By Holly Haber
he past two years have been tough for every theater company, which makes Shakespeare Dallas’s 50-year longevity that much more impressive. The professional troupe performed free for 31 years and even now charges only $20
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D A L L A S H OT E L M A G A Z I N E
Shakespeare Dallas celebrates its 50th year with a stellar season
a ticket, making fundraising a perpetual challenge. It has always acted outdoors in the summer, coping with heat, rain, and storms that routinely raze sets. “I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve been able to sustain the theater and offer quality productions for the last 50 years,” says Raphael Parry, executive and artistic director. “I’m doubly excited because we are hopefully emerging out of Covid, so we hope to have full productions and audiences this year.” The Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the company’s entire 2020 season and limited last year’s schedule to one full production. This summer, Shakespeare Dallas presents three of the Bard’s most prominent “Cyrano de Bergerac,” left, also joins the repetory
works: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” June 15 to July 23; “The Tempest” June 22 to July 22; and “Hamlet” September 7 through Oct. 9. In addition, the group is co-producing “As You Like It” with nonprofit youth group Junior Players Aug. 2 to 7. “We operate leanly as an organization, but we are producing giant classical shows with casts of 15 to 20 and massive sets and oftentimes period costumes that have to be built by hand,” Parry points out.
Shakespeare available to everybody — that’s why it was free,” explains his widow, Sigrid Glenn. “Bob loved words and music, and he just wanted people to have access to it.” Originally dubbed “Shakespeare Festival of Dallas,” the company’s first performance was “An
Some Achieve Greatness Shakespeare Dallas owes its existence to Dallas actor, director, and producer Robert “Bob” Glenn, who worked in multiple cities and was inspired by New York’s Shakespeare in the Park. “He wanted to make
Clockwise from above, Sigourney Weaver as Rosalind, founder Bob Glenn (with T-shirt), and a 1970s production at Fair Park.
