Richmond Triangle Players/Firehouse Theatre co-production “A Strange Loop” earned more awards than any other production, while Firehouse Theatre came away with a total of 13 awards
This year marks the 17th year that the Richmond Theatre Community Circle (formerly the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle) has sponsored the Richmond Theatre Community Circle (RTCC) Awards, or “Artsies,” the community’s recognition of excellence in Richmond-area theater. The theme of this year’s event – “At This Performance” – highlights the many actors other than a production’s principals without whom the show would not go on. They work hard and prepare to step in at a moment’s notice, ensuring a smooth run when things go awry. Actors employed as standbys, swings, and understudies may learn multiple roles and are prepared to fill any of them, often without much rehearsal time. This year’s theme honors these intrepid, underappreciated professionals who provide the safety net for a successful production. The event was held on October 19th at the Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre.
Not only are the Artsies the community’s recognition of outstanding Richmond-area theater, but they are the primary fundraising event for the Theatre Artist Fund of Greater Richmond (the Fund). The Fund provides emergency financial assistance to theater artists who have experienced an exceptional financial need related to a specific crisis beyond their control. Since its inception, the Fund has received $152,532 in gifts and has written 28 grants totaling $49,111 for artists in need.
The Richmond Triangle Players/Firehouse Theatre co-production of “A Strange Loop” earned an impressive six awards, including those for Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Musical Direction, Best Lead Performance in a Musical, Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design (Musical), and Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design (Musical). Richmond Triangle Players also secured the award for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design (Play) for “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche.” Firehouse Theatre’s total was an astounding thirteen wins, including three for “Detroit ‘67,” which won Best Play. Awards for Best Lead Performance in a Play (two are given in this category) and Best Supporting Performance in a Play (which also has two recipients) went to Katrinah Carol Lewis and Jeremy V. Morris, respectively, for their work on that show. Firehouse also took home two awards for “Peter and the Starcatcher” – Best Direction of a Play and Outstanding Achievement in Set Design (Play) – as well as one for Outstanding Achievement in Projection Design for “Water by the Spoonful” and one for Best Original Work for Andrew Gall’s “Burial Tax.”
Virginia Repertory Theatre came away with six wins, three of which were for its presentation of “Waitress.” The production captured both awards for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical and the award for Outstanding Achievement in Set Design (Musical). Virginia Rep also earned awards for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design (Musical) and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design (Musical) for their production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Virginia Rep’s production of “Misery” took the award for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design (Play).
Richmond Shakespeare captured three wins, with the Ernie McClintock Best Ensemble Acting Award going to the cast of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).” James Murphy took home the other award for Best Lead Performance in a Play for the title role in “Cyrano de Bergerac,” and Paisley LoBue took home the other Best Supporting Performance in a Play for her work in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Lindsey Zelli earned an award for Best Lead Performance (Musical) for her role in Swift Creek Mill’s production of “The Spitfire Grill,” as did Marcus Antonio for “A Strange Loop.” The award for Breakout Performance went to Ayla Hanna-Elizabeth Clinton for her work in “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
5th Wall Theatre’s production of “H*tler’s Tasters” took home the awards for Best Choreography and Outstanding Achievement in Set Design (Play).
Each year, the Legacy Award recognizes individuals who have played a foundational role in establishing or strengthening the Richmond-area theater community. The 2025 Legacy Award honorees are the founders of Richmond Triangle Players: Michael Gooding, Marcus Miller, Steve Earle, John Knapp, and Jacqui Singleton. From humble beginnings staging productions on the third floor of gay after-hours club Fielden’s in the early 1990s, Richmond Triangle Players became an anchor in the now-thriving Scott’s Addition neighborhood, where the company relocated in 2009. The founders saw the need for an LGBTQ+ theater where shows could be presented to bring attention to the horrific, ongoing AIDS crisis and to be able to provide proceeds to local AIDS charities. Over the years, Richmond Triangle Players has recognized and celebrated the dignity of people marginalized because of their gender and sexual identity, and the RTCC believes that this work has never been more important than it is today. The 2025 Legacy Award honors the trailblazers who established what has become a fundamental component of Richmond’s arts scene that continues to offer entertaining, challenging, and exceptionally well-produced theater that lifts up the stories of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Best Musical
“A Strange Loop”
Richmond Triangle Players/Firehouse Theatre
Best Direction – Musical
Katrinah Carol Lewis
“A Strange Loop”
Best Lead Performance – Musical
Marcus Antonio
“A Strange Loop”
Best Lead Performance – Musical
Lindsey Zelli
“The Spitfire Grill”
Best Supporting Performance – Musical
Kylee Márquez-Downie
“Waitress”
Best Supporting Performance – Musical
Terence Sullivan
“Waitress”
Best Musical Direction
Ben Miller
“A Strange Loop”
Best Choreography
Kayla Xavier
“H*tler’s Tasters”
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design – Musical
Margarette Joyner
“A Strange Loop”
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design – Musical
Jeanne Nugent
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design – Musical
Michael Jarett
“A Strange Loop”
Outstanding Achievement in Set Design – Musical
Mercedes Schaum
“Waitress”
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design – Musical
Jonathan Pratt
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
Best Play
“Detroit ‘67”
Firehouse Theatre
Best Direction – Play
Nathaniel Shaw
“Peter and the Starcatcher”
Best Lead Performance – Play
Katrinah Carol Lewis
“Detroit ‘67”
Best Lead Performance – Play
James Murphy
“Cyrano de Bergerac”
Best Supporting Performance – Play
Paisley LoBue
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Best Supporting Performance – Play
Jeremy V. Morris
“Detroit ‘67”
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design – Play
William Luther and Luke Newsome
“5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche”
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design – Play
BJ Wilkinson
“Misery”
Outstanding Achievement in Set Design – Play
Chase Kniffen
“Peter and the Starcatcher”
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design – Play
Candace Hudert
“H*tler’s Tasters”
Outstanding Achievement in Projection Design
Tennessee Dixon
“Water by the Spoonful”
2025 Ernie McClintock Best Ensemble Acting Award
The cast members of the Richmond Shakespeare production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)” are honored for their notable performance as a cohesive and compelling ensemble:
Sydnee L. Graves
Rachel Marrs
Joshua Mullins
Breakout Performance
Ayla Hanna-Elizabeth Clinton
“The Diary of Anne Frank”
Best Original Work
“Burial Tax”
Firehouse Theatre