Giving the Arts More Room to Grow

"There are a variety of uses and options that could fill the space," she said. "It's going to come down to what is the best fit."

The county's economic development department is still taking calls and considering proposals, Vasquez said. Applicants are being asked to submit plans on how they would use the space, including how often they would mount productions and what their operating hours would be. The county is seeking proposals that will serve residents and draw more visitors.

The next official action in the process will occur in March, when the county will sign the lease agreement with the Rosslyn developer, Monday Properties. That agreement would give the county use of the space in return for allowing the developer to construct a 30-story building on an adjacent parcel.

The sticking point for all of the groups, however, is that although the space will be offered for free, the chosen organizations will have to pay for the upkeep, including utility costs, Vasquez said. The Newseum, which vacated the space in 2002, spent about $500,000 a year in operating costs.

But the Rosslyn Business Improvement District might step in. Its board of directors is considering helping to defray the expenses for local arts groups, Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy said.

"We are very interested" in participating in the negotiations, Cassidy said. "The Newseum was given as a community benefit, and we want to make sure the community benefits. Arts groups have been clamoring for space for theater and for dance."

Cassidy said the availability of the building presents exciting cultural and economic possibilities for Rosslyn.

"It's an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate what Arlington has done in the arts," she said.

The Newseum, which was a museum of the news industry, was completed in 1997. It features open and enclosed spaces, with ceiling heights of up to 35 feet, that could be used for permanent displays or traveling exhibits. It contains a 220-seat dome theater, a 28-seat mini-theater and an area designed to accommodate a broadcast studio. Its terrace and sculpture garden offer spectacular views of downtown Washington.

County officials won't make the decision alone. The Arlington Commission for the Arts, a citizen group, is expected to play a key role in deciding who fills the space. It may not be easy to reach a consensus.

"Probably more have expressed interest than we can accommodate," said John Seal, chairman of the commission.

But Seal indicated that he is particularly interested in local theater groups that have few places to perform. He said such organizations need a home so they can focus on "building their audience."

That kind of talk encourages Henley and Kriskovets, and they are preparing their pitches. Both have reason to strut their stuff. Each theater presented productions that made the annual top 10 list of Washington Post critic Peter Marks, who heaped praise on the Washington Shakespeare Company's "Caligula" and Synetic's "Fall of the House of Usher."

The Washington Shakespeare Company may be based in Arlington, but its offerings seem anything but suburban. Its recent productions featured naked actors performing "Macbeth," which played to packed houses, and an iconoclastic interpretation of Shakespeare's "Richard II" inspired by the movie "A Clockwork Orange."

Synetic garnered critical acclaim for its production of "Romeo and Juliet," appearing now at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre. Its affiliated children's company, known as Classika, which operates out of Shirlington Village, would use the Newseum space. Its ongoing production of "The Bremen Musicians" has been a box-office success, with sold-out performances.

"Our productions bring people to Shirlington Village," Kriskovets said. But if Classika can't stay there, the group still wants to stay in Arlington.

"We're helping market Arlington as an arts destination," she said.