Arena Stage Announces Part Two of ARENA RESTAGED Festival

In preparation for the opening of the theater's renovated complex in Southwest D.C., Arena Stage has undertaken ARENA RESTAGED-a two-year festival of American voices. Part One of ARENA RESTAGED was an ambitious staging of 10 productions ranging from classics such as Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance to the Broadway-bound rock musical Next to Normal. Part Two will continue the remarkable exploration of American work and provide the theater with necessary time to move into the new Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in time for the Fall 2010 opening.

"In 14 months, Arena has literally restaged everything," comments Artistic Director Molly Smith. "Our productions are the heartbeat of our theater, but there are countless moving parts contributing to this important time in Arena's history: we moved our entire staff into new offices from our home in Southwest D.C.; renovated a new theater in Crystal City; created new scene and costume shops; brought long runs into the Lincoln Theatre; all while we maintained top level customer service during the transition, which has garnered us the International Ticketing Association's 2009 Outstanding Box Office Award."

Smith continues, "This has all taken place concurrently with the transfers of two recent Arena shows to Broadway, the administering of the inaugural NEA New Play Development Program and on-time, on-budget construction of the Mead Center. Arena has truly embraced change during ARENA RESTAGED, and audiences will want to be part of the exciting programming in Part Two of the festival before we return to our new home dedicated to the future and legacy of American theater."

Part Two features exciting contemporary voices including Lydia Diamond (The Bluest Eye) and Jane Anderson (TV's Mad Men and Normal); top-notch actors, designers and directors such as Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies), JoBeth Williams (Film's Big Chill and Poltergeist), Eugene Lee (Broadway set designer for more than 20 shows including Wicked), Kenny Leon (Broadway's Radio Golf and A Raisin in the Sun) and Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Cuttin' Up and Guys and Dolls); and the quintessential American art form-the musical (The Fantasticks, Light in the Piazza and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies).

ARENA RESTAGED productions will continue to be staged at Arena Stage in Crystal City (1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA) and at the historic Lincoln Theatre (1215 U Street, NW, Washington, D.C.).

Arena also furthers its position as supporter of new American theater through the New Play Development Program; a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Arena has been acting as the administrator of the program, which supports seven selected new play projects from across the country. The program enhances the ability of the nation's non-profit theaters to bring new work to full production. For more information visit http://npdp.arenastage.org.

ARENA RESTAGED, Part Two:

The Quality of Life - New York bound drama
By Jane Anderson / Directed by Lisa Peterson
In association with Jonathan Reinis Productions and Stephen Eich
September 11 - November 1, 2009 in Crystal City
From Emmy Award-winning writer Jane Anderson (Mad Men, Normal) comes this "magnetic work of theater" (San Francisco Chronicle) filled with compassion, honesty and humor. In the wake of devastating personal tragedies, two cousins meet one weekend in an attempt to forge a friendship out of distant familial bonds. Steady, gentle Dinah (Academy Award nominee JoBeth Williams) and husband Bill, reeling from the loss of their daughter, find comfort in spirituality. Meanwhile, rebellious, energetic Jeanette and her ailing husband Neil mitigate illness and the destruction of their home through alternative practices. Can these couples from widely different political and religious backgrounds join together to confront their physical and emotional challenges of loss and survival? This "remarkable and completely engrossing new play" (TheaterMania) harnesses spirit and fortitude while exploring the promise of love, the pride of endurance and the quality of life.

The Fantasticks - world's longest running musical
Book and lyrics by Tom Jones / Music by Harvey Schmidt / Directed by Amanda Dehnert
November 20, 2009 - January 3, 2010 at the Lincoln Theatre
"Try to Remember" a time when The Fantasticks wasn't captivating audiences. The memorable score by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt enlivens the heart of this passionate musical that charmed Off-Broadway for a record-breaking 42 years. In a twist on the classic story of boy meets girl, Matt and Luisa are led by El Gallo from the wistfulness of "when life was slow and oh so mellow" to the reality that "without a hurt the heart is hollow." Rising star director Amanda Dehnert re-imagines this timeless fable amid the thrills and chills of an amusement park, a perfect playground for the story's emotional carnival.

