Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
Performing ArtsDistrict of Columbia, United States51-200 Employees
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater operates as a national hub for American theater, encompassing production, presentation, development, and study of the art form. Based in Washington, DC, it is led by Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie and is described as the largest organization in the United States focused on American plays and playwrights. It supports the creation of new work through the American Voices New Play Institute and serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. Its programming provides a platform for diverse and innovative American theater, drawing on artists from across the country. In addition to main-stage productions, Arena Stage conducts community-engagement efforts such as the Voices of Now Festival, a day-long event featuring youth-devised theater from the DC region. In 2025, the organization expanded its partnership with Howard University College of Medicine to broaden its Creative Administrators Internship Program.