BWW Q&A: Alexa Scott-Flaherty of STILL at CenterStage Theatre at the JCC of Greater Rochester

Lost love is revisited when Helen and Mark reunite to catch up on old times. Is there still a spark? Have their separate paths finally aligned? Are the things that drove them apart still an obstacle? A charming, thoughtful, and outright funny new play that just may help us find common ground in a divided world.

CenterStage is the local professional theatre company at the Rochester NY Jewish Community Center in the 288 Seat Hart Theatre. STILL kicks off the 49th Season. 

CenterStage Theatre has been delivering spectacular performances that touch and inspire audiences for more than 48 seasons, with a focus on world premiere plays and musicals and recent Broadway/Off Broadway releases.  

The mission of CenterStage Theatre at the JCC is to entertain, enlighten and educate the Greater Rochester community by providing quality theatre that is relevant to the Jewish experience and has universal appeal.

Our focus is developing new works, presenting world and area premieres of America’s hottest new plays and musicals and re-imagining beloved classics. We love plays and musicals that spark conversations, celebrate world-changing people and events and bring the world closer together

Alexa Scott-Flaherty is a senior lecturer at RIT in the School of Performing Arts, and also works as a theatre-maker professionally, both locally and nationally. Since joining RIT as a faculty member, she has directed “Concord Floral” (2024), the immersive, team-directed production of "Thy Name is Woman" (2023), “Men on Boats” (2022), and served as vocal coach for "Deaf Republic" (2023) with NTID Performing Arts. Other recent credits include directing "Still" by Lia Romeo (2025) and "Sisters-in-Law" (2024) at JCC Centerstage. For Blackfriars Theatre, she has directed “Cry it Out” (2023), “Calendar Girls” (2022), “The Undeniable Sound of Right Now”(2019) and “Twelfth Night” (2018). She also directed two plays written by local playwrights –“Fielder’s Choice” by Dave Andreatta (2018), and "Between Silences" by S.J. Henschel (2019). She collaborated with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra on “Women’s Suffrage: Past & Present” (2020), directing a new theatrical work which set the stories of strong Rochester women, past and present, to music. A proud member of LAByrinth Theatre Company in New York City, she has worked as an actor in New York City at many theaters, including The Public Theatre, SoHo Rep, and PS 122; with the Royal Shakespeare Company of London; and The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. One of Alexa's focus areas is on theatre for social change.

What about the play "Still" first attracted you to the project?

I think the question at the heart of this play about whether we can actually dialogue as human beings, meaning both listen and respond with respect for the other person and feel respected and heard in return- is the question of this moment. We are living in a time of monologues. People shouting their opinions into the void is not the same as being in a conversation. And what better way to experiment with that question than to put two actors in a room and make sure it’s a dialogue and note when it isn’t. That’s powerful work.

How does directing "Still" support your focus on theatre for social change?

I am really interested in those original questions that are at the heart of theater for social change, which are how do we show human behavior as alterable and how do we show that we as human beings are dependent on certain political and economic factors, but are still capable of altering them? How do we create community and engage that community in dialogue? As Boal says, theater is a rehearsal for the revolution. It is the time when we can be in a laboratory and explore the possibility of changing, and having an impact on our lives. Theatre for social change is dependent on being dialogic, not just spectator and subject. I think this play is asking us to engage this question as a a room, full of people, together.

How did you approach directing a play about love between a mature couple?

I think that there are aspects about falling in love that are not age dependent - like the butterflies, the desire to connect, the intense attraction and the fear of rejection... I think what is important about this mature love story as you point out, is that we need to feel that they have already had lots of experiences that have shaped them and they aren't going into this blindly, and that this is their last chance. I also personally think this is one of the most fun seduction sequences I've seen on stage because of the references to aging. 

How does your background as an actor influence your approach to directing?

I think it influences it in really big ways because for me the actors are at the center of the play. I think unlike some directors I like to give my actors a lot of agency and I see myself more as a facilitator and an editor and a person who provides the space for them to make really strong choices. I haven’t already made all of those choices. So I think they get to be really empowered as actors in our process. 

What unique challenges and opportunities does "Still" present as a Romantic Dramedy?

I think one of the challenges of the piece is that the audience is basically a fly on the wall watching these two people have one date. I also think that is the beauty of the piece. It’s happening in real time. It’s the normal drama of life. A very important day in their life. A crucial moment in their lives. But also, just life.

Why must audiences come and see the show?

I think you will have a wonderful time watching two fabulous actors in a beautifully designed space trying with all their hearts to connect to each other in a very divided world. I think it’s funny and moving and you’ll have a lot to talk about afterwards. You don’t want to miss this.

STILL at CenterStage Theatre Performance Schedule