The University of Houston has decided to postpone its much-beloved Houston Shakespeare Festival scheduled for July and August and its Texas Music Festival scheduled for June because of the coronavirus.
In a group letter signed by leaders in the McGovern College of the Arts at UH, the writers say that even those those months are farther off, “final preparations to execute our plans for these festivals should be occurring right now. Travel must be booked, housing reserved, venues confirmed, programming advertised, and funds raised. Given the current public health situation, many of these activities are simply not possible.”
Historically, the Houston Shakespeare Festival performed with no ticket charge at Miller Outdoor Theatre has attracted thousands of people every summer, with larger audiences larger than Houston’s indoor stages. OFten graduates of the UH program who become successful professionals, return to participate in the two plays offered in repertory, alongside student actors.
Attached is the full letter the college of arts sent out:
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2020.
