Molly Smith is an American theatre director and the artistic director of Arena Stage in Washington D.C.. She was formerly artistic director of the Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska; she founded it in 1979 and led it until 1998.In 1998, Smith became Artistic Director of Arena Stage. Interested in encouraging new American plays, she founded Arena's "downstairs series," which has held readings and workshopped some sixty plays, half of which have gone on to full productions.