Chairman’s Circle members Ed and Arlene Cohen have trotted the globe, but there’s no place that makes them feel so at home as Roundabout

By John Istel
Photo: Steve and Anita Shevett

Arlene Cohen laughs when she describes meeting her husband, Ed, at a "mixer" in Boston in the early 1960s. She was an undergraduate at Simmons College; he was studying at Harvard Law. She repeats the term "mixer" and chuckles. "It seems so old fashioned."

After that fateful dance, Ed and Arlene dated, were married, and raised a family in Scarsdale. More recently, they’ve traveled the world, mixing it up at unusual places. They’ve explored the temples of Angor Wat in Cambodia and photographed gorillas in pre-civil war Congo. Their artistic creations decorate most of the walls of Ed’s midtown corporate law office—oil paintings by Arlene, a physical therapist, accompany her husband’s framed color shots of lions, tigers, and hippos.

The Cohens first became subscribers in 1990 and started supporting the theatre as Friends of Roundabout. "We were so impressed by how great it was we jumped in and haven’t stopped splashing since," Arlene says. Indeed, within a year or two, when the company moved to the Criterion Center, the Cohens compounded their commitment by signing on as Chairman’s Circle members. They immediately felt part of the extended family. "The nicest thing about the Chairman’s Circle is how nice Roundabout treats us," says Arlene. "The staff is always in the lobby and they remember our names! You feel welcomed. I don’t have to go around feeling important, but it’s nice that someone takes the time."

Ed doesn’t remember every detail of the dozens of shows they’ve seen together, but he swears he’ll never forget his first Roundabout event. In 1990, he was looking for a little entertainment for his firm’s summer law associates and brought them to Roundabout’s production of Moss Hart’s comedy, Light Up the Sky. The show was proceeded by a dinner during which Todd Haimes spoke to the group about what it was like being an artistic director of a not-for-profit theatre. And he brought a surprise guest. "As it turned out, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Moss Hart’s widow, was also going to be at that performance," Ed reveals. "So she came in and joined us and chatted about her late husband. It was just a spectacular evening."

The Cohens enjoy the many benefits of being part of the Chairman’s Circle—whether it’s an invitation to an intimate dinner with other Roundabout supporters or an opening night with glamorous actors. This spring, they met Antonio Banderas and his wife Melanie Griffith at the premiere of the revival of Nine.

But Ed and Arlene both agree that the staged readings, where they get a privileged peek at shows under consideration for production, are the most fun. "It’s just terrific," says Arlene. "They get such wonderful actors that I don’t always remember whether I saw the show or only the reading. They’re that good."

The Cohens are especially delighted that their enthusiasm has turned out to be infectious. They have enticed a number of friends to join Chairman’s Circle over the years. "We started off bringing in my best friend, Mike Rozen," says Ed. "He’s been very generous with Roundabout. All told, I’d say we’ve brought about four or five other couples to the theatre who then became subscribers and eventually members of the Chairman’s Circle. Sometimes they go to a show on the same night as we do, but not always. We’re still glad we brought them in."

Arlene points out that Roundabout has reciprocated by introducing the Cohens to couples who have subsequently become part of the "Cohen Circle." After a presentation about the American Airlines Theatre construction project, they ended up going out with several couples afterwards. "We’ve become very friendly with them," Ed says. "We’ll go out after or before a show, or we’ll see them on opening nights."

While the Cohens enjoy the special treatment and favors—help with buying house seats to Cabaret for out-of-town guests, a glass of wine at the American Airlines Theatre’s Nabisco Lounge during intermission, a dinner with famous actors and other theatre artists—they feel their commitment to Roundabout has created something more valuable. It’s a second home of sorts. As Ed says, "Roundabout has become a community that we love being a part of."

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