1st Stage Launches The Directors' Residency And Commission To Develop Regional Directors

1st Stage is launching the Directors’ Residency and Commission 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 graduate level directing programs at any university in the DC region. 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.