News From the Festival
Returning Festival Actors: Who's Back?
By Liz Armstrong
The Festival officially opened last week and will run until October 7. We are thrilled to welcome our friends and guests back for our 62nd Season! We’re also thrilled to welcome back members of our performing company. For a full calendar view of all our shows, visit bard.org/calendar.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet is directed by Betsy Mugavero, whom Festival audiences will remember as a member of the performing company in eight seasons between 2008 and 2019. Returning Festival actors in lead roles include: Cassandra Bissell as Lady Capulet, Ty Fanning as Romeo, Tim Fullerton as Capulet, Alex Keiper as Nurse, Gilberto Saenz as Tybalt, and Marco Antonio Vega as Paris.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Shakespeare’s beloved tale about fairies, dreams, and lovers and is directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Returning Festival actors in lead roles include Cassandra Bissell as Hippolyta/Titania, Ty Fanning as Demetrius, Corey Jones as Thesues/Oberon, and Alex Keiper as Petra Quince.
Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical with book/music/lyrics by Paul Gordon; orchestrations by Brad Haak, Paul Gordon, and Brian Allan Hobbs; based on the novel by Jane Austen
This is Austen’s enduring love story featuring an imperfect, but loveable, main character. Returning Festival actors in lead roles include Allie Babich as Emma, Laura Brennan as Harriet, Tim Fullerton as Mr. Weston, Rhett Guter as Mr. Knightley, Kat Lee as Mrs. Weston, Chris Mixon as Mr. Woodhouse, Melinda Parrett as Miss Bates, Jim Poulos as Mr. Elton, and Gilberto Saenz as Frank Churchill.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
This piece of classic American theatre, A Raisin in the Sun, tells of a family’s dreams, breaking down barriers, and defining hope. It is directed by Derek Charles Livingston, the Festival’s interim artistic director/director of new play development. Returning Festival actors include Corey Jones as Walter Lee Younger and Nazlah Black as Mrs. Johnson.
The Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields
The Play That Goes Wrong is a hilarious, chaotic, and ill-fated play-within-a-play. Returning Festival actors include Nazlah Black as Sandra, Laura Brennan as Stage Hand, Rhett Guter as Chris, Chris Mixon as Dennis, Melinda Parrett as Annie, and Jim Poulos as Max.
Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens is rarely performed and explores friendship, wealth, and the foibles of a materialistic society. Returning Festival actors include Elijah Alexander as Timon, Anatasha Blakely as Isadore/Poet, Jasmine Bracey as Lucullus/Caphis, Darin F. Earl II as Varro/Painter, Nell Geisslinger as Apemantus, and Jeremy Thompson as Ventidius/Factotumus/Soldier.
Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
Coriolanus is another of Shakespeare’s rarely-produced plays that focuses on themes of ambition, family, love, and power. Returning Festival actors include Elijah Alexander as Aufidius/Roman Citizen, Anatasha Blakely as Valeria/Roman Citizen, Jasmine Bracey as Menenius Agrippa/Roman Citizen, Darin F. Earl II as Sicinius Veletus/Roman Citizen, Nell Geisslinger as Junius Brutus/Roman Citizen, and Jeremy Thompson as Titus Lartius/Roman Citizen.
To purchase tickets or for more information for the 2023 season, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Producing Quality Theatre for 20 Years: Meet Costume Crafts Supervisor Rosa M. Lazaro
By Liz Armstrong
There’s a lot that goes into producing high quality plays––including everything from props, sound, set design, costumes, and more. Rosa Lazaro has been a part of this process for over twenty years now at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and it’s people like her that have kept the organization producing quality productions since it was founded in 1961.
The Beginning
For Lazaro, it all started when she was a high school student in Delta, Utah. The Festival’s late Founder Fred C. Adams visited Delta, his hometown.
“He got me interested and excited [in theatre],” Lazaro said.
But Adams inspired the young student in more ways than one, influencing not just her interest in theatre, but also her educational journey.
“I was a first generation college student. My father was an immigrant from Mexico, and my prospects of going to college were very slim,” Lazaro said.
One of seven children, Lazaro was the first to successfully attend college.
“A lot of that was due to Fred, knowing that these amazing people came out of Delta,” Lazaro reflected. “I’m not sure I would’ve ever left [my hometown] had Fred not come through when he did.”
