Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater

The staff are so friendly and kind! I saw Cambodian Rock Band here and it was fantastic.

A beautiful venue staffed by beautiful people hosting beautiful performances. I came as part of a large group for university orientation and felt welcomed from the first step through the door. Cambodian Rock Band was a fantastic play with stellar music, but contains strong themes that led me to have to step out. I want to shout out house manager Rick, who checked on me frequently and was available for anything I needed. The cast was also so sweet and even signed my script after a long, intense performance! I definitely need to return when I’m back in DC.

Loved my experience to see The High Ground at the Arena stage. Their parking garage was $27. This venue was larger than expected. There were multiple shows happening at the same time. I recommend getting here 35-40 mins before the show to enjoy the concession because no food/drink allowed. Masks are required for the duration of the show.

Arena Stage is a neat place with several small theaters inside the same building. We really enjoyed watching "Ride the Cyclone" in the Kreeger Theater.
There is parking in the building but the entrance and exit ramps remind me of narrow parking lots in Asia. If you decide to park in the building, I recommend spending a few dollars more and valeting it at the front door instead.

I am rating the location primarily based on the fact that I was informed MASKS are required inside the theater upon arrival at the theater. I was unaware of this requirement before purchasing a ticket and did not notice anything related to these requirements on their website. I find this incredibly ridiculous when masks are not required in the city nor on planes to enter the city. I have no issue with those who choose to wear a mask, however I would like to have the same choice to not patronize locations that infringe upon my personal freedoms and dictate their own policies outside of city regulations.

Had a wonderful experience at Arena Stage. To start, I needed to change the date of the show I was seeing. It was very easy to exchange tickets. They company’s communication was excellent. Prior to the show, I was sent directions, mask protocols, a digital program, & even a recommendation for a place to have dinner befitted the show. They even followed up to see if I enjoyed it. I’ll definitely go back!

Had a fabulous date with my husband on a weekday evening seeing a heartwarming romantic comedy, "Holiday". We had several good laughs and were completely invested in the drama. It's definitely a holiday escape, and It's a must-see!

The play was staged on The Fichandler Stage, an epic, four-sided auditorium, with steeply raked seating tiers with bold, earthy exterior design. Audience members are never more than eight rows away from the action. The cast came out from all corners of the stage and even from below! And what's a show without a trapeze? :)

During the intermission, I had one of their specialty drinks, Anita's Flowers, and my husband had The Mary Pickford, Jr. a non-alcoholic drink. They were both surprisingly very good. I highly recommend ordering any drinks or snacks in advance. "Holiday" has two intermissions but they are only 10 minutes each!

Absolutely beautiful and has magnificent architecture. Upstairs had an overlook where you can see the DC streets. So definitely arrive a little before your show to enjoy this experience as well.

Paid street parking, as well as garage parking, are available.

Had an amazing time as a cool friend date during the amazing American Prophet show. I'm the type that loves historical pieces that are about real people who made a difference. It's especially important for me to support productions showcasing true POC talent with amazing vocals the draws heart wrenching emotions. I especially loved the depiction of President Lincoln in a more critical light than we're used to.

Cornelius Smith Jr. was a star in his lead role as Fredrick Douglass (with two S's!) But my absolute favorite character was Anna Murray Douglass played by Kristolyn Lloyd. Really felt the genuineness of her performance and she shined throughout.

I will have to definitely come back to the Arena Stage for more performance and I sincerely hope you come back as well.

Pro tip: intermission is really quick so consider just bringing your own bottle of water to drink outside the theater during break.