STAGE WRITE
Sharing youthful stories that uplift the spirit, challenge the mind, and honor both individuality and shared humanity.
Workforce Readiness & Lifelong Skills
The STAGE WRITE College Prep & Workforce Readiness Program provides local high school students with an opportunity to practice critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and teamwork through writing and performing narratives that are directly relevant to the issues they face in their own lives. Led by professional arts educators, STAGE WRITE is based on pedagogy that demonstrates that performing arts training builds workforce readiness and lifelong skills.
Testimonials
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“My students and I have enjoyed, and benefited from, every minute of our time with you, and we feel deeply grateful that someone made it possible for us to interact creatively with such kind, talented, engaging individuals.”
— RVA Educator
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“It's great to see the progress and hard work that has been put into Cadence's STAGE WRITE program. The dedication of your team is truly inspiring. As Manager of Literacy at Richmond Public Schools, I appreciate programs like these that help our students develop their skills in writing and storytelling. Your continued support is vital to the success of these programs, and we are grateful for it.”
— Literacy Manager, Richmond Public Schools
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“It is easy to see the impact that your program is having in our schools. I am always blown away by our students.”
— RVA Educator
Past Programs
Richmond Community High School:
"A Recipe for Community"
2025-2026 | EDITING BY MICHAEL DUNI
Huguenot High School: "Dear World"
2025-2026 | EDITING BY MICHAEL DUNI
Franklin Military Academy High School:
"The Real Traffic of FMA Hallways"
2025-2026 | EDITING BY MICHAEL DUNI
Franklin Military Academy High
School": “Teachers, Connect with Your Students”
2025-2026 | EDITING BY MICHAEL DUNI
Richmond Community High School:
“We See You, We Understand You, We’re With You”
2025-2026 | EDITING BY MICHAEL DUNI
Huguenot High School:
“Mental Health”
2025-2026 | EDITING BY MICHAEL DUNI
Richmond Community High School: "Societal Expectations"
2024-2025 | VIDEO BY MICHAEL DUNI
Franklin Military Academy High School: "How are you Mentally?"
2024-2025 | VIDEO BY MICHAEL DUNI
Huguenot High School: "Abuse of Power/Addiction Parts 1 & 2"
2024-2025 | VIDEO BY MICHAEL DUNI
Franklin Military Academy: ”Addiction”
2024-2025 | VIDEO BY MATT POLSON & MICHAEL DUNI
Thomas Jefferson High School:
”Multiple”
2024-2025 | VIDEO BY MATT POLSON & MICHAEL DUNI
Richmond Community High School: ”Testing”
2024-2025 | VIDEO BY MATT POLSON & MICHAEL DUNI
Fall 2023 PSAs
2023-2024 | VIDEO BY AUSTIN LEWIS & DEWEY COLLINS | EDITING BY MICHAEL DUNI
Spring 2024 PSAs
2023-2024 | VIDEO BY AUSTIN LEWIS & DEWEY COLLINS | EDITING BY MICHAEL DUNI
Semester 2 Part 2
2022-2023 | VIDEO BY MATT POLSON & MICHAEL DUNI
Semester 2 Part 1
2022-2023 | VIDEO BY MATT POLSON & MICHAEL DUNI
Semester One PSA
2022-2023 | VIDEO BY MATT POLSON & MICHAEL DUNISnapshots
Photos by Jason Collins Photography
Photos by Tina Burton
STAGE WRITE Instructors
Juliana Caycedo
Instructor
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Juliana Caycedo (she/her) is a Richmond-based actor, writer, and director. Her directing credits include Assistant Director for Kelsey Cordrey’s production of Straight White Men (TheatreLAB), Assistant Director for Rusty Wilson’s production of Native Gardens (Cadence), and most recently her solo directorial debut, Sanctuary City (5th Wall Theatre), for which she was nominated for Best Director by the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle.
Juliana has appeared on stage in Richmond as Lulu in Between Riverside and Crazy (Cadence in partnership with Virginia Rep), Zoe in An Octoroon (TheatreLAB), Li’l Bit in How I Learned to Drive (TheatreLAB), Dromio of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors (Richmond Shakespeare), Jean in POTUS (Virginia Rep), and Yazmin in Water by the Spoonful (Firehouse Theatre).
She was selected as a playwriting fellow for Cadence’s Pipeline New Works Program in 2023–2024.
In her free time, Juliana enjoys playing music, being outdoors, and watching movies.
She would like to thank her friends, her beloved husband Daniel, and their rescue dog Lenny for their endless love and support of her work.
Michael Duni
Director/Filmmaker
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Michael Duni (he/him) is a director and filmmaker who has worked on projects for Netflix, PBS, AMC, Amazon and others. At 28, Michael directed his first feature film, The King of Crimes. Outside of features, Michael’s short films, casting work, and cinematography have received international acclaim at festivals and mainstream theaters alike. Michael has also directed two stage plays, and has been tasked by distributors to re-imagine how plays are filmed for broadcast. He hopes his unique understanding of both film and theatre can help create storytelling experiences that elevate and combine both art forms.
Yolanda Macias-Cottrell
Instructor
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Yolanda Macias-Cottrell (she/her) moved to the Richmond area in 2023 after she and her husband retired from the U.S. State Department. As a spouse of a U.S. diplomat, she lived in Venezuela, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, and Canada. During her time overseas, she was involved in numerous volunteer activities. Yolanda was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and has a certificate in Management of Tourism Enterprises. Yolanda loves to travel and enjoys going to the theater, ballet, and movies. Most of all, she enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Rebecca Wahls
Instructor
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Rebecca Wahls (she/her) directs, writes, and produces film, theatre, and new media. Her first feature film, Him, played at festivals across the country, winning multiple awards, and is available to stream on Amazon. She has served as Artistic Associate for Acting for Young People since 2015, where she has directed and written over 50 plays for children. She recently completed a year as Artist in Residence at Duke University. Recent credits include Romeo and Juliet (Catskill Mountain Shakespeare); The Play That Goes Wrong and The Cottage (Cumberland Theatre); Annie and Pippin (Cadence), and GOOD (Duke University, original work). Next up, she will direct Cadence and Firehouse Theatre’s 2026 production of WitchDuck, a new play by Eva DeVirgilis. MFA, Carnegie Mellon University (John Wells Fellow). BFA, George Mason University. She is also a TEDx speaker. rebeccawahls.com
Shalandis Wheeler Smith
Instructor
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Shalandis Wheeler Smith (she/her) is a native of Petersburg, VA and currently resides in Richmond, VA. She received her BA in Psychology and English with emphasis in Theatre from Norfolk State University. Shalandis has previous experience as a Mental Health and Therapeutic Day Treatment Counselor. Currently, Shalandis is a local actress and a Production Manager for The Heritage Ensemble Theatre Company. Her joy for acting has led to her to being cast in many local commercials, films, and various theatres around Richmond. Shalandis loves spending time with her family and friends as well as supporting the arts.
Sponsors
This program is made possible through the generous support of the following sponsors:
