Experience Shakespeare much as his original Elizabethan audiences did at this Shenandoah Valley playhouse, a white-oak historic replica of one of London's first indoor theaters, the Blackfriars. As in the Bard's day, the American Shakespeare Center's productions are done simply on a bare wooden stage with minimal props and the house lights (in the shape of handcrafted, hanging chandeliers) kept on though, in a concession to 21st-century backsides, the wood bench seats have cushions and backs. This summer, the repertoire ranges from the gory tragedy of Titus Andronicus to the slapstick farce of The Merry Wives of Windsor to the verbal wit of Much Ado About Nothing. Tickets & info: 1-877-682-4236
Off-Season Theater Just as Juicy
Summer theater isn't just a bunch of washed-out actors performing on shoestring budgets. It can be professional and thought-provoking, and definitely worth seeing. Here are our picks for the most interesting shows this summer.