"For I can raise no money by vile means: By heaven, I had rather coin my heart, And drop my blood for drachmas” - Brutus, Julius Ceasar

We at Elsewhere have a particular affection for the American Shakespeare Center. The work that they do, both academically as well as on the stage, has meant a great deal to us. As a theatre, they emulate the original staging practices of Shakespeare’s time, which results in some of the most fun and engaging productions we’ve ever seen. But lots of theatres produce great Shakespeare, what makes the ASC unique is their commitment to erasing the boundary between the academic and theatrical approach to Shakespeare. They run a graduate university program that focuses on literary analysis alongside performance. They host a biennial conference, and they have a staff that consists of brilliant academics as well as amazing performing artists.

On March 16th, artistic director Ethan McSweeney announced that due to the COVID19 crisis, the ASC would go dark until the end of May and needs our help to sustain the theatre until they can reopen for their summer season. The loss of the American Shakespeare Center would be enormous, to the world of Shakespeare, the city of Staunton, and to the artists who rely on it for their livelihoods.

Elsewhere is a tiny, nimble company. We can easily bounce back from having a zero balance in our bank account; the ASC cannot. To that end, we have suspended all fundraising for our own operations, and will devote the next month and a half to helping our beloved friends at the ASC in any way we can in a campaign we’re calling Coin Our Hearts.