The Virginia Theatre Festival began in 1974 as a University semi-professional drama program and recently returned to Charlottesville for its 52nd iteration. The festival hosts several shows each summer that feature both Broadway and Charlottesville actors, and the company is composed of over 100 people from around the country in addition to several University students, faculty members and alumni.
The festival process lasts for approximately 10 weeks during the summer from preparation to performance, with the 2026 season featuring productions of “Moriarty,” “Newsies” and “Frida… A Self Portrait.” This year’s festival concluded July 26, wrapping up another successful edition of VTF.
VTF brings together local talent and Broadway performers through a rather long and complex casting process. Jenny Wales, University drama professor and artistic director of VTF, said VTF works with a casting director based out of New York City to host auditions, then individual show-runners pick talent for their respective plays or musicals before eventually presenting the productions in the University’s drama building…