District of Columbia › Arts, entertainment and recreation › 250 to 499 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Arena Stage Retirement and Savings Plan
Sponsored by Washington Drama Society, Inc., Washington, DC
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, Arena Stage Retirement and Savings Plan covered 384 participants and held $9.1M in net assets. The plan is a 403(b) plan sponsored by Washington Drama Society, Inc. of Washington, District of Columbia.
Net assets came to $23,785 per participant, well below the $48,746 median for defined contribution plans with 250 to 499 participants and well below the $37,341 median for defined contribution plans in arts, entertainment and recreation. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Schedule C lists 1 service provider organisation paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $7,047: $18.35 per participant, well below the same-size median of $141. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $7,047. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $4.8M in 2011 to $9.1M in 2024 (up 91%), and participants from 465 to 384 (down 17%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $23,785 | $48,746 | $37,341 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $2,017 | $1,567 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $18.35 | $141 | $89.78 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.08% | 0.30% | 0.27% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $18.35 | $133 | $83.28 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 250 to 499 participants (17,456 plans), arts, entertainment and recreation (1,025) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 384 | $9.1M | $23,786 | — | $353K | $7,000 |
| 2023 | 284 | $8.9M | $31,271 | — | $377K | $8,000 |
| 2022 | 405 | $8.7M | $21,380 | — | $334K | $9,000 |
| 2021 | 319 | $9.7M | $30,285 | $187K | $268K | $10K |
| 2020 | 296 | $9.6M | $32,463 | — | $313K | $18K |
| 2019 | 307 | $9.4M | $30,687 | $149K | $392K | $14K |
| 2018 | 273 | $8.1M | $29,678 | $147K | $366K | $14K |
| 2017 | 285 | $8.3M | $29,186 | $141K | $325K | $13K |
| 2016 | 281 | $7.5M | $26,594 | $134K | $335K | $10K |
| 2015 | 273 | $6.6M | $24,223 | $135K | $324K | $10K |
| 2014 | 255 | $6.3M | $24,835 | $129K | $254K | $8,000 |
| 2013 | 251 | $6.0M | $23,797 | $121K | $222K | $6,000 |
| 2012 | 264 | $5.2M | $19,553 | $78K | $200K | $8,000 |
| 2011 | 465 | $4.8M | $10,271 | $2,000 | $215K | $7,000 |
| 2010 | 141 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009 | 114 | — | — | — | — | — |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$8,881,096
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions$353,242
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$353,242
- Total income, including investment results$1,260,945
- Benefits paid$1,001,413
- Administrative expenses$7,047
- Total expenses$1,008,460
- Net income$252,485
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$9,133,581
Participants
- Active participants227
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits8
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits149
- Participants with account balances233
- Total participants, end of year384
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Variable Annuity Life Insurance Co. | Recordkeeping and information management; Investment advisory (participants); Participant loan processing | $7,047 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Contract administrator fees$7,047
- Total administrative expenses$7,047
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$6.8M · 74.4%
- Insurance company general account$2.3M · 25.6%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmWeyrich, Cronin & Sorra, LLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateYes, $25,974
- Covered by a fidelity bondNo
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2AAge/service weighted or new comparability or similar plan2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2LCode section 403(b)(1) arrangement (annuity contracts)2MCode section 403(b)(7) accounts (custodial accounts for regulated investment company stock)3DPre-approved pension plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 711100: Performing Arts Companies.
Similar plans in District of Columbia
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vida Fitness 401(k) Plan | Urban Adventures Companies, Inc. | 432 | $3.6M | $8,437 |
| The Phillips Collection Tax Deferred Plan | The Phillips Collection | 302 | $16.9M | $56,068 |
| National Trust for Historic Preservation in the US 403(b) Plan | National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States | 479 | $25.2M | $52,545 |
| Imp 401(k) Plan | It's My Party, Inc. | 220 | — | — |
| National Trust for Historic Preservation Defined Contribution Pension Plan | National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States | 522 | $21.1M | $40,500 |
| Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens 403(b) Plan | Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens | 192 | $9.8M | $51,034 |
Defined contribution plans in arts, entertainment and recreation closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Arena Stage Retirement and Savings Plan?
384 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 227 were active employees, with net assets of $9,133,581. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 250 to 499 participants band, which held 17,456 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Washington Drama Society, Inc. contribute per participant?
This filing has no Schedule H financial statement, so employer contributions are not reported here.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $7,047 in compensation to service provider organisations, $18.35 per participant or 0.08% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $141 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $7,047. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Washington Drama Society, Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Variable Annuity Life Insurance Co.. Investment advisory or management: Variable Annuity Life Insurance Co.. The financial statements were audited by Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra, LLC. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 8 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 53-0246894, plan 001, received 8 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.