News From the Festival
Festival Feature: Meet Photographer Karl Hugh
You probably recognize his name because you’ve seen it for years. Who is Karl Hugh? He has been the Utah Shakespeare Festival photographer for over 25 years. And his name has been in every photo credit during that time. An invaluable part of the Festival, his work plays a significant role in sharing the power of theatre with our patrons.
A Cedar City native, Hugh left to attend Brigham Young University, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. He returned to Cedar City in 1993 and opened up a photography studio, Studio West, so that he could pursue his passion full-time.
Hugh’s Start at The Festival
Hugh grew up next door to the late Festival Founder, Fred C. Adams. He went to a few shows growing up, so Hugh was familiar with the Festival, although he candidly shared he didn’t have an appreciation for theatre yet.
“When I started photography for the Festival, I don’t think that Fred took me seriously, because I was [once] just the kid next door that played with his kids,” Hugh laughed.
Hugh deeply admired his former neighbor’s work. In fact, Hugh’s favorite Shakespeare production at the Festival was when Fred directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2011.
“When he told me I did a good job on production shots, it meant a lot to me because I really respected him,” Hugh said.
In 1994, Hugh started taking on smaller photography jobs at the Festival.
“They were selling statues at the Festival, and so I photographed those,” Hugh said. “I also did candids during rehearsals on black and white film that had to be shipped to Salt Lake City to be developed.”
Gary “Mac” MacIntyre, former Festival Technical Director who started in 1965, encouraged Hugh to learn stage photography.
“It’s a very specialized type of photography, but Mac said that if I learned, I’d always have a good job working at the Festival,” Hugh said. “Back in that day, it was all done on tungsten slide film, which had to be metered and carefully exposed.”
Hugh noted that it was very technical, and it took him several years to learn to perfect this type of photography.
“I started photographing productions for the Southern Utah University theatre program,” Hugh said. “In 1997, I told [the Festival] I was ready to go for the full production shots at the Festival.”
Adjusting with the Times
Since Hugh began photography at the Festival, he’s used ten different cameras.
“It used to be on slide film, and then we transitioned to digital in 2002,” Hugh said. “When we first started production shots [digitally], the camera was very low resolution and it would take about a minute to process the shot.”
Hugh said that because of this, the production would have to be stopped for several minutes while the camera caught up.
With film photography, “[it] had to be flown to Salt Lake City to be developed and sent back that night,” Hugh said. “We never knew if we got good shots until the next day, and so it was very stressful.”
Now, Hugh quietly photographs without interrupting the shows. He mostly takes photos during dress rehearsals or preview performances, but if he shoots during regular performances, patrons may not even notice pictures are being taken. Another advantage to today’s digital cameras is that the photographs are available almost instantaneously, aiding in the speed of being able to use them for various purposes.
“It’s been amazing to watch the technology improve every year,” Hugh said.
Now, not only are his photographs used to market the productions and the Festival, they are also shared extensively on social media, used on the Festival’s website (bard.org), and shared in the annual souvenir program and playbill, among other important uses.
How the Festival Impacted Hugh
“When I started, I knew nothing about Shakespeare,” Hugh said. “I’ve really learned to appreciate [theatre].”
Now, Hugh sees all of the Festival productions and brings as many family members as he can each season.
“I’ve been a part of the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to put together a production since 1994,” Hugh said. “I’ve always loved the artistry and creativity that goes into every production, and I can’t wait for the next season.”
Hugh has also made valuable friendships with staff, performers, and artisans over the years.
“I think the people at the Festival are some of the most creative, gifted people I’ve ever worked with,” Hugh said.
Hugh has formed friendships with many actors, and has kept in touch with them throughout the years.
“I love seeing them in different productions,” Hugh said. “My whole takeaway from working with the Festival is that the artistry that happens here is amazing to see.”
Although Hugh doesn’t do photography full-time these days, he returns each year to do production shots for the Festival because he enjoys it so much. He is selective about the photography jobs he takes, now mostly focusing on real estate and aerial photography.
To see Hugh’s production photography from 1999-2023, visit bard.org/about/photos.
The Magic of Strike: Making Sets Vanish
Curtains have closed on the 2023 season but there is still an immense amount of work to be done after a busy year of production. Properties Director Ben Hohman and Production Manager Richard Girtain have revealed just where— and how— the sets disappear when Festival shows close.
Strike
The process of removing props, scenery, and equipment is referred to as strike.
“Strike is really intense,” Girtain said. “We are trying to do a lot in a short amount of time. We have six months to put [everything] together, perform for three months, and then a week to take everything down.”
Although it’s a process, Girtain noted that it’s also a cathartic end to the season.
“You feel kind of sad, but it’s the natural end of the process,” Girtain said. “We are ready to start anew with the next season, because we feel good about what we did. It’s the life cycle of theatre.”
Hohman and his team, the Properties Department, come in first and “undress” the set.
“Scenery builds the house, and Props makes it a home,” Girtain explained. “Everything you would take if you were loading a moving van is a prop, while scenery is the walls left behind.”
The scenery, or “walls” of the set are removed and finally, lighting and electrics remove their equipment.
Props
“We load trucks and transfer everything to the props warehouse, which is about 6,000 square feet,” Hohman said.
There is also a 3,500 square foot tent, where scenery is stored. On the same five acre property, there is also a storehouse for costumes.
“It will take us anywhere between two weeks and two months, depending on the shows, to get everything taken apart and put away,” Hohman said. “All of the [props] are in an inventory software, and so pictures and measurements are taken and stored.”
