Theaters Contribute Significantly to Arlington County’s Economy
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For Immediate Release: March 31, 2009
Contact: Angela Fox, 703-412-9430
Theaters Contribute Significantly to Arlington County’s Economy
Crystal City’s Arena Stage & Shirlington’s Signature Theatre Boost Local Businesses
Crystal City (Arlington, VA) – The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) in conjunction with the Arlington Commission for the Arts announced the completion and release of a study on the economic impact of theaters in Arlington County. The objective of the study was to document the key role theaters play in building and transforming Arlington County communities, specifically focusing on Arena Stage in Crystal City and Signature Theatre in Shirlington.
“The arrival of Arena Stage here in Crystal City in 2008 has been a success on every level,” said Angela Fox, President/CEO of the Crystal City BID. “We know Arena Stage has had a tremendous positive impact on Crystal City’s economy, in addition to the obvious cultural and social aspects it has brought to the community. To have the economic impact quantified, further demonstrates the importance of these theaters to local businesses.”
Arlington Arts Commission Chair John Seal says the report shows that art does more than entertain, it boosts the economy. “This study confirms that when Arlington places art near business the result is more spending. The combination creates jobs and tax dollars for the County and a better quality of life for all,” said Seal.
The study provided strong and credible data demonstrating the economic benefits that the theater brings to a neighborhood and its surrounding community. Of the patrons surveyed, the data showed that a staggering 84% of Arena Stage’s patrons and 66%of Signature Theatre’s patrons were from outside Arlington County. These figures show how a theater can bring people to a community who may not have visited otherwise, generating revenue for Arlington County that could have been spent elsewhere had a theater not attracted them to the area.
After examining theater patrons’ expenditures at nearby restaurants both before and after each event, it is clear the arts contribute significantly to the economic health and well-being of Arlington County. The findings show that more than 50% of theater patrons visit a restaurant prior to attending a show while approximately 20% stop by a restaurant for dinner, drinks or dessert after a show. This generates an average of $8,000 in restaurant receipts per performance, equating to roughly $4 million annually for Arlington County.
For those interested in viewing the complete findings of “The Economic Impact of Theatres in Arlington County, Virginia” online, go to www.crystalcity.org.
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About the Crystal City BID
Established in April of 2006, the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) is creating a soul for Crystal City. A public-private partnership, the BID is providing a higher level of service to visitors, workers and residents in Crystal City - driving to become a world-class destination in both Arlington and the greater DC region. For more information, visit www.crystalcity.org.
About Arlington County
Arlington, VA., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the “10 miles square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation’s Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency’s highest award for “Smart Growth” in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world – including the Pentagon – Arlington stands out as one of America’s preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
About Arena Restaged
With construction well underway on the 47-year-old Southwest D.C. theater campus, Arena Stage has launched ARENA RESTAGED, a two-year festival celebrating the rich mosaic of our nation’s voices. ARENA RESTAGED, which will lay the foundation for a new home for theater artists and audiences, will take place throughout the time it takes to finish the expansion of the new theater complex, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. At the Center, the two existing performance spaces – the premiering American theater, The Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle, will be added. Arena Stage at the Mead Center is scheduled to open for the 2010/11 season.
To allow for a timely and cost-effective renovation, Arena currently operates out of Arena Stage in Crystal City (1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA) and at the historic Lincoln Theatre (1215 U Street, NW, Washington, D.C.). As information changes and/or becomes available throughout the transition, Arena will keep its website at www.arenastage.org as up to date as possible with Frequently Asked Questions, directions and other relevant information. Information on Arena Stage’s 2008-09 season is also available online.
About Signature Theatre
Under the leadership of co-founder and Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer and Managing Director Maggie Boland, Signature is a non-profit professional theater company dedicated to producing contemporary musicals and plays, reinventing classic musicals, and developing new work. To date, Signature has presented over 25 world premier productions and is renowned for combining Broadway-quality productions with intimate playing spaces. In addition to the finest talent from the DC metropolitan area and New York, Signature has been a home to such theater luminaries as John Kander and Fred Ebb, Cameron Mackintosh, Terrence McNally, and the company’s signature, Stephen Sondheim. Signature has been nominated for 276 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the professional theater and has been honored with 59 Helen Hayes Awards, including Outstanding Musical in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2999, 2995, and 2006, and Outstanding Play in 1999. Signature Theatre is supported by grants from the Arlington Commission for the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
