Folger Shakespeare Library’s "DC, I Love You" Brings Real Love Stories to Life in the District Neighborhoods of Mount Pleasant and Capitol Hill

(Washington, DC) — Folger Shakespeare Library today announced that tickets are now available for DC, I Love You, a community-driven, site-specific performance set against the backdrop of Washington, DC’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood and throughout the public spaces of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Developed from true love stories gathered through community storytelling workshops, DC, I Love You invites audiences on an immersive, romantic comedy journey—where the streets, businesses, and spaces of the District come alive with meet-cutes, missed connections, and grand romantic gestures.

“Love doesn’t just happen in the movies—it happens in your neighborhood café, favorite museum, farmers market,” shared Katherine Harroff, Folger’s Director of Engagement, who brings her deep expertise in site-specific, community-based performance to this new DC-focused production as the creator of DC, I Love You. She is the creator of the San Diego, I Love You series at Circle Circle dot dot Theater in Southern California, which received a revival in March 2025. “That’s what DC, I Love You celebrates: the love of this city we call home. DC has been twice dubbed the ‘loneliest city in the United States,’ but it’s also a beautiful city with so many romantic spots and stories,” Harroff said.

Participants from across Washington, DC, contributed stories, ideas, and feedback that now form the heart of these joyous events. In November 2024, aspiring rom-com writers shared their favorite District-based love stories at community writing workshops at the Folger and the DC Public Library branches in Mount Pleasant and Anacostia. DC, I Love You is part of the broader DC Amplified Project, a three-part initiative that uplifts and documents Washingtonians’ stories.

This immersive experience unfolds in two separate events held in different DC locales: DC, I Love You: First Dates (Mount Pleasant neighborhood: May 24, 25, 31 & June 1, 2025), and DC, I Love You: Ready or Not (Folger Shakespeare Library: June 14, 15, 21 & 22, 2025). For both events, attendees will select their preferred date and time and receive a follow-up email with their initial meeting point and more information about the rom-com adventure awaiting them.

“The DC Amplified Project is part of the Folger’s commitment to building authentic engagement with our DC community, in the community,” shared Director of Performance and Programming Karen Ann Daniels about the multiyear initiative. “DC is an incredible city that holds so many institutions, but an institution is made up of people and those people have lives and within those lives, captivating stories to share. We hope Mount Pleasant comes to support their people, the DC, I Love You stories, and the businesses alongside their neighbors!”

Tickets for each installment are available for $30 each or bring a date (or a friend) and receive two tickets for $50. There are six different time slots, beginning at 1pm with limited capacity for each event. Participants are advised to wear comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing and shoes as there will be walking between each spot and some scenes will take place outside; both events are accessible for patrons using mobility devices. All the best romance films have a rainy scene: please prepare for rain or shine. To reserve tickets or for more information, please visithttps://www.folger.edu/whats-on/dc-i-love-you-first-dates-mt-pleasant/ or call the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077. 

There will be a press performance of DC, I Love You: First Dates in Mount Pleasant on May 23 at 1pm and of DC, I Love You: Ready or Not at the Folger on June 13, time to be announced later. Reviewing members of the press may RSVP at press@folger.edu. The press kit is available at http://www.folger.edu/dcily-presskit.

DC, I Love You is funded in part by the NEA Grants for Arts Projects program.

About the Performances

DC, I Love You: First Dates

A Site-Specific Romantic Comedy in Mount Pleasant

Created by Katherine Harroff

Location: Mount Pleasant Neighborhood

Public Performances: May 24, 25, 31, and June 1

Showtimes: 1pm | 1:30pm | 2pm | 2:30pm | 3pm | 3:30pm

 Love is in the air — and in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood! DC, I Love You: First Dates is the first chapter of our site-specific series, bringing to life real first date stories that happened right here in Mount Pleasant. Told with humor, heart, and a touch of awkward charm, this immersive romantic comedy invites audiences to stroll through the neighborhood and relive the spark of a first connection.

 Each audience group begins at Lost Origins Gallery, where they’re welcomed by artists and their guide for the journey. From there, they’ll travel from location to location—bars, cafés, markets, and hidden corners—experiencing each scene unfold live, right where these real-life moments took place. Along the way, audiences can sip and snack, while appreciating the neighborhood through a fresh lens.

DC, I Love You: Ready or Not

A Site-Specific Romantic Comedy at the Folger Shakespeare Library

Created by Katherine Harroff

Location: In and around the Folger Shakespeare Library

Public Performances: June 14, 15, 21, and 22

Showtimes: 1pm | 1:30pm | 2:00pm | 2:30pm | 3pm | 3:30pm

What happens when you’re not ready to fall in love—but love shows up anyway? DC, I Love You: Ready or Not is the second installation in our intimate series, built from true stories of hesitant hearts and unexpected connections across the District. Developed from community workshops, this chapter explores the complicated and sometimes comical side of the romantic comedy genre.

Audiences will begin their journey at the Folger’s Haskell Center, where they’ll be greeted by artists and led on a guided tour through a series of surprising, poignant, and playful scenes. Each moment unfolds in a unique spot around the historic Folger Shakespeare Library—turning hidden nooks and iconic spaces into stages for love in all its messy glory.

About the Folger Shakespeare Library and DC Amplified

The Folger Shakespeare Library makes Shakespeare’s stories and the world in which he lived accessible. Anchored by the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, the Folger is a cultural organization where curiosity and creativity are embraced, and conversation is always encouraged. Visitors to the Folger can choose how they want to experience the arts and humanities, from interactive exhibitions to captivating performances, and from path-breaking research to transformative educational programming. The Folger welcomes everyone to connect in their own way—from communities throughout Washington, DC, to communities across the globe. Learn more at www.folger.edu.

The DC Amplified Project is a co-creative docu-theater program that celebrates the communities of Washington, DC, and shares performance-based tools and resources of Folger Theatre and the Folger Shakespeare Library with the goal of telling stories about the real, lived experiences and histories of people in Washington, DC. The project is an inclusive, creative collaboration intended to elevate the citizens and neighborhoods of DC that will unfold in three phases. The first phase DC+Me explores the stories of individuals living in DC. The second phase DC, I Love You will celebrate love stories from diverse communities throughout DC, and the final phase will look at political upheaval from the perspective of residents. Through DC Amplified, the Folger will share the traditions, honored stories, and communal hope for the future of DC, by, for, and in conjunction with DC residents.