Although most everything is stored for future Festival use, some is donated or recycled.
“For example, there are some pieces that will not be used again, like the oversized grandfather clocks from The Play That Goes Wrong that an actor had to fit in,” Hohman said. “So, we are breaking down and recycling the aluminum and just keeping one of the doors.”
Some props are so specialized that they probably won’t see Festival stages again, due to the unique preferences of different directors and designers. These pieces are broken down into smaller, more reusable parts, recycled, or even sold to schools at the annual Shakespeare Competition.
Hohman and his team also display some props in their warehouse as a reminder of the work they’ve done.
“We throw away very few things,” Hohman noted. “If a chair is broken and can’t be repaired, we will pull the arms off the chairs and store those for future use.”
The entire process of putting away and organizing props is a long one.
“People think once you’re out of the theatre, you’re all done, but we won’t be done putting everything from this season away until early December,” Hohman said. “We get it finished right around the time we really have to start getting ready for next year.”
Then, the process starts all over for next season.
“It takes months to build everything and get everything to the theatre, and then [seemingly] two days to make it all disappear,” Hohman said.
Smaller props are sometimes sold to interested patrons. The Guild of the Festival sold rosettes created for the set of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the gift shops this season. They’ve also sold meat pies from Sweeney Todd, maps from King Lear, and bags made from extra costume and upholstery fabric.
“We made six dog portraits for The Play That Goes Wrong,” Hohman said. “We are thinking about offering to sell those.” The Guild uses these sales as fundraising for the Festival.
Scenery
As the production manager, Girtain oversees all physical backstage production, including lighting, sound, props, hair and makeup, costumes, paint, carpentry, and more. All these departments are busy with their own strike process.
“During strike, we try to get the scenery to a neutral place,” Girtain said. “For example, we will paint the floor black.”
Girtain said he looks at keeping items that are “stock building blocks.”
“I like to think of them as Legos, like platform sections that are standard sizes,” Girtain said. “Two-thirds of the platforming are taken from stock each year. Speciality items like doors, windows, and hardware are also put back into stock.”
There are some aspects of the scenery that are very custom, like the immense amount of steel used for the walls of The Play That Goes Wrong.
“The vast majority of [that steel] was recycled,” Girtain said.
This year, duplicates of the scenery for The Play That Goes Wrong were given to the Southern Utah University Film Department to use in their studio.
Enoch Elementary, who does a yearly production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will put this year’s wall panels of the same production to good use for many shows to come.
“We left the floor of the Engelstad Theatre shows out for the Southern Utah University’s Theatre Department, who repainted it for their fall production of Twelfth Night,” Girtain said.
Ultimately, the props and scenery that aren’t stored for future productions at the Festival are taken care of in various ways.
“We do our best to reuse, recycle, donate, or sell, so that the items continue to have a new life,” Hohman said.
Not everything can be given away or sold, as the props and scenery are assets of the Festival and Southern Utah University. Special permission is often needed, but for those interested in obtaining certain set items, contact Hohman at propsdir@bard.org or Girtain at productionmanager@bard.org.
2023 Season in Review: Thank you for Believing in Us!
With the 2023 season officially over, we’d like to thank our amazing patrons and donors for attending and supporting us once again this year. It was, ultimately, a season that encouraged all of us to BELIEVE in the organization and the transformative power of live theatre.
Our Believe Campaign which launched this year is meant to inspire connectivity, and it was a magical experience connecting with our beloved patrons as they were immersed in our 2023 productions.
Here is what our leadership and staff at the Utah Shakespeare Festival have to say in reflection of the 62nd season:
Interim Artistic Director/Director of New Play Development Derek Charles Livingston
“What a wonderful season of work at the Festival,” Livingston said. “What I consistently heard from audiences throughout it was that, show-for-show, the Festival provided memorable and high quality work.”
For Livingston, no matter how pleased Festival employees are with the productions, our patrons’ satisfaction is the most important and highest stamp of approval.
“We presented a healthy mix of known titles—Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Livingston said. “And rarely-performed Shakespeare plays in up close and intimate ways—Timon of Athens and Coriolanus, and Festival premieres of more contemporary works—Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Play that Goes Wrong.”
For Livingston, this lineup of plays “provided a balance of love and loss as well as drama and comedy all presented with professionalism and heart.”
Director of Development and Communications Donn Jersey
Jersey noted that it was a fabulous year in so many ways.
“The 2023 season was a captivating masterpiece for our audience, going beyond mere plays, actors, staff, theaters, tarts, chocolates, and the grounds,” Jersey said.
For Jersey, the combination of these elements ignited an unwavering belief in the magic of the Festival.
“The Believe Campaign embodies this spirit, encompassing the very essence of our theatrical experience,” Jersey said.
General Manager Kami Terry Paul
The season was not without its challenges. Paul noted that the rising costs of materials and labor continue to make the work very difficult from the operational side.
“But the reward of the incredible stories told on our stages and the audiences who flock to the shows and eagerly immerse themselves in the other Festival activities make those challenges worth it,” Paul said.
“We have an incredible team assembled who are ready to meet these challenges and continue to produce the incredible artistic and human experiences that are the Utah Shakespeare Festival.”
Education Department: Katherine Norman and Stewart Shelley
The education department celebrated its successes, welcoming Education Director Katherine Norman this year. The 2023 Shakespeare in the Schools tour of Othello reached approximately 10,000 students in many schools across the intermountain west.
