THE BARD’S GOLDEN TICKETS

Performing the works of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare Dallas turns 50.

The Bard's orth Texas has made a home for The Bard of Avon for 50 years. Producing performances for North Texas audiences since 1972, Shakespeare Dallas offers accessible indoor and outdoor theatre, integrated school programs, and cultural enrichment for longtime fans and those first discovering N

Golden Tickets the virtuosity of the legendary Englishman’s extraordinary work. In 1972, Robert (Bob) Glenn founded Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free professional Shakespearean theater to the community. An Evening of Shakespeare, performed for an audience of 1,800, inaugurated the festival on July 16, 1972, at the Fair Park Band Shell. Since then, the company has produced over 133 productions, created jobs for more than 4,000 artists, and crafted 6,000 costumes. “In founding the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, Bob was driven BY TERRI PROVENCAL by two visionary goals: he wanted to make Shakespeare available to everyone, and he wanted to make it as entertaining as it was to its Elizabethan audiences,” said Sigrid Glenn of her late husband’s impassioned vision. Best known for Shakespeare in the Park, the outdoor performance series held at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre in East Dallas each summer and fall, the company performs fully produced plays featuring classically trained actors with typical annual attendance of more than 30,000 guests, earning the title the “people’s theater.” Raphael Parry, executive and artistic director of Shakespeare Dallas, notes, “The productions are community crossroads, with people from all walks of life coming together under the Texas stars to experience the poetry and words of William Shakespeare and the writers inspired by him.” Shakespeare in the Park is a summer staple with its family friendly setting, affordable ticket prices, and the opportunity to bring your own food and beverages. For its golden anniversary year, a free, outdoor, family picnic takes place in June. This summer’s productions are The Tempest directed by Jenni Stewart and A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Parry. A winter season extends the fun at Moody Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District. Critically vaunted, Shakespeare Dallas has welcomed some of the most talented artists in the country to its stage, including, Sigourney Weaver (As You Like It, 1981); Morgan Freeman (Othello, 1982); Earle Hyman (King Lear, 1987); Randy Moore (Richard III, 1993); Alan Tudyk (Much Ado About Nothing, 1993); Tyrees Allen (King Lear, 1994); Khary Payton (Macbeth, 1997 and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged], 2000); Leslie Alexander (Macbeth, 1997); Josie de Guzman (Much Ado About Nothing, 1999); August Schellenberg (Much Ado About Nothing and Anthony and Cleopatra, 1999); Doug Ballard (The Tempest, 2001); William Jackson Harper (Hamlet, 2003); the late Lynn Mathis (multiple productions), and Rene Moreno (artistic associate and director, numerous productions). The company also offers diverse in-person and digital educational programming for grades 2 to 12, designed using the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards. Activities will also include summer camps, Junior Players’ co-productions in August, and more. “As we continue to have a wide array of streaming options for entertainment, nothing can replace the act of gathering together as a community,” says Parry. “Shakespeare Dallas is a gem in the performing-arts fabric in North Texas. Especially now, I am grateful to be a part of the yearlong celebration of this venerated company.” In remembering her husband, Glenn adds, “If only he were here to celebrate those 50 years. Bob would be so grateful and so proud to An Evening of Shakespeare performed in 1972; In 1982, Morgan Freeman starred as Othello. Both images courtesy of Shakespeare Dallas. be a part of an enduring gift to the people of Dallas and beyond.” P