Guide to J. Burke Knapp papers , C0199

Historical Information

Arena Stage was an early leader in the resident theater movement. One of the first not-for-profit theaters in the United States as well as a pioneer of the regional theater movement the Arena Stage was the first regional theater to transfer a production to Broadway, the first invited by the U.S. State Department to tour behind the Iron Curtain and the first to receive a Tony Award. Co-founded in 1950 by Edward Mangum a teacher from the George Washington University, and Zelda Fichandler one of his students, Arena Stage was opened in Washington D.C. to fill the void left by the closing of the National Theater in 1948. Deriving it's name from the idea of "theater in the round," Arena Stage became one of the first resident theaters in the United States, beginning with a company of only eight actors. Today, Arena performs to over 250,000 patrons during a September to June season and employs nearly 200 theater professionals and craftpersons, who are responsible for all the costumes and scenery seen on stage. Many now- famous actors took part in Arena Stage productions during the early part of their careers. Some of them include Robert Prosky, Morgan Freeman, Dianne Weist, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Christopher Guest, Yeardly Smith and Samuel L. Jackson.

Mr. J Burke Knapp was an Economist for the Federal Reserve Board, 1940-44; adviser on German economic affairs, U.S. Department of State and German Military Government, 1944-45; special assistant to the chairman, Federal Reserve Board, 1945-48; director, Office of Financial and Development Policy, Department of State, 1948-49; economic adviser U.S. delegation to NATO, 1950-51; U.S. president of the Joint Brazil-U.S. Economic Development Commission, 1951-52; and assistant director, economics department, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 1950-52, director, Western Hemisphere department, 1952-56, vice president, IBRD, 1956 and President of the Washington Drama Society.

J. Burke Knapp papers

1960s

Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 1
Washington Drama Society, Inc. "Friends of Arena Stage"

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 2
Washington Drama Society, Inc. "foundation"

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 3
Washington Drama Society, Inc. correspondence

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 4
Washington Drama Society, Inc. third class postage

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 5
Washington Drama Society, Inc. construction contract

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 6
Washington Drama Society, Inc. D.C. Sales tax exemption

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 7
Washington Drama Society, Inc. D.C. personal Property Exemption

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 8
Washington Drama Society, Inc. mortgage

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 9
Washington Drama Society, Inc. correspondence

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 10
Washington Drama Society, Inc. fichandler contract

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Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 11
accounts book

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 1
Arena Enterprises Inc.

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 2
Arena Enterprises; Stock Agreement Form

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 3
incomplete dissolution of Arena Enterprises Inc.

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 4
correspondence; Arena Enterprise Stock

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 5
Trustee minutes and Stockholder minutes

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 6
correspondence and Joint Stock

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 7
Arena Enterprises stock sale

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 8
Washington Drama Society organization

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 9
Arena Enterprises fiscal Summary

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 10
Personal Arena Stage 1956-1960

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Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 11
personal Arena Stage 1956-1960

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Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 1
lease agreement with the District of Columbia, 1960

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Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 2
Arena Stage II materials

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Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 3
1956-1966 season summary sheet

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Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 4
1966-1967 season summary sheets

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Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 5
misc. records

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Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 6
1967-1968 season summary sheets

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Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 1
Washington Drama Society Inc. trust indenture 1960

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Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 2
Washington Drama Society Inc. trust indenture 1962

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Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 3
stock ledger book, bank notes and statements

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Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 4
Washington Drama Society land lease with the District of Columbia

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Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 1
instruction form for disposition of stockholder assets memorandum on dissolution, 1959 (1 of 3)

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Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 2
instruction form for disposition of stockholder assets memorandum on dissolution, 1959 (2 of 3)

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Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 3
instruction form for disposition of stockholder assets memorandum on dissolution, 1959 (3 of 3)

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Mixed Materials box: 5 folder: 4
Arena Stage II

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Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 1
1959 appeal for nonprofit status

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Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 2
nonprofit application

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Mixed Materials box: 6 folder: 3
1968-1969 season summary sheet

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Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 1
misc. financial documents

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Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 2
Arena Stage II

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Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 3
misc. correspondence

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Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 4
misc. correspondence

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Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 5
personal and property tax exemption information

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Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 6
Washington Drama Society Inc. exemption application

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Mixed Materials box: 7 folder: 7
Washington Drama Society Inc. application for tax exemptions

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Guide to J. Burke Knapp papers C0199

J. Burke Knapp papers

Administrative Information

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Historical Information

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