American Shakespeare Center (Blackfriars Playhouse) | Staunton

1. Introduction and Historical Context

The American Shakespeare Center (ASC) operates the Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s original indoor theater-the Blackfriars Theatre in London. Opened in 2001, the Staunton Blackfriars is a meticulous reconstruction based on surviving plans, historical descriptions, and scholarly interpretations of what Shakespeare’s indoor performances would have been like in the early 1600s.

While most people associate Shakespeare with the open-air Globe Theatre, the Blackfriars was his indoor winter venue, and it offered a different, more intimate performance style, with candlelight, music, and a closer connection between actors and audience.

2. Architectural Features

Design and Construction:
Built using Virginia oak and designed in traditional post-and-beam timber-frame style, the Playhouse seats around 300 people, closely following the scale and structure of the original Blackfriars.

Theater Layout:

Three-tiered seating: A pit (floor level), two horseshoe-shaped galleries, and onstage seating, allowing a few audience members to sit directly beside the performers.

No proscenium arch, meaning there's no physical separation between the audience and the stage-preserving the immersive environment.

Thrust stage: A stage that extends into the audience, surrounded on three sides, encouraging interaction and direct address.

Period-style lighting: Uses natural light from windows and beeswax candles in chandeliers and sconces to mimic the original illumination, especially in evening performances.

Aesthetic Authenticity:
Painted wooden beams, rich paneling, and open galleries create a setting that feels simultaneously historic and vibrant.

3. Performance Philosophy and Style

The ASC focuses on Shakespearean staging conditions, meaning they aim to reproduce the techniques, atmosphere, and actor-audience dynamics of Renaissance theater. These include:

A. Shared Light

The house lights remain on during performances.

Actors and audience members share the same lighting, allowing performers to engage directly with the crowd, acknowledging them, speaking to them, and involving them in the play.

This creates a more communal, energetic environment, true to how Elizabethan audiences experienced theater.

B. Minimal Scenery and Props

Sets are simple, relying on verbal scene-painting, physical performance, and the imagination of the audience.

Props and furniture are used sparingly and symbolically.

Scene changes are fast, fluid, and integrated into the performance itself.

C. Costumes and Doubling

Costumes are often period-inspired, though not necessarily 100% historically accurate, and the focus is on utility and character clarity.

Actors often play multiple roles (doubling) and may do quick costume changes in full view of the audience, a common practice in Shakespeare’s time.

D. Music and Sound

Live music is performed by actors themselves, both before the show and during interludes.

Instruments include lutes, guitars, drums, and recorders, and the music blends period pieces with folk or contemporary stylings, enhancing emotional resonance.

This use of actor-musicians adds texture and rhythm to the performances.

4. Repertory and Programming

The ASC produces over a dozen productions annually, often in rotating repertory, meaning the same group of actors performs multiple plays simultaneously, alternating nightly or weekly.

The company performs:

Shakespearean classics (e.g., Hamlet, Macbeth, Twelfth Night)

Contemporaneous works by other Renaissance playwrights (e.g., Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson)

Modern plays adapted to fit early modern staging (e.g., Jane Eyre, The Importance of Being Earnest)

World premieres of commissioned adaptations and original works.

Matinee performances, evening shows, and educational performances are scheduled year-round.

5. Audience Experience

Highly Interactive: The format encourages laughter, gasps, and engagement. Actors move through the aisles, speak directly to audience members, and sometimes invite limited participation.

On-stage seating: A few lucky ticket holders can sit on benches along the back of the stage, immersed in the action.

Pre-show and Intermission entertainment: Cast members often perform songs and comedic sketches to energize the crowd before the main performance.

This approach makes the shows accessible and entertaining, even to those unfamiliar with Shakespeare.

6. Educational Mission

The ASC is deeply committed to educational outreach. Its mission is not only to entertain but also to inspire a deeper appreciation of language, literature, and performance.

Programs include:

Student Matinees: Designed for school field trips, featuring full productions followed by Q&A sessions.

Summer Camps: Immersive theater training programs for high school and college students, focusing on Shakespearean performance.

Teacher Workshops: Instruction on how to teach Shakespeare using performance-based learning techniques.

ASC on Tour: Historically, the company has taken productions on the road, visiting schools, universities, and regional theaters.

7. Special Events and Community Offerings

Pay-What-You-Will Nights: Affordable access to live theater for the entire community.

ASL Interpreted Performances: Select shows offer American Sign Language interpretation.

Post-show Talkbacks: Opportunities to engage with the cast and creative team after the performance.

Blackfriars Conference: A biennial scholarly event attracting academics, directors, and educators from around the world.

8. Location and Visitor Information

Address: 10 S. Market Street, Staunton, Virginia 24401

Located in downtown Staunton, surrounded by restaurants, shops, and historic architecture.

The building also houses the ASC offices, rehearsal spaces, and a gift shop with books, scripts, and Shakespeare-themed merchandise.

Tours available: Behind-the-scenes guided tours are offered regularly, providing access to dressing rooms, trap doors, and the history of the space.

9. Cultural and Tourism Importance

The Playhouse is one of Staunton’s premier cultural attractions, drawing both theater lovers and casual visitors from across the country. It contributes significantly to heritage tourism, academic engagement, and the preservation of classical literature through performance.

Its unique focus on authenticity, artistry, and inclusivity makes it a nationally significant theater-not a museum, but a living, breathing stage where Shakespeare's works continue to evolve.

10. Summary

The American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse is a rare, immersive, and richly rewarding cultural experience. It combines Renaissance theatrical tradition with modern performance sensibilities, offering plays that are entertaining, educational, and historically resonant. Whether you’re a Shakespeare enthusiast, a student, a casual theatergoer, or a heritage tourist, a visit to the Blackfriars Playhouse provides a powerful reminder of how great stories transcend time when performed with passion and authenticity.