About Edgar Dobie

EDGAR DOBIE (Executive Producer, President of the Corporation) Born in Vernon, British Columbia, a village next to the Rocky Mountains (three years after Arena had its first performance in 1950), I am one of five brothers raised by my Dad Edgar, a mechanic and small businessman, and Mom Connie, a telephone operator and union organizer. I am the only Dobie to make a career in theater. Luckily for me, drama was an arts elective I was offered at the tender age of 12 so I hung up my hockey skates and joined the drama class, led by teacher Paddy Malcolm and her fledgling Powerhouse Community Theater after school. By the time I graduated from high school, we volunteers had built ourselves a 200-seat, fully equipped theater on its own piece of land in the center of town and found a sold-out audience for the full season of plays we had on offer. That experience taught me so many lessons about the power of theater to foster collaboration and share meaningful stories, as well as the public values that attach themselves to building a safe place where everyone is welcome. All those lessons served me well as a managing leader and producer both sides of the border and both sides of the commercial and non-profit theater divide. Arriving here in Southwest with my good wife Tracy and our daughter Greta Lee in 2009 makes me feel like I am well-equipped to do a good job for you all.

From the Executive Producer: Cambodian Rock Band

Cambodian Rock Band has come to our Kreeger Theater after a long journey interrupted by a number of unforeseen circumstances. I don’t think I’m speaking only for myself when I say it’s been a proud moment to share this production with you—and a bit of a relief. This is [...]

By |2023-08-18T09:32:59-05:00August 21, 2023|Categories: Productions|Tags: , , |0 Comments

Edgar Dobie on Molly’s Legacy

How fitting to have a Power Play premiere as Molly Smith’s final production before she passes the baton as Arena Stage’s resident artistic director. The past 13 years I’ve spent as executive producer at Arena have been full of adventure, challenges, highs, lows, and, most of all, feisty artistic [...]

By |2023-05-22T15:42:24-05:00May 17, 2023|Categories: Arena's People|Tags: |Comments Off on Edgar Dobie on Molly’s Legacy

From the Executive Producer: Ride the Cyclone

Any history professor will say that every decade is a time of transition. However, sometimes we feel the transitions as they happen, and sometimes we don’t. Like the students in this musical, sometimes there are new aspects to discover about ourselves as we transition to a new state.  Last spring [...]

By |2023-03-06T15:07:41-05:00February 2, 2023|Categories: Productions|Tags: , |Comments Off on From the Executive Producer: Ride the Cyclone
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