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Arlington’s Regent Theatre taps star Harvard prof. to lead operations
David Malan, a computer science professor, is known for his "educational theatricality." He will now call the shots at the Regent Theatre in Arlington.
Arlington’s historic Regent Theatre has someone new calling the shots: Harvard computer science professor David Malan.
Malan’s decision to become the theatre’s new operator was announced Tuesday. It comes on the heels of the retirement of Richard Stavros, who helped oversee the venue since 1993.
Malan is best known for being a leader in offering free, remote lessons to students around the world. He was the subject of a lengthy New Yorker profile in 2020, which tracked how Malan transformed Harvard’s introductory computer science course from a traditionally dry class into a glossy, worldwide ecosystem of computer science education with millions of viewers. As part of that development Malan moved the course from an unassuming lecture hall to Sanders Theatre, one of Harvard’s largest performance venues. “Educational theatricality” became his calling card.
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“I think a lot of my interest in the theatrical is honestly driven by some insecurity about not wanting the audience to be bored,” Malan told the New Yorker.
Now, Malan will take on a new kind of theatrical challenge.
“The vision is to leverage the theatre’s quieter times for all the more educational programming, not only for the local community but, through streaming [to] the world beyond,” Malan told Boston.com.
Stavros announced his retirement in March, putting out a call for a new operator dedicated to maintaining the Regent’s place as a cultural institution in Arlington. When Stavros initially took over leadership of the theatre, he saved it from becoming a restaurant, a gym, or an office complex.
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He worked to take the theatre’s history as a movie house and blend it with the concept of a modern performing arts center. That transformation accelerated in 2001, when real estate developer Gary Adelson purchased the building. Adelson is still involved, as is longtime Director of Programming and Community Relations Leland Stein.
“I love what I do here,” Stavros said in a statement. “And the decision to retire was not easy, but it’s rewarding to know that my work has helped to build the venue’s popularity as ‘the small theatre of choice’ in the Boston area, and I’m both pleased and confident that David Malan’s vision will further establish the Regent’s stature in the community and beyond.”
The 450-seat theatre will continue to offer live music, dance, comedy, film events, and more. Malan is set to introduce more educational programming and focus on using live streaming to share the Regent’s offerings with people around the globe, according to a release. Malan is planning to make updates to the Regent’s facilities to accommodate new educational programs. This could include interactive “Zoom walls” and “educationally theatrical sets and props.” It will now operate as a public benefit company.
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The Regent was built in 1916. It initially housed a movie theater, storefronts, offices, a bowling alley, and a pool hall. It has operated continuously since then, and all the major parties involved in the current transition say they are dedicated to preserving the Regent’s historic character.
“David understands what we do here, and—while respecting the Regent’s century-plus history and legacy—he has the foresight to bring his personal experience and passionate vision to his stewardship of the venue with an innovative, forward-looking educational component” Stein said in a statement.
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