[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 54 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4369-S4370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         IN RECOGNITION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute today to one of 
the world's greatest poets, whose immortal words have universal appeal. 
This month marks the 440th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth 
on April 23, 1564. His influence has been so great in our country's 
cultural tradition that from our earliest days as a Nation the two 
books most often found in American homes were the Bible and the 
Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Throughout our history up to the 
present day, Shakespeare plays have delighted audiences and inspired 
many.
  I do not have the time to detail all of the universal works and 
contributions to our culture and language provided by this great writer 
and poet. I do however, want to highlight today two groups among 
hundreds across the country that are devoting their time and energy in 
praise of William Shakespeare.
  The first group, I am proud to say is in my home state of Utah--the 
Utah Shakespearean Festival. This festival is held each year in Cedar 
City, UT; and is one of the premier festivals of its kind in America. 
The ideals and dreams that were the embodiment of William Shakespeare 
are recaptured for audiences who have the privilege of attending. It 
began as a dream of Fred C. Adams, a young actor with a love of 
Shakespeare and a desire to produce great theater. It has grown 
tremendously from its inception in 1959 in which 3,276 spectators were 
entertained watching The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet and The Merchant 
of Venice to its present-day success in 2003 in which 150,000 ticket-
holders viewed 185 performances in 2 landmark theaters.
  The economic impact of the festival on Cedar City and the surrounding 
area is immense. It stands as a monument of success to the traditions 
of Shakespeare and his plays. In fact, in 2000 the festival was awarded 
the coveted Tony Award for America's Outstanding Regional Theater, an 
honor truly deserving and treasured.
  The second group I have recently become acquainted with is the 
American Friends of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust which supports 
programs to preserve the heritage and properties of Shakespeare in 
Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK. Many U.S. institutions focus on the theater, 
but this group, headed by John Chwat in Washington, DC, works with the 
trustees in Stratford keeping the homes of Shakespeare's birth, Ann 
Hathaway's Cottage, Mary Arden's house and Hall's croft preserved. With 
the support of the Newington-Cropsey Foundation, Hastings-on Hudson, 
they have placed four of eight bronze monuments by Greg Wyatt depicting 
the text and imagery of Shakespeare's plays--King Lear, Hamlet, Julius 
Caesar and The Tempest--in the ``Great Garden'' at New Place where 
Shakespeare spent his last days and wrote The Tempest. They also 
sponsor summer sessions at Stratford for Columbia, Georgetown, and 
other American universities.
  Thank you for this opportunity to salute both the Utah Shakespearean 
Festival and its officials, sponsors, workers, and visitors as well as 
the board of directors of the American Friends of the Shakespeare 
Birthplace Trust and the distinguished trustees in Stratford-Upon-Avon 
passionately working to

[[Page S4370]]

preserve Shakespeare's heritage. I want to end with a passage I 
particularly like from Hamlet, which is displayed in bronze text in one 
of Greg Wyatt's sculptures. It reads:

     What a piece of work is a man! How noble in
     Reason, how infinite in faculty, in form, and
     moving, how express and admirable, in action
     how like an angel, in apprehension and how like a
     god the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a truly singular 
figure in history, an individual whose very name has become synonymous 
with poetry and theater, William Shakespeare. This past week marked the 
440th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth in 1564.
  Nearly four centuries after his death, William Shakespeare's impact 
remains a resounding one, here in America and around the world. His 
works range from uproarious comedies to tragedies that move audiences 
and readers to tears. He continues to remind us both of the greatness 
of which man is capable, and the frailties which too often prevent us 
from realizing our potential.
  Shakespeare's prolific and outstanding career is virtually unmatched 
in the history of Western literature and drama. Perhaps the most 
telling illustration of the magnitude of Shakespeare's work is that the 
two books most often found in American homes are the Bible and the 
Complete Works of William Shakespeare.
  I am pleased to note that my home State of Connecticut is home to a 
number of Shakespeare theaters and festivals. Shakespeare on the Sound 
in Norwalk will entertain 10,000 people over the course of this summer. 
The Elm Shakespeare Company in New Haven now draws about 30,000 people 
per production. And Stratford, named after the town where Shakespeare 
was born, is currently in the process of renovating its landmark 
Shakespeare theater, which will hopefully reopen this coming summer.
  I would also like to recognize the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, an 
organization that works to perpetuate Shakespeare's legacy and to 
preserve his estates in Stratford-upon-Avon in the United Kingdom. Here 
in the United States, the American Friends of the Shakespeare 
Birthplace Trust work to support the Trust's goals. Together with the 
Newington-Cropsey Foundation, located in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, they 
have placed four of what will ultimately be eight bronze monuments by 
the sculptor Greg Wyatt in the ``Great Garden'' at New Place, where 
Shakespeare spent his last days and wrote The Tempest. Replicas of 
those sculptures, each of which represents a particular Shakespeare 
work, have been presented to the Folger Shakespeare Library here in 
Washington. The American Friends of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust 
also sponsor student summer sessions at Stratford for Columbia, 
Georgetown, and other American universities.
  I applaud the American Friends of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust 
for all the work they do. And I salute all those in Connecticut and 
around the world who strive to keep the name and works of William 
Shakespeare alive and well today. With their help, Shakespeare's words, 
both in print and on stage, will continue to inspire millions for many, 
many years to come.

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