AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE CENTER FALL/WINTER 2022 SEASON

William Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Pericles, Prince of Tyre;

Aimé Césaire’s Une Tempête; and

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol 

STAUNTON, VA – American Shakespeare Center (ASC)

American Shakespeare Center will complete its 2022 season with tales of magic and courage, fate and faith, triumph and redemption, including two Shakespeare classics tossed by stormy seas, The Tempest and Pericles, Prince of Tyre; Aimé Césaire’s devilishly funny satire Une Tempête; and a beloved audience favorite, ASC’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

The Tempest

By William Shakespeare

September 23-November 19, 2022

Political exile, revenge, and magic meld in this edge-of-your-seat thriller, capped by a master manipulator’s calculated lesson in the folly of hatred.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

By William Shakespeare

September 30-November 20, 2022

A good man confronted by evil and loss, Pericles is driven to the sea again and again in this epic tale of heroism and the quest for love.

The Tempest and Pericles will be produced in ASC’s “Actors Renaissance” style, in which the actors stage the show, in the method used by Shakespeare’s own original company.

Audiences have multiple opportunities to see both shows, including in a single weekend.

Une Tempête

By Aimé Césaire

October 27-November 19, 2022

This mordantly funny adaptation tilts The Tempest on its head, approaching the story of Prospero and Caliban from a post-colonial perspective. Written in the stormy ‘60s, this seldom-staged work’s social justice message takes on new urgency in today’s world. Directed by Dawn Monique Williams (Aurora Theatre, Berkeley; Oregon Shakespeare Festival).

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

December 1 – December 30, 2022

A favorite with audiences every year, ASC’s adaptation of the Dickens classic starts with a rollicking holiday singalong, and then takes the audience on a thrill ride through the haunting and ultimate redemption of that most miserly miser, Ebenezer Scrooge.

ASC Artistic Director Brandon Carter notes the juxtaposition of magic and miracles, loss and hope, faith and redemption in the plays chosen for the season. In particular, he says, the pairing of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Aimé Césaire’s Une Tempête stir up a potent brew for discussion. “We so often overlook the race, politics and colonialism in Shakespeare’s magical and valedictory Tempest. By pairing it with Une Tempête, we see how Shakespeare still speaks with urgency, and we invite the community to join us as we work through the issues that divide and unite us.”

Located in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, American Shakespeare Center performs in its Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s original indoor theater. Autumn is an especially time to experience ASC, as the Valley is surrounded by mountains robed in foliage scarlet and gold, and nearby wineries, breweries and cideries yield their harvest bounty. Patrons visit the Blackfriars from across the U.S. and around the world. Trip planning suggestions, including partner hotel discounts, may be found at https://americanshakespearecenter.com/visit/

Tickets for the fall/winter 2022 plays are on sale now and can be purchased online at americanshakespearecenter.com or by calling 1.877.MUCH.ADO (1.877.682.4236).

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About the American Shakespeare Center

The American Shakespeare Center recovers the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare’s theatre, language, and humanity by exploring the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and education. Year-round in Staunton’s Blackfriars Playhouse — the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre — ASC’s innovative programming and “shamelessly entertaining” (The Washington Post) productions have shared the delights of Shakespeare, modern classics and new plays with millions over the past 30 years. Beyond the Playhouse, ASC is a hub for Shakespeare education and scholarship and with a long history of touring nationally from Texas to Maine – currently on hiatus due to COVID. Founded in 1988 as Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, the organization became the American Shakespeare Center in 2005 and can be found online at www.americanshakespearecenter.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. ASC programming is sponsored in part by the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, The Shubert Foundation, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, the Krongard Foundation, and the generosity of countless donors.