The Firehouse Theatre is proud to present the Developmental Premiere of Out The Mud written by Kristen Adele Calhoun. Calhoun’s work is celebrated for its cultural specificity, emotional honesty, and commitment to elevating voices and developing stories that challenge and illuminate the complexity, resilience, and imagination of Black life in America. Local award-winning actress Katrinah Carol Lewis will star as Sweet Fullilove, alongside newcomer to the Richmond stage, Jaylen D. Eashmond, who will be playing Haywood Way. This play’s development was supported by a commission from the Alcove New Play Development Program, Lucille Lortel Theater, New York City, Caridad Svich, Artistic Director. Out the Mud opens on Friday March 13th, 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, March 11th and Thursday, March 12th. The production will run through Sunday March 29th, 2026.
Juneteenth 1865, a newly freed couple stands at a crossroads: leave the only land they’ve ever known to forge an uncertain future, or remain on the plantation to work for the very family that once claimed ownership over their lives. Inspired by the Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, Out the Mud weaves humor and heart into a powerful story about love, legacy, and the pull of freedom.
Kristen Adele Calhoun is a writer, actor, producer and curator. Her writing commissions include the Lucille Lortel Theatre, the NAACP, St. Louis Black Repertory Company, 651 ARTS, Penumbra Theatre, the Black American West Museum and Firehouse Theatre. Her plays include winner of the Edgerton New Play Award: Black Cypress Bayou, winner of a Relentless award: WILDCAT, and blood work (National Black Theatre), Out the Mud (Firehouse Theatre), and Canfield Drive (the Black Rep). Her film and television writing credits include: HBO’s adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel SULA helmed by showrunner Shannon M. Houston and Stephanie Allain’s Homegrown Pictures & BLKNWS: TERMS & CONDITIONS directed by Kahlil Joseph. She is the co-curator of BLKSPACE, a two-week, rest-centered residency for Black artists and a recent I AM SOUL Playwriting Resident at Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre. Kristen’s television and film acting credits include House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Elementary, Blue Bloods, and The Good Wife.
A native of Dallas, Texas, she is a graduate of the University of North Texas (Bachelor of Fine Arts) and the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University (Master of Fine Arts). She splits her time between Ghana, Mexico and Massachusetts where she is the Sterling A. Brown Distinguished Visiting Professor of Africana Studies at Williams College.
Chuck Mike is an award winning, internationally acclaimed theatre director, playmaker, educator and social activist. Some of his main-stage productions have appeared on the stages of The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., The Royal Court Theatre in London, The Edinburgh Festival and National Theatre of Nigeria. Some highlights include: Fences, Raisin in the Sun, Macbutu (after Macbeth), Sense of Belonging and Zhe: (Noun) Undefined (both authored by him), Things Fall Apart (World Tour), Yerma, Women of Owu (after Trojan Woman), Tegonni (after Antigone), The Meeting, Fairview and Blues for Mister Charlie. He enjoys devising original work and has initiated performances for social change in rural and urban communities across Africa, Europe, Canada and America. As artist-in- residence/ workshop leader and visiting professor, some spaces of work have been the University of Leeds, Oxford University, University of
Toronto, New York University, University of lfe (Nigeria), London’s Royal National Theatre Studio and the Windybrow Theatre of Johannesburg. Founding Artistic Director for Collective Artistes (Nigeria and UK) and The Performance Studio Workshop of Nigeria, Chuck Mike has been the recipient of grants from International Telephone and Telegraph/Fulbright, MacArthur, Ford and Camargo Foundations and the American Cultural Specialist program. Co-curator, with Carlyle Brown, for the Cultural Diaspora program, a residency for playwrights of African descent in Cassis, France he is Professor Emeritus of Theatre at the University of Richmond in Virginia.
The design team includes costume designer Margarette Joyner, props designer Tim Moehring, sound designer and stage manager Grace Brown LaBelle, with scenic design by Chris Raintree and lighting design by Andrew Bonniwell. Erica Hughes will serve as the dialect coach and Phil Hayes will serve as the fight choreographer.
Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (804) 355-2001 and are available online at www.firehousetheatre.org. Tickets cost $40. A 15% discount is available to active duty military and veterans. $15 tickets available for college and high school students. Pay-What-You-Will performances will be offered for both preview performances, as well as all matinees (excluding closing, March 29th).
PRODUCTION TEAM
Playwright: Kristen Adele Callhoun
Playwright Asst.: Ariana Adamek
Direction/Choreography: Chuck Mike
Asst. Director: Ti Ames
Scenic Design: Chris Raintree
Lighting Design: Andrew Bonniwell
Lighting Asst.: Griffin Hardy
Costume Design: Margarette Joyner
Asst. Costume Design: Cate Wright
Sound Design: Grace Brown LaBelle
Props Design: Tim Moehring
Dialect Coach: Erica Hughes
Stage Management: Grace Brown LaBelle
Asst. Stage Management: Keegan Ferrell
Fight Choreography: Phil Hayes
CAST
Sweet: Katrinah Carol Lewis
Haywood: Jaylen D. Eashmond
Sweet understudy: Destiny Howard
Haywood understudy: saac Watson
ABOUT FIREHOUSE
The Firehouse Theatre is a thriving hub of creative activity and a center for community
engagement where new work takes center stage. Firehouse strives to amplify the diverse voice
of the New American Theatre and advance artform and industry through innovative artistic and
organizational practices.