Today, we present another Theatre in Community podcast, Part 1 of our conversation with Molly Smith, former Artistic Director of Arena Stage and the Mead Center for American Theater.
The inimitable Molly Smith is a renowned theatre director and visionary who recently stepped down after 25 years as the Artistic Director of Arena Stage. Years before taking the helm at Arena, she earned an undergraduate degree in Theatre from the Catholic University of America, and a master's degree in Theatre from American University. In 1979, she returned to Juneau, Alaska, and founded Perseverance Theatre, where she was Artistic Director for 19 years.
As Artistic Director of Arena Stage, her 40 directing credits include large-scale musicals, new plays, and classics. She led the reinvention of Arena Stage, focusing on the architecture and creation of the Mead Center for American Theater and positioning Arena as a national center for American artists through its artistic program. During her time with the company, Arena Stage has workshopped more than a hundred productions, produced 50 world premieres, staged numerous second and third productions, and been an important part of nurturing nine projects that went on to have a life on Broadway.
Molly has also directed on Broadway and Off-Broadway and in many major theaters in the USA and Canada. The list of Molly's honors and achievements as a theatre director, producer, filmmaker, and national leader is very long indeed!
For more information about Molly, click here.
Glossary, Part 1
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A Theatre in Community Podcast: Part 1 of our Conversation with Molly Smith