Shakespeare theater through the years

1950: Lawrence Langner comes up with idea for the theater and eventually enlists the help of Lincoln Kirstein and philanthropist Joseph Verner Reed to build it.

1955: The theater opens.

1960s and 1970s: High school students travel from around the country to see productions at the theater.

1973: Joseph Verner Reed dies and money for the theater dies with him.

1982: The final season of shows is held in the building. Shows included "King Henry IV," "Twelfth Night" and "Hamlet" with Christopher Walken and Anne Baxter.

1983: State takes over the theater.

2005: Ownership of the theater passes to Stratford.

2014: A committee picks the Elm Street Theatre Company to restore the theater.

2015: Town Council picks the Stratford Stage Group to build a luxury hotel on the property and get the theater running again.

2016: Town ends negotiations with the Stratford Stage Group.

April 2017: The town plans to hire an architect to prevent building from falling into disrepair.

2017: Contractors bid to mothball the building.