1st Stage is launching the Directors’ Residency and Commission (DRaC) program to help develop early career directors who live and work in the region. This new residency program, led by Artistic Director Alex Levy and Associate Artistic Director Deidra LaWan Starnes, will allow 1st Stage to continue supporting the region’s artists by providing opportunities to grow in their craft and by incentivizing living and working in this region.
There are no longer any universities in the DC region offering graduate-level directing programs. Without the ability to train and receive work in this region, early-career directors are being forced out of the area or away from the theater field. As the largest theaters in the DC region continue to hire non-local directors, the impact filters down to the rest of the production team, resulting in less work for all local artists. The DRaC aims to advance the careers of directors who are committed to living in this region and generating a thriving theater ecosystem.
The DRaC will meet for learning sessions twice a month over a 10-month period. 1st Stage artistic leadership will guide the Resident Directors in selecting a play to develop into a workshop for a limited audience. Resident Directors and 1st Stage artistic leadership will then work with performers, designers, musicians, and artists to build a workshop performance of the play. These plays will be considered by 1st Stage for a full production in the 2025-2026 season. Resident Directors will be paid a stipend and receive a budget for their workshops.
The 2025 inaugural cohort of Resident Directors are Madeleine Regina, Aria Velz, and Nikki Mirza.
Madeleine Regina (she/they) is a Director, Actor, and Audio Drama Artist local to the DMV. She has worked on The Sheridan Tapes as a Director, Flying V’s Paperless Pulp: Vox Elysium as Showrunner/Director, Tales of the Echowood as a Director, and Shelterwood as a Co-Director.
Aria Velz is a Director, Dramaturg, and Producer. Directing credits include The Brothers Paranormal (Olney Theatre Center), A Bright Room Called Day (Nu Sass/Pinky Swear Productions), The Cake (Prologue/NextStop Theatre), and Crystal Creek Motel (Flying V Productions) among others.
Nikki Mirza is a South Asian American multi-hyphenate theatre artist originally from Southern California. Nikki has collaborated regionally with La Jolla Playhouse, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Round House Theatre, Theater J, Imagination Stage, NextStop Theatre Company, Constellation Theatre Company, Goodspeed Opera House, Weathervane Playhouse, Creede Repertory Theatre, and 1st Stage.
More information on the inaugural cohort of Resident Directors can be found at https://1ststage.org/
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. 1st Stage was nominated for 19 Helen Hayes Awards in 2024, the third most nominations in the region. Other awards include the American Theatre Wing’s National Theatre Company award. Additionally,1st Stage is a renewed member of the Spur Local (formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy) class of 2024-2025. In September 2016, The Wall Street Journal called 1st Stage “one of America’s most impressive smaller regional companies.”
