Journeymen Theater's New Season

Heading into its fifth go-round, Journeymen is planning "by far our most ambitious season," Artistic Director Deborah Kirby said. "It's also our lightest season" in terms of tone, though the works continue to explore moral and spiritual issues. "Things are definitely getting better" for the company, Kirby said, citing "the mere fact that we can announce a season this early, and we've got 18 people as company members and artistic associates." The three-play season will be presented at Church Street Theater.

The world premiere of "As American As" (Oct. 22-Nov. 15) by Ken Prestininzi will be directed by Shirley Serotsky. In the dark comedy, CIA agents interrogate a suspect in a couple's basement. "It's like the present day comes to June and Ward Cleaver," Kirby said. Prestininzi is artistic director of the Apprentice Company at Brown/Trinity Playwrights Repertory Theatre in Providence, R.I.

Nikolai Gogol's1835 farcical comedy "The Inspector General" (Feb. 4-28, 2009) takes place in a backwater burg where citizens try to ingratiate themselves with a stranger they believe is a government inspector. Kirby will direct a translation by Laurence Senelick.

Moliere's "Tartuffe" (May 20-June 13, 2009), featuring theatrical literature's oiliest, most hypocritical cleric, will be staged by Karl Kippola, an actor and assistant professor of theater at American University.

In addition, Journeymen's biggest special project will be "The Pilgrim's Progress Unplugged" (April 1-11, 2009), a "deconstruction" of a less well known portion of John Bunyan's beloved 17th-century Christian allegory, staged as "drive-in theater" at the old Washington Coliseum at Third and M streets NE.

-- Jane Horwitz