When Arena Stage’s Mead Center for American Theater opened in 2010, people immediately marveled at the scale and design of the architecture. Our vibrant Washington, D.C. theatre was reborn—again. Through its storied history, Arena has performed in multiple venues. From the old Christian Heurich Brewery (where the Kennedy Center now stands) to the building at 6th and Maine, to temporary spaces in Crystal City and Lincoln Theater, Arena Stage performances have graced many parts of D.C. and even Arlington, Virginia. Arena has been connecting the people of the capitol years before John F. Kennedy would even be President of the United States.
The Mead Center exploded our presence in the Southwest D.C. neighborhood and, 10 years later, the district has grown in epic proportions. But I remember back when we first opened—when people were curious to see this iteration of Arena Stage—and they spilled into the newly dedicated building in droves for tours. I was one of the staff who showed up to meet them.
When the costume shop at Arena Stage welcomes guests, I do my best to let them enter this room and simply take it in. Part fitting space, part storage space, part atelier, and part office, this space always seems to inspire visitors. Perhaps it is the promise of creativity in all of the sketches, the textiles, the dress forms, and the sewing machines. People comment on the room with its beautiful windows and natural light. They marvel at the gowns on the mannequins. They notice all of the boxes of accessories and the jewelry hanging on the walls. They are full of questions.