The Harman Center for the Arts is a complex consisting of the Michael R. Klein Theatre (450
7th Street NW) and
Sidney Harman Hall
Sidney Harman Hall is a theater at Sixth and F Streets NW in Washington, D.C. It is part of the Harman Center for the Arts, along with the Lansburgh Theatre. It is the home of the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC).
Built for $89 million, the b ...
(SHH; at Sixth and F Streets NW) in downtown
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, US.
SHH is the latest addition to the existing Lansburgh Theatre to create the new "Center For the Arts". Construction began in November 2004 and it opened on September 15, 2007.
Jack Diamond designed the theatre and Paul Beckmann of the DC firm Smithgroup designed the building that houses the theatre at a cost of $89 million.
Ashley Parker, "Synonymous With Shakespeare in Washington", ''The New York Times'', 23 September 2007
/ref> Both theatres are home to Washington, D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Company
The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, ...
(STC), but the new theatre will extend its performance spaces to other local arts groups in the hope of broadening Washington’s appeal as an arts scene.
The Harman Center is named for the Harman family and former STC Board of Trustees member the late Sidney Harman
Sidney Harman (August 4, 1918 – April 12, 2011) was a Canadian-born American engineer and businessman active in education, government, industry, and publishing. He was the Chairman Emeritus of Harman International Industries, Inc. A co-fou ...
, who provided much of the financial support for its construction. Michael Kahn, Artistic Director of the STC, serves as Artistic Director of the Harman Center.
Usage
The completion of the Harman Center allows the STC to expand its season to seven plays, four at SHH (which seats 755) and three at its current location, the Lansburgh Theatre (which seats 451), in addition to the Company’s annual Free For All, formerly held outdoors at Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park is a large urban park that bisects the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The park was created by an Act of Congress in 1890 and today is administered by the National Park Service. In addition to the park proper, the Rock Cr ...
’s Carter Barron Amphitheatre, but from 2009's production of ''The Taming of the Shrew
''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...
'', has been on the main stage at the Company's SHH in downtown Washington.
SHH will have multiple stage configurations making it adaptable to the needs of each performance while the Harman Center will make it possible to develop the existing STC's educational programs in order to reach even more local students. Performances and programs will be made more accessible with the availability of discounted tickets.
Other participating arts groups
*Washington Performing Arts Society
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
*The Washington Ballet
The Washington Ballet (TWB) is an ensemble of professional ballet dancers based in Washington DC. It was founded in 1976 by Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Julie Kent since 2016. Septime Webre was artistic director fo ...
*Dance Place
Dance Place is an arts organization in the Edgewood neighborhoodhttps://goo.gl/maps/HfNB5TmHQsv Edgewood Map of Northeast Washington, D.C. The nearest metro station is Brookland/CUA on the Red Line.
History
DC Wheel Productions, Inc./Dance ...
*The Washington Bach Consort Founded in 1977 by J. Reilly Lewis, the Washington Bach Consort is a professional chorus and orchestra based in Washington, D.C. that is noted for its performance of 18th-century music on period instruments. It has appeared at numerous festivals a ...
*City Dance Ensemble
*Summer Opera Theatre Company
*Capital Fringe Festival
Project partners
*Shakespeare Theatre Company
The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, ...
* Michael Kahn
*Sidney Harman
Sidney Harman (August 4, 1918 – April 12, 2011) was a Canadian-born American engineer and businessman active in education, government, industry, and publishing. He was the Chairman Emeritus of Harman International Industries, Inc. A co-fou ...
*Smithgroup
SmithGroup is an international architectural, engineering and planning firm. Established in Detroit in 1853 by architect Sheldon Smith, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the United States that ...
br>
*City of Washington, D.C
See also
*Theater in Washington D.C.
This list of theaters and entertainment venues in Washington, D.C. includes present-day opera houses and theaters, cabarets, music halls and other places of live entertainment in Washington, D.C.
Current theaters
Producing theaters
*Adve ...
References
External links
Shakespeare Theatre Company
* Sidney Harman Hall is at coordinates
* Lansburgh Theatre is at coordinates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harman Center For The Arts
Penn Quarter
Theatres in Washington, D.C.