Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre goes sci-fi for first show of the year

After an extended break following the winter holidays, 1st Stage Theatre in Tysons is returning next week with “The Phlebotomist,” its first show of 2022.

Described as a “dark, gripping science-fiction romance,” the play will launch at the theater’s auditorium at 1524 Spring Hill Road on Feb. 17 and run through March 6 at the following times:

• Thursdays: 7:30 p.m.
• Fridays: 8 p.m.
• Saturdays: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Sundays: 2 p.m.

This will be 1st Stage’s second indoor, in-person production during the COVID-19 pandemic after the theater reopened for the play “Secret Things” in November.

Prior to that, the group had staged some outdoor performances at The Boro, including for the Logan Festival of Solo Performances that kicked off its 2021-2022 season.

The theater continues to require that patrons wear face masks and present proof of full vaccination, with no option to provide a negative Covid test result as a substitute. All of its staff and volunteers are fully vaccinated.

The stage debut of playwright Ella Road, “The Phlebotomist” premiered with a sold-out run at Hampstead Theatre’s Downstairs studio in London, England, in 2018. 1st Stage’s production will be the play’s first in the D.C. region, according to a press release:

In a sci-fi-inspired world where genomics is the norm, every person gets assigned a “rating” at birth based on their genetic map. Bea, a phlebotomist, finds herself being pulled deeper and deeper into the dark side of the genetic testing underworld even as she falls in love with Aaron, a man she met by accident who has a near-perfect rating that far exceeds her own. The play was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement and had a sold-out run at the UK’s Hampstead Theater. “…a racy dystopian thriller that is part Black Mirror and part Brave New World.” – The Guardian. The Phlebotomist is written by Ella Road, and directed by 1st Stage Artistic Director, Alex Levy.

The cast features Josh Adams (The Cripple of Inishmaan), Anne Bowles (Hero’s Welcome), Sasha Olinick (Fly By Night, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Ensemble), and Lynette Rathnam, in her 1st Stage debut.

The show will feature scene design by Kathryn Kawecki, sound design by Sarah O’Halloran, projection design by Patrick Lord, costume design by Moyenda Kulemeka, and lighting design by Helen Garcia-Alton.

General admission tickets cost $50, except on Thursday evenings, when the cost is $35. There are also $15 tickets available for students, educators, and military personnel, and the first 20 tickets sold for each show are just $20.