By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 11, 2009

W ho needs theater?

We all do. Let Jim Petosa take the pulpit. The artistic director of Olney Theatre Center sounds more like a preacher than an artist when he speaks of the local theatergoing audience as a "congregation" and a given theater's focus as its "doctrine." In his view, going to plays is more than entertainment.

"Our ability to stretch our imaginative muscles" while watching stories unfold onstage -- stories being told by living, breathing human beings, unmediated by a glowing screen -- is unique to man, Petosa says. "As human beings, we are blessed by an imagination."

Still a nonbeliever?

The Washington area is thick with theaters -- from the august Kennedy Center to upstarts such as Rorschach -- and they all would love to bring you into their flock. We've put together this guide to help the novice sort it out, with profiles of several of the region's biggest and best companies, insights into what they offer and a handy etiquette guide.

With the new season just getting underway, now's the time to take that first step.

To read on, see the links in the This Story box above.