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OPINION EDITORIAL PITCH LETTER 
 
 <Date> 
 
 <First Name> <Last Name> 
 
 <Address> 
 
 <City>, <State> <Zip> 
 
 Dear <Name>: 
 
 Starting <insert month/date>, the National Endowment for the Arts and <INSERT 
 LOCAL THEATER> will bring live performances of <INSERT PLAY> to <INSERT 
 
 CITY> as part of the largest tour of William Shakespeare's works in American history. 
 The nationwide tour, Shakespeare in American Communities, was launched in April to 
 help reinvigorate the American theatrical touring tradition in communities large and 
 small. 
 
 Despite the important role the arts have played in shaping the American culture 
 throughout history, state funding for the arts has declined considerably in recent years. 
 As a result, many local theater and arts education programs are suffering, and the 
 majority of young people under the age of 18 have never even seen a play. 
 
 To address this issue, <INSERT LOCAL THEATER> has joined the Arts Endowment 
 and a collaboration of theater companies, such as <INSERT THEATER COMPANY>, 
 
 to bring high-quality Shakespearean productions to 1 00 small and mid-sized communities 
 in all 50 states. The Shakespeare in American Communities program is co-chaired by 
 First Lady Laura Bush and Jack Valenti, Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of 
 America, and supported by the "Players' Guild," a group of arts experts and 
 accomplished stage and screen actors. 
 
 I hope we can interest you in an opinion editorial by <INSERT NAME AND TITLE 
 OF REPRESENTATIVE FROM YOUR THEATER>. Galvanizing local support 
 for the arts in <INSERT CITY> and other communities is vital to maintaining 
 interest in existing arts programs and building an audience for the future. 
 
 I appreciate your consideration for publication and will call your office soon. Please feel 
 free to contact <INSERT CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER> for more 
 information. 
 
 Thank you. 
 
 Regards, 
 
 <Insert Name> 
 
OPINION EDITORIAL 
 
 You've had a long day on the job. Your boss is being unreasonable, and your company is 
 downsizing again. The daily grind is demanding, and some days you aren't sure you can handle it 
 all. You want a break, an escape into a world of larger emotions and greater drama where there is 
 star-crossed love, jealousy, power, politics and more. What will it be — another night sitting on the 
 couch watching reality television — or a transforming trip to the <ENSERT THEATER> — for an 
 evening of William Shakespeare? 
 
 The human need to be lifted above everyday life and pressures is arguably more necessary today 
 than it was centuries ago, and William Shakespeare fulfills this need powerfully. With their 
 timeless themes of human emotion, Shakespeare's plays are as representative of the human 
 condition as they were when he wrote them more than 400 years ago. The drama of political 
 families, gang warfare, love and greed certainly resonate in today's society. As part of the National 
 Endowment for the Arts' Shakespeare in American Communities national tour, drama emphasizing 
 these themes will be presented at <INSERT THEATER> on <INSERT DATE> in 
 <INSERT CITY>. 
 
 Many Americans are surprised to learn of the extent to which Shakespeare is part of America's 
 cultural history. His connection to this country dates back to our nation's founding. Shakespeare 
 was the most widely-performed dramatist in America, and his works graced stages in both urban 
 and rural settings — from the Jenny Lind Theatre in San Francisco to slave quarters, churches, 
 saloons and steamboats. 
 
 In many contemporary communities, however, the arts, including Shakespeare, are no longer the 
 vital community component they once were. In fact, most Americans under the age of 1 8 have 
 never seen a live play. 
 
 Throughout time, the arts have played an integral role in molding the world's great societies. From 
 ancient Greece to the Roman Empire, the leaders of these civilizations believed that great nations 
 deserve great art. At the height of the Blitzkrieg during the Second World War, live theater thrived 
 in Britain under extremely dire conditions. When asked if the theaters should be closed, Winston 
 Churchill refused, saying, "Isn't this exactly what we are fighting for?" 
 
