Our story is your story.

The past is never far behind. Especially when the past is generations of racial injustice. 

At the end of March, fifteen writers took to the mountains. Their mission: write. No expectations of production, just time and space to create without the distractions of everyday life. Supported by five mentors from different disciplines, Cadence staff, and each other, they began their journey into the great unknown of the blank page (or in some cases, the very full pages that were keen to be reorganized).

It’s 1706 in Norfolk, Virginia and Grace Sherwood is about to become the last woman to be ducked in North America. Roughly three hundred and fifteen years later, playwright Eva DeVirgilis is driving down I-64 when she sees a sign for Witchduck Road. Ever the curious soul, DeVirgilis does her research and discovers that “witchducking” was the practice of tying women up and throwing them into the water to test if they were witches. The last woman to be ducked in Virginia and North America was Grace Sherwood in 1706, in the Lynnhaven River, about nine miles from Eva’s home. Thus, the birth of WitchDuck. 

Local actor and lawyer Otto Konrad has found himself in a full-circle moment starring in the play Love & Vinyl at Plan 9 Music, where he used to work as an employee of the record store. Otto had been collecting records since he was twelve years old and frequented Plan 9 to add to his growing collection. His evenings spent at the record store turned into a part-time job working the information desk. 

A decade ago, Bob Bartlett was living in Annapolis in a run-down apartment, experiencing the “real writer’s life.” It was a tiny place with no washer or dryer, so the local laundromat became his weekly haunt. He would sneak wine in on Sunday nights while he wrote while doing his laundry. Eventually, he told the owner of the laundromat about the play he was writing, set in the very place they spent so much time surrounded by the tumble of machines. A few months later, the play went up after hours and had a sold out five-week run. Turns out the laundromat closing early made it the ideal spot for a new, site-specific play.

In association with ATLAS Partnership, Cadence presents ANNIE, the beloved Tony Award®–winning holiday musical that reminds us that even in the hardest of times, hope shines through. Starring Richmond’s own and Broadway veteran, Mary Page Nance as Miss Hannigan, ANNIE will be engaged at Libby S. Gottwald Playhouse located in Dominion Energy Center from Dec. 12-21, 2025, for 12 performances.