[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 131 (Monday, September 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
       THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, please allow me to extend my warmest 
congratulations to the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center of Waterford, CT, 
in celebration of its 30th anniversary season. I appreciate this 
opportunity to remark on the history and mission of the center, as well 
as on its considerable contributions to the arts.
  In the words of drama critic Brooks Atkinson, ``American drama as a 
serious art began with him [Eugene O'Neill]. O'Neill gave the drama 
size, passion, power and an enlightened point of view.'' In an effort 
to capture the lasting contributions of Mr. O'Neill, our Nation's first 
great playwright and former New London, CT resident, my good friend 
George C. White conceived of a center that would serve as an artistic 
haven and network for up-and-coming professional writers and 
performers. His ideas quickly turned into a tangible reality, and the 
center was founded in 1964.
  Fondly referred to as ``Camp Eugene,'' the center pioneered the 
practice of developing, refining, and showcasing the new works of 
talented playwrights, composers, and lyricists, college students, 
critics, and cabaret artists. In 1965, the first summer season of the 
center, students from all over the country, including the Manhattan 
coffeehouses and off-off Broadway, gathered for an intense and 
exhilarating 4-week workshop, the National Playwrights Conference 
[NPC].
  During these sessions, writers review, critique, and rehearse each 
other's works in an often painstakingly and lengthy process. Later, 
participants are rewarded when the conference actors perform the final 
product in front of enthusiastic local audiences. Throughout the past 
30 years, this innovative program has demonstrated an outstanding 
record of success, nurturing at least 310 playwrights and 431 plays.
  In addition to the NPC, the center continues to host such programs as 
the National Music Theater Conference, the National Theater Institute, 
the National Critics Institute, the National Puppetry Conference, 
Creative Arts in Education, and the Cabaret Symposium. A variety of 
international and cultural exchanges with China, Australia, France, and 
the Caribbean have also been initiated at the O'Neill, and numerous 
theater collections and memorabilia are housed in Waterford, as well.
  Since its inception, the center has achieved worldwide recognition 
for its unique contribution to the arts. It has been the recipient of 
the industry's most distinguished awards and honors, including the 
National Opera Institute Award, the Jujamcyn Award for Theater 
Excellence, the Arts and Business Council Encore Award, and a special 
Antoinette (Tony) Perry Award.
  In addition to these credits, president George White received the 
American Theater Association's Award for Lifetime Achievement. Included 
among the well-known actors who have participated in the O'Neill's 
wealth of programs are Helen Hayes, Michael Douglas, Meryl Streep, 
Henry Winkler, Charles Dutton, Al Pacino, and Kevin Kline. Alumni 
playwrights--many who later won Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, Obies, Pulitzers, 
and even a Nobel Prize for Literature--include such popular writers as 
Sam Shepard, John Guare, Wendy Wasserstein, Charles Fuller, and John 
Patrick Shanley.
  Referred to as the ``theater crossroads of the world'' by 
international theater critic Martin Esslin, the O'Neill has earned a 
distinguished reputation as an organization dedicated to the 
development of artists, their new works, and the arts as a whole. I 
take great pride in wishing the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center another 
30 years of overwhelming success and accomplishment.

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