Throughout the season, they leaned into the “Festival Experience,” emphasizing the invitation to come to pre-show orientations, post-show seminars, actor talk-backs, and props and costume seminars, among other offerings.
Most recently, the Shakespeare Competition concluded, with 3,000 students, 315 teachers, over 100 judges, and numerous volunteers from Southern Utah University participating.
“We are eagerly anticipating the 2024 year and are excited to begin our winter education tours of Hamlet and Every Brilliant Thing!” Associate Education Director Shelley said. “If 2024 is anything like this past season, we look forward to another great season of educational outreach and sharing the joy that is found in theatre and the works of the Bard.”
It’s never too early to purchase tickets for next season! Visit bard.org for our 2024 play lineup.
26 Fun Facts From Our 62nd Season!
Our 62nd season came to a close on October 7, after sixteen weeks of outstanding performances. Let’s reminisce on what a beautiful season it was. Enjoy 26 fun facts from our 62nd season below:
2023 Productions
- This is only the second time that Timon of Athens has been produced at the Festival in 62 years. The previous production was thirty years ago in 1993!
- Timon of Athens and Coriolanus director Lisa Peterson is a two-time OBIE Award-winner. Her most recent production prior to the ones at the Festival, Good Night, Oscar, is currently on Broadway. Actor Sean Hayes received a Tony Award for his performance.
- Romeo and Juliet Director Betsy Mugavero played Juliet the last time it was produced at the Festival in 2017.
- In addition to his positions at the Festival as Interim Artistic Director and Director of New Play Development, Derek Charles Livingston also took on the role as a director this season, successfully leading A Raisin in the Sun.
- The Play That Goes Wrong was our best-selling production, with approximately 26,900 tickets sold. Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical came in second, selling 19,950 tickets.
- A Raisin in the Sun was the first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway. This was also the first time Lorraine Hansberry’s play saw Festival stages.
- This is the 11th time A Midsummer Night’s Dream was produced at the Festival.
- Jane Austen was worried she had created a main character that “no one but herself would much like.” Ironically, Emma has become one of her most popular characters, however imperfect the female main character may be.
- This was the first season that another group outside of the Festival has ever been in charge of a Greenshow night. The Paiute Tribal Youth Performers from the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah performed The Greenshow: Paiute Heritage and Celebration.
Other
- New leadership was selected and announced this season, with John DiAntonio as Artistic Director and Michael Bahr as Executive Managing Director.
- American Sign Language interpreted performances were reintroduced this season and were offered for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Play That Goes Wrong.
- 537 tickets were reserved for active military personnel and veterans at no charge for Military Appreciation Week.
- 3,390 pounds of food were donated to the local Iron County Care and Share during the Festival Fall Food Drive.
Props
- There were over 1,160 props this season, including 131 pieces of furniture.
- 937 trim rosettes were made for the set of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
- 200 Thistleweed Fairies were made and handed out to children during The Greenshow: Appalachia Night.
- The chaise lounge in The Play That Goes Wrong had to be redone several times. It kept breaking in rehearsal because of the immense physical abuse the prop received. Eventually, it was perfected. Appearing like a period piece of furniture should, it was engineered to be light and strong and made out of aluminum.
- Almost all of the props in The Play That Goes Wrong had to have multiple copies made to survive the 80 performances of the physically demanding show.
Education
- 25,316 guests attended Festival events in the Seminar Grove, which included props, costume and actor seminars, and play orientations. This number accounts for 28 percent of our total audience.
- Backstage Tours, which have been on hold since 2019, made their return this season. Over 1,000 guests in school groups were led through Festival theatres with the Education Department. An additional 1,232 patrons were led on 27 ticketed tours.
- There are summer camps and courses available through our Education department, and this summer, 150 students and 24 educators attended.
- Festival actors Rhett Guter, Allie Babich, and Marco Antonio Vega once competed in the annual Shakespeare Competition. This season, they collectively acted on Festival stages in Romeo and Juliet, Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, The Play That Goes Wrong, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Learn more about their journey here.
- The largest of its kind, the Shakespeare Competition hosted 105 schools and nearly 3,000 students from Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, and Wisconsin.
- In a single weekend, the Shakespeare Competition equates to over $1 million dollars in economic impact on Cedar City.
- The Wooden O Symposium hosted scholars from across four continents.
- 982 students purchased Student Access Passes. Those passes were used for 4,837 admissions.
Thank you for helping make our 2023 season such a success. We can’t wait to see you next year! For a 2024 play lineup and to purchase tickets, click here.
Festival Feature: Meet Volunteers Bev and Jim Mudd
By Liz Armstrong
Bev and Jim Mudd have been attending plays at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for 40 years, starting in 1983. The couple fell so in love with theatre that when they retired, they decided to move across state lines to become dedicated volunteers for the Festival.
“I think we are professional volunteers,” Bev said. “We are busier now than with any job we’ve ever had.”
The couple retired 11 years ago and moved from Carson City, Nevada to Cedar City to dedicate their lives to volunteering at the Festival.
“We’ve always loved theatre and see plays all over the world together,” Bev said.
Valiant Volunteers
Before Bev retired, she was a high school English teacher who taught Shakespeare to her students. Although her husband didn’t have a career that correlated directly with theatre, he also had a passion for Shakespeare.
“I was just a computer geek with an interest in Shakespeare,” Jim said.
This season, the couple have worked as ushers in the Randall L. Jones Theatre and Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre.
“We want to keep busy and stay moving, but we’re doing the things we want to do, not the things we have to do,” Jim said.
