pThis book is a biography in the form of an oral history about a woman whose founding of Arena Stage in Washington DC in 1950 shifted live professional theater away from Broadway and inspired the creation of non-profit theaters around the country. Dianne Wiest, James Earl Jones, Stacy Keach, and Jane Alexander, among many others, share their memories of this intrepid pioneering woman during Arena Stage's early years.ppAs Head of New York University's Graduate Acting Program for 25 years, Zelda Fichandler also trained a younger generation of gifted actors. Marcia Gay Harden, Rainn Wilson, Mahershala Ali, and other developing actors who became artist-citizens under her guidance, talk about the ways in which she transformed their lives.ppTheater practitioners who have lived during Zelda Fichandler's time will find this book a fascinating and entertaining read--as will all theater lovers, especially those in Washington DC. And through this vivid and compelling oral history, students and as