Guide to the Thomas C. Fichandler papers, 1950-1997Thomas C. Fichandler C0197Published by George Mason University Libraries Contact Information:Fenwick Library (2FL) George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444 USA Phone: (703) 993-2220 Fax: (703) 993-8911 Email: speccoll@gmu.edu URL: http://scrc.gmu.edu
Historical InformationArena Stage was an early leader in the resident theatre movement. One of the first not-for-profit theatres in the United States as well as a pioneer of the regional theatre movement, the Arena Stage was the first regional theatre to transfer a production to Broadway, the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour Eastern Europe and the U.S.S.R., and the first to receive a Tony Award. Co-founded in 1950 by Edward Mangum, a teacher from George Washington University, and Zelda Fichandler, one of his students, Arena Stage was opened in Washington, D.C., to fill the void left by the closing of the National Theater in 1948. Deriving it's name from the idea of "theatre in the round," Arena Stage became one of the first resident theatres in the United States, beginning with a company of only eight actors. Today, Arena performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theatre professionals and craftpersons, who are responsible for all the costumes and scenery seen on stage. 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 Weist, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Christopher Guest, Yeardly Smith and Samuel L. Jackson. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and ContentContains correspondence, memos, reports and other papers created by Thomas C. Fichandler. Return to the Table of Contents ArrangementOrganized by subject. Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThere are no access restrictions. Use RestrictionsThere are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Thomas C. Fichandler papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries. Return to the Table of Contents Related MaterialSpecial Collections and Archives holds the Arena Stage records. Return to the Table of Contents Index Terms
Corporate Names:Arena Stage (Organization : Washington, D.C.)
Subjects:Theater--Washington (D.C.)
Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationPreferred CitationThomas C. Fichandler papers, C0017, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries. Acquisition InformationDonated by Arena Stage in 2000. Processing InformationProcessed by Special Collections and Archives staff. Return to the Table of Contents Contents List
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