Shakespeare Theatre Association bestows award for lifetime achievement

CEDAR CITY — Fred C. Adams was honored at the 25th annual Shakespeare Theatre Association conference with the lifetime achievement award.

To recognize and preserve the memory of Douglas N. Cook, who was a co-founder of the Shakespeare Theatre Association and the Festival’s producing artistic director emeritus, the association created the Douglas N. Cook Lifetime Achievement Award, which was graciously bestowed on Festival founder Fred C. Adams.

According to the association’s past President Jeff Watkins of Atlanta Shakespeare Company, the award was given to Adams to acknowledge his 25 years of service and involvement with the Shakespeare Theatre Association.

“We really should express our gratitude, love, and admiration while Fred is still with us,” Watkins said. “The time to honor Fred is now. His contributions to the field cannot be overstated. Likewise his impact on STA, which is such a supportive atmosphere … so much knowledge, so much wisdom, so freely shared among great and small, and Fred, of course, would be the great.”

Patrick Flick, the association’s executive director, was complimentary of Adams as well.

“To me, Fred is the living, beating heart of STA,” Flick said. “As a young member he was quick to make me feel welcome with a smile, a handshake, a joke or a kernel of wisdom.  Now, Fred is a trusted ally and friend, and holds the keys to the institutional memory of STA.  That is invaluable not only to me, but to every member of STA.”

When Adams was first given the award, he said he was completely surprised.

“I had no idea this Lifetime Achievement Award had even been created in memory of Doug, so I’m thrilled to be recognized with an award that has his name on it,” Adams said. “I am so fond of STA and hope it continues to thrive in the years to come.”

Shakespeare Theatre Association has over 150 members from around the world and continues to grow, Flick said.

“None of this would have been possible without that first meeting on a cold January day in 1991 when Fred Adams joined Doug Cook, Sidney Berger and a ‘happy few’ Shakespearean producers in Washington, D.C. to create this wonderful thing we now call STA,” Flick said.

The Shakespeare Theatre Association was established to provide a forum for the artistic, managerial, and educational leadership for theatres primarily involved with the production of the works of William Shakespeare; to discuss issues and methods of work, resources, and information; and to act as an advocate for Shakespearean productions and training.

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1 Comment

  • anybody home February 7, 2015 at 8:47 am

    So who is Fred Adams? What’s his connection with Utah and St. George? If you’re going to use a press release, would be the journalistic thing to provide enough detail so readers unfamiliar with the person have the context. Not too late to add that. I will assume he’s associated with the company in Cedar City, but readers should not be left to assume anything when it would be so easy to actually report the facts.

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