Reginald L. Douglas appointed artistic director of the Mosaic Theater

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After extensive national research, Mosaic Theater Company of DC found its new art director closer to home. The company is proud to announce Reginald L. Douglas as its new artistic director.

Douglas is a DC-based director, producer and new play advocate dedicated to creating theater that connects audiences from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Throughout his career and in this new role, he will create and produce theater that will serve as a catalyst for conversation, social change and community building. He joined Mosaic after serving as Associate Artistic Director at the Studio Theater in DC and previously as Artistic Producer at the City Theater in Pittsburgh.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are delighted that Reginald L. Douglas has been selected to lead Mosaic as Artistic Director,” said Board Chair Cathy Solomon. “His fervent love for the theater, combined with his undeniable talent and passion for conversation-sparking work, and his dedication to telling urgent and compelling stories, breathes new energy into our space. We firmly believe that he is the right person at the right time for Mosaic. I can’t wait to see what he has in store.

Reginald L. Douglas at the Mosaic Theater marquee, where he was appointed artistic director. Photo by Chris Banks.

Douglas’s appointment ushers in the next chapter of Mosaic which builds on its strong history of telling stories that speak to the vital and pressing issues of our time and foster space for meaningful dialogue and intercultural connections. He joins the team as Mosaic once again welcomes the audience in person for the first time after successfully overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic.

“I am deeply honored to be appointed artistic director of the Mosaic Theater Company,” said Douglas. “I am proud to call Washington, DC my home and deepen my commitment to this vibrant arts community by working with this great organization as we create our next chapters together. Building on the founding of Mosaic, a community-centered, intercultural theater, I look forward to working with our Board of Directors and staff to make Mosaic a company that celebrates the rich diversity of thought, creativity and communities that inhabit DC and the DMV. Together, we will produce plays and programs – designed for and with our community – that ignite thoughtful conversation, center artists and audiences from all walks of life and neighborhoods, and value empathy, collaboration and joy as essential. to our success. I couldn’t be more inspired and ready to start this exciting work, using our theater to reflect the world not only as it is, but as it could be.

Douglas’ strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, which he has incorporated into his work throughout his career, aligns strongly with Mosaic’s mission to focus voices that are not often celebrated in the American theater. Among his many accomplishments, he has facilitated partnerships with local and national community leaders, universities and organizations; implemented a discounted ticket program for DC residents in conjunction with the DC Public Library; tasked BIPOC artists to think creatively and respond to the Black Lives Matter movement; and developed and led scholarships and training programs for emerging artistic leaders in Studio and City, among many others. Douglas uses his artistic talent as a means of community building and will develop strong community engagement programs during his tenure at Mosaic.

“Our goal during the search was to find an artistic director whose vision not only aligns with our mission, but will also help us take it to the next level,” said Serge Seiden, Managing Director. “We wanted someone who finds real joy in the work we do inside and outside the theater. Community dialogue and engagement are at the heart of Mosaic; what the audience sees on stage must follow them outside and open lines of communication with their neighbors, our broader DC community, and the world.

A nationally recognized leader in the development of new plays, Douglas has directed new and contemporary plays, musicals and multimedia works by a diverse group of emerging and established writers, including the Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MacArthur Fellow Dominique Morisseau, Angelica Chéri, Brian Quijada, Jen Silverman, Kemp Powers, Khalil Kain, Cori Thomas and Matt Schatz, including the musical A new untitled piece from Justin Timberlake Reginald will lead this fall, and many more. His passion and keen eye for new work and reexamination of classics has led him to perform in theaters across the country, including directing works at the Eugene O’Neill Center, TheaterWorks Hartford, Contemporary American Theater Festival, Everyman Theater, Weston Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Playwright’s Center, Audible, Bard at the Gate, Playwright’s Realm, Profile Theater, The Lark (Van Lier Fellow) and New York Theater Workshop (inaugural 2050 Fellow), among others. His critically acclaimed ensemble production of Dael Orlandersmith’s play Until the flood was hailed as “an innovative adaptation” by The Washington Post in 2021, and his recent work on A play at Weston Playhouse was appointed New York Times Critic’s choice.