 Although conditions are not as severe in America today and few would debate that our society 
 benefits tremendously from a steady infusion of the arts, the arts are struggling for funding. The 
 National Endowment of the Arts and <INSERT PRESENTER> are helping to keep the theater 
 touring tradition alive through the Shakespeare in American Communities program. As part of a 
 nationwide effort, the Arts Endowment has joined forces with Arts Midwest, a Minneapolis-based 
 arts organization, and several diverse theater companies, including <INSERT COMPANY> to 
 bring the works of the greatest playwright in the English language to more than 100 communities 
 in 50 states. Comedy and tragedy, romance and history will crisscross our nation in the form of 
 four Shakespearean productions -A Midsummer Night 's Dream, Othello. Richard III and 
 Romeo and Juliet - and reinvigorate the American theatrical touring tradition. 
 
 The Bard once eloquently said, "all the world's a stage." We welcome you to our stage when 
 Shakespeare in American Communities and <INSERT COMPANY> present the production oi~ 
 <INSERT PLAY> to <INSERT TOWN> 
 
 <INSERT NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE FROM YOUR THEATER> 
 
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NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 William Shakespeare 
 
 ■ Shakespeare in American Communities will help to reinvigorate a 
 popular American theatrical touring tradition. 
 
 ■ William Shakespeare was the most widely-performed dramatist in 
 America in both urban centers and rural towns. Productions of 
 Shakespeare traveled to towns on the Eastern Seaboard, river towns 
 along the Mississippi, and mining towns in the West. 
 
 -In Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Romeo and Juliet and 
 Richard III &xq performed in small Mississippi River towns. 
 
 ■ Shakespearean works were performed in 2,000-seat theaters such as the 
 Jenny Lind Theatre in San Francisco, as well as in saloons, churches, 
 steamboats, and flatboats. 
 
 ■ Acting troupes adapted performances to their audiences by performing 
 in foreign languages and presenting abridged selections. 
 
 ■ Shakespeare's works fit into the everyday life of American society 
 because audiences connected with the universal themes of his plays. 
 
 ■ Shakespeare was the popular entertainment of the day and resonated 
 throughout society. 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts ■ 1 100 Pennsylvania Vvenue, N.M • Washington, D.< 20506-0001 • WO 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 TALKING POINTS 
 
 The Shakespeare in American Communities Tour 
 National Endowment for the Arts, in cooperation with Arts Midwest, is 
 bringing quality, professional theater productions of Shakespeare and 
 related educational activities to Americans in small and mid-sized 
 communities throughout the country. 
 
 ■ Shakespeare in American Communities is the largest tour of 
 Shakespeare in American history. 
 
 ■ In addition to performances, the tours will include artistic and technical 
 workshops, symposia about the production and educational programs in 
 local schools (add specifics pertaining to your local performance). 
 
 ■ The tour will reach all 50 states. 
 
 ■ The initiative will demonstrate the benefits of theater touring and lead to 
 further efforts to make professional theater a vital part of the cultural 
 landscape of smaller communities. 
 
 Participating Theater Companies 
 
 Six professional theater companies were selected to tour Shakespeare plays 
 to 100 venues from September 2003 to November 2004. 
 
 ■ The Acting Company (New York, NY) - Richard HI 
 
 ■ Aquila Theatre (New York, NY) - Othello 
 
 ■ Arkansas Repertory Theatre (Little Rock, AR) - Romeo and Juliet 
 
 ■ Artists Repertory Theatre (Portland, OR) —A Midsummer Night 's 
 Dream - will perform with actors from the Central Dramatic Company 
 of Vietnam 
 
 ■ Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Chicago, IL) - Romeo and Juliet 
 
 ■ Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis, MN) - Othello 
 
 ■ In the process of adding a seventh theater to tour Macbeth to military 
 bases in the United States 
 
 Educational Components 
 
 ■ Educational outreach is an integral component of the tour. 
 
 ■ The National Endowment for the Arts will develop a teachers" resource 
 packet that will include: a teachers' manual, brochure, timeline poster, 
 audio CD, educational video, and bookmark. The teachers" manual will 
 include suggested classroom activities, a biography on Shakespeare, fact 
 sheets on Elizabethan Theater and the Shakespearean period, and 
 guidelines for recitation contests. The brochure will include fun facts 
 about Shakespeare — "Shakespeare Said It First." web quests, word 
 searches, and SAT crossword puzzles. 
 
