I am rarely speechless, especially about theatre. Since I don’t get paid if I remain silent, I will make myself criticize a play I don’t feel I have any right to judge. Gotta pay the rent, and all that.
I came into this performance of WitchDuck by Cadence and Firehouse Theatre with a vague understanding that this had some historical relevance to “witch” dunking (or ducking, as they would have said it at the time) in Virginia in the late 1600s and early 1700s. I knew it had something to say about feminism.
What I didn’t expect was a surgically precise vivisection of historical (and current) male fragility in the service of a savage patriarchy. And oh, the sarcasm. The jokes are served up thick, rapid-fire, potent, damning in their truth, and not shy of being baldly insulting, in the best ways.
This is the world-premiere run of the play, but it feels like it’s been in residence for decades.
This all-female cast delivered an experience that everyone should have to sit through. It characterizes so well the pervasiveness of misogyny and its violent absurdity with broad, but stinging, comedy. I was left in stitches as often as I was left in awe. Imagine the most socially relevant Monty Python’s Flying Circus performance and make it somehow funnier, while it sharpens its cultural spears against the grain of white male supremacy.
As a capital “P” Progressive, there wasn’t a single sentiment I disagreed with, but there were a few recognizable blind spots even the best of ethical intentions can miss. This was edifying, educational, and humbling. As a “dude” open to the idea of learning a thing or two, it was chill. I couldn’t help but giggle internally about the wounds that would be incurred by the less sturdy.
Be proud, Richmond, because this production is an RVA homegrown spectacle. Local playwright Eva DeVirgilis wrote it, with development assistance from Cadence’s Pipeline Fellowship and Firehouse’s New Works program. The writing is so sharp. The story is engaging. The resolution is the perfect digestif after a phenomenal meal. DeVirgilis is no stranger to recognition of her talents, but I do believe this piece belongs in Midtown Manhattan with the best of the best. It is refined, balanced, unhinged, and unrelenting. It is exactly what I imagine hilarious, sarcastic women talk about when men aren’t around. At least I hope it is.
Oh, also, Eva is in the play. She, like all of the actors here, plays several roles. Her take on the Minister (Barry) so perfectly skewers the nakedly hypocritical and unjust “morality” of puritanical religiosity, it is no surprise that she also wrote the role. It is this character specifically that recalls Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Like Eric Idle in a dress, but, you know, the opposite.
Anna Sosa’s Grace, the witch that gets the “ducking,” is the constant and reliable protagonist, a fiercely independent woman in the early 1700s who took on the system, raged against the machine, and (spoiler deleted). Her story is incredible, and true! Sosa gives the performance the grace of a Disney princess, an intentional role model with the determination of waves against rocks. The role demands a proverbial holding of the line in the midst of a swirling mayhem of jokes and pantomimes, fourth wall breaks, audience call and response, as if none of it is happening, and she’s great at it.
Lily Marcheschi is an alternate-universe Sarah Sherman (SNL). She, as Elizabeth, has impeccable comic timing and the depth to portray male-gaze bait in a feminist play and keep her dignity. One of the most potent things about this production is her nuanced perception of the virgin/whore, baby-voiced ingénue. She uses this caricature as unflattering fluorescent lighting on one of the cringiest creations of male fixation. Lily gives this role everything it needs to be an indictment of our most juvenile and disrespectful impulses. She brings into focus the twisted deformation of the sacred feminine we’ve inflicted on our sisters.
Jacqueline Jones embodied the robust experience of the archetypical dangerous “crone” perfectly. Her wisdom wasn’t foisted, forced, and unwarranted. DeVirgilis’ take on the special role the post-menopausal have in our society was revelatory. I hope it was inspiring to those who have felt their inherent value as a woman expire societally. Jones needed only to channel the truth of DeVirgilis’ words, and she did it expertly.
The rest of the cast elevated every single second of the play. One could nearly feel the rage behind their sarcasm, the need to get this right, their absolute respect for the source material. I love that they have had the opportunity to be with Eva as she debuted this masterpiece. I love that Eva had this cast to bring her work to life. Big ups to Cadence, Firehouse Theatre, Rebecca Wahls’ immaculate direction, and Laine Satterfield’s movement choreography.
Overall, there should be scheduled field trips from every high school to see this play. It’s not just good. It is important. I encourage any woman, no matter what persuasion, origin, or destination they come from (or are becoming), to see this. If you’d like to really be seen, if you feel your experience is somehow private, embarrassing, or out of your control, see this play. It is cathartic, infuriating, gut-busting, and gut-wrenching. It’ll make you want to burn a bra (or a bro, for that matter).
If you are a guy, you should be required to see it. If you’re not a prick, it will be all the same things it is to our female homies. If you are offended by any of it, fuck you, you’re the problem.
WitchDuck
Written by Eva DeVirgilis
World Premiere!
Co-produced with Cadence
It’s 1706. Virginia’s last convicted witch is sentenced to trial by water. What the duck? Over 300 years later, she still won’t stay down. The true story of Grace Sherwood resurfaces in WitchDuck, a wickedly subversive new play that proves once and for all: women are hysterical.
Pay-What-You-Will Preview: May 7th
Opening Night: Friday, May 8th
Final Performance: Sunday, May 24th
Get your tickets HERE
Photos by Jason Collins
Support RVA Magazine. Support Independent Media in Richmond.
At a time when media ownership is increasingly concentrated among corporations and the uber wealthy, RVA Magazine has remained one of Richmond’s few independent voices. Since 2005, the magazine has provided grassroots coverage of the city’s artists, musicians, and communities, documenting the culture that defines Richmond beyond the headlines.
But we can’t do this without you. A small donation, even as little as $2, one-time or recurring, helps us continue to produce honest, local coverage free from outside interference. Every dollar makes a difference. Your support keeps us going and keeps RVA’s creative spirit alive. Thank you for standing with independent media. DONATE HERE.
We’ve got merch HERE
Subscribe to the Substack HERE
And Reddit HERE
And YouTube HERE
