{"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Fichandler%2C+Zelda%2C+1924-2016\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=George+Mason+University","last":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Fichandler%2C+Zelda%2C+1924-2016\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=George+Mason+University\u0026page=1"},"meta":{"pages":{"current_page":1,"next_page":null,"prev_page":null,"total_pages":1,"limit_value":10,"offset_value":0,"total_count":4,"first_page?":true,"last_page?":true}},"data":[{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","type":"collection","attributes":{"title":"Arena Stage records, 1949/2010","creator":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416#creator","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","label":"Creator"}},"abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from its beginnings in 1950 to the present, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, handwritten correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records.","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","ead_ssi":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","_root_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","_nest_parent_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/GMU/repositories_2_resources_416.xml","title_filing_ssi":"Arena Stage records","title_ssm":["Arena Stage records"],"title_tesim":["Arena Stage records"],"unitdate_ssm":["1949 - 2010"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1949 - 2010"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949/2010"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Arena Stage records, 1949/2010"],"text":["Arena Stage records, 1949/2010","C0017","/repositories/2/resources/416","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater","Theater -- United States","Theater programs","Theater -- Production and direction","Performing arts","Video recordings","Sound recordings","Photographic prints","There are no access restrictions.","to this collection are expected.","The collection is arranged into five series, each of which is further divided into subseries:","Series\n      Series 1: Administrative records, 1949-2007 (Boxes 1-196)\n      Series 2: Production files, 1950-2010 (Boxes 197-588, 654-663)\n      Series 3: Photographs, 1950-1991 (Boxes 589-639)\n      Series 4: Oversize materials, 1949-late 2000s (Boxes 640-720)\n      Series 5: Audiovisual materials, 1970-2007 (Boxes 721-739)","Maslon, Lawrence, editor. \"The Arena Adventure: The First 40 Years.\" Washington, DC: Arena Stage, 1990.","From its opening on August 16, 1950, the Arena Stage has dedicated itself to being a space of imagination and innovation, a tool of \"civilization,\" and Washington, D.C.'s preeminent regional theater. Founded by Zelda Fichandler, with assistance from her husband Thomas C. Fichandler and partner Edward Mangum, the Arena Stage began as a for-profit theater under Arena Enterprises, Inc. The original Hippodrome Theatre, located on Ninth and New York N.W. in D.C., was revolutionary amongst regional theatres for its theatre-in-the-round construction and would provide the blueprint for all future Arena locations.","Arena began its long and successful life with Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer. Arena owed its early successes in the 1950s to its fluid play schedule organization and its willingness to put on works that were not commercial successes on Broadway. In November of 1956, after a year's hiatus, the company relocated to a temporary home at the Old Heurich Brewery, dubbed the Old Vat by company members. The move was facilitated in part by the commitment and drive of Board members J. Burke Knapp, Albert M. Berkowitz, Israel Convisser, Leslie Amouri, and Henry J. Danilowicz. However, financial issues would continue to trouble Arena Enterprises, Inc., eventually leading to its dissolution in 1959, and the creation of Arena's new, non-profit parent organization, the Washington Drama Society.","During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington since 1895. Chicago architect Harry Weese designed the space to be as innovative as possible while still maintaining the theater-in-the-round layout. Now a non-profit theater, Arena drew much of its funding during this time from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and generous donations from both the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundations.","The Arena Stage began some of its most ambitious work during the 1960s including forming the Living Stage Theatre Company, further integrating its cast, and staging its most ambitious and acclaimed work to date: The Great White Hope. The Great White Hope included twenty five additional guest actors, including James Earl Jones, and was an enormous success, both critically and financially, for Arena. It was the first major resident theater production to be exported to Broadway. Fichandler also began to experiment with casting African American actors in traditionally white roles during the 1968 season after she published the paper \"Towards a Deepening Aesthetic.\" Fichandler experimented with non-traditional casting in plays like King Lear and The Threepenny Opera, but unfortunately these plays were met with critical confusion and disappointing ticket sales. Arena Stage was incredibly successful in the 1970s, garnering awards and critical approval, and international recognition. Not content with the current Arena Stage configuration, Fichandler and others worked diligently to acquire another stage facility that would collaborate, not compete, with the current Stage. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new Kreeger Theater which opened on January 15, 1971.","In 1973 Arena would have the opportunity to take two of its plays, Our Town and Inherit the Wind to the U.S.S.R. This was the first ever trip to the Soviet Union undertaken by a resident theater group. The trip was a wild success with Russian audiences giving the cast a standing ovation following their performance of Inherit the Wind at the Moscow Art Theatre. In April 1976 the American Theatre Critics Association bestowed upon the Arena Stage a special Tony Award for resident theaters. The ATCA cited Arena's qualities as a \"trailblazer\" in theatrical arts and representative of other theaters that had followed its lead.","The early 1980s were a difficult time for theater, but, in spite of this, Arena continued to push the limits of conventional residential theater. The 1982 production of K2, for example, saw the construction of a sheer glacial face on the Kreeger stage according to the vision of set designer Ming Cho Lee. In 1986 twenty-three actors and a thirteen member production staff traveled to Jerusalem to perform Zelda's production of The Crucible at the Israel Festival.","1989 marked the end of an era as Zelda Fichandler announced that she would step down as Arena's producing director at the end of the 1990-1991 fortieth anniversary season. Douglas C. Wager would succeed her as artistic director. Amid financial difficulties and changing times for theaters everywhere, Arena's resident company of actors was disbanded by the late 1990s. Wager remained at the helm until 1998, when Molly Smith took over the position. Under Smith's leadership, Bing Thom architects completed another major renovation of Arena's existing buildings into the Mead Center for American Theater in 2010. Smith served as Arena's artistic director until 2023, when she retired and was succeeded by current Aristic Director, Hana Sharif.","Many now-famous actors took part in Arena Stage productions during the early part of their careers. Some of them include Robert Prosky, Morgan Freeman, Dianne Wiest, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Christopher Guest, Yeardley Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Ned Beatty, Jane Alexander, and Ron Perlman. Many other set designers, artists, costume designers, and technical workers owe their early success and experience to the Arena Stage.","The Special Collections Research Center does not have the equipment necessary to film and audio reels, Betacam, or U-matic tapes contained in Series 5.2 and 5.3. Additional time and money may be required to digitize this material for access.","Processed by Harvard Theatre Collection and George Mason University Special Collections Research Center staff. Reprocessed by Greta Suiter, Kerry Mitchell, Elizabeth Beckman, Diane Stancil, and Nick Welsh. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in 2016. Finding aid updated by Amanda Menjivar in 2025.","The Special Collections Research Center holds the personal papers of several individuals involved with Arena Stage, including the Zelda Fichandler papers, the Thomas C. Fichandler papers, the Ken Kitch papers, as well as the Living Stage records.","The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from 1949 to 2010, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records pertaining to the theater's finances, publicity, buildings, and programs.","Series 1: Administrative records (1949-2007) documents the creation, operation, and maintenance of Arena Stage and its various programs. It is further divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 1.1: Correspondence includes correspondence arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name or by organizational name. Some correspondence is further aggregated and then organized alphabetically, such as \"Play Correspondence\" or \"Audience Response.\" Of particular note are letters from President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and King Kong star Fay Wray. Subseries 1.2: Programs, policies, and procedures, includes records of Arena's programs, such as the \"Arena Angels\" volunteer program and fellowship programs, policies, such as bylaws, diversity policies, and handbooks, and planning, including season planning and long-range plans. This subseries is broken up into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.3.1: Financial papers documents Arena's finances and includes stockholder documents from its beginnings as a for-profit theater, grant-related documentation after the theater transitioned to a non-profit in the late 1950s, and records of the theater's development office, some of which were kept by department director Elspeth Udvarhelyi. Sub-subseries 1.3.2: Personnel records includes information on staff at Arena Stage arranged alphabetically. Of particular interest are headshots and/or resumes of a number of well-known actors, including James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Henry Winkler, Edward Hermann, Yeardley Smith, Jane Alexander, Swoosie Kurtz, Victor Garber, Ron Perlman, Annette Benning, Olympia Dukakis, John Lithgow, John Voigt, Sigourney Weaver, and Rosemary Harris. Sub-subseries 1.3.3: Casting information contains notes on casting for productions arranged alphabetically by play. Sub-subseries 1.3.4: Production contracts includes official agreements between Arena and others arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 1.4: Meeting minutes contains meeting minutes from Arena's Board of Trustees, staff, and other subgroups within the organization. Subseries 1.5: Communications and events, is also divided into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.5.1: Events documents special events held by Arena Stage, including anniversaries, galas, benefits, openings and press events. Sub-subseries 1.5.2: Communications and Marketing includes records produced by the Communications and Marketing departments, including meeting minutes, planning, research, and correspondence. Sub-subseries 1.5.3: Printed Material includes subscriber materials, mailings, brochures, reviews collected and arranged by play title, and programs organized chronologically. Sub-subseries 1.5.4: Theater Communications Group contains correspondence, reports, and other information generated from Arena's association with the Theater Communications Group, an organization of theaters around the United States. Subseries 1.6: Buildings and facilities includes information about and architectural plans for Arena's various buildings over the years, including the Hippodrome, the Old Vat, the 1960 permanent building, and the Kreeger Theater addition.","Series 2: Production Files (1950-2010) is comprised of records related to the artistic development and performance of Arena's plays. It is divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 2.1: Dramaturgical files documents literary, historical and background research done by Arena's literary department for various plays, including articles, research packets, actor's packets, and scripts. It is generally organized alphabetically by play. Subseries 2.2: Playwright subject files contains research on various playwrights, both living and dead, whose work has been performed at Arena. It is organized alphabetically by playwright's last name. Subseries 2.3: Production files includes scripts, blocking information, correspondence, and other material related to the production of Arena's plays. It is arranged alphabetically by play title. Subseries 2.4: Stage manager's reports includes daily reports by the stage manager of productions for the entire runs of many of Arena's plays from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. The reports include running times, incident reports, and other commentary on the audience and the performance. Subseries 2.5: Wrap files contains documents collected from throughout the runs of various productions, including reviews that reflect the wider response to the play. Subseries 2.6: Producing director's files contains documents from Arena's second Producing director after Zelda Fichandler, Doug Wager, who served from 1991-1998. It includes pre-production speeches given by Wager, as well as planning files.","Series 3: Photographs (1950-1991)is divided into 3 subseries. Subseries 3.1: Production photographs includes photos of scenes from Arena's productions arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 3.2: Production books includes production photos collected in books, many of which are by professional photographer George de Vincent. Subseries 3.3: Buildings, staff, and events includes photographs of Arena's buildings, staff and cast portraits, and event photographs, such as prints from Arena's 30th anniversary celebration and from Arena's Soviet Union and Israel tours. Subseries 3.4: Negatives and slides includes slides and negatives of Arena's staff and events, as well as some buildings, sets, and production-related images.","Series 4: Oversize (1949-late 2000s) is divided into 3 subseries and contains a variety of oversize material. Subseries 4.1: Braille programs contains programs in Braille for various Arena productions from the 1990s and early 2000s. Subseries 4.2: Miscellaneous artwork and programs includes posters from Arena productions and events, enlarged photos, costume sketches, and other oversized material, such as a large model of the Mead Center for American Theater. Subseries 4.3: Scrapbooks contains scrapbooks created for each of Arena's seasons up until 1988. It also includes scrapbooks for Arena's tour of the Soviet Union and of visitors to Arena.","Series 5: Audiovisual (1970-2007) contains several types of formats and is divided into 3 subseries. Series 5.1: Performances on VHS contains VHS tapes (a few of which have associated DVDs) of performances at Arena arranged alphabetically by play title. Series 5.2: Reel-to-reel contains production and event footage on reel-to-reel film. Series 5.3: Other audiovisual formats and VHS tapes contains footage of events and productions on audiocassette, Betacam, and U-matic tapes.","The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)","The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from its beginnings in 1950 to the present, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, handwritten correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records.","R 5, C 1, S 2 - R 9, C 4, S 7 \n\n\nR29, C1, S2\n\nOS R 3, C 2, S 1 - C 3, S 7\nOS R 4, C 5, S 5 \nOS R 5, C 2, S 3\nOS R 5, C 5, S 4\nOS R 6, C 4, S 6 - S 7\nOS R 7, C 1, S 2\nMap Case 9.1, 11.5","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Arena Stage records, 1949/2010"],"collection_ssim":["Arena Stage records, 1949/2010"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["C0017","/repositories/2/resources/416"],"unitid_tesim":["C0017","/repositories/2/resources/416"],"repository_ssm":["George Mason University"],"repository_ssim":["George Mason University"],"creator_ssm":["Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creator_ssim":["Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"creator_corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creators_ssim":["Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Donated by Arena Stage in 2000-2024.","This collection has additional unprocessed accessions 2023.040-C and 2024.088-C, and therefore this finding aid may not be fully up to date. Please contact SCRC for more information."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater","Theater -- United States","Theater programs","Theater -- Production and direction","Performing arts","Video recordings","Sound recordings","Photographic prints"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater","Theater -- United States","Theater programs","Theater -- Production and direction","Performing arts","Video recordings","Sound recordings","Photographic prints"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["369.5 Linear Feet 739 boxes"],"extent_tesim":["369.5 Linear Feet 739 boxes"],"genreform_ssim":["Video recordings","Sound recordings","Photographic prints"],"date_range_isim":[1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no access restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no access restrictions."],"accruals_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eto this collection are expected.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accruals_heading_ssm":["Accruals"],"accruals_tesim":["to this collection are expected."