Michael Stone Forrest, Timothy Ware, Nate Dendy, Sebastian La Cause, Addi McDaniel, and Jerome Lucas Harmann in The Fantasticks (2009-10 Season). Photo by Scott Suchman.

Think back to the last time you looked in your mailbox and saw our signature Arena Red branding (yes, we still send snail mail!). Did you ever find yourself wondering why, when you renew your subscription, such as for the 2023/24 Season, we also ask you to consider becoming a member?

If you’ve assumed you’re already a member with your subscription, you’re not alone. The truth is, a membership is very different from a subscription.

Here’s the difference:

Subscribers get a great deal on tickets and related perks, such as fee-free exchanges, discounts on pre-reserved on-site parking, and additional discounts on single tickets. But when you also sign on as a member (Ensemble membership is $120 annually*), you get additional exclusive perks no one else gets, such as invitations to creative peeks, backstage tours, and open rehearsals.

Why become a member if you’ve already purchased your season subscription, you might ask… and it’s a fair question! And the answer is:

by becoming a member at Arena Stage, you are investing in our work as a champion of American theater in our nation’s capital.

The fact of the matter is ticket sales (from subscribers and individuals) only cover half of what it takes to bring the amazing theater here to life, so generous donations make all the difference in our work. 

In other words, not only is being a member the best way to be a part of the action at Arena Stage, it is vital for us to be able to continue to program and produce the art you have come to know, and love, from us. 

Hear from current members Dorothy and Howard Pedolsky on their Arena Stage “defining moments”: 


So, please, become a member now, and join Dorothy, Howard, and countless more in helping us continue to bring the theater you know and love to life!