Lineup Set For 26th Annual Richmond Shakespeare Festival at Agecroft Hall
The Festival will run from May 22 through July 20, 2025.
By: Stephi Wild May. 02, 2025
Richmond Shakespeare has announced the 26th Annual Richmond Shakespeare Festival, featuring Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand and William Shakespeare's beloved A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Festival will run from May 22 through July 20, 2025, Thursday through Sunday evenings at 7:30p, in the breathtaking outdoor setting of Agecroft Hall, 4305 Sulgrave Road, Richmond, VA 23221.
“This season offers two wildly different but equally magical experiences,” says Artistic Director James Ricks. “A Midsummer Night's Dream was my first experience with Shakespeare as a child. I remember almost every detail about that production. Needless to say, my parents were amazed at the impression it left. It's my hope that our production will have the same effect on our audiences, new or experienced.”
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand and directed by Andrew Gall kicks off this year's Festival and runs May 22 – June 8, 2025. Cyrano is a fearless soldier, an eloquent poet, and a man haunted by his famously enormous nose. Torn between his passionate love for Roxanne and his belief that she could never love someone who looks like him, Cyrano agrees to help the handsome but tongue-tied Christian woo her instead. What follows is a rich, romantic, and swashbuckling tale of wit, longing, and the power of inner beauty.
“Cyrano is action-packed with swordplay, secret crushes, razor-sharp wit, and one large, seriously conflicted nose,” says director Andrew Gall. “It's funny and full of feeling. If you've ever felt a whole lot and said too little, overthought a text, or said the right thing too late—you'll get it. Come for the swashbuckling. Stay for the soul.”
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare and directed by James Ricks closes out the Festival with a run of June 19 – July 20, 2025. A magical forest. A tangled love triangle. A troupe of amateur actors and a mischievous fairy named Puck. One of Shakespeare's most enduring comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream captures the chaos and beauty of love through illusion, enchantment, and moonlit mischief.
Written between 1594 and 1596, this beloved comedy blurs the line between fantasy and reality with themes of desire, friendship, jealousy, and transformation. It's a hilarious, heartfelt romp that remains just as spellbinding for today's audiences.
“The Richmond Shakespeare Festival is a true RVA tradition,” says Managing Director Jase Smith Sullivan. “We return once again to the magical courtyard at Agecroft Hall to create unforgettable summer evenings filled with live theatre under the stars. Come early, enjoy the gardens, and picnic on the lawn before the show. Then enjoy beverage and dessert vendors while marveling at some of Richmond's finest professional actors.”
Central Virginia Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
THE LIGHTNING THIEF (The Hurrah Players)
7.3% of votes
2.
RIDE THE CYCLONE (Little Theatre of Norfolk)
6.3% of votes
3.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (riverside center for the performing arts)
5.9% of votes
Videos