We mourn the loss of Victor Shargai, long-time theatreWashington board chair, theater lover, and philanthropist, who passed away peacefully at home on December 24, 2019. For decades, Victor dedicated himself to celebrating theater artists and strengthening the theater institutions in the Washington D.C. region. As a champion and a supporter, he believed fervently in theater's power to transform lives and communities. 

Oran Sandel

Oran Sandel was part of a theater movement. Through his work with the Living Stage Theater Company, and beyond, he dramatically transformed the cultural landscape of Washington, DC.  He understood creativity and justice to be intimately woven together.  Through theater we can heal.  And in doing so, we can create new ways of being together in the world.  Oran’s lifelong work was about gathering the collective brilliance of a room through the power of play.  In lieu of one memory, below is a poem comprised of words from some of the many people whose lives Oran changed. - Anu Yadav, writer and performer

Nancy Michel

On August 19, 2016 Toby’s Dinner Theatre lost a longtime employee and friend. Nancy Michel, lover and supporter of the arts, passed away peacefully with her family by her side.

Nancy will be remembered as a spiritual person who was tolerant, understanding, and accepting of others. She felt strongly about social and political causes and was a political activist in her younger years. An artist from the day she was born, she graduated with a Fine Arts degree from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and spent many years as an independent artist. For the past 21 years, she was a treasured Toby’s Dinner Theatre employee (Director of Marketing), Helen Hayes Theatre Nominee & Coordinator, family member and friend.

James Earl Jones & Jane Alexander in The Great White Hope at Arena Stage (1967).

Since the passing of Zelda Fichandler on July 29 there has been an outpouring of personal tributes from artists, audiences, and administrators. Here are just a few reminiscences from those who worked with her - and were inspired by her work: BETH HAUPTLE, BILL LARGESS & JENNIFER NELSON.

BETH HAUPTLE (Director of Marketing and Communications, Baltimore Center Stage)

Zelda Fichandler was my rock star idol. Her vision inspired an entire movement and, at the same time, inspired generations of theater artists and administrators. She captured the spirit of the time: Regional. Resident. Acting Company. Non-traditional casting. Diverse writers. Theater in the round. Woman led.

Zelda Fichandler, as Arena Stage prepares to open in its first home, the refurbished Hippodrome movie theater, 1950.

When she co-founded Arena Stage 66 years ago, Zelda Fichandler paved the way for today's thriving Washington theatre community - and altered forever the way theatre is produced in the United States. With Arena as the flagship of a new theatre movement, audiences were no longer dependent on touring productions of Broadway hits. The finest works of theatre art began to appear on local stages, reflecting the issues that face local communities. The result was an entirely new theatrical landscape.