They stay busy indeed. In addition to volunteering at the Festival, the couple volunteers for the Cedar City Hospital, InterMountain Performing Arts Conservatory, Southern Utah University athletics, and more.
This year, Jim even helped decorate for the fall season on Cedar City’s Main Street and drove the train during the Cedar City Railroad Centennial Celebration.
Bev and Jim are also on the Board of the Utah Shakespeare Festival Guild. The Guild is a non-profit organization, founded over 60 years ago by the late Barbara Adams, wife of late Festival founder Fred C. Adams. The Guild serves, supports, and promotes the Festival through membership, volunteering, and fundraising activities.
Supporting Shakespeare
The couple supports the Festival in any way they can, including volunteering to help at Bard’s Birthday Bash and the annual Shakespeare Competition.
The largest of its kind in North America, the competition hosts around 3,000 students who compete on Southern Utah University’s campus. This is the Mudds’ fourth year volunteering, and their support helps the mission of the Shakespeare Competition: to help participants grow and learn in the world of theatre and “cultivate the art of theatre, dance and music.”
As a retired educator, it’s extremely important to Bev that the Festival supports schools and students.
“There is nothing more powerful than seeing young people excited about something,” Bev said.
For Jim, the competition is imperative in bringing “new blood into theatre.”
But their support of the arts goes beyond just the Festival. As parents, the couple passed down their love of theatre to their daughter, who went to school for technical theatre design. Now, using her degree, she designs for Disney, hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, and more.
“We started taking her to plays when she was young. She was about eight or nine years old when she saw Richard III starring Patrick Page,” Jim said. “That performance was 3 hours and 40 minutes, and she was awake and into the play the whole time.”
Creative Crafting
Bev is Chairman of the Crafts Committee for the Guild, which means she spends hours creating masks, hair pieces, bags, and more to sell at the Randall L. Jones gift shop.
The costume and props department gives us things that would be thrown away, such as scraps of material,” Bev said. “We repurpose the materials and [sell things], and all the money comes back to the Festival.”
These pieces turn into valuable collector’s items, as patrons can purchase tangible items made from the same material they see onstage.
Leftover props, such as the maps from King Lear and meat pies from Sweeney Todd are also sold to interested patrons.
Ultimately, the couple has become an invaluable resource to the Festival and have poured countless hours of their own time into the organization.
“When they need us, they call us,” Bev said. “We are reliable and we show up, because that’s what we like to do.”
For those interested in joining the Guild, please visit bard.org/guild.
Festival Announces Results From 2023 Shakespeare Competition
Cedar City, UT – This past weekend, the 47th annual Shakespeare Competition, hosted by the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Southern Utah University, gave out dozens of awards and scholarships to drama, dance and music students.
The competition is the largest scholastic Shakespeare competition in North America, and this year, 105 schools attended from Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, and Wisconsin.
From October 5 to 7, students competed before numerous adjudicators on the Festival’s stages and on SUU’s campus. Judges consisted of arts professionals with strong literary and performance backgrounds, including company members from the 2023 season at the Festival.
The competition recognizes and educates students between second and twelfth grade in four areas: acting, dance/choreography, music, and technical theatre. At the conclusion of the competition selected students received plaques and scholarships to study with professionals at Southern Utah University and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
The competition was divided into six divisions: Buckingham (large public high schools), Oxford (midsize public high schools), Cambridge (small public high schools), Westminster (private, charter, & parochial schools), Stratford (junior high and middle schools) and Essex (schools or groups which are not members of state high school associations).
Associate Education Director Stewart Shelley encouraged teachers to bring their students to the competition because it is “an incredible opportunity for students to get professional feedback from our company members and professional judges to improve their own performance.”
ACTING COMPETITION
For the acting portion of the competition, students compete in monologues, duo/trio scenes, and ensembles. Monologue competitors presented for the judges a two to four-minute monologue from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the duo/trio scenes competition, two or three actors presented a three to five-minute scene from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of students from a school presented a six to ten-minute Shakespearean scene.
In addition, first, second, and third place overall sweepstake prizes were awarded to the school in each division with the most total points from all categories.
Also, several scholarships were presented in the acting competition:
The first place winners in the duo/trio scene and monologue categories are awarded scholarships to either Southern Utah University or the Utah Shakespeare Festival summer classes, depending on the grade of the student.
Ray Jones Award: Given to seniors, this award is a $1,000 scholarship to Southern Utah University.
Barbara Barrett Award: Given to juniors and under, this award is a $500 scholarship to the Festival’s summer acting intensive Actor Training, or a tuition scholarship to Shakespeare for Junior Actor Training.
Larry Lott Acting Award: In conjunction with the ensemble competition, judges annually recognize the best actor in an ensemble scene in each division. The recipient of this award received a trophy for his or her accomplishments and, if a senior, a $1,000 scholarship to SUU.