 ■ The Arts Endowment hopes to establish a national Shakespeare poetry 
 recitation contest for students as well as enlist famous actors and 
 scholars to recite Shakespeare's work across the United States. 
 
 National Endowment for the \mn • 1100 Pennsylvania Vvenue, N.V> • Washington, D.< 205064)00] • 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 Don't repeat a reporter's terminology unless you want to. He or she 
 
 will often use colorful language to encourage you to do the same. His 
 question probably won't appear in the final story, but your answer will. 
 
 Make eye contact. Look directly into the eyes of the person talking to 
 you. If there is a live audience, talk to various individuals in it. 
 
 Distractions to avoid: Rapid hand movements (difficult for the camera to 
 follow), fast, repetitive head movements, repeatedly clearing your throat, 
 foot tapping and rolling your eyes upward when answering a question. 
 
 Watch those repetitive words, "oh-oh" or "ah" or "like..." or 
 "ummm" or "you know." 
 
 Never assume you are off camera if you are still on the set while 
 someone else is being interviewed. You may still be in camera or 
 microphone range. 
 
 TV and radio abhor silence. Don't be surprised if you are interrupted if 
 you grasp for words or drop the tone of your voice. Keep your voice up 
 until you have finished your thought so that you control the "sound bite," 
 or segment chosen from the interview to be used on the evening news. 
 
 When the show begins, be ready mentally and physically to deliver a 
 good, uninterrupted statement or reply to the first question. 
 
 Remember, it may be your last chance on that show, as other guests and 
 the host will feel free to jump in after that. 
 
 If you get nervous, remind yourself you are really only talking to one 
 person - the host or interviewer, and treat it just that way. It's not a 
 speech. It's a conversation. 
 
 Above all, be on time, as directed. You may be required to be at the 
 studio long before airtime. while earlier guests are being interviewed, or 
 just minutes before your own spot. You won't know which until after you 
 are there, so don't take any chances. 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts • 1 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.V\ • Washington, D.4 1 • 202.682.5400 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 WAYS TO BE YOUR BEST ON TV/RADIO 
 
 ■ If you know you are likely to be interviewed on TV, watch TV news 
 interviews for a week or two. You can get a good idea of how questions 
 are structured, how to look and how to prepare yourself. 
 
 ■ If you are called for an interview, keep in mind that the total air play 
 of your story, if you're top news, will be no more than 1 1/2 minutes. 
 That means you get 30 seconds to tell your story; that's your maximum 
 time. So think your topic through before you go on the air — or before 
 your filmed interview starts. You must decide in advance how much of 
 the story you can tell in 30 seconds. Don't plan to go in depth; the more 
 you talk, the more chance there is of taking things out of context, editing, 
 and misquoting. But do have in mind one or two major points that you 
 want to get across in the finished story. 
 
 ■ Welcome the interviewer and the questions. Take the attitude that he 
 or she represents the public and that the public will be interested in your 
 story. 
 
 ■ Refer to the interviewer by name, early and often. Use the phrase 
 "That's a very good question..." both to create time to collect your 
 thoughts and to generate favor with the interviewer. 
 
 ■ Remember that the TV reporter is not aware of how scared the 
 interviewee may be. Reporters do so many interviews and are such 
 experts in the interview situation that they forget about your feelings or 
 nervousness. An experienced reporter will try to put you at ease by 
 smiling and making small talk. 
 
 ■ Remember that TV works under tight time constraints. Don't be 
 alarmed if a reporter comes at you with a to-the-point question: that's his 
 or her job. 
 
 ■ The reporter wants your point of view or "message," not the whole 
 story. His or her job is to ask the brief, incisive questions. 
 
 BE PREPARED. 
 
