Tag Archives: Happenstance Theater

Pocket Moxie at the Publick Playhouse, Feb 6-7

Pocket Moxie at the Publick Playhouse, Feb 6-7

Prince George’s Publick Playhouse presents:
Pocket Moxie: A Happenstance Vaudeville with Happenstance Theater

Friday, February 6, 2026, 7pm
Saturday, February 7, 2026, 7 pm

Prince George’s Publick Playhouse.

A light-hearted homage to the style and spirit of the Great Age of Vaudeville, an immensely popular theatre from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, comprised of specialty acts, song, and dance. Happenstance Theater’s five versatile players breathe new life into classic old routines from a ventriloquist’s dummy to a magic act that goes awry, from novelty songs and a musical saw to waiters juggling meatballs, all with full live foley sound effects. This show teems with hijinks, harmonies, nostalgic beauty, and physical comedy. This family-friendly show has something for everyone!

Tickets: $25 adult, $20 student/senior. Click here for info, and here for tickets.

Cabaret Noir at the Publick Playhouse, Jan 25

Cabaret Noir at the Publick Playhouse, Jan 25

Prince George’s Publick Playhouse presents:
Happenstance Theatre’s
Cabaret Noir: A Film Noir Inspired Theatrical Montage

Saturday, January 25, 2025, 7:00pm

Prince George’s Publick Playhouse.

Cabaret Noir is a series of dark, comic vignettes featuring Femmes Fatales and fedoras, trench coats and torch songs, intrigue, suspense, and shadows. Happenstance Theater’s ensemble mesmerizes in a virtuosic display of physical comedy, object manipulation, and period style, with music played on multiple instruments, and characters costumed in vintage attire. Happenstance Theater, winner of five Helen Hayes Awards, has been called “DC’s leading peddler of whimsy” by the Washington Post.

$25 general, $20 student/senior. Click here.

Happenstance Theater: ADRIFT at Joe’s Movement Emporium, Jan 26-Feb 5

Happenstance Theater: ADRIFT at Joe’s Movement Emporium, Jan 26-Feb 5

;

Happenstance Theater: ADRIFT

January 26 – February 5, 2023
Thursday, January 26th @ 7:30 PM
Friday, January 27th @ 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 28th @ 3:00 PM
Saturday, January 28th @ 7:30 PM
Sunday, January 29th @ 3:00 PM
Friday, February 3rd @ 7:30 PM
Saturday, February 4th @ 3:00 PM
Saturday, February 4th @ 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 5th @ 3:00 PM

Location: Joe’s Movement Emporium.

Happenstance Theater is presenting a new work inspired by medieval imagery and archetypes collected from the works of Hieronymous Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, the Tarot, and reinterpretations of religious and alchemical art. Drawing parallels between our current moment and the “dark ages,” the ensemble will explore and exploit buffoonery, magic, notions of good, evil, and absurdity with angelic music, devised and existing text, puppetry, visual delight, and movement. Like a ship of fools, this pod of eccentrics will drift into the world to bring delight, share hopes and fears, find a way forward, and then parade away.  

Tickets: $25 or $15 Senior/Children. Click here.

Happenstance presents PREPOSTEROUS! A Theatrical Clown Circus at Joe’s Movement Emporium, Jun 13, In Person

Happenstance presents PREPOSTEROUS! A Theatrical Clown Circus at Joe’s Movement Emporium, Jun 13, In Person

On Stage at Joe’s presents Happenstance Theater in:
PREPOSTEROUS! A Theatrical Clown Circus

Saturday Jun 13, 2021, at 4 pm

Location: Joe’s Movement Emporium.

A performance by Happenstance Theater
PREPOSTEROUS! A Theatrical Clown Circus

Masks are required for this in-person event.

A SOPHISTICATED, FAMILY-FRIENDLY, POCKET-SIZED THEATRICAL CLOWN CIRCUS!

These charming VINTAGE clowns play circus ANIMALS, sing as a HUMAN CALLIOPE, do the classic circus MIRROR ROUTINE, invent a number of RIDICULOUS “entrées”, perform LIVE MUSIC, and execute a very satisfying SLOW MOTION number involving a PIE!

PREPOSTEROUS! premiered in the summer of 2017 at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and has been performed at The National Theater as part of their Saturday Morning family series. Now it is ready to hit the road! Just like the real circus.

Tickets $20 General Admission; $10 Seniors, Veterans, Under 16. Click here.

Happenstance Theater presents Juxtapose at Joe’s Movement Emporium, Jan 17-19

Happenstance Theater presents Juxtapose at Joe’s Movement Emporium, Jan 17-19

Happenstance Theater: JUXTAPOSE

Friday, January 17th at 8 pm
Saturday, January 18th at 2 pm
Saturday, January 18th at 8 pm
Sunday, January 19th at 2 pm

Location: Joe’s Movement Emporium

The Happenstance Theater quintet is developing a Theatrical Collage inspired by the works of Joseph Cornell. Using the manipulation of objects, puppetry, physical theatre, theatrical clown, and vintage spectacle, we will conjure portals for the audience to engage their imaginations and build stories. It will not follow a linear narrative, but will instead be a series of highly visual vignettes woven together by a thematic thread and consistent historical aesthetic.

The piece will seek to unify the audience by illustrating our common humanity and reminding viewers of our universally shared condition, mortality. The hope is that through this theatrical journey, audiences might feel buoyed by the limitless possibilities of imagination.

Please note this is a NEW work-in-process that has only begun development right here at Joe’s on January 6th. The audience is invited to stay for talk-backs after all the performances to give the artists your candid (but loving) feedback. Performance is appropriate for families but not meant to be a “kids” show.

This performance is made possible by funding from the Maryland State Arts Council Maryland Touring Grant.

ATTENTION FAMILIES!
There will be a FREE hands-on puppet engagement activity at 11 am. Learn more about this most magical and memorable art form, create and play with puppets with Happenstance Theater’s master puppeteers.

Tickets, Adults: $13, Seniors/Students $7. Click here.