THE FIRST STAGE is an exciting new initiative to jumpstart the development of new works for the stage by connecting writers with performers, musicians, and audiences. These dynamic concerts invite you up close as songwriting, theatre, and music combine to create something brand new, and you get the first look!

BACK IN BIRMINGHAM is a one woman show (mostly) written by Sarah Aili & Radney Foster. Performed by Sarah Aili. When a rising singer returns home for a pivotal hometown performance, she’s confronted by the past she escaped, prompting three generations of women to reckon with regret, forgiveness, and what it means to love. Back in Birmingham is a one-woman theatrical work (mostly) rooted in music and memory.

I MAKE SENSE IN TEXAS is a rock n roll cabaret about big ideas and that little voice in your head. Through comedic narrative and original songs, Meredith DiMenna shares inimitable personal anecdotes and mind-altering perspectives on everything from romantic love to world peace.