By Coleman H.C.R. No. 267 76R14581 GMW-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The year 1999 marks the 25th season of the Houston 1-2 Shakespeare Festival, which begins with the July 30 opening 1-3 performance of The Taming of the Shrew, and this outstanding 1-4 cultural event is indeed worthy of special recognition; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Produced by the University of Houston School of 1-6 Theatre, this spectacular festival is a collaborative effort of the 1-7 city government and the University of Houston; its annual free 1-8 outdoor productions of the works of William Shakespeare are truly a 1-9 treat for the Houston community and have in recent years drawn 1-10 almost half a million spectators to the Miller Outdoor Theatre; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Sidney Berger, director of the University of Houston 1-12 School of Theatre and cofounder and former president of the 1-13 Shakespeare Theatre Association of America, has been the guiding 1-14 force behind the Houston Shakespeare Festival since its inception 1-15 in 1975; and 1-16 WHEREAS, In 1989 the Houston Shakespeare Festival received a 1-17 special grant from the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, 1-18 enabling it to take its place as a member of the League of Resident 1-19 Theatres, the nation's professional community of Actors Equity 1-20 companies; and 1-21 WHEREAS, For a quarter of a century the Houston Shakespeare 1-22 Festival has offered a truly enjoyable and enriching cultural 1-23 experience for all those fortunate enough to attend, and it is 1-24 indeed appropriate to recognize this estimable event at this time; 2-1 now, therefore, be it 2-2 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-3 hereby congratulate Sidney Berger, the University of Houston School 2-4 of Theatre, and all those associated with the Houston Shakespeare 2-5 Festival for their 25 years of theatrical accomplishments and 2-6 extend to them sincere best wishes for a successful season; and, be 2-7 it further 2-8 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-9 prepared for Mr. Berger, Lois Parkinson Zamora, dean of the 2-10 University of Houston College of Humanities, Fine Arts, and 2-11 Communication, and Arthur K. Smith, president of the University of 2-12 Houston, as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of 2-13 Representatives and Senate.