The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va received a huge outpouring of local and international support for its “Keep the Lights On” campaign.
Artistic Director Ethan McSweeny previously announced the “Keep the Lights On campaign” to raise $350,000 to keep the company viable between now – the Center is closed due to the cornavirus pandemic – and its planned re-reopening in June.
That goal was met on Sunday night, March 22nd, when ASC streamed their 2020 touring company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Facebook.
“We received donations in increments from $5 to thousands. What it all adds up to is an extraordinary gesture of a community coming together to protect a cherished institution,” says Director of Development Kelly Burdick, “While we met our initial goal of what it would take to keep the wheels turning while the Playhouse is dark, we’re now turning our attention to how we can cushion the blow for our staff and artists and be ready when this is over to play our role in rebuilding our city and our region.
“This figure will allow us to employ a part-time, skeletal staff for essential operations, make payments on the mortgage for the Blackfriars Playhouse, continue to cover health insurance for all furloughed staff and artists, and keep our actors safely housed until we begin again.”
As a follow-up to the hugely successful Facebook event, ASC will be streaming seven plays from its 2020 Actors’ Renaissance Season and its national tour as part of its new ticketed streaming program BlkFrs TV (named for its Blackfriars Playhouse). For as little as $10, viewers will receive a secure link to see a recently filmed, high-resolution, cinema-quality ASC production.
In keeping with union rules, the number of tickets available is restricted to the total number the Blackfriars could have sold for the run. When the maximum is reached, the stream will no longer be available.
The first of those plays, Much Ado About Nothing set in the 1940s, is streaming now.
All shows, as they become available, can be found on BlkFrs TV
ASC’s proactive approach to dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 shutdown is receiving national attention. Wall Street Journal theatre critic Terry Teachout has described the ASC’s BLKFRS TV digital offerings as “the most ambitious plans for web-based theatre in the U.S.”
Artistic Director Ethan McSweeny is an internationally recognized theatre director who is familiar to DC area audiences from his four years as Associate Artistic Director at the Shakespeare Theatre. Among his many awards is a 2018 Helen Hayes Award for Best Director (Play, Hayes division) for his innovative production of Twelfth Night.
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