VENUS
VENUS is a cosmic dark comedy by Steve Yockey about an utterly disastrous first date. Nicole prefers order, carefully curated dating profiles, and obvious escape routes, while Beth is impulsive and intrusive, arriving uninvited, sending excessive flowers, and taking Nicole on a midnight date beneath the stars. Their attraction becomes increasingly strange and threatening as romance turns into obsession, fear seems to acquire a life of its own, and both women are haunted by a mysterious woman in a red raincoat.
The production is directed by Reggie D. White and launches Woolly Mammoth’s 2026–2027 season. It is described as a National New Play Network World Premiere and is presented as a celestial fever dream by the playwright behind HBO’s *The Flight Attendant* and Netflix’s *Dead Boy Detectives*.
When: The main event listing gives September 10–October 4, 2026. The production information elsewhere on the page states September 9–October 4, 2026.
Showtimes: The page lists October 2 at 7:30 PM; October 3 at 2:00 PM; October 3 at 8:00 PM; and October 4 at 2:00 PM.
Special Performances: The October 3, 8:00 PM performance is ASL interpreted. Interpreters will be positioned on the left side of the stage for audience members facing the stage. A Filipino Community Performance is scheduled for September 26 at 2:00 PM, followed by a reception in the lobby. Pride Night is scheduled for September 19 at 8:00 PM and includes a post-show talkback with M Pease, Chair of the Maryland Commission for LGBTQIA+ Affairs.
Childcare Matinee: The September 13, 2:00 PM performance offers childcare through the National Children’s Theatre. Children ages 3–5 can participate in creative play, story drama, and an art project; they must be potty-trained and able to use the bathroom independently. Children ages 6–12 will explore performance and design through theater games, scene work, and a theatrical design project. Both groups receive a nut-free snack. The program is limited to 12 participants ages 3–5 and 20 participants ages 6–12.
Run time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Tickets: Price not available.
Venue: Woolly Mammoth Theatre.
Playwright: Steve Yockey, a Los Angeles-based writer with Atlanta roots. His plays include *Pluto*, *Mercury*, *Wolves*, *Afterlife*, *Very Still & Hard to See*, and *The Fisherman’s Wife*. He is also an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated television creator and showrunner.
Director: Reggie D. White, who became Woolly Mammoth’s Artistic Director in 2026. His directing credits include work at The Public, Atlantic Theater Company, Vineyard Theatre, Arena Stage, and other major theaters. His acting credits include Broadway’s *The Inheritance*, and his play *Fremont Ave.* received a Helen Hayes Award.
Cast: Kimberly Gilbert plays Beth, and Regina Aquino plays Nicole. Gilbert is a longtime D.C. theater performer and a Woolly Mammoth company artist who won a Helen Hayes Award for *Marie Antoinette*. Aquino is an actor, producer, director, and writer who founded Origin Stories Productions and has received a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Performer.
Content advisory: The play contains strong language, descriptions of death, stalking, harassment, and physical violence, along with brief references to sexual assault, school shootings, and arson.
Reception: The page cites positive reviews describing the production as darkly funny, unpredictable, emotionally complex, and an energetic start to Woolly Mammoth’s new season.
Related event programming: The production page also promotes a September 19 pre-show game night, a September 17 artist talkback, a September 19 Pride Night talkback, a September 26 artist talk and reception, and an October 1 astrology-themed social experience. The October 1 experience is free as an add-on for ticket holders, but attendees must also purchase a ticket to a VENUS performance.