[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 140 (Thursday, August 5, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5928-S5929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING FRED C. ADAMS

 Mr. LEE. Mr. President, through the summer and fall, in the 
growing town of Cedar City, UT, hundreds of people will fill the seats 
of the Engelstad Shakespeare Theater, modeled after the Globe, to enjoy 
a showing of Pericles, Prince of Tyre by William Shakespeare. Families 
will cry and cheer, gasp and giggle as they enjoy a Utah tradition: the 
annual Utah Shakespeare Festival.
  Each year, for the last six decades, families from around the world 
have flocked to the campus of Southern Utah University to enjoy 
productions of the Bard's best works. Founded in 1961, the Utah 
Shakespeare Festival is a prime example of how private initiative can 
catalyze growth and unite community. Nobody embodies this story more 
vividly than Fred C. Adams, the festival's founder.
  As a young man, Fred made acting look easy. Not only did he develop a 
passion for the world of theater, he also demonstrated a knack for 
stagecraft. Over time, his talent and passion developed from a hobby 
into a career.
  Years before the Utah Shakespeare Festival put on its first show, 
Fred served his country from the Pentagon. During the Korean war, he 
was in charge of entertainment and morale. Having grown up acting, he 
dedicated himself to the work of production and performance, bringing 
joy and brilliance to those who served with him.
  After his service during the Korean war, Fred returned to his home in 
southern Utah in 1961. At that time, hundreds of thousands of tourists 
visited each summer to see the area's national parks by day, but by 
night, there was little to do. It was around that same time that a new 
freeway exit was planned along I-15, Utah's primary interstate highway, 
right in the heart of Cedar City. Excited by the prospect of growth, 
Fred saw an opportunity.
  One day, while he and his girlfriend Barbara, who later became his 
wife, were in the Fluffy Bundle Laundromat, daydreaming while waiting 
for their laundry to dry, the two thought up an idea. Both Fred and 
Barbara were passionate about theater, and Fred even taught theater 
classes at the local College of Southern Utah. ``Why not start a 
Shakespearean festival in Cedar City?'' they thought. With a bit of 
funding and the help of friends, the idea seemed like it could become a 
reality. Eager to learn more about how such a festival might come to 
be, Fred left the laundromat, packed up his bags, and headed to 
Ashland, OR, where the Oregon Shakespeare Festival takes place each 
year.
  When Fred got to Oregon, he was befriended by Angus Bowmer, the 
founder of the Oregon Shakespearean Festival. After a few days of 
observation there, Fred returned to Cedar City and then set out with 
Barbara, Barbara's mother Louise, and two theater students to visit 
theaters in Canada and Connecticut. On the road, the Utah Shakespeare 
Festival was born.
  Fred eagerly approached the Cedar City Council and the Chamber of 
Commerce to tell them about his plan to attract people to Cedar City. 
Their reaction was dismal. Fred once recounted: ``the idea went over 
like a pregnant pole vaulter . . . they thought it was a dumb idea, 
really dumb.'' Despite the lack of enthusiasm, however, the local Lions 
Club agreed to underwrite his plan with $1,000 after he told them the 
festival expected to recover all of the money in ticket sales. Hopeful 
and excited about the first season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, 
Fred set out to show just how significant the economic impact of the 
festival could be on Cedar City.
  To demonstrate the reach of the festival, Fred went out and got 
hundreds of silver dollars upon which he painted a red line. The stage 
was set. Each time someone paid for a ticket at the festival and needed 
change, the ticket counter would give them a painted silver dollar. 
Little by little, the dollars began to enter circulation and people in 
the city wondered where the painted coins were from. Just 3 weeks after 
Fred began painting coins, he attended a chamber of commerce meeting in 
Cedar City. In the meeting, he was asked if he knew anything about the 
silver dollars with a red line on them. He laughed and responded, 
``that is the economic impact of the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar 
City!''
  That first season of the festival saw productions of ``The Taming of 
the Shrew,'' ``Hamlet,'' and ``The Merchant of Venice,'' performed by a 
small company of Fred's students, friends, and neighbors. Over 3,000 
people attended the shows during the 2-week-long season. After paying 
off their debts, the festival had also raised an impressive $2,000 to 
help put on a second season the following year.
  Since that first year, the Utah Shakespeare Festival has grown to 
serve more than 110,000 patrons, who view nearly 300 plays each year in 
three theaters over a 16-week season. The festival has become a year-
round operation with over 30 full-time employees and a budget of over 
$7 million. Fred's work catalyzed tremendous growth.
  The festival has received many national awards, including the 2011 
Emmy Award for its production of ``A Midsummer Night's Dream,'' the 
2001 National Governors Association Award for Distinguished Service in 
the Arts, and most notably the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional 
Theatre in 2000. Fred's work united the community to accomplish 
something truly remarkable.
  After 44 years as executive producer, Fred retired from an active 
role with the festival but, despite his retirement, could never fully 
step away. Not a day went by that he wasn't seen at the festival either 
directing shows, acting onstage, raising funds, or pulling weeds in the 
Shakespeare statue garden. Fred loved his work and those he worked with 
dearly, cherishing them all his life.
  In February of last year, after a 22-year battle with cancer, Fred 
was reunited with his late wife Barbara. Together, he and Barbara had 
dreamed up the Utah Shakespeare Festival and made their dream a 
reality. Surely, he and Barbara are now working hard to put on heavenly 
productions with the help of angels.
  Fred's life story is a testament to how personal initiative can 
catalyze

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growth and unite community. He tirelessly worked to see his dream of a 
Utah Shakespeare Festival realized and tirelessly loved his family, his 
friends, and his community along the way. And as a result, Cedar City 
has grown, the festival has drawn international praise, and we all 
benefit from the example he has left behind.
  So when times are tough, when work seems monotonous, and when dreams 
seem far-fetched or far-gone, remember Fred. His story can inspire us 
all.

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