Center Stage (theater)
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| Formation | 1963 |
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| Type | Theatre group |
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Artistic director(s)
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Kwame Kwei-Armah |
| Website | http://www.centerstage.org |
Center Stage is the state theater of Maryland, and Baltimore's largest professional producing theater. Center Stage began in a converted gymnasium in 1963 as a full arena theatre that seated 240 people.
Center Stage houses two performing spaces, the 541-seat Pearlstone and the smaller Head Theater, both in its home in the Mount Vernon Cultural District of Baltimore.
Launched in 1963 by a group of local theater supporters, Center Stage soon became a leader in America's regional theater movement, with the goal of producing first-rate professional theater for local audiences, along with theaters like The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Arena Stage in Washington, and Alley Theatre in Houston. On January 10th 1974, an arson fire (which was noted to be set off by two men who were forcibly removed from the next door bar Benny Goodmans Beef And Beer was out to burn down the bar for revenge, but accidentally mistook the Center Stage Theatre for the bar by setting it ablaze in the back part of the building), burned its North Avenue home to the ground. In 1931 the North Avenue building was previously occupied by a theatre called The Peabody which opened in the early 1900s, in 1931 Orioles Cafeteria a local food chain restaurant moved into the space at 11 East North Avenue and moved out in August 1965 to make space for The Center Stage Theatre, after the building burned down in .74 many decided that since the outer shell was not severely damaged that some hope have been considered for savage use, but the interior was completely destroyed and unstable and was later on considered unsafe by city inspectors and construction crews and was later demolished, although the majority of the building was demolished both sides of the facades columns remain to remind passerby's what was once there, today the site of the North Avenue building is currently a small parking lot for used cars and auto repairing. With the help of local civic leaders, the theater continued its season at a local college (once a part of Loyola High School and College), and used the disaster to launch a major public relations and capital campaign to keep the organization alive. The theater ultimately moved into a new space carved out of an abandoned Jesuit college. Since that time, it has become Baltimore's leading professional theater, hosting more than 100,000 people each season to its home in Mount Vernon.
In 2011, British playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah succeeded Irene Lewis as artistic director of Center Stage. Center Stage audiences became familiar with him in 2005 when Kwei-Armah’s most recognized work Elmina’s Kitchen held its American premiere at Center Stage. The play had previously debuted at the National Theatre in London in 2003, making Kwei-Armah the first Black Briton to have a play produced on the West End. Under the direction of Kwei-Armah, Center Stage has transitioned from a six play to a seven play season that includes a mix of comedy, drama, and musicals.
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