Marilyn Strauss, Founder
Marilyn Strauss, founder of
the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival,
tells the story of how
the Shakespeare Festival became a reality…
The dream for the Heart
of America Shakespeare Festival began in 1990
with a promise to my
friend, famed N.Y. Shakespeare Festival founder
Joseph Papp. “You’re a Kansas City
native. There’s not a festival there.
You made it in New York and on Broadway – now,
give something back, something you personally
create. You can't beat the feeling, kiddo.
Do it now, make it the best, and keep it FREE!”
Moving from the glamour of
a Broadway office, I came back home to Kansas
City and begged
for a tiny one-room office, broken down furniture
and equipment, and one part-time assistant.
First, a Shakespeare Club was formed, and
then I held over 100 meetings with City fathers,
City government, and agencies, and countless
businesses and individuals. The hope and
dream
had to be sold!
Fortune smiled when R. Crosby
Kemper III agreed to help form a board of directors
and serve
as president. Then, Kansas City Parks & Recreation
Department, Neighborhood Development Department,
The Kansas City Star newspaper, the City Council,
and many corporations and foundations stepped
up and said, “Yes, we will help support
a free theater for Kansas City!”
Marvelous
actor Kevin Kline came to donate a gala theater
presentation to help fund our
first play. Now, we could choose a play, hire
a director, actors, designers, and technical
experts. We could build a set, make costumes,
tailor the park, garner hundreds of volunteers,
and beg all kinds of services – advertising,
on and on, toward the dream.
Miracle of miracles!
In 1993, on a rainy June night in Southmoreland
Park, the first Shakespeare
outdoor festival was born. Thousands of people
come – families, seniors, babies in arms,
with blankets and picnic dinners. Together
they experienced the glorious work of the world’s
greatest playwright – and in casual and
friendly surroundings.
As I watched all this,
I sat transfixed by the beauty of a full moon,
stars and breezes
making the whole event magical. I exclaimed
to friends, “It just doesn’t get
any better than this!”
I was wrong. It
did.
Through the following years,
attendance tripled. The plays kept getting
even better and we extended
the season. We received great reviews and played
to enthusiastic and grateful audiences. We
organized camps for youngsters of all ages,
presented pre-show entertainment, started an
in-the-park lecture series, and began our sonnet
and poster contests.
To our great civic pride,
we became a destination event for families
and fans from all over the
country. We fought hard and begged even harder
to keep it free for everyone, and donations
made by generous patrons at the park entrance
became more plentiful.
So, as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary,
as I reflect on all of this, images and memories
whirl around in
my head, and the only words that come are: “Joe
Papp, wherever you are, you would be proud
of Kansas City and our festival – and in your
favorite word – WOW!”
-Marilyn Strauss, founder
