Came to 1st Stage with my sister to watch "The Lake Effect" written by Rajiv George. What a beautiful performance! The emotion and passion from each actor drew me in instantly. The venue is nice and small - perfect for a weekend show. Lots of seating and provides visitors an experience of feeling ever so close to the stage. Very intimate and I appreciated hearing insights from the director after the performance. Highly recommend 1st Stage if you want to support a wonderful local theatre production! read more

1st Stage - Performing Arts Near Me - Tysons, Virginia

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First time here seeing a play. Very humble place. Staff is so friendly and its close to metro for the carless folks. They have a nice theater. Seats a lot of people and you're close. Limited number of bathrooms. However they will be undergoing a renovation soon. Can't wait to come back post renovation. read more

If you love theatre you must visit the award winning 1st Stage at the top of Tyson's corner. They have been producing remarkable work since 2008. read more

Nice, interesting modestly-sized theater that puts on plays - generally newish plays.

Nice small venue for some shows and dance performances. I was there to see a belly dance performance and it was wonderful being inside this small theatre. The only reason for dropping down one star is because it was unbelievably hot in the theatre. Occasionally a nice blast of cold air would pass through, but it was very little and was glad this performance was relatively short. Aside from the hot indoor temperatures, it was a nice theatre, very intimate and nice. Most of the seats were filled for this performance. They had a nice bar in the front room which had a small selection of wine, beer, sodas and water available. Parking was very easy, though I can imagine for completely sold out shows that its possible that parking would be an issue. I'd recommend checking out this place as its definitely a worthwhile place to go for local stage shows. read more

First stage provides many fine performances and performers but "Quilters" came up far short . No chemistry. Repetitive. Production was questionable- please use a male actor For a man's role! Couldn't wait to end. I still support this theater and will watch what else comes along. read more

The playhouse is "charming," and I wonder if--based on its very high reviews--many of the commenters below were or have been personally connected somehow to the stage. The facility and quality of the productions clearly do not live up to the standard of so many other small theaters in the DC metro area. I saw "The Things They Carried" as a part of the Logan Festival last Saturday. Not going to review the play, except to say it was a very mediocre interpretation of a very powerful and beautiful book. Back to my thoughts on the theater itself. First off, when thinking I was going to the theater in Tysons Corner, I expecting a nice, professional experience. Instead, my husband and I found the location of 1st Stage almost impossible to identify in a large, industrial area. We picked up our tickets at Will Call, and at 37 weeks pregnant (yes), I went to look for the bathroom and discovered that there was only one operating rest room in the house. When we finally hunkered down in the theater, the AC was only working a portion of the time. Lucky if it was even 78 in there. I expected this place to be on par with Theater J or Woolly Mammoth. Instead it felt more like a high school gym. Thankful for DC's diverse theater scene, but I'm not sure I'll be persuaded to return here. read more

I have been to this theater 3 times now and although normally it boasts a small cast in a remote Tyson's area, there is normally a sold out audience who like me, have enjoyed the show they have just seen. I would definitely say this is the definition of a hidden gem. read more

First of all, good luck finding the place. The instructions on the website do warn you that Google Maps will give you inaccurate directions, but the ones I plugged off of Yahoo Maps (their recommended site) weren't much more helpful. If you do try to get in by turning off of Spring Hill Road (as we did), just boldly turn into the giant gravel pit near the Meineke and keep driving. You'll see. As for the theater itself, it's a cute little space with some well-meaning people, although they're still clearly working out the kinks. The understudy was inflicted upon us, and while that alone is understandable, he just didn't have the voice to project in that theater. They don't have water or coffee (or anything) before the show starts, and there's noplace nearby to get it either. They did start serving those things at intermission, but even so they ran out of coffee fairly quickly (because, as the lady selling coffee explained not-that-apologetically, the last time she had made a full pot she had had to throw some away). All of that said, half of the 2-person cast we saw was quite excellent, and I suspect that they are capable of putting on a quite good show here. In a few years, this will probably be a nice little theater, but for now, consider it a work in progress. read more

