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2026 Artsies Hosts and 2025-26 Season Nominations Announced
Richmond, VA – August 18, 2026. The 18th Richmond Theatre Community Circle (formerly the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle) Awards (or “Artsies”), the community’s recognition of excellence in Richmond-area theater, will be held at the November Theatre on Sunday, October 25th, at 7:00 p.m.
The hosts of the 2026 Artsies are well-known Richmond theater artists Grey Garrett and Durron Marquis Tyre-Gholson, who performed a cabaret together in February 2025 at Swift Creek Mill Theatre celebrating the many shades of love – from the thrill of first romance to the beauty of lifelong friendship.
Grey Garrett, an award-winning actor, singer, and voiceover talent, hails from Richmond, Virginia. Following graduation from Atlee High School, Grey pursued her passion for the arts, relocating to New York City. She honed her craft at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and furthered her studies at Columbia University. Her diverse career began with roles in soap operas, films, and performances on cruise ships.
Known for her versatility, Grey has collaborated with acclaimed film and TV personalities such as Dennis Leary, Marisa Tomei, Tatum O’Neal, Charles Durning, Harvey Keitel, Daniel Radcliffe, Julie Taymor, and Stephen Pasquale. Embracing her local roots, Grey thrives on the stage and has won numerous Artsies, most recently for her portrayal of Carole King in Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, earning her an award for “Best Lead Performance in a Musical.”
While displaying prowess in various vocal styles, Grey is probably best known for her uncanny impression of Judy Garland, which has garnered a devoted following.
An award-winning actor, singer, and educator, Durron Marquis Tyre-Gholson is a proud Long Island, New York, native whose love for performing began at the age of two. What started as an early passion for singing has grown into a lifelong love of storytelling, music, and the magic of live theatre. He is also a proud graduate of the University of Richmond.
Now a Richmond-based performer, Durron has had the joy of bringing an incredibly diverse range of characters to life. His work spans musical theatre, contemporary drama, and everything in between, reflecting his love of stepping into characters who challenge him, surprise him, and allow him to connect with audiences in new ways. Nominated many times through the years, he earned his first Richmond Theatre Community Circle Award for “Best Lead Actor in a Musical” for his portrayal of Tom Collins in Rent at the Firehouse Theatre in 2010.
Durron loves all things Richmond theatre and is grateful to have performed on stages throughout the city. When he isn’t performing, he is inspiring the next generation of storytellers as the drama teacher at Dogwood Middle School.
The RTCC announces the following nominees for this year’s Artsies. The 2025-26 nominees are:
Best Musical
Come from Away, Virginia Repertory Theatre (Virginia Rep)
Gabriel, ATLAS Partnership (ATLAS)
I Love You Because, Richmond Triangle Players (RTP)
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Firehouse Theatre (Firehouse)
Safety, Firehouse
Best Direction (Musical)
Chelsea Burke, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Rick Hammerly, Come from Away
Nathaniel Shaw, Safety
Foster Solomon, Gabriel
Best Lead Performance (Musical)
Ally Dods, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Audrey Esplin and Mallory Stark, Annie, Cadence and ATLAS
Grey Garrett, Safety
Calvin Malone, I Love You Because
Drew Seigla, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Jerold Solomon, Gabriel
Best Supporting Performance (Musical)
Anthony Cosby, Jr., Annie
Ally Dods, I Love You Because
Robert Fix, Gabriel
Alia Bisharat Glidden, Come from Away
Zakiyyah Jackson, Safety
Jacqueline Jones, Safety
David Lyve Watkins, Come from Away
Nathan Whitmer, Safety
Best Musical Direction
Ellie Kahn, Come from Away
Elle Meerovich, As You Like It (Richmond Shakespeare)
Elle Meerovich, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Joe Revell, Safety
Best Choreography
Paul Dandridge, A Christmas Carol (Virginia Rep)
Starrene Foster, Witch (Richmond Shakespeare)
Brandon Kelly, Come from Away
Leslie Owens-Harrington, Gabriel
Nathaniel Shaw, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Tom Width, Pump Boys & Dinettes (Swift Creek Mill Theatre)
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design (Musical)
Ruth Hedberg, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Jeanne Nugent, Safety
Kendra Rai, A Christmas Carol
Kendra Rai, Come from Away
Keith Walker and Sue Griffin, Gabriel
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design (Musical)
Joe Doran, A Christmas Carol
Joe Doran, Come from Away
Michael Jarett, Safety
Steven Koehler, I Love You Because
BJ Wilkinson, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Outstanding Achievement in Set Design (Musical)
