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1st Stage will move forward with its production of “Between Riverside and Crazy” following the unexpected death of lead actor and longtime board member William T. Newman Jr., though the Tysons theater has delayed opening night by a week.
Newman died at his home Feb. 10 after rehearsing for several weeks to play Walter “Pops” Washington. The production had been scheduled to run from Feb. 19 through March 8.
Following discussions among the cast, crew, designers and staff, the theater rescheduled the show for Feb. 26 through March 15. Addison Switzer will step into the lead role after most recently appearing as Wining Boy in 1st Stage’s production of “The Piano Lesson” last summer.
The theater remembered Newman as a beloved artist and board member who brought laughter, joy and decades of experience to rehearsals. He served on the organization’s board of directors for nearly 10 years and appeared regularly on its stage.
Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, “Between Riverside and Crazy” won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play follows Washington, a widowed former police officer, and his recently paroled son as they struggle to retain their rent-controlled New York City apartment. Washington is also pursuing a discrimination lawsuit against the New York City Police Department.
José Carrasquillo directs the 1st Stage production. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Captions and audio descriptions will be offered at select performances.
General admission tickets cost $55, with a limited number available for $25 and $40. Tickets for students, teachers and military service members cost $15 and can be purchased online or through the box office at 703-854-1856.
The recently renovated theater is in the Spring Hill Business Center at 1524 Spring Hill Road.
Newman leaves a legacy that extended far beyond the stage. An Arlington native who grew up amid segregation during the 1950s and 1960s, he became the county’s first Black board member since Reconstruction in 1987.
The Virginia General Assembly appointed him as an Arlington Circuit Court judge in 1993. He became the court’s chief judge in 2003 and remained in that position until retiring a decade later.
Newman continued acting throughout his political and legal career. He earned a theater degree from Ohio University and worked primarily onstage, while also taking roles in television, radio and film. His credits included the soap opera “Somerset” and the historical drama “The Butler.”
At 1st Stage, Newman’s previous performances included Cutler, a trombonist, in the theater’s 2017 production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” He also appeared frequently with Arena Stage, Avant Bard Theatre and other companies across the Washington region.
Newman is survived by his wife, BET co-founder Sheila Johnson. The two first met while acting with the Negro Ensemble Company in the 1980s.
They reconnected in 2002 when Newman presided over Johnson’s divorce from longtime business partner Robert Johnson. They later married at Salamander Farm in Middleburg in a ceremony reportedly attended by 700 guests, including then-Gov. Mark Warner, Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine and news anchor Katie Couric.