Wow. I had NO idea what to expect from 1st Stage. Sandwiched between a Furniture and Auto Body shops in a Tysons office park - I knew I was in for an adventure. A friend and I had tickets for their production of "By the Bog of Cats" - and weren't sure what level of production we were going to see, would this be painful community theatre? Quite the contrary - the acting and production were mesmerizing and the theatre was just so much MORE. It's a small venue, but it makes good use of the space available so that there is much more depth than you would anticipate. During intermission, you can wander the space, which also houses art installations (which were interesting to see the very least...) If you enjoy good regional acting and eclectic productions and want to support a strong new addition to the local scene, do yourself a favor, skip the nunnery and get thee to 1st Stage! read more

Saw Noel Coward's "Blythe Spirit" here and thoroughly enjoyed the set, the plot,the costumes, the acting and the overall scenario of a smaller theater with a professionally run operation. While it took a while to warm up, the audience finally started getting the jokes although missed some of the more "British" inside track. This is a very funny, and weird, play and worth seeing for $25 per person. The place is tucked away near auto repair shops and there is usually parking nearby. I am sure I'll go to other plays here as it's a good value. It is wheelchair-accessible (even tho on the second floor of the building!) and no sign in the interior pointing to the wheelchair accessible entrance to the auditorium. Ladies bathroom is also accessible. read more

1st Stage - stage set for Noel Coward's "Blythe Spirit" - Performing Arts Near Me - Tysons, Virginia

One way to describe the First Stage would be, "Tyson's Corner's best kept secret!" Fortunately this secret was revealed to me by my friend who volunteers there. The theater is in an odd location--tucked in in a mixed use building somewhere near Tyco Road off of Route 7. The facility is a darling little intimate setting where you can sit so close to the actors. I have watched Parfumerie, Side Man, and Don't Dress for Dinner there, and vow to never miss a play--life gets in the way and I miss a few. Getting to DC or other theaters takes a little planning, but for me there are no excuses to ever miss a play in such a convenient location. The caliber of the actors is pretty astounding and the sets are well done. read more

A great little black theater in an area that needs more arts influence. The production of Hero's Welcome was nicely done with the complex setting competently designed into multiple plausible spaces. Performances by the cast and directing by Alex Levy were excellent. The house is on the second floor of a small strip mall. I do not know if there is an elevator. Wine and snacks are inexpensive, available at the door, and allowed in the theater. Hats off to this group. I look forward to another production in the near future. read more

1St Stage is a great addition to the local theater scene. It's a step above community theater because the actors are professionals being paid. I've seen 3 productions and all of them have been excellent and worth the money. The Bog of Cats had one of the most entrancing young actresses I've seen in a long time. The rest of the cast was good as well. We also saw "3 Days of Rain" and it was well produced and acted. "Prisoner of Zenda" was not my cup of tea -- I don't like swashbucklers. It was well-acted and the stage designer was quite clever in his use of the space. I like that there's a decent restaurant within walking -- e-Citie is around the corner from the stage. Alas, just as it can be tricky to find 1st Stage the first time, I find that e-Citie likewise does not have a decent sign out front. read more

Tysons first theatre is open & I LOVED their first comedy, The Suicide. It's wonderful to have great live theatre right in the heart of Tysons. Parking is easy, online ticket purchases are easy and the quality of acting, sets, and direction is worthy of high praise. Can't wait for their next play! read more

This is a hidden gem in fast-growing but culturally still weak Tysons area. I've seen dozens of productions here over ten years, and they have all been consistently first-rate, and some astonishingly ambitious for a smaller theater. Always worth a visit if you enjoy theater! read more

