The National Theatre is located in Washington, D.C., and is a venue for a variety of live stage productions with seating for 1,676. Despite its name, it is not a governmentally funded national theatre, but operated by a private, non-profit organization.

This historic playhouse was founded on December 7, 1835, by William Corcoran and other prominent citizens who wanted the national capital to have a first-rate theatre. The theatre's initial production was Man of the World. The theatre has been in almost continuous operation since, at the same Pennsylvania Avenue location a few blocks from the White House. The structure has been rebuilt several times, including partial reconstructions after five fires in the 19th century. The current building, at 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, was constructed in 1923, opening in September of that year.

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Founded: 1835/1923
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in United States

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4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Thomas Simms (3 years ago)
Very nice venue. Sat in balcony with little leg room, I'm 6 feet tall and a little older. Over all nice theater.
Michael “MIkey J” Jacobs (3 years ago)
Not a bad seat in the house. And so easy to get to. Just a couple of blocks from the Metro station.
Yinzú Nairouz (4 years ago)
Almost all of the seats have great views of the stage. The walking distance to the metro is doable, even on a cold winter night. They have several Broadway shows during the year
bellaestrella1 (4 years ago)
The National Theatre always presents top shows touring around the country. Tiered pricing is always reasonable and ranges make it possible for most to attend. The absolute best part of the theater is it's staff - particularly the awesome ushers.
Michelle Garcia (4 years ago)
First week of opening since the pandemic, you can tell the staff needs to get back into the swing of things still. The theater isn't too glitzy, there is enough room between seats, like most theaters its very compact but this was fine. The sounds was good. I don't like that restrooms are only on the second level, what about those on the first! Parking was easy to come by for a decent price. The lobby's are small.
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Argos Theater

The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.