Something enchanting happens when we cross the threshold between illusion and what lies behind it. That’s a fancy way of saying that I’m a sucker for a behind-the-scenes experience. I’ve always been a huge theater fan, to the point of becoming the president of my high school’s International Thespian Society chapter. As you can imagine, I was very popular.
My cousins and I have a decade-long tradition of seeing A Christmas Carol each winter at the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton. During the worst of the pandemic, we watched via livestream. Other plays there have also been wonderful, of course. If you haven’t attended a show at the Blackfriars, I highly recommend it. This spring’s season features Julius Caesar, Pride and Prejudice, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Performances at the Blackfriars are unlike those at other theaters. As its description of the staging conditions coyly states, they “do it with the lights on.” Actors play multiple roles, and the sets and props are minimal—just enough to give the imagination a scaffold. These Shakespearean staging conditions result in an unparalleled intimate theatrical experience.
For years now, I’ve wanted to do a Playhouse Tour to glimpse behind the curtain, beneath the trapdoor on that stage. Finally, that wish came to fruition.—Kristie Smeltzer
What
A tour of the Blackfriars Playhouse.
Why
Because learning more about the Bard, the re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theater, and the inner workings of the theater company could only enhance appreciation for the American Shakespeare Center’s performances.
How it went
Seeing the underside of the trapdoor that I’ve watched many Jacob Marleys erupt from (with chains they formed in life, link by link) warmed the cockles of my theater-loving heart.
Playhouse tours are typically offered Monday through Saturday, at 10am and 2pm. Tickets are $10 per person and must be purchased in advance. I met my guide in front of the playhouse 10 minutes ahead of the tour time. His expansive knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject matter were apparent from the start.
Inside, we began on the stage. What a truly humbling experience to walk the planks where such fine actors work, performers whose efforts have given me and mine so much enjoyment over the years. The guide shared information about the structure itself, describing the meticulous attention paid to re-creating Shakespeare’s original Blackfriars, with a few concessions to modern amenities. (Yay! No ye olde privies.) Two notable deviations from the original theater’s design exist, occurring due to a lack of information during construction. You’ll have to take the tour to find out those differences.
As the guide spoke, actors mustered for a rehearsal. I forgot how much I love the way the energy in a theater changes when populated, building exponentially as the players fill the space. We moved off the stage and peered into the backstage area, which is surprisingly compact. From there, we meandered past handmade tapestries, replications of those that would have been gifted by a patron to the original theater.
Next stop, the lobby, where the guide conveyed a wealth of knowledge about the modern company’s workings, players who graced the stage with Shakespeare himself, and the history of theater (and theaters) in England in the Bard’s time. If you know a fair amount about Shakespeare and his work, you’ll hear familiar information, but it’s still worth it to learn from a passionate guide while standing in a re-creation of where the magic happened hundreds of years ago in England.
Our last stop was the “backstage” areas below the main theater, peeking into rehearsal, dressing, and costuming spaces. Anecdotes were shared. Laughs were had. And when the guide opened the door “to hell” and invited me to step into the space where I peered up at the underside of that magnificent trap door, my heart nearly burst.
Blackfriars Playhouse
americanshakespearecenter.com