Silver Spring native Shaquille Stewart is the new executive director of the Silver Spring Stage.
The 31-year-old African-American is the first person to hold the position at the Silver Spring Stage, founded in 1968. He is also the first person of color in that job. “I’m the only executive director they’ve ever had. Traditionally, many of my duties are handled by the head chair of the board,” Stewart says.
Stewart started his position in January at the community theater at 10145 Colesville Road in Silver Spring.
“I’m learning the reins as well as taking the reins in a lot of projects. A lot of my work has been based in centering the community voice in our plays, in the selection of our plays and … in how our community reacts to the shows,” Stewart says.
Stewart was born and raised in Silver Spring and has deep roots in Montgomery County. He attended Argyle Middle School in Silver Spring and Albert Einstein High School in Kensington.
‘I’m pretty much as close as a hometown guy as you can get. All my friends are from Silver Spring. A lot of the art that I create is indicative of the area,” he explains.
Stewart, who lives in Baltimore, says his interest in theater began in high school when he was 15. A friend urged him to consider getting involved in theater to deal with his emotions after the death of his father.
He auditioned for “Urinetown: The Musical” and became part of the cast.
“It’s one of those things that … you’re able to put on somebody else’s shoes, even a fictional person. It kind of helps you understand the nature of emotion a little bit more,” Stewart says.
Stewart originally studied theater at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He later transferred to Montgomery College in Rockville, where he earned his degree in theater performance.
“When I came home from college, they hired me to work in the office as a TA (teaching assistant), so they were paying me in addition to teaching me. My entire life was there and, I think I learned and I caught the bug, and it hasn’t left me since then,” Stewart says.
Stewart is taking the time to learn more about the Silver Spring Stage as he assumes the executive director role.
“My first year, I’m planning to just lay the groundwork in pro-structural changes where we need more like a streamlined process for people interacting with the stage. That’s my first step. My next step is to … update the website and social media presence of how we are perceived,” Stewart says.
Stewart wants to diversify the productions offered at Silver Spring Stage by respecting what’s there, but knowing where they can do better.
“So that’s in our diversity and equity, that’s the shows that we do, that’s the people that we hire,” he says.
He is also reaching out to Black institutions, communities of color and those who identify as queer.
“It’s just about letting people know that we’re here, in a way that hasn’t been done before.”
Stewart envisions other possible changes at the Silver Spring Stage during his tenure.
“I’m talking about workshops. I’m talking about readings. I’m talking about maybe classes someday. Potentially expanding our rentals program as well,” Stewart says, adding that going forward the community theater is going to have to offer something that’s at least a little bit different to differentiate itself from other theaters.
In addition to his duties at the Silver Spring Stage, Stewart is a working actor, musician, and playwright.
“I’m a playwright, and I’m a play producer in the area, so it is important to my career that I’m able to have my hands in every part of the creation process,” Stewart says.
He is interested in a career that includes acting, executive directing and writing plays.
“I promised myself when I left a corporate job … that I would spend my life where I loved it, and that would be creating art, doing theater,” Stewart says.
Stewart acknowledges the theater industry was impacted by the pandemic. But he believes it is making a comeback, especially at the community theaters like Silver Spring Stage, where volunteers are passionate about theater.
“In the state of kind of social and societal reset after the pandemic, I think that this passion has become more important than ever,” he says.
Stewart also believes theater will endure because it is what he calls a healing art form.
“I think it’s healed just as many people as doctors have because it gives people purpose. It gives people family. And it gives people belonging. And I think that’s something we’re all looking for in life,” he says.