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into five series, each of which is further divided into subseries:\u003c/p\u003e    ","\u003clist type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003chead\u003eSeries\u003c/head\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 1: Administrative records, 1949-2007 (Boxes 1-196)\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 2: Production files, 1950-2010 (Boxes 197-588, 654-663)\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 3: Photographs, 1950-1991 (Boxes 589-639)\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 4: Oversize materials, 1949-late 2000s (Boxes 640-720)\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 5: Audiovisual materials, 1970-2007 (Boxes 721-739)\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e\n  "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into five series, each of which is further divided into subseries:","Series\n      Series 1: Administrative records, 1949-2007 (Boxes 1-196)\n      Series 2: Production files, 1950-2010 (Boxes 197-588, 654-663)\n      Series 3: Photographs, 1950-1991 (Boxes 589-639)\n      Series 4: Oversize materials, 1949-late 2000s (Boxes 640-720)\n      Series 5: Audiovisual materials, 1970-2007 (Boxes 721-739)"],"bibliography_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cextptr href=\"http://www.arenastage.org/plan-your-visit/the-mead-center/\" title=\"'Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.' Arena Stage. Accessed February 3, 2016.\" show=\"new\"\u003e\u003c/extptr\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n            ","\u003cp\u003e Maslon, Lawrence, editor. \"The Arena Adventure: The First 40 Years.\" Washington, DC: Arena Stage, 1990.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003e \u003cextptr href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/theater/features/arena51205.htm\" title=\"Richards, David. 'For Arena Stage, a Pioneering Selection.' Washington Post. December 5, 1997\" show=\"new\"\u003e\u003c/extptr\u003e \u003c/p\u003e  "],"bibliography_heading_ssm":["Bibliography"],"bibliography_tesim":["Maslon, Lawrence, editor. \"The Arena Adventure: The First 40 Years.\" Washington, DC: Arena Stage, 1990."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFrom its opening on August 16, 1950, the Arena Stage has dedicated itself to being a space of imagination and innovation, a tool of \"civilization,\" and Washington, D.C.'s preeminent regional theater. Founded by Zelda Fichandler, with assistance from her husband Thomas C. Fichandler and partner Edward Mangum, the Arena Stage began as a for-profit theater under Arena Enterprises, Inc. The original Hippodrome Theatre, located on Ninth and New York N.W. in D.C., was revolutionary amongst regional theatres for its theatre-in-the-round construction and would provide the blueprint for all future Arena locations.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eArena began its long and successful life with Oliver Goldsmith's \u003citalic\u003eShe Stoops to Conquer.\u003c/italic\u003e Arena owed its early successes in the 1950s to its fluid play schedule organization and its willingness to put on works that were not commercial successes on Broadway. In November of 1956, after a year's hiatus, the company relocated to a temporary home at the Old Heurich Brewery, dubbed the Old Vat by company members. The move was facilitated in part by the commitment and drive of Board members J. Burke Knapp, Albert M. Berkowitz, Israel Convisser, Leslie Amouri, and Henry J. Danilowicz. However, financial issues would continue to trouble Arena Enterprises, Inc., eventually leading to its dissolution in 1959, and the creation of Arena's new, non-profit parent organization, the Washington Drama Society.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuring the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington since 1895. Chicago architect Harry Weese designed the space to be as innovative as possible while still maintaining the theater-in-the-round layout. Now a non-profit theater, Arena drew much of its funding during this time from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and generous donations from both the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundations.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Arena Stage began some of its most ambitious work during the 1960s including forming the Living Stage Theatre Company, further integrating its cast, and staging its most ambitious and acclaimed work to date: \u003citalic\u003eThe Great White Hope.\u003c/italic\u003e \u003citalic\u003eThe Great White Hope\u003c/italic\u003e included twenty five additional guest actors, including James Earl Jones, and was an enormous success, both critically and financially, for Arena. It was the first major resident theater production to be exported to Broadway. Fichandler also began to experiment with casting African American actors in traditionally white roles during the 1968 season after she published the paper \"Towards a Deepening Aesthetic.\" Fichandler experimented with non-traditional casting in plays like \u003citalic\u003eKing Lear\u003c/italic\u003e and \u003citalic\u003eThe Threepenny Opera\u003c/italic\u003e, but unfortunately these plays were met with critical confusion and disappointing ticket sales. Arena Stage was incredibly successful in the 1970s, garnering awards and critical approval, and international recognition. Not content with the current Arena Stage configuration, Fichandler and others worked diligently to acquire another stage facility that would collaborate, not compete, with the current Stage. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new Kreeger Theater which opened on January 15, 1971.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn 1973 Arena would have the opportunity to take two of its plays, \u003citalic\u003eOur Town\u003c/italic\u003e and \u003citalic\u003eInherit the Wind\u003c/italic\u003e to the U.S.S.R. This was the first ever trip to the Soviet Union undertaken by a resident theater group. The trip was a wild success with Russian audiences giving the cast a standing ovation following their performance of \u003citalic\u003eInherit the Wind\u003c/italic\u003e at the Moscow Art Theatre. In April 1976 the American Theatre Critics Association bestowed upon the Arena Stage a special Tony Award for resident theaters. The ATCA cited Arena's qualities as a \"trailblazer\" in theatrical arts and representative of other theaters that had followed its lead.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe early 1980s were a difficult time for theater, but, in spite of this, Arena continued to push the limits of conventional residential theater. The 1982 production of \u003citalic\u003eK2\u003c/italic\u003e, for example, saw the construction of a sheer glacial face on the Kreeger stage according to the vision of set designer Ming Cho Lee. In 1986 twenty-three actors and a thirteen member production staff traveled to Jerusalem to perform Zelda's production of \u003citalic\u003eThe Crucible\u003c/italic\u003e at the Israel Festival.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e1989 marked the end of an era as Zelda Fichandler announced that she would step down as Arena's producing director at the end of the 1990-1991 fortieth anniversary season. Douglas C. Wager would succeed her as artistic director. Amid financial difficulties and changing times for theaters everywhere, Arena's resident company of actors was disbanded by the late 1990s. Wager remained at the helm until 1998, when Molly Smith took over the position. Under Smith's leadership, Bing Thom architects completed another major renovation of Arena's existing buildings into the Mead Center for American Theater in 2010. Smith served as Arena's artistic director until 2023, when she retired and was succeeded by current Aristic Director, Hana Sharif.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMany now-famous actors took part in Arena Stage productions during the early part of their careers. Some of them include Robert Prosky, Morgan Freeman, Dianne Wiest, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Christopher Guest, Yeardley Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Ned Beatty, Jane Alexander, and Ron Perlman. Many other set designers, artists, costume designers, and technical workers owe their early success and experience to the Arena Stage.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["From its opening on August 16, 1950, the Arena Stage has dedicated itself to being a space of imagination and innovation, a tool of \"civilization,\" and Washington, D.C.'s preeminent regional theater. Founded by Zelda Fichandler, with assistance from her husband Thomas C. Fichandler and partner Edward Mangum, the Arena Stage began as a for-profit theater under Arena Enterprises, Inc. The original Hippodrome Theatre, located on Ninth and New York N.W. in D.C., was revolutionary amongst regional theatres for its theatre-in-the-round construction and would provide the blueprint for all future Arena locations.","Arena began its long and successful life with Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer. Arena owed its early successes in the 1950s to its fluid play schedule organization and its willingness to put on works that were not commercial successes on Broadway. In November of 1956, after a year's hiatus, the company relocated to a temporary home at the Old Heurich Brewery, dubbed the Old Vat by company members. The move was facilitated in part by the commitment and drive of Board members J. Burke Knapp, Albert M. Berkowitz, Israel Convisser, Leslie Amouri, and Henry J. Danilowicz. However, financial issues would continue to trouble Arena Enterprises, Inc., eventually leading to its dissolution in 1959, and the creation of Arena's new, non-profit parent organization, the Washington Drama Society.","During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington since 1895. Chicago architect Harry Weese designed the space to be as innovative as possible while still maintaining the theater-in-the-round layout. Now a non-profit theater, Arena drew much of its funding during this time from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and generous donations from both the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundations.","The Arena Stage began some of its most ambitious work during the 1960s including forming the Living Stage Theatre Company, further integrating its cast, and staging its most ambitious and acclaimed work to date: The Great White Hope. The Great White Hope included twenty five additional guest actors, including James Earl Jones, and was an enormous success, both critically and financially, for Arena. It was the first major resident theater production to be exported to Broadway. Fichandler also began to experiment with casting African American actors in traditionally white roles during the 1968 season after she published the paper \"Towards a Deepening Aesthetic.\" Fichandler experimented with non-traditional casting in plays like King Lear and The Threepenny Opera, but unfortunately these plays were met with critical confusion and disappointing ticket sales. Arena Stage was incredibly successful in the 1970s, garnering awards and critical approval, and international recognition. Not content with the current Arena Stage configuration, Fichandler and others worked diligently to acquire another stage facility that would collaborate, not compete, with the current Stage. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new Kreeger Theater which opened on January 15, 1971.","In 1973 Arena would have the opportunity to take two of its plays, Our Town and Inherit the Wind to the U.S.S.R. This was the first ever trip to the Soviet Union undertaken by a resident theater group. The trip was a wild success with Russian audiences giving the cast a standing ovation following their performance of Inherit the Wind at the Moscow Art Theatre. In April 1976 the American Theatre Critics Association bestowed upon the Arena Stage a special Tony Award for resident theaters. The ATCA cited Arena's qualities as a \"trailblazer\" in theatrical arts and representative of other theaters that had followed its lead.","The early 1980s were a difficult time for theater, but, in spite of this, Arena continued to push the limits of conventional residential theater. The 1982 production of K2, for example, saw the construction of a sheer glacial face on the Kreeger stage according to the vision of set designer Ming Cho Lee. In 1986 twenty-three actors and a thirteen member production staff traveled to Jerusalem to perform Zelda's production of The Crucible at the Israel Festival.","1989 marked the end of an era as Zelda Fichandler announced that she would step down as Arena's producing director at the end of the 1990-1991 fortieth anniversary season. Douglas C. Wager would succeed her as artistic director. Amid financial difficulties and changing times for theaters everywhere, Arena's resident company of actors was disbanded by the late 1990s. Wager remained at the helm until 1998, when Molly Smith took over the position. Under Smith's leadership, Bing Thom architects completed another major renovation of Arena's existing buildings into the Mead Center for American Theater in 2010. Smith served as Arena's artistic director until 2023, when she retired and was succeeded by current Aristic Director, Hana Sharif.","Many now-famous actors took part in Arena Stage productions during the early part of their careers. Some of them include Robert Prosky, Morgan Freeman, Dianne Wiest, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Christopher Guest, Yeardley Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Ned Beatty, Jane Alexander, and Ron Perlman. Many other set designers, artists, costume designers, and technical workers owe their early success and experience to the Arena Stage."],"phystech_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Special Collections Research Center does not have the equipment necessary to film and audio reels, Betacam, or U-matic tapes contained in Series 5.2 and 5.3. Additional time and money may be required to digitize this material for access.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"phystech_heading_ssm":["Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements"],"phystech_tesim":["The Special Collections Research Center does not have the equipment necessary to film and audio reels, Betacam, or U-matic tapes contained in Series 5.2 and 5.3. Additional time and money may be required to digitize this material for access."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eArena Stage records, C0017, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["Arena Stage records, C0017, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eProcessed by Harvard Theatre Collection and George Mason University Special Collections Research Center staff. Reprocessed by Greta Suiter, Kerry Mitchell, Elizabeth Beckman, Diane Stancil, and Nick Welsh. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in 2016. Finding aid updated by Amanda Menjivar in 2025.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Processed by Harvard Theatre Collection and George Mason University Special Collections Research Center staff. Reprocessed by Greta Suiter, Kerry Mitchell, Elizabeth Beckman, Diane Stancil, and Nick Welsh. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in 2016. Finding aid updated by Amanda Menjivar in 2025."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Special Collections Research Center holds the personal papers of several individuals involved with Arena Stage, including the Zelda Fichandler papers, the Thomas C. Fichandler papers, the Ken Kitch papers, as well as the Living Stage records.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related Material"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["The Special Collections Research Center holds the personal papers of several individuals involved with Arena Stage, including the Zelda Fichandler papers, the Thomas C. Fichandler papers, the Ken Kitch papers, as well as the Living Stage records."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from 1949 to 2010, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records pertaining to the theater's finances, publicity, buildings, and programs.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 1: Administrative records (1949-2007) documents the creation, operation, and maintenance of Arena Stage and its various programs. It is further divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 1.1: Correspondence includes correspondence arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name or by organizational name. Some correspondence is further aggregated and then organized alphabetically, such as \"Play Correspondence\" or \"Audience Response.\" Of particular note are letters from President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and King Kong star Fay Wray. Subseries 1.2: Programs, policies, and procedures, includes records of Arena's programs, such as the \"Arena Angels\" volunteer program and fellowship programs, policies, such as bylaws, diversity policies, and handbooks, and planning, including season planning and long-range plans. This subseries is broken up into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.3.1: Financial papers documents Arena's finances and includes stockholder documents from its beginnings as a for-profit theater, grant-related documentation after the theater transitioned to a non-profit in the late 1950s, and records of the theater's development office, some of which were kept by department director Elspeth Udvarhelyi. Sub-subseries 1.3.2: Personnel records includes information on staff at Arena Stage arranged alphabetically. Of particular interest are headshots and/or resumes of a number of well-known actors, including James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Henry Winkler, Edward Hermann, Yeardley Smith, Jane Alexander, Swoosie Kurtz, Victor Garber, Ron Perlman, Annette Benning, Olympia Dukakis, John Lithgow, John Voigt, Sigourney Weaver, and Rosemary Harris. Sub-subseries 1.3.3: Casting information contains notes on casting for productions arranged alphabetically by play. Sub-subseries 1.3.4: Production contracts includes official agreements between Arena and others arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 1.4: Meeting minutes contains meeting minutes from Arena's Board of Trustees, staff, and other subgroups within the organization. Subseries 1.5: Communications and events, is also divided into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.5.1: Events documents special events held by Arena Stage, including anniversaries, galas, benefits, openings and press events. Sub-subseries 1.5.2: Communications and Marketing includes records produced by the Communications and Marketing departments, including meeting minutes, planning, research, and correspondence. Sub-subseries 1.5.3: Printed Material includes subscriber materials, mailings, brochures, reviews collected and arranged by play title, and programs organized chronologically. Sub-subseries 1.5.4: Theater Communications Group contains correspondence, reports, and other information generated from Arena's association with the Theater Communications Group, an organization of theaters around the United States. Subseries 1.6: Buildings and facilities includes information about and architectural plans for Arena's various buildings over the years, including the Hippodrome, the Old Vat, the 1960 permanent building, and the Kreeger Theater addition.