Kennedy Center: Virtual Tour of the Eisenhower Theater

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The Eisenhower Theater seats 1,100, and is the smallest of the theaters on the Center's main level. It primarily hosts plays and musicals, operas, ballet and contemporary dance. Its namesake, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, signed into law the National Cultural Center Act in 1958, the first time in history that our government backed and helped finance a structure dedicated to the performing arts. The theater contains an orchestra pit for 40 musicians that is convertible to a forestage or additional seating space. The walls are of East Indian laurel wood. The red and black stage curtain of hand-woven wool is a gift from the people of Canada.

Coming to the Eisenhower Theater :

August: Osage County

Nov 24 - Dec 20, 2009
Eisenhower Theater
Running Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Tickets and Schedule

Description:

Winner!
2008 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Steppenwolf's
August: Osage County
Starring Estelle Parsons
Written by Tracy Letts
Directed by Anna D. Shapiro

"One of the best plays of the year. A triumph!"
--New York Magazine

"It is, flat-out, no asterisks and without qualifications, the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years."
--The New York Times

"This original and corrosive black comedy deserves a seat at the dinner table with the great American family plays."
–Time Magazine

Steppenwolf's August: Osage County is a grand, gripping new play that tells the story of the Westons, a large extended clan that comes together at their rural Oklahoma homestead when the alcoholic patriarch disappears. Forced to confront unspoken truths and astonishing secrets, the family must also contend with matriarch Violet, a pill-popping, deeply unsettled woman at the center of this storm. Starring Estelle Parsons as Violet, this is one of those rare theatrical events that blends a large-scale production with unforgettable characters, a talented cast, and a powerful tale told with unflinching honesty. Raves Charles Isherwood of the New York Times, "This isn't theater-that's-good-for-you theater. It's theater that continually keeps you hooked with shocks, surprises, and delights, although it has a moving, heart-sore core."

This performance contains strong language and mature themes.

Notice: There are a limited number of $25 tickets available for this engagement. They are available for purchase in-person only at the Kennedy Center Box Office with a limit of two (2) tickets per person. Prior to coming to the Kennedy Center, please call (202) 467-4600 to check availability.

All seats $25 for Weekday Matinees at 1:30 p.m.: Wed., Nov. 25; Thu., Dec. 3; Thu., Dec. 10*; and Thu., Dec. 17.

*Note: Estelle Parsons will not be performing in the Thu., Dec. 10 matinee at 1:30 p.m.