Our History in Richmond Theatre
Our History. Our Roots.
Co-Authored by Harry Kollatz Jr.
On Sunday, October 17, 1993, Harry Kollatz, Jr., Carol Piersol, Anna Senechal Johnson, Bill Gordon and Janet Wilson gathered around Carol and Morrie Piersol’s kitchen table and formulated their notions for making a theatre company. In just two weeks time, on October 31, 1993, they both ratified the mission statement and chose the Firehouse Theatre Project’s name.
It had been a chance meeting at the Davis & Main Restaurant between Carol Piersol and Fan District mover-and-shaker, Bev Lacy, that first turned the founders onto the possibility of producing at the firehouse: knowing of their need for a space, Lacy suggested to Carol she check into Station #10, which was getting closed down by the city. Bill Gordon entered first – and first realized their destiny.
The founders chose as their primary mission ‘to produce Richmond premieres written by contemporary American playwrights’. This was buttressed by classes instructing actors in the Sanford Meisner acting method, which was, in part, responsible for bringing the founders together.
The city didn’t initially sell FTP the building, but allowed the company to utilize the firehouse, and generally—whether by intention or not—allowed the founders to make the space their home.
In the early days of 1999, the city gave FTP ninety days to raise $80,000 to purchase the firehouse, or vacate. The founders embarked on an aggressive awareness and fundraising campaign, but as of April time was running out. At intermission of a performance of John Patrick’s Shanley’s Four Dogs and a Bone, possibly Firehouse’s final production, Harry Kollatz Jr. was approached by Roy Sutton who simply said, “I’ll buy the building for you.” Later he and wife Barbara gifted the building to the company. Adventurous, thought-provoking performance found a home in the space from that time on.
Founding Artistic Director Carol Piersol led The Firehouse Theatre project for another fourteen years, until she and the board of directors decided to part ways. Carol’s departure from the Firehouse was not without controversy in the creative community as she and the theatre synonymous with her name had grown into a beloved and vital part of the Richmond theatre fabric. She and other former Firehouse members went on to found the 5th Wall Theatre Company.
Following an interim period led by Jase Sullivan, Dr. Joel Bassin took the reins as Producing Artistic Director in 2015. Bassin came to Firehouse following an already active career in the performing arts that crossed artistic, administrative, academic, and technical areas. He toured the world as Managing Director of The Wooster Group and worked with other renowned ensembles such as Mabou Mines and Theatre de la Jeune. Bassin worked steadily to repair Firehouse’s tarnished reputation in the community, and gradually renewed Firehouse’s reputation as an essential venue in the RVA arts scene. During Bassin’s tenure, Firehouse dramatically expanded community access to the well-established venue, creating both recurring and one-time producing partnerships with a wide array of organizations and independent artists. Under Bassin, Firehouse delivered like never before on its mission as a thriving hub of creative activity, producing or partnering in over seventy performances per season, often hosting over two hundred evenings of live entertainment annually.
In 2020, compelled by the social unrest of that summer, and inspired by the theatrical experiments seen during the Covid-19 shutdown, roundtable discussions with artists, administrators, philanthropists, and innovators led to the birth of The New Theatre, led by Artistic Director Nathaniel Shaw and Executive Director Vida Williams. Established in 2021 to challenge and expand art and industry, The New Theatre envisioned a more innovative American Theatre that better reflected the entirety of the American experience. Shaw joined The New Theatre following a stint as Artistic Director for Virginia Repertory Theatre, as Founding Artistic Director for The Active Theatre (NYC), and as Glass Half Full Productions initial director of new works. Williams brought a twenty year career in data and technology, including being named VCU’s first Innovator in Residence, to the innovative start-up company.
Flash forward to the summer of 2021, Nathaniel Shaw was working for Joel Bassin as a guest director at Firehouse. Following a rehearsal of the US Premiere of The Barber of Moville, Bassin informed Shaw that he was ready to retire, and asked if he would consider merging The New Theatre and Firehouse to create a more durable, effective organization with their shared commitment to new plays. After a brief courtship and thorough due diligence, both boards voted unanimously to bring the two organizations together.
