‘Oedipus in Seattle’ Brings Unrehearsed Fringe Show to Columbia Heights
Savannah Reich’s play mashes up Sophocles’ 'Oedipus Rex' with the 1993 romantic comedy 'Sleepless in Seattle.' It receives a DC premiere produced by Chad Dexter Kinsman with three performances October 10–12 at Studio 1469. Each night, two actors who have neither read nor rehearsed the script follow headphone prompts during the hour-long show.
Savannah Reich’s script combines an ancient Greek tragedy with a 1993 romantic comedy. Chad Dexter Kinsman produces this first Washington staging, with Douglas Vento handling sound and original music. It runs three evenings, October 10–12, 2026, at Studio 1469 in Columbia Heights.
Each 7 p.m. performance lasts about an hour without an intermission. Two performers appear nightly without prior access to the text, guided by headphone cues. The October 10 pair is Martina Schabron and Dylan Arredondo; October 11 features James J. Johnson and Erika Rose; October 12 brings Kimberly Gilbert and Jacob Yeh.
This format may draw audiences curious about improvisation and classic-modern mashups, while giving local actors a rare unrehearsed challenge. It could strengthen DC’s independent theater scene by showing a script can travel without its author. For theatergoers, the unpredictability may make each night feel singular; for producers, it may suggest lower-rehearsal models. It may also raise questions about authorship, spontaneity, and risk in live performance.