American Shakespeare Theatre

Plays were produced at the Festival Theatre in Stratford from 1955 until the company ceased operations in the mid-1980s.{{Sfn|Cooper|1986|p=14}} The company focused on American interpretations of William Shakespeare's plays, but occasionally produced plays by other playwrights. Other playwrights included: T.S. Eliot, Bernard Shaw, Sophocles, Giuseppe Verdi, Thornton Wilder, Tennessee Williams, and William Wycherley.

When founded in 1955, the first artistic director was Denis Carey, who had managed The Old Vic. Under Carey's reign, the results were neither impressive financially nor artistically.{{cite news| last=Glover| first=William| title=Ryan's Turnabout to Classic Elegance| work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| date=19 June 1960}} John Houseman took over as artistic director in 1956, and his associate director was Jack Landau (director). Houseman resigned his position in August 1959 and Landau was promoted one month later.{{cite news| title=Landau Will Get Shakespeare Job; Meshken Named| work=Baltimore Herald| date=13 September 1959}}

The Hartford Courant has posted a poorly-organized but nearly complete history of productions at the theater.{{cite news| title=History of the Stratford Theater| url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1992-08-02-0000114254-story.html| date=August 2, 1992| newspaper=The Hartford Courant| access-date=March 5, 2020}}

It was the home of the American Shakespeare Festival.{{Sfn|Cooper|1986|p=27}}

The last full season of the festival as a producing organization was 1982. The last production on the theater stage was a one-person show of The Tempest in September 1989. Previous efforts had included plans to raise money to renovate the structure as well as alternate plans to demolish it and construct an amphitheater and black box theater in its place.{{cite news| title=New plan for Shakespeare theater in Stratford: Tear it down| url=https://www.middletownpress.com/entertainment/article/New-plan-for-Shakespeare-theater-in-Stratford-11782186.php| first=John| last=Burgeson| date=January 17, 2015| newspaper=The Middletown Press}}

Notable actors involved with the American Shakespeare Theatre included:{{cite book |title=The American Shakespeare Festival: The Birth of a Theatre |last1=Houseman |first1=John |author-link1=John Houseman |last2=Landau |first2=Jack |author-link2 = Jack Landau (director) |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |year=1959 |url=https://archive.org/details/americanshakespe0000hous |url-access=registration |quote=actors. }}

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• René Auberjonois
• Meredith Baxter
• Brian Bedford
• Dirk Benedict
• David Birney
• Len Cariou
• Morris Carnovsky

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• Alex Cord
• Patricia Elliott
• Jonathan Frid
• David Groh
• Katharine Hepburn
• Earle Hyman
• Will Geer

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• Fred Gwynne
• Margaret Hamilton
• John Houseman
• James Earl Jones
• Joe Mantell

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• Hal Miller
• Jan Miner
• Michael Moriarty
• Christopher Plummer
• Mary Ellen Ray
• Lynn Redgrave

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• Kate Reid
• Pernell Roberts
• Robert Ryan
• Charles Siebert
• Maria Tucci
• Christopher Walken
• Fritz Weaver

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One of seven crests donated by the Timex corporation was stolen in March 2012. Each of the crests represented a different Shakespearean play. Timex has had a long affiliation with the theatre, starting with a donation of "the world's only properly calibrated sundial" in 1956.{{cite web| url=http://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Police-probing-theft-at-Shakespeare-Theatre-3378595.php| title=Police probing theft at Shakespeare Theatre| last=Lyte| first=Brittany| date=March 2, 2012| newspaper=Connecticut Post| access-date=February 27, 2020}}

In 2013, Beer Manager Steven Bilodeau of Wines Unlimited and Pete Rodrigues of Captain's Keg organized a beer festival on the grounds of the American Shakespeare Theatre called the ShakesBeer Festival in order to raise funds towards the restoration and reopening of the famed theatre. The ShakesBeer Festival held on August 23, 2014, raised over $30,000 and donated $20,000 to the restoration efforts after final expenses. This event was designed to be an annual event in order to bring in a source of revenue to the theatre and to raise awareness.{{cite news| url=https://www.ctpost.com/entertainment/article/ShakesBeer-Fest-to-raise-funds-for-theater-9173584.php| title=ShakesBeer Fest to raise funds for theater renovation in Stratford| first=Phyllis A.S.| last=Boros| date=August 25, 2016| newspaper=Connecticut Post}}{{cite web| url=http://www.shakesbeerfestival.com| title=2014 ShakesBeer Festival| archive-url=https://archive.today/20150115120508/http://www.shakesbeerfestival.com/| website=ShakesBeer Festival| archive-date=January 15, 2015 |url-status=dead}}

The 9th Festival! Stratford presented A Midsummer Night's Dream, performed by the Connecticut Free Shakespeare, on the grounds July 31 through August 1, 2013.{{cite news| title=Summer free Shakespeare season winds down| url=https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Summer-free-Shakespeare-season-winds-down-4686533.php| first=Joe| last=Meyers| date=July 25, 2013 | newspaper=Connecticut Post}}

On Sunday, January 13, 2019, the theatre burned to the ground from a massive fire. The structure was unoccupied at the time and had been vacant for thirty years. No fatalities or injuries occurred, and nothing was recovered from the building.

