The brainchild of two young New York actors, Howard Shalwitz and Roger Brady, Wooly Mammoth opened in 1980 in a church hall near Metro Center. At a time when most regional theaters were producing only classics, tried-and-true hits, and recent New York successes, this company took risks, presenting works by Wallace Shawn, Harold Pinter, Jean-Claude van Itallie, Karel Capek, and other envelope-pushers. Plays premiered on the Woolly stage began to be produced in New York and across the country, and the theater’s acting company emerged as stars of the Washington scene.

After Wooly Mammoth outgrew its first home, it moved to a rented warehouse along the 14th Street corridor, where it stayed for 13 years. Responding to the state of that historic neighborhood, Wooly Mammoth launched a youth outreach program, began to offer low-cost acting classes, and instituted “Pay-What-You-Can” nights at the theater.

In May 2005, following a major capital campaign, Woolly Mammoth opened the doors of its first permanent home: a new, 265-seat, courtyard-style theater in the heart of downtown D.C.