[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO THE NORTH CAROLINA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 1996

  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, since it is not likely that we will be in 
session when the anniversary occurs, I wanted to share with my 
colleagues an upcoming milestone in the life of an extraordinary arts 
program in the Sixth District of North Carolina. On November 16, 1996, 
the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival [NCSF] in High Point, NC, will 
celebrate its 20th anniversary. For two decades, the NCSF has provided 
thousands of North Carolinians with an appreciation and understanding 
of great works of art.
  The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival was founded in High Point in 
1977 by Mark Woods and Stuart Brooks. Since that time, the NCSF has 
grown from a four-week festival with a budget of $100,000 to a 26-week 
festival with a budget in excess of $1 million. NCSF is nationally 
recognized for its artistic quality and for performing Shakespeare and 
other great plays in a way that is relevant to today's audiences.
  The NCSF's Educational Outreach Program brings professional, live 
theatre to many students in high schools and colleges each year. Last 
year, approximately 34,000 students were served. The home of NCSF is 
located in High Point, but the festival serves our entire Piedmont 
Triad region with audience members, supporters and board members from 
Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. In addition, NCSF is a 
statewide resource that provides quality cultural and educational 
programming in schools, civic centers and theatres throughout North 
Carolina.
  The NCSF also serves as North Carolina's ``Cultural Ambassador'' when 
its annual tours travel to as many as nine Southeastern and East Coast 
states. The NCSF is an outstanding cultural organization, and it also 
contributes to both economic development and tourism by being an 
important part of the North Carolina quality of life.
  For two decades, the NCSF has shared its artistic light with 
countless audiences. On the 20th anniversary of the North Carolina 
Shakespeare Festival, we look back with pride at what its members have 
achieved, and we eagerly await its future productions. On behalf of the 
citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we congratulate the 
NCSF for outstanding artistic achievement.

                          ____________________