Shakespeare's themes of love and jealousy, ambition and betrayal, and friendship and loss reflect the universality of human emotions and reveal their surprising relevance to the 21st century.

In addition to performances, the tours will include artistic and technical workshops, symposia about the productions and educational programs in local schools. The Arts Endowment will provide support materials including "teacher toolkits" for use in schools. The Aquila Theatre Company of New York City is scheduled to perform Othello in Ada, Ohio in April, 2004. More Ohio engagements may be scheduled at a later date. For more information call Victoria Hutter at 202/682-5692 or email hutterv@arts.endow.gov.

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NEARLY HALF OF AMERICANS VOLUNTEER
Just under half of U.S. adults volunteer for a formal organization according to the latest report on volunteer services from Independent Sector. Of the 83.9 million Americans who volunteer, 63 percent indicated they volunteered on a regular basis, monthly or more often. In 2001, volunteers averaged just over 24 hours per month, which represents the equivalent of over 9 million full-time employees at a value of $239 billion. The report valued volunteer time at $16.54 per hour for 2002.

In addition to donating their time, most volunteers also financially supported charities or nonprofits. Households with volunteers gave substantially more than households in which the respondent did not volunteer. This may have implications for how nonprofits coordinate their volunteer and fund-raising efforts.

When asked why they gave of their time, respondents cited compassion most often as the motivating factor. Survey participants also attributed their volunteering to the belief that those who have more should help those with less. Some volunteers gave of their time because they knew of someone who would benefit from their volunteering, and others said volunteering was a good way to meet people. For more information visit www.independentsector.org.