2025 Mentor Program Cohort

Abby is a DC-based playwright and educator from Los Angeles.

Alessandro has been a Director/Arts Administrator since 2017.

Allegra Hatem is a DC native.

Anna Longenecker is a performer, choreographer, and museum professional based in Washington DC.

Annie Nguyễn is a heart-centered theater artist who invokes joy and nurtures depth of process.

Ash Jeffers is a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certified event & production manager.

Cayla Hall is an actor, singer, and stage manager dedicated to amplifying untold stories.

Daniel Brody is a starting theater professional looking to connect to the greater public through his joy, performance, and storytelling.

Daniella Ignacio is a Filipina American writer, theatre artist and musician.

Hui Zhu is an aspiring actor based in the DMV area, originally from Shanghai, China.

Jaida Gillespie is a director and actor passionate about celebrating black and queer voices.

Johnna Presby is a DMV-based costume designer and illustrator.

Marcel Hartley is a queer artist hailing from the beautiful, god-forsaken land of Tampa, Florida.

Nathan Pugh is a writer, journalist, culture critic, and arts administrator.

Nayanna Simone is an internationally trained theatre practitioner based in DC.

Oshun Baronville is an emerging transdisciplinary artist, oral historian, doula, cultural worker, and curator based in Washington, DC.

Sophie Smrcka is a scenic and digital media designer born and raised in Colorado.

Stacy L. Whittle is a multi-award-winning filmmaker and actor based in Washington, D.C.

Tymetrias L Bolden is a multi-hyphenated artist (actor, writer, mover, teaching artist and beyond) shaped by the spirit of the South.

KJ Moran Velz is a playwright, educator, and future drama therapist.

Originally from Oklahoma City, both of his parents grew up on farms and taught him the value of hard work and good company.

Hailing from North Carolina, she is an alumni of UNC Chapel Hill where she first fell in love with theater.

Nikki Mirza is a South Asian American multi-hyphenate artist originally from Southern California.

Elena Velasco is a theatre artist whose work encompasses performance, education, and activism, serving the DC and Greater Boston regions.

Katherine Ross moved to the DMV in 2012 and has been making art happen here ever since.

Billie Krishawn is a multi-disciplinary artist, activist-advocate and two time Helen Hayes award winner.

Mekala Sridhar is a DC-based theatre director, playwright, and producer.

Lauren Halvorsen is a dramaturg and writer based in Washington, DC.

Raghad Makhlouf is an actress, director, playwright, and teaching artist.

Aria Velz is a director and producer born and raised in NOVA.

Meghan Raham is primarily a set designer with a strong interest in the development of new work.

Tristan B Willis is a playwright exploring trans and queer stories, distanced performance, and the intersection of theatre and games.

Michelle Marie Lynch is a dramaturg, playwright, producer, and director.

Deidra LaWan Starnes, Associate Artistic Director at 1st Stage, is an actor, director, writer, and Learning and Engagement Facilitator.

Caro Dubberly is a multi-disciplinary artist originally from Denton, Texas, who has been living and working in the DMV for the last ten years

Otis Cortez Ramsey-Zöe is a care worker, dramaturg, director, and Literary Manager at Arena Stage.

A multimedia artist and designer with a focus on interactive and impactful video design for live performance.

Fran Tapia is a Chilean award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and director.

Renea is a classically trained actor in the DMV.