Eva DeVirgilis’s New Play: A Satirical Look at Patriarchy and Virginia History

Playwright Eva DeVirgilis is bringing a satirical lens to colonial Virginia history with the world premiere of WitchDuck, a new play that examines the intersection of 18th-century misogyny and the modern manosphere.

Co-produced by Cadence and Firehouse Theatre, the production runs from May 8 to May 24, 2026, at the Carol Piersol Stage at Firehouse Theatre in Richmond, Virginia.

The play dramatizes the true story of Grace Sherwood, a midwife and farmer in 1706 Norfolk, Virginia, who became one of the last women in North America to face witchcraft-related legal proceedings.

The History of Ducking

The narrative centers on the practice of witchducking, a judicial test used to determine guilt. Authorities would tie a suspected witch and throw her into the water; if the woman floated, she was considered a witch in league with the devil, while sinking was viewed as proof of innocence.

Sherwood remained buoyant during her ordeal, a result that led to her incarceration and her enduring historical reputation as the Witch of Pungo.

DeVirgilis conceived the project after noticing a sign for Witchduck Road while driving on I-64 near her home in the Virginia Beach area.

Satire and the Manosphere

While the subject matter involves persecution and patriarchal oppression, DeVirgilis utilizes a dark comedic approach. The play features an all female-identifying cast and incorporates anachronisms, including a cameo by Groucho Marx, to create what the playwright describes as a female-forward, joyfully defiant piece.

The production frames the 18th-century bias against women as a precursor to the contemporary manosphere. This is personified in the character of Reverend Barry Mather, an invention of the playwright modeled after sexist clerics of the era.

I want the play to be both irreverent and grounded. Eva DeVirgilis, playwright

DeVirgilis, an actor and TEDx speaker with a background in standup and sketch comedy, noted that humor serves as a strategy for resilience when dealing with heavy topics.

Production and Development

The play was developed through a year-long Pipeline New Works Fellowship with Cadence, where DeVirgilis conducted research at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and studied King James I’s Daemonologie.

During the development process, DeVirgilis was mentored by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire.

It’s wildly funny—irreverent, fast-moving, almost vaudevillian at times—and then it pivots into something emotionally sharp and unsettling. That tonal elasticity is hard to pull off. David Lindsay-Abaire, playwright

The production is directed by Rebecca Wahls, with Anna Sosa starring as Grace Sherwood.

Beyond the satire, DeVirgilis stated that the play is intended as a space for community and healing for women who have been silenced by systemic power structures.