Women, Witches and a World Premiere

By Liv Wilson 

WitchDuck Opens Tonight.

In 1706, Virginia tied up a woman named Grace Sherwood and threw her into the water to see if she was a witch. Three hundred and fifteen years later, a playwright drove past a road sign and decided the story wasn't finished.

This Friday, May 8, Cadence and Firehouse Theatre open the world premiere of WitchDuck, a sharp, darkly funny new play by Virginia-based playwright Eva DeVirgilis. The production runs through May 24 on the Carol Piersol Stage at Firehouse Theatre.

WitchDuck tells the true story of Grace Sherwood, Virginia's last convicted witch and the last woman to be "witchducked" in North America. The practice was brutal in its logic: tied up and thrown into the water, a woman who floated was guilty. A woman who sank was innocent -- but also dead. DeVirgilis found this history close to home, about nine miles from where she lives, and spent a year developing the play through Cadence's Pipeline New Works Fellowship.

"I wrote this for anyone who's ever felt silenced," DeVirgilis says. "I want people to laugh, but I also want that laugh to catch in their throat a little. I want people to feel seen and leave entertained but also to ask harder questions about power, voice, and who gets believed."

Directed by Rebecca Wahls, the production features an incredible ensemble and design. 

WitchDuck plays May 8 through May 24. For tickets and show information, visit WITCHDUCK. 

This production is made possible through the generous support of the following foundations, corporations and individuals. Additional funding for the Firehouse Theatre is provided by The Shubert Foundation and Style Weekly.  

Photos by Jason Collins Photography.