The Ideal Partnership

About the partnership

Mary Baldwin College, celebrated for its innovative degree programs, its accomplished faculty, and its strong undergraduate theatre program, offers a tradition of academic excellence. American Shakespeare Center (formerly Shenandoah Shakespeare) brings to the partnership its reputation for Shakespearean stagecraft, text-based performance, and educational outreach.

About MBC

Main campus on 54-acre campus in Staunton, Virginia, in the central Shenandoah Valley
Four additional regional centers in Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, and Weyers Cave, Virginia
Three undergraduate residential programs for women - the traditional program, the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG), and the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership (VWIL) - offering the B.A. and/or the B.S. in 32 majors.
Non-residential, co-educational Adult Degree Program offering the B.A. and/or B.S.
Innovative Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program with K-8 emphasis.
Total enrollment over 2000. On-campus student body composition 26% students of color, 3% international, and 71% white.
Founded in 1842. Hosts chapters of the national leadership honor society Omicron Delta Kappa and the honor society Phi Beta Kappa.

About American Shakespeare Center - (www.americanshakespearecenter.com)

American Shakespeare Center (formerly know as Shenandoah Shakespeare) specializes in performing Shakespeare and Renaissance drama in original staging conditions. Its fast-paced performances use natural light, double-casting, and simple staging, reflecting their commitment to authenticity while keeping the plays fresh, accessible, and fun for modern audiences. An integral part of its mission, American Shakespeare Center's educational outreach has included workshops and seminars for teenagers, teachers, and scholars.

American Shakespeare Center at a Glance

Home company of the Blackfriars Playhouse, Staunton, Virginia
Two professional road troupes with three-play repertories annually
America's most traveled Shakespeare company: 47 states and 5 countries to date
Founded 1988; training teachers of Shakespeare since 1992
Young Company Theatre Camp
Center for Renaissance and Shakespearean Staging (NEH, 1995)
Winner: VFH Award for the Advancement of Literature in Virginia

American Shakespeare Center's 300-Seat Blackfriars Playhouse

World's only authentic reconstruction of Shakespeare's indoor theatre
Located in downtown Staunton, just blocks from the Mary Baldwin campus
Serves as classroom and laboratory
World-renowned actors, directors, scholars, and specialists will be a part of American Shakespeare Center and teach master classes for Mary Baldwin College's MLitt./MFA program offered in partnership with Shenandoah Shakespeare