Arena Stage Announces Resignation of Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif
CRAZYSEXYCOOL: THE TLC MUSICAL opened at Arena Stage this weekend amidst the news.
Hana Sharif submitted her resignation to Arena Stage, mere hours before the opening performance of CRAZYSEXYCOOL: THE TLC MUSICAL, reports The New York Times.
Part of her resignation letter read, "Ultimately, the board and I arrived at a crossroads — one defined not by a lack of shared love for this institution, but by differing visions for how Arena Stage should meet the future...what art belongs at its center, how its teams should be built and empowered to evolve, and what a sustainable path forward truly requires."
During her tenure, Arena Stage presented Swept Away with music of The Avett Brothers in 2023 which transferred to Broadway the following year, Chez Joey which was a re-imagination of Pal Joey and a revised version of Damn Yankees.
Arena Stage released a statement saying, "Hana S. Sharif publicly announced her decision to step down as Artistic Director of Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, effective June 30, 2026. With the annuncement, the Board of Trustees notes their gratitude for her contributions over the last three years and wish her well in her future endeavors.
Arena Stage remains steadfast in our collective commitment to sharing the transformative power of theater with audiences in our nation’s capital and focusing on the theater’s next 75 years.This fall, the Board of Trustees will begin planning for an Artistic Director search as part of a larger strategic planning process.
Arena Stage will continue to be led by Edgar Dobie, President and Executive Producer, who joined Arena Stage in 2009, and a first-class senior management team. Arena Stage will move forward with Act I of the planned 2026/27 Season and will engage an artistic advisor to work with Dobie and the artistic team on season planning for Act II and the following season."
Sharif was brought on 2023 and saw nine world premieres at the theater in that time.
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