Firehouse’s 30th Anniversary season, set to kick off with Angelica Chéri’s Berta Berta, will be the first season of The New Theatre at Firehouse. It will also be the first production on the newly minted Carol Piersol Stage, following Firehouse and 5th Wall’s joint effort to honor their shared founder in the playhouse that holds the lion’s share of her creative history. Both Carol Piersol’s legacy of adventurous new work, and Bassin’s meaningful expansion of community participation, are firmly embedded in the vision of new Producing Artistic Director Nathaniel Shaw. With the addition of New Theatre core commitment and values, Firehouse is poised to become an essential and vibrant incubator of new American theatre, where we are all welcome, where we are all seen, and where we are all inspired.
Since its inception, Firehouse Theatre has premiered new plays, created and encouraged new work, hosted emerging and established artists from many disciplines, and has earned a reputation as an accessible and diverse space for performances of all kinds.
2023
June 22-July 14 - SOUND OF THE GUNS by Jim O'Ferrell
May 9 - Pop up Premiere, LAKE EFFECT by Andrew Gall
April 27-29 - Starr Foster Dance Spitting Image II
April 21, 22 - K Dance YES! Dance Festival
March 22-April 16 - FIRST RESPONSES Festival of One Acts by Anthony Jackson, Kathryn Kahlson, Betty Migliaccio, Benjamin Toderico
Feb 24 - Pop up Premiere, AN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE by Neal Gallini-Burdick
Jan 19-Feb 18 - GHOST QUARTET by Dave Malloy
2022
Dec 1-3 - Starr Foster Dance Page to Stage II
Nov 18, 19 - K Dance Shorts 2022 - MISTAKES AND HOW TO MAKE THEM by Irene Ziegler
Sept 8-Oct 2 - GABRIEL by Jerold Solomon, Foster Solomon, Ron Klipp
June 23-July 17 - THE BARBER OF MOVILLE by Ronan Carr
April 20-May 8 - A SINGLE PRAYER by K. Jenkins
March 11, 12 - K Dance YES! Dance Festival
2021
Nov 7, 8, 9 - K Dance Shorts 2021, MOVING MONOLOGUES by Irene Ziegler
Sept 23-Oct 30 - WAR IN PIECES Festival of one-acts by David Aldridge, Rachel Landsee, Robert Waldruff, Chuck Williamson
August 18 - 29 - THE ZOMBIE LIFE, by Chris Gavaler
May 27-June 26 - WALLED IN, by Andrew Gall
April 26 -May 13 - K Dance YES! Dance Festival
March 25-April 26 - FIRES IN THE MIRROR by Anna Deavere Smith
Feb 4-20 - KRAPP'S LAST TAPE by Samuel Beckett
2020
Nov 11-15 - Harvey McWilliams' THE WINDSHIELD POEMS adapted by Todd Labelle, Joe Alexander, and Sarah Rowland
Aug 19-31 - THE ZOMBIE MONOLOGUES by Chris Gavaler
June 18-Aug 7 - THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde, adapted by Billy Christopher Maupin & Shirley Kagan
from March 2020 thru July 2021, the rest of Season 26 and all of Season 27 were conducted under severe COVID-19 conditions that included cancelling many productions, performing for audiences of between two and fourteen people, and live streaming select performances
Jan 23-Feb 16 - STUPID KID by Sharr White
2019
Dec 20-21 - K Dance Yes! Dance Festival
Nov 7-23 - LOMBARDI by Eric Simonson
Sept 3-Oct 18 - PASSING STRANGE by Stew and Heidi Rodewald
July 25-Aug 4 - THE VERGE by Dante Piro
July 16-18 - HOLDING by Aiden Orr
July 13-15 - STAND UP MAN by Gary Atkinson
July 3-27 - ANIMAL CONTROL by Chandler Hubbard
May 17-June 8 - WRONG CHOPPED by Dixon Cashwell and Levi Meerovich
April 16-May 11 - ANIMAL CONTROL by Chandler Hubbard
March 28-30 - K Dance Shorts 2019
March 22-April 7 - SONGS FOR JANIE by Tamara Wellons
March 8-March 16 - HUMBUG: The Great P.T. Barnum Séance by David London
March 5-7 - Hamner Theatre's THREE SISTERS by Anton Chekhov
Jan 31 - Feb 23-OEDIPUS / A GOSPEL MYTH conceived by Vinnie Gonazlez, by Sophocles
