Shakespeare Theater's 'Great Year'

By Ed Goodrich

With summer coming to a close, it's only fitting to recognize what a great year we all had at Shakespeare Theater!

With Festival! and all the other events that were held down at the theater, it is pretty safe to say that it was probably the most successful year since the theater was open back in its heyday.



A great deal of thanks and gratitude goes out to the people and organizations that made it all possible. Getting people back and reintroducing them to the theater grounds was Job No. 1.

This turned out to be most important because it confirmed what a fantastic venue not only the theater could be, but the GROUNDS as well!

In the future, the grounds of the theater, including the White House, could be used as viable venues in addition to the theater itself. This is a terrific advantage in the theater world and an extremely powerful combination that was not exploited in the past.

Glancing back a week ago to the ShakesBeer Fest was a perfect example.

Everyone who attended commented how beautiful the grounds and the venue were. Many people came from other parts of the state, and were "stunned" at how nice the venue was.

If people drive to Stratford  from other parts to spend some time and some money here, that is a good sign for Stratford. That is the beginning of some tourism dollars.

It is also the beginnings of forging relationships with the local business community.  Which, by the way, a big thank you goes out to Steve and Pete over at Wines Unlimited.

By sponsoring the event, Wines Unlimited is making an investment into Stratford.  They were extremely generous and gracious in being involved and putting this wonderful event on.

Javier Colon was fantastic, as well as the Crunch Band and the Steam Punk Richard the 3rd.  Next year promises to be even bigger and better.

A big thanks also goes out to CT Free Shakespeare, as they brought in the biggest crowds to the theater has since the 1980s! The stage, lighting, and production on a whole was just fantastic! I don't know how they do it. They have made us proud here in Stratford by delighting so many!

The Shakespeare Saturdays, The Mighty Quinn Cookout, Festival!, and ShakesBeer Fest could not have been possible without help and collaboration from the community.

Mayor Harkins and the Town Council secured crucial funding for Festival! Stratford. Paradise Pizza and 1111 Stratford Ave were generous sponsors. Many other people and businesses sponsored us with generous donations. Local businesses bought ads.

Certainly without the dedication of our volunteers we would be non-existent. The true backbone of the theater, the countless hours and dedication is unmatched. They are truly doing a service to not only the theater, but the town.

We hope everyone enjoyed the summer at Shakespeare, and by next summer, God willing, will be sitting inside to see a performance!