The Silver Spring Stage Board of Directors has hired Silver Spring native Shaquille Stewart as the company’s executive director as the Stage continues its revival after the setbacks of the pandemic and unanticipated facility repair expenses.
Stewart, a graduate of the Montgomery College theater program, has worked as an actor, technician, administrator, director, and teacher at theaters throughout the Baltimore-Washington region. This array of experiences laid the foundation for his artistic journey, showcasing not only a love for stagecraft, but a comprehensive understanding of the inner workings of a theater company.
“Theater spaces are more important now than ever,” Stewart said. “Over the last few years, I have made it my business to persevere in this industry, and to prioritize the voices of all who take part.”
Stewart says that his return to Silver Spring Stage is not just a professional endeavor, but a deeply personal one. He got his start in theater in the run crew of the Stage’s 2015 production of Steven Dietz’s Private Eyes. He performed at the Stage in the 2015 holiday show Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) and in Samuel D. Hunter’s A Bright New Boise in 2017.
“Being appointed as executive director at the Stage is a full-circle, cathartic moment in my journey,” Stewart said. “As executive director, my main goal is to uphold community-created art and ensure the Stage remains an accessible hub for the transformative power of live theater.”
Silver Spring Stage, founded in 1968 and incorporated in 1970, exists in part to provoke conversation and shine a light on stories that might otherwise remain untold. Silver Spring Stage is a community theater on a mission to present the best in contemporary theater that will appeal to the diverse population of the Silver Spring area and attract new audiences and artists.
