Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater Reviews

I've seen several plays here. Never disappointed in a performance however I wish the plays were just a little bit shorter or they invest in more comfortable chairs.

Arena Stage mounts world-class productions in a world-class building. Come the for art and the architecture. Support DC theatre!

An American theatre icon that lives up to its reputation.

Its very up close an personable. Ever seat is a good seat. Sound system is good. Clean and people are very helpful.

I love Arena Stage in particular the play today Jubilee. All the seats are great seats no matter where you are seated and the performance today was amazing.

Used to be my favorite theater in DC but lately not as many shows of interest but Anything Goes was cute, and funny.

I was able to see and hear well from upstairs in the balcony. The ushers were extremely helpful in showing us to our seats. The restrooms were clean and easily accessible, once outside the auditorium. We even got to greet a couple of the stage actors afterward, as we waited for the valet to bring us our car.

Newsies was a blast. Terrific choreography, amazing tap sequences. It's hard to take the plot seriously if you've seen Urinetown beforehand, but lots of fun.

Best theater in DC, gorgeous interior and awesome shows

Excellent theater in DC area. Easy to get to and always first class productions.

Love the plays the have there. I slight complaint...food...I had a veggie wrap which was stale (the spinach wrap was awful...too tuff). Don't order the wraps.

I love this place so much! Oh I love being down there, I loved the plays I've seen. The best theatre in town.

Get here TODAY! This theater is a hidden secret to unlock the dreams of your imagination. It has everything for those into arts or just interested in something different. From theater production to weddings and events....you can deliver the most exciting times in this place. Stop by for a show or just to browse....Lights, Cameras, Action!!!

Extremely well designed theater in the round. The name tells it all. You do feel like your in an arena getting ready to watch a boxing match.

Great Venue to see a theater event in a smaller setting, creative use of space. Also excellent for social events in the lobby with decent drinks & light food. Use the safe & convenient underground parking if you can get it.

You will love Smokey Joe's Cafe if you love great music, singing, dancing and costumes! FANTASTIC

Extraordinary American theater in intimate surroundings. Don't hesitate to see anything that is offered.

Love the productions, theatres are nice - parking is challenging

This is one of DC's best theatres. It's been around for a long time, but was renovated a few years ago to add a really nice facade around the existing theatre buildings. Between Arena, Shakespeare Theatre, Studio, and Woolly Mammoth, there are a lot of good theatres in this town.

One of the stages in particular is a little unusual - it s surrounded on all four sides with chairs, and actors enter and leave the stage from the four corners. It gives you an unusual view of a play, and the plays typically use this to their benefit. This one stage is what gives Arena its name. The remaining stages are more conventional.

The quality of their work is really good. Recently, we saw August Wilson's "Two Trains Running", which is a great play and was performed excellently.

Great for plays, not enough bathrooms and not enough doors in the theater.

A great small theater very intimate productions are first-rate.

Great small stages and a well thought out customer experience

Went to see Anything Goes. Enjoyed it tremendously and cast gave outstanding performance. Also loved the costumes!!!

Really special place to catch a show at one of the three stages.

Just got finished enjoying the show The Heiress. Was the best show I have ever seen in awhile. The acting was wonderful and the energy was incredible. Would go see this again.

Located in Southwest DC, this is a local theater performing at a national level. Most performances are written by playwrights with a message. There are three theaters, a theater in the round -- The Fichandler, a "standard " theater -- The Kreeger and a small "developmental " theater -- The Kogod Cradle. Performances are well done with actors of national experience. The theater has valet parking but otherwise parking is limited in the area. The good news is that the Metro station is about a block away. There is a restaurant and bar in the building and there are a few others (mostly fast food) nearby. Lastly, the building is newly renovated, well maintained and has wi-fi, though they say you to turn off your phone during the performance; that might be difficult but definitely well worth it.

This is one if the premiere theaters for live performance of Broadway quality shows in the Washington DC area.
well not every performance can please everybody I find that the execution and talent of this theater group is marvelous and always engaging and entertaining.
In addition, it's in the Waterfront area of DC which is undergoing a Renaissance with restaurants walking paths and becoming a very cool place to hang out.
if you find yourself in DC for the weekend always check their schedule to see what plays you can see. they serve wine beer and soft drinks in the building and I think they have a small restaurant upstairs with a limited menu. You can bring drinks inside the theater and I recommend putting a lid on them and you should also take the time to look around because the building has very tall glass windows and has a nice view of all the construction going on at the Wharf. the venue is handicapped accessible and has elevators and automatic doors and a very helpful staff of docents.

