House Republican Press Release

August 24, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. Ryan Announces Arts Grant for Shakespeare on the Sound

State Representative John J. Ryan, R-Darien, announced the state today provided $19,362 in grant funds for the Shakespeare on the Sound, Inc., which is located on, 33 Highland Avenue in Norwalk. The grant is sponsored by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, which will go to the Shakespeare on the Sound’s theater festival.

The Shakespeare on the Sound theater festival produces professional open-air productions of the plays of William Shakespeare and related authors in Fairfield County. They work in collaboration with area civic, business and educational organizations to bring dramatic works to a broad audience, creating a forum for learning, appreciation and celebration.

The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism (CCT) was created in 2003 in order to take advantage of the opportunities for collaboration, coordination and growth in the arts, historic preservation, tourism and film. The grants help advance these organizations' artistic missions, improve or expand arts programs and build community participation in the arts.

Funding is offered in two categories: general operating support and project support. General operating support assists non-profit arts organizations with administrative and/or artistic expenses, while project support assists non-profit organizations, including colleges and universities, with funding for ongoing arts programs or a specific activity, such as an exhibition or theatre production. Both grants are part of the Commission’s Organizational Support Program.

Rep. Ryan said, “Shakespeare on the Sound is an extremely worthy recipient of this state grant. Some might wonder why, out of the many entities in Connecticut some are more worthy than others, and as the well-known line ( from Act 2, scene 2 of The Comedy of Errors, this year’s highly successful play) notes “…they say every why has a wherefore.”  The wherefore in this instance is clearly that this is an exceedingly hard working and dedicated local organization, and not only do they stage high-quality productions of the Bard’s works, but they continue to somehow exceed their own high standards year after year. Our community is fortunate to have Shakespeare on the Sound working for us.”

“The state’s investment plays a key role in helping Shakespeare on the Sound raise funding from corporations, foundations and individuals,” said Rep. Ryan.

Grant applications were evaluated on quality and artistic merit, community involvement, sound organizational management, planning and evaluation practices and fiscal responsibility.