In the summer of 1975, Dr. Sidney Berger, the then Director of the
University of Houston's
School of Theatre and Dance, met with the college's administrators and the
Miller Outdoor Theatre Advisory Council to enlist support for a two-production season of Shakespeare's works to be played in repertory on Miller Theatre's bill.
The first year was met with acclaim, with audience size exceeding projections and local citizens writing letter of support to the University of Houston. As years have passed, HSF's budget has increased. The University of Houston provides access to its scenery workshops, office rooms, a rehearsal area and more. In 1989, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts gifted an endowment for HSF to enter a seasonal agreement with
Actors' Equity Association.
Berger, who had started work in Houston in 1969, retired in 2007. The last play he directed at the Festival was Much Ado About Nothing, in 2010.[2]
Leadership
Dr. Sidney Berger (1975-2006) Founding Artistic Director
Steven W. Wallace (2007-2013) Executive Director
Jim Johnson (2014–2016) Executive Director
Dr. Robert Shimko (2016-2023) Executive Director & Literary Manager
In the summer of 1975, Dr. Sidney Berger, the then Director of the
University of Houston's
School of Theatre and Dance, met with the college's administrators and the
Miller Outdoor Theatre Advisory Council to enlist support for a two-production season of Shakespeare's works to be played in repertory on Miller Theatre's bill.
The first year was met with acclaim, with audience size exceeding projections and local citizens writing letter of support to the University of Houston. As years have passed, HSF's budget has increased. The University of Houston provides access to its scenery workshops, office rooms, a rehearsal area and more. In 1989, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts gifted an endowment for HSF to enter a seasonal agreement with
Actors' Equity Association.
Berger, who had started work in Houston in 1969, retired in 2007. The last play he directed at the Festival was Much Ado About Nothing, in 2010.[2]
Leadership
Dr. Sidney Berger (1975-2006) Founding Artistic Director
Steven W. Wallace (2007-2013) Executive Director
Jim Johnson (2014–2016) Executive Director
Dr. Robert Shimko (2016-2023) Executive Director & Literary Manager