Drama King Studio Theatre Adds Stage 4 and Metheny in Major Expansion by Fresia Rodriguez Cadavid Playgoers to the Studio Theatre now have two more reasons to stand in line at the box office. Their names are Stage 4 and Metheny. They are the newest theaters joining the two that already exist and are just two of latest attractions born out of the Studio Theatreís multimillion-dollar fall expansion and renovation. Last November, the Studio Theatre held its weekend-long grand opening filled with festivities, special performances and community events for its new three-building complex. Designed by theater designer Russell Metheny, the facility now includes two annexes purchased by the Studio Theatre in 2002. Within the new space, playgoers and art lovers will enjoy the same urban and vibrant design elements inherent in the original building, which was built in 1919 and was originally an automobile showroom. Building around the Studio Theatreís main facility, the expansion incorporated the two adjacent buildings, which also date back to the early 1900s. Once inside the complex, playgoers and artisans can witness how industrial elements intersect by viewing Methenyís inventive f usion of glass, steel and wood. Throughout the entire expanded facility, space is the principal element. There is a striking two-story glass atrium that connects the northern-most buildings. The open and incredibly spacious room with its two all-glass walls and ceiling looking out onto 14th Street serves almost as an epicenter where art combines with light and life. Led by artistic director Joy Zinoman in collaboration with Metheny, the Studio Theatre launched "The Changing Face of 14th Street," a $12 million initiative to purchase, renovate and secure the future of an expanded facility. Its goal centered on preserving cultural arts space as commercial development surged around the facility. Through constant fundraising, the Studio Theatre raised all but $500,000 of the necessary funds. Upon entering the new Studio Theatre, glass and metal fins, designed by architect William Bonstra, adorn the new central entrance on 14th Street and connect the new entrance to the atrium. Wall-size faces of Studio Theatre performers have also received a face-lift, being silk-screened onto lit glass panels. In addition, the new complex features three lobbies with two patron bars and a bookstore, new green rooms and dressing rooms, and new scene, prop and costume shops. One of the additional theaters, named after the designer, is a double-height theater that seats 200óthe same capacity as the first two. Because of its notable spaciousness, the ground-level Metheny Theatre, which opened with a revival of Anton Chekhovís "Ivanov" last month, will offer patrons much more freeing performances. The second new theater, Stage 4, is a spacious, accommodating area that will be physically adapted to whichever play it performs. The existing Mead and Milton theaters were also renovated. Services too are expanding. On the technical side, there is a new and much larger glass-walled box office and a call center to provide enhanced customer service. There will also be additional classrooms for the Studio Theatreís Acting Conservatory, the most renowned in the Washington, D.C., area. With only one building, Studio Theatre was only able to offer two classes in its Young Peopleís program. Now the class number will double. Future plans for growth include offsite classes in Southeast Washington, D.C. According Zinoman, the expansion was driven by the need to enhance the plays, preparations for artists and sets, and accommodations for students in the Acting Conservatory. But there were external factors as well. "The neighborhood was poised to explode," she explained. Concerned with the future of the nearby building, she said she wanted to protect the theaters that Studio already had. One of the challenges Zinoman and Metheny faced in the expansion was raising the necessary funds. Another test, she added, was "designing it in a way that we thought would be different, unique, original and artful, yet still very practicalókeeping it the right scale. We wanted the theaters to continue to be of a human scale." For Zinoman, it was important to have large areas for public use within the new facility because of the Studio Theatreís relationship with area merchants and community members. "Many would say they are here because of us. People have said we are the engine that is driving this revitalization." With the new facility, itís hard to argue otherwise. For more information on the Studio Theatre, please visit www.studiotheatre.org or call (202) 332-3300. Fresia Rodriguez Cadavid is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.