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.
Compelling Drama
by Jane Anderson >
directed by Lisa Peterson >
in association with Jonathan Reinis Productions and Stephen Eich
September 11 - October 18, 2009 in Crystal City
From Emmy Award-winning writer Jane Anderson >(Mad Men) comes this “magnetic work of theater” (San Francisco Chronicle) filled with compassion, hope and humor. Two wildly different couples – one New Age Liberal and the other Midwestern Conservative – meet one weekend in the wake of personal tragedies. Through laughter, debate, empathy and ultimately love, can these couples from opposite backgrounds join together to find their common ground? Featuring four towering performances from Annette O’Toole (Smallville), Helen Hayes Award-winner Johanna Day (Broadway’s Proof and Arena’s The Rainmaker), Kevin O'Rourke (Broadway’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) and Stephen Schnetzer (Broadway’s The Goat: Or Who is Sylvia and Arena’s Legacy of Light) this “remarkable and completely engrossing new play” (TheaterMania) explores the promise of love, the unity of humanity and the quality of life.
World's Longest Running Musical
book and lyrics by Tom Jones
music by Harvey Schmidt
directed by Amanda Dehnert >
November 20, 2009 - January 10, 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 in an abandoned amusement park, a perfect playground for the story's emotional carnival.
Race and privilege intersect in this thought-provoking and lively modern family comedy. 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).
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 11, 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).
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 Maurice Hines >
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.
Does humanity have a chance to survive on Spaceship 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.
Compelling Drama
World's Longest Running Musical
A Witty and Intelligent New Play
Tony Award-winning Musical 
Swinging Musical Revue
One-Man Sensation
