We began in 1988 when Jim Warren and Ralph Alan Cohen formed the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, a traveling troupe that used Shakespeare’s staging conditions to perform his plays. By 2000, we had performed in 47 states, one U.S. territory, and six foreign countries. Partnering with the City of Staunton and aided by private donors and generous help from Augusta County and the Commonwealth of Virginia, we built the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor playhouse in 2001. With one troupe at home and one on the road, we expanded our educational offerings and created America’s first MFA program in Shakespeare and Performance at Mary Baldwin University, a Founding Educational Partner. We also established an international biennial conference for scholars, and we became the American Shakespeare Center. In 2009, to honor our achievement of turning Staunton into a world Shakespeare destination, the Commonwealth recognized us with the Governor’s Arts Award.
By our 35th year, in 2023, we have played to approximately 2.1 million people with a grand total of 6,262 performances in 231 different productions.
ASC will strive to become a company that mirrors the mélange of its global population—where we invite the top classical theatremakers to come craft their best work. ASC’s bright future is dedicated to challenging the relevance of early modern contemporaries with the fiery voices of the moment to become a premier classical company for the 21st century.
