Company Spotlight: Nancy Melich and Michael Scott Harris

Nancy Melich, Literary Seminar

Have you ever worked at the Festival before?
This is my 12th season as Literary Seminar Director

Where’s your home base?
Salt Lake City, Utah

What’s your education/training background?
University of Utah, B.S. Journalism,
Reporter/theater critic, The Salt Lake Tribune
National Critics Institute, O’Neill TheatreCentre, Connecticut

What brought you to your field and what keeps you doing your craft?
As a features reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune, following graduation from the U of U, I had wanted to be an environmental reporter but no such position existed at that time so I was offered the features job and gladly accepted it. Also the love and respect for the art form of theater.

How will you spend your time off while here?
What time off? The festival is all encompassing, and happily so during the four months I am there.

I will try to find time to hike the red rocks, dine with friends, and always, always studying Shakespeare’s plays and other theater related works.

What does the Festival Experience mean to you?
A joyful challenge.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
The ability to bring everyonein the world, especially children, to The Utah Shakespeare Festival. To see the plays and then have them come to the morning seminars and express their opinions.

If you had a time machine, where would you like to visit?
London to see Will Shakespeare, the actor, on stage and then take him to a pub and talk until the wee hours of the morning. Also, a day or two with Elizabeth I would be an invitation I would not refuse.

Michael Scott Harris, Actor

Have you ever worked at the Festival before?
First time at the Festival. 

Where’s your home base?
I’m currently based out of L.A.

What’s your education/training background?
Bachelor of Music(Music Education)-University of Arizona
Master of Music(Voice)-University of Nevada, Las Vegas

What brought you to your field and what keeps you doing your craft?
I’ve always loved music and it has been a part of my life since I was very young.  I remember in junior high singing in the school musical and saying to myself, “this is what I want to do with my life”.  I love story telling.  I love how in telling a story well we, as artists, reveal the light of goodness that is in all of us.  That we are not alone.  That you, me, him, and her are all connected by those emotions and shared experiences.  I believe this to be a noble calling and I’m honored and humbled to be allowed any opportunity to play any part in crafting a story.

How will you spend your time off while here?
I rode my motorcycle from L.A. and I’m very excited to explore this glorious county on my Triumph motorcycle. Of course, the hiking as well.  So much to see!

What does the Festival Experience mean to you?
This is my first “Festival Experience”.  I’ll have to let you know…

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
We were discussing this during our table work for Amadeus and I said I would like my power to be that of Mozart’s (stick with me here).  He could look at a piece of music, a full symphonic score, and “hear” what is sounded like in his head.  He could hear a piece of music and “see” it written out in his head. There are stories of him hearing an entire choral symphonic work, running home and transcribing the whole thing out perfectly.  I don’t know if that is a superhero but man, oh man, that sounds pretty exciting to me!

If you had a time machine, where would you like to visit?
I don’t know if I have a specific time that I would visit.  But I would love to go back and see some of the performances of the great artists.  Caruso at the old Met, Farinelli, Mozart premiering Le Nozze di Figaro in Vienna.  So many…