Edgar Dobie News

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie have announced the 2021/22 lineup for the company’s 72nd Season. Arena is excited to welcome back audiences into our spaces and roar back with an ambitious, thrilling season packed with drama, humor, high-energy music and stories that bring us together.

As a special treat, clinic and theater staff surprised Stephanie with a MedStar Health face mask, an Arena Stage baseball cap, and complimentary tickets to the entire 2021-22 season of shows at Arena Stage.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has partnered with DC Health and MedStar Health in this effort to vaccinate as many residents as possible against COVID-19. The site will operate Thursdays – Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the next three months. 

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has partnered with DC Health and MedStar Health to announce the opening of an additional high-capacity vaccination site in an effort to vaccinate as many residents as possible against COVID-19. The site will open on Friday, April 9 and operate Thursdays – Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces its lineup of Winter classes featuring classes catered to families, theater lovers, students, adults and emerging theater artists. The Voices of Now Mead Ensemble for young artists will begin this winter, meeting virtually to contribute to a new original film. Just in time for the holidays, this robust line of programming has something for everyone and makes the perfect unique gift for the theater lover in your family.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater's latest world premiere docudrama, The 51st State, will receive its world premiere through Arena Stage's Supper Club on September 16 at 7 p.m. Following the premiere, viewers can join artists and creatives for a post-film discussion and after-party on Zoom.

Arena Stage will open its lobby for attendees of the March on Washington. The doors will be open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Staff will be on hand to assist and ensure safe social distancing.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has announced its Fall/Winter Looking Forward Season featuring more than 70 virtual events and programs to engage with and respond to audiences in Washington, D.C-metropolitan region and nationally.

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie announced the updated 2020/21 Season during a livestreamed event with the Washington Post's Peter Marks.  

Arena Stage continues to engage the community with its education program, Voices of Now, working with middle and high school students online in addition to newly added dates to its Intermission series of virtual programming.

Following a ten-month national search led by Management Consultants for the Arts, Everyman Theatre is announcing today that Marissa LaRose has joined the company as the theatre's new managing director. As Managing Director, Ms. LaRose will partner with and co-lead the 30-year old organization with Founding Artistic Director, Vincent M. Lancisi.

As previously announced, because of the ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the national move to cancel group gatherings per the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and District of Columbia Health Authorities, Arena Stage has suspended all remaining performances for its 2019/20 Season, as well as select special events and community engagement programs.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater presents Octavio Solis' Mother Road, a sequel to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Mother Road premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2019 and will run at Arena Stage from February 7 - March 8, 2020 in the iconic in-the-round Fichandler Stage.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the world-premiere musical American Prophet, directed and co-written by award-winning playwright Charles Randolph-Wright (Broadway's Motown The Musical) and featuring new music by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and co-script writer Marcus Hummon. The musical chronicles the life and legacy of one of the most notable human rights leaders of the 19th century, Frederick Douglass. Known as one of the greatest leaders of the abolitionist movement, Douglass was a prominent activist, author, orator and statesman. His own words power the soaring new melodies and original script. Directed by Randolph-Wright, American Prophet runs July 10 - August 16, 2020 in the Kreeger Theater.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has begun performances of the world premiere of Ken Ludwig's (Broadway's Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy For You) Dear Jack, Dear Louise.

Every year hundreds of D.C.-area military families must spend the Thanksgiving holiday away from loved ones. In gratitude for their service, Arena Stage invites 200 wounded warriors, service men and women and their families to a complimentary dinner and performance of the musical Disney's Newsies at the Mead Center for American Theater. Since the first Military Thanksgiving in 2011, Arena Stage has served nearly 1,700 military members and their families with the annual event.

The Tony Award-winning musical, Disney's Newsies, will receive an additional six performances during its run at Arena Stage. Under the direction of Molly Smith, choreography by Parker Esse and music direction by Laura Bergquist, the production now runs through December 29, 2019 in the iconic in-the-round Fichandler Stage.

Every year hundreds of D.C.-area military families must spend the Thanksgiving holiday away from loved ones. In gratitude for their service, Arena Stage is inviting 200 wounded warriors, service men and women and their families to a complimentary dinner and performance of the musical Disney's Newsies at the Mead Center for American Theater (1101 Sixth Street, SW) on Friday, November 29, 2019. Since the first Military Thanksgiving in 2011, Arena Stage has served nearly 1,700 military members and their families with the annual event.

The Tony Award-winning Broadway production of August Wilson's Jitney will receive an additional six performances during its run at Arena Stage. Under the direction of Tony Award-winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the production now runs through October 27, 2019 in the Kreeger Theater.

Arena Stage's Jitney celebrated opening night on September 19, 2019. Check out the photos from the evening!