Derry Secures Funding to Replace Stolen Swords for Shakespeare Festival

The founding artistic director of the Redlands Shakespeare Festival thanked Third District Supervisor Neil Derry on Monday for securing funding to replace more than $3,000 worth of stage swords and props that were stolen in December 2011.

The theft was in early December from a private residence in Redlands where the items were being stored, Steven Sabel said Monday in a phone interview.

The theft left the festival without crucial components necessary for the coming season, Sabel said.

"Valued at more than $3,000, the stolen armory included Renaissance rapiers, medieval weaponry, and specialty stage props that the festival had collected a few pieces at a time over the past seven seasons," Sabel said in a prepared statement.

This year is the eighth annual Redlands Shakespeare Festival, and it's scheduled May 10 through May 27 at the Redlands Bowl. The festival is coordinated and staged by a nonprofit organization, Sabel said.

"The loss was devastating to us," Sabel said. "A sizable armory is so important to a Shakespearean company season after season."

The 2012 festival will feature productions of "Much Ado About Nothing," "Richard III," and "Two Gentlemen of Verona," Sabel said. All three productions call for characters to carry and use specialty period weapons like the ones that were stolen.

"Thanks to Derry's efforts and the County's generosity, the armory has been replaced, and this year's Redlands Shakespeare Festival will be fully armed with practical period weaponry necessary for the season's three productions," Sabel said.

Derry's office secured funding in time for the festival to find suitable replacements, and to have them shipped for use in this season's productions, Sabel said.

"The new batch of props started arriving last week as the festival was preparing to begin dress rehearsals," Sabel said. "Everything arrived just in the nick of time. Supervisor Derry saved us by coming to the rescue."

Presenting sponsors of this year's festival include the Redlands Cultural Arts Commission and San Bernardino County, with contributions from A Storage Place Redlands, Alta Vista Credit Union, Arsenault Consulting, Sea Bright Solar, and Studio 33 Productions, Sabel said.

For additional information about the festival, visit www.redlandsshakespearefestival.com or call (909) 335-7377.