Yetunde Felix-Ukwu. Courtesy of Arena Stage By Sheila Wickouski On September 6, a new era will begin at Southwest’s Arena Stage. The first season programmed by new Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif will launch with the Tony-award winning comedy Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Written by celebrated Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh, […]
Arena Stage Announces New Season, First Lineup Under New Artistic Director
By Southwester Staff Arena Stage announced the ten shows that will comprise its 2024-2025 season, the first led by Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. The company’s 74th season will feature a mix of new works and reimagined classics, including six world-premiere productions and collaborations with some of the nation’s leading […]
Hana S. Sharif Takes The Helm As Arena Stage Artistic Director
Hana S. Sharif. Photo by Chesire Isaac. Courtesy of Arena Stage. By Sheila Wickouski In April 2023, Arena Stage announced that Hana S. Sharif, a theater veteran with decades of experience at regional theaters including Hartford Stage, Baltimore Center Stage and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, would step in […]
Arena Stage Brings DC History to Life with New Show
Tempestuous Elements director Psalmayene 24. Courtesy Scott Suchman By Southwester Staff The life of Anna Julia Cooper, spanning over a century from 1858, when she was born into slavery in Raleigh, North Carolina to her death in 1964 in Washington DC, is one filled with dramatic moments. Tempestuous Elements, opening February […]
Arena Stage Presents Diverse Lineup for Second Half of 2023-24 Season
Step Afrika! performs “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence.” Photo by Jati Lindsay. Courtesy of Arena Stage By Southwester Staff January brings a new calendar year for making resolutions and trendy lists of what’s in and what’s out. It’s still the middle of the planned theater year, however, and Arena […]
Arena Stage Announces Cast for Shipwreck Musical Scored by Grammy-nominated Avett Brothers
By Southwester Staff Arena Stage will wrap up the calendar year 2023 with a production of Swept Away, a musical about a quartet of shipwreck survivors set in the whaling community of New England in the late 1800’s. Music and lyrics for the show were written by the Grammy-nominated roots […]
Arena Stage’s Cambodian Rock Band Layers Humor, Heart on Dark History
Joe Ngo, Abraham Kim, Brooke Ishibashi, Jane Lui and Tim Liu in Cambodian Rock Band. Courtesy of Margot Schulman By Southwester Staff A rollicking rock musical about a genocide might seem like a contradiction in terms, but over its two-and-a-half hour run time, Arena Stage’s Cambodian Rock Band reveals itself to […]