What kind of theater is Arena Stage?
It’s the nation’s leading regional theater and it’s in its 58th year. But it’s not just great regional theater; it is largely responsible for the whole regional theater movement in the 20th century, pioneering the concept of doing art for art’s sake, not for profit. It’s seen some pretty significant events, including the first American performance behind the Iron Curtain in Russia. Area Stage was the first regional theater to win a Tony Award, and the first regional theater to move a production to Broadway, but the most important chapter in its history might be unfolding right now. Arena Stage is currently undergoing a $125 million renovation of its southwest D.C. home into a national center for American plays, under the leadership of artistic director Molly Smith. Arena has found that it is where “American theatre lives” and is dedicated to pursuing that goal. It’s pretty awe-inspiring to go in to work each day knowing that. How’d you land the gig? What made you apply to this particul