2018
Dec 17-23 - MATT & BEN by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers
Nov 30-Dec 1-K Dance's YES Dance Festival
Nov 8-17 - WRONG CHOPPED by Dixon Cashwell and Levi Meerovich
Oct 18-Nov 4 - SONGS FROM BEDLAM by Douglas Jones
Oct 4-7 - HUMBUG: The Great P.T. Barnum Séance
Aug 29-Sept 29 - INVALID from Moliere by Josh Chenard and Jane Mattingly
May 23-June 30 - PRELUDES by Dave Malloy
April 20-28 - ONE IN FOUR by Levi Meerovich
April 4-18 - AN OAK TREE by Tim Crouch
February 15-March 10 - WINGS: THE MUSICAL by Jeffrey Lunden and Arthur Perlman from the play by Arthur Kopit
January 18-27 - TO DAMASCUS by Walter Braxton
2017
December 9-17 - Dory Previn's MARY C. BROWN AND THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN
December 1-2 - Kaye Dance YES! Dance Festival
October 20-November 18 - DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS by Eugene O'Neill
September 6-17 - FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER by Bo Wilson
June 23- August 13 - HEATHERS by Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy
May 25-28 - GLASS MENDACITY by The Illegitimate Players, Doug Armstrong, Keith Cooper, and Maureen Morley
May 19-20 - THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller (New Kent High School Players)
May 4-12 - DILEMMA OF ESCAPE by Bruce Slater
April 21-22 - BALD SOPRANO by Eugène Ionesco 24 Hour Marathon
April 3-15 - Albee Fest, featuring Starlet Knight's Albee Cabaret, Strange Bedfellows: Albee Edition, THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, THE SANDBOX / FINDING THE SUN, MARRIAGE PLAY / COUNTING THE WAYS, THE MAN WHO HAD THREE ARMS
April 1-2 - Weekend of New Works: WRONG NUMBER by Nedra Pezold Roberts, the up back down and RECOURSE by Kimberly Shelby-Szysko, ATACAMA by Augusto Federico Amador, DEAD SEAWEED by Wes Seals, New Works Cabaret written and performed by Emma Givens and Matt Ferrell, FOOD, CLOTHING and SHELTER by Bo Wilson
February 2 - March 4 - THE BOATWRIGHT by Bo Wilson
2016
December 2 & 3 - Yes! Dance Invitational with K Dance
September 24 - October 22 - UBU 84 (World Premiere) by James Ricks
August 29 & 30 - THE BOY WITH THE LION (World Premiere) by Shaan Sharma
August 23 - September 24 - LES MISERABLES: School Edition (Jewish Family Theatre)
July 11-19 - SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS with book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay, music by Gene dePaul, Lyrics by Johnny Mercer, new songs by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
June 23 - July 23 - Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT
May 26, 27, 28 - EXTREMITIES by William Mastrosimone
March 4 & 5 - FOR BLACK BOYS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED HOMICIDE WHEN THE STREETS WERE TOO MUCH by Keith Antar Mason
March 3-5 - FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF by Ntozake Shange
2015
December 10 – January 31 - THE FOURTH WALL by A.R. Gurney
October 10 - October 11 - In Progress Weekend of New Plays; CAMERADOS by Roy Proctor; OPERA OF THE TELEPHONE AT DELPHI by Kate Kremer; N.W. by Jackson Slipek & Jimmie Lee Jarvis; BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART by Donna Hoke
July 22 - September 4 - THE BOY IN THE BATHROOM by Michael Lluberes and Joe Maloney
April 16 - May 16 - THE ALIENS by Annie Baker
February 5 - March 7 - THIS WORLD WE KNOW by Kelly Younger
2014
November 20-December 20 – A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS by Paula Vogel
September 18-October 18 – WAIT UNTIL DARK by Frederick Knott
