BALTIMORE -- U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Rep. Kweisi Mfume visited West Baltimore's historic Arena Players theater—the oldest continually operating African American community theater in the U.S.—to highlight a $4 million direct federal investment they secured for the organization.

The lawmakers said they fought to deliver the investment as part of the fiscal year 2023 omnibus funding legislation enacted last month.

"What they have done is given us our link to the future," Catherine Orange, the director of the Arena Players Theater, said.

This investment will fund critical upgrades throughout the aging building. Those upgrades will include renovations in the main performance space, a complete re-envisioning of the auxiliary spaces on the second and third floors, revitalization of the exterior, and improvements to ensure ADA accessibility.

"There is a bright future ahead," Mfume said. "Thank God for the arena players."

The Arena Players is home to many people. For Steven Maurice, it helped him find his true passion in acting.   

"I've been here since 1979 it's been a way to get off the streets, grow as a confused young person and to find my niche," Maurice said.

His daughter, Shamira Huinnant, grew up watching Maurice act on stage. She spent many summers at the theater.  

The mission is not only to transform the theater, but the entire community.

"In addition to changing hearts and minds art when it is centered in neighborhoods can of course transform neighborhoods," Van Hollen said.

 Construction will begin in the spring of 2024.