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 2: Production Files (1950-2010) is comprised of records related to the artistic development and performance of Arena's plays. It is divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 2.1: Dramaturgical files documents literary, historical and background research done by Arena's literary department for various plays, including articles, research packets, actor's packets, and scripts. It is generally organized alphabetically by play. Subseries 2.2: Playwright subject files contains research on various playwrights, both living and dead, whose work has been performed at Arena. It is organized alphabetically by playwright's last name. Subseries 2.3: Production files includes scripts, blocking information, correspondence, and other material related to the production of Arena's plays. It is arranged alphabetically by play title. Subseries 2.4: Stage manager's reports includes daily reports by the stage manager of productions for the entire runs of many of Arena's plays from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. The reports include running times, incident reports, and other commentary on the audience and the performance. Subseries 2.5: Wrap files contains documents collected from throughout the runs of various productions, including reviews that reflect the wider response to the play. Subseries 2.6: Producing director's files contains documents from Arena's second Producing director after Zelda Fichandler, Doug Wager, who served from 1991-1998. It includes pre-production speeches given by Wager, as well as planning files.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 3: Photographs (1950-1991)is divided into 3 subseries. Subseries 3.1: Production photographs includes photos of scenes from Arena's productions arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 3.2: Production books includes production photos collected in books, many of which are by professional photographer George de Vincent. Subseries 3.3: Buildings, staff, and events includes photographs of Arena's buildings, staff and cast portraits, and event photographs, such as prints from Arena's 30th anniversary celebration and from Arena's Soviet Union and Israel tours. Subseries 3.4: Negatives and slides includes slides and negatives of Arena's staff and events, as well as some buildings, sets, and production-related images.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 4: Oversize (1949-late 2000s) is divided into 3 subseries and contains a variety of oversize material. Subseries 4.1: Braille programs contains programs in Braille for various Arena productions from the 1990s and early 2000s. Subseries 4.2: Miscellaneous artwork and programs includes posters from Arena productions and events, enlarged photos, costume sketches, and other oversized material, such as a large model of the Mead Center for American Theater. Subseries 4.3: Scrapbooks contains scrapbooks created for each of Arena's seasons up until 1988. It also includes scrapbooks for Arena's tour of the Soviet Union and of visitors to Arena.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 5: Audiovisual (1970-2007) contains several types of formats and is divided into 3 subseries. Series 5.1: Performances on VHS contains VHS tapes (a few of which have associated DVDs) of performances at Arena arranged alphabetically by play title. Series 5.2: Reel-to-reel contains production and event footage on reel-to-reel film. Series 5.3: Other audiovisual formats and VHS tapes contains footage of events and productions on audiocassette, Betacam, and U-matic tapes. \u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from 1949 to 2010, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records pertaining to the theater's finances, publicity, buildings, and programs.","Series 1: Administrative records (1949-2007) documents the creation, operation, and maintenance of Arena Stage and its various programs. It is further divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 1.1: Correspondence includes correspondence arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name or by organizational name. Some correspondence is further aggregated and then organized alphabetically, such as \"Play Correspondence\" or \"Audience Response.\" Of particular note are letters from President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and King Kong star Fay Wray. Subseries 1.2: Programs, policies, and procedures, includes records of Arena's programs, such as the \"Arena Angels\" volunteer program and fellowship programs, policies, such as bylaws, diversity policies, and handbooks, and planning, including season planning and long-range plans. This subseries is broken up into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.3.1: Financial papers documents Arena's finances and includes stockholder documents from its beginnings as a for-profit theater, grant-related documentation after the theater transitioned to a non-profit in the late 1950s, and records of the theater's development office, some of which were kept by department director Elspeth Udvarhelyi. Sub-subseries 1.3.2: Personnel records includes information on staff at Arena Stage arranged alphabetically. Of particular interest are headshots and/or resumes of a number of well-known actors, including James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Henry Winkler, Edward Hermann, Yeardley Smith, Jane Alexander, Swoosie Kurtz, Victor Garber, Ron Perlman, Annette Benning, Olympia Dukakis, John Lithgow, John Voigt, Sigourney Weaver, and Rosemary Harris. Sub-subseries 1.3.3: Casting information contains notes on casting for productions arranged alphabetically by play. Sub-subseries 1.3.4: Production contracts includes official agreements between Arena and others arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 1.4: Meeting minutes contains meeting minutes from Arena's Board of Trustees, staff, and other subgroups within the organization. Subseries 1.5: Communications and events, is also divided into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.5.1: Events documents special events held by Arena Stage, including anniversaries, galas, benefits, openings and press events. Sub-subseries 1.5.2: Communications and Marketing includes records produced by the Communications and Marketing departments, including meeting minutes, planning, research, and correspondence. Sub-subseries 1.5.3: Printed Material includes subscriber materials, mailings, brochures, reviews collected and arranged by play title, and programs organized chronologically. Sub-subseries 1.5.4: Theater Communications Group contains correspondence, reports, and other information generated from Arena's association with the Theater Communications Group, an organization of theaters around the United States. Subseries 1.6: Buildings and facilities includes information about and architectural plans for Arena's various buildings over the years, including the Hippodrome, the Old Vat, the 1960 permanent building, and the Kreeger Theater addition.","Series 2: Production Files (1950-2010) is comprised of records related to the artistic development and performance of Arena's plays. It is divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 2.1: Dramaturgical files documents literary, historical and background research done by Arena's literary department for various plays, including articles, research packets, actor's packets, and scripts. It is generally organized alphabetically by play. Subseries 2.2: Playwright subject files contains research on various playwrights, both living and dead, whose work has been performed at Arena. It is organized alphabetically by playwright's last name. Subseries 2.3: Production files includes scripts, blocking information, correspondence, and other material related to the production of Arena's plays. It is arranged alphabetically by play title. Subseries 2.4: Stage manager's reports includes daily reports by the stage manager of productions for the entire runs of many of Arena's plays from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. The reports include running times, incident reports, and other commentary on the audience and the performance. Subseries 2.5: Wrap files contains documents collected from throughout the runs of various productions, including reviews that reflect the wider response to the play. Subseries 2.6: Producing director's files contains documents from Arena's second Producing director after Zelda Fichandler, Doug Wager, who served from 1991-1998. It includes pre-production speeches given by Wager, as well as planning files.","Series 3: Photographs (1950-1991)is divided into 3 subseries. Subseries 3.1: Production photographs includes photos of scenes from Arena's productions arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 3.2: Production books includes production photos collected in books, many of which are by professional photographer George de Vincent. Subseries 3.3: Buildings, staff, and events includes photographs of Arena's buildings, staff and cast portraits, and event photographs, such as prints from Arena's 30th anniversary celebration and from Arena's Soviet Union and Israel tours. Subseries 3.4: Negatives and slides includes slides and negatives of Arena's staff and events, as well as some buildings, sets, and production-related images.","Series 4: Oversize (1949-late 2000s) is divided into 3 subseries and contains a variety of oversize material. Subseries 4.1: Braille programs contains programs in Braille for various Arena productions from the 1990s and early 2000s. Subseries 4.2: Miscellaneous artwork and programs includes posters from Arena productions and events, enlarged photos, costume sketches, and other oversized material, such as a large model of the Mead Center for American Theater. Subseries 4.3: Scrapbooks contains scrapbooks created for each of Arena's seasons up until 1988. It also includes scrapbooks for Arena's tour of the Soviet Union and of visitors to Arena.","Series 5: Audiovisual (1970-2007) contains several types of formats and is divided into 3 subseries. Series 5.1: Performances on VHS contains VHS tapes (a few of which have associated DVDs) of performances at Arena arranged alphabetically by play title. Series 5.2: Reel-to-reel contains production and event footage on reel-to-reel film. Series 5.3: Other audiovisual formats and VHS tapes contains footage of events and productions on audiocassette, Betacam, and U-matic tapes."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_ec96c412f915842d3012676b73803163\" label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from its beginnings in 1950 to the present, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, handwritten correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from its beginnings in 1950 to the present, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, handwritten correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_22f8958322c3fdee6366a384bb686980\"\u003e\nR 5, C 1, S 2 - R 9, C 4, S 7 \n\n\nR29, C1, S2\n\nOS R 3, C 2, S 1 - C 3, S 7\nOS R 4, C 5, S 5 \nOS R 5, C 2, S 3\nOS R 5, C 5, S 4\nOS R 6, C 4, S 6 - S 7\nOS R 7, C 1, S 2\nMap Case 9.1, 11.5\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["R 5, C 1, S 2 - R 9, C 4, S 7 \n\n\nR29, C1, S2\n\nOS R 3, C 2, S 1 - C 3, S 7\nOS R 4, C 5, S 5 \nOS R 5, C 2, S 3\nOS R 5, C 5, S 4\nOS R 6, C 4, S 6 - S 7\nOS R 7, C 1, S 2\nMap Case 9.1, 11.5"],"corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"persname_ssim":["Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"names_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":8332,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-04T00:01:18.787Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","ead_ssi":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","_root_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","_nest_parent_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/GMU/repositories_2_resources_416.xml","title_filing_ssi":"Arena Stage records","title_ssm":["Arena Stage records"],"title_tesim":["Arena Stage records"],"unitdate_ssm":["1949 - 2010"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1949 - 2010"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1949/2010"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Arena Stage records, 1949/2010"],"text":["Arena Stage records, 1949/2010","C0017","/repositories/2/resources/416","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater","Theater -- United States","Theater programs","Theater -- Production and direction","Performing arts","Video recordings","Sound recordings","Photographic prints","There are no access restrictions.","to this collection are expected.","The collection is arranged into five series, each of which is further divided into subseries:","Series\n      Series 1: Administrative records, 1949-2007 (Boxes 1-196)\n      Series 2: Production files, 1950-2010 (Boxes 197-588, 654-663)\n      Series 3: Photographs, 1950-1991 (Boxes 589-639)\n      Series 4: Oversize materials, 1949-late 2000s (Boxes 640-720)\n      Series 5: Audiovisual materials, 1970-2007 (Boxes 721-739)","Maslon, Lawrence, editor. \"The Arena Adventure: The First 40 Years.\" Washington, DC: Arena Stage, 1990.","From its opening on August 16, 1950, the Arena Stage has dedicated itself to being a space of imagination and innovation, a tool of \"civilization,\" and Washington, D.C.'s preeminent regional theater. Founded by Zelda Fichandler, with assistance from her husband Thomas C. Fichandler and partner Edward Mangum, the Arena Stage began as a for-profit theater under Arena Enterprises, Inc. The original Hippodrome Theatre, located on Ninth and New York N.W. in D.C., was revolutionary amongst regional theatres for its theatre-in-the-round construction and would provide the blueprint for all future Arena locations.","Arena began its long and successful life with Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer. Arena owed its early successes in the 1950s to its fluid play schedule organization and its willingness to put on works that were not commercial successes on Broadway. In November of 1956, after a year's hiatus, the company relocated to a temporary home at the Old Heurich Brewery, dubbed the Old Vat by company members. The move was facilitated in part by the commitment and drive of Board members J. Burke Knapp, Albert M. Berkowitz, Israel Convisser, Leslie Amouri, and Henry J. Danilowicz. However, financial issues would continue to trouble Arena Enterprises, Inc., eventually leading to its dissolution in 1959, and the creation of Arena's new, non-profit parent organization, the Washington Drama Society.","During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington since 1895. Chicago architect Harry Weese designed the space to be as innovative as possible while still maintaining the theater-in-the-round layout. Now a non-profit theater, Arena drew much of its funding during this time from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and generous donations from both the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundations.","The Arena Stage began some of its most ambitious work during the 1960s including forming the Living Stage Theatre Company, further integrating its cast, and staging its most ambitious and acclaimed work to date: The Great White Hope. The Great White Hope included twenty five additional guest actors, including James Earl Jones, and was an enormous success, both critically and financially, for Arena. It was the first major resident theater production to be exported to Broadway. Fichandler also began to experiment with casting African American actors in traditionally white roles during the 1968 season after she published the paper \"Towards a Deepening Aesthetic.\" Fichandler experimented with non-traditional casting in plays like King Lear and The Threepenny Opera, but unfortunately these plays were met with critical confusion and disappointing ticket sales. Arena Stage was incredibly successful in the 1970s, garnering awards and critical approval, and international recognition. Not content with the current Arena Stage configuration, Fichandler and others worked diligently to acquire another stage facility that would collaborate, not compete, with the current Stage. