At the American Shakespeare Center, we believe the most direct route to knowing and appreciating Shakespeare is to see his plays at the Blackfriars Playhouse.  Students who experience performances of Shakespeare’s plays in ways which engage his stagecraft as well as his wordcraft gain a unique understanding and appreciation of the plays they would not otherwise have. To facilitate this engagement, the ASC offers 10:30am shows on Thursday mornings during the school year, so that groups from middle schools, high schools, home-schools, colleges, and other academic institutions can take advantage of the learning opportunities our theatre presents. (To proceed straight to information on purchasing tickets, please see our Academic Group Sales page).

What plays can my students and I see at the Blackfriars Playhouse?

Spring 2013

Twelfth Night - A feast of language and songs, sublime and subversive, this play breaks rules and bends gender to show romance in all its guises and disguises. From separated twins to a heroine in disguise, from the gulling of a pompous fool to the triumphs of devoted love, Twelfth Night brilliant showcases the linguistic heights and staging techniques for which Shakespeare's comedies are so famous.

Love's Labour's Lost - The King of Navarre and his three schoolmates are ripe for an education in love from the Princess of France and her three best friends. This giddy and extravagant comedy is Shakespeare's most exuerant wordfest -- a joyful carnival of love, loss, and hope.

Fall 2013

Romeo and Juliet - With its ravishing language and uproarious comedy, Romeo and Juliet celebrates love's triumph and its trivialities. Verona's walls embrace the volatility of youth as well as the wisdom and restraint that often escape young and old alike. Thumb-biting, dance, and swordplay share the stage with sonnets, bawdy wit, and soul-searching speeches in thsi profoundly human and always surprising treasure.

All's Well That Ends Well - Shakespeare paints a sly portrait of the human condition in all its motley colors in this funny, wise, and bittwersweet comedy. In its world of soldiers and clowns, countesses and commoners, All's Well tricks us into believing that lies are true and that truth is fantasy - a dark fairy-tale filled with laughter, miracles, and re-birth.

Troilus and Cressida - The biggest names in classical history -- Achilles, Hector, Ajax, and Helen of Troy -- collide in Shakespeare's foray into the Trojan War. Patriotism conquers loe as the characters navigate the all-too-personal ramifications of war.

Holiday 2013
A Christmas Carol - Our holiday season matinee attracts students of all ages every year for some ghostly season’s greetings. Younger students particularly enjoy the good cheer of Bob Cratchit and his family, the terrifying spectre of Jacob Marley, the music and dance at Fezziwig’s party, and the story’s inspiring resolution.

Actors' Renaissance Season 2014
As You Like It - To escape death, the extraordinary Rosalind, her brave cousin Celia, and one of Shakespeare's funniest fools flee into the forest, where they discover shepherds and aristocrats; country folk and lovers; and, ultimately, life, love, joy, and freedom. Your students will appreciate the quick wit of this play as well as the all-too-familiar signs of effervescent first love.

The Servant of Two Masters - Disguised lovers, tricky servants, and well-meaning parents cross and double-cross one another along the canals of Venice. The characters' search for a happy ending depends entirely on the titular servant Truffaldino, whose attempt to double his wages unravels with delicious mayhem in this joyous, 18th-century lark.

Spring 2014
Othello - In this magnificently complex study of extremes, Shakespeare pairs his most loving and trusting leading man with his most ruthless and conniving villain. The radiant language of love transforms into delirious ravings in this ravishing and unforgettable classic. Your students will not only witness the dangers of jealousy and distrust, but will explore themes of race and "belonging" that still echo today.

The Merry Wives of Windsor - Two Windsor wives team up to outsmart and outmaneuver the lusty Jack Falstaff, one of Shakespeare's wittiest and most beloved bad boys. Shakespeare blends romance, farce, and festival in his liveliest and most affectiona portrait of domestic life in Elizabeth I's England.

Henry IV, Part 1 - In this thrilling and poignant coming-of-age story, Shakespeare gives us the whole world: the fabulous fat knight, the troubled king, the prodigal prince, the hot-blooded warrior, and a host of rabble rousers. Henry IV, Part 1 is Shakespeare's masterful exploration of family and friends; honor and happiness; and those moments when we must choose between the thing we desire and the thing we know we have to do. Your students will sympathize with Hal's quest for self-determination and may hear their own parents' words in the demands of King Henry IV.

Why should I take my students to see a play?

When Shakespeare and his contemporaries wrote their scripts, they weren’t writing words to be seen on a page -- they were writing words to be heard in a theatre, as part of the complex and dynamic interaction of actor, audience, and playing. When your students see a play performed live, by actors who know what they are saying and why they are saying it, the language won’t seem difficult - they’ll forget to be scared of “thees” and “thous,” they’ll hear the jokes and laugh with them, they’ll stop worrying about trying to remember details of plot and will instead immerse themselves in the experience. They will understand why these plays still hold appeal, and they will discover what these great works have to say to them and to the modern world.

