events and benefits from local retailers.

Be ready to party at the Festival Bar, in Georgetown, where performers, musicians, and patrons rock into the wee hours on festival days.

Since its first concert, in 1925, the 500-seat Coolidge has hosted most of the 20th and 21st centuries' greatest performers and composers, including Copland and Stravinsky. Today, the theater draws musicians from all genres, including classical, jazz, and gospel, and the hall continues to wow audiences with its near-perfect acoustics and sight lines. Concert tickets must be reserved in advance through the Library's website. Because of the Library's security procedures, patrons are urged to arrive 30 minutes before the start of each event.

This clearinghouse for information on upcoming shows, festivals, and jam sessions in the metropolitan area also publishes a regular newsletter and welcomes volunteers.

This studio theater showcases an eclectic array of local, national, and international dance and performance art talent in an assortment of modern and ethnic shows. Performances take place most weekends, and drop-in dance classes are held daily. The company is a bit of a trek from Capitol Hill (about 3 miles north of the Capitol), but it’s quite close to the Brookland–CUA Metro station on the Red Line, just three stops from Union Station.

The library's internationally acclaimed resident chamber music ensemble, the Folger Consort, regularly presents Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque pieces performed on period instruments. The season runs from September to May. The library is closed for renovation until at least late fall 2023.

At more than 200 events a year, the all-volunteer society presents folk and traditional musicians and dancers from all over the country. Venues around the D.C. area host events ranging from contra dancing to storytelling to open group singing.

This company's intimate and passionate performances on stages throughout the city, including H Street’s Atlas Performing Arts Center, highlight some of the most offbeat plays in Washington. The company offers lesser-known works by such playwrights as Fengar Gael, Kate Hamill, and Qui Nguyen.