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new Kreeger Theater which opened on January 15, 1971.","In 1973 Arena would have the opportunity to take two of its plays, Our Town and Inherit the Wind to the U.S.S.R. This was the first ever trip to the Soviet Union undertaken by a resident theater group. The trip was a wild success with Russian audiences giving the cast a standing ovation following their performance of Inherit the Wind at the Moscow Art Theatre. In April 1976 the American Theatre Critics Association bestowed upon the Arena Stage a special Tony Award for resident theaters. The ATCA cited Arena's qualities as a \"trailblazer\" in theatrical arts and representative of other theaters that had followed its lead.","The early 1980s were a difficult time for theater, but, in spite of this, Arena continued to push the limits of conventional residential theater. The 1982 production of K2, for example, saw the construction of a sheer glacial face on the Kreeger stage according to the vision of set designer Ming Cho Lee. In 1986 twenty-three actors and a thirteen member production staff traveled to Jerusalem to perform Zelda's production of The Crucible at the Israel Festival.","1989 marked the end of an era as Zelda Fichandler announced that she would step down as Arena's producing director at the end of the 1990-1991 fortieth anniversary season. Douglas C. Wager would succeed her as artistic director. Amid financial difficulties and changing times for theaters everywhere, Arena's resident company of actors was disbanded by the late 1990s. Wager remained at the helm until 1998, when Molly Smith took over the position. Under Smith's leadership, Bing Thom architects completed another major renovation of Arena's existing buildings into the Mead Center for American Theater in 2010. Smith served as Arena's artistic director until 2023, when she retired and was succeeded by current Aristic Director, Hana Sharif.","Many now-famous actors took part in Arena Stage productions during the early part of their careers. Some of them include Robert Prosky, Morgan Freeman, Dianne Wiest, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Christopher Guest, Yeardley Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Ned Beatty, Jane Alexander, and Ron Perlman. Many other set designers, artists, costume designers, and technical workers owe their early success and experience to the Arena Stage.","The Special Collections Research Center does not have the equipment necessary to film and audio reels, Betacam, or U-matic tapes contained in Series 5.2 and 5.3. Additional time and money may be required to digitize this material for access.","Processed by Harvard Theatre Collection and George Mason University Special Collections Research Center staff. Reprocessed by Greta Suiter, Kerry Mitchell, Elizabeth Beckman, Diane Stancil, and Nick Welsh. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in 2016. Finding aid updated by Amanda Menjivar in 2025.","The Special Collections Research Center holds the personal papers of several individuals involved with Arena Stage, including the Zelda Fichandler papers, the Thomas C. Fichandler papers, the Ken Kitch papers, as well as the Living Stage records.","The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from 1949 to 2010, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records pertaining to the theater's finances, publicity, buildings, and programs.","Series 1: Administrative records (1949-2007) documents the creation, operation, and maintenance of Arena Stage and its various programs. It is further divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 1.1: Correspondence includes correspondence arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name or by organizational name. Some correspondence is further aggregated and then organized alphabetically, such as \"Play Correspondence\" or \"Audience Response.\" Of particular note are letters from President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and King Kong star Fay Wray. Subseries 1.2: Programs, policies, and procedures, includes records of Arena's programs, such as the \"Arena Angels\" volunteer program and fellowship programs, policies, such as bylaws, diversity policies, and handbooks, and planning, including season planning and long-range plans. This subseries is broken up into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.3.1: Financial papers documents Arena's finances and includes stockholder documents from its beginnings as a for-profit theater, grant-related documentation after the theater transitioned to a non-profit in the late 1950s, and records of the theater's development office, some of which were kept by department director Elspeth Udvarhelyi. Sub-subseries 1.3.2: Personnel records includes information on staff at Arena Stage arranged alphabetically. Of particular interest are headshots and/or resumes of a number of well-known actors, including James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Henry Winkler, Edward Hermann, Yeardley Smith, Jane Alexander, Swoosie Kurtz, Victor Garber, Ron Perlman, Annette Benning, Olympia Dukakis, John Lithgow, John Voigt, Sigourney Weaver, and Rosemary Harris. Sub-subseries 1.3.3: Casting information contains notes on casting for productions arranged alphabetically by play. Sub-subseries 1.3.4: Production contracts includes official agreements between Arena and others arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 1.4: Meeting minutes contains meeting minutes from Arena's Board of Trustees, staff, and other subgroups within the organization. Subseries 1.5: Communications and events, is also divided into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.5.1: Events documents special events held by Arena Stage, including anniversaries, galas, benefits, openings and press events. Sub-subseries 1.5.2: Communications and Marketing includes records produced by the Communications and Marketing departments, including meeting minutes, planning, research, and correspondence. Sub-subseries 1.5.3: Printed Material includes subscriber materials, mailings, brochures, reviews collected and arranged by play title, and programs organized chronologically. Sub-subseries 1.5.4: Theater Communications Group contains correspondence, reports, and other information generated from Arena's association with the Theater Communications Group, an organization of theaters around the United States. Subseries 1.6: Buildings and facilities includes information about and architectural plans for Arena's various buildings over the years, including the Hippodrome, the Old Vat, the 1960 permanent building, and the Kreeger Theater addition.","Series 2: Production Files (1950-2010) is comprised of records related to the artistic development and performance of Arena's plays. It is divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 2.1: Dramaturgical files documents literary, historical and background research done by Arena's literary department for various plays, including articles, research packets, actor's packets, and scripts. It is generally organized alphabetically by play. Subseries 2.2: Playwright subject files contains research on various playwrights, both living and dead, whose work has been performed at Arena. It is organized alphabetically by playwright's last name. Subseries 2.3: Production files includes scripts, blocking information, correspondence, and other material related to the production of Arena's plays. It is arranged alphabetically by play title. Subseries 2.4: Stage manager's reports includes daily reports by the stage manager of productions for the entire runs of many of Arena's plays from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. The reports include running times, incident reports, and other commentary on the audience and the performance. Subseries 2.5: Wrap files contains documents collected from throughout the runs of various productions, including reviews that reflect the wider response to the play. Subseries 2.6: Producing director's files contains documents from Arena's second Producing director after Zelda Fichandler, Doug Wager, who served from 1991-1998. It includes pre-production speeches given by Wager, as well as planning files.","Series 3: Photographs (1950-1991)is divided into 3 subseries. Subseries 3.1: Production photographs includes photos of scenes from Arena's productions arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 3.2: Production books includes production photos collected in books, many of which are by professional photographer George de Vincent. Subseries 3.3: Buildings, staff, and events includes photographs of Arena's buildings, staff and cast portraits, and event photographs, such as prints from Arena's 30th anniversary celebration and from Arena's Soviet Union and Israel tours. Subseries 3.4: Negatives and slides includes slides and negatives of Arena's staff and events, as well as some buildings, sets, and production-related images.","Series 4: Oversize (1949-late 2000s) is divided into 3 subseries and contains a variety of oversize material. Subseries 4.1: Braille programs contains programs in Braille for various Arena productions from the 1990s and early 2000s. Subseries 4.2: Miscellaneous artwork and programs includes posters from Arena productions and events, enlarged photos, costume sketches, and other oversized material, such as a large model of the Mead Center for American Theater. Subseries 4.3: Scrapbooks contains scrapbooks created for each of Arena's seasons up until 1988. It also includes scrapbooks for Arena's tour of the Soviet Union and of visitors to Arena.","Series 5: Audiovisual (1970-2007) contains several types of formats and is divided into 3 subseries. Series 5.1: Performances on VHS contains VHS tapes (a few of which have associated DVDs) of performances at Arena arranged alphabetically by play title. Series 5.2: Reel-to-reel contains production and event footage on reel-to-reel film. Series 5.3: Other audiovisual formats and VHS tapes contains footage of events and productions on audiocassette, Betacam, and U-matic tapes.","The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)","The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from its beginnings in 1950 to the present, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, handwritten correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records.","R 5, C 1, S 2 - R 9, C 4, S 7 \n\n\nR29, C1, S2\n\nOS R 3, C 2, S 1 - C 3, S 7\nOS R 4, C 5, S 5 \nOS R 5, C 2, S 3\nOS R 5, C 5, S 4\nOS R 6, C 4, S 6 - S 7\nOS R 7, C 1, S 2\nMap Case 9.1, 11.5","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Arena Stage records, 1949/2010"],"collection_ssim":["Arena Stage records, 1949/2010"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["C0017","/repositories/2/resources/416"],"unitid_tesim":["C0017","/repositories/2/resources/416"],"repository_ssm":["George Mason University"],"repository_ssim":["George Mason University"],"creator_ssm":["Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creator_ssim":["Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"creator_corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creators_ssim":["Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Donated by Arena Stage in 2000-2024.","This collection has additional unprocessed accessions 2023.040-C and 2024.088-C, and therefore this finding aid may not be fully up to date. Please contact SCRC for more information."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater","Theater -- United States","Theater programs","Theater -- Production and direction","Performing arts","Video recordings","Sound recordings","Photographic prints"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater","Theater -- United States","Theater programs","Theater -- Production and direction","Performing arts","Video recordings","Sound recordings","Photographic prints"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["369.5 Linear Feet 739 boxes"],"extent_tesim":["369.5 Linear Feet 739 boxes"],"genreform_ssim":["Video recordings","Sound recordings","Photographic prints"],"date_range_isim":[1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no access restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no access restrictions."],"accruals_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eto this collection are expected.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accruals_heading_ssm":["Accruals"],"accruals_tesim":["to this collection are expected."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged into five series, each of which is further divided into subseries:\u003c/p\u003e    ","\u003clist type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003chead\u003eSeries\u003c/head\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 1: Administrative records, 1949-2007 (Boxes 1-196)\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 2: Production files, 1950-2010 (Boxes 197-588, 654-663)\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 3: Photographs, 1950-1991 (Boxes 589-639)\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 4: Oversize materials, 1949-late 2000s (Boxes 640-720)\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eSeries 5: Audiovisual materials, 1970-2007 (Boxes 721-739)\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e\n  "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged into five series, each of which is further divided into subseries:","Series\n      Series 1: Administrative records, 1949-2007 (Boxes 1-196)\n      Series 2: Production files, 1950-2010 (Boxes 197-588, 654-663)\n      Series 3: Photographs, 1950-1991 (Boxes 589-639)\n      Series 4: Oversize materials, 1949-late 2000s (Boxes 640-720)\n      Series 5: Audiovisual materials, 1970-2007 (Boxes 721-739)"],"bibliography_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cextptr href=\"http://www.arenastage.org/plan-your-visit/the-mead-center/\" title=\"'Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.' Arena Stage. Accessed February 3, 2016.\" show=\"new\"\u003e\u003c/extptr\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n            ","\u003cp\u003e Maslon, Lawrence, editor. \"The Arena Adventure: The First 40 Years.\" Washington, DC: Arena Stage, 1990.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003e \u003cextptr href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/theater/features/arena51205.htm\" title=\"Richards, David. 'For Arena Stage, a Pioneering Selection.' Washington Post. December 5, 1997\" show=\"new\"\u003e\u003c/extptr\u003e \u003c/p\u003e  "],"bibliography_heading_ssm":["Bibliography"],"bibliography_tesim":["Maslon, Lawrence, editor. \"The Arena Adventure: The First 40 Years.\" Washington, DC: Arena Stage, 1990."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eFrom its opening on August 16, 1950, the Arena Stage has dedicated itself to being a space of imagination and innovation, a tool of \"civilization,\" and Washington, D.C.'s preeminent regional theater. Founded by Zelda Fichandler, with assistance from her husband Thomas C. Fichandler and partner Edward Mangum, the Arena Stage began as a for-profit theater under Arena Enterprises, Inc. The original Hippodrome Theatre, located on Ninth and New York N.W. in D.C., was revolutionary amongst regional theatres for its theatre-in-the-round construction and would provide the blueprint for all future Arena locations.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eArena began its long and successful life with Oliver Goldsmith's \u003citalic\u003eShe Stoops to Conquer.\u003c/italic\u003e Arena owed its early successes in the 1950s to its fluid play schedule organization and its willingness to put on works that were not commercial successes on Broadway. In November of 1956, after a year's hiatus, the company relocated to a temporary home at the Old Heurich Brewery, dubbed the Old Vat by company members. The move was facilitated in part by the commitment and drive of Board members J. Burke Knapp, Albert M. Berkowitz, Israel Convisser, Leslie Amouri, and Henry J. Danilowicz. However, financial issues would continue to trouble Arena Enterprises, Inc., eventually leading to its dissolution in 1959, and the creation of Arena's new, non-profit parent organization, the Washington Drama Society.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDuring the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington since 1895. Chicago architect Harry Weese designed the space to be as innovative as possible while still maintaining the theater-in-the-round layout. Now a non-profit theater, Arena drew much of its funding during this time from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and generous donations from both the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundations.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe Arena Stage began some of its most ambitious work during the 1960s including forming the Living Stage Theatre Company, further integrating its cast, and staging its most ambitious and acclaimed work to date: \u003citalic\u003eThe Great White Hope.\u003c/italic\u003e \u003citalic\u003eThe Great White Hope\u003c/italic\u003e included twenty five additional guest actors, including James Earl Jones, and was an enormous success, both critically and financially, for Arena. It was the first major resident theater production to be exported to Broadway. Fichandler also began to experiment with casting African American actors in traditionally white roles during the 1968 season after she published the paper \"Towards a Deepening Aesthetic.\" Fichandler experimented with non-traditional casting in plays like \u003citalic\u003eKing Lear\u003c/italic\u003e and \u003citalic\u003eThe Threepenny Opera\u003c/italic\u003e, but unfortunately these plays were met with critical confusion and disappointing ticket sales. Arena Stage was incredibly successful in the 1970s, garnering awards and critical approval, and international recognition. Not content with the current Arena Stage configuration, Fichandler and others worked diligently to acquire another stage facility that would collaborate, not compete, with the current Stage. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new Kreeger Theater which opened on January 15, 1971.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eIn 1973 Arena would have the opportunity to take two of its plays, \u003citalic\u003eOur Town\u003c/italic\u003e and \u003citalic\u003eInherit the Wind\u003c/italic\u003e to the U.S.S.R. This was the first ever trip to the Soviet Union undertaken by a resident theater group. The trip was a wild success with Russian audiences giving the cast a standing ovation following their performance of \u003citalic\u003eInherit the Wind\u003c/italic\u003e at the Moscow Art Theatre. In April 1976 the American Theatre Critics Association bestowed upon the Arena Stage a special Tony Award for resident theaters. The ATCA cited Arena's qualities as a \"trailblazer\" in theatrical arts and representative of other theaters that had followed its lead.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe early 1980s were a difficult time for theater, but, in spite of this, Arena continued to push the limits of conventional residential theater. The 1982 production of \u003citalic\u003eK2\u003c/italic\u003e, for example, saw the construction of a sheer glacial face on the Kreeger stage according to the vision of set designer Ming Cho Lee. In 1986 twenty-three actors and a thirteen member production staff traveled to Jerusalem to perform Zelda's production of \u003citalic\u003eThe Crucible\u003c/italic\u003e at the Israel Festival.