Madeleine Regina (she/they) is a Director, Actor, and Audio Drama Artist local to the DMV. In Audio Drama, Madeleine is most notably known for Co-Producing Feminist Fairytales on the Realm network, which was featured on the BBC Podcast Radio Hour and nominated for an International Women’s Podcast Award. 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. As a performer, Madeleine most recently appeared on stage reading poetry at The French Embassy, as Bubbles in Flying V’s staged reading at Awesome Con, and puppeteering twelve characters in Alice in Wonderland at The Puppet Co. Madeleine was Kat in 1st Stage's production of How the Light Gets In which was nominated for Best Ensemble and Best Production Helen Hayes Awards. She is a teacher and director with The Theatre Lab’s adult and Life Stories programs, where she helps people of many life experiences find their love of acting and share their stories. In addition to her many artistic projects, you can often find Madeleine gardening, reading, or snuggling her little dog Boba.

Aria Velz is a director, dramaturg, and producer who is happy to be here. Directing credits include The Brothers Paranormal (Olney Theatre Center), A Bright Room Called Day (Nu Sass/Pinky Swear Productions), The Cake (Prologue/NextStop Theatre), Crystal Creek Motel (Flying V Productions) among others. She has been an associate director for productions at Signature Theatre, Keegan Theatre, Theatre Alliance, Constellation Theatre Company, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, among others. She is currently the National New Play Network Producer in Residence at Theater Alliance and was an Allen Lee Hughes fellow at Arena Stage.

Nikki Mirza is a South Asian American multi-hyphenate theatre artist originally from Southern California. Her experience as a creative team member and performer deeply influences and informs both her artistry and perspective. Movement is a core tenet of her artistic style, so she frequently explores imaginative, physical storytelling in her work. 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 right here at 1st Stage! She has a passion for youth and the arts, having worked many TYA contracts as well as in the Entertainment Department at Legoland California. She is currently an Adjunct Dance Faculty member at The Catholic University of America and American University, having recently choreographed both of their Fall musicals. She was selected as a Local Theatre Artist in Residence at The Kennedy Center last year for her play, This Play Isn't About Brian, where she had the opportunity to workshop and present the piece. She is so excited to be a member of this inaugural cohort! nikkimirza.com