Stick Fly - a witty and intelligent new play
By Lydia R. Diamond / Directed by Kenny Leon
January 1 - February 7, 2010 in Crystal City
Race and privilege intersect in this thought-provoking and lively modern family comedy directed by Kenny Leon (Broadway's Radio Golf and A Raisin in the Sun). One lazy summer weekend, Kent LeVay invites his fiancée, Taylor, to meet his parents at their luxurious Martha's Vineyard summer home. Taylor, under the microscope and unaccustomed to the surrounding wealth, challenges the household dynamic. The family ties rapidly unravel when Kent's womanizing older brother surprises everyone with his white girlfriend. Conflict and dysfunction ensue as the household vigorously airs their long-secret dirty linens along with the drapes. Be a fly on the wall as this exciting new American voice, playwright Lydia Diamond (The Bluest Eye), astutely examines African-American social aristocracy in a work called "an impressively ambitious play" (Chicago Tribune) and "a refreshingly vital story about relationships and richly complex characters" (Variety).

The Light in the Piazza- Tony Award-winning musical
Book by Craig Lucas / Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel
Produced by arrangement with Turner Entertainment Co., owner of the original motion picture Light in the Piazza / Based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer
Directed by Molly Smith
March 5 - April 25, 2010 in Crystal City
One windy day in the Tuscan countryside, Clara loses her hat in a sudden gust, and as if guided by fate, it lands at the feet of the handsome Fabrizio. As their whirlwind courtship unfolds, Clara's mother, Margaret, is unable to conceal the family secret and must reconsider not only her daughter's future but her own as well. Arena's own Molly Smith directs an intimate, chamber version of this musical that won six Tony Awards (including Best Score) and hearts across the country, being hailed "a magnificent theatrical achievement" (Chicago Tribune) and "absolutely transfixing" (San Francisco Chronicle). Craig Lucas (Prelude to a Kiss) has distilled Elizabeth Spencer's novella to a poignant tale about the essence of love, aided by the lush music of Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins).

Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies - swinging musical revue
Concept by Donald McKayle / Based on the music of Duke Ellington
Musical and dance arrangements by Lloyd Mayers
Vocal arrangements by Malcolm Dodds and Lloyd Mayers
Original music direction by Mercer Ellington
Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright / Choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines
April 9 - May 30, 2010 at the Lincoln Theatre
The Duke comes home to the Lincoln with Sophisticated Ladies, the award-winning musical revue that explores the legacy of our local jazz hero starring Broadway legend Maurice Hines. This glorious re-creation of the big band sound features some of the most memorable music from the Roaring Twenties to the Swing Era, including such classic songs as "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," "Take the ‘A' Train," "Satin Doll" and the haunting "In a Sentimental Mood." With one show-stopping number after another, this stylish and brassy retrospective travels through a history of American song and dance, from Charleston to swing to virtuosic tap dancing. It's an abundance of riches from the most sophisticated and sassy jazz king of all.

R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe- one-man sensation
Written and directed by D.W. Jacobs / From the life, work and writings of R. Buckminster Fuller
May 28 - July 4, 2010 in Crystal City
Does humanity have a chance to survive on planet Earth? Explore this question with Renaissance man R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome. Join us for an unforgettable journey inside one of the most remarkable minds of the 20th century in a dazzling, virtuoso multimedia performance. A hero of the green movement, Bucky framed many of the great environmental ideas of his time and ours. This is your chance to get to know the man and his world-saving mission in a play "as startlingly funny as it is intellectually stimulating" (San Francisco Examiner). It may not only change your life but the life of our planet as well.

Part Two programming subscription packages for ARENA RESTAGED are now on sale and may be purchased by calling the Arena Stage Sales Office at (202) 488-3300 or by visiting www.arenastage.org.

*Plays, artists, prices and dates are subject to change.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith, Washington, D.C.-based Arena Stage has become the largest theater in the country dedicated to American plays and playwrights. Founded in 1950 by Zelda Fichandler, Thomas Fichandler and Edward Mangum, Arena Stage was one of the nation's original resident theaters and has a distinguished record of leadership and innovation in the field. With the opening of the new Mead Center for American Theater in 2010, Arena Stage will be a leading center for the production, development and study of American theater. Now in its sixth decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 200,000. For more information please visit www.arenastage.org.

 

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