A Walk Through Staunton: Shakespeare In Virginia

Nestled in the western foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains on the Southern end of Shenandoah National Park, is the once sleepy town of Staunton, Virginia. Victorian bed and breakfasts and a newly renovated retro cinema, Visulite on Augusta Street, graces the old town center filled with contemporary art galleries. Except, maybe for the tea cozies sold at the local thrift shop, nothing in this Southern setting smacks of England. Yet, Staunton is America's leading bastion of Shakespeare at his purest.

In the heart of downtown Staunton, downhill from the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and Presidential Library, and steps from the historic and newly restored Stonewall Jackson Hotel, is the Blackfriars Playhouse. It's the only full-scale reproduction in the world of the original Blackfriars Theater of Elizabethan London, and home to the world-renowned American Shakespeare Center. Do not miss this. Include it in your Shenandoah Park Trip or, better yet, take a long weekend of Shakespeare, Shenandoah and Southern Hospitality.

There are two noteworthy aspects of Shakespeare in Staunton: the theater and the performances. Both are extraordinary, both are authentic. Walk into the theater at Blackfriars Playhouse and, except for the concessions to electricity and to fire safety, you are in Elizabethan London. It is the only full reproduction of the Blackfriars anywhere in the world. And the pride and dedication to detail shows. The company also prides itself on authentic seating, including on-stage stools with audience interaction, as well as universal lighting, the same level of lighting for players and audience alike. The company is a delightful mix of sexes and ethnicity, with proud and loud theatrical cross-dressing. At a recent performance of "As You Like It" on a hot Saturday night, the audience was treated to both Rosalind, the scripted woman pretending to be a man, and to Audrey, the unscripted man in drag. The cast is professional and delightful. Founder, Professor Ralph A. Cohen, is on hand to insure the every production is true and professional. The history, theater and arts departments of nearby University of Virginia, James Madison University and Mary Baldwin College are never out of touch. The theater is never dark, with performances of one kind or another 365 days a year. This summer, look for "As You Like It", "The Tempest", "MacBeth" and "Othello". In the Fall/Winter, its "Hamlet" and "Pericles" and non-Shakespeare, Elizabethanesque, "Duchess of Malfi", "Brats of Clarence", and "The Devil is an Ass". Finally, next spring, look for "Julius Caesar", "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Cyrano de Bergerac". Local Staunton historic pride is not limited to Shakespeare. Born here in 1856 was the future President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was the true bridge between the Old South, slavery and Civil War and the Twentieth Century. He was the son of a slave owning preacher and the father of the League of Nations, Workers Compensation, and modern liberalism. His birthplace, museum and Presidential library are lovingly kept and historically fascinating. Visit here between performances and be captivated. If you go, try to stay at the newly renovated Stonewall Jackson Hotel, a luxury find. It is a grand building restored and modernized as a state of the art inn and conference center. Rates are attractive and service is attentive, It's one of the best values in the U.S. for such high quality, vying with the Willard in Washington, DC, the Davenport in Spokane, Washington, and the Brown Palace in Denver, Colorado as America's top historical hotel restorations. But, on a student's budget the local B&Bs or the many dorms around the area may be the best bet. It's also easy to eat cheap in Staunton. Have lunch at the Beverley, a funky restaurant on Beverley Ave, in the heart of town. Its southern home cooking is just the way you'd imagine. Try anything with mashed potatoes, gravy and homemade biscuits, or real grits and gravy for breakfast. And leave room for the pecan or coconut cream pies. Finally, don't miss the farmers market on Saturday mornings, 7-11am. The fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers are first rate. The baked goods are sublime. Groove with the baby boom hippies (like me) singing old Dillon songs. At night, meet up with other students at the local jazz bars and brew pubs that are now cropping up in the town. Or check out the Visulite Cinema which often has music. Getting to Staunton is easy. It is right off of Interstate 81, one of the east's main north/south highways. Its under 200 miles from Washington, under 100 from Richmond and convenient to Charlottesville, Front Royal and the entire Blue Ridge Mountain tourist venue, including Luray Caverns and the Shenandoah National Park. delicious | digg | technorati
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