Daniel Conway, A Christmas Carol
Chase Kniffen, Safety
Craig Napoliello, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Chris Raintree, Come from Away
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design (Musical)
Grace Brown Labelle, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Grace Brown Labelle, Safety
Joshua Schmidt and Jonathan Pratt, A Christmas Carol
Best Play
King James, Richmond Shakespeare
Out the Mud, Firehouse
Primary Trust, Virginia Rep
Tambo & Bones, 5th Wall Theatre (5th Wall) with Blk Va Theatre Alliance
Witch, Richmond Shakespeare
WitchDuck, Firehouse Theatre and Cadence
Wolf Play, 5th Wall
Best Direction (Play)
Kareem Fahmy, A Distinct Society
Andrew Gall, Witch
Kaitlin Paige Longoria and Molly Marsh, Wolf Play
Chuck Mike, Out the Mud
Jeremy V. Morris, Tambo & Bones
Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Primary Trust
Rick St. Peter, King James
Best Lead Performance (Play)
Centeno, Wolf Play
Maboud Ebrahamizadeh, A Distinct Society (Firehouse)
Rex Hudson, Primary Trust
Milo Roscoe Jones, Tambo & Bones
Lily Marcheschi, Lungs (Blk Va Theatre Alliance)
John Mincks, Witch
Kendall Walker, As You Like It
Best Supporting Performance (Play)
Emily Berry, Wolf Play
Brent Deekins, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Swift Creek Mill Theatre)
Zakiyyah Jackson, Primary Trust
Rachel Marrs, WitchDuck
Nora Ogunleye, Immediate Family (RTP)
Joe Pabst, Primary Trust
Susan Sanford, Murder on the Orient Express (Virginia Rep)
Adam Valentine, Macbeth (Richmond Shakespeare)
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design (Play)
Tajma Graham, Immediate Family
Tajma Graham, Primary Trust
Marcia Miller Hailey, The Cottage (Virginia Rep)
Ruth Hedberg, WitchDuck
Kendra Rai, Murder on the Orient Express
Katherine S. Wright, As You Like It
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design (Play)
Tristan Ketcham, Witch
Tristan Ketcham, Wolf Play
Steven Koehler, Primary Trust
Corrine Manderino, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord (5th Wall)
BJ Wilkinson, Murder on the Orient Express
BJ Wilkinson, WitchDuck
Outstanding Achievement in Set Design (Play)
Daniel Allen, Primary Trust
Dasia Gregg, Immediate Family
William Luther, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord
Chris Raintree, Murder on the Orient Express
Chris Raintree, Out the Mud
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design (Play)
Kelsey Cordrey, Primary Trust
Candace Hudert, Wolf Play
Joey Luck, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord
Joey Luck, small quiet good (The Lynn Theatre at Brightpoint Community College)
James Ricks, Macbeth
Ernie McClintock Best Ensemble Acting
Come from Away, Virginia Repertory Theatre
A Distinct Society, Firehouse Theatre
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Firehouse Theatre
Primary Trust, Virginia Repertory Theatre
Witch, Richmond Shakespeare
WitchDuck, Firehouse Theatre and Cadence
Breakout Performance
Centeno, Wolf Play
Rex Hudson, Primary Trust
Milo Roscoe Jones, Tambo & Bones
JD Lawrence, A Distinct Society
Lily Marcheschi, Lungs
Best Original Work
Gabriel, book by Jerold Solomon, Foster Solomon, and Ron Klipp; music and lyrics by Ron Klipp and Jerold Solomon; directed by Foster Solomon; ATLAS Partnership
Safety, book by Irene Ziegler; music and lyrics by John Winn; directed by Nathaniel Shaw; Firehouse Theatre
small quiet good created by Chandler Hubbard and directed by Kerrigan Sullivan, The Lynn Theatre at Brightpoint Community College
WitchDuck created by Eva DeVirgilis and directed by Rebecca Wahls; Firehouse Theatre and Cadence
Outstanding Achievement in Projection Design
Mark Costello, A Christmas Carol
Mark Costello, Come from Away
Tennessee Dixon, Murder on the Orient Express
Chase Kniffen, Safety
Dasia Gregg, Tambo & Bones
Special Recognition
Genna Beth Davidson for puppet design and coaching, Wolf Play
Erica Hughes for dialects, Come from Away
Paisley LoBue, Emma Mason, Kendall Walker, James Ricks, Starrene Foster, and Anna Bialkowski for The Witches, Macbeth
Emmy Turner for fight choreography, Wolf Play
The 2025-26 members of the RTCC included Tim Clausing, Rachel Dilliplane, Melissa Johnston Price, Julinda Lewis (RVArt Review), David Timberline (Style Weekly), Caroline Weist, and Amy Wight. RTCC members must have seen at least two-thirds of the locally produced shows during the season in order to vote in the award nomination process.
The event will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, at Virginia Rep’s November Theatre. Formal attire is encouraged for the awards ceremony, which is open to the public. Tickets are $25 for orchestra seating and $30 for balcony seating. They will go on sale September 28 and can be purchased by calling the Virginia Rep box office at 804-282-2620. Get your tickets early – ticket prices go up by $5 on October 11. All proceeds from Artsies ticket sales support the Theatre Artist Fund of Greater Richmond.
