CONFEDERATES by Dominique Morisseau to Open at Firehouse Theatre

Firehouse Theatre will present Confederates by Dominique Morisseau and honored to welcome back Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D. as director. This marks Pettiford-Wates' second time directing a Dominique Morisseau Mainstage production at  Firehouse Theatre, following the acclaimed Detroit '67, Winner of the Best Play award at the 2025 Richmond Community Circle Awards.

In Confederates, Morisseau skillfully weaves together two timelines, revealing how the experiences of Black women across history remain deeply connected. Through its compelling, refreshing and humorous storytelling, the play explores the importance of confronting historical injustice while celebrating resilience, perseverance, and the enduring strength of Black women.

Leading the cast is Lucretia Marie, joined by an outstanding ensemble of Richmond theatre artists, including Nia Frazier, Tevin Davis, Molly Marsh, and Nicole Cowans. Confederates opens Firehouse Theatre's 33rd Mainstage Season, launching a new year of bold, thought-provoking, and unforgettable storytelling.

Confederates will open on Friday August 21st, 2026, on the Carol Piersol Stage at the Firehouse Theatre, 1609 West Broad Street. Prior to opening, Firehouse will host two Pay-What-You-Will preview performances on Wednesday, August 19th and Thursday, August 20th. The production will run through Sunday September 6th, 2026.

Two Black American women are having parallel experiences of institutional racism, though they live over a century apart. Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau's exacting new play explores the reins that racial and gender bias still hold over American educational systems today.

Dominique Morisseau is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle), which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit '67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) and Follow Me To Nellie's (Premiere Stages). She is also the Tony-nominated book writer on the Broadway musical Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre). Dominique is an alumna of The Public Theater Emerging Writer's Group, Women's Project Lab and Lark Playwrights Workshop, and has developed work at Sundance Lab, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference. She most recently served as Co-Producer on the Showtime series Shameless (3 seasons). Additional awards include: Spirit of Detroit Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky-Cooper Prize, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBFT August Wilson Playwriting Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, Obie Award (2), Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, Variety's Women of Impact for 2017-18, and a recent MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow.

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D. is Artistic Director & Founder of The Conciliation Project, a non-profit social justice theatre company www.theconciliationproject.org . Dr.T is a playwright, director, actor, poet, and writer. She has appeared in the New York Shakespeare Festival's Broadway production of  For Colored Girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange performing in both the 1st national and international touring companies.  Her television, film, industrial, voice over and commercial credits are extensive. Favorite directing projects include Detroit '67 by Dominique Morriseau, Berta, Berta by Angelica Cheri, Passing Strange by Stew, for the Firehouse Theatre, The Niceties  by Eleanor Burgess for The Conciliation LAB, and Primary Trust  by Eboni Booth and Fences by August Wilson for the Virginia Rep all to critical acclaim. Fun fact: She's a featured voice talent for the video game HALO. She's a featured scholar in Black Acting Methods: critical approaches, a best seller on Amazon. In addition, her chapter “The Conciliation Project as a Social Experiment: Behind the Mask of Uncle Tom-ism and the Performance of Blackness” was featured in an anthology titled, “African American Arts, Activism, Aesthetics and Futurity”, edited by Dr. Sharrell D. Luckett.  Dr. T, as she is known in the community, recently retired from the faculty at Theatre VCU after 22 years, and is so excited to begin her ACT III with this production of Confederates. She is even looking forward to returning to the stage as a performer! 

The design team includes Costume Designer Margarette Joyner with sound designer and stage manager Grace Brown LaBelle, scenic design by Mercedes Schaum, lighting design by Michael Crevoisier, and projection design byDasia Gregg.

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