Constellation Theatre launches Season 19 at Atlas with ‘Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors’ in Washington
A Washington theater company begins a new chapter on H Street NE
Constellation Theatre Company is opening its 19th season, titled “The Expanding Universe,” in a new performance home at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, marking a venue shift for the long-running District company known for staging visually ambitious work in intimate settings. The season begins with Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, scheduled to run from January 23 through February 15, 2026, at Atlas, 1333 H Street NE.
The move places Constellation within a larger performing-arts complex on the H Street corridor, an area that has become a durable hub for arts organizations and audiences in Northeast Washington. Atlas, a nonprofit venue housed in a restored Art Deco movie theater, hosts multiple resident and visiting groups across theater, music, and dance.
‘Dracula’ retools classic gothic horror into a five-actor farce
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is a comedy adaptation by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen that reimagines Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel through broad theatrical parody and rapid-fire staging. Constellation’s production is directed by Nick Martin, the company’s associate artistic director, and is built for a small ensemble: five actors playing multiple roles through quick changes and onstage transformations.
The script has been staged in other markets, including a London run in 2025. Reviews there described a heightened, camp-forward approach that leans on physical comedy, genre pastiche, and role-switching as core mechanics of the show’s humor. The Constellation staging is expected to follow a similar template, using compact resources to generate fast theatrical momentum.
The season’s structure: two mainstage productions, one new venue
Constellation has announced two mainstage productions for Season 19 at Atlas. After Dracula, the company will present Or, by Liz Duffy Adams, running May 15 through June 7, 2026. The play is set in 1660s England and centers on Aphra Behn, the writer and government agent often cited as the first professional female playwright in English, framed through farce elements including rapid costume changes and overlapping intrigues.
- Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (Jan. 23–Feb. 15, 2026), directed by Nick Martin
- Or, (May 15–June 7, 2026), directed by Allison Arkell Stockman
What the venue move signals for local theater logistics
Constellation’s relocation arrives amid continued pressure on smaller performance spaces in Washington, where black-box theaters are frequently in short supply and many companies operate without a dedicated long-term home. Atlas offers a multi-theater facility with established front-of-house operations, public-transit proximity, and accessibility infrastructure, potentially providing stability for companies programming seasonal work while maintaining an intimate audience experience.
Season 19’s title, “The Expanding Universe,” frames the company’s transition as both a logistical shift and a programming statement: genre material and historical farce, presented in a new setting designed for shared, close-range storytelling.
Additional season-related events and experiences have been described as forthcoming, with details expected later in the season cycle.