Why should I come to the Blackfriars Playhouse?

At the Blackfriars Playhouse, our actors use Shakespeare’s staging conditions to infuse his works with high energy and fresh vitality. Our productions are fast-paced, adhering as nearly as possible to the “two-hours’ traffic” that Shakespeare promises his audience at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet. Our thrust staging and universal lighting mean that your students become part of the action -- our actors will talk to them directly during the performance, as the actors of Shakespeare’s company would have done 400 years ago, engaging them as allies in the action, making them complicit in nefarious schemes, appealing to them for help or guidance. The universal lighting also means that your students will be able to watch each others’ reactions to what happens onstage. The music that our actors play during the pre-show and during interludes -- modern songs which your students are likely to have on their own iPods -- will help your students experience Shakespeare as relevant and exciting, rather than musty and old-fashioned. At the ASC, our goal is not just to get your students to see Shakespeare, but to get them to love it.

How can I bring students to see a performance at the Blackfriars Playhouse?

Learn more about our special group rates and see our 2012-2013 schedule on our Academic Group Sales page. To schedule your group to attend a performance, contact our Group Sales Manager at groupsales@americanshakespearecenter.com or 540.885.5588 ext 24.

If you have questions about whether or not a certain play may be appropriate for your students’ age group, please contact our Group Sales Manager at groupsales@americanshakespearecenter.com or 540.885.5588 ext 24, or our Academic Resources Manager, Cass Morris, at cass@americanshakespearecenter.com or 540.885.5588 ext 21. We will be able to answer your questions about the production, and we can also point you towards online editions of the text, in case you would like to review the language for yourself. We also offer a complimentary ticket to teachers who wish to see a play before bringing their students to it.

How can I use performance to teach my students?

In our Teacher Seminars, held in October, February, April, and July, ASC education artists will demonstrate classroom applications of the same methods and activities we use in our workshops and training. The play-specific seminars focus on making the plots, characters, words, and drama of Shakespeare's plays relevant and exciting in the classroom. We pay special attention to ways of undoing the "Shakesfear" that so often prevents students from enjoying the plays. We also look at the connections between the plays and standard requirements for English, theatre, and history curricula.

You can also check out our ASC Study Guides for useful classroom activities. Each guide includes instructions for working your students through a text from start to finish, beginning by familiarizing them with getting up on their feet to act through scenes. Other activities include: working with scansion and iambic pentameter, using basic rhetoric to find acting clues, making connections through historical perspectives, approaching difficult staging moments, examining textual differences, and using asides and audience contact, as well as a guide for having your students perform an abbreviated version of the play. For teachers working in the Commonwealth of Virginia, each guide also includes a comprehensive listing of the S.O.L.s which each activity can fulfill.

We also offer a selection of workshops, led by education artists and ASC actors, which you can schedule as part of your trip to the Blackfriars Playhouse.

What do teachers have to say about bringing students to the Blackfriars Playhouse?

• "I trust the ASC to introduce my students to Shakespeare in a way that will make them want to come back for more, again and again."
• "The kids were still buzzing about the play 24 hours later. ... You've never seen such interaction and positive energy. Toward the end of the next-day discussion, when I asked them if they had any trouble understanding thea ction or the language, they said no. They knew exactly what was going on. It's magic."
• "They LOVED the show. Thank you for being such a great resource and for making Shakespeare come alive for our students and the community."
• "My kids and I had SUCH a great time today - and it was the first time almost any of them had seen a professional production of anything, let alone Shakespeare! They loved it!!! Thanks for having us."
• "I just want to say,'"Wow!'  The production today was amazing.  Every one of my students greatly enjoyed the experience.  The talent and agility of the actors/ actresses truly is an inspiration for my students.  I am not a theater teacher, so I did not know what questions would help to initiate the interaction with the actors. However, my students told me that the talk back was just as enjoyable as the production.  My students truly enjoyed themselves and I am certain that many of them are going to ask their parents to bring them to Staunton for a family trip.  I do plan to attend again in the future.  This is one of the best trips that we have ever had."
• "I have seen many wonderful shows at Blackfriars, but today’s performance was the best ever. Thank you so much for all of your help to accommodate our visit. Please let the actors know that they were all truly outstanding, and our students could not stop raving about the experience today."
• "The workshops were outstanding, and the play was (as I had expected) unbelievable.  A number of students have thanked me for ‘making’ them go, and I suspect that this will not be their last encounter with Shakespeare.  They were an attentive and engaged audience, and I am just so thrilled, as are other faculty members who promoted the play."
• "Our graduating students say this is has been their favorite field trip."
• "I had a wonderful time.  The play was AMAZING.  Everyone is so impressed with the actors and how strong they were...  They were so engaging, and it was a nice blend of music to enhance the comedy.  I LOVED it.  I plan to go every year.  The students and other teachers were surprised with how entertaining and interactive they were."

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