Dear Arena,
Happy Birthday! Has it really been over 70 years since Zelda Fichandler, Thomas Fichandler, and Edward Mangum founded the first modern professional theater in Washington, D.C., helping start the regional theater movement?
And think of all you’ve done in that time!
- You became the first regional theater to send a show to Broadway, with The Great White Hope…
- You won the first Tony Award for theatrical excellence as a theater outside of New York…
- And you created a beautiful home in the Mead Center for us to collectively explore the best of American theater.
Can’t wait to see what happens in the next 70+ years!
Love,
#TeamArena
P.S. Want to see more of the amazing things you’ve done over the past seven decades? Click here for a fun walk down memory lane!
Gabrielle Dominique (Constance Blackwood), Shinah Hey (Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg), Ashlyn Maddox (Jane Doe), Eli Mayer (Mischa Bachinski), and Nick Martinez (Noel Gruber) in Ride the Cyclone. Photo by Margot Schulman.
Happy 70th Birth-Day!
Thank you Arena for being an important part of my life for over 50 years. Congratulations on your 70th birthday and best wishes for a future of success.
wonderful being a part of arena since 1975! great theatre, great people
Arena Stage! I saw my first theatre in the round play in the Fichandler, A Raisin in the Sun. I think it was the early 70’s when we both were young (smile). Thank you for all you have expose me to through theatre. I worked there a few years as well, and have nothing but fond and loving memories of Arena, Molly, and all of the crew. Blessing and happy birthday!
Happy 70th Birthday. I hope that you’re around for a lot more.
Everyone who has been a part of the Arena family— actors, administrators, ushers, and especially audience members— has been so enriched over these past years. “Bravo” on a wonderful job of enriching the lives of so many in the Washington, DC metro area!
Happy Birthday, Arena. I’ve been a volunteer for 48 of those years & loved every minute. A toast to many more!