Womens History Month : Zelda Fichandler : Pioneer of Theater

Zelda Fichandler was a pillar in the regional theater movement, leading Washington’s Arena Stage for 41 years. She produced 400 shows and directed more than 50 for a company that helped spur the growth of professional theater away from Broadway and inspired the creation of non-profit theaters around the country.

In 1950, Zelda’s ArenaStage was Washington D.C.’s first fully integrated theater, at a time when city parks and recreational facilities were not yet integrated.

Later, as Head of NYU’s Graduate Acting Program for 25 years, Zelda trained Marcia Gay Harden, Rainn Wilson, Mahershala Ali, Dianne Wiest, James Earl Jones, Stacy Keach, and Jane Alexander.

This September marks what would have been Zelda’s 100th birthday. To honor her legacy will be two new books;
–  An oral history from Routledge, To Repair the World: Zelda Fichandler and the Transformation of American Theater
– A collection of Zelda’s essays, speeches, and manifestos put together by Theatre Communications Group, The Long Revolution: Sixty Years on the Frontlines of the American Theater