June 26-August 2 - HAIR, a Tribal Rock Musical with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, music by Galt MacDermott
April 17 – May 17 – A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE by Tennessee Williams
February 6 – March 8 – THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY by Kristoffer Diaz
2013
November 21 – December 28 – THE WILD PARTY book, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa
September 20 – October 19 – ‘NIGHT, MOTHER by Marsha Norman
July 11 – August 10 – POP! book and lyrics by Maggie-Kate Coleman, music by Anna K. Jacobs
April 18 – May 11 – TIME STANDS STILL by Donald Margulies
February 14 – March 9 – ANY GIVEN MONDAY by Bruce Graham
January 10 – 12 – ZHE: [NOUN] UNDEFINED created by Chuck Mike, Antonia Kemi Coker and Tonderai Munyevu
2012
November 15 – December 8 – DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller
September 20 – October 13 – A BRIGHT NEW BOISE by Samuel D. Hunter
July 19 – August 19 – THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW by Richard O’Brien
May 3 – June 10 – DESSA ROSE with music by Stephen Flaherty, book & lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
February 16 – March 11 – You Don’t Know Me: A Trio of One Acts, featuring WHAT STRONG FENCES MAKE and BEIRUT ROCKS by Israel Horovitz, and OHIO STATE MURDERS by Adrienne Kennedy
2011
November 10 – December 4 – WHY TORTURE IS WRONG AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM by Christopher Durang
September 15 – October 15 – CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOFby Tennessee Williams
June 2 – 25 – YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN by Clark Gesner
March 24 – April 16 – SOMETHING INTANGIBLE by Bruce Graham
February 2-26 – DOG SEES GOD by Bert V. Royal
2010
October 28 – November 20 – LOVE KILLS by Kyle Jarrow
September 9 – October 2 – WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? by Edward Albee
June 24 – August 1 – RENT by Jonathan Larson
April 14 – May 8 – SEX, DRUGS, & ROCK N' ROLL by Eric Bogosian
February 25 – March 20 – CRUMBLE (LAY ME DOWN, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE) by Sheila Callagan
2009
October 29 – November 21 – THIS IS HOW IT GOES by Neil LaBute
September 10 – October 3 – BOY'S LIFE by Howard Korder
April 23 – May 23 – THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL by David Nehls, book by Betsey Kelso
February 26 – March 21 – RABBIT HOLE by David Lindsey-Abaire
February 13 – 14 – THE PUMPKIN PIE SHOW by Clay McLeod Chapman
December 18, 2008 – January 18 – A VERY MERRY UNAUTHORIZED CHILDREN'S SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT by Kyle Jarrow
2008
November 13 – December 6 –THE WIDOW'S BLIND DATE by Israel Horovitz
September 18 – October 11 – EURYDICE by Sarah Ruhl
May 15 – July 5 – REEFER MADNESS: THE MUSICAL by Dan Studney and Kevin Murphy
April 24 – May 17 – The Firehouse Theatre Cabaret 2008
February 21 – March 15 – THE LATE HENRY MOSS by Sam Shepard
2007
October 25 – November 17 – SPINNING INTO BUTTER by Rebecca Gilman
September 13 – October 6 – MR. MARMALADE by Noah Haidle
June 21 – July 7 – AUSTIN'S BRIDGE by Bill C. Davis
April 26 – May 19 – THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE by Charles Busch
March 8 – March 31 – THIS IS OUR YOUTH by Kenneth Lonergan
February 1 – 2 – VAGINA MONOLOGUES by Eve Ensler
2006
November 5 – 6 – AVOW by Bill C. Davis
November 2 – November 25 – THE SECRET OF MME. BONNARD'S BATH by Israel Horovitz
September 14 – October 7 – I AM MY OWN WIFE by Doug Wright
April 27 – May 20 – DINNER WITH FRIENDS by Donald Margulies
March 2 – 25 – COMPROMISE by Israel Horovitz
2005