Lazaro’s Start at the Festival
Lazaro enrolled at Utah State University and first came to the Festival in 1996 as a scenery mover. At the time, she was primarily interested in carpentry, properties, and technical directing and spent about three years working in scenery and at the prop shop with Properties Director Ben Hohman.
Adams, along with other early Festival framers Doug Cook and and Cam Harvey, showed Lazaro that every member of the company counts.
Lazaro reflected on her first season at the Festival, when she was working on scenery for The Three Musketeers. Adams introduced himself to her, and from then on, remembered her.
“Everyone was so important to him, even the people who pushed the scenery,” Lazaro said.
“Later I would add many [other Festival] mentors like Lew Haslam, Phil Haslam, R. Scott Phillips, and, of course, Jeffrey Lieder,” Lazaro said. “All helped me see my own potential. I’m sure there were many others, but honestly the support from my Festival family has never rested.”
Furthering Her Education
In 1999, after finishing her undergraduate degree at Utah State University, Lazaro heard that Southern Utah University needed a part time assistant technical director. Since Lazaro had worked full time for several summers at the Festival, she was qualified for the job.
“From there I was encouraged to go to graduate school to become a technical director,” Lazaro said. “The Festival [instilled] in me that I could go to grad school. I discovered I could achieve more than I ever thought I could.”
Lazaro is now a professor of theater at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi. From a young girl not sure she could finish her undergraduate degree to a professor teaching everything from costume design and production to stage management, this was a massive accomplishment.
“I get choked up thinking about what [those at the Festival] did for me,” Lazaro said.
Now, as a professor, Lazaro strives to plant the same passion in her students that those at the Festival instilled in her.
“In my interview at Texas A&M, I said I wanted to keep coming back to the Festival, and they told me they wanted me to do that, and to take students that I thought were good enough back with me,” Lazaro said.
Lazaro has done just that, bringing young students and technicians to the Festival, and influencing them the way she once was influenced.
“It’s amazing that [at the Festival], we touch each other’s lives and it has a domino effect,” Lazaro said. “We continue to pay it forward.”
The Transition from Props to Costuming
Lazaro began graduate school to become a technical director. From there, she discovered she loved costuming, and so she changed her graduate focus from technical directing to costume design.
“Jeff Lieder was kind enough to give me a chance and brought me into costume crafts, which is kind of when properties and costumes has a baby,” Lazaro said. “Twenty years later, I am the Costume Crafts Supervisor.
In this department, Lazaro and her team create things like shoes, armor, millinery, and accessories. She has been supervising since 2010.
Lazaro’s favorite show she has worked on to date was Richard III in 2003, when Henry Woronicz played Richard, designed by Bill Black.
“I built this beautiful piece of plate armor that I worked tirelessly on,” Lazaro said. “I remember Henry saying it was brilliant and hearing the applause when Henry walked out in it.”
For Lazaro, this was perhaps the most significant point in her career.
“I couldn’t imagine going back to any other part of theatre after that,” Lazaro said. “It was so amazing to see the appreciation, and they had planted in me what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
Why She Keeps Coming Back
“Jeff tells everyone that the Festival is a very addictive place, and it’s true,” Lazaro said. “Not just because the people are wonderful to work with, but because of what it teaches you.”
“We work hard to create beautiful costumes to help tell impactful stories that can change people’s lives,” Lazaro said. “I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.
Lazaro reflects on where the Festival started, when it was only the Adams Memorial Theatre across the street to the three theatres, administration center, production shops, and rehearsal hall it boasts now.
“I’m a part of that. Being able to look back where we started and knowing the passion that is put into each show . . . the standards at the Festival are something to be proud of,” Lazaro said.
For Lazaro, it comes down to one simple question: Why do it at all if you’re not going to do it to such a brilliant standard?
“We know what it takes to do great, great theatre,” Lazaro said. “That is what’s going to keep me coming back year after year.”
For more information or to purchase tickets for the 2023 season, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Announcing the Festival's 2024 Season!
By Liz Armstrong
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to announce its 2024 season, featuring seven plays from June 17 to October 5. In an effort to make it easy for loyal Festival guests to order their tickets well in advance, tickets go on sale beginning July 7, 2023. To purchase tickets, visit bard.org, call 800-PLAYTIX, or visit the Ticket Office near the Anes Studio Theatre.