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003e1989 marked the end of an era as Zelda Fichandler announced that she would step down as Arena's producing director at the end of the 1990-1991 fortieth anniversary season. Douglas C. Wager would succeed her as artistic director. Amid financial difficulties and changing times for theaters everywhere, Arena's resident company of actors was disbanded by the late 1990s. Wager remained at the helm until 1998, when Molly Smith took over the position. Under Smith's leadership, Bing Thom architects completed another major renovation of Arena's existing buildings into the Mead Center for American Theater in 2010. Smith served as Arena's artistic director until 2023, when she retired and was succeeded by current Aristic Director, Hana Sharif.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eMany now-famous actors took part in Arena Stage productions during the early part of their careers. Some of them include Robert Prosky, Morgan Freeman, Dianne Wiest, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Christopher Guest, Yeardley Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Ned Beatty, Jane Alexander, and Ron Perlman. Many other set designers, artists, costume designers, and technical workers owe their early success and experience to the Arena Stage.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["From its opening on August 16, 1950, the Arena Stage has dedicated itself to being a space of imagination and innovation, a tool of \"civilization,\" and Washington, D.C.'s preeminent regional theater. Founded by Zelda Fichandler, with assistance from her husband Thomas C. Fichandler and partner Edward Mangum, the Arena Stage began as a for-profit theater under Arena Enterprises, Inc. The original Hippodrome Theatre, located on Ninth and New York N.W. in D.C., was revolutionary amongst regional theatres for its theatre-in-the-round construction and would provide the blueprint for all future Arena locations.","Arena began its long and successful life with Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer. Arena owed its early successes in the 1950s to its fluid play schedule organization and its willingness to put on works that were not commercial successes on Broadway. In November of 1956, after a year's hiatus, the company relocated to a temporary home at the Old Heurich Brewery, dubbed the Old Vat by company members. The move was facilitated in part by the commitment and drive of Board members J. Burke Knapp, Albert M. Berkowitz, Israel Convisser, Leslie Amouri, and Henry J. Danilowicz. However, financial issues would continue to trouble Arena Enterprises, Inc., eventually leading to its dissolution in 1959, and the creation of Arena's new, non-profit parent organization, the Washington Drama Society.","During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington since 1895. Chicago architect Harry Weese designed the space to be as innovative as possible while still maintaining the theater-in-the-round layout. Now a non-profit theater, Arena drew much of its funding during this time from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and generous donations from both the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundations.","The Arena Stage began some of its most ambitious work during the 1960s including forming the Living Stage Theatre Company, further integrating its cast, and staging its most ambitious and acclaimed work to date: The Great White Hope. The Great White Hope included twenty five additional guest actors, including James Earl Jones, and was an enormous success, both critically and financially, for Arena. It was the first major resident theater production to be exported to Broadway. Fichandler also began to experiment with casting African American actors in traditionally white roles during the 1968 season after she published the paper \"Towards a Deepening Aesthetic.\" Fichandler experimented with non-traditional casting in plays like King Lear and The Threepenny Opera, but unfortunately these plays were met with critical confusion and disappointing ticket sales. Arena Stage was incredibly successful in the 1970s, garnering awards and critical approval, and international recognition. Not content with the current Arena Stage configuration, Fichandler and others worked diligently to acquire another stage facility that would collaborate, not compete, with the current Stage. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new Kreeger Theater which opened on January 15, 1971.","In 1973 Arena would have the opportunity to take two of its plays, Our Town and Inherit the Wind to the U.S.S.R. This was the first ever trip to the Soviet Union undertaken by a resident theater group. The trip was a wild success with Russian audiences giving the cast a standing ovation following their performance of Inherit the Wind at the Moscow Art Theatre. In April 1976 the American Theatre Critics Association bestowed upon the Arena Stage a special Tony Award for resident theaters. The ATCA cited Arena's qualities as a \"trailblazer\" in theatrical arts and representative of other theaters that had followed its lead.","The early 1980s were a difficult time for theater, but, in spite of this, Arena continued to push the limits of conventional residential theater. The 1982 production of K2, for example, saw the construction of a sheer glacial face on the Kreeger stage according to the vision of set designer Ming Cho Lee. In 1986 twenty-three actors and a thirteen member production staff traveled to Jerusalem to perform Zelda's production of The Crucible at the Israel Festival.","1989 marked the end of an era as Zelda Fichandler announced that she would step down as Arena's producing director at the end of the 1990-1991 fortieth anniversary season. Douglas C. Wager would succeed her as artistic director. Amid financial difficulties and changing times for theaters everywhere, Arena's resident company of actors was disbanded by the late 1990s. Wager remained at the helm until 1998, when Molly Smith took over the position. Under Smith's leadership, Bing Thom architects completed another major renovation of Arena's existing buildings into the Mead Center for American Theater in 2010. Smith served as Arena's artistic director until 2023, when she retired and was succeeded by current Aristic Director, Hana Sharif.","Many now-famous actors took part in Arena Stage productions during the early part of their careers. Some of them include Robert Prosky, Morgan Freeman, Dianne Wiest, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Christopher Guest, Yeardley Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Ned Beatty, Jane Alexander, and Ron Perlman. Many other set designers, artists, costume designers, and technical workers owe their early success and experience to the Arena Stage."],"phystech_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Special Collections Research Center does not have the equipment necessary to film and audio reels, Betacam, or U-matic tapes contained in Series 5.2 and 5.3. Additional time and money may be required to digitize this material for access.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"phystech_heading_ssm":["Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements"],"phystech_tesim":["The Special Collections Research Center does not have the equipment necessary to film and audio reels, Betacam, or U-matic tapes contained in Series 5.2 and 5.3. Additional time and money may be required to digitize this material for access."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eArena Stage records, C0017, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["Arena Stage records, C0017, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eProcessed by Harvard Theatre Collection and George Mason University Special Collections Research Center staff. Reprocessed by Greta Suiter, Kerry Mitchell, Elizabeth Beckman, Diane Stancil, and Nick Welsh. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in 2016. Finding aid updated by Amanda Menjivar in 2025.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Processed by Harvard Theatre Collection and George Mason University Special Collections Research Center staff. Reprocessed by Greta Suiter, Kerry Mitchell, Elizabeth Beckman, Diane Stancil, and Nick Welsh. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in 2016. Finding aid updated by Amanda Menjivar in 2025."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Special Collections Research Center holds the personal papers of several individuals involved with Arena Stage, including the Zelda Fichandler papers, the Thomas C. Fichandler papers, the Ken Kitch papers, as well as the Living Stage records.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related Material"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["The Special Collections Research Center holds the personal papers of several individuals involved with Arena Stage, including the Zelda Fichandler papers, the Thomas C. Fichandler papers, the Ken Kitch papers, as well as the Living Stage records."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from 1949 to 2010, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records pertaining to the theater's finances, publicity, buildings, and programs.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 1: Administrative records (1949-2007) documents the creation, operation, and maintenance of Arena Stage and its various programs. It is further divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 1.1: Correspondence includes correspondence arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name or by organizational name. Some correspondence is further aggregated and then organized alphabetically, such as \"Play Correspondence\" or \"Audience Response.\" Of particular note are letters from President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and King Kong star Fay Wray. Subseries 1.2: Programs, policies, and procedures, includes records of Arena's programs, such as the \"Arena Angels\" volunteer program and fellowship programs, policies, such as bylaws, diversity policies, and handbooks, and planning, including season planning and long-range plans. This subseries is broken up into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.3.1: Financial papers documents Arena's finances and includes stockholder documents from its beginnings as a for-profit theater, grant-related documentation after the theater transitioned to a non-profit in the late 1950s, and records of the theater's development office, some of which were kept by department director Elspeth Udvarhelyi. Sub-subseries 1.3.2: Personnel records includes information on staff at Arena Stage arranged alphabetically. Of particular interest are headshots and/or resumes of a number of well-known actors, including James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Henry Winkler, Edward Hermann, Yeardley Smith, Jane Alexander, Swoosie Kurtz, Victor Garber, Ron Perlman, Annette Benning, Olympia Dukakis, John Lithgow, John Voigt, Sigourney Weaver, and Rosemary Harris. Sub-subseries 1.3.3: Casting information contains notes on casting for productions arranged alphabetically by play. Sub-subseries 1.3.4: Production contracts includes official agreements between Arena and others arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 1.4: Meeting minutes contains meeting minutes from Arena's Board of Trustees, staff, and other subgroups within the organization. Subseries 1.5: Communications and events, is also divided into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.5.1: Events documents special events held by Arena Stage, including anniversaries, galas, benefits, openings and press events. Sub-subseries 1.5.2: Communications and Marketing includes records produced by the Communications and Marketing departments, including meeting minutes, planning, research, and correspondence. Sub-subseries 1.5.3: Printed Material includes subscriber materials, mailings, brochures, reviews collected and arranged by play title, and programs organized chronologically. Sub-subseries 1.5.4: Theater Communications Group contains correspondence, reports, and other information generated from Arena's association with the Theater Communications Group, an organization of theaters around the United States. Subseries 1.6: Buildings and facilities includes information about and architectural plans for Arena's various buildings over the years, including the Hippodrome, the Old Vat, the 1960 permanent building, and the Kreeger Theater addition.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 2: Production Files (1950-2010) is comprised of records related to the artistic development and performance of Arena's plays. It is divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 2.1: Dramaturgical files documents literary, historical and background research done by Arena's literary department for various plays, including articles, research packets, actor's packets, and scripts. It is generally organized alphabetically by play. Subseries 2.2: Playwright subject files contains research on various playwrights, both living and dead, whose work has been performed at Arena. It is organized alphabetically by playwright's last name. Subseries 2.3: Production files includes scripts, blocking information, correspondence, and other material related to the production of Arena's plays. It is arranged alphabetically by play title. Subseries 2.4: Stage manager's reports includes daily reports by the stage manager of productions for the entire runs of many of Arena's plays from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. The reports include running times, incident reports, and other commentary on the audience and the performance. Subseries 2.5: Wrap files contains documents collected from throughout the runs of various productions, including reviews that reflect the wider response to the play. Subseries 2.6: Producing director's files contains documents from Arena's second Producing director after Zelda Fichandler, Doug Wager, who served from 1991-1998. It includes pre-production speeches given by Wager, as well as planning files.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 3: Photographs (1950-1991)is divided into 3 subseries. Subseries 3.1: Production photographs includes photos of scenes from Arena's productions arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 3.2: Production books includes production photos collected in books, many of which are by professional photographer George de Vincent. Subseries 3.3: Buildings, staff, and events includes photographs of Arena's buildings, staff and cast portraits, and event photographs, such as prints from Arena's 30th anniversary celebration and from Arena's Soviet Union and Israel tours. Subseries 3.4: Negatives and slides includes slides and negatives of Arena's staff and events, as well as some buildings, sets, and production-related images.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 4: Oversize (1949-late 2000s) is divided into 3 subseries and contains a variety of oversize material. Subseries 4.1: Braille programs contains programs in Braille for various Arena productions from the 1990s and early 2000s. Subseries 4.2: Miscellaneous artwork and programs includes posters from Arena productions and events, enlarged photos, costume sketches, and other oversized material, such as a large model of the Mead Center for American Theater. Subseries 4.3: Scrapbooks contains scrapbooks created for each of Arena's seasons up until 1988. It also includes scrapbooks for Arena's tour of the Soviet Union and of visitors to Arena.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 5: Audiovisual (1970-2007) contains several types of formats and is divided into 3 subseries. Series 5.1: Performances on VHS contains VHS tapes (a few of which have associated DVDs) of performances at Arena arranged alphabetically by play title. Series 5.2: Reel-to-reel contains production and event footage on reel-to-reel film. Series 5.3: Other audiovisual formats and VHS tapes contains footage of events and productions on audiocassette, Betacam, and U-matic tapes. \u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from 1949 to 2010, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records pertaining to the theater's finances, publicity, buildings, and programs.","Series 1: Administrative records (1949-2007) documents the creation, operation, and maintenance of Arena Stage and its various programs. It is further divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 1.1: Correspondence includes correspondence arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name or by organizational name. Some correspondence is further aggregated and then organized alphabetically, such as \"Play Correspondence\" or \"Audience Response.