Nearly 50 professional theater productions opened on Richmond-area stages this past year, so a summary that’s both comprehensive and concise is impossible. But many defining elements of local theater in 2025, ranging from triumphant to tragic, were encapsulated in the arguably underappreciated first show of the year.

That show was Yes, And! Theatre Company’s “Constellations,” opening mid-January. Both a heady conceptual experiment and an affecting drama, every performance of the two character play was unique. Four actors alternated in the two roles in every possible permutation, so there were essentially 12 different versions of the show.

One of the production’s actors, Marie Lucas, returned to Richmond just a few years ago after a decade in Chicago, exemplifying how experience gained in bigger markets has helped foster exceptional quality in local work.

Over the course of the year, several former locals swung through town for a virtuoso star turn. Drew Seigla gave a bravura performance in Firehouse’s “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” back in August, while Josh Marin played the empathetic heavy in “A Distinct Society,” also at Firehouse, in November. In one of the last shows of 2025, Broadway veteran Mary Page Nance hammed it up delightfully in Cadence’s “Annie.”

Richmond’s cultural bounty was also bolstered by several out-of-towners settling here, hopefully for good. Just one example was Emelie Faith Thompson stepping into the lead role of Virginia Rep’s summer blockbuster “Waitress,” while also moving her family here. Her talented husband, Nathan Whitmer, quickly made an impression, delivering standout performances in the Rep’s productions of “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Deathtrap.”

Setting the Scene

When I talked to director Maggie Roop about “Constellations,” she made special mention of how the set reflected life’s endless possibilities. Throughout the year, extraordinary scenic designs reflected local companies stepping up their technical game.

“Orient Express” conjured luxury hotels and grand snowy landscapes with Tennessee Dixon’s impressive projections. For “Which Way to the Stage” at Richmond Triangle Players (RTP), a huge theater marque cracked open to reveal what was essentially a second set.

In a rare display of very specific financial transparency, Firehouse Theatre put numbers behind its focus on higher-quality tech in a Facebook post, saying they’d tripled their average spend on a production’s scenic design from $600–$1,000 to $3,000–$3,500. This investment resulted in shows like world-premiere family drama “Burial Tax” sporting what appeared to be a fully-functional vacation home on stage.

Pushing Limits

Perhaps most heartening about “Constellations” was Yes, And’s willingness to tackle challenging work confident their audience would come out to see it. All of Richmond’s companies embraced this boldness in one way or another.

Richmond Shakespeare ventured outside preconceived boundaries with two exceptional non-Elizabethan plays. Back in January, the disconcerting “The Father: A Tragic Farce” depicted degenerative mental illness in sometimes harrowing ways while the feisty “Witch” delivered a female empowerment comedy for the ages this fall.

Never a shrinking violet when it comes to flaunting convention, RTP embraced the kaleidoscope structure of “A Strange Loop” with bracing results, the co-production with Firehouse cleaning up at the annual Richmond Theatre Community Circle awards.

Even Swift Creek Mill pushed into unfamiliar territory with the musical “The Spitfire Grill.” The Richmond premiere garnered raves with outstanding performances by relative newcomers to the area, husband and wife team Lindsey Zelli and Jeff Ashworth, in lead roles.

Meanwhile, Fifth Wall continued on its journey of revelatory envelope-pushing under the leadership of Top 40 Under 40 honoree Kaitlin Paige Longoria. Both “Sanctuary City” in the spring and “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord” in the fall challenged audiences in the best way.

New Work, New Wounds

Two essential stories of 2025 theater were not tied to “Constellations” in any overt way. Local favorite Katrinah Carol Lewis was doing incredible work everywhere in different capacities. She appeared in 4 productions, taking lead roles in both “Witch” and Firehouse’s searing “Detroit ‘67,” while also directing “A Strange Loop.”

Another bright spot was how locally-developed work continued to blossom, from “Willjee,” a professional production staged by Brightpoint Community College, to Cadence’s apprehensive “Smoke” to the thrilling reboot of the musical “Gabriel,” championed by Atlas Partnership.

The most heartbreaking story of the year is tied to “Constellations,” however. The production marked the second-to-last professional role inhabited by Adam Turck, the extraordinarily talented local actor who was shot while trying to diffuse an altercation in Shockoe Bottom. His subsequent death rocked a community that loved him for his unwavering generosity and integrity even more than for his prodigious skills.

The local theater world is still recovering from that unfathomable loss. It is doing so in an environment that seems cautiously optimistic in contrast to last year’s gloomy focus on economic struggles. With the emergence of young companies like Blk VA Theatre Alliance, run by another Top 40 honoree, Tariq Karriem, the stage is set for exciting new developments in 2026.