“We are thrilled to announce our shows for our sixty-third season in 2024,” says Interim Managing Director Michael Bahr. “We are proud to focus on our cornerstone of Shakespeare, presenting four of his marvelous works.”
“We are also delighted to bring back a previous comedy by popular demand, and two shows new to our audiences to complete our robust season,” comments Interim Artistic Director/Director of New Play Development Derek Charles Livingston.
IN THE ENGELSTAD SHAKESPEARE THEATRE
Henry VIII
By William Shakespeare
Having first been produced in 1981, Henry VIII hasn’t hit Festival stages since 1995. Following the story of a ruthless race to power and the desire for a male heir, King Henry VIII listens to Cardinal Wolsey counsel, while honorable Duke Buckingham is convicted of treason. The play also focuses on topics of divorce and the treatment of women in a male-dominated society, as Henry leaves his wife Katharine and, in the yearning for an heir, marries Anne Boleyn.
The Winter’s Tale
By William Shakespeare
The Winter’s Tale has been produced in 1972, 1989, 1996, 2004, and most recently in 2011. Focusing on themes of betrayal, loss, and forgiveness in the setting of a family drama, Shakespeare’s romance follows King Leontes, his paranoia of his wife’s infidelity, and the consequences that follow.
The Taming of the Shrew
By William Shakespeare
The Taming of the Shrew was one of the first of Shakespeare’s plays to ever be produced here, in 1962, and was performed most recently in 2015. This is the eleventh time this Shakespeare play has been shared with Festival audiences. Full of deception and disguise, Petruchio attempts to tame the wild Katherina into being an obedient wife. Suitors attempt to win her sister Bianca’s hand in marriage, but can only do so if Katherina weds first.
IN THE RANDALL L. JONES THEATRE
Much Ado About Nothing
By William Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing has been produced seven times, most recently in 2016. Shakespeare’s popular comedy centers around two romantic pairings and the ways in which we can deceive each other, ourselves, and be both opposed and open to love through it all.
The 39 Steps
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
From the Novel by John Buchan
From the Movie by Alfred Hitchcock
Original Concept by Nobby Dimon and Simon Corble
Returning by popular demand, The 39 Steps was last seen at the Festival in 2010. This humorous play follows an innocent man accused of a crime who must clear his name. A fast-paced “whodunit” comedy with only four actors, the play balances both suspense and nonstop comedy, with a little splash of romance.
IN THE EILEEN AND ALLEN ANES STUDIO THEATRE
Silent Sky
by Lauren Gunderson
This is the first time the Festival has produced Silent Sky. Following astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, this play explores what a women’s place in society was during a time of scientific discoveries in the 19th century. Including themes of gender equality and work/life balance, this play is one for the times – even though it takes place over one hundred years ago.
The Mountaintop
By Katori Hall
The Mountaintop has never before seen Festival stages. Following Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., audience members watch as he is forced to confront both his mortality, and the future of his people. Although fictional, the play shows themes of being a figurehead versus a private human.
For details or to order, visit our website at bard.org or call the ticket office at 800-PLAYTIX.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival: What's On
Starting June 21, the Utah Shakespeare Festival will offer over three months of enchanting productions. Running Monday-Saturday and offering four different shows daily on most days, along with a free nightly Greenshow, there’s ample opportunity to believe in the power of theatre and attend this season.
In the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre:
Seating over 900 patrons in a lovely outdoor space, our Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre is the ultimate place to enjoy a night of theatre. The classic Elizabethan-inspired architecture offers an unforgettable experience of watching Shakespeare under the stars––literally. We can’t wait for you to see our very own replica, boasting impressive similarity to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Shakespeare’s luxurious tale of fairies, dreams, and finding love. This popular comedy features actors Topher Embrey as Bottom and Cassandra Bissell as Hippolyta/Titania.
Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare’s most popular and tragic tale of “star-cross’d lovers" featuring Ty Fanning as Romeo and Naiya McCalla as Juliet.
In The Randall L. Jones Theatre:
The Randall is an indoor modern theatre, offering a comfortable theatrical experience––no matter the weather. Built to expand the Festival’s productions to musicals and more, the theatre was dedicated in 1989 and is named after a Cedar City native, known as the father of tourism in the area.
Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical is a charming and enduring love story featuring Allie Babich as the vivacious Emma and Rhett Guter as Mr. George Knightley.