I can't decide if this is the right forum to review the play, or just the theater.... Went to see The Cripple of Inishmaan last Saturday and the house was packed. It is a relatively small house. Filled to the brim with senior citizens and a few younger patrons of the arts, who in time, will no doubt be replacing the older patrons' financial efforts to keep smaller art houses and theaters in business. It is an enjoyable way to spend an evening and I will continue to attend plays here. Now, for the play. The Cripple of Inishmaan is darkly funny in places, terribly obvious at times, horribly over-acted at others, and ultimately quite disturbing. Simply put, it was not my cup of tea and I think it reached over the sensible-shoe wearing, hearing-aid tuning audience into a grotty play house on the sketchier outskirts of the NY theater district. I am also of the opinion that the main character over-did things by a lot. Don't get me wrong, I can't act either... wait, that is the point. The town louse was pretty great and the captain was enough eye candy to keep things interesting. He also managed to subtly portray his character's more sinister side without overdoing it. The aunts were quirky and quite loveable. The eejit was the obvious and blatant comic relief, but he was endearing. The trollop, however, was about as unlikeable as it gets and it really surprised me that the play failed to highlight any remotely redeemable quality. At the end I was startled but relieved to be filing out of the theater, bursting at the seams to share my opinion with my friend. It appeared that most everyone was reluctant to share their thoughts on the way out because the procession was almost silent. After a really good show, most people are ebulliant and eager to share their impressions, but after a bad one, nobody wants to be the first to say it out loud. Perhaps embarassed that they didn't get it, or maybe not wanting to be negative, or out of deference for some who may have really enjoyed the play. Either way, you could have heard a pin drop, until the procession made it out to the parking lot. That is where I finally heard sentiments that echoed my own. Now, go back up a bit. I WILL CONTINUE TO ATTEND PLAYS HERE!!! I enjoy this theater and think that it is a great place to see plays. So what if it is hit or miss, the cost is reasonable. What if you were to pay $200 for a single ticket to see a Broadway show and found it not to your liking?? Here, you are only out $27 and now you have something to giggle about with your friends. read more

When the directions led me to a warehouse containing several small auto repair shops, a dogsitting facility, jazzercize, and several vacant storefronts, I felt like I was going to be walking into a drug deal or a mugging. However, I kept following the signs down the long corridor and eventually arrived at the entrance where it wasn't quite so unnerving. :) What I found was a small, local theatre with a stellar cast and a top-notch production. Certainly no complaints about the show. Other than an extremely limited food and drink selection, no real complaints about the theatre. Considering the limited evening entertainment options in Tysons, this is certainly worth a try. read more

I was here today for a play named When the rain stops falling. I would say the experience is beyond my expectation, in a good way. I really enjoy sitting in its small play room where actors on the stage are so close to the audiences. Definitely planning on visiting again! read more

What a surprise. We enjoyed an excellent performance of By Jeeves. We had seen this same show at the Kennedy Center in '95 and did not know what to expect from this small theater. We were awed. Can't wait to go again. read more

My husband and I attended the Jack and the Bean-Stalk performance. It was clever, well written and beautifully performed. We laughed aloud. It is a good facility (although not super obvious from outside-go upstairs). We enjoyed this as adults but it a great entry level theater production for children. read more

Just saw Noises Off at 1st Stage Theatre. Top knotch cast - hilarious production! Bravo! I will definitely be coming back for future productions. read more

Was able to catch Michael Clem trio at 1st Stage Theater saturday. Excellent setup. Will definitely be back. This would be an excellent theater to see a play in. Hope they are able to make it last. Need to support facilities like this. read more

Just saw "The How and The Why" at 1st Stage (open until November 20). An excellent two person show. Liz Pierotti is fantastic as Zelda, an evolutionary biologist confronted by personal and professional challenges. Great theatre space and terrific set design. And not really that hard to get to if you can read a map or use a nav device. read more

This my second visit to 1st Stage and this review addresses primarily the venue, not the productions. 1st Stage is located in, what I call, an industrial park/strip mall not far from Tysons Corner Mall. It is not the easiest place to find and after parking the car, you walk up three to four flights of stairs to the theater on the second level of the strip mall. The theater is small with seating for about 150-200 patrons, or less. While this makes for an intimate seating arrangement near the stage, the Jazzercise business next door to the theater produced lots of raucous dance music that completely distracted me from focusing on the excellent stage production. At the intermission, I complained to a staff member and she told me she asked the Jazzercise instructor next door to tone it down, which she eventually did. In the end, I was unhappy to be so distracted from enjoying the excellent stage production by loud dance music emanating from a nearby Jazzercise business. Maybe if 1st Stage becomes popular and succeeds, they can afford to move to a more appropriate (and less noisy!) venue for a stage theater. read more