We are pleased to announce that Catherine Guttman-McCabe has been named Board Chair of Arena Stage, a flagship American theater based in Washington D.C., which was a pioneer of the regional theater movement. Producing and presenting diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country, Arena Stage serves up to 300,000 patrons a year, and impacts the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement. Guttman-McCabe has served on Arena Stage’s Board of Trustees since 2018 and assumed the board chair position on May 1.
Guttman-McCabe also recently chaired Arena Stage’s Artistic Director Search Committee, which led to Hana Sharif stepping into the role following the retirement of Molly Smith.
In accepting the board chair position, Guttman-McCabe said, “I am honored to serve as Chair of Arena Stage, following Decker Anstrom’s tremendous leadership, which deftly brought us through the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Molly passes her baton to Hana, so too do I take it from Decker, mindful of the work we still have ahead of us as we fully emerge from the pandemic. I have no doubt in my mind that the partnership between Hana and Edgar will be strong and vibrant, and I am committed to supporting them and the entire company as we grow our audiences, expand Arena’s connections to the community, and start planning to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, which begins July 2024.”
