I often come off like a chihuahua on sugar pills when reviewing plays for this magazine. I am excitable, yes, but never in the service of idle flattery. I also take no joy in being critical of people’s hard work. I’ve said this whole thing before several times, but I...
There are days of doing this when I just get to gush. Today is one of those days. I have had the pleasure this past year of witnessing some of the best theatre of my life. VA Rep’s Primary Trust floored me. Richmond Shakespeare continued their epic run of hits with The Importance of Being Earnest, Macbeth and As You Like It. Richmond...
Okay, I wasn’t prepared for the complete gut-busting insanity of The Play That Goes Wrong at Virginia Repertory Theatre’s November Theatre. Before heading to the Iron Blossom Festival this past Sunday, I caught a matinee. I didn’t know much about this play other than it was a comedy and that it was known for a good bit of physical humor. The...
Editor’s Note: RVA Magazine is proud to partner with Virginia PrideFest, happening this Saturday, September 12, and to produce the annual Pride Guide celebrating Richmond and Virginia’s LGBTQ+ community. You can download the 2026 Pride Guide HERE. We’d also like to thank the following sponsors who made the 2026 Pride Guide possible: Virginia...
“Oh, I’m going to have a field day with this.” These were my exact words to friend and artist Kyle Epps as I got up from my seat at Firehouse Theatre Saturday night. As we shuffled out of the theatre into the lobby, I took inventory of the stack of insights Dominique Morrisseau’s Confederates made into desperate rhetorical knife fights on the...
The Importance of Being Ernest has been on my radar since I was 13, when my beloved Morrissey mentioned Oscar Wilde in an interview. (Mind you, this was long before Morrissey’s far-right weirdo rants.) As a massive fan of the arch, wry, witty lyrics of the Smiths and being very influenced by British sitcoms— i.e., as a massive nerd — I had to see...
Little Bear Ridge Road, does something you rarely see in popular media these days. It reminisces on the period during and just after Covid. Somehow, collectively, we’ve silently agreed to just not talk about it anymore. We don’t want to relive it on TV, in books, or on the stage. The last ten years in this country will surely result in some great...
In the electric and perpetually sincere terrain of Richmond’s theatre culture, there are institutions that do more than merely reside, they lead. They serve as a measure of our city's potential beyond its natural aspirations. I've witnessed Firehouse Theatre inhabit that essential niche, becoming the forge where the art takes shape. It isn't just...
For one weekend, Agecroft Hall stopped being a museum and became a kingdom. What began as a fundraiser to help launch Richmond's first Renaissance Faire has grown into a destination of its own. Warriors in Bloom, created by the folks at Virago Alley, returned with more performers, more artisans, more storytelling, and the kind of fun that...
WARNING: This review contains baseball metaphors. Cadence Theatre’s Pipeline New Works Program is at the plate again, with its last batter, Witchduck, staring at home from third base. It is literally the first swing ever for the new musical, SAFETY!, at Firehouse Theatre, and I’m watching with a bucket of popcorn on my lap on opening night. This...