The Play That Goes Wrong is a hilarious, chaotic, and ill-fated play-within-a-play featuring Chris Mixon as Dennis and Melinda Parrett as Annie.
A Raisin in the Sun is a theatrical masterpiece that breaks down racial barriers and addresses hope and the American dream, featuring Corey Jones as Walter Lee Younger and Kayland Jordan as Ruth Younger.
The Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre:
This intimate theatre was designed to produce smaller-scaled shows for the Festival and is home for our new plays program, highlighting the “Shakespeares of tomorrow.” Seating approximately 200 guests, the theatre is designed as a flexible space, with audience members this season surrounding three sides of the stage to ensure there isn’t a bad seat in the house.
Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens explores wealth, friendship, and the foibles of a materialistic society. The Festival has only produced this play once before, thirty years ago. It features Elijah Alexander as Timon and Jasmine Bracey as Lucullus.
Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare’s rarely-produced plays that focuses on themes of ambition, family, love, and power. James Ryen will play the hot-headed Coriolanus, with Sheila Tousey as Volumnia.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the 2023 season, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Follow us on Instagram (@utahshakespeare) and Facebook (Utah Shakespeare Festival) to stay up-to-date on announcements, behind-the-scenes content, and more!
10 Frequently Asked Questions About Education Courses at the Utah Shakespeare Festival
Welcome to the exciting world of the Utah Shakespeare Festival! Our education courses, designed for theatre enthusiasts, educators, aspiring actors, and students, offer a unique learning experience. Here are some common queries about our courses to help you understand what we offer:
1. Who are these education courses for?
Our education courses cater to a broad audience. They are designed for aspiring actors honing their skills, educators seeking professional development and continuing education credits, theatre lovers keen to deepen their understanding of theatrical arts, and students looking for a hands-on experience in a world-class professional theatre setting.
2. What types of courses does the Utah Shakespeare Festival offer?
The festival offers a variety of courses, both online and in-person. These include online courses designed to enrich the theatre experience, in-person professional development for educators, and sleep-away summer camps for youth offering practical, hands-on experience.
3. What added value can I get from my Festival experience by taking these courses?
By participating in these courses, you can gain an in-depth understanding of theatre, engage with artists, and earn continuing education credits. These continuing education credits are granted through Southern Utah University, and transfer to other states. Our courses offer an elevated Festival experience by introducing a variety of perspectives and lenses through which to view live theatre, and opportunities for educators to enrich their teaching practice through intensive 3-day professional development courses at the Festival. Furthermore, our summer camps offer an immersive theatre experience, including interactions with professional actors, designers, and technicians, and the opportunity to perform in a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.
4. What is the goal of the online courses?
Our online courses aim to enrich your theatre experience, whether you’re earning continuing education credits or simply broadening your knowledge. Each module encourages learners to view theatre through the perspective of different types of artists, offering insights into the many art forms involved in theatre production. Participants will have access to exclusive interviews with artists and company members, and interactive discussions where you can post your ideas and thoughts.
5. How flexible are these online courses?
Our courses are self-paced, allowing you to move through them at your own speed. They are built around attending performances at the Festival, and can be accessed at any time during the season.
7. What kind of interaction can I expect in these online courses?
All participants will receive individualized feedback and comments from the education director, Katherine Norman.
8. What are the in-person educator courses like?
We offer four in-person courses for educators here at the Festival. Come spend an intensive three or four days with a small group of like-minded teachers and dive into topics like theatre tech, teaching Shakespeare, or using theatre as a method for teaching multiple subjects. All in-person courses include attending performances together!
9. What opportunities does the festival offer for students?
Our summer camps are perfect for students ages 12-18 seeking to develop their theatre skills and interact with professional actors, designers, and technicians. The camps offer hands-on experience in a world-class professional theatre setting, including performing in a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. We offer both day camps and sleep-away camps, designed to cater to students’ different needs and preferences.
10. How can I enroll in these online courses and find more information about the summer camps?
Enrollment details for online courses and detailed information about the summer camps are available here.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s educational courses offer an enriching and immersive experience, whether you’re an educator, a theatre lover, or an aspiring actor. We invite you to join us and deepen your appreciation and understanding of the theatrical arts.
