Local philanthropists Gilbert and Jaylee Mead have made the donation to the Arena Stage, one of the foremost regional theatres in the United States.
Arena Stage is recognized as one of the first not-for-profit theatres in the U.S. and a pioneer of the regional theatre movement. It's the first regional theatre to send a production to Broadway and the first to receive the Tony Award.
According to the press release, Arena Stage announced today donations totaling more
than $100 million for the renovation of its facilities and the creation of a state-
of-the-art theater campus. This historic milestone was made possible by local
philanthropists Gilbert and Jaylee Mead, who donated close to $35 million
toward the project, prompting Arena to honor their exceptional generosity by
naming the new complex Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American
Theater. The Meads’ gift is the largest ever made to an American regional
theater and one of the top ten largest gifts to a non-profit arts organization in
the U.S. The gifts support The Next Stage Campaign, a $120 million fundraising
project launched in 2002.
“The Next Stage Campaign will create and showcase a new building and
more,” said John M. Derrick, Jr., President of the Arena Stage Board of
Trustees. “It also moves Arena Stage one step closer to becoming the national
center for the development of new American work.”
Arena Stage’s Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Stephen
Richard announced the milestone and unveiled Arena’s new name at a press
conference at the theater today. Smith, who directed her first musical at Arena
with the Meads’ support, was especially proud to announce this significant
honor.
“Infinitely passionate about the American musical and exceptionally generous,
the Meads are true visionaries,” Smith said. “Because they are dedicated to
sustaining and encouraging the development of American theater, their gift will
be a legacy not only for our theater alone, but to this city and the nation.”
The Meads played a pivotal role in the overall fundraising effort by issuing a
challenge to Arena in September 2005: if the theater could raise $20 million in
the following year, the Meads would match those funds dollar for dollar. The
combination of donations Arena received over the year allowed the theater to
meet that challenge and ultimately put its fundraising over the $100 million
mark.
“We are so pleased to be able to play a part in bringing this incredible building
to Washington,” said Gilbert Mead. “We look forward to many wonderful
performances at Arena Stage for years to come and to seeing the impact
Arena will continue to have on the American theater.”
For more information on the donation and Arena Stages 2006-2007 season, click here.
