BEATRICE LIKES THE DARK Will Open Adventure's 75th Anniversary Season

Adventure Theatre MTC will present the world premiere of Beatrice Likes the Dark, a new play by Helen Hayes Award winner Dani Stoller, based on the acclaimed children's book by April Genevieve Tucholke.

Directed by Patrick Flynn, Beatrice Likes the Dark introduces audiences to a child for whom the daytime world can sometimes feel like too much—too bright, too loud, too busy. But when the lights go down and everything becomes quiet, Beatrice's imagination comes alive. In the darkness, everyday objects become magical, animals become confidants, potions bubble, shadows transform, and an entire universe of possibility appears.

Filled with inventive theatrical magic, hilarious characters, and the tender story of two very different sisters learning to understand one another, Beatrice Likes the Dark explores darkness not as something to fear, but as a place of comfort, creativity, and wonder.

Recommended for ages 4 and up, this journey through the magic of the dark runs October 2–November 1, 2026. 

“I'm thrilled to continue Adventure's longstanding reputation of creating world premiere works for theatre for young audiences as the kickoff of our 75th Anniversary,” says Artistic Director Kurt Boehm. “Fresh off of our four Helen Hayes Awards for my first world premiere, Not Your Mother's Goose!, this solidifies our commitment to our mission of creating exceptional theatrical experiences. I could not be more proud of this play—or more excited for the surprises awaiting our patrons this October.”

When Beatrice casts a spell for endless darkness, she discovers that even the things we fear most can become beautiful when brought into the light. Overflowing with wonder, humor, and theatrical ingenuity, Beatrice Likes the Dark is a luminous reminder that families—and communities—shine brightest when every voice belongs.

For Flynn, the heart of the play lies in the very different ways its two sisters experience the world.

“This is a very fun show that celebrates how our differences are really our strengths,” says director Patrick Flynn. “We spend a lot of time as adults arguing about how we're different. But Beatrice and Roo learn that, as sisters, their differences when combined, actually make them stronger and able to conquer what they are scared of. Families are going to love the whimsical and magical theatrical experience about sisters learning how to meet each other where they are and coming out stronger for it.”

Playwright and Helen Hayes Award recipient Dani Stoller adds, “When I wrote this, I had my friends and me in mind from when we were children. I was always interested in magick. I had an altar from the time I was six. My friends and I cast spells. I played with runes, learned Tarot from a family friend (who also gifted me my first deck), traveled to Salem, you name it, I was doing it! This play is for the magickal little people who are still wise enough to know that magick does, indeed, exist. And if there are little people who are questioning that, to remind them that not only is magick real, it exists right inside them, all the time.”

Bringing this laugh-out-loud, visually inventive adventure with an unexpectedly tender heart to life is a company filled with Adventure Theatre MTC favorites and exciting newcomers.

Leading the cast as Beatrice is Helen Hayes Award nominee Irene Hamilton, following acclaimed performances at ATMTC in Not Your Mother's Goose!, Charlotte's Web, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Chelsea Majors stars as Beatrice's sister, Roo, returning to Adventure after appearing in Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler this past summer.

Jordan Brown, recently seen at Adventure in Charlotte's Web and Ken Ludwig's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, joins the cast as Buttons, Beatrice's quick-witted feline companion and one half of the show's hilarious narrator duo. He is joined by Hannah Taylor, recently seen in Not Your Mother's Goose!, as Raven.

ATMTC favorite Jordan Essex, whose Adventure credits include The Lightning Thief, Dragons Love Tacos, Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales, and Junie B. Jones The Musical, appears as Man 2. Tobi Baisburd, who most recently starred in Adventure's Ken Ludwig's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, appears as Woman 2.

Mollie Greenberg, last seen in Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical, returns as Understudy for Roo, Buttons, and Man 2. Rounding out the company, Adventure welcomes Sasha Rosenbaum to the ATMTC stage as Understudy for Beatrice, Raven, and Woman 2.

Director Patrick Flynn is a Helen Hayes Award-nominated playwright & award-winning filmmaker based in Washington, D.C. Produced stage works include Sadie Mouse Wrecks the House (coming fall 2027). Tinker Bell (Dramatic Publishing), The Velveteen Rabbit: A Toy Story (Theatrical Rights Worldwide), Giant Box of Pr0n (Next Stage Press). His short film The Ferberizing of Coral (based on his award-winning play) has won Audience Awards at the DC Shorts and Rehoboth Beach Film Festivals. His films made for the 48 Hour Film Project have won over 30 awards including 2 Best Films, 3 for directing, 3 for writing, and 9 best-of-city citations. His podcast The Original Cast was named one of the “7 Standout Theatre Podcasts” by Playbill. His book Visual Literacy: A Practical Text on the Analysis, History, and Creation of Visual Media is in its 2nd Edition from Kendall-Hunt. He is a professor at American University & Catholic University and a member of the Dramatists Guild.

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