10 Reasons the 2023 Season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival is the Most Exciting Yet!
By Liz Armstrong
Next week we welcome audiences for the 2023 Season, starting with a Romeo and Juliet preview on June 21. The Festival offers over four months of live theatre, running Monday-Saturday. Most days, there are four different shows along with a free nightly Greenshow that plays into September. There’s ample opportunity to attend this season and share in our belief in the power of theater.
The lineup for the 2023 season includes: Romeo and Juliet (officially opening June 23), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (opening June 24), A Raisin in the Sun (opening June 29), Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical (opening July 1), The Play That Goes Wrong (opening July 4), Timon of Athens (opening July 17), and Coriolanus (opening July 18).
Here are some fun facts that make this sixty-second season extra special:
- Last time the Festival produced Romeo and Juliet was in 2017. Betsy Mugavero played Juliet, and now, six years later, she is directing the very same play. For the beloved Festival actor, this is a very full-circle moment.
- Former Festival actor Geoffrey Kent has returned to make his directorial debut with The Play That Goes Wrong. Previously at the Festival, Kent was an actor in Treasure Island, Shakespeare in Love, As You Like It, Othello, and more.
- Lisa Peterson is also making her directorial debut at the Festival with Timon of Athens and Coriolanus. She is a two-time OBIE Award-winner for her productions of An Iliad and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire. Her most recent production, Good Night, Oscar starring Sean Hayes, is currently on Broadway. Winning Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his role as Oscar, Hayes said, “Half of my performance I owe to Lisa Peterson, the director. She’s phenomenal.”
- Actor Elijah Alexander, known for his role as Atticus Aemilius in The Chosen TV series, will be Timon in Timon of Athens and Tullus Aufidius/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus. Don’t miss out; tickets are going fast!
- Speaking of Timon of Athens, the last––and only––time the Festival has produced this play was 30 years ago!
- This is the first time the Festival is producing A Raisin in the Sun and The Play That Goes Wrong.
- The famous tarts are made fresh locally, directly from Park Place Eatery. What’s better than enjoying a tart at a free 30-minute Greenshow this summer?
- A lot of hard work goes into a repertory theater to produce seven shows in a season, and so the number of staff and company members rise exponentially during the season. From a year-round staff of 25 members, the Festival employs a seasonal staff of over 300 from June to October.
- This is the first time that both plays in the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre have both been works of Shakespeare. 1992 was the first time four of the Bard’s plays were produced, and since then, the number of Shakespeare’s plays have always fluctuated between three and four. This season, the Festival boasts four, with Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coriolanus, and Timon of Athens.
- This is the eleventh time the Festival has produced A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the ninth time Romeo and Juliet has been produced.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the 2023 season, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Educational Opportunities at the Festival
Shakespeare himself once said, “Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.” What better way to gain knowledge than to take an educational class here at the Festival?
There are a variety of courses, targeted toward aspiring actors as well as teachers and simply those who want to get more out of their attendance at the Festival’s shows. These interactive courses allow lovers of the arts to explore the world of theatre while gaining valuable skills and insights.
For Anyone:
NOTE: These classes aren’t just for educators, but for anyone who loves Shakespeare and wants to learn more. The more, the merrier!
SHAKESPEARE SURVEY
June 21 - October 7, 2023
Tuition: $130 (does not include play tickets)
Registration closes August 12, 2023.
Credits: 1 SUU Professional Development credit
Shakespeare Survey is a self-paced, individualized-learning course available anytime throughout the Festival season. Educators of all kinds receive SUU professional development credit for attendance at two plays, pre-show orientations, post-show seminars, and completion of online course materials. For general patrons, participating in the course will provide an elevated Festival experience by introducing a variety of lenses and broadened perspectives through which to view live theatre. Play tickets must be purchased separately. Click here to register.
SHAKESPEARE FORUM
June 21 - October 7, 2023
Tuition: $260 (does not include play tickets)
Registration closes October August 12, 2023.
Credits: 2 SUU Professional Development credits
Shakespeare Forum is a self-paced, individualized-learning course available anytime throughout the Festival season. Educators of all kinds receive SUU professional development credit for attendance at four plays, pre-show orientations, post-show seminars, and completion of online course materials. For general patrons, participating in the course will provide an elevated festival experience by introducing a variety of lenses and broadened perspectives through which to view live theatre. Play tickets must be purchased separately. Click here to register.
SHAKESPEARE SEMINAR
June 21 - October 7, 2023
Tuition: $300 (does not include play tickets)
Registration closes October August 12, 2023.
