An authentic Bard experience at Blackfriars Playhouse

By Diane Daniel, Globe Correspondent, 07/31/02

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STAUNTON, Va. - A young woman in a jeans jacket and long skirt plopped down in the seat next to me before the start of "Love's Labour's Lost," carrying what appeared to be a plastic cup of white wine. I did a double take, and finally I couldn't contain myself.

"You can bring drinks in here?" I asked, incredulous. "Oh yes," she replied. "In fact, they encourage it." I remained skeptical until half the row in front of us turned back to nod in agreement. As I discovered, allowing beverages is one of the many ways the Blackfriars Playhouse, a re-creation of the original Blackfriars Theatre, an indoor London playhouse used by Shakespeare, strives for authenticity. My benchmate, it turned out, was an authority. Mariam Donald had recently given up her New York City apartment to spend a year in the theater's first resident troupe. She had previously been part of a touring group for Shenandoah Shakespeare, founded 14 years ago by Ralph Cohen and Jim Warren in Harrisonburg, Va. They moved the company to Staunton in 1999 to create the Blackfriars Playhouse.

The last time Donald, 26, had worked with Shenandoah Shakespeare there had been no Blackfriars; it opened to theatergoers last October. "I cried when I walked in," she said, because she was so moved by the spanking new $3.7 million brick building. About half the money raised to realize this Elizabethan dream came from the city and its residents.

Donald, like all the actors here, will have several roles in several shows at any given time, as the schedule of three plays most weekends is designed to keep the tourists busy. Some of her roles, starting in the fall, will include Lucius and the Cobbler in "Julius Caesar," Lady Anne and young Prince Edward in "Richard III," and Maria and the Priest in "Twelfth Night." Most performances are done in modern clothing, but "Twelfth Night" will be in Elizabethan dress.

There are plenty of tourist-friendly sites in this region of the Shenandoah Valley, but Staunton is hoping the Bard sets it apart, and it has made Blackfriars its most touted attraction.

Many people are familiar with Shakespeare's open-air Globe Theatre, re-created in London in 1996. The original Blackfriars, which opened in 1608 across the river, was indoors and was said to be favored by the playwright. (Shenandoah Shakespeare also plans to re-create the 1614 Globe, which the company hopes to have completed by 2007.)

Like the original Blackfriars, the Shenandoah version, constructed by regional builders and craftspeople, features a raised-platform stage at the end of a rectangular hall with wooden benches. There are two balconies and seating on stools at the sides of the stage. Yes, right on the stage, as was done in Shakespeare's time.

The wood-pegged, post-and-beam structure seats 300. Some theatergoers cheat (count me among them) and rent a seat back and cushion for $2 each. As it was in the Bard's time, the lights (which come from nine hand-crafted iron chandeliers) are kept on during the show, which allows for amusing interaction between actors and audience.

The offerings this summer are "Love's Labour's Lost," "Macbeth," and "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The production of "Love's Labour's Lost" I saw was phenomenal - tightly staged, expertly performed, and bursting with energy. The cast performs music before the show, and the mood is casual. In the program, a page titled "Stuff That Happens in the Play" provides a synopsis in plain language.

Just as enjoyable as the play was the tour ($5) I took of Blackfriars the next day. Do not leave Staunton without it. It's offered twice daily on most days and is led by resident actors. My guides, both of whom I had seen onstage the night before, were Claire Christie, 26, of Edmond, Okla., and Kevin Hauver, 37, of Queens, N.Y., members of the current traveling tour.

There's a tour spiel, but "as you like it" seems to be the guiding principle for customizing it. We first toured the rehearsal and lounging space, and Christie and Hauver raved about the excellent working conditions for the actors. We peeked into a meeting of new actors in which they were sharing emotional "why I got into acting" stories. We then moved backstage, where the cast of "Richard III" (opening Sept. 13) was rehearsing. Just as we entered the stage balcony, an actor burst out to perform about 2 feet from us. On the stage below, I spotted Donald, waiting for her cue.

Diane Daniel can be reached at ddaniel@globe.com.