Flirting as a teen can feel both playful and dangerous. That’s the case for Ana, the protagonist of Jonah at Washington, DC’s Studio Theatre. When Ana (Ismenia Mendes) notices fellow boarding-school student Jonah (Rohan Maletira) peering into her dorm window, she reveals her bra. It’s an impulsive act, but also maybe a way of reclaiming control.
Studio’s program says Jonah covers “decades in one woman’s life,” and soon playwright Rachel Bonds displaces Ana into scenes where she struggles to enforce relationship boundaries. There are intense arguments with Danny (Quinn M. Johnson), a possessive, fraternal-like figure. Later, an adult Ana feels trapped at a writing retreat, when a friendly stranger, Steven (Louis Reyes McWilliams), can’t read her social cues. Like Ana, audience members must travel through abrupt time jumps in a space that’s both playful and dangerous.
Time is slippery—and so is memory
Similar to writers Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive) and Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby), Bonds explores how cycles of abuse fracture memories—or even time itself. Yet Jonah feels original in its depiction of how male attention, regardless of intent, can feel invasive for a woman conditioned to live with violence. Ana can’t completely trust the men in her life. In a live theatrical setting, audiences likewise can’t completely trust the reality we’re watching.
Still, the actors earn our trust through sensitive performances. Mendes embodies a journey from adolescence to maturity and back again. During a scene where Ana hears a confession, Mendes’ interrogating glare melts into an empathetic gaze. The audience is given permission to finally relax, too.
This production develops an endearing yet dark sense of humor, a credit to director Taylor Reynolds. She’s built a DC reputation for sharp ensemble comedies that still linger on loneliness. Jonah’s final half-hour has multiple climaxes, but that’s only because Reynolds has established a powerful momentum.
Days after watching Jonah, tears still may come. They’re a reminder to meet the people in our lives with the same fierce tenderness Ana never stops offering.
Is ‘Jonah’ worth seeing?
5 out of 5 stars
Taylor Reynolds directs an unmissable production of Rachel Bonds’ shattering new play. Check the trigger warnings before going—this is the kind of theater that stays with you.
- Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC.
- Notable performers: Ismenia Mendes, Rohan Maletira, Quinn M. Johnson, Louis Reyes McWilliams
- Running time: 1 hour and 50 minutes, no intermission
- Performances through April 19, 2026
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