Name: God of Carnage- Tony Award Winning Play
Start: 2025-12-05T20:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-12-05T21:30:00-05:00
Location: Arts Herndon

Dark Horse Theatre Company Presents God of Carnage- A Darkly Comic Unraveling of Civility This November and December
Northern Virginia — November 2025 — Dark Horse Theatre Company proudly presents Yasmina Reza’s award-winning dark comedy God of Carnage, translated by Christopher Hampton. The production opens November 14, 2025, and runs through November 29, 2025, at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Great Falls, before transferring to Arts Herndon for a limited engagement December 5–7, 2025. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM, with a Sunday matinee on December 7 at 2:00 PM.
At first, it’s a cordial meeting between two sets of parents discussing a playground scuffle between their children. But as the evening unfolds, polite conversation gives way to chaos, alliances shift, and espresso turns to rum in this hilariously brutal dissection of manners, marriage, and moral posturing.
Directed by Natasha Parnian, this production dives deep into the tension between civility and honesty.
“God of Carnage is a masterclass in emotional unraveling,” says Parnian. “It’s a dark comedy that forces us to confront the messy truth beneath our civility. I wanted this production to feel intimate — to trap the audience in that living room as the facades start to crack. It’s hilarious, but it’s also painfully human.”
Samantha Mitchell, who plays Veronica, describes the show as “dark humor, honesty, and chaos.”
“I love how it starts civilized and spirals into something raw and hilariously human,” says Mitchell. “It exposes the fine line between civility and chaos — beneath all our social polish, we’re just humans trying (and failing) to stay composed.”
Arianne Warner, as Annette, was drawn to the show’s honesty and volatility.
“I’ve always been fascinated by stories that start with polite civility and then slowly unravel into chaos,” Warner says. “God of Carnage takes that idea to its limit. It’s brutally funny, painfully human, and exposes how thin our social masks really are. We live in an age where outrage and self-righteousness have become sport — the play mirrors that perfectly. It’s like watching a polite dinner party devolve into a Twitter thread in real time.”
Nate Eagle, who plays Alan, calls the play “what happens when people who think they’re civilized finally stop pretending.”
“It’s funny because it’s true,” Eagle adds. “Every line hits a nerve. These characters are us on a bad day, trying to hold it together while everything unravels.”
Tim Byer, portraying Michael, was drawn to Reza’s fearless writing.
“The writer and the immediate levels of comedy drew me in,” Byer says. “Yasmina Reza creates a situation that’s relatable and painfully awkward — but she leaves so much room for unique interpretation. We’re exploring what lies beneath the thin veneer of societal structure — what we’re willing to put up with for our children, and how far we really are from our inner children. We want to bring a full human experience to this production — head, heart, and hips.”
Stage Manager Katelyn Burton keeps that volatile mix simmering beneath the surface.
“It’s a mix of comedy and uncomfortable truth,” she says. “Two sets of parents meet to discuss a playground fight between their children — and chaos ensues. It’s about performative politeness, privilege, marriage, and how adults can behave like children. This production feels like a pressure cooker with comedy — combustible, intimate, and alive.”
“Reza’s script is merciless,” concludes Parnian. “There’s no villain here — just people exposed. It’s like watching a polite dinner party explode in real time.”
Performance Schedule
St. Francis Episcopal Church – Great Falls, VA
November 14–29, 2025
Arts Herndon – Herndon, VA
December 5–7, 2025
Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 PM
Sunday Matinee on December 7 at 2:00 PM
About the Cast & Creative Team
Director: Natasha Parnian
Known for her bold, character-driven direction and psychological realism, Parnian brings her signature style of intimate, emotionally charged theatre to God of Carnage.
Cast:
-Samantha Mitchell as Veronica Novak: a writer and art enthusiast whose commitment to civility begins to crumble.
-Tim Byer as Michael Novak : Veronica’s husband, a hardware salesman who finds himself hilariously out of his depth.
-Arianne Warner as Annette Raleigh: a poised wealth manager whose calm exterior hides deep frustration.
-Nate Eagle as Alan Raleigh: a corporate lawyer whose constant phone calls and dry wit ignite the chaos
Stage Manager: Katelyn Burton
Produced by: Dark Horse Theatre Company
Written by: Yasmina Reza
Translated by: Christopher Hampton
Tickets: Available now at www.darkhorseva.com
Follow Dark Horse Theatre Company on Facebook and Instagram for cast features, rehearsal photos, and behind-the-scenes content. @ darkhorseva