\" Of particular note are letters from President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and King Kong star Fay Wray. Subseries 1.2: Programs, policies, and procedures, includes records of Arena's programs, such as the \"Arena Angels\" volunteer program and fellowship programs, policies, such as bylaws, diversity policies, and handbooks, and planning, including season planning and long-range plans. This subseries is broken up into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.3.1: Financial papers documents Arena's finances and includes stockholder documents from its beginnings as a for-profit theater, grant-related documentation after the theater transitioned to a non-profit in the late 1950s, and records of the theater's development office, some of which were kept by department director Elspeth Udvarhelyi. Sub-subseries 1.3.2: Personnel records includes information on staff at Arena Stage arranged alphabetically. Of particular interest are headshots and/or resumes of a number of well-known actors, including James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Henry Winkler, Edward Hermann, Yeardley Smith, Jane Alexander, Swoosie Kurtz, Victor Garber, Ron Perlman, Annette Benning, Olympia Dukakis, John Lithgow, John Voigt, Sigourney Weaver, and Rosemary Harris. Sub-subseries 1.3.3: Casting information contains notes on casting for productions arranged alphabetically by play. Sub-subseries 1.3.4: Production contracts includes official agreements between Arena and others arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 1.4: Meeting minutes contains meeting minutes from Arena's Board of Trustees, staff, and other subgroups within the organization. Subseries 1.5: Communications and events, is also divided into four sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1.5.1: Events documents special events held by Arena Stage, including anniversaries, galas, benefits, openings and press events. Sub-subseries 1.5.2: Communications and Marketing includes records produced by the Communications and Marketing departments, including meeting minutes, planning, research, and correspondence. Sub-subseries 1.5.3: Printed Material includes subscriber materials, mailings, brochures, reviews collected and arranged by play title, and programs organized chronologically. Sub-subseries 1.5.4: Theater Communications Group contains correspondence, reports, and other information generated from Arena's association with the Theater Communications Group, an organization of theaters around the United States. Subseries 1.6: Buildings and facilities includes information about and architectural plans for Arena's various buildings over the years, including the Hippodrome, the Old Vat, the 1960 permanent building, and the Kreeger Theater addition.","Series 2: Production Files (1950-2010) is comprised of records related to the artistic development and performance of Arena's plays. It is divided into 6 subseries. Subseries 2.1: Dramaturgical files documents literary, historical and background research done by Arena's literary department for various plays, including articles, research packets, actor's packets, and scripts. It is generally organized alphabetically by play. Subseries 2.2: Playwright subject files contains research on various playwrights, both living and dead, whose work has been performed at Arena. It is organized alphabetically by playwright's last name. Subseries 2.3: Production files includes scripts, blocking information, correspondence, and other material related to the production of Arena's plays. It is arranged alphabetically by play title. Subseries 2.4: Stage manager's reports includes daily reports by the stage manager of productions for the entire runs of many of Arena's plays from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s. The reports include running times, incident reports, and other commentary on the audience and the performance. Subseries 2.5: Wrap files contains documents collected from throughout the runs of various productions, including reviews that reflect the wider response to the play. Subseries 2.6: Producing director's files contains documents from Arena's second Producing director after Zelda Fichandler, Doug Wager, who served from 1991-1998. It includes pre-production speeches given by Wager, as well as planning files.","Series 3: Photographs (1950-1991)is divided into 3 subseries. Subseries 3.1: Production photographs includes photos of scenes from Arena's productions arranged alphabetically by play. Subseries 3.2: Production books includes production photos collected in books, many of which are by professional photographer George de Vincent. Subseries 3.3: Buildings, staff, and events includes photographs of Arena's buildings, staff and cast portraits, and event photographs, such as prints from Arena's 30th anniversary celebration and from Arena's Soviet Union and Israel tours. Subseries 3.4: Negatives and slides includes slides and negatives of Arena's staff and events, as well as some buildings, sets, and production-related images.","Series 4: Oversize (1949-late 2000s) is divided into 3 subseries and contains a variety of oversize material. Subseries 4.1: Braille programs contains programs in Braille for various Arena productions from the 1990s and early 2000s. Subseries 4.2: Miscellaneous artwork and programs includes posters from Arena productions and events, enlarged photos, costume sketches, and other oversized material, such as a large model of the Mead Center for American Theater. Subseries 4.3: Scrapbooks contains scrapbooks created for each of Arena's seasons up until 1988. It also includes scrapbooks for Arena's tour of the Soviet Union and of visitors to Arena.","Series 5: Audiovisual (1970-2007) contains several types of formats and is divided into 3 subseries. Series 5.1: Performances on VHS contains VHS tapes (a few of which have associated DVDs) of performances at Arena arranged alphabetically by play title. Series 5.2: Reel-to-reel contains production and event footage on reel-to-reel film. Series 5.3: Other audiovisual formats and VHS tapes contains footage of events and productions on audiocassette, Betacam, and U-matic tapes."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_ec96c412f915842d3012676b73803163\" label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThe Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from its beginnings in 1950 to the present, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, handwritten correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["The Arena Stage records consist of material that spans the theater's history from its beginnings in 1950 to the present, including production notebooks, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, playbills, scrapbooks, scripts, handwritten correspondence, and other production materials, as well as administrative records."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_22f8958322c3fdee6366a384bb686980\"\u003e\nR 5, C 1, S 2 - R 9, C 4, S 7 \n\n\nR29, C1, S2\n\nOS R 3, C 2, S 1 - C 3, S 7\nOS R 4, C 5, S 5 \nOS R 5, C 2, S 3\nOS R 5, C 5, S 4\nOS R 6, C 4, S 6 - S 7\nOS R 7, C 1, S 2\nMap Case 9.1, 11.5\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["R 5, C 1, S 2 - R 9, C 4, S 7 \n\n\nR29, C1, S2\n\nOS R 3, C 2, S 1 - C 3, S 7\nOS R 4, C 5, S 5 \nOS R 5, C 2, S 3\nOS R 5, C 5, S 4\nOS R 6, C 4, S 6 - S 7\nOS R 7, C 1, S 2\nMap Case 9.1, 11.5"],"corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"persname_ssim":["Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"names_coll_ssim":["Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"names_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Fichandler, Thomas C.","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":8332,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-04T00:01:18.787Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_416"}},{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","type":"collection","attributes":{"title":"Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977","creator":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762#creator","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"Call, Edward Payson","label":"Creator"}},"abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"Materials collected and created by director Edward Payson Call while directing productions of \u003cspan\u003eThe Front Page\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/span\u003e, and \u003cspan\u003eCatsplay\u003c/span\u003e at Arena Stage in the 1970s.","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","ead_ssi":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","_root_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","_nest_parent_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/GMU/repositories_2_resources_762.xml","title_filing_ssi":"Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers","title_ssm":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers"],"title_tesim":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1974-1977"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1974-1977"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1974/1977"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977"],"text":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977","C0559","/repositories/2/resources/762","Theater","Performing arts","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater -- United States","Theater -- Production and direction","There are no access restrictions.","This collection is arranged chronologically and by production title and then by material type or function.","\"Arena Stage: Production History.\" n.d. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.arenastage.org/contentassets/bdb18ac78fb64b658344bd50f91e0e37/production-history.pdf.","Emmick Family Funeral \u0026 Cremation Services. n.d. \"Edward Payson Call Obituary.\" Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.emmickfunerals.com/obituaries/edward-call.","Edward Payson Call was born on August 10, 1928 and spent over 50 years working in the theatre, beginning his career in New York City in the late 1950s working as a Broadway stage manager. In 1963, he joined the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a member of the inaugural artistic staff working alongside namesake director Tyrone Guthrie. Throughout the 1960s-1970s, Payson Call worked as a director at numerous regional theatres across the country, including three productions at Arena Stage in the mid-late 1970s. The Front Page initially ran from December 1974 – January 1975 and again from April – June 1976 as part of the \"All American Repertory\" along with Death of a Salesman directed by Zelda Fichandler and Our Town directed by Alan Schneider. The Tot Family ran from January – February 1976 and his final directing credit at Arena Stage, Catsplay, ran from March – April 1977. In 1980, he was appointed as the founding Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company in Colorado, a position he held for five years. In the 1990s, after moving to Seattle, Washington, he continued working as a freelance director and teacher in numerous locations across the country, and in 1992 founded Seattle's Young Shakespeare Workshop. He passed away on February 1, 2023 at the age of 94.","One of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (The Great White Hope, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new \"Kreeger Theatre,\" which opened formally on January 15, 1971. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals.","Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in October 2025. Inventory assistance provided by Chance Jimenez. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in December 2025.","The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the Arena Stage records and the Zelda Fichandler papers.","A collection of materials, including notes, set designs, scripts, photographs, reviews, programs, and correspondence, collected and created by director Edward Payson Call. Materials relate to Payson Call's work as a director at Arean Stage on three productions: The Front Page, The Tot Family, and Catsplay. The bulk of the materials cover his work on The Tot Family, which includes several early script drafts by different translators and with different title variations.","The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)","Materials collected and created by director Edward Payson Call while directing productions of The Front Page, The Tot Family, and Catsplay at Arena Stage in the 1970s.","R 73, C 2, S 3\n\nMap Case 27.2","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977"],"collection_ssim":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["C0559","/repositories/2/resources/762"],"unitid_tesim":["C0559","/repositories/2/resources/762"],"repository_ssm":["George Mason University"],"repository_ssim":["George Mason University"],"creator_ssm":["Call, Edward Payson"],"creator_ssim":["Call, Edward Payson"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"creator_corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creators_ssim":["Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Collection donation facilitated by Alison Irvin of Arena Stage. Original donor was Marcia Carter."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Theater","Performing arts","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater -- United States","Theater -- Production and direction"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Theater","Performing arts","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater -- United States","Theater -- Production and direction"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":[".75 Linear Feet 2 boxes, 1 map case"],"extent_tesim":[".75 Linear Feet 2 boxes, 1 map case"],"date_range_isim":[1974,1975,1976,1977],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no access restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no access restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged chronologically and by production title and then by material type or function.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged chronologically and by production title and then by material type or function."],"bibliography_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\"Arena Stage: Production History.\" n.d. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.arenastage.org/contentassets/bdb18ac78fb64b658344bd50f91e0e37/production-history.pdf.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEmmick Family Funeral \u0026amp; Cremation Services. n.d. \"Edward Payson Call Obituary.\" Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.emmickfunerals.com/obituaries/edward-call.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bibliography_heading_ssm":["Bibliography"],"bibliography_tesim":["\"Arena Stage: Production History.\" n.d. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.arenastage.org/contentassets/bdb18ac78fb64b658344bd50f91e0e37/production-history.pdf.","Emmick Family Funeral \u0026 Cremation Services. n.d. \"Edward Payson Call Obituary.\" Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.emmickfunerals.com/obituaries/edward-call."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eEdward Payson Call was born on August 10, 1928 and spent over 50 years working in the theatre, beginning his career in New York City in the late 1950s working as a Broadway stage manager. In 1963, he joined the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a member of the inaugural artistic staff working alongside namesake director Tyrone Guthrie. Throughout the 1960s-1970s, Payson Call worked as a director at numerous regional theatres across the country, including three productions at Arena Stage in the mid-late 1970s. \u003ctitle\u003eThe Front Page\u003c/title\u003e initially ran from December 1974 – January 1975 and again from April – June 1976 as part of the \"All American Repertory\" along with \u003ctitle\u003eDeath of a Salesman\u003c/title\u003e directed by Zelda Fichandler and \u003ctitle\u003eOur Town\u003c/title\u003e directed by Alan Schneider. \u003ctitle\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/title\u003e ran from January – February 1976 and his final directing credit at Arena Stage, \u003ctitle\u003eCatsplay\u003c/title\u003e, ran from March – April 1977. In 1980, he was appointed as the founding Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company in Colorado, a position he held for five years. In the 1990s, after moving to Seattle, Washington, he continued working as a freelance director and teacher in numerous locations across the country, and in 1992 founded Seattle's Young Shakespeare Workshop. He passed away on February 1, 2023 at the age of 94.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (\u003ctitle\u003eThe Great White Hope\u003c/title\u003e, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new \"Kreeger Theatre,\" which opened formally on January 15, 1971. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical and Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["Edward Payson Call was born on August 10, 1928 and spent over 50 years working in the theatre, beginning his career in New York City in the late 1950s working as a Broadway stage manager. In 1963, he joined the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a member of the inaugural artistic staff working alongside namesake director Tyrone Guthrie. Throughout the 1960s-1970s, Payson Call worked as a director at numerous regional theatres across the country, including three productions at Arena Stage in the mid-late 1970s. The Front Page initially ran from December 1974 – January 1975 and again from April – June 1976 as part of the \"All American Repertory\" along with Death of a Salesman directed by Zelda Fichandler and Our Town directed by Alan Schneider. The Tot Family ran from January – February 1976 and his final directing credit at Arena Stage, Catsplay, ran from March – April 1977. In 1980, he was appointed as the founding Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company in Colorado, a position he held for five years. In the 1990s, after moving to Seattle, Washington, he continued working as a freelance director and teacher in numerous locations across the country, and in 1992 founded Seattle's Young Shakespeare Workshop. He passed away on February 1, 2023 at the age of 94.","One of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (The Great White Hope, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new \"Kreeger Theatre,\" which opened formally on January 15, 1971. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eEdward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, C0559, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, C0559, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries"],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eProcessing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in October 2025. Inventory assistance provided by Chance Jimenez. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in December 2025.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in October 2025. Inventory assistance provided by Chance Jimenez. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in December 2025."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/agents/corporate_entities/522\"\u003eArena Stage\u003c/a\u003e, including the \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0017\"\u003eArena Stage records\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0010\"\u003eZelda Fichandler papers\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related Materials"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the Arena Stage records and the Zelda Fichandler papers."