We are proud to present this year's Virginia Excellence in Theatre Award to arts legend deVeaux Riddick, a cornerstone of RVA’s cultural community.

In 1952, along with his partner Robert Watkins, deVeaux founded DESIGN, one of Richmond’s first interior design firms.  He starred in the 1956 Barksdale production of Shaw’s Don Juan in Hell, with Barksdale co-founders Tom Carlin, Stu Falconer, Perky and Pete Kilgore.  The next year, DeVeaux and Robert co-founded The Richmond Ballet and designed the first Bal du Bois, an assignment they would continue for more than a half century.  In 1959, deVeaux and Robert designed the stage house we enjoy today at Hanover Tavern.  Later, they co-founded The Concert Ballet of Virginia and The Theatre at Bolling Haxall House.  In 1980, they designed the scenery for The Philadelphia Story in Theatre IV’s first adult season.  Throughout these decades, deVeaux also acted, brilliantly, in theatres around town.  Richmond professional theatre would be far less than it is today without the irreplaceable contributions of deVeaux Riddick.