Our People

Adele Robey

Executive Director

A Capitol Hill resident for 35 years, Adele is a founding member of Theater Alliance which was formed when she was on the board at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. In 2001 she and her late husband bought a property at 1365 H Street NE, Washington, DC, turning it into a small independent black box theater. This theater, The H Street Playhouse, proved to be one of the catalysts for the explosive growth that has happened on this corridor—a commercial strip that had remained mostly boarded up since the 1968 riots. In 2009 the theater was the recipient of the Committee of 100s Vision Award as well as the Herrema Architectural Award for Adaptive reuse. She has been intimately involved in local economic development, first as a member of the H Street Merchants Association and then as a board member of the H Street Main Street organization, She has also been a member of CHAMPS, Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and is a recipient of the Capitol Hill Community Achievement Award.

In 2012 she founded the Anacostia Playhouse which opened its doors in August 2013. Born out of a public/private partnership with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Anacostia Playhouse will serve as a neighborhood hub for the performing arts drawing participants and audience from both sides of the Anacostia River. As such it is poised to play an integral role in the economic revitalization of historic Anacostia and Ward 8.

As a full-time freelance graphic artist, she co-founded the successful Voice of the Hill newspaper, which was sold in 2007. She has served in the Capitol Hill public schools, fashioning after school programs for at-risk children A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she is the recipient of that school’s Alumni Award of Merit.

Alexandra Wilson

Director of Development

An experienced grant writer and devoted Ward 8 resident, Alex aggressively pursues funding opportunities allowing the Playhouse to reach its full creative potential. Alex received her J.D. from American University, Washington College of law with a concentration in nonprofit law. In her spare time you can find her volunteering at the National Gallery of Art or enjoying the Anacostia River Trail.

Nikki Peele

Marketing and Communications

Stephawn Stephens

Artistic Associate

Stephawn P. Stephens has become a recognizable presence, as a local actor, singer, and director in the Metropolitan area theater scene.  He is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and received his formal training at the Karamu House, Cleveland State University, majoring in English and Music Education and Bowie State University completing his studies in Musical Theater/Acting.

In his professional endeavors, Mr. Stephens has performed at several local and well-known venues such as Arena Stage, African Continuum Theater Company, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Ford’s Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Round House Theatre, Theater Alliance, Theater J, Signature Theatre and Woolly Mammoth.    He has been a member of Actors Equity Association since 2004. He is currently the Lower School Music Teacher at Creative Minds International PCS.

Throughout his career, Mr. Stephens has developed his craft, gained invaluable knowledge and experience in theater and education. He believes in cultivating an atmosphere where undiscovered talent is trained and perfected.  While building partnerships within the community through volunteering and his faithfulness to his church, Mr. Stephens has been touted by his peers as a “game changer”.  He strives to help build and motivate cross-functional teams that exceed worldly expectations and marries passion to purpose.

Natasha Preston

Administrative and Production Assistant

Natasha Preston is an actress, playwright, and choreographer who grew up in the DC area. She graduated from Kenyon College with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and minor in Dance. Natasha has trained with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Gately/Poole Acting Conservatory, and most recently has taken classes with Studio Theatre and Theatrelab. She has done internships with The Blank Theatre, Skylight Theatre, and the Ojai Playwrights Conference in California, and currently is a teaching artist with Acting for Young People, an acting education company based in Fairfax, Virginia. Natasha’s mission in her work is to create, promote, and support new works. She believes in art’s ability to inspire change in society. She has performed with Annapolis Shakespeare Company, LiveArt DC, In Scena Theatre Festival, and at Capital Fringe. Natasha is so excited to work with Anacostia Playhouse and to explore the DC theatre community further!

natasha.anacostiaplayhouse@gmail.com

John Johnson

Artistic Associate

Teaching Artist

John Johnson is a native Washingtonian and is the founder and artistic director of Verbal Gymnastics Theater Company. Mr. Johnson holds a B.A in theater from the University of the District of Columbia and uses his background in theater to create a unique interactive experience when writing and performing.

Mr. Johnson has worked as a drama therapist with a partnership with the District’s Youth Services Center. Among his accolades is being named one of DC’s “30 under 30,” a recognition given to emerging performance artists in their respective disciplines by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. He has also been a two-time Artist Fellow of the DC Commission. Other honors include participation in “Sounds of the Underground” DC HIP HOP Theatre festival one act plays. His most recent collaboration was as part of a radio project at American University’s WAMU 88.5 called “Anacostia Unmapped.” Mr. Johnson recorded interviews in which he captured the narratives of local residents in the rapidly changing communities “East of the River” in Washington DC. These interviews were broadcast by WAMU over a period of months in the fall of 2016.

Mr. Johnson has been exploring an improvisational form of theater/storytelling called Playback and mounted a playback performance at the Kennedy Center in September 2016. He plans on incorporating Playback Theatre into this current project “Crossing the Street,” and sharing this with the students and residents in the Gallaudet University community. John Johnson hopes that, “my work creates meaningful transformative conversation after the audience experiences this unique form of theater called Playback.”

BOARD OF DIRECTORS