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA collection of materials, including notes, set designs, scripts, photographs, reviews, programs, and correspondence, collected and created by director Edward Payson Call. Materials relate to Payson Call's work as a director at Arean Stage on three productions: \u003ctitle\u003eThe Front Page\u003c/title\u003e, \u003ctitle\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/title\u003e, and \u003ctitle\u003eCatsplay\u003c/title\u003e. The bulk of the materials cover his work on \u003ctitle\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/title\u003e, which includes several early script drafts by different translators and with different title variations.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["A collection of materials, including notes, set designs, scripts, photographs, reviews, programs, and correspondence, collected and created by director Edward Payson Call. Materials relate to Payson Call's work as a director at Arean Stage on three productions: The Front Page, The Tot Family, and Catsplay. The bulk of the materials cover his work on The Tot Family, which includes several early script drafts by different translators and with different title variations."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_df84002ce9585b66123b01c6cb60ccf2\"\u003eMaterials collected and created by director Edward Payson Call while directing productions of \u003ctitle\u003eThe Front Page\u003c/title\u003e, \u003ctitle\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/title\u003e, and \u003ctitle\u003eCatsplay\u003c/title\u003e at Arena Stage in the 1970s.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["Materials collected and created by director Edward Payson Call while directing productions of The Front Page, The Tot Family, and Catsplay at Arena Stage in the 1970s."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_820795954d0ad6de7c4d9b78603270c6\"\u003eR 73, C 2, S 3\n\nMap Case 27.2\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["R 73, C 2, S 3\n\nMap Case 27.2"],"corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"names_coll_ssim":["Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"persname_ssim":["Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"names_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":23,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-08-14T22:35:20.288Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","ead_ssi":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","_root_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","_nest_parent_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/GMU/repositories_2_resources_762.xml","title_filing_ssi":"Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers","title_ssm":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers"],"title_tesim":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1974-1977"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1974-1977"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1974/1977"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977"],"text":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977","C0559","/repositories/2/resources/762","Theater","Performing arts","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater -- United States","Theater -- Production and direction","There are no access restrictions.","This collection is arranged chronologically and by production title and then by material type or function.","\"Arena Stage: Production History.\" n.d. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.arenastage.org/contentassets/bdb18ac78fb64b658344bd50f91e0e37/production-history.pdf.","Emmick Family Funeral \u0026 Cremation Services. n.d. \"Edward Payson Call Obituary.\" Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.emmickfunerals.com/obituaries/edward-call.","Edward Payson Call was born on August 10, 1928 and spent over 50 years working in the theatre, beginning his career in New York City in the late 1950s working as a Broadway stage manager. In 1963, he joined the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a member of the inaugural artistic staff working alongside namesake director Tyrone Guthrie. Throughout the 1960s-1970s, Payson Call worked as a director at numerous regional theatres across the country, including three productions at Arena Stage in the mid-late 1970s. The Front Page initially ran from December 1974 – January 1975 and again from April – June 1976 as part of the \"All American Repertory\" along with Death of a Salesman directed by Zelda Fichandler and Our Town directed by Alan Schneider. The Tot Family ran from January – February 1976 and his final directing credit at Arena Stage, Catsplay, ran from March – April 1977. In 1980, he was appointed as the founding Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company in Colorado, a position he held for five years. In the 1990s, after moving to Seattle, Washington, he continued working as a freelance director and teacher in numerous locations across the country, and in 1992 founded Seattle's Young Shakespeare Workshop. He passed away on February 1, 2023 at the age of 94.","One of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (The Great White Hope, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new \"Kreeger Theatre,\" which opened formally on January 15, 1971. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals.","Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in October 2025. Inventory assistance provided by Chance Jimenez. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in December 2025.","The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the Arena Stage records and the Zelda Fichandler papers.","A collection of materials, including notes, set designs, scripts, photographs, reviews, programs, and correspondence, collected and created by director Edward Payson Call. Materials relate to Payson Call's work as a director at Arean Stage on three productions: The Front Page, The Tot Family, and Catsplay. The bulk of the materials cover his work on The Tot Family, which includes several early script drafts by different translators and with different title variations.","The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)","Materials collected and created by director Edward Payson Call while directing productions of The Front Page, The Tot Family, and Catsplay at Arena Stage in the 1970s.","R 73, C 2, S 3\n\nMap Case 27.2","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977"],"collection_ssim":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, 1974/1977"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["C0559","/repositories/2/resources/762"],"unitid_tesim":["C0559","/repositories/2/resources/762"],"repository_ssm":["George Mason University"],"repository_ssim":["George Mason University"],"creator_ssm":["Call, Edward Payson"],"creator_ssim":["Call, Edward Payson"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"creator_corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creators_ssim":["Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Collection donation facilitated by Alison Irvin of Arena Stage. Original donor was Marcia Carter."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Theater","Performing arts","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater -- United States","Theater -- Production and direction"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Theater","Performing arts","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Theater -- United States","Theater -- Production and direction"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":[".75 Linear Feet 2 boxes, 1 map case"],"extent_tesim":[".75 Linear Feet 2 boxes, 1 map case"],"date_range_isim":[1974,1975,1976,1977],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no access restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no access restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis collection is arranged chronologically and by production title and then by material type or function.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["This collection is arranged chronologically and by production title and then by material type or function."],"bibliography_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e\"Arena Stage: Production History.\" n.d. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.arenastage.org/contentassets/bdb18ac78fb64b658344bd50f91e0e37/production-history.pdf.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEmmick Family Funeral \u0026amp; Cremation Services. n.d. \"Edward Payson Call Obituary.\" Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.emmickfunerals.com/obituaries/edward-call.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bibliography_heading_ssm":["Bibliography"],"bibliography_tesim":["\"Arena Stage: Production History.\" n.d. Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.arenastage.org/contentassets/bdb18ac78fb64b658344bd50f91e0e37/production-history.pdf.","Emmick Family Funeral \u0026 Cremation Services. n.d. \"Edward Payson Call Obituary.\" Accessed December 3, 2025. https://www.emmickfunerals.com/obituaries/edward-call."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eEdward Payson Call was born on August 10, 1928 and spent over 50 years working in the theatre, beginning his career in New York City in the late 1950s working as a Broadway stage manager. In 1963, he joined the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a member of the inaugural artistic staff working alongside namesake director Tyrone Guthrie. Throughout the 1960s-1970s, Payson Call worked as a director at numerous regional theatres across the country, including three productions at Arena Stage in the mid-late 1970s. \u003ctitle\u003eThe Front Page\u003c/title\u003e initially ran from December 1974 – January 1975 and again from April – June 1976 as part of the \"All American Repertory\" along with \u003ctitle\u003eDeath of a Salesman\u003c/title\u003e directed by Zelda Fichandler and \u003ctitle\u003eOur Town\u003c/title\u003e directed by Alan Schneider. \u003ctitle\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/title\u003e ran from January – February 1976 and his final directing credit at Arena Stage, \u003ctitle\u003eCatsplay\u003c/title\u003e, ran from March – April 1977. In 1980, he was appointed as the founding Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company in Colorado, a position he held for five years. In the 1990s, after moving to Seattle, Washington, he continued working as a freelance director and teacher in numerous locations across the country, and in 1992 founded Seattle's Young Shakespeare Workshop. He passed away on February 1, 2023 at the age of 94.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (\u003ctitle\u003eThe Great White Hope\u003c/title\u003e, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new \"Kreeger Theatre,\" which opened formally on January 15, 1971. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical and Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["Edward Payson Call was born on August 10, 1928 and spent over 50 years working in the theatre, beginning his career in New York City in the late 1950s working as a Broadway stage manager. In 1963, he joined the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a member of the inaugural artistic staff working alongside namesake director Tyrone Guthrie. Throughout the 1960s-1970s, Payson Call worked as a director at numerous regional theatres across the country, including three productions at Arena Stage in the mid-late 1970s. The Front Page initially ran from December 1974 – January 1975 and again from April – June 1976 as part of the \"All American Repertory\" along with Death of a Salesman directed by Zelda Fichandler and Our Town directed by Alan Schneider. The Tot Family ran from January – February 1976 and his final directing credit at Arena Stage, Catsplay, ran from March – April 1977. In 1980, he was appointed as the founding Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company in Colorado, a position he held for five years. In the 1990s, after moving to Seattle, Washington, he continued working as a freelance director and teacher in numerous locations across the country, and in 1992 founded Seattle's Young Shakespeare Workshop. He passed away on February 1, 2023 at the age of 94.","One of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (The Great White Hope, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Generosity on the part of David Lloyd Kreeger, and others, led to the construction of the new \"Kreeger Theatre,\" which opened formally on January 15, 1971. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eEdward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, C0559, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["Edward Payson Call Arena Stage papers, C0559, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries"],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eProcessing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in October 2025. Inventory assistance provided by Chance Jimenez. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in December 2025.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in October 2025. Inventory assistance provided by Chance Jimenez. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in December 2025."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/agents/corporate_entities/522\"\u003eArena Stage\u003c/a\u003e, including the \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0017\"\u003eArena Stage records\u003c/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0010\"\u003eZelda Fichandler papers\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related Materials"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the Arena Stage records and the Zelda Fichandler papers."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eA collection of materials, including notes, set designs, scripts, photographs, reviews, programs, and correspondence, collected and created by director Edward Payson Call. Materials relate to Payson Call's work as a director at Arean Stage on three productions: \u003ctitle\u003eThe Front Page\u003c/title\u003e, \u003ctitle\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/title\u003e, and \u003ctitle\u003eCatsplay\u003c/title\u003e. The bulk of the materials cover his work on \u003ctitle\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/title\u003e, which includes several early script drafts by different translators and with different title variations.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["A collection of materials, including notes, set designs, scripts, photographs, reviews, programs, and correspondence, collected and created by director Edward Payson Call. Materials relate to Payson Call's work as a director at Arean Stage on three productions: The Front Page, The Tot Family, and Catsplay. The bulk of the materials cover his work on The Tot Family, which includes several early script drafts by different translators and with different title variations."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_df84002ce9585b66123b01c6cb60ccf2\"\u003eMaterials collected and created by director Edward Payson Call while directing productions of \u003ctitle\u003eThe Front Page\u003c/title\u003e, \u003ctitle\u003eThe Tot Family\u003c/title\u003e, and \u003ctitle\u003eCatsplay\u003c/title\u003e at Arena Stage in the 1970s.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["Materials collected and created by director Edward Payson Call while directing productions of The Front Page, The Tot Family, and Catsplay at Arena Stage in the 1970s."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_820795954d0ad6de7c4d9b78603270c6\"\u003eR 73, C 2, S 3\n\nMap Case 27.2\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["R 73, C 2, S 3\n\nMap Case 27.2"],"corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"names_coll_ssim":["Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"persname_ssim":["Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"names_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Call, Edward Payson","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":23,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-08-14T22:35:20.288Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_762"}},{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","type":"collection","attributes":{"title":"Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, 1958/1964","creator":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739#creator","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022","label":"Creator"}},"abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"Scrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly.","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","ead_ssi":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","_root_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","_nest_parent_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/GMU/repositories_2_resources_739.xml","title_filing_ssi":"Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook","title_ssm":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook"],"title_tesim":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook"],"unitdate_ssm":["1958, 1963-1964"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1958, 1963-1964"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1958/1964"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, 1958/1964"],"text":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, 1958/1964","C0528","/repositories/2/resources/739","Theater","Performing arts","Theater programs","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Scrapbooks","Newspapers","Correspondence","There are no access restrictions.","This is a single item collection. Loose paper items were removed from the scrapbook and stored in two labeled folders.","St. Helena Star. 2022. \"Susan Kennelly Obituary (1937 - 2022) - Napa, CA.\" Legacy.Com. June 14, 2022. