Washington to host a variety of theater events this week

With its rousing melody and powerful lyrics, there's no question that the song "Amazing Grace" is an uplifting, spiritual classic. And it comes as no surprise that the road toward its creation would be paved with romance, rebellion and redemption. Now, you can discover the inspiring true story behind one of the world's most beloved songs with the all-new musical, "Amazing Grace." Follow John Newton, a willful and musically talented Englishman who finds himself torn between following in the footsteps of his slave trader father or embracing the more compassionate views of his childhood sweetheart. Accompanied by his slave Thomas, John embarks on a harrowing journey that not only leads to a transformative moment of self-reckoning, but a blazing anthem of hope and freedom.

"How to Get Away With Murder"’s Jack Falahee stars in this new Kennedy Center production of playwright Evan Linder’s uncompromising exploration of race, family and betrayal in the American South, which won Chicago’s prestigious Jefferson Award in 2016 for Best New Work. Jim and Laurel Parker are about to become new parents. They’re broke. They’re loud. They’re proud Southerners.

Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Betty Buckley stars in "Hello, Dolly!" at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center — the universally acclaimed smash hit that NPR calls "the best show of the year!" Winner of four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, director Jerry Zaks' "gorgeous" new production ("Vogue") is "making people crazy happy!" ("The Washington Post"). See the show that broke box-office records and received unanimous raves on Broadway.

In 1920, Russian Jewish writer Isaac Babel starts a diary while wandering the countryside with the Red Cavalry. In 2010, after the crash of an aircraft carrying the Polish president, his diary is discovered among the wreckage. What did Babel write, and why does it matter so much to one ruthless KGB agent destined to become one of the most powerful figures in the world? "Describe the Night" uncovers the mystery by tracing the stories of seven lost souls connected across decades by history, fiction, lies and blood. Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rajiv Joseph returns to Woolly after hit productions of "Guards at the Taj" and "Gruesome Playground Injuries."

Take two hours on a Saturday to explore improv exercises, get some acting fundamentals and have a great time with other people!