ACTING COMPETITION WINNERS
BUCKINGHAM DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Lehi High School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Skyridge High School
Sweepstakes Third Place: American Fork High School
Ensemble First Place: Lehi High School
Ensemble Second Place: Bingham High School
Ensemble Third Place: American Fork High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Elizabeth Archer and Abigail Archer (Lehi High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Tyler Wilkinson, Alexander Colqui, Talmage Howlett (Lehi High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Micah Wixom, Elizabeth Birkner, Danielle Whisamore (Riverton High School)
Monologue First Place: Mia Schoebinger (Skyridge High School)
Monologue Second Place: Kylie Priday (Westlake High School)
Monologue Third Place: Savannah Carrasco (Skyridge High School)
Ray Jones Award: Mia Schoebinger (Skyridge High School), Elizabeth Archer and Abigail Archer (Lehi High School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Beckham Westenskow (Layton High School)
OXFORD DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Hillcrest High School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Brighton High School
Sweepstakes Third Place: Corner Canyon High School
Ensemble First Place: Corner Canyon High School
Ensemble Second Place: Hillcrest High School
Ensemble Third Place: Brighton High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Nayantara Nair, Ellie Spilker, and Riley Thompson (Hillcrest High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Jaycey Bennion and Addi Scarborough (Alta High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Toby Holloway and Adriel Carroll (Salem Hills High School)
Monologue First Place: Gabe Williams (Hillcrest High School)
Monologue Second Place: Anna Fetzer (Hillcrest High School)
Monologue Third Place: Grace Brown (Brighton High School)
Ray Jones Award: Gabe Williams and Nayantara Nair (Hillcrest High School)
Barbara Barrett Award: Ellie Spilker and Riley Thompson (Hillcrest High School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Jaxton Brenner (Brighton High School)
CAMBRIDGE DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Orem High School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Canyon View High School
Sweepstakes Third Place: North Sanpete High School
Ensemble First Place: Canyon View High School
Ensemble Second Place: North Sanpete High School
Ensemble Third Place: Provo High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Eli Zemp, Abigail Goodey (Orem High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Lin Anderson, JosLynn Anderson (North Sanpete High School)
Duo/Trio Third Place: Jarrett Pangan, Gavin McClelland, Levi Hokansen (Canyon View High School)
Monologue First Place: Amelia Brown (Orem High School)
Monologue Second Place: Parker Bettinson (Jordan High School)
Monologue Third Place: Eliza Barkdull (Orem High School)
Ray Jones Award: Ameila Brown, Eli Zemp, and Abigail Goodey (Orem High School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Daxton Gibbs (Bear River High School)
WESTMINSTER DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts
Sweepstakes Third Place: DaVinci Academy - Senior High
Ensemble First Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School
Ensemble Second Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts
Ensemble Third Place: Karl G Maeser Preparatory Academy - High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Carter Little, Jayden Long, Ian Hadfield (Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Ziggy Watene, Scarlet Boss (Rockwell Charter High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Kavin Begg, Claire Tally, Cross Townsend (Intermountain Christian School)
Monologue First Place: Amara Davis (Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School)
Monologue Second Place: Quinlan LaMarche (DaVinci Academy - Senior High)
Monologue Third Place: Chandler Shulman (Bishop Gorman High School)
Ray Jones Award: Jayden Long (Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School)
Barbara Barrett Award: Amara Davis, Carter Little, and Ian Hadfield (Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Kjersti Long (Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School)
STRATFORD DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Karl G Maeser Preparatory Academy - Middle School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Liahona Preparatory - Middle School
Sweepstakes Third Place: Vista Heights Middle School
Ensemble First Place: Karl G Maeser Preparatory Academy - Middle School
Ensemble Second Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School
Ensemble Third Place: Frontier Middle School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Charlotte Heinrich, Ander Davis, Ally Rees (Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Coco Tullis, Aiden Parkinson (Karl G Maeser Preparatory Academy - Middle School) Duo Trio Scenes Third Place: Clarie Mecham, Samantha Smith (Karl G Maeser Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
Monologue First Place: Kaelyn Perez (Viewpoint Middle School)
Monologue Second Place: Katira Davis (Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
Monologue Third Place: Connor McClellan (Lake Mountain Middle School)
Barbara Barrett Award: Kaelyn Perez (Viewpoint Middle); Charlotte Heinrich, Ander Davis, and Ally Rees (Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Katira Davis (Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
ESSEX DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: First Stage Young Company
Sweepstakes Second Place: Utah COPA
Sweepstakes Third Place: Rocky Mountain Shakespeare Company
Ensemble First Place: Youth Theatre - University of Utah
Ensemble Second Place: First Stage Young Company
Ensemble Third Place: Rocky Mountain Shakespeare Company
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Gwendolyn Harper, Cecily Nutter (Utah COPA)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: John Eash-Scott, Josephine Van Slyke (First Stage Young Company)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Ryan Bennett, Max Larson, Elena Marking (First Stage Young Company)
Monologue First Place: Silver Anderson (First Stage Young Company)
Monologue Second Place: Alice Rivera (First Stage Young Company)
Monologue Third Place: Kellen Hunnicutt (Youth Theatre - University of Utah)
Barbara Barrett Award: Silver Anderson (First Stage Young Company), Gwendolyn Harper and Cecily Nutter (Utah COPA)
Larry Lott Award: Kellen Hunnicutt (Youth Theatre - University of Utah)
DANCE/CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION
For the dance portion, students were able to compete in duo/trio or ensemble groups. In the duo/trio competition, two or three dancers presented a three to six-minute interpretation of a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of dancers from a school interpreted a three to six-minute Shakespeare play or sonnet.
