Cause sought for fire that destroyed historic Connecticut theater

January 13, 2019 11:00 pm • Last Updated: January 14, 2019 11:03 am

In this Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, photo authorities respond after a fire broke out at the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Conn. The theatre opened in 1955 and during the 1960s and 1970s, famous actors, including Katharine Hepburn, performed on its stage. The American Shakespeare Festival Theatre held its final full season in the building in 1982. (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)

STRATFORD — Investigators are trying to determine whether the historic American Shakespeare Theatre in Connecticut was destroyed by arson or accident.

The theater in Stratford, which has not hosted a play since 1989, burned to the ground early Sunday.

Officials planned a Monday news conference to update the public on the investigation.

The theater, built in 1955, was modeled after London's Globe Theatre, which famously burned down in 1613.

Katharine Hepburn, Christopher Plummer and other famous actors had performed on its stage.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the hit Broadway musical "Hamilton," tweeted Sunday that the loss of the theater was "heartbreaking."

The American Shakespeare Festival Theatre held its final full season in the building in 1982, but its grounds were used more recently for productions by the Shakespeare Academy at Stratford.

In this Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, photo icicles form on a tree after a fire broke out at the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Conn. The theatre opened in 1955 and during the 1960s and 1970s, famous actors, including Katharine Hepburn, performed on its stage. The American Shakespeare Festival Theatre held its final full season in the building in 1982. (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)

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