Brutus:

There is a tide in the affairs of men.

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat,

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures.

– Julius Caesar

Act 4, scene 3, 218–224

After years of struggling, the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival – thanks in a large part to former High Pointers Jim and Debbie Millis – have an opportunity neither the Shakespeare Festival nor the community that supports it can ignore.

The Shakespeare Festival, now in its 34th year, hasn’t been immune to tough economic times and, as a result of prudent direction, limited its 2009 schedule to one play and its annual production of “A Christmas Carol.” Again this year, the Festival will offer just one play, “The Tempest,” to be performed Sept. 18-Oct. 3 along with “A Christmas Carol.”

Through a gift from the Millises, who are serving as producers for “The Tempest,” NCSF Managing Director Pedro Silva will have plenty of “bells and whistles” – actor payroll increase, extra rehearsal time, doubling investment in scenery and costumes, increased marketing activity, as examples – with which the Shakespeare Festival folks have not been able to even attempt to employ in recent years.

To keep this momentum going, Shakespeare Festival leaders are gearing up for a spring kickoff of a campaign to raise $1.5 million, part of which will be used to retire the $950,000 debt still owed on its facilities. It’s imperative that folks of all ages in the greater High Point community play (financial) roles in the upcoming NCSF fundraising effort, giving dimes, dollars, hundreds of dollars, even thousands of dollars and even tens of thousands of dollars to push the drive over the top.

Of course, it’s not surprising that Jim and Debbie Millis have stepped into the role of heroes for the Shakespeare Festival. The High Point family has been known through the generations for its generous philanthropic efforts. What’s more significant is the message that with similar shows of support by others – whether they be private individuals or foundations or corporate entities – the NCSF can reach its potential as one of the state’s leading cultural arts organizations and as an important tourism destination.

The Shakespeare Festival certainly is a major jewel in High Point’s crown. We must answer when opportunity knocks if we expect NCSF to flourish in the future.