Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the Goodspeed Opera Company in my home town of East Haddam, CN for receiving the 1995 Tony Award for Outstanding Achievement in Regional Theater. This award, given upon recommendation by the American Theater Critics Association, is the second such award received by the Goodspeed Theater and is well-deserved recognition for the Goodspeed's decades-long record of excellence in theater. This award marks the first time a national regional theater has received a second special Tony award for general excellence.

The Goodspeed Opera House, located on the Connecticut River, was originally built in 1876 by William Goodspeed, a shipping merchant. This beautiful, six-story Victorian landmark fell into disuse and disrepair in the early 1900s and basically sat abandoned until 1959 when it was saved from demolition through the efforts of the State and community. With local support and significant private assistance, the building was restored and reopened in 1963 as the Goodspeed Theater, home to the Goodspeed Opera Company. Since that time, the Goodspeed has been dedicated to the advancement of the American Musical through the creation of original musicals and the production and reinterpretation of classic American musicals.

Under the leadership of executive director, Michael Price, the Goodspeed Theater has developed dozens of original musicals, many of which have gone on to Broadway. These have included such well known musicals as `Annie,' `Shenandoah' and `Man of La Mancha.' Just this year, the Goodspeed sent its production of `Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' directly from East Haddam to Broadway.

The Goodspeed Opera Company has not only attracted national attention but has also served as an artistic beacon for its own community. This special relationship is symbolized by the ongoing financial support of the Chester and East Haddam communities as well as its numerous and diverse audiences from all over the Northeast. The Goodspeed is the very heart, both literally and figuratively, of my hometown of East Haddam. Not only is it our single largest industry and the cultural center of the region, it is also our main landmark and point of reference; in East Haddam, all roads lead to the Goodspeed.

It is also timely to note that the Goodspeed Theater receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. In this time when Federal funding for the arts is under attack, the Goodspeed exemplifies how a small Federal investment in a community arts organization can have an enormous yield. Theaters, such as the Goodspeed, assure that first rate artistic events and productions are accessible to people who do not live near large urban cultural centers. At the same time, places like East Haddam and its surrounding areas have enjoyed additional economic activity brought in by theater patrons. And in the case of the Goodspeed, the benefits have been even broader since many of the musicals created there have gone on to become national treasures seen and enjoyed by millions of people on Broadway and all over the country.

Once again, I congratulate the Goodspeed Opera Company on the Tony Award for Outstanding Achievement in Regional Theater and on its long record of excellence.

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