Shakespeare meets swing in The Winter’s Tale, now live onstage at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia. Reimagined through the lens of the Harlem Renaissance—with live jazz, velvet style, and a powerhouse ensemble—this production is captivating audiences and making waves.
We asked real people what they thought. Here’s what they had to say:
“Tonight was magic.”
“It was beyond our expectations. Um, we have seen other shows here and been delighted each time. Tonight was magic.”
“I didn’t know what to expect, but I thought it was a lot of fun. It was so good. The songs were great. The music, like, interludes were good. The theater was alive.”
“The ensemble energy was phenomenal.”
“Everyone—everyone was enjoying it. The ensemble energy was phenomenal.”
“It’s a small cast and I was captivated by, you know, the versatility of all of them.”
“I thought that it was such an amazing, unique interpretation of it. I’ve never seen The Winter’s Tale, but I think they did a great job of differentiating the characters and making it their own.”
“The mixture of the music with Shakespeare—perfect.”
“This is my first time at the Blackfriars Playhouse. The mixture of the of the music with Shakespeare—perfect. Just absolutely perfect.
And it—it got you all engaged and involved and kept us there.”
“The Harlem Renaissance thing—it really worked.”
“It was interesting, the interpretation—you know, the Harlem Renaissance thing. It really—it really worked.”
“Even though in writing it was all the same, I feel like they did a great job of connecting it to sort of modern themes or sort of, um, casting it in a way that made the audience think about different sort of connections and different interpretations of the play.”
“It was surprising. It was a blessing.”
“I cried. I laughed. It was wonderful.”
“Part of me thought, ‘I know everything that’s going to happen. Uh, whatever, I’ll come. It’ll be fun.’ Oh—I cried. I laughed. It was wonderful.”
“The bear really stood out to me.”
“The bear really stood out to me. It was awesome.”
“Yeah—it was all the actors and everyone involved and everyone in the audience, and that was just great.”
“A completely one-of-a-kind experience.”
“That was great. This is a completely one-of-a-kind experience that you could only get here in this playhouse.”
“It’s worth the drive.”
“It’s excellent. I can’t wait to see what they do next.”
A Renaissance Remix: Jazz, Shakespeare, and The Winter’s Tale at ASC
At the American Shakespeare Center, the English Renaissance meets the Harlem Renaissance—like keys on a piano, distinct in tone but meant to play together. The Winter’s Tale comes to life through live jazz, bold 1940s style, and the poetic power of Shakespeare’s text, staged under shared light in the Blackfriars Playhouse.
(The Winters Tale Director Raphael Emmanuel at the Table Read 2025. Photo by Madison Patterson.)
Directed by Raphael Emmanuel, this production draws on the rhythm, resilience, and cultural brilliance of Black Bohemia.
“We have reimagined our setting using inspiration from Black Bohemia, another name for the Harlem Renaissance, and a time definitively impacted by an explosion of Black culture, WWII, Jazz music, Prohibition, and more,” says Emmanuel.
“This does not change the story on the page, but seeks to draw comparisons to the already existing themes in the play.”
What unfolds is a vibrant, emotional journey—a tale of jealousy, forgiveness, survival, and renewal, performed by a powerhouse ensemble whose voices swing as powerfully as Shakespeare’s words.
Plan Your Visit to Staunton, Virginia
The Winter’s Tale is now playing in repertory with Sense & Sensibility as part of the Summer 2025 Season at the American Shakespeare Center—located at the Blackfriars Playhouse in downtown Staunton, Virginia, the world’s first and only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre.
Blackfriars Playhouse
10 South Market Street
Staunton, VA 24401
- Just minutes from I-81
- Free parking nearby
- Walkable to award-winning restaurants, shops, and boutique hotels
- Voted one of the best small towns in America by Smithsonian magazine
Whether you’re local to the Shenandoah Valley or planning a weekend trip from Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Richmond, or Washington, DC—this is the kind of live theatre that’s worth the drive.
Tickets are going fast.
Catch the show audiences are raving about.