For Kaitlin Paige Longoria, having bad mentors inspired her to be a good one.
“People underestimated me a lot,” she says. “I had a teacher in one of my theater classes say, ‘Wow, you’re actually smart. I never would have guessed that.’”
Now in her roles both as artistic director for 5th Wall Theatre and education coordinator at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts), she has the opportunity to give young artists a leg up in the competitive arts world. “If I can help people realize even a portion of their potential, that is deeply meaningful to me,” she says.
Longoria grew up in Texas and didn’t really find her feet until she moved to New York, working there for seven years as a film, TV and stage actress. She brought that experience, and an abundance of creative energy, to Richmond when she moved here with her boyfriend in 2021.
Longoria wanted to start a theater company of her own but friends encouraged her to reach out to Morrie and Carol Piersol. Carol co-founded 5th Wall in 2013 and was in the late stages of brain cancer; Longoria met her just once before her death in 2021.
“We gave [Kaitlin] some projects to do,” says Morrie Piersol. “And it was very clear from her skills, her personality, and her vision that she was a perfect fit.” The 5th Wall board named her artistic director last summer, prompting a “Person to Watch” callout by Style.
Since then, the first show she produced solely for 5th Wall, 2024’s “Radiant Vermin,” won a Best Play award by the Richmond Theatre Community Circle and every production since has been critically acclaimed.
“I love provocative theater. I love big, bold work,” Longoria says. “People say to me, ‘I can’t wait to see what crazy show you’re going to do next.’”
She also inked a long-term agreement to stage shows in The Basement; the downtown venue will be the company’s first true home. Residency there will allow Longoria to build a bridge with her work at VisArts: young artists will be able to exhibit their work in the space.
“A student recently said to me, ‘You’re the youngest artistic director I’ve known and you’re a Hispanic woman too,’” Longoria recalls. “It was cool to hear someone acknowledge that and for them to see that maybe that’s not the most unachievable thing in the world.”
