Book Launch: Making the Scene: Theater on 14th Street in the 1980’s

 Book Launch:

  Making the Scene:

Theater on 14^th Street in the 1980’s

 by Amy Schmidt

Presented by

 the Drama Committee of the Arts Club of Washington

Monday, May 11, 2026

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Open to Members & Guests

(RSVP required)

Event Overview

 Please join us for the book launch of Making the Scene:  Theater on 14^th Street in the 1980’s.  Written by Amy Schmidt, co-founder and managing director emeritus of SCENA Theater, the book  documents the transformation of the 14^th Street  “riot corridor” of 1968 in DC into a thriving theatre district that “left in its wake a generation of well-trained theater professionals who would help boost Washington into one of the nation’s leading theater towns.”    The book features Interconnected stories, interviews and the author’s commentary accompanied by vintage photographs and original illustrations.   This hard cover 210 page book, produced in a signed and numbered limited edition of 500 copies, will be available at the event.

Many prominent members of the Washington theater community are expected to attend this event, including theater founders, artistic directors and award winning actors.   After the event, complimentary copies of the book will be donated to the People’s Archives at the MLK Memorial Library, the DC History Center, the University of Maryland’s Special Collection on the Performing Arts and the George Mason University Libraries Special Collection Research Center.

Author Amy Schmidt holds a PhD in history and enjoyed a long career as historian at the National Achives in Washington.  Together with Robert McNamara, she co-founded SCENA Theater in1987.