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sthelenastar/name/susan-kennelly-obituary?id=35210146.","Susan Powers (later known as Susan Powers Kennelly) was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1937. She received a full tuition scholarship to attend the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. for her undergraduate studies where she majored in theatre, studying under the university's drama department founder Rev. Gilbert V. Hartke. In the early 1960s she joined Arena Stage as Director of Public Relations and later formed her own public relations firm, establishing relationships with folk singers and musicians performing in Washington, D.C. throughout the 1960s-1970s. In 1964, she married Justice Department lawyer Thomas Anthony Kennelly, with the ceremony being officiated by Father Hartke. Susan later left public relations and began a new career as a travel consultant. After raising their three children in Washington, D.C., Susan and Thomas moved to Napa, California in 1994 where Susan spent 18 years serving as director of tours and travel for the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco. Susan passed away on June 5, 2022 at the age of 84.","One of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (The Great White Hope, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals.","Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in February 2025. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in March 2025.","The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the Arena Stage records, Zelda Fichandler papers, and Thomas C. Fichandler papers.","Scrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly. The front inside cover included two loose letters, one addressed to J. Burke Knapp and signed by President Lyndon Johnson and one addressed to Zelda Fichandler and signed by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. The inside back cover included a pile of loose newspaper clippings, most pertaining to Arena Stage productions, and Arena Stage programs for The Front Page, Battle Dream, Hotel Paradiso, The Affair, Taming of the Shrew, Dark of the Moon, and The Devils/. These items were removed and placed in two labeled folders.","The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)","Scrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly.","R 71, C 2, S 6","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","Johnson, Lady Bird, 1912-2007","Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973","Knapp, J. Burke (Joseph Burke), 1913-2009","English\n."],"collection_title_tesim":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, 1958/1964"],"collection_ssim":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, 1958/1964"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["C0528","/repositories/2/resources/739"],"unitid_tesim":["C0528","/repositories/2/resources/739"],"repository_ssm":["George Mason University"],"repository_ssim":["George Mason University"],"creator_ssm":["Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022"],"creator_ssim":["Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","Johnson, Lady Bird, 1912-2007","Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973","Knapp, J. Burke (Joseph Burke), 1913-2009"],"creator_corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"creators_ssim":["Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","Johnson, Lady Bird, 1912-2007","Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973","Knapp, J. Burke (Joseph Burke), 1913-2009","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"acqinfo_ssim":["Donated by Thomas Kennelly, husband of Susan Powers Kennelly, in August 2023."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Theater","Performing arts","Theater programs","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Scrapbooks","Newspapers","Correspondence"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Theater","Performing arts","Theater programs","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Scrapbooks","Newspapers","Correspondence"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["2 Linear Feet 1 box"],"extent_tesim":["2 Linear Feet 1 box"],"genreform_ssim":["Scrapbooks","Newspapers","Correspondence"],"date_range_isim":[1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThere are no access restrictions.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["There are no access restrictions."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis is a single item collection. Loose paper items were removed from the scrapbook and stored in two labeled folders.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["This is a single item collection. Loose paper items were removed from the scrapbook and stored in two labeled folders."],"bibliography_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSt. Helena Star. 2022. \"Susan Kennelly Obituary (1937 - 2022) - Napa, CA.\" Legacy.Com. June 14, 2022. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sthelenastar/name/susan-kennelly-obituary?id=35210146.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bibliography_heading_ssm":["Bibliography"],"bibliography_tesim":["St. Helena Star. 2022. \"Susan Kennelly Obituary (1937 - 2022) - Napa, CA.\" Legacy.Com. June 14, 2022. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sthelenastar/name/susan-kennelly-obituary?id=35210146."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSusan Powers (later known as Susan Powers Kennelly) was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1937. She received a full tuition scholarship to attend the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. for her undergraduate studies where she majored in theatre, studying under the university's drama department founder Rev. Gilbert V. Hartke. In the early 1960s she joined Arena Stage as Director of Public Relations and later formed her own public relations firm, establishing relationships with folk singers and musicians performing in Washington, D.C. throughout the 1960s-1970s. In 1964, she married Justice Department lawyer Thomas Anthony Kennelly, with the ceremony being officiated by Father Hartke. Susan later left public relations and began a new career as a travel consultant. After raising their three children in Washington, D.C., Susan and Thomas moved to Napa, California in 1994 where Susan spent 18 years serving as director of tours and travel for the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco. Susan passed away on June 5, 2022 at the age of 84.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (\u003ctitle\u003eThe Great White Hope\u003c/title\u003e, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical and Historical Information"],"bioghist_tesim":["Susan Powers (later known as Susan Powers Kennelly) was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1937. She received a full tuition scholarship to attend the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. for her undergraduate studies where she majored in theatre, studying under the university's drama department founder Rev. Gilbert V. Hartke. In the early 1960s she joined Arena Stage as Director of Public Relations and later formed her own public relations firm, establishing relationships with folk singers and musicians performing in Washington, D.C. throughout the 1960s-1970s. In 1964, she married Justice Department lawyer Thomas Anthony Kennelly, with the ceremony being officiated by Father Hartke. Susan later left public relations and began a new career as a travel consultant. After raising their three children in Washington, D.C., Susan and Thomas moved to Napa, California in 1994 where Susan spent 18 years serving as director of tours and travel for the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco. Susan passed away on June 5, 2022 at the age of 84.","One of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (The Great White Hope, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eSusan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, C0528, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, C0528, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries"],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eProcessing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in February 2025. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in March 2025.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in February 2025. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in March 2025."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0017\"\u003eArena Stage records\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0010\"\u003eZelda Fichandler papers\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0197\"\u003eThomas C. Fichandler papers\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related Materials"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the Arena Stage records, Zelda Fichandler papers, and Thomas C. Fichandler papers."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eScrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly. The front inside cover included two loose letters, one addressed to J. Burke Knapp and signed by President Lyndon Johnson and one addressed to Zelda Fichandler and signed by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. The inside back cover included a pile of loose newspaper clippings, most pertaining to Arena Stage productions, and Arena Stage programs for \u003ctitle\u003eThe Front Page, Battle Dream, Hotel Paradiso, The Affair, Taming of the Shrew, Dark of the Moon\u003c/title\u003e, and \u003ctitle\u003eThe Devils\u003c/title\u003e/. These items were removed and placed in two labeled folders.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Scrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly. The front inside cover included two loose letters, one addressed to J. Burke Knapp and signed by President Lyndon Johnson and one addressed to Zelda Fichandler and signed by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. The inside back cover included a pile of loose newspaper clippings, most pertaining to Arena Stage productions, and Arena Stage programs for The Front Page, Battle Dream, Hotel Paradiso, The Affair, Taming of the Shrew, Dark of the Moon, and The Devils/. These items were removed and placed in two labeled folders."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_996a7d5e2a48f38c8b48be7b212bd93f\"\u003eScrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["Scrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_32aaf65c06b7b5e97d89802fddae5aa2\"\u003eR 71, C 2, S 6\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["R 71, C 2, S 6"],"corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)"],"names_coll_ssim":["Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","Johnson, Lady Bird, 1912-2007","Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973","Knapp, J. Burke (Joseph Burke), 1913-2009"],"persname_ssim":["Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","Johnson, Lady Bird, 1912-2007","Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973","Knapp, J. Burke (Joseph Burke), 1913-2009"],"names_ssim":["George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","Johnson, Lady Bird, 1912-2007","Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973","Knapp, J. Burke (Joseph Burke), 1913-2009"],"language_ssim":["English\n."],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":3,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-08-14T22:35:13.746Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","ead_ssi":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","_root_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","_nest_parent_":"vifgm_repositories_2_resources_739","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/GMU/repositories_2_resources_739.xml","title_filing_ssi":"Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook","title_ssm":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook"],"title_tesim":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook"],"unitdate_ssm":["1958, 1963-1964"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1958, 1963-1964"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1958/1964"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, 1958/1964"],"text":["Susan Powers Kennelly Arena Stage scrapbook, 1958/1964","C0528","/repositories/2/resources/739","Theater","Performing arts","Theater programs","Theater -- Washington (D.C.)","Scrapbooks","Newspapers","Correspondence","There are no access restrictions.","This is a single item collection. Loose paper items were removed from the scrapbook and stored in two labeled folders.","St. Helena Star. 2022. \"Susan Kennelly Obituary (1937 - 2022) - Napa, CA.\" Legacy.Com. June 14, 2022. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sthelenastar/name/susan-kennelly-obituary?id=35210146.","Susan Powers (later known as Susan Powers Kennelly) was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1937. She received a full tuition scholarship to attend the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. for her undergraduate studies where she majored in theatre, studying under the university's drama department founder Rev. Gilbert V. Hartke. In the early 1960s she joined Arena Stage as Director of Public Relations and later formed her own public relations firm, establishing relationships with folk singers and musicians performing in Washington, D.C. throughout the 1960s-1970s. In 1964, she married Justice Department lawyer Thomas Anthony Kennelly, with the ceremony being officiated by Father Hartke. Susan later left public relations and began a new career as a travel consultant. After raising their three children in Washington, D.C., Susan and Thomas moved to Napa, California in 1994 where Susan spent 18 years serving as director of tours and travel for the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco. Susan passed away on June 5, 2022 at the age of 84.","One of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (The Great White Hope, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. Today, Arena Stage performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals.","Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in February 2025. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in March 2025.","The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the Arena Stage records, Zelda Fichandler papers, and Thomas C. Fichandler papers.","Scrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly. The front inside cover included two loose letters, one addressed to J. Burke Knapp and signed by President Lyndon Johnson and one addressed to Zelda Fichandler and signed by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. The inside back cover included a pile of loose newspaper clippings, most pertaining to Arena Stage productions, and Arena Stage programs for The Front Page, Battle Dream, Hotel Paradiso, The Affair, Taming of the Shrew, Dark of the Moon, and The Devils/. These items were removed and placed in two labeled folders.","The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)","Scrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly.","R 71, C 2, S 6","George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center","Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)","Kennelly, Susan Powers, 1937-2022","Fichandler, Zelda, 1924-2016","Johnson, Lady Bird, 1912-2007","Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973","Knapp, J. 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She received a full tuition scholarship to attend the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. for her undergraduate studies where she majored in theatre, studying under the university's drama department founder Rev. Gilbert V. Hartke. In the early 1960s she joined Arena Stage as Director of Public Relations and later formed her own public relations firm, establishing relationships with folk singers and musicians performing in Washington, D.C. throughout the 1960s-1970s. In 1964, she married Justice Department lawyer Thomas Anthony Kennelly, with the ceremony being officiated by Father Hartke. Susan later left public relations and began a new career as a travel consultant. After raising their three children in Washington, D.C., Susan and Thomas moved to Napa, California in 1994 where Susan spent 18 years serving as director of tours and travel for the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco. Susan passed away on June 5, 2022 at the age of 84.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOne of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States, as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway (\u003ctitle\u003eThe Great White Hope\u003c/title\u003e, 1967), the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour the Soviet Union, and the first to receive a Tony Award. During the 1960s, Arena garnered international renown in its new space: the Arena Stage Theatre. The new building, located at Sixth Street and Maine Avenue SW, was the first playhouse built in Washington, D.C. since 1895. 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Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in March 2025."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0017\"\u003eArena Stage records\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0010\"\u003eZelda Fichandler papers\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0197\"\u003eThomas C. Fichandler papers\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related Materials"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["The Special Collections Research Center holds other collections related to Arena Stage, including the Arena Stage records, Zelda Fichandler papers, and Thomas C. Fichandler papers."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eScrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly. 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These items were removed and placed in two labeled folders."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_996a7d5e2a48f38c8b48be7b212bd93f\"\u003eScrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly.\u003c/abstract\u003e\n    "],"abstract_tesim":["Scrapbook of newspaper and periodical clippings covering Arena Stage's 1963-1964 season, compiled by Director of Public Relations Susan Powers Kennelly."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_32aaf65c06b7b5e97d89802fddae5aa2\"\u003eR 71, C 2, S 6\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["R 71, C 2, S 6"],"corpname_ssim":["George Mason University. 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Please email speccoll@gmu.edu with any questions.","This collection contains the working and personal papers of Zelda Fichandler, founder and long-time artistic director of Arena Stage."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)"],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_0e748b32d4f8ff7a71d490e561a90d49\" label=\"Abstract\"\u003eThis collection contains the working and personal papers of Zelda Fichandler. 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