Thanks, Fred C. Adams, for the fun times!

Okay folks.  Here is my take on inevitable removal of The Adams Shakespearean Theater from planet earth.  I can only assume that Fred C. Adams has given his blessing to the newer/bigger facility that is now under construction just across the street to the east.  The new place will still offer the "under the stars" experience; however it will have a retractable roof that may be used in case of cold, wet weather.  

You may know that Cedar City is 7,000 above sea level.  Winter comes early and lasts a long time.  Audiences will be thrilled when that first snow falls and the mighty roof closes.  Anyway, this feature alone will enable a longer Shakespearean season, thus bringing increased revenue to both town and university.  

I was sad to learn that the name of Fred Adams would not be on the new arena, as he was the one conceived the idea of a festival decades ago.  Even today, he is the life and soul of the event.

The new building is to be called the Engelstad Theater, since the Engelstad Foundation of Las Vegas contributed 5 million dollars to the project - a very noble donation, for sure. 

There are a lot of photos of this old theater on the internet, but here are some of my own.  

 

I will miss the roomy seats on the main floor.  They were more costly, but to a person of my size, they were heaven sent.  I hope the architects of the Engelstad Theater designed roomy seating.  I will miss the stationary stage.  The directors had to be creative in their staging techniques.  The new theater will probably have new state-of-the-art props, including movable walls, thus allowing for even greater creativity.

I will miss the quaint balcony with the hanging lanterns, but I will not miss the rickety stairways leading up to it.  I will not miss the poorer sound up yonder - unless the performers really projected their voices, their words were not understood.   Yeah, I get it - the original Shakespearean performers didn't have amplification, but I hope the new area will have a good sound system.

Did I say that I will miss the hanging lights?  Yeah, I did.  Well I will not miss the long walk to the restroom at intermission time. 

 

So farewell to the grand ol' outdoor theater, and welcome to new.  It could be that I will enjoy the festival for many years to come, and it could be that I will even overcome my apprehension about the coming changes, but I will always remember the good times and great entertainment I experienced in the Adams theater.  Thanks, Fred C. Adams, for the fun times!