The 1st Stage cohort of resident directors: Madeleine Regina, Aria Velz, and Nikki Mirza.
TYSONS, VA.: 1st Stage has announced the launch of the Directors’ Residency and Commission (DRaC) program to help develop early-career directors who live and work in the D.C. 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 the region. The inaugural cohort of resident directors are Madeleine Regina, Aria Velz, and Nikki Mirza.
According to a release from 1st Stage, here are no longer any graduate-level directing programs at any D.C.-area university, forcing local early-career directors out of the area or away from the theatre field altogether. The DRaC aims to advance the careers of directors committed to living in this region and generating a thriving theatre ecosystem.
Madeleine Regina 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).
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.
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 2025-26 season. Resident directors will be paid a stipend and receive a budget for their workshops.
1st Stage Theatre is an award-winning professional theatre in the heart of Tysons, Virginia. The company serves as a cultural hub for the community, with the aim of producing first-rate theatrical productions as well as hosting professional musicians, orchestras, and visual artists, and providing educational opportunities for the community.
