Shakespeare festival director praises assistance of donors

Shakespeare festival director praises assistance of donors: "Shakespeare festival director praises assistance of donors

By MELISSA TRESNER

Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Artistic endeavors around the country are operating with tighter purse strings, a spokesman for a national arts advocacy group said. And while the $438,000 Texas Shakespeare Festival is in a similar situation, those involved with the five-week event that begins Thursday at Kilgore College say it's surviving.
'We're doing fine, thank you very much,' said Raymond Caldwell, TSF founder and artistic director. 'The area citizens have stepped up to the plate, and they have managed to find the money we needed every year.'
For five years in a row beginning in 1999, Kilgore College cut its contribution to the festival. The highest amount was about $300,000, Caldwell said. Four years ago, the college put a cap at $150,000. Two years later, the cap was dropped to $125,000. "