The Atlas Performing Arts Center is a multiple space performing arts facility located on H Street Northeast in Washington, DC. Housed is a renovated Art Deco movie house the facility is home to several arts organizations.[1]
The Atlas Movie Theater was built in 1938, one of four movie houses on the then-bustling commercial corridor. The riots of 1968 devastated the area and many businesses and residents abandoned H Street for the suburbs. The area became neglected with many empty buildings. The Atlas closed for good in 1976.
In 2001 The Atlas Performing Arts Center purchased the building from the H Street Development Corporation. The structure was completely gutted and three adjacent buildings were combined under one roof to house the current Arts Center.
The nearly 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) facility boasts one 260 seat proscenium theatre, one large flexible seat black box theatre and two smaller Lab Theatres. There are three dance studios, managed by Joy of Motion Dance Center. In the lower level there is a scene shop, seven dressing rooms, one green room and office space for the Atlas and its Resident Arts Partners.
The mission of the Atlas Performing Arts Center is: To foster the artistic growth of professional and aspiring performing artists throughout the region To energize the revitalization of H Street Northeast To provide a unique community-centered venue for training and education in the performing arts and stagecraft To create a new model for collaborative theatre management
The Arts Partners are companies who call the Atlas home. Some perform exclusively at the Atlas while others perform in venues around the city, and even the world.
Atlas Arts Partners
Joy of Motion Dance Center
Congressional Chorus
American Youth Chorus
Capital City Symphony
The Washington Savoyards
African Continuum Theatre Company
Step Afrika!
Theater Alliance
The In Series
Levine School of Music
Washington Performing Arts Society
Washington Chorus
Opera Lafayette
Dance Place
City at Peace
Tappers With Attitude
Tribute Productions
In the winter of 2010 the Atlas hosted its first arts festival, Intersections: A New America Arts Festival. Under the direction of Artistic Director Mary Hall Surface, the goal of the festival was to bring artists from different disciplines, ages and cultural backgrounds together under one roof to celebrate and explore the areas to make new connections and break new ground.
Over 5000 people came to the Atlas of the three weekends of the festival, many of whom were new to the Atlas and to H Street. The Atlas plans to host Intersections again in 2011.[4]