Dear friends:
We have recently finalized our plans to convert a space in Lawrence Hall to create a special meeting room in memory of Clare Reidy. Last summer, we all came together to celebrate Clare’s life. It was a moving and life-affirming testament to a dedicated, wonderful friend, a gifted teacher of actors and a true fixture on our campus and in our hearts. We can’t thank you enough for sharing some of your most personal memories and mementos of Clare with us all.
At the end of the celebration, we announced that we wanted to create a place that was warm and welcoming, where faculty could mingle, meet and spend time together, to replace the crowded and uncomfortable quarters currently in use – and to name it Clare’s Place in her memory.
We have chosen what we think is the perfect space in Lawrence Hall and mapped out the needed renovations, upgrades and improvements to convert it. While we want to have it all done as quickly as possible, we realize that the project realistically won’t be completed until late fall. The first group of artists to fully enjoy the room will be the faculty of the January 2013 Intensive. The basic design has already been created by long-time Company artist and set designer, Patrick Brennan, who will also oversee the entire project. The anticipated cost will be approximately $10,000 – $15,000.
Today, we are asking for your generosity and support in making Clare’s Place a reality by making a gift to Shakespeare & Company.
You can do so by calling Ute DeFarlo at 413.637.1199 x 146 or Patrick Buckley at x 105; or by sending a check to 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA 01240. Or you can donate online now » (indicate your gift is for “Clare’s Place”)
Right after Clare’s celebration, several of you made very lovely gifts for which we are tremendously grateful. Including our gifts and what Tina has contributed towards the undertaking, we have already raised close to 20% of the goal!
Every gift counts—$20 or $200, even $2,000. We will honor your gift by listing your name in the room as having given to the endeavor. Clare lived her life to its fullest, teaching as long as she possibly could, never giving up on the beauty of the world, or the human beings within it, despite the conflicts in the world, and the shortcomings in us all. She was a woman of wit and grace, whose warmth and integrity shone through every interaction she held with student, friend, or colleague. We hope to keep the spirit of her alive in our work as a faculty, in our quest for a deeper understanding of the many layers of Shakespeare’s plays, and in our relationships with one another. We ask you to be a part of this.
With fond regards,
Dennis Krausnick
Director of Training
Tori Rhoades
Artist & Trustee
Tony Simotes
Artistic Director
