there. Meredith’s love for drama, theater and teaching led

there.

Meredith’s love for drama, theater and teaching led her to Boston University where she received her M.F.A. in theater and directing. She, again, put herself through school by working three jobs: a speech assistant in the drama department, an office assistant to the assistant vice president of Boston University, and a cashier working the graveyard shift at the Li’l Peach.

Meredith remembers, “I was so tired that I would fall asleep on a bench in the ladies room.”

In 1977, Meredith left Massachusetts and came to Washington, D.C. “to work at the finest theater in the United fjjtates. I came here to work at Arena Stage.”

Meredith became an Equity stage manager at Arena for three seasons, “I like doing that. I made everything happen.”

Hank says, “The stage manager runs the show. They call the cues. They make sure the show goes well. There could be 140 cues in a one hour and 45 minute show.”

Hank had been working at Arena Stage for ten years as the technical director. While working together, Hank and Meredith fell in love.

Meredith says, “When I met Hank, he was ready to retire. He retired in 1980. I could have stayed (at Arena) without him, but I was going to go with him.”

Hank hails from the Bronx. At Queens College in New York, Hank was the head theater technician for six years before he came to Arena. A famous designer, Robin Wagner, was doing the world premier of “The Great White Hope” at Arena in 1968 and asked Hank to come down from New York to be the technical director.

Hans. says, “1 came down and I liked it. I liked Washington, I liked Arena. I did the world premiere... and I j\jst stayed. Arena was at its height when I was there.”

Twelve years later, Hank says, “I was starting to lose interest. I was just tired of doing it.”

Meredith says, “Hank was inside windowless buildings for 20 years. Now he likes to dig in dirt and plant things.”