Credits: 3 SUU Professional Development credits
Shakespeare Seminar is a self-paced, individualized-learning course available anytime throughout the Festival season. Educators of all kinds receive SUU professional development credit for attendance at six plays, pre-show orientations, post-show seminars, and completion of online course materials. For general patrons, participating in the course will provide an elevated festival experience by introducing a variety of lenses and broadened perspectives through which to view live theatre. Play tickets must be purchased separately. Click here to register.
For Educators:
THEATRE METHOD FOR THE CLASSROOM—ELEMENTARY
June 28-30, 2023
Age: Educators in Elementary setting
Tuition: $300 (includes 3 play tickets)
Registration closes June 26, 2023.
Credits: 3 SUU Professional Development credits
Register here.
THEATRE METHODS FOR THE CLASSROOM—SECONDARY
July 5-7, 2023
Age: Educators in Secondary setting
Tuition: $300 (includes 3 play tickets)
Registration closes June 23, 2023.
Credits: 3 SUU Professional Development credits
Register here.
These professional development courses explore methods of developing and implementing drama as a method of teaching across varied curricula. The course will provide an introduction to the philosophy, methodology, and practice of drama as pedagogy based on current neurological, psychological, and sociological research. Tuition includes classroom materials, special sessions with Festival actors, and tickets to three plays.
TEACHING SHAKESPEARE
July 17-20, 2023
Tuition: $300 (includes 4 play tickets)
Registration closes July 7, 2023.
Credits: 3 SUU Professional Development credits
Teaching Shakespeare is aimed at providing active and engaging classroom approaches for language arts teachers and others who teach Shakespeare’s text. The class will help you get out from behind the desk and explore theatre techniques to hook student engagement with Shakespeare’s text. Tuition includes tickets to four plays. Register here.
TECH FOR TEACHERS
July 24-26, 2023
Tuition: $300 (includes 3 play tickets and the opportunity to watch post-production changeovers)
Registration closes July 14, 2023.
Credits: 3 SUU Professional Development credits
An essential professional development course for any educator or director! Learn the secrets and acquire the tools necessary to present a play from the technician’s point of view. Festival technicians create a hands-on learning experience of designing, building, and running a production. Tuition includes tickets to three plays, plus the opportunity to watch post-production changeovers. Register here.
The 2023 season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival runs from June 21 to October 7 and includes Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, A Raisin in the Sun, The Play That Goes Wrong, Timon of Athens, and Coriolanus, as well as all the experiences surrounding the plays, such as The Greenshow, seminars, orientations, and backstage tours. Tickets and information are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting bard.org.
Festival Announces External Understudies
Many may not be familiar with what it actually takes to prepare to be an understudy. What is an understudy and what does it mean to be an external understudy? The Festival announces these external understudies who will work behind the scenes this season to prepare roles for which they may or may not ever be asked to perform. These artists studies the lines, movements, staging, exits/entrances, costume changes, and if needed, music and choreography of another performer in the event they must fill in, so that the show can go on!
This group of actors are called external understudies because their focus is preparing these assigned understudy roles only. While they are incredibly important to the process, they are not cast in productions this season, though some do have other positions within the Festival.
Nick Denhalter will understudy Dennis, Jonathan, and Trevor in The Play That Goes Wrong, plus Cominius/Citizen in Coriolanus and Lucius/Hortensius in Timon of Athens. Denhalter graduated from Southern Utah University with a BFA in classical acting. He has performed at Southern Utah University, Iron Stage Theatrical, and Off the Cuff Comedy. Denhalter has been in the Festival’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2011, To Kill a Mockingbird in 2012, and King Lear and The Sound of Music last season.
Derek Charles Livingston is currently the Interim Artistic Director and Director of New Play Development at the Festival. After playing Thurgood in Thurgood last season, he will return to the stage to understudy for Bob/Moving Crew in A Raisin in the Sun, which he is also directing. Livingston received a BA in theatre arts from Brown University and an MFA in film production and direction from University of California-Los Angeles School of Theater, Film, and Television. He received the New Hampshire Drama Award for Best Actor and has played Tupolski in The Pillowman, Simon in The Whipping Man, and Nat Turner in Insurrection: Holding History, to name a few of his roles.
Rita Martin will understudy Lena Younger (Mama) and Mrs. Johnson in A Raisