Source Theatre. (Photo by Rachel / Media.)
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Constellation Theatre Company announced that its current production of Head Over Heels will be its final production at the Source Theatre on 14th Street in Washington, D.C. This comes after efforts from the D.C. theatre community spearheaded by TheatreWashington to save the historic black box theatre, which served many organizations and artists over the past 50 years, including IN Series, Washington Improv Theater, the early years of Capital Fringe and the Washington Theatre Festival, and the original Source Theatre Company led by Joe Banno.
According to Constellation, CulturalDC—the landlord of the Source Theatre—notified Constellation that the building was for sale in August 2024 with the intention of selling to another nonprofit arts organization. After 18 years of renting theatre and office space at Source, Constellation was eager to purchase the building and preserve its nearly 50-year legacy as a cornerstone of the D.C. theatre community. Backed by supporters, Constellation entered into negotiations, raised significant funds, and submitted what they described as a fair market-value offer, though CulturalDC differed on the number. Despite Constellation’s multiple offers, CulturalDC decided not to sell the building to Constellation.
At Source, Constellation has served more than 1,000 collaborators and tens of thousands of patrons over the years. The company will continue producing theatre and announce its new locations at a later date. Now its current production of Head Over Heels (running through June 1) resonates as a month-long celebration of the space, Constellation artistic director Allison Stockman said.
“We’re celebrating 18 years and 54 productions at Source with a magical production of Head Over Heels, [which] is all about joy, hope, and community—and that’s what we hope our future is all about too,” Stockman said. “Many artists and audience members will miss Source’s intimate, flexible black-box space and the many worlds it has transformed into over the past nearly 50 years.”
Constellation Theatre Company aims to tell big, powerful stories in an intimate space and to spark curiosity and imagination with plays and musicals from all over the world that feature visual spectacle, original music, dynamic movement and passionate acting ensembles.