The new Arena Stage features 200,000 square feet and three theater spaces.

7 Reasons to Love the New Arena Stage

All spring and summer I passed Arena Stage on the Maine Avenue waterfront and scratched my head.

Did the architect really build a transparent glass tent around Arena’s two existing theaters, the Kreeger and Fichandler? Nah, couldn’t be—why would anyone want to salvage modest, squat architectural structures from the 1960s, which, to contemporary eyes, were about as inspiring as a post office or library from the same era?

With a $135 million budget and an international reputation for producing groundbreaking American theater, why wouldn’t Arena’s leaders and their handpicked architect, Vancouver-based Bing Thom, simply level everything and start anew? It would symbolize the American penchant for fresh starts, right?

Nope.

“We are a disposable culture,” says Thom. “We’ve had enough of the throw-away society, so why throw away history? Why don’t we enhance it?”

And that’s exactly what Thom and his team did.

Now that I’ve toured every inch of the new 200,000-square-foot Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, I can say that Thom and his Arena brethren, led by the indomitable artistic director Molly Smith, pulled it off. The new Arena, which opens with a radical production of “Oklahoma” on Oct. 23, is a knockout.

Here are seven reasons why the new space—and Arena as a whole—sets the tone once again for theater in Washington and the country.

1. Audacity. In America, we either knock things down and build fresh or we gentrify. Few take architectural elements and incorporate them into something breathtaking. The new Kogod Cradle (200 seats) joins a refurbished Fichandler (683 seats) and Kreeger (514 seats) to form “three jewels in a glass jewel box,” according Thom. He’s right. A cantilevered 90-foot roof (one of the largest in America), 370 panes of glass and Douglas fir columns (each bearing 400,000 pounds of load) dramatically enhance the theater spaces.

2. Design. Washington needed this. After all, this is the largest theater complex to open in D.C. since the Kennedy Center. The soaring ceiling, lovely curves, open public spaces and glass panes ushering in natural light and views of the Potomac are striking. “Theater is sexy, so its space should be, too,” says Smith. “We were in the dark before, and now we are in the light—this is no longer a theater, but a center, a place for writers, artists and the public. People should be able to walk by, look inside the theater and see that it’s a welcoming place to learn and enjoy.”

3. Legacy. Smith hasn’t forgotten Arena’s mission, which is to showcase American theater, develop groundbreaking new work and give a voice and home to promising actors and playwrights. “Theater is like a church—it’s a place of solace, reflection and enlightenment,” says Smith.

4. Theaters. Forget the ambient noise and site-line limitations from the former incarnations of the Kreeger and Fichandler. The acoustics have been improved with acoustic reflecting panels and the 35,000-square-foot glass wall outside. You’ll also love the intimacy of each space, where many seats are actually closer to the stage. My favorite: the new Kogod Cradle, a 200-seat powerhouse with wooden basket-weave walls and plush bench seating.

5. Public spaces. Remember how difficult pre-show wine sipping used to be, as you were elbow to elbow with 500 of your best friends? And remember intermission—can you say theatrical mosh pit? No longer. The new pubic space was designed for mingling and breathing room, according the Thom. Adds Smith about the views: “We used to turn our backs on the river. Now we’re inviting it inside.”

6. Food. Yes, really. José Andrés (Jaleo, Zaytinya, Café Atlantico, Oyamel) is the man behind Next Stage, a café and bar. The restaurant, operated by José Andrés Catering with Ridgewells, will feature menus that reflect seasonal productions. The first menu, inspired by “Oklahoma” and “Every Tongue Confess,” touts bison short ribs, wild turkey meatballs, Oklahoma succotash and pecan pie. The bar offers wines by the glass, specialty cocktails and beers such as Dog Fish Head, Stella Artois and Old Dominion. The café and bar will be open two and a half hours before curtain time; concessions (salads, cheese, fruit, cookies, soft drinks and alcohol) will be open one hour before curtain time and one hour after shows.

7. Nice touches. Stretch your legs at Arena, and discover one of Smith’s favorite spots, “The Study,” with its glass bookcases brimming with books and plays. Pull one off the shelf and browse. Upstairs, adjacent to the café, is the roof deck—perfect for fresh air and drinks on temperate evenings. And, yes, the bathrooms are big. The women’s bathroom, with its undulating lipstick-red walls and, above the basins, little framed pictures of performers, is another thing to cheer about.

The season ahead features 45 projects, including eight full productions, seven presentations by the National Endowment for the Arts New Play Development Program and public readings from more than 30 of Edward Albee’s works.

The eight-play lineup:

Oklahoma, Oct. 22–Dec. 26

Every Tongue Confess, Nov. 9–Jan. 2

Let Me Down Easy, Dec. 31–Feb. 13

The Arabian Nights, Jan. 14–Feb. 20

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Feb. 25–April 10

At Home at the Zoo, Feb. 25–April 25

Ruined, April 22–June 5

A Time to Kill, May 6–June 19

Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St., SW; 202/554-9066; arenastage.org.