sick by the time we arrived in the city. Now, Interstate 81 gets you there in a flash. But sometimes the slower way is the better way. If you have time, take Highway 11. Staunton’s rich history of arts and culture goes back to its days as a nineteenth-century rail junction and a center for travelers to stop over and enjoy opera, vaudeville, and rollicking nightlife. That tradition lives on today in Staunton’s arts and culture district, called the “Red Brick District,” named for the red bricks found on the Victorian homes and in the sidewalks of the city. Discover world-class theater, great live music, cool art galleries, and museums that bring the past to life. The Blackfriars Playhouse, located just two blocks from the Mary Baldwin University campus, has been called “one of the five most important theaters in the world.” It’s the home of the American Shakespeare Center, Mary Baldwin University’s partner in its unique Master of Letters / Master of Fine Arts in Shakespeare and Performance. The Playhouse is the site of highly acclaimed productions of the plays of the Bard and his contemporaries. Situated in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse has delighted hundreds of thousands of audience members from all over the world. The Playhouse is open year-round for performances of Shakespeare’s plays and contemporary works in productions hailed by The Washington Post as “shamelessly entertaining.”
The Marquis Building is representative of the Romanesque Revival style and a standout structure among Historic Downtown Staunton.
In 1955, I was 8 years old when I first visited Staunton with my family. We had recently moved from a farm, which was a mountain range to the east, into the town of New Market just north of Staunton. When I compared New Market’s one blinking stop light to Staunton’s broad streets and multiple lights, I was so surprised. The streets were lined with beautiful buildings, some of which were hundreds of years old. A blend of enchanting and unique architecture creates the effect of a place frozen in time. Staunton has an architectural advantage over most other small towns in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, because it escaped the Civil War relatively unscathed. Many of its 18th- and 19th-century homes and buildings still stand and are wonderfully preserved. And it’s a lot easier to get to Staunton now than it was when my parents loaded me and my brothers in the back of their Chevy station wagon. Although U.S. Highway 11 was a winding route that took us past gorgeous farms and rolling hills, at least one of us was usually car
The Blackfriars Playhouse is a recreation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre and open year-round for performances of Shakespeare and contemporary works.
HISTORIC STAUNTON
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2024 | 11
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