October 27 – November 17 – THE GOAT- OR WHO IS SYLVIA by Edward Albee
September 8 – October – WHERE'S MY MONEY? by John Patrick Shanley
July 23 – 24 – Lulupalooza: A Celebration of the Cinematic Life of Louise Brooks
April 28 – May 21 – THE LAST FIVE YEARS by Jason Robert Brown
February 24 – March 19 – VOLUME OF SMOKE, by Clay McLeod Chapman
January 27 – 30 – Third Festival of New American Plays, ON WAR COWS and the THE SOUTH DAKOTA DUTCH by Harry Ben Hanson and BOURBON STREET SPELL by Jude Barker
January 14 – 24 – BLESSED ASSURANCE by Allan Gurganus, and January 5-15, The Wordsof Albert Schweitzer and Music of J.S. Bach
2004
October 28 – November 20 – RECKLESS by Craig Lucas
September 9 – October 2 –THE KINGDOM OF EARTH by Tennessee Williams
April 19 – May 16 – Firehouse Cabaret, music and 10-minute plays
March 4 – 28 – THE HEIDI CHRONICLES by Wendy Wasserstein
January 22 – 25 – The Second Annual Festival of New American Plays
2003
November 6 – 23 – FAST HANDS by Israel Horovitz
October 9 – 14 – Mutation Project: Out of Area: international theater collaboration
September 4 – 28 – BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL by Keyth Farley & Bryan Fleming, music and lyrics by Laurence O’ Keefe
April 24 – May 11 – AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN by Dougas Carter Beane
March 6 – 29 –CURSE OF THE STARVING CLASS by Sam Shepard
January 16 – 19 – First Annual Festival of New American Plays
2002
November 7 – 24 – Triple Play, three short plays - THE AMERICAN DREAM by Edward Albee, ACROBATS by Istrael Horovitz, INTERVIEWS by Jean Claude van Itallie
September 12 – 29 – ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS by Jane Martin
February 28 – March 17 – GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS by David Mamet
2001
October 25 – November 11 – HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH by John Cameron Mitchell, music & lyrics by Stephen Trask
September 13 – 30 – PRIVATE EYES by Stephen Dietz
May 3 – 20 – FUDDY MEERS by David Lindsay-Abaire
February 15 – March 4 – BECAUSE HE CAN by Arthur Kopit
2000
October 19 – November 5 – THE DEATH OF BESSIE SMITH by Edward Albee; PROLOGUE: EMPRESS by Tim Ireland, singer Desirée Roots, keyboards Sonny Baharloo
September 14 – 30 – EDMOND by David Mamet
June 4 – Pyrolab: six new one-act plays constructed in 48 hours
May 4 – 20 – BURIED CHILD by Sam Shephard
February 17 – March 4 – LEBENSRAUM by Israel Horovitz
1999
April 29 – May 22 – FOUR DOGS AND A BONE by John Patrick Shanley
1998
November 6 – 21 – Padded Cells: two one acts with the Experiential Theater Company
July 23 – August 9 –MY THING OF LOVE by Alexandra Gersten
May 14 – 31 – THE BIG SLAM by Bill Corbett
1997
October 16 – November 1 – OH, HELL by David Mamet and Shel Silverstein
June 13 – 21 – Fathers (one acts)
May 1 – 17 – THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY by Harry Kollatz Jr.
February 20 – March 8 – NORTH SHORE FISH by Israel Horovitz
1996
July 18 – 28 – LASSO THE MOON six plays by John Patrick Shanley in collaboration with Company of Fools
May 9 – 18 – PAPERS by Allan Stratton
February 14 – 24 – Between The Sheets (one acts)
1995
October 20 – 29 – NEBRASKA by Keith Reddin
February 8 – 19 – WOMEN OF MANHATTAN by John Patrick Shanle
1994
October 28 – 30 – Freaks (one-acts)
July 15 – 16 – Mother Knows Best (one acts)
June 3 – 18 – SPEED-THE-PLOW by David Mamet
1993
“Off Broadway On Broad Street”, Founded October 17, by Bill Gordon (Pres.1993-1998), Carol Piersol (Artistic Director 1993 -2012), Anna Senechal (1993-1997), Harry Kollatz Jr. (President, 1998-2006), Janet Wilson (Co-Artistic & Education Director (1993-1998)