Deriving its name from the idea of "theater
in the round," Arena Stage became one of the first resident theaters
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 theater professionals and
craftpersons who are responsible for all the costumes and scenery
seen on stage.
Donated to George Mason University in fall
of 2000, the Arena Stage Collection contains materials which span
the theater's 50 year history, including production notebooks, photographs,
playbills, scrapbooks, and handwritten correspondence. The total
volume of the Collection is 260 cubic feet or 440 linear feet.
Special Collections
& Archives (SC&A) preserves and makes available to all
students, faculty, and researchers many kinds of original and scholarly
materials. Subject areas in SC&A include Northern Virginiana,
Planned Communities, Congressional Papers, Performing Arts, Maps,
the Civil War, and George Mason University. Formats in SC&A
include manuscripts, rare books, playbills, musical scores, audio
and videotapes, architectural drawings, photographs, and slides.
E-Mail SC&A
Additional Links:
Arena Stage Home Page
Anton Chekhov Materials in the Arena Stage Collection
Arena
Stage Historical Documents
Other
Theater Holdings in Special Collections & Archives
