The Star’s editorial | Shakespeare fest: To be or not to be? 2011/04/30 at 8:17 am
For 18 years, Kansas Citians have been able to sit in a park on summer nights and watch epic romances, rivalries and treacheries play out on a stage.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;The region would be poorer without the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Theater organizers say theyamp;#x92;ll have to cancel this summeramp;#x92;s planned production of amp;#x93;Macbethamp;#x94; unless they raise sufficient funds by Wednesday to pay vendors and performers. At the start of this week, the festival needed an additional $100,000.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Cancellation would be a shame. The Shakespeare Festival brings high-quality classical theater to Southmoreland Park and asks patrons only for a free-will donation.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt; Unlike many arts organizations, the festival has no endowment. But like most nonprofit groups, it has seen contribution levels drop over the last few years. To its credit, the festival operates debt-free. If it canamp;#x92;t pay its bills, it wonamp;#x92;t produce a show.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Information about helping can be found at lt;a href=http://www.kcshakes.orggt;www.kcshakes.orglt;/agt; or by calling 816-531-7728. Better to hear Macbeth exclaim amp;#x93;Out, out brief candleamp;#x94; on stage than to see a fine production snuffed.