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All the United States Virginia Staunton American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse

American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse

The only recreation of William Shakespeare's indoor playhouse.

Staunton, Virginia

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Playhouse   mosherhmh / Atlas Obscura User
Exterior of the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia, home of the American Shakespeare Center.   rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
The Blackfriars Theatre in Staunton, Virginia as it looked a few years ago. The stage area has since been modified with a trompe l’oeil marble motif.   rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In the middle of Staunton, Virginia stands a sight in which William Shakespeare himself would feel comfortable. In fact, he would feel more than comfortable; he might not realize that he wasn't in 16th-century England.

This is because the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton is a pitch-perfect recreation of the London's Blackfriars Monastery, a theater that Shakespeare himself helped build. Called "One of the most historically important theaters in the world," even the lighting is historically accurate, with both audience and actors sharing the same natural light source.

While the sets, stage, and lighting are all meticulously researched and historically accurate, thankfully the bubonic plague, constant lice, and public beheadings that were a part of Shakespeare's time have stayed firmly in the past.

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Wondrous Performances Shakespeare

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Exit 222 off of I-81 in VA

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Edited By

Blindcolour, mbison, mosherhmh, rfinkels

  • Blindcolour
  • mbison
  • mosherhmh
  • rfinkels

Published

October 10, 2009

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American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse
10 S. Market St.
Staunton, Virginia, 24401
United States
38.149478, -79.070487
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