The American Shakespeare Center is in the long-term planning phase of a project to build a re-creation of the 1614 Globe Theatre. The late Sam Wanamaker led the wonderful project in London to re-create Shakespeare's 1599 Globe. That original Globe burned down in 1613 when its thatched roof caught on fire during a performance of Shakespeare's last play. The King's Men quickly rebuilt the Globe with some alterations -- a tile roof for one.

With guidance from the world's best experts on the subject of Renaissance English theatres, the ASC intends to re-create that 1614 structure a short walking distance from the Blackfriars Playhouse. When this building is completed, Staunton, Virginia, will be the one place in the world for theatre-lovers to experience the full range of Elizabethan and Jacobean drama.