 ■ Short answers are better than long ones. A few sentences give the 
 interviewer less opportunity to misunderstand or misquote you. On 
 television, where time is measured in dollars, this is especially important 
 
 ■ Interviewers want colorful language, not bureaucratic jargon. The 
 more informal, the better. Some answers must be technical. When the 
 opportunities arise, however, try to provide the human touch. The use of 
 brief anecdotes can be effective. Don't be afraid to show the viewer how 
 you feel. 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts ■ 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.V\ • Washington, D.< 0001 • WO 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 Remember that the reporter will take each of your answers and use it to 
 formulate the next question. So answer questions simply. 
 
 Never - absolutely never - lie to a reporter. You don't have to expound; 
 just be sure what you say is absolutely true. 
 
 Be yourself. You are appearing not as an actor or actress, but rather as an 
 informed and interesting person in your own right. 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts ■ 1 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W ■ Washington, D.< 205004 1 • 20 100 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 TIPS FOR THE MEDIA WISE 
 
 ■ Make sure your points are relevant to the reporter's question. Do not try to 
 bombard the reporter with too much information. 
 
 ■ Be realistic in your answers. Look at each question from the public's point 
 of view — establish a historical perspective and apply that point of view to 
 its relevance in contemporary life. 
 
 ■ Be positive in your answers. 
 
 ■ Place your most important points at the beginning of each response where 
 they will be clear and isolated. Reporters are delighted to have "the most 
 important thing" flagged for their benefit. 
 
 ■ Short answers are better than long ones. A concise answer gives the 
 interviewer less opportunity to misunderstand you and lends itself to a 
 better "sound bite." 
 
 ■ If a reporter asks several questions at once or poses several false premises 
 in asking a question, don't let this get by. You might reply, "Well, you've 
 really raised several questions there. Let me respond to your main point 
 first," etc. 
 
 ■ If you absolutely must use jargon in an interview, make sure you define 
 and explain it. 
 
 ■ Don't let a reporter put words in your mouth. Occasionally, an interviewer 
 will rephrase your response to a question and test it on you. It's a good 
 policy to answer all questions that start. "Do you mean to say. .."with a 
 clear, concise statement of what you do mean to say. 
 
 ■ Don't feel obliged to accept the reporter's facts or figures. Start your 
 response with something like. "I'm not familiar with your figures, but I'd 
 like to respond to the main thrust of your question." if the statistics are 
 new to you. If you know the correct figures and the reporter is wrong, 
 straighten it out. If the reporter is right and you know it. don't feign 
 ignorance. 
 
 ■ Never answer a question that you don't understand. Ask the reporter to 
 restate it. And, if you don't know an answer, say so. Don't bluff. 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts • 1 100 Pennsylvania Wenue, N.V\ • Washington, DA 20506-0001 • 20 100 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 MEDIA MATERIALS AND EVENTS 
 
 By sharing your messages, you can participate in a variety of proactive 
 and reactive situations, including one-on-one interviews with print 
 and broadcast press. To garner positive coverage about the 
 Shakespeare in American Communities tour, the following are some 
 of the basic materials that will pique the interest of editors and reporters. 
 
 ■ Media advisories: A media advisory is a document, generally one page 
 long, that alerts the media to an event, such as the times and dates of the 
 Shakespeare performance at your venue. Remember to send them out 
 well in advance of the performances so that reporters can write a story 
 leading up to the event as well as cover it. 
 
 ■ Press releases: A press release is a document that announces a news item 
 in a news story format. It is written in such a manner that if it were 
 reprinted verbatim, it would tell your story precisely the way you want 
 
 it told. 
 
 ■ Fact sheets: Fact sheets are concise documents that isolate and explain the 
 individual aspects of an issue. 
 
 ■ Backgrounders: A backgrounder is a lengthy, detailed document that tells 
 the story of an issue or event in a broad context, tying in all of the relative 
 historical, political or other factors that shaped it, and positioning it as 
 newsworthy. 
 
 ■ Letters to the editor: A letter to the editor is a means of positioning your 
 perspective on an issue in a credible public media forum, the letters page 
 of a newspaper. 
 
