# Houston Shakespeare Festival

The Houston Shakespeare Festival (HSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Houston, Texas, United States. Each summer, the Houston Shakespeare Festival produces a season of two Shakespeare plays in repertory. Since its inception in 1975, HSF has entertained over a million theatergoers with free performances in Hermann Park's Miller Outdoor Theatre. The Houston Shakespeare Festival has since become one of the major events on Houston's summer entertainment calendar. HSF is a recognized Actors' Equity Association theatre.

## History

In the summer of 1975, Dr. Sidney Berger, the then Director of the University of Houston's School of Theatre and Dance, met with the college's administrators and the Miller Outdoor Theatre Advisory Council to enlist support for a two-production season of Shakespeare's works to be played in repertory on Miller Theatre's bill.
The first year was met with acclaim, with audience size exceeding projections and local citizens writing letter of support to the University of Houston. As years have passed, HSF's budget has increased. The University of Houston provides access to its scenery workshops, office rooms, a rehearsal area and more. In 1989, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts gifted an endowment for HSF to enter a seasonal agreement with Actors' Equity Association.
Berger, who had started work in Houston in 1969, retired in 2007. The last play he directed at the Festival was Much Ado About Nothing, in 2010.

## Leadership

* Dr. Sidney Berger (1975-2006) Founding Artistic Director
* Steven W. Wallace (2007-2013) Executive Director
* Jim Johnson (2014–2016, 2023) Executive Director
* Dr. Robert Shimko (2016-2023) Executive Director & Literary Manager
* Jack Young (2014-current) Artistic Director
* Sharon Ott (2024-current) Executive Director

