Following the announcement of their departure from the Kennedy Center in the wake of President Trump's takeover, the Washington National Opera has successfully found a new venue at George Washington University, where they will stage two operas this coming spring. 

The WNO's 70th anniversary season will commence March 7–15 with Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, an unfinished opera about an educated freed Black woman living on a former plantation. Composer Damien Sneed and playwright Kyle Bass have finished Joplin's opera, which will have a world premiere production with WNO.

The season will be followed by Robert Ward’s adaptation of Arthur Miller's The Crucible March 21–29. Both Treemonisha and Crucible will be staged at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium, a house that's a little over half the size of the Kennedy Center's 2,364-seat Opera House. 

The company's third production, Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, does not have a venue at this time. But Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, who previously said he would not host the opera's gala while it was at the Kennedy Center, is now co-hosting the gala with Jamie Bernstein, the daughter of Leonard Bernstein. 

The WNO has performed out of the Kennedy Center's Opera House since 1977. On January 9, the opera's board announced it would no longer be in residence at the Washinton, D.C. venue. The opera's leadership attributed the split to a decrease in ticket sales and supporter donations ever since Trump took over the Kennedy Center in February. 

Following WNO’s announcement, the organization saw an influx of donations from more than 500 donors in 72 hours.

“The artists, trustees, and staff of WNO are beyond grateful for the inspiring support we have received," said WNO General Director Timothy O’Leary in a statement. "We will soon announce our 2026-2027 season at an array of great venues. For this moment, returning to Lisner Auditorium is both a homecoming and renewal. Thanks to our community of support, WNO will continue to be a source of beauty, connection, and free expression for another 70 years and beyond."

Added WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello: “This spring, we will present three American works that explore themes at the heart of what makes our country great. Treemonisha celebrates the triumph of education over ignorance, while The Crucible is a cautionary tale about a righteous mob that murders innocent women and tears families apart. We close with West Side Story, a modern spin on the Shakespeare play that Leonard Bernstein called ‘an out and out plea for racial tolerance.’ I am thrilled that Washington National Opera audiences in our nation’s capital will have the opportunity to experience these profound works of art. I hope our productions can serve as a springboard for dialogue and perhaps even a source of healing.”

WNO's departure came on the heels of the Kennedy Center board voting to rename the historic venue the Trump-Kennedy Center, a legally dubious move that requires Congressional approval to become official. The voting board of the Kennedy Center were all appointed by Trump earlier this year. The official website has changed its header to read "The Trump Kennedy Center," though the URL remains kennedy-center.org.

The Washington National Opera is not alone in cutting ties with the Kennedy Center. In response to the change in leadership, a number of high profile artists and shows (including the Hamilton tour) have cancelled their engagements at the Center, and ticket sales have fallen as a result. The American College Theatre Festival has also suspended their affiliation with the Kennedy Center. 

Visit WashNatOpera.org.