"★★★★★...American Shakespeare Center plays the hell out of this comedy...full of slapstick and physical comedy... this is the play Shakespeare wrote, an epic battle of thesexes and of wit..." — DC Theatre Scene
"...collectively and individually, the members of the Actors' Renaissance Season company at the American Shakespeare Center (ASC) have given us a most inventive and insightful HENRY IV, PART 1 at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia..." — Shakespeareances.com
"A satisfying experience, intelligently conceived and well rendered...powerful moments...perfectly in tune...Harrell’s approach to [Falstaff is] fierce, focused..."
— DC Theatre Scene
"I LOVED IT!...Equal parts Arrested Development, Veep, The Office and The Big Bang Theory, A KING AND NO KING leaves audiences gasping in flabbergasted laughter...This show is wickedly funny!"
— Shakespeareances.com
Evil is everywhere in Shakespeare’s great tragedy, as the love of Othello and Desdemona is destroyed by envy and jealousy, and truth twisted by innuendo. You’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat as the deadly machinations unfold.
Two of Shakespeare’s most indelible characters—Shylock and Portia—come to life in this saga of greed and vengeance, justice and mercy. Against a backdrop of intolerance suddenly buffeted by change, the play weaves interconnected tales of friendship, love, and family.
In Jonson’s comic masterpiece, the residents of extravagant Venice are transformed into animals by an infection of greed, as the rich, sly Volpone tries to trick his neighbors out of an inheritance through masks, feigned illness, and miserly mischief.
Two young scholars of color, adrift in a sea of white at a Shakespeare conference that could shape their careers, grapple with their longing for recognition, the scrabbling competitiveness of their peers, and their own hilarious personal demons in this laugh-out-loud funny, thought-provoking play. A Shakespeare's New Contemporaries companion to Othello.
Renowned Shakespeare scholar and ASC Co-Founder and Director of Mission Ralph Alan Cohen provides his unique and cunning insight prior to the evening’s performance. Including appearances from special guest speakers and artists, Ralph’s charm and good humor make this entertaining and enlightening lectures series a Blackfriars Playhouse favorite.
Our experts in Renaissance plays and staging will take you up, down, and all around the world's only re-creation of Shakespeare's indoor playhouse and share secrets and anecdotes from the past and the present.
On Sunday mornings, ASC Education staff or special guests lead you on an exciting adventure to explore one of the season's shows through an ever-changing lens!
The complete Actors' Renaissance Season is now streaming: King Arbaces and crew have come to BlkFrs TV! Watch this wickedly funny comedy in your living room.
10% of all funds raised through the sale of digital tickets and contributions to the Keep the Lights On campaign are dedicated to an Employee Relief Fund for ASC’s staff and artists currently on furlough.
See the entire saga of Prince Hal and Falstaff - both parts are now streaming on BlkFrs TV! Get a ticket today & receive your secure link to bring the adventure home with you...
