Solas Nua, the Washington D.C.-based contemporary Irish arts organization, has appointed Rex Daugherty as its full time Artistic Director of Theatre. This is a senior full-time position with responsibility for the leadership and management of the theatre program of Solas Nua. Mr. Daugherty, originally from Oklahoma City, has been an active member of Washington’s robust theatre scene for the past thirteen years. He became a company member with Solas Nua in 2008 during their sold-out, Off-Broadway run of Disco Pigs, and has been acting as theatre artistic director on a part-time basis since 2015.
Solas Nua (‘new light’ in Irish) is a recipient of the DC Mayor’s Arts Award for ‘Innovation in the Arts,’ and is a leading, multi-disciplinary Irish arts organization. Mr. Daugherty’s primary role will be to oversee the creation, planning and execution of Solas Nua's theatre programming. Daugherty joins recently appointed Interim Executive Director Miranda Driscoll to plan and implement the company’s exciting, multi-disciplinary art forms.
"I am delighted to be taking this step forward with Solas Nua, a company I’ve come to call my artistic home for over ten years. Working closely with the board of directors these last few years, I’m very proud of what we have achieved in a relatively short amount of time. This new role will be a legacy for Solas Nua, ensuring a permanent home for Irish arts in our nation’s capital. Solas Nua is one of the few internationally focused arts companies in D.C., and has a unique ability to connect audiences and artists from around the world. The timing of Miranda’s appointment, the new branding campaign, and now this announcement of my position shows how committed the organization is to expanding the impact contemporary Irish arts will have here in Washington. My undying thanks to the artists and supporters who have invested their talent and energy into Solas Nua!”
During his five years as artistic director of Solas Nua’s theatre programming, Daugherty has garnered international acclaim for his productions, earned multiple Helen Hayes Awards and nominations, and provided the company with steady artistic and financial growth. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, on the cover of American Theatre Magazine, The Irish Times and aired on RTE - Irish TV.
Paddy Meskell, Co-Chair of the board of directors of Solas Nua shares, “I am thrilled that Rex is becoming a full-time member of the company. Rex has already made outstanding contributions to Solas Nua since 2008, and his full-time role will allow him to deploy his considerable creative, artistic and organizational talents and energies to the organization. This appointment, in addition to the recent appointment of Miranda Driscoll as full-time Executive Director, is a critical step for Solas Nua in building long-term sustainability, moving towards our vision of being a leading contemporary Irish arts organization in the United States. Solas Nua’s board warmly welcomes Rex, and our community is excited to be working closely with him in this new capacity.”
Daugherty has planned a 2021 theatre program that includes an outdoor production, radio dramas, new digital plays, a festival of work from Northern Ireland, discussion panels, and three new play commissions that pair Irish artists with US artists of color to explore multicultural, international perspectives and stories. Daugherty shares, “It’s our most ambitious season ever, a fitting launch for Solas Nua’s next chapter.”
