Places, Everyone! Theatre Arlington is Back and Better Than Ever

On March 25, with its major building renovations complete, the curtains of Theatre Arlington will be going up for the first time in nearly two years. What a way to kick off the 49th season of live theatre in Downtown Arlington! 

Ticketholders will be blown away by Theatre Arlington’s transformation, which includes a new exterior, an expanded lobby and other interior improvements including new dressing rooms, the addition of two new classrooms and a new stage. These much-needed improvements provide enhanced production quality and patron experience and support the company’s efforts to expand its outreach and educational programming.

We’re so grateful to TA's extremely busyexecutive producer Steven D. Morris for letting us run along beside him as he talked about how a big renovation inspired even bigger dreams for the future. 

Downtown Arlington:  What do you love about Theatre Arlington?

Steven D. Morris:  There are so many things that I love about Theatre Arlington! It is my family. I love that I get to collaborate with so many talented, fun people. I love that we offer something for everyone and that we are welcoming to everyone. I love that not only do we have great theater but an outstanding education and outreach programs. We give back to the community in so many ways. I love that we continue to grow and improve onstage and off. We are always working to be a better theatre and meet the needs of the community.

DA: How is Theatre Arlington's renovation a game-changer for your organization?

SDM:  The renovation will give everyone -- the cast, crew, designers, and audience -- a much better experience overall. It also allows us to improve our educational training by having more classroom space and state of the art equipment. We will also spend less money on repairs and be able to funnel that into productions and outreach.

DA: What are you most looking forward to in 2022 and beyond?

SDM:  I’m looking forward to sharing the new and improved Theatre Arlington with the public! We’ve not only renovated the building, but we’ve taken the last two years to reevaluate who we are and who we will be in the future.

DA: What does that include?

SDM:  Theatre Arlington is committed to providing quality educational opportunities to our community. We love our partnerships with AISD and have several new programs that will benefit high school and junior high school students beginning this summer and into fall of 2022.

DA:  There's nothing like live theater! Why is it such a special art form?

SDM:  I love that live theater has the ability to take a room full of strangers and have them laughing together. I love that theatre can entertain and share a story that will help people see a new perspective and maybe help them see the world a little bit differently.

DA:  As you look back on the time when your stage was dark and so much was going on in the world, what is your biggest takeaway or proudest accomplishment?

SDM: At the same time as our renovation, Covid was a major challenge in our country but so were the life-changing events regarding race. The national and local theater communities had to take a close look at themselves and how they were doing with regard to Diversity and Inclusion. Theatre Arlington used this time to reflect on our past and find ways to improve. We formed a Diversity and Inclusion advisory board. The executive staff took extensive training and participated in workshops and discussions. Our board of directors recently formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. I’m proud of the steps we’re taking and the commitment that Theatre Arlington is making to be more representative of our entire community. I’m proud that in the midst of fundraising and renovations, we also made huge strides in who we are as an organization.

DA:  Sister Act! We're excited! Why did you choose this particular show as your grand re-opening production?

SDM:  Sister Act has great music and is so much fun. I wanted to choose an opening show that required a diverse cast and has name recognition to bring folks to the theatre. I also like that most people have not seen the stage version of Sister Act. Our audiences are going to love it!

DA:  Closing thoughts?

SDM:  We are honored to have served the Arlington community for 49 years. And the best is yet to come!

Get Your Tickets Now!

Season tickets and individual tickets for the 2022-23 season are going fast! We know you especially don’t want to miss the season opener, a production of Sister Act that welcomes so many talented actors back to the Theatre Arlington stage. Get your tickets now at theatrearlington.org.

Plan Your Ride    

There are so many ways to get around Downtown! You can easily hail Lyft or Uber, but we love VIA’s city-wide Rideshare and RAPID best. VIA Arlington is an inexpensive, public transit ride-share that serves the entire city of Arlington and the CentrePort TRE station. RAPID is a self-driving vehicle service offered through VIA that takes you point to point in Downtown. Just download the VIA app to your phone, sign up, and get a ride. VIA does not operate 24 hours a day, so please visit this website for more info. If you’re a UT Arlington student, you can access VIA and RAPID services at a discounted rate and even get your first few rides for free.

About Downtown Arlington    

Designated by the State of Texas as the Arlington Cultural District, Downtown Arlington is where creativity, authenticity, and hometown pride thrive and drive what's next. Within its less than a two-mile radius, Downtown is home to UT Arlington, a Tier One public research university, plus prolific visual and performing artists and arts institutions, live entertainment, exciting NCAA and professional athletics, one-of-a-kind dining and retail, and a supportive business climate. 
 

Image of a production of Brighton Beach Memoirs courtesy of Theatre Arlington.

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