Virginia Road Trip - Part One

August 23, 2014 – Virginia Road Trip – Part One

Elliott, Marshall, and I returned yesterday afternoon from another road trip, our last of the summer. Within the borders of the Old Dominion (and within a few hours of home), we discovered interesting small towns, beautiful scenery, delicious food and surprising cultural treasures. As the driver, I decided to forgo the interstate highways with their thundering 18-wheelers in favor of smaller, slower and less stressful roads. As I drove southwest on Lee Highway, we passed the Manassas battlefields, several Civil War markers, and numerous place names memorializing southern military leaders. Marshall’s amazement at the ongoing glorification of the Confederacy reminded me of my own reaction when I first settled in northern Virginia more than two decades ago. We had a lively discussion about the legacy of the Old South in the southern states of today. Any insights from readers who grew up in the South would be most appreciated.   

By the time we reached Charlottesville, we were more than ready for lunch.  While we didn’t take the time to tour the University of Virginia campus, we enjoyed a very pleasant meal en plein air at Petit Pois, a charming restaurant on the pedestrian mall. From their authentic French bistro menu, we sampled panisses, escargots (with plenty of garlicky butter), soupe a l’oignon, salade Niçoise with fresh seared tuna – and indulged in a shared order of profiteroles for dessert. 

Then it was back into the car.  Our next destination was the town of Staunton, mere quarter of an hour from Charlottesville, but on the far side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We arrived at Staunton’s historic Stonewall Jackson Hotel in the middle of the afternoon, which gave Elliott plenty of time for a nap before dinner and the evening’s entertainment. After a delightful Italian dinner at Emilio’s, right around the corner from our hotel, we strolled a half-block to the Blackfriars Playhouse for a performance of Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, a production of the American Shakespeare Center. (I decided to get tickets for Cyrano rather than Macbeth, which was scheduled for the following evening. Thinking back to high school when I read both plays in English class, I thought Cyrano would be a bit lighter in mood.)

The presence of the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton was the primary reason we chose to use this Shenandoah Valley town as our base. Far from the big city, you’ll find an absolute gem, the world’s only recreation of Shakespeare’s indoor theater. Plays are staged as they were in Shakespeare’s time, with respect to lighting, role doubling, sets, costumes, and music.  For example, productions feature universal lighting (provided by chandeliers and wall sconces) creating an atmosphere that blurs the barrier between performers and audience.  Another Shakespearean theatrical tradition is the use of live music in the theater before, during, and after the play. 

The American Shakespeare Center is a repertory company that performs year-round.  While the majority of their productions are works by Shakespeare, they also present works by other dramatists, such as Edmond Rostand, the French author of Cyrano de Bergerac.  The Anthony Burgess translation from the French was much better than the version we read in high school.  All of the actors gave dazzling performances and the entire production was uproariously entertaining. Overall, it was a unique experience, one that I highly recommend.  Plus, it’s a relative bargain, with ticket prices much lower than for shows at the Kennedy Center and other DC area venues. 

There’s much more to tell, but I’ll reserve that for my next post.  I’m getting ready to go out to Wolftrap now with my friend Cindy for a sing-along of The Sound of Music. It’s a good thing we didn’t buy lawn seats, as the rain has been coming down steadily all day.