Fair Play Arrives at 1st Stage: A Riveting Look at Women's Athletics

This October, 1st Stage Theatre in Tysons will bring to life Fair Play, a bold new drama from British playwright Ella Road, offering a searing look at what it means to be exceptional in the contested world of women's athletics. The clocks are set and the line is drawn: Ann and Sophie push toward greatness, but in doing so must negotiate not just competition, but the scrutiny of their bodies, relationships, and identities under a merciless public gaze.

Under the direction of Deidra LaWan Starnes, 1st Stage's associate artistic director, the production casts Makhai Dominique and Camille Pivetta in the lead roles, marking their debuts with the company. Starnes, whose credits include Hang, Quilters, The Rainmaker, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, steers the drama with a steady hand, guiding audiences into the emotional heartbeat of the piece. The creative team amplifies that journey: Sarah Beth Hall shapes the physical world, Alberto Segarra and Thom Woodward sculpt light and sound, Cidney Forkpah designs costume, Justin Nepomuceno handles props, Mark Costello provides projections, Jeri Marshall coaches dialects, and Lorraine Ressegger oversees intimacy direction.

1st Stage has long positioned itself as a vital regional theatre near Washington, D.C., recognized for combining artistic daring with community engagement. Its recent production of The Nance earned four Helen Hayes Awards- including Outstanding Production - and was the most nominated show in the region in 2025. In staging Fair Play, 1st Stage continues that trajectory: bringing a contemporary, provocative work into its space and inviting the local audience into a conversation about competition, pressure, identity, and the costs of striving for perfection.