Instead of going to Virginia "temporarily" the Arena Stage should have stayed in DC...

In response to the Post article, "Arena Stage Moving to Va. While Venue Is Expanded."

For example, to help resuscitate a theater, they could have rented the Takoma Theater in Takoma, providing money to the owner, and giving him a way out of the corner he's gotten into, putting forth a proposal to tear down the theater, a contributing resource in the Takoma Historic District. (Perhaps this is part of the motivation behind the Arena Stage's commitment to presenting some of their productions at the Lincoln Theater.)

This is but another example of using DC resources to help DC further. I believe that the Arena Stage is getting DC monies for the expansion of their current site, although these monies are being dwarfed by private contributions...

This is one of the faults of DC not having a true Cultural Resources Management Plan, and there being a need for a stronger organization to "oversee" the arts rather than having a Mayoral Commission, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Also see this previous blog entry:

-- Cultural resources planning in DC: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king