On June 1, 1st Stage premiered the immersive new web series Duck Harbor and revealed the cast to the world and each other. Duck Harbor, a clever, humorous, and heartwarming story of long-distance love in later life, is presented as a web series in which the performers’ identities and lines are revealed in real time. Through this innovative series of short scenes, the audience gets to experience the magic of the theater and the excitement of new love between two lonely hearts reaching out from charming small towns on opposite sides of the country.
The two performers—Geoffrey Rivas and Deidra LaWan Starnes—were revealed and met each other live for the first time.
Geoffrey Rivas, a native Californian, graduated from UCLA with a Master of Fine Arts Degree with a concentration on acting. He has received numerous nominations for his stage work and is a founding member of The Latino Theater Company. The company, under the Artistic Direction of Jose Luis Valenzuela, has been producing award-winning Latino theater nationally for 30 years. Film credits include Under the Tuscan Sun, Dragonfly, Luminarias, La Bamba, Born In East L.A., Pow Wow Highway, Bound By Honor, Above Suspicion, and Foto Novelas for PBS, for which he won an ALMA Award in 1998. A highlight of Geoff’s prolific career on television was 9 years as Detective Vega on the original series, CSI (CBS). His directorial debut, Jozanne Marie’s solo show, Beautiful – for which Jozanne won a NAACP award for best actress – drew much praise and favorable reviews as did his latest show, Home starring Nancy MA. Latina Christmas Special was further developed under his direction and is widely considered to be the longest-running and most successful show ever presented by the Latino Theater Company.
Deidra LaWan Starnes, Associate Artistic Director at 1st Stage, is a theater educator, performer, and director throughout the DMV. Her 1st Stage acting credits include The Member of the Wedding and The Good Counselor. Other regional credits include The Amen Corner, Amadeus, Milk Like Sugar, The Gospel of Lovingkindness, Julius Caesar, Invisible Man (Helen Hayes Award Most Outstanding Ensemble), Intimate Apparel (Helen Hayes Award), A Raisin in the Sun, I Have before Me a Remarkable Document…., Two Trains Running, Spunk, Twelve Days of Christmas, Charlotte’s Web, Passing Strange, In the Red and Brown Water, Radio Golf, King Lear, Doubt, and for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, directed by Ntozake Shange. Film credits include Chasing Refuge, Nocturnal Agony, and Ladder 49. Directing credits include A Civil War Christmas and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Helen Hayes Nomination for Most Outstanding Production), for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (Theatre Alliance), Street Life and The Name Game (DC Theatre Festival), Soul Collector (Port City Playhouse), Once on This Island, Jr. and 101 Dalmatians (The Theatre Lab Summer Musical Camp for Tweens). Her ten-minute play The Three Amigos was presented at African Continuum’s Blaze of Horns II Play Reading Festival. She holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Maryland, an MFA in Drama from the University of Connecticut, and an MA in Producing Film, TV, and Video from American University. She is currently an adjunct professor at Bowie State University.
About Duck Harbor
It’s not easy finding connection these days. But when a crazy accident brings Wendy and Mac together, they might not want to let go…
Filled with small-town charm, and featuring funny, quirky characters, Duck Harbor is a 12-episode romantic comedy about rediscovering joy and figuring out where you’re supposed to be in the world.
Every week, each of the two actors, who live on opposite coasts, will be given only their half of the script and will experience the other side of the story with a sincere and genuine freshness, “on stage,” in front of the viewing audience.
Duck Harbor—coauthored by renowned playwrights E. M. Lewis and Bob Bartlett and directed by Artistic Director Alex Levy—will be performed in 12 episodes every Tuesday at 8:00 PM EDT from June 1 to August 17, 2021. Each webisode installment is provided free of charge. Simply register at 1stStage.org and tune in each week to follow this exciting story as it unfolds over time.
A $15 all-access package, also available at 1stStage.org, includes bonus content—behind-the-scenes with exclusive interviews with the cast and creative team—as well as previous episodes as the story moves forward week-to-week.
SEE ALSO: ‘
Duck Harbor’ from 1st Stage to serialize the surprise of a bicoastal love
About 1st Stage
1st Stage Theatre is an award-winning professional theater in the heart of Tysons, Virginia. The company serves as a cultural hub for the community producing first-rate theatrical productions as well as hosting professional musicians, orchestras, and visual artists, and providing educational opportunities for the community. In 2020, 1st Stage was nominated for 18 Helen Hayes Awards, winning 5 including Outstanding Production of a Play (The Brothers Size). Other awards include the American Theatre Wing National Theatre Company award, Last year, the company won 5 Helen Hayes
Awards, including an Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical (Fly By Night). Additionally, 1st Stage is a member of the Catalogue for Philanthropy class of 2016-2017. In September 2016, The Wall Street Journal called 1st Stage “one of America’s most impressive smaller regional companies.” For more information, visit 1st Stage online at 1ststage.org or follow the theater on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