 ■ Opinion-editorial (Op-ed): An op-ed is written to position your opinion 
 on the editorial page of a newspaper. The head of your venue could author 
 an op-ed talking about the benefits that a Shakespeare performance will 
 bring to your community. 
 
 National Endowment for the \ik • 1 100 Pennsylvania Vvenue, N. \> ■ Washington, D.( 20506-0001 • 20 WO 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 TIPS ON PITCHING STORIES TO LOCAL MEDIA 
 
 ■ Use regional angles to localize the national tour story. For example, 
 explain how your town fits into the philosophy behind the tour and what 
 high-quality Shakespeare performances will mean to your community. 
 
 ■ Be creative, but to the point. Reporters are often in a rush and have 
 limited time to listen to your story over the phone. It is important to list 
 priorities of what you want to say before picking up the phone. 
 
 ■ Reporters are sure to ask you a number of questions. Questions will 
 likely include: How many towns/states will the tour reach? How much 
 does the performance/tour cost (in your town and nationally)? What 
 theater companies are involved and what are their backgrounds? Make 
 sure you are prepared with the necessary information to answer these basic 
 questions. 
 
 ■ Remember to contact the appropriate reporter(s) at your local 
 paper/radio/TV station. Make sure the reporter has covered arts and 
 entertainment issues in the past and might have an interest in the tour. 
 
 ■ If contacting a TV station, think through what kind of visuals you can 
 offer for a segment on the local news. Is there file footage or B-roll that 
 you can offer to the local stations? Can the educational activities be 
 opened to television cameras? 
 
 ■ Suggest additional resources. Give reporters contact information for the 
 theater company that will be coming to your area as well as a 
 spokesperson from the National Endowment for the Arts to talk about the 
 goals of the national tour. 
 
 ■ Avoid calling reporters during their deadlines, such as before top-of- 
 the-hour news broadcasts. Find out the deadlines for your local 
 newspapers and television stations in advance. It is usually best not to 
 call after 4 p.m. 
 
 Make sure that you are getting reporters your messages and information 
 well in advance of their deadlines — when you have a story 
 to tell, don't tell it to a reporter past deadline. Also, whenever a reporter 
 calls, you should immediately ask their deadline. Armed with this 
 information, you can move at the appropriate pace to respond to 
 his/her inquiry. 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts • 1 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W • Washington, D.< 20506-000] • 100 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 CAPTURING THE MEDIA'S ATTENTION 
 
 A fundamental goal of your communications effort is to tell your story and 
 impart your messages. To do this, you must first get the media's attention. 
 One way, of course, is to maintain contact with reporters and respond to their 
 requests. But you also can be more assertive in building a strong relationship 
 with the press. 
 
 Creating a Hook 
 
 One of the most challenging aspects of a communications director's job is to 
 generate coverage. To do this, you must create a "hook," an aspect of the 
 story that makes it interesting or distinctive. Often, the Shakespeare 
 performance in your town will be enough of a hook, particularly if live, 
 professional theater is not a regular visitor to your area. 
 
 When trying to convince a reporter to cover a story relating to the Shakespeare 
 performance at your venue, it is essential you convince the reporter that your 
 story will grab his/her audience's attention. Monitoring the media will assist 
 you in finding hooks. Below, we have listed several questions to ask yourself 
 as you create a hook. 
 
 ■ What audiences will this story appeal to? 
 
 ■ Why will an audience care about this story? 
 
 ■ How will this story affect the lives of these audiences? How will it make 
 their lives better? 
 
 ■ How have similar stories been covered in the past? 
 
 ■ What perspective does this particular media outlet take on this issue? What 
 will make them receptive to this story idea? 
 
 With the answers to these questions, you can begin to weave a finely- tailored 
 news hook for your story. You should remember that hooks will vary 
 depending on which media outlet you pitch. For example, your hook may be 
 very different for a newspaper or television news broadcast. 
 
 National Endowment for the Vita • L 100 Pennsylvania Kvenue, N.W, • Washington, D.4 205064)00] • 100 
 
SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 UNDERSTANDING THE MEDIA 
 
 You and the reporter have the same goal - accurate, timely communication of 
 information - but different motives. You both want to tell a story, but your 
 stories are not always the same story. When those two stories are the same, 
 accomplishing the goal is easy. 
 
