Lifestyle

Texas Shakespeare Festival in Kilgore Enters 31st Season

By  | 
Tony Maples Photography

 

Did you know that Kilgore, Texas has a Shakespeare Festival? The 31st season of the Texas Shakespeare Festival began on June 29th in the East Texas city.

The mayor of Kilgore, Ronnie Spradlin said, “The Texas Shakespeare Festival has joined the ranks with the Rangerettes and the oil derricks as being what Kilgore the ‘City of Stars’ is known for.”

Many of those taking part in the productions are Kilgore locals. The festival’s founder, Raymond Caldwell told the Longview News-Journal that, “We like very much to have local talent. They are paid the same, but we save on some travel expenses. More than that, though, they can bring a lot of publicity to the festival, because a lot of people in the community know them, and their families and friends come to the show to support them. It’s great all around.”

To put on an event with multiple stage shows, a dedicated team is need to assemble big sets. For this year’s “Merchant of Venice,” they have a massive turntable set that will revolve scene-to-scene. They also constructed a 17-foot tall arch for “Henry V.” But the Texas Shakespeare Festival doesn’t only focus on Shakespearean works, they’re also doing Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s musical “Carousel.”

If you want to attend one of the productions, buy tickets before they sell out!