As a producer, Reginald has developed, directed and produced over 75 plays, musicals and multimedia projects, including collaborations with writers including Pultizer Award winner Martyna Majok, Isaac Gomez, Stephen Belber, Kimberly Belflower, Sharon Washington and Lauren Yee, and acclaimed directors such as Chay Yew, Sheryl Kaller, Marti Lyons, Jade King Carroll and Adrienne Campbell-Holt. Reginald currently sits on the executive committee of the board of directors of the National New Play Network and on the faculty of his alma mater, Georgetown University, where he will soon be directing students in a production of Lynn Nottage. Sweat. A proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Reginald received the Emerging Professional Award 2020 from the National Theater Conference.

“Mosaic made a spectacular choice of Reg as the new artistic director,” Foundation playwright Andrew W. Mellon said in the Psalmayene 24 residence. “Reg is a first-rate theatrical mind, a gifted producer, an ardent defender of artists and the public, and a man of moral courage. Reg is the kind of leader American theater needs in this new cultural era. It’s a wildly exhilarating time for the whole Mosaic family!

“I am delighted for The Mosaic Theater Company and the theater community in Washington, DC that Reginald L. Douglas has been chosen to be Mosaic’s new artistic director,” said legendary director and playwright Emily Mann, former director of the McCarter Theater Center. “Reginald L. Douglas is a visionary – a bridge builder, a community builder and a true artist. What a wonderful choice for Washington and the American theater!

Mosaic’s first live production of the season, Birds of North America, by Anna Ouyang Moench, runs now through November 21. For more information on production, visit mosaictheater.org/birds-of-na. For more information on Mosaic’s 2021-2022 season, visit mosaictheater.org/season.

Reginald L. Douglas appointed new artistic director of the Mosaic Theater of DC Mosaic Theater Company to Vimeo.

ABOUT DC MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY

DC Mosaic Theater Company is committed to creating transformational and socially relevant art, producing plays by frontline authors of conflict zones, and creating a fusion community to solve some of the most pressing issues of our time. Free public programming and educational initiatives complement our productions. Mosaic is dedicated to making our theater a model of diversity and inclusion on and off stage. We strive to foster a culture of listening and welcoming, embracing complexity and a multifocal perspective. More information at mosaictheater.org.

ABOUT REGINALD L. DOUGLAS

Reginald L. Douglas is a director, producer and advocate dedicated to creating new works and supporting new voices. He has conducted works at the Eugene O’Neill Center, TheaterWorks Hartford, Contemporary American Theater Festival, Everyman Theater, Weston Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Audible, Bard at the Gate, Profile Theater, Playwrights Realm, Kennedy Center, Pittsburgh CLO, Arizona Theater Company, Barrington Stage Company, Ford’s Theater, Cape Cod Theater Project, Negro Ensemble Company, Theater Squared, Cygnet Theater, Palm Beach Drama Works, Playwrights Center, NNPN Showcase at B Street Theater, Capital Repertory Theater, McCarter Theater, Florida representative , Third Rail, Luna Stage, Harlem Stage, Wild Project, Signature Center, Drama League, The Lark (where he was the director of Van Lier), New York Theater Workshop (where he was the first director of 2050), City Theater Company in Pittsburgh, where he was artistic producer from 2015-2020, and Studio Theater in Washington, DC, where he was associate artistic director until 2021 and will direct Suzan-Lori Parks White noise in January 2022.

Reginald has developed and directed plays and musicals by Dominique Morisseau, Cori Thomas, Angelica Chéri, Lynn Nottage, Nikkole Salter, Dael Orlandersmith, Kemp Powers, Jen Silverman, Ngozi Anyanwu, Brian Quijada, Matt Schatz, Amy Evans, Zakiyyah Alexander, Imani Uzuri, Dave Harris, Francisca Da Silveira, Khalil Kain, Chisa Hutchinson, Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm, Josh Wilder, Larry Powell, Kareem Fahmy, Harrison David Rivers, Donja R. Love, Brent Askari, Nick Malakhow, Herb Newsome, Craig “muMs” Grant, Korde Arrington Tuttle, ak payne, Jessica Dickey, Laura Brienza, Kevin R. Free, Micah Ariel Watson and many more. He currently serves on the executive committee of the board of directors of the National New Play Network and on the faculty of his alma mater, Georgetown University. A proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Reginald received the Emerging Professional Award 2020 from the National Theater Conference. reginalddouglas.com

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