NextStop Theatre is proud to announce the world premiere of ↓D←R←O←W←N←E←R [Renword], a bold new haunted comedy by acclaimed playwright Nia Akilah Robinson. This production marks the beginning of a new chapter in the company’s commitment to producing daring new works and amplifying vital contemporary voices. The world premiere will have previews on January 29 and 30, open on Saturday, January 31 at 8 pm, and run through February 22.
In this eerie and sharp-witted new play, two Black college students take a summer job in the upstate New York home of the white, 93-year-old Professor Renword. Their primary responsibility is deceptively simple: watch her while she swims. But as the summer unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that something is deeply wrong with the professor. As she races to complete her life memoir, the professor is haunted by her past, while the present haunts the two young women. What begins as an odd employment arrangement descends into a nightmare for the summer employees. As secrets surface and tensions rise, the young women must confront whether their situation is truly inescapable or whether they can free themselves from the inherited burdens they’re carrying.
Robinson’s cutting-edge writing is no stranger to the DMV theater community. Most recently, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company produced her play The Great Privation (How to Flip Ten Cents into a Dollar) to wide acclaim in the fall of 2025, with The Washington Post praising Robinson as “a rising playwriting talent.” With ↓D←R←O←W←N←E←R [Renword], Robinson delivers a genre-bending work that is as unsettling as it is hilarious.
↓D←R←O←W←N←E←R [Renword] marks Heather Lanza’s NextStop directorial debut. Lanza assumed the role of Producing Artistic Director in fall 2024, bringing with her a renewed focus on developing and producing new work. It is fitting that her first production as a director at NextStop is a world premiere that exemplifies the company’s forward-looking artistic vision.
The cast features Amber Patrice Coleman, Jasmine Proctor (The Turn of the Screw), Nicole Halmos (Native Gardens; Helen Hayes Award winner for Outstanding Lead in a Play for The Cake), Mary Myers (Helen Hayes Award winner for Outstanding Supporting Actor for 45 Plays for 45 Presidents), Iris DeWitt, and Vincent Stovall. Understudies include Aja Goode, Courtney Simmons, Megan Barbie, and Christopher Holbert.
The creative team includes Shartoya R. Jn. Baptiste (Scenic Designer), Leigh K. Rawls (Properties/Puppet Designer), Hailey LaRoe (Lighting Designer), Imari Pyles (Costume Designer), Lee Martinez Cruz (Sound Designer), Miriam Weiner (Dramaturg), and Franklin Ruiz (Production Technical Director).
With ↓D←R←O←W←N←E←R [Renword], NextStop continues to position itself at the forefront of new play development, offering audiences an unforgettable theatrical experience.
Special events during ↓D←R←O←W←N←E←R [Renword] include
- Talkback with the Playwright and Director – Sunday, February 1, after the 2 pm matinee
- Under 40 Happy Hour – Friday, February 13 at 7 pm
- Topical Talkback – TBA
↓D←R←O←W←N←E←R [Renword] runs January 29-February 22, 2026, at NextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, VA. Showtimes are 8:00 PM Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2:00 PM Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $45 and available online or by calling the box office at 703-481-5930 x1. Enjoy 15% off select performances with promo code EBDR when you purchase through January 23.
About NextStop Theatre
NextStop Theatre Company is an award-winning professional theater company in the heart of Herndon, VA. Located minutes away from Reston Town Center, Historic Downtown Herndon, Dulles Airport, and the Herndon Silver Line Metro Station, the company has established a strong regional reputation for producing critically acclaimed productions and educational programs, while showcasing a wide array of local talent and arts relevant to the community.
