In the Press
‘WitchDuck’ Vs. the 18th-Century Manosphere
With its satirical look at an overlooked piece of Virginia history, Eva DeVirgilis’s new play is for the women who’ve spoken up against patriarchy for centuries.
What the Duck
People have an instinctive aversion to hard truths, particularly if they’re hit over the head with them.
The ferociously comic and persistently wacky “WitchDuck” manages to circumvent that aversion. Like a skilled magician, the world premiere play serves up so many antic hijinks as a diversion that the hard truths sneak in past any normal defenses.
Casting a New Spell: Playwright Eva DeVirgilis conjures the bold magic of WitchDuck
Eva DeVirgilis has driven by Witchduck Road in Virginia Beach dozens of times. But, she had never questioned the origin until she participated in the Pipeline New Works Program through Cadence Theatre.
Founded in 2019 by Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire and Chris Lindsay-Abaire, the program helps creatives like DeVirgilis develop new works.
Cadence and Firehouse Theatre Will Co-Produce New Play WITCHDUCK
Cadence and Firehouse Theatre will present the world premiere of WitchDuck, a dark comedic and subversive new play based on the true story of Grace Sherwood, Virginia's last convicted witch. This new work, written by Eva DeVirgilis, reexamines this dreadful history with a smart feminist perspective.