Welcome to 5th Wall Theatre
Theatre Beyond Boundaries
5th Wall Theatre is seeking artists for porch plays at the fan district arts stroll
may 16 - 17 from 4-8pm
🎠Calling all artists! 🎠5th Wall Theatre is currently seeking artists to participate in the return of Porch Plays at The Fan District Arts Stroll. If you’re a performer in Richmond, we want to hear from you!
What are Porch Plays, you may ask? During Covid, 5th Wall sought to find an outlet for artists to create while theaters were shut down and the desire to connect with the community was at an all time high, this resulted in the creation of ✨PORCH PLAYS✨. We had a selection of artists come together on the steps of a Fan District porch, and community members would gather round with their chairs, snacks and drinks to watch scene performances, monologues and songs. As 5th Wall heads into its upcoming season, we thought the relaunch of this beloved event would be a wonderful way to share our love for theatre and the RVA arts community once more!
Submit a self-tape featuring a monologue, excerpt of a scene you'd like to perform, or song for consideration. Selected participants will have the opportunity to perform on May 16th & 17th in this paid event, highlighting the incredible talent within our community.
Send your submissions to auditions@5thwalltheatre.org.
Deadline for entries is May 1st at 11pm.
✨We can’t wait to see what you bring to the stage!✨
In loving memory of our Founder Carol Piersol
The 5th Wall Theatre, with profound sadness, marks the passing on May 9th, 2023, of Founding Artistic Director Emeritus Carol Piersol.
Carol founded 5th Wall Theatre in 1993, along with Billy-Christopher Maupin, and served as Artistic Director until her retirement in 2023. Previously she was the Founding Artistic Director of the Firehouse Theatre Project (FTP) from 1993 until December 2012. Under her leadership,FTP won 23 Richmond Theatre Critics Circle (RTCC) awards, including two Best Play Awards, one Peoples’ Choice Award, and the Theresa Pollak Prize for Excellence in the Arts. In 2011, the Firehouse Theatre Project was named “Best Theatre in Richmond” in Richmond Magazine’s public poll. She was instrumental in developing the Firehouse Theatre Project’s Festival of New American Plays from which winners of the festival have gone on to have their plays produced in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and many other cities throughout the US. During her tenure leading 5th Wall Theatre, the company has won 12 RTCC awards. Carol also acted, directed, and taught adult acting classes while with FTP and 5th Wall. As a result of her commitment to producing thought-provoking, contemporary American plays for three decades, Carol helped remake the landscape of Richmond theatre.
Carol was featured in the first Belle Magazine “Women In the Arts” issue “honoring seven forward-thinking leaders who help bring culture to Richmond,” was named one of the “Top Innovators at the Forefront of Richmond Arts and Culture” by Style Weekly, and was featured in an article in Workmagazine. She was proud to have been the drama sponsor at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School from 2014-2018.
Before moving to Richmond, Carol attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, where she studied acting under Sanford Meisner. She worked in film, television, and theatre in New York City, and was a Co-Founder of Force 13 Theatre, an award-winning experiential theater company.
5th Wall Theatre and Firehouse Theatre have been working together for the past few months to honor Carol’s legacy. As part of an upcoming year-long celebration of Carol's vision and leadership, the stage at Firehouse Theatre will be permanently named THE CAROL PIERSOL STAGE.
For 5th Wall patrons and others who've followed Carol's work, and are moved to honor her legacy, gifts can be made to support 5th Wall’s future creative endeavors… button below.
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