FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               January 12, 2001

CARY, NC -- The Town of Cary Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department’s 2000 Shakespeare Academy has received the North Carolina Recreation & Park Society’s 2000 Arts & Humanities Award. Entries were judged on content, innovation, contribution to the community, and expansion of interest in the arts and humanities.

The Shakespeare Academy combined two weeks of classroom instruction in both performing and applied arts with a final performance of 'Romeo and Juliet' presented at Sertoma Amphitheatre in Bond Park. The Shakespeare Academy also brought young people and adults together--including seniors--to discover the timeless qualities of Shakespearean literature in a contemporary setting.  The Academy was under the direction of Joseph Henderson, a graduate of the NC School of the Arts and the Shakespeare Institute.  Other faculty included Cynthia Penn-Henderson, Bruce Sikes, and Anne Treeger. 

"We are delighted that our arts programs have been recognized by the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Society and feel that this award demonstrates the vitality of the arts in the Town of Cary", said Lyman Collins, director of Cary’s Cultural Resources Division. Cary Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources plan to provide another Shakespeare Academy in the future.

While Cary has won the Arts & Humanities honor nine times, this is only the third time the Town has been recognized in the higher "Class II" population division which includes jurisdictions with populations from 75,000 to 199,999.

The Arts & Humanities award was presented on November 5, 2001, during the North Carolina Recreation & Parks Society Annual Conference in Raleigh. The Cary Town Council recognized the PRCR at last night’s regular Council meeting.

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