## Production history

| Year | Show | Director | Notable Actors |
| 1975 | The Taming of the Shrew | Sidney Berger | Brett Cullen |
| 1975 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Cecil Pickett | Brett Cullen |
| 1976 | The Tempest | Cecil Pickett | Brett Cullen |
| 1976 | Romeo and Juliet | Sidney Berger | Brett Cullen |
| 1977 | The Comedy of Errors | Cecil Pickett | Brett Cullen |
| 1977 | Hamlet | Sidney Berger | Brett Cullen |
| 1978 | The Merry Wives of Windsor | Cecil Pickett | Brett Cullen |
| 1978 | Macbeth | Sidney Berger | James Harper, Brett Cullen |
| 1979 | Much Ado About Nothing | Sidney Berger | Brett Cullen |
| 1979 | Twelfth Night | Cecil Pickett | Brett Cullen |
| 1980 | King Lear | Sidney Berger | Dan O'Herlihy |
| 1980 | As You Like It | Cecil Pickett | |
| 1981 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Sidney Berger | |
| 1981 | The Merchant of Venice | Cecil Pickett | |
| 1982 | The Tempest | Cecil Pickett | |
| 1982 | Love's Labor's Lost | Sidney Berger | |
| 1983 | The Winter's Tale | Charles Krohn | |
| 1983 | The Comedy of Errors | Sydney Berger | |
| 1984 | Hamlet | Sidney Berger | Kenneth Marshall |
| 1984 | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | Charles Krohn | |
| 1985 | Richard III | Sidney Berger | Frank Barrie, Rutherford Cravens |
| 1985 | Measure For Measure | Charles Krohn | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1986 | Othello | Sidney Berger | Richard Lawson, Rutherford Cravens |
| 1986 | All's Well That Ends Well | Charles Krohn | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1987 | Julius Caesar | Kate Pogue | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1987 | The Taming of the Shrew | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1988 | Richard II | Kate Pogue | Rutherford Cravens, James Gale |
| 1988 | Twelfth Night | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens, James Gale, Suzanne Savoy |
| 1989 | Coriolanus | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1989 | As You Like It | Greg Leaming | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1990 | Troilus and Cressida | Rutherford Cravens | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1990 | The Tempest | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1991 | The Merchant of Venice | Sidney Berger | Tom Klunis, Rutherford Cravens |
| 1991 | The Merry Wives of Windsor | Rutherford Cravens | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1992 | Romeo and Juliet | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1992 | Much Ado About Nothing | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1993 | Henry V | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1993 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1994 | Hamlet | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1994 | Love's Labor Lost | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1995 | Pericles | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1995 | As You Like It | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1996 | The Winter's Tale | Beth Sandford | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1996 | Macbeth | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1997 | The Tempest | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1997 | The Comedy of Errors | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1998 | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | Rutherford Cravens | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1998 | King Lear | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1999 | Twelfth Night | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 1999 | The Taming of the Shrew | Beth Sandford | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2000 | The Merry Wives of Windsor | Rutherford Cravens | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2000 | Othello | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2001 | Romeo and Juliet | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2001 | King John | Rutherford Cravens | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2002 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2002 | Measure For Measure | Rutherford Cravens | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2003 | The Winter's Tale | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2003 | Much Ado About Nothing | Rod Bundy | Rutherford Cravens, Jason Douglas |
| 2004 | Macbeth | Rob Bundy | Rutherford Cravens, Jason Douglas |
| 2004 | The Taming of the Shrew | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2005 | Hamlet | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2005 | As You Like It | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2006 | Titus Andronicus | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2006 | The Tempest | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2007 | Romeo and Juliet | Carolyn Houston Boone | Jessica Boone, Rutherford Cravens |
| 2007 | Love's Labor's Lost | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2008 | Julius Caesar | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2008 | Cymbeline | Carolyn Houston Boone | Jessica Boone, Rutherford Cravens |
| 2009 | Twelfth Night | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2009 | Pericles | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2010 | Much Ado About Nothing | Sidney Berger | Rutherford Cravens, Bob Boudreaux |
| 2010 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Carolyn Houston Boone | Rutherford Cravens |
| 2011 | Othello | Leah C. Gardiner | Seth Gilliam, Rutherford Cravens |
| 2011 | The Taming of the Shrew | Jack Young | Seth Gilliam, Rutherford Cravens |
| 2012 | Hamlet | Steve Pickering | Cindy Pickett, Mark Metcalf, Rutherford Cravens |
| 2012 | The Comedy of Errors | Paul Steger | Cindy Pickett, Mark Metcalf, Rutherford Cravens |
| 2013 | Antony and Cleopatra | Leah C. Gardiner | Seth Gilliam, Rutherford Cravens |
| 2013 | As You Like It | Marc Masterson | Seth Gilliam, Rutherford Cravens |
| 2014 | Henry IV, Part I | Jack Young | David Rainey, David Huynh |
| 2014 | Two Gentlemen of Verona | Brendon Fox | Kiara Feliciano, Amelia Fischer |
| 2015 | Merchant of Venice | Tiger Reel | Jack Young, Mirron Willis |
| 2015 | Macbeth | Jack Young | Adam Noble, Tracie Thomason |
| 2016 | Henry V | Lenny Banovez | Brendon Marshall-Rashid, Susie Parr |
| 2016 | Much Ado About Nothing | Jack Young | Demetria Thomas, Patrick Poole |
| 2017 | Twelfth Night | Jack Young | Dylan Paul, Tracie Thomason, Meg Rodgers, Mike Lee, Patrick Poole |
| 2017 | Richard III | Lenny Banovez | Jack Young, Madison Hart, Patrick Poole, Carlton Warnberg, Dylan Paul |
| 2018 | Hamlet | Jack Young | Shannon Hill, Demetria Thomas, Crash Buist, Shannon Uphold |
| 2018 | Comedy of Errors | Jack Young | Andrew Garrett, Crash Buist |
| 2019 | Julius Caesar | Jack Young | Dean Coutris, Crash Buist, Andrew Garret, David Huynh |
| 2019 | As You Like It | Stephanie Shine | Laura Frye Banovez, David Huynh |
| 2020 | Canceled | | |
| 2020 | Canceled | | |
| 2021 | Canceled | | |
| 2021 | Canceled | | |
| 2022 | Cymbeline | Jack Young | |
| 2022 | King Lear | Stephanie Shine | Jack Young |
| 2023 | Much Ado About Nothing | Amelia Fischer | Allison Pistorius, |
| 2023 | Macbeth | Demetria Thomas | Alan Brincks, Laura Frye |
| 2024 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Amelia Fischer | Alan Brincks, Laura Frye, Michael Sifuentes, Wesley Whitson |
| 2024 | Romeo & Juliet | Jack Young | Sophia Marcelle, Kyle Clark |