DANCE/CHOREOGRAPHY WINNERS
BUCKINGHAM DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Westlake High School
Ensemble Second Place: Skyridge High School
Ensemble Third Place: Riverton High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Lone Peak High School
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place (tie): Pleasant Grove High School and Riverton High School
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Granger High School
OXFORD DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Wasatch High School
Ensemble Second Place: Corner Canyon High School
Ensemble Third Place: Hunter High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Hunter High School
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Crimson Cliffs High School
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Brighton High School
CAMBRIDGE DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Orem High School
Ensemble Second Place: Desert Hills High School
Ensemble Third Place: Canyon View High School
Duo/Trio First Place: Canyon View High School
Duo/Trio Second Place: Provo High School
Duo/Trio Third Place: Desert Hills High School
WESTMINSTER DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts
Ensemble Second Place: Bishop Gorman High School
Ensemble Third Place: Juan Diego Catholic High School
Duo/Trio First Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts
Duo/Trio Second Place: Karl G Maeser Preparatory Academy - High School
Duo/Trio Third Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School
STRATFORD DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Vista School
Ensemble Second Place: Lake Mountain Middle School
Ensemble Third Place: Crimson Cliffs Middle School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Mountain Ridge Jr. High School
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Frontier Middle School
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Viewpoint Middle School
ESSEX DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Saint Contemporary Ballet
Ensemble Second Place: Youth Leadership Academy
Ensemble Third Place: Youth Theatre - University of Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Saint Contemporary Ballet
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Webb Dance Academy
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Canyon View Center for the Performing Arts
MUSIC COMPETITION
The music competition encouraged students to explore and develop a relationship with the music of the Renaissance (music prior to 1650). Students were encouraged to utilize creative combinations of instruments; however, no instrumentation was required. The competition was split into four divisions: Troubadour (one to five participants), Minstrel (six to ten participants), Canzonetta (six to 16 participants), and Madrigal (17 plus participants). Choral pieces could be up to ten minutes in length.
MUSIC WINNERS
TROUBADOUR
First Place: Pleasant Grove High School
Second Place: Corner Canyon High School
Third Place: Bishop Gorman High School
MINSTREL
First Place: Jordan High School
Second Place: Pleasant Grove High School
Third Place: Corner Canyon High School
CANZONETTA
First Place: Pleasant Grove High School
Second Place: Herriman High School
Third Place: Skyridge High School
MADRIGAL
First Place: Pleasant Grove High School
Second Place: Herriman High School
Third Place: Jordan High School
SWEEPSTAKES
First Place: Pleasant Grove High School
Second Place: Jordan High School
Third Place: Herriman High School
TECHNICAL THEATRE COMPETITION
The final competition was in the technical theatre area for students who work behind-the-scenes creating sound, lighting, props, scenery, and costumes. In the portfolio area, students were given the chance to have their technical and/or design portfolios evaluated by professionals in technical theatre. Technical theatre students were able to compete in Tech Olympics, with winners named in costumes, lighting, make-up, props, rigging, set construction, sound, and stage management. Overall school winners were also named. The best portfolio and runners-up were also recognized.
TECH OLYMPICS––INDIVIDUAL WINNERS
Costumes: Maeryn Lloyd (Westlake High School)
Lighting: Fischer Coleman (Hillcrest High School)
Make-up: Elsie Slabbert (Hillcrest High School)
Props: Mikkel Jones (Kanab High School)
Rigging: Cameron Sorensen (Hillcrest High School)
Set Construction: Peter Windsor (Timpview High School)
Sound: Abby Spangler (Syracuse Arts Academy)
Stage Management: Tyler Strong (Hillcrest High School)
TECH OLYMPICS––OVERALL WINNERS
First Place (Gold Drill): Hillcrest High School
Second Place (Silver Spotlight): Orem High School
Third Place (Bronze Boot): Riverton High School
TECH PORTFOLIO WINNERS
Overall Winner: Megan Oliphant (Mountain Ridge High School)
Runners-up: Fischer Coleman and Wesley Arbon (Hillcrest High School)
For more information on the Shakespeare Competition, visit competition.bard.org.
Every Brilliant Thing to Tour Again in 2024
Offered free by the Utah Shakespeare Festival to every public district high school in the state of Utah, the play Every Brilliant Thing will tour once again. In 2019 and 2023, the play swept the state with the “intention of cultivating the use of proactive, life-affirming communication when you or those you love are confronted with depression.”
Director of Development and Communications Donn Jersey said Every Brilliant Thing is one of the most critical pieces of work the Festival has ever produced.
“Every Brilliant Thing demonstrates why no darkness lasts forever; even then, there are stars,” Jersey said. “It reminds us of things hiding in plain sight that make life worth living that we don’t see when we are suffering.”
Starting this January, the show will tour across the state of Utah to bring the heartwarming and comforting message to secondary school students.
“This show is so relevant, and it’s this relevancy that heightens the importance,” Associate Education Director Stewart Shelley said. “This show opens up dialogue in a very positive manner and is a door that students who are experiencing anxiety, depression, or suicide ideation, can walk through to get the resources that they need.”
The one-person play tells the story of someone who learns that their mother is in the hospital after her first attempt to take her own life. The narrator then begins a list of every brilliant thing in the world worth living for: “ice cream, water fights, staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV, the color yellow, things with stripes.”
Filled with humor and inventiveness, the plot explores hope and depression, change and uncertainty, relationships, risk, guilt, and forgiveness.
2023 Greenshow Director Britannia Howe will be directing the tour. The traveling company will consist of Tour Manager Jordan Simmons, Stage Manager Kathryn Whilden, and two actors.
Executive Managing Director Michael Bahr noted that the first touring productions cured hearts, amplified voices, and literally saved lives.
“We will be canvassing and performing across the state, bringing messages of hope and serving as partners to Utah schools,” Bahr said. “This production has been instrumental in cultivating consequential conversations about suicide and depression with students and their families.”
