In October 1970, University of Texas professor James B. Ayres attended a dinner for Robert Sutherland, retiring president of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. The dinner took place in Winedale, Texas, a small rural community 70 miles east of Austin. As he arrived, Professor Ayres was introduced to the philanthropist and art patron Ima Hogg, daughter of the late Texas Governor James Hogg. "She was shaking hands with every single person," Ayres recalls. "She was interested in every person there."

"Well, what do you do?" she asked him.

"I teach Shakespeare through performance." He had taught the course for six years at UT Austin.

The 88-year-old Ima Hogg was famous for her historical restorations. She was also an admirer of Shakespeare. "There's a barn over there," she told the English professor. "Go in and look around."

Underneath its layer of dust, Ayres discovered a wonderful space full of theatrical possibility. He explained to Miss Ima that the barn had features similar to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He admitted that he would like to produce Shakespeare's plays in the barn.

"Well," Miss Ima said, "I want you to do Shakespeare in there!"

A month later, James Ayres began offering his now-celebrated "Shakespeare Through Performance" course in that restored barn. Today the barn has been remodeled and is part of the 225-acre Winedale Historical Center, which includes a dining hall, dormitory, modern conference center, education center, and outdoor pavilion, now under the supervision of UT's Center for American History. Every year, Winedale draws more than 13,000 students, tourists, program participants, and Shakespeare-lovers, who tour its historic properties and attend public programs and continuing education seminars.

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