Richmond Shakespeare Reveals 2025–26 Season Featuring WITCH, MACBETH, and More

Richmond Shakespeare has announced the lineup for its 27th season, a five-play slate featuring a bold mix of classic and contemporary works that delve into questions of identity, morality, and ambition.

Productions will be staged across three venues: the Dominion Energy Center’s Gottwald Playhouse, Agecroft Hall, and Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Theatre Gym, as part of a new mini-residency partnership.

The season opens October 23 with Jen Silverman’s WITCH, a darkly comic retelling of a Jacobean fable that examines what people are willing to trade for power, connection, and hope. WITCH runs at Theatre Gym through November 9, 2025.

Next up is Rajiv Joseph’s KING JAMES, running January 15 – February 1, 2026, also at Theatre Gym. The play chronicles a years-long friendship between two men forged through their mutual admiration for NBA superstar LeBron James, exploring how sports shape identity, community, and connection.

The company returns to the Gottwald Playhouse in spring 2026 for MACBETH, Shakespeare’s psychological thriller of ambition and moral decay. The production runs March 27 – April 12, 2026.

Summer brings the return of the Richmond Shakespeare Festival at Agecroft Hall, opening with Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT, a pastoral romantic comedy of disguise, self-discovery, and the freedom of life beyond the court. The season concludes with Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, a timeless satire of social mores, mistaken identity, and the delightful absurdity of love.

“This season offers a selection of plays that are about identity,” said Artistic Director James Ricks. “We adopt roles—social, cultural, political—in pursuit of freedom, power, and love, and through that negotiation we reveal deeper truths about ourselves.”

Managing Director Jase Smith Sullivan emphasized the importance of community and venue partnerships, particularly the company’s expanded relationship with Virginia Repertory Theatre. “With the loss of City grant funding, we’re especially grateful to VA Rep for providing their Theatre Gym at no cost, ensuring we can continue to bring dynamic storytelling to our audiences.”

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