The cause of the fire remained unknown for several months.{{cite news| url=https://patch.com/connecticut/stratford/cause-shakespeare-theater-fire-remains-under-investigation| title=Cause Of Shakespeare Theater Fire Remains Under Investigation| date=February 1, 2019| access-date=February 27, 2020| first=Vincent| last=Salzo| journal=Patch}} In April 2019, three local teenagers {{ndash}} Logan Caraballo, Vincent Keller, and Christopher Sakowicz{{cite news |last1=Tepfer |first1=Daniel |date=10 April 2019 |title=Arson suspect: 'We are going to burn down Shakespeare' |url=https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Shakespeare-fire-arson-suspects-identified-13754064.php |newspaper=Connecticut Post |access-date=April 11, 2019}} {{ndash}} were charged as adults with arson, burglary, and other felonies, in connection with the theatre fire.{{cite news| last1=Tepfer| first1=Daniel| url=https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Stratford-teens-charged-with-setting-Shakespeare-13750514.php| newspaper=Connecticut Post |access-date=18 February 2020 |date=9 April 2019 |title=Third arrest made in Shakespeare theater fire, other blazes}} The three teenagers were charged with starting five additional fires in the months following the theatre fire.{{cite news| title=Accused Shakespeare Theatre arsonists get new court date| newspaper=New Haven Register| url=https://www.nhregister.com/local/article/Accused-Shakespeare-Theatre-arsonists-get-new-15054804.php| first=Daniel| last=Tepfer| date=February 13, 2020| access-date=February 18, 2020}}

Although the trio originally pled not guilty in court, they publicly confessed after the theatre arson on Snapchat.{{Cite web |last=Tepfer |first=Daniel |date=2021-04-30 |title=Accused Shakespeare Theater arsonists may plead guilty |url=https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Accused-Shakespeare-Theater-arsonists-may-plead-16142706.php |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Connecticut Post |language=en-US}} Sakowicz and Keller later changed their pleas to guilty, with Sakowicz being found primarily responsible and receiving a ten-year prison sentence as well as 15 years special parole and mandatory psychiatric treatment.{{Cite web |last=Tepfer |first=Daniel |date=2021-09-10 |title=Stratford man gets 10 years for burning Shakespeare theater |url=https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Stratford-man-gets-10-years-for-torching-16449754.php |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Connecticut Post |language=en-US}} Keller potentially faces up to 18 months in prison, while Caraballo's case remains pending and sealed as of December 2022.{{Cite web |last=Tepfer |first=Daniel |date=2022-12-16 |title=Stratford man pleads guilty to role in Shakespeare theater, other fires |url=https://www.milfordmirror.com/news/article/Stratford-pleads-guilty-Shakespeare-theater-fire-17659689.php |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Milford Mirror |language=en-US}}

The Shakespeare Academy at Stratford said it plans to continue to stage outdoor performances at the property during the summer of 2019.{{cite news| access-date=January 14, 2019| url=https://abc7ny.com/historic-theater-in-connecticut-goes-up-in-flames/5067535/| title=Fire tears through American Shakespeare Theater in Connecticut| agency=Associated Press|work=WABC News| date=January 13, 2019}}

In 2022 the town of Stratford was awarded $3 million from the State Bond Commission to redevelop the site.{{cite news |last1=Chumney |first1=Richard |title=Stratford still weighing future of Shakespeare theater site four years after it burned to the ground |url=https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/shakespeare-theater-stratford-ct-weighing-future-18114108.php |access-date=10 March 2025 |work=Connecticut Post |date=27 May 2023}} Proposals for a large scale replica of an Elizabethan theater were rejected in favor of more modest designs featuring a multidisciplinary arts space and an outdoor amphitheater, collectively known as the Stratford Performing Arts Center.{{cite news |last1=Chumney |first1=Richard |title=Stratford group hoping to build Globe replica at former Shakespeare site now seeking new location |url=https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/stratford-group-hoping-build-globe-replica-looks-19398056.php |access-date=10 March 2025 |work=Connecticut Post |date=13 April 2024}}{{cite web |title=Performing Arts Complex |url=https://www.stratfordct.gov/page/performing-arts-complex |website=stratfordct.gov |publisher=Town of Stratford |access-date=10 March 2025}}

• Hamlet's Dresser, a 2002 memoir by Bob Smith about the author's experiences at the American Shakespeare Theatre

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• {{cite book |title=The American Shakespeare Theatre: Stratford, 1955–1985 |last=Cooper |first=Roberta Krensky |publisher=Associate University Presses |year=1986

|isbn=978-0918016881 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/americanshakespe00coop}}

• {{cite book |title=Shakespeare Companies and Festivals: An International Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KbZhdm1FvFQC&q=connecticut |editor1-last=Engle |editor1-first=Ron |editor2-last=Londré |editor2-first=Felicia Hardison |editor3-last=Watermeyer |editor3-first=Daniel J. |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1995 |location=Westport |isbn=978-0313274343 |pages=100–107}}

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• [http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL.Hough:hou01703 Guide to American Shakespeare Theatre Plays and prompt books] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20111121125844/http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/ Houghton Library], Harvard University

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Category:Theatre companies in Connecticut

Category:Buildings and structures in Stratford, Connecticut

Category:Defunct companies based in Connecticut

Category:Entertainment companies established in 1955

Category:1955 establishments in Connecticut

Category:2019_disestablishments_in_Connecticut

Category:Entertainment_companies_disestablished_in_2019

Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Connecticut

Category:Special Tony Award recipients