A great place to see a show staff very friendly and helpful good seats all ways.

Friends and I saw "A Thousand Splendid Suns" at the Kreeger Theater tonight. The theater is small and intimate. All aspects of the production- set, acting, lighting, etc were superb.

Saw the musical Dave. Excellent and funny. Every seat a great seat. Ticket prices are very affordable. The tour is very educational too.

Went to see Anything Goes just LOVED it!!!
Everyone here is polite and lovely. The space sparkles with Modernity and the players were fantastic!!! I can easily say now that I live in a city that loves and appreciates and supports the arts every seat was filled!!! I ve now bought a three show subscription.

Arena Stage's three theaters feature consistently high quality performances of inspiring, creative, and thought-provoking plays and musicals. The architecture of the Center is itself a creative tour de force, a fascinating place with interior and exterior views and comforts, including food and beverages, and the best "necessary" rooms in the city!

Jitney was wonderful. The all Male or mostly Male actors was extraordinary. I love Arena stage.

As always, I enjoyed a wonderful performance at The Arena Stage. Turn Me Loose was very powerful! It's a must see!

Great performance halls. Sometimes the shows are a bit too leading-edge. "Dave," for example was not necessarily ready for primetime.

Superb in every way. Great acting, great production, great theater. Love this place!

"Two Trains Running" was WONDERFUL! Theater was clean and comfortable. Enjoyable experience!

Arena is a gem of American theater. It contains three stages under one dramatic roof, and often produces several plays simultaneously. Reflecting its location in D.C., nearly every production has a strong American angle, many focus on the city's storied past and political drama, and the subjects and casting draw on the city's rich ethnic diversity. Parking can be a challenge for those who don't reserve it via a seasonal subscription. Pre-show on-premises dining is available and has the advantage of expediency, but can't rise above cafeteria-quality. Right across the street though are the dozen or so great restaurants of the city's new on-the-water Wharf neighborhood.

Beautiful venue, the staff was so friendly, warm, welcoming, and it was a fantastic experience.

Very enjoyable and modern live theatre in DC, located near La'Enfant Plaza and next to the south side of the DC Warf. Has multple stages and typically more than one show at a time. Offers a consession bar with snacks, sandwhiches, and limited selection of beer, wine, and liquor/mixed drinks. Also has a restaurant, which is more like a fancy cafeteria (food was decent, but nothing to write home about). It's not the Kennedy Center, but a more affordable and approachable option for theatre entertainment. The acting was surprisingly good and the stage was uniquely positioned in the middle of the audience like a mini sports arena, which was different but worked.

There is a discount fee for SW residents, which I was not aware of. I'm definitely going again soon.

Great experience. Friendly and accommodating staff. I came too late for the first show and the staff was more than helpful in exchanging my tix for the next show.

Food fantastic. Crab legs, crab cakes, etc. Awesome

Always a great time here. Quality productions and amazing venue!

Beautiful theatre, great location & world class performances.

Great intimate theater, good efficient bar for intermission. parking is tough pick up drop off tough.

Fabulous show and performers including live musicians offstage

Four Women was fantastic. A woman seated right behind me had a phone call that she couldn t turn off. Had to get up and leave.

All seats are great. Show was fabulous. Ended up buying season tickets.

Excellent plays, excellent actors, beautiful theater; and, of course,the best director(s) in the world!

Lovely performing arts space. I have seen several musicals and plays here. They have all been wonderful experiences. Highly recommend a special night out here for any singles or couples!

Very nice theater! We were in the smaller theater and the seats were a little tight! Overall the view from the audience was very nice (there are no bad seats)!! Jitney was amazing.

Easy like I like it ,parking under the building take elevator or walk up to the theater lobby you can eat if you want to and enjoy a wonderful show

I'm always excited to see a show at Arena Stage. They have almost no bad seats in the house, and their line-up is always thought provoking and well done. Grab a glass of wine or a cocktail at the bar, and enjoy the show!

We have had season tickets for about 25 years. Out of about 200 shows, only about 3 were not good. Most often, the plays are outstanding, including the first 3 thus far this season. There are almost no seats that I would say No to when I need to change performances (easy to do). I am usually amazed by the set designs. Only on rare occasions is there a weak person in a cast. We have enjoyed it so much that we are moving a block away from it as part of out later life downsizing.