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World-Premiere Power Play

JQA

  • Credits

    Written and Directed
    by Aaron Posner

  • Location

    Arlene and Robert
    Kogod Cradle

“Posner distills the essence of a play in ways that intensify its emotional flavor.”

– Washington Post

JQA is generously sponsored by the David Bruce Smith Foundation, Sue Henry and Carter Phillips and Susan and Steven Bralove,
National Endowment for the Arts
and is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.

The Presidential Voices Cycle of the Power Plays is generous sponsored by Joseph P. DiGangi and an anonymous life-long Washingtonian.

Complicated, passionate and difficult, John Quincy Adams was a brilliant diplomat, ineffectual one-term President and congressman known for his eloquence, arrogance and integrity. This unique, highly-theatrical play by award-winning playwright Aaron Posner (Stupid F**king Bird) imagines key confrontations between JQA and some of America’s most dynamic figures: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, his own father, John Adams and more. At once provocative, haunting and hilarious, this power play challenges the way we think of our country, our government and ourselves.

JQA runs approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.

Cast

JACQUELINE CORREA

JQA / Abraham Lincoln / Louisa Adams

ERIC HISSOM

JQA / John Adams / Henry Clay

PHYLLIS KAY

JQA / George Washington / Abigail Adams / Louisa Adams

JOSHUA DAVID ROBINSON

JQA / Frederick Douglass / Andrew Jackson

Creative

AARON POSNER

Playwright / Director

MEGHAN RAHAM

Set Designer

HELEN HUANG

Costume Designer

JESSE BELSKY

Lighting Designer

KARIN GRAYBASH

Sound Designer

LISA NATHANS

Dialect & Vocal Coach

HETHYR (RED) VERHOEF

Stage Manager

EMILY ANN MELLON

Assistant Stage Manager

Multimedia

"JQA" — see what audiences are saying about the Arena Stage Power Play
Photo of Joshua David Robinson and Eric Hissom by C. Stanley Photography.
Photo of Eric Hissom and Joshua David Robinson by C. Stanley Photography.
Photo of Joshua David Robinson, Jacqueline Correa, Phyllis Kay and Eric Hissom by C. Stanley Photography.
Photo of Phyllis Kay and Eric Hissom by C. Stanley Photography.
Photo of Joshua David Robinson and Jacqueline Correa by C. Stanley Photography.
Photo of Joshua David Robinson and Phyllis Kay by C. Stanley Photography.
Photo of Joshua David Robinson, Phyllis Kay, Jacqueline Correa and Eric Hissom by Tony Powell.

In The News

Washington Informer

Joshua David Robinson talks about JQA shedding new light on life of the sixth president

Broadway World

JQA celebrates its opening night

Broadway World

Get a first look at JQA at Arena Stage

Washington Post Express

Arena Stage's JQA introduces the new Adams family

Washingtonian

Washingtonian mentions JQA as show to see this weekend

Washingtonian

Molly Smith gives an inside scoop on JQA

Broadway World

Phyllis Kay and Joshua David Robinson give us a look into JQA

Washington Post

Alexander Hamilton had his life turned into a musical. Now, John Quincy Adams gets his turn, in a new play.

Playbill

4 actors will embody John Quincy Adams in JQA

Broadway World

Full cast and creative team announced for JQA

Washington Post

Arena Stage looks into history for inspiration in 2018/19 season

American Theatre Magazine

Arena’s 2018-19 Season to Feature New Tom Kitt/Nell Benjamin Musical

Playbill

The 69th lineup at the Washington, D.C. venue will also include the a cappella musical Jubilee and Junk.

Accessible Performances

Audio Described
Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. purchase

Open Captioned
Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. purchase
Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. purchase

Closed Captioning
Closed Captioning through GalaPro is currently available at all performances.

Events

Post-Show Discussions
Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 12:00 p.m.

Program PDF

JQA program