Support the aSC
The American Shakespeare Center is celebrating a landmark anniversary—35 years of theatre-making history here in Staunton, VA. With what started as a dream of co-founders Dr. Ralph Alan Cohen and Jim Warren, ASC has since brought to life countless beloved stories from Shakespeare and his contemporaries at the Blackfriars Playhouse, ranging from Patrick Earl’s iconic Hamlet to Shunté Lofton’s heartfelt Celia in As You Like It, with many scenes of love and reunion, power and revenge, discovery and adventure. All of which would not have been possible without you. As Peter Marks from The Washington Post best said: “American Shakespeare Center offers…the fare for which its loyal fans tend to turn up again and again. Exhilarating!”
THIS YEAR MARKS
231 Productions
6,262 Performances
for over 2 Million audience members
from all 50 states and over 50 countries across six continents
We are humbled by your love and continuous support.
As we look forward to the next 35 years, ASC is committed to building on Dr. Ralph’s legacy. In tandem with Brandon Carter’s artistic leadership, the vision for the future of the organization is to create a symbiotic relationship between the classical canon and new voices, broaden ASC’s impact in our community, and welcome both ASC veterans and new faces to the Blackfriars Playhouse.
Please consider making a gift to honor the past 35 years and secure the next generation. Your gift will help us continue our legacy of engaging and exciting productions that showcase the power of connection and inspiration. Whether you can give a little or a lot, your contribution allows us to do what we do best: make Shakespeare accessible for all. We are grateful and pledge to honor your contribution with a full year of festivities beginning with our double Birthday Bash Weekend, celebrating both Shakespeare’s birthday and ASC’s 35th anniversary on April 22 & 23—information and tickets coming soon.
Ways to Give
We are pleased to offer many ways to support the American Shakespeare Center. However you choose to give, we are thankful for your generosity.
By phone:
- To make a gift by credit card or all other methods (i.e. gifts of stock, wire transfers, IRA Charitable Rollover) over the phone during regular business hours (Tuesday – Friday 8:00am -3pm), please call the Development Department at 540-885-5588 extension 114.
- If calling outside the administrative office hours, please call the box office at 1-877-682-4236.
- The Box Office is open Wednesday-Friday 1-5 PM and Saturday/Sunday 12-4 PM
By mail:
For Checks– please make payable to the American Shakespeare Center and send to:Attn: Development OfficeAmerican Shakespeare Center20 S. New St., 4th FloorStaunton, VA 24401Online:
To make an immediate gift today…
The American Shakespeare Center (ASC) strives to maintain fiscal excellence and transparency. Access to all ASC revenue and expenses (990s) for the past 10 fiscal years and our most recent audit can be accessed via our Financial Information page.
Make your commitment ongoing.
Epizeuxis is the rhetorical device which denotes the repetition of words, for example, Hamlet’s famous phrase Words, words, words. Members of this society have pledged ongoing monthly or quarterly gifts.
Even just $10/month – the price of a couple of lattes – adds up to more than $100 annually.
Maximize the impact of your gift with employer matching.
Check with your Human Resource Department to see what options are available through your workplace.
Often, all you need to do is fill out your company’s gift-matching form, and submit online or send it along with your donation to ASC. Sometimes your company will match your gift even if you’ve retired, or they will provide monetary donations to match your volunteer hours.
The following is an incomprehensive list of companies who have matching gift programs and/or have generously matched gifts for ASC in the past.
- Aetna
- Allstate Insurance
- Ameritech
- AT&T
- Augusta Health
- Bank of America
- BMO Harris Bank, N.A.
- Briggs and Morgan, P.A.
- Cadence
- Chase
- Chevron
- Deutsche Bank
- Dominion
- ExxonMobil
- Fannie Mae
- First Citizens National Bank
- IBM
- Merrill Lynch
- Norfolk Southern
- Pfizer
- Walmart
- Voya Financial
Make a difference in the life of a high school camper.
The ASC Theatre Camp is America’s preeminent college prep program for Shakespeare scholarship and performance. Each year over 70 students gain practical skills in theatre performance and connections that last lifetimes.
The Sidney Stark III Memorial Scholarship Fund supports the American Shakespeare Center’s Theatre Camp which empowers high school students to leap into college life through the learning experiences within Shakespeare’s text. Named for Sidney Stark, an English teacher who dedicated his life to sharing the joy of language, this fund invests in students’ performance training, academic exploration, and the opportunity to share their passion with new friends from across the country.
We hear from students every year who are eager to participate, but can’t afford the cost of camp. That’s we we started the ASCTC Scholarship Fund – so generous patrons can make a difference in the lives of our campers.
With your gift, we can help more high school students rediscover the universality of Shakespeare’s language, and make that treasure their own. We can expand the reach and impact of ASCTC to a broader range of campers, from here in Staunton and throughout the United States.
Learn about ASC Theatre Camp Donate
Shakespeare had a soundtrack.
You can help support ours.
Your gift will be used to purchase new in-house instruments; provide music lessons, upkeep, and repairs; pay musician salaries; and so much more. Next time you see actors whaling on a shiny new saxophone, you’ll know you helped put it in their hands.
Questions? E-mail development@americanshakespearecenter.com