1st Stage Announces The Cast Of DUCK HARBOR Web Series

On June 1, 1st Stage premiered the immersive new web series, Duck Harbor, and revealed the cast to the world and each other.

Duck Harbor, a clever, humorous, and heartwarming story of long-distance love in later life, is presented as a web series in which the performers' identities and lines are revealed in real time.

Through this innovative series of short scenes, the audience gets to experience the magic of the theatre and the excitement of new love between two lonely hearts reaching out from charming small towns on opposite sides of the country.

This week, the incredible performers were revealed and met each other live, in performance, for the first time!

About the performers:

Geoffrey Rivas, a native Californian, graduated from UCLA with a Master of Fine Arts Degree with a concentration on acting. He has received numerous nominations for his stage work and is a founding member of The Latino Theater Company. The company, under the Artistic Direction of Jose Luis Valenzuela, has been producing award-winning Latino theatre nationally for 30 years. Film credits include Under the Tuscan Sun, Dragonfly, Luminarias, La Bamba, Born In East L.A., Pow Wow Highway, Bound By Honor, Above Suspicion, and Foto Novelas for PBS, for which he won an ALMA Award in 1998. A highlight of Geoff's prolific career on television was 9 years as Detective Vega on the original series, CSI (CBS). His directorial debut, Jozanne Marie's solo show, Beautiful - for which Jozanne won a NAACP award for best actress - drew much praise and favorable reviews as did his latest show, Home starring Nancy MA. Latina Christmas Special was further developed under his direction and is widely considered to be the longest-running and most successful show ever presented by the Latino Theater Company.

Deidra LaWan Starnes, Associate Artistic Director at 1st Stage, is a theatre educator, performer, and director throughout the DMV. Her 1st Stage acting credits include The Member of the Wedding and The Good Counselor. Other regional credits include The Amen Corner, Amadeus, Milk Like Sugar, The Gospel of Lovingkindness, Julius Caesar, Invisible Man (Helen Hayes Award Most Outstanding Ensemble), Intimate Apparel (Helen Hayes Award), A Raisin in the Sun, I Have before Me a Remarkable Document...., Two Trains Running, Spunk, Twelve Days of Christmas, Charlotte's Web, Passing Strange, In the Red and Brown Water, Radio Golf, King Lear, Doubt, and for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, directed by Ntozake Shange. Film credits include Chasing Refuge, Nocturnal Agony, and Ladder 49. Directing credits include A Civil War Christmas and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Helen Hayes Nomination for Most Outstanding Production), for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (Theatre Alliance), Street Life and The Name Game (DC Theatre Festival), Soul Collector (Port City Playhouse), Once on This Island, Jr. and 101 Dalmatians (The Theatre Lab Summer Musical Camp for Tweens). Her ten-minute play The Three Amigos was presented at African Continuum's Blaze of Horns II Play Reading Festival. She holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Maryland, an MFA in Drama from the University of Connecticut, and an MA in Producing Film, TV, and Video from American University. She is currently an adjunct professor at Bowie State University.

It's not easy finding connection these days. But when a crazy accident brings Wendy and Mac together, they might not want to let go...

Filled with small town charm, and featuring funny, quirky characters, Duck Harbor is a twelve- episode romantic comedy about rediscovering joy and figuring out where you're supposed to be in the world.

Every week, each of the two actors, who live on opposite coasts, will be given only their half of the script and will experience the other side of the story with a sincere and genuine freshness, "on stage," in front of our audience.

1st Stage is delighted to welcome back renowned playwrights E. M. Lewis and Bob Bartlett, who will be collaborating on this unique and exciting piece.

Performances take place every Tuesday, beginning on June 1 and ending on August 17. Each webisode installment is provided free of charge. Simply register at www.1stStage.org and tune in each week to follow this exciting story as it unfolds before our eyes.

Missed the first episode and want to catch up? Looking to go behind-the-scenes with exclusive interviews with the cast and creative team? Buy the $15 ALL ACCESS package to receive access to bonus content as well as previous episodes as the story moves forward week-to-week. Also available at www.1stStage.org.