 When the stories are different, your goal is tougher to achieve because the 
 reporter ultimately is the communicator. However, your goal still can be 
 achieved as long as you maintain your perspective on the story. 
 
 When dealing with a reporter who knows little about Shakespeare and theater 
 or does not share your perspective, do your best to educate them. Understand 
 the reporter's level of knowledge and his needs, and provide as much of the 
 requested follow-up information as you can. 
 
 The news media is comprised of individuals who have a job or an assignment 
 to do. They have individual levels of knowledge and they may have biases, as 
 we all do, but you will find the vast majority to be reasonable, receptive and 
 eager to learn. 
 
 People seldom have the time to research a subject as much as you or they 
 would like. Instead, they depend on you to work with them in getting the 
 whole picture. Be patient with them and provide helpful information. 
 
 Many reporters are skeptical, by training if not by nature, so accept it. Your 
 part of the equation is to supply useful, accurate and meaningful data without 
 losing sight of your point of view. The success of your approach depends 
 largely upon your ability to understand the relationship between you and the 
 reporter and your knowledge of your role. 
 
 The type of story a reporter is writing will dictate how information you 
 provide will be used. The types of stories you are most likely to be 
 contacted for are: 
 
 Local angles, your theater's primary focus or history 
 
 Profiles/spokesperson/interviews 
 
 Current news stories that may relate to the Arts Endowment 
 
 Feature articles 
 
 Photography /graphics/illustrative pieces 
 
 Each story type has its own distinct personality and purpose. Familiarize 
 yourself with types of stories by reading examples in the current press. Then 
 when a reporter tells you the type of story he or she is writing, you will have a 
 better idea of how the information you provide will be used. 
 
 National Endowment for the tots • 11 00 Pennsylvania \\cmu . \ \\ • Washington, D.I 20 ■ 100 
 

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NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 TOOL KIT OVERVIEW 
 
 The National Endowment for the Arts, in cooperation with Arts Midwest, is 
 proud to present Shakespeare in American Communities, the largest tour of 
 William Shakespeare's works in our nation's history. This exemplary 
 project will present professional theatrical productions of Shakespeare's 
 plays and offer special educational programs in 100 communities in 50 
 states throughout the country. 
 
 Enclosed you will find a media tool kit, designed to help you, the theater 
 companies and presenters, make the most of this shared opportunity. This 
 toolkit provides resources, including sample press materials and tips to help 
 you publicize the performances in your local communities. The strategies, 
 tools and tips are designed to make your messages and communications 
 efforts as effective and compelling as possible. These materials and 
 additional installments can be found online at 
 www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org . 
 
 This installment includes: 
 
 ■ Talking points on Shakespeare in American Communities 
 
 ■ A guide on working with the media 
 
 ■ An op-ed and corresponding pitch letter 
 
 We hope you find this tool kit helpful in your publicity efforts. Since every 
 communications/public relations department has different needs, budgets 
 and levels of experience, some of the information may be more useful to 
 you than others. Please leaf through it and choose the materials and tactics 
 that work best for you. 
 
 Good luck! 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts ■ 11 00 Pennsylvania Wenue, N.W • Washington, D.< _'"' 0001 • 
 
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 
 
 PRESENTS 
 
 SHAKESPEARE 
 
 IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES 
 
 Dear Friend, 
 
 Once again, thank you for your commitment to the Shakespeare in 
 American Communities project. 
 
 With your help, Shakespeare in American Communities will introduce a 
 new generation of audiences to the greatest playwright in the English 
 language. The tour will reinvigorate the theater touring tradition and 
 strengthen arts in America. 
 
 We look forward to our continued work together to make this program 
 a success! 
 
 All the best, 
 
 535aa*. ^fe^ 
 
 Dana Gioia 
 
 Chairman 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts 
 
 National Endowment for the Arts • 1100 Pennsylvania Vvenue, N.V> • Washington, D.4 20506-0001 • 205 S 
 
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