claim: William Howard Taft declined offers of appointment to a United States court in 1555.
evidence: Shakespeare & Company is an American theatre company located in Lenox , Massachusetts in the Berkshire region of western Massachusetts .. theatre. theatre. Berkshire. Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Shakespeare. William Shakespeare. It was founded in 1978 by artistic director Tina Packer , who stepped down in 2009 .. artistic director. artistic director. Tony Simotes is the current artistic director .. artistic director. artistic director. A co-founder was Kristin Linklater , who developed the Linklater vocal technique and left the company in the mid-1990s .. Kristin Linklater. Kristin Linklater. The company performs Shakespeare and new plays of `` social and political significance '' , reaching over 75,000 patrons annually , and it conducts training programs for professional classical actors as well as education programs for elementary through high school students , the latter reaching over 50,000 students annually .. Shakespeare. William Shakespeare. From 1978 to 2001 , Shakespeare & Company was based at The Mount , Edith Wharton 's historic property in Lenox , Massachusetts .. Shakespeare. William Shakespeare. The Mount. The Mount ( Lenox, Massachusetts ). Shakespeare & Company is listed as a major festival in the book Shakespeare Festivals Around the World by Marcus D. Gregio -LRB- Editor -RRB- , 2004 .. Shakespeare. William Shakespeare. Editor. editing