Molly Smith, Artistic Director

Molly Smith has been a passionate leader in new play development for the past 30 years while at Arena Stage as well as at Perseverance Theatre in Alaska, the theater she founded and led for 19 years. During ten seasons as Arena’s Artistic Director, she has focused the repertory on American voices, making Arena the largest theater in North America focusing on American writers. She founded Arena’s downstairs series, which has read and workshopped some sixty plays, half of which have gone on to full productions. Ms. Smith has commissioned or championed numerous world premieres including Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning How I Learned to Drive and Mineola Twins; Tim Acito’s musical adaptation of Gloria Naylor’s novel The Women of Brewster Place; Moisés Kaufman’s 33 Variations; Charles Randolph-Wright’s Blue; Zora Neale Hurston’s lost American play Polk County; and Passion Play, a cycle by Sarah Ruhl. Her directorial work has been seen at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company, and in Canada at the Shaw Festival, Tarragon Theatre and Centaur Theatre; it includes classics such as South Pacific, Mack and Mabel, Anna Christie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Smith has served as Literary Advisor to the Sundance Theatre Lab and formed the Arena Stage Writers Council, comprised of leading American playwrights. An avid traveler, Ms. Smith brings artists of international renown to work at Arena Stage and serves as a member of the Board of the Theatre Communications Group as well as the Center for International Theatre Development. She directed two feature films, Raven’s Blood and Making Contact, and received Honorary Doctorates from both Towson and American Universities.

Stephen Richard, Executive Director

Stephen Richard joined Arena Stage in 1991. In addition to his leadership and management responsibilities, he is the primary liaison to Arena’s extraordinary Board of Trustees, where he serves as Vice Chair. Mr. Richard represents Arena Stage to regional and national organizations, such as the League of Resident Theatres, and by serving on and chairing National Endowment for the Arts panels. He currently serves on the board of the Federal City Council. Mr. Richard previously managed the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Los Angeles Theatre Center. He currently teaches in the Master of Arts Management program at George Mason University and at Georgetown University, having previously taught at UCLA, Cal State-LA, Carnegie Mellon and Goucher College. He also works as a consultant for non-profit organizations. His many clients have included The Howard Heinz Endowments (Pittsburgh), the National Kidney Foundation (New York), American Symphony Orchestra League (New York) and the Williamstown Theatre Festival (Williamstown, MA).