THEATER

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC promises an “LGBTQ twist” on the classic Frank Loesser musical about a young man who charms and bluffs his way to professional success. March 10–12, Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW, 202-328-6000; thelincolndc.com

INTELLIGENCE

After Valerie Plame Wilson’s husband wrote a New York Times op-ed taking issue with the Bush administration’s claims about Iraq’s nuclear ambitions, she was outed as a CIA operative. This world-premiere play looks beyond the splashy newspaper headlines of the Plame affair to its very human dimensions. Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW, 202-554-9066; arenastage.org

RAGTIME

This Tony-winning musical was a prescient choice for the 2016-17 season: It dramatizes the volatile intersection of different identity groups—a wealthy white family, Jewish immigrants, and disenfranchised African-Americans— at the turn of the 20th century, a time of optimism and uncertainty in the face of technological advancement. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW, 202347-4833; fordstheatre.org

THE SELECT (THE SUN ALSO RISES)

The inventive theater troupe Elevator Repair Service presents the final installment of its widely acclaimed trilogy devoted to signature works of the Lost Generation. This 2010 adaptation of Hemingway’s novel followed freewheeling transformations of The Great Gatsby and The Sound and the Fury. February 18 to April 2, Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW, 202-547-1122; shakespearetheatre.org

THREE SISTERS

One of Chekhov’s best-loved plays gets a staging with Paul Schmidt’s accessible American English translation. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW, 202-332-3300; studiotheatre.org