Simmons noted that the project has five goals, the first being to create an active dialogue between all stakeholders about emotional and mental well-being in regards to depression and suicide.
“I hope students learn that they’re not weird, they’re not alone, that things get better, and that life goes on,” Simmons said. “We want every student to know that when they need help there is help available.”
As another goal, the team hopes to increase awareness in Utah schools of mental health resources available for students and to find applicable ways to use these resources. The other goals are to provide an artistic experience that enables young people to see things from a new and positive perspective, provide opportunities for students to both practice and participate in a number of skills related to Utah Core standards, and to inspire people to see the beauty in life.
For Simmons, the show hits close to home, and why he is eager for as many students as possible to see Every Brilliant Thing.
“Having experienced suicide ideation periodically in my own life, it wasn’t until I was an adult that I’ve been able to openly address it,” Simmons said. “I wish I would have experienced something like this when I was a teenager that would have allowed me to get help.”
Funded by the Utah State Legislature, the production is free to any secondary education school in Utah that is interested. The tour will begin January 2024 and will run through the end of March 2024. If you would like Every Brilliant Thing to come to your school or community, please complete this form: Tour Request Form.
For more information on the play, visit bard.org/brillianttour.
For questions, contact Simmons at brillianttour@bard.org.
Festival Feature: Meet Props Artisan Nick Bartleson
For those that don’t know, almost everything that touches the stage is made in-house. Because of this, Properties Director Ben Hohman and his team have their work cut out for them every season, and they never cease to impress.
This year, Nicolas Bartleson tackled props projects alongside Hohman and other props artisans. The new Props Artisan shared his experience this season with the Festival.
Bartleson double majored at Ohio University in production design and technology, as well as stage management. He had been involved in theatre since high school, but stumbled upon his college program unintentionally.
“Someone suggested I look at [props], and I discovered that I really loved it,” Bartleson said. “From then on, I stayed focused on props throughout college and did stage management in between.”
Bartleson found his connection to the Festival through Kelly Kreutsberg. He worked with the former Festival Props Manager in the off-season, and Kreutsberg later recommended him to the Festival.
Although Bartleson has a variety of experience working at different theaters, working with Texas Shakespeare Festival to Glimmerglass Opera, it was his very first season at the Festival, working from May to July this summer.
“I had a really positive experience,” Bartleson said. “The community was fun to be a part of, but on top of that, the quality of theatre production is really good.”
The Properties Department worked on all of the shows for the 2023 season, and so Bartleson found himself jumping around from prop to prop, project to project, play to play.
“My big projects were working on the canopy bed in Romeo and Juliet, as well as the grandfather clock and the chaise lounge in The Play That Goes Wrong,” Bartleson said.
He also completed smaller projects, like working on The Mechanicals cart in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“My favorite props to work on were the wheellock carbine pistols in Timon of Athens,” Bartleson said.
Although these props are only in the show for under a minute, Bartleson enjoyed the project because it fit more in his “personal wheelhouse of hand props.”
Ultimately, Bartleson returns to props again and again because of the variety the work brings.
“You never know what you’re going to get. I don’t think I’ve ever built the same prop twice,” Bartleson said.
The props artisan noted that he could be working on a seven foot clock one day from The Play That Goes Wrong, and bank statements from A Raisin in the Sun the next.
“I like the unpredictability of it,” Bartleson said. “You get to practice and work within all trades but become a master of none, more or less.”
To see the props that Bartleson and his team worked tirelessly on, don’t miss out on the four remaining plays of the season.
Purchase tickets to Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, The Play That Goes Wrong, Timon of Athens, and Coriolanus at bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
Three Actors' Journey from The Shakespeare Competition to Festival Stages
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is hosting its 47th annual Shakespeare Competition on October 5-7.
Students between third to twelfth grade from across the country will compete in acting, dance, music, technical, and theatre competitions for the opportunity to earn scholarships and work alongside theatre, dance, and music professionals.
In an effort to inspire students and cultivate the art of theatre, dance, and music, the Shakespeare Competition has been impacting students since 1977.
“I was so inspired meeting young performers my age from across the country who all shared a love of language and rhetoric,” Actor Allie Babich said of her time at the competition. “It was incredible, inspiring, and I’m so honored to be working here now, and to get to witness the next generation of outstanding young people.”
For some, like Babich, the Shakespeare Competition proved to be the start of a lifelong theatre career. The Festival excitedly visited with actors from the 2023 season that once were participants themselves.
Allie Babich
This season, Allie Babich was cast as Emma Woodhouse in Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, and Balthasar in Romeo and Juliet. She was also an understudy for Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet. Other roles she has performed at the Festival include Ensign Nellie Forbush in South Pacific (2015) and Ela Delahay in Charlie’s Aunt (2015).
But years before lighting up Festival stages, Allie had her first brush with the Bard as a teenager.
At 17, Babich competed in the Shakespeare Competition.
“I was assigned Paulina’s ‘what studied torments, tyrant’ monologue,’ [from The Winter’s Tale]” Babich said. “A nice, gentle entry point to the dramatic classical monologue, no?”
Babich found strength in Paulina as she explored “a powerful woman who had something to say and the right words to say it.”
“It was the first time I understood how we use language to try to change other people,” Babich reflected. “And Shakespeare always finds the right words for you to use to get what your character needs most.”
Babich said she not only took this lesson with her through plays she’s worked on, but in life.
At the Shakespeare Competition, Babich recalls rehearsing a group scene from Romeo and Juliet in a parking lot outside of their hotel.
“I remember thinking, ‘This is it––I want to do this forever,’” Babich said. “And I do now! And I get to do it here.”
The 17-year-old didn’t know it at the time, but years later, Babich would perform on Festival stages in the 2023 production of Romeo and Juliet, the very play she and her group performed in at the Shakespeare Competition years before.
Rhett Guter
Guter shared that the Shakespeare Competition was his introduction to Shakespeare, Southern Utah University, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
“It has played a major role in the person and artist I am today,” Guter said.
His words could not ring truer. From that brief weekend spent at the Shakespeare Competition, Guter ended up becoming the first student to graduate from the bachelor of fine arts–musical theatre program at Southern Utah University. He also received a bachelor of science in dance.
Just like Babich, Guter went on to pursue a career in theatre. As well as performing in over twenty Festival productions, the actor is also a magician and prolific choreographer.
This season, Guter can be seen on Festival stages as Mr. George Knightly in Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical and Chris in The Play That Goes Wrong.
Marco Antonio Vega
Marco Antonio Vega was Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Paris in Romeo and Juliet this 2023 season. He was also an understudy for Theseus/Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Mercutio/Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet.
Rewind to Vega as a high school student at the Shakespeare Competition, when he first saw professional theatre.
“I didn’t even want to go to college, but I won a scholarship to SUU here at the competition,” Vega said. “The rest is history!”
Like Guter, Vega is a Southern Utah University alumnus, but his life might have been very different if he had not attended the Shakespeare Competition.
“It was a very significant reason I became an actor,” Vega said.
For Vega, the value the competition provides is unmeasurable.
“Not so competitive in nature; people come to share space, listen to one another speak and activate poetry, and awe in the artistry,” Vega said. “These skills are more valuable now than ever before, and truly priceless.”
It’s not too late to see these actors on Festival stages. To purchase tickets before the season closes October 7, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
The Shakespeare Competition’s Astounding Impact on the Community
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to host its 47th annual Shakespeare Competition on October 5-7, 2023.
The largest of its kind in the country, the Shakespeare Competition began in 1977 and now hosts schools from around the country. Each year, approximately 3,000 students ranging from third to twelfth grade travel to Cedar City to compete on Southern Utah University’s campus.
The mission of the competition is to “cultivate the art of theatre, dance, and music by providing active observation of peer and professional performance, educational creations based on Shakespeare’s works, and personal evaluation by working professionals.”
Not only does the competition give participants the opportunity to grow and learn in the world of theatre, but it has an extremely positive impact on the local community—both educationally and economically.
The Educational Impact
The Shakespeare Competition is meant to inspire, educate, and encourage young people interested in the worlds of theatre and Shakespeare, but its impact can also be seen in a more indirect way on Southern Utah University’s campus.
SUU Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre Lisa Quoresimo said the Shakespeare Competition’s impact manifests on campus by bringing an inspiring environment of energy and hope.
“The sight of thousands of joyous high school students filling every spare room and scrap of lawn as they rehearse their monologues and scenes in everything from traditional Elizabethan costumes to full-Jedi Knight regalia gives us all hope for the future of theatre,” Quoresimo said.
Many of those assisting in the competition were once participants themselves—direct proof of the mark the Shakespeare Competition has had on those involved.
“Many of our SUU students were once participants, and they love the feeling of giving back as they volunteer to help the next generation of theatre fans to find their way,” Quoresimo said.
Many theatre fans have, in fact, not only found their way, but forged a successful career path in the world of theatre.
The Festival’s current Associate Education Director Stewart Shelley was once a Shakespeare Competition contestant himself. As a former teacher, he went on to spend 20 years bringing his own students to the competition. In his current position at the Festival, Shelley plays a vital role in planning and managing the Shakespeare Competition, giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Shakespeare as he once did.
“Participating in the Shakespeare Competition as a student changed the course of my life,” Shelley said. “The camaraderie we built as a team made life-long friendships. However, the greatest impact was the spark for me to become a theatre educator.”
Shelley wanted to ensure that as many students as possible would be able to experience the same magic of the Shakespeare Competition that he did.
“Coaching a team was very different from competing as a student, and now my current capacity being an administrator of the competition is again a very different experience,” Shelley said. “However, the goal remains the same.”
According to Shelley, the goal is cultivate a love of performing, an opportunity to “speak the speech,” and experience a marvelous weekend with thousands of other students who are equally passionate about their craft.
In addition to staff that has been a part of the competition, many of the acting company that performs each summer has a personal connection as well. Rhett Guter, Allie Babich, and Marco Antonio Vega were also once Shakespeare Competition participants—now shining stars on Festival stages throughout the 2023 season. To learn more about their stories, click here.
The Economic Impact
Maria Twitchell, Executive Director of Visit Cedar City • Brian Head noted that the Shakespeare Competition continues to be one of the top events that generates considerable economic impact on Iron County.
“Last year, participants spent $572,000 on local lodging alone, occupying 91 percent of our city’s hotel rooms,” Twitchell said. “Lodging expenses aside, we estimate each participant/chaperone spends about $42 per day within our community on food, snacks, fuel and supplies, which equates to approximately $504,000 in spending in our local businesses.”
Overall, the Utah Shakespeare Festival Competition equates to over $1 million dollars in economic impact on Cedar City over a single weekend.
For more information on the Shakespeare Competition, click here. To learn more about the Festival educational opportunities, visit bard.org/education.