Margaret Dudasik, David M. Lutken, Hubby Jenkins, and Raquel Chavez. Photo by Peggy Ryan.
Woody Guthrie knew hardship, and his music insists that people facing it deserve to be heard. Fittingly, “Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie,” presented by Voices Festival Productions, is currently playing in the Dupont Circle Underground, an intimate space beneath Washington’s streets, featuring songs about people whose concerns rarely reach the centers of power above them.
…a hopeful evening. If your faith in justice and equality has taken a beating lately, you just may leave this production with some of it restored.
Long before Guthrie became a voice for the people, he endured a childhood marked by poverty and instability. His early hardships fueled a lifelong commitment to the people struggling against those same powerful forces. Guthrie’s gift was his ability to write songs that set direct observation to memorable melodies, making injustice difficult to ignore, and giving ordinary people the dignity and attention so often denied them.
Directed by Georgette Verdin, the cast brings Guthrie’s music to life with singing, instruments, and storytelling, forming a continuous conversation. All four performers are accomplished folk singers and versatile musicians. The multi-talented quartet includes Raquel Chavez, bass and guitar; Margaret Dudasik, fiddle and mandolin; and Hubby Jenkins, fiddle and guitar. David M. Lutken, recipient of the Helen Hayes Award for his portrayal of Woody Guthrie, anchors the production with warmth and conviction, capturing both the man’s humanity and the force of his music.
Scenic Designer Andrew Boyce’s set creates the warmth of a shared musical gathering. Guitars, violins, and mandolins hang from the stage’s back wall, ready to be taken down and played. Large Guthrie quotations resembling protest march signs surround the audience on three sides, placing spectators among the arguments and aspirations that animated his work. Costume designer Raquel Adorno’s homespun outfits suit the show’s hootenanny atmosphere and Guthrie’s unpretentious character. He was a man of the people, and the cast looks the part.
Even as “Woody Sez” addresses familiar struggles, still with us today, it offers a hopeful evening. If your faith in justice and equality has taken a beating lately, you just may leave this production with some of it restored.
Running Time: Two hours with one intermission.
“Woody Sez: Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie” runs through October 25, 2026 presented by Voices Festival Productions at Dupont Underground, 19 Dupont Circle, NW Washington, DC. For more information and to purchase tickets, please go online.
