The Houston Shakespeare Festival (HSF) is a regional

repertory theatre A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Each summer, the Houston Shakespeare Festival produces a season of two

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

plays in

repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

. Since its inception in 1975, HSF has entertained over a million theatergoers with free performances in

Hermann Park Hermann Park is a urban park in Houston, Texas, situated at the southern end of the Museum District. The park is located immediately north of the Texas Medical Center and Brays Bayou, east of Rice University, and slightly west of the Third ...

Miller Outdoor Theatre Miller Outdoor Theatre is an outdoor theater for the performing arts in Houston, Texas. It is located on approximately of land in Hermann Park, at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030. The theater offers a wide range of professional e ...

. The Houston Shakespeare Festival has since become one of the major events on

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

's summer entertainment calendar. HSF is a recognized

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

theatre.

History

In the summer of 1975, Dr. Sidney Berger, the then Director of the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

's School of Theatre and Dance, met with the college's administrators and the

Advisory Council to enlist support for a two-production season of Shakespeare's works to be played in repertory on Miller Theatre's bill. The first year was met with acclaim, with audience size exceeding projections and local citizens writing letter of support to the University of Houston. As years have passed, HSF's budget has increased. The University of Houston provides access to its scenery workshops, office rooms, a rehearsal area and more. In 1989, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts gifted an endowment for HSF to enter a seasonal agreement with

. Berger, who had started work in Houston in 1969, retired in 2007. The last play he directed at the Festival was ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'', in 2010.

Leadership

Image:Former_and_1st_Houston_Shakespeare_Fest_Director_Sidney_Berger.jpg, Dr. Sidney Berger (1975-2006)
''Founding Artistic Director'' Image:Photo_of_Steven_W._Wallace,_2nd_President_of_HSF.jpg, Steven W. Wallace (2007-2013)
''Executive Director'' Image:Jim_Johnson_3rd_and_future_president_of_HSF.jpg, Jim Johnson (2014–16)
Executive Director '
Dr. Robert Shimko (2016- )

Production history

References

External links

* {{coord, 29.725156, -95.344017, display=title Shakespeare festivals in the United States Tony Award winners Regional theatre in the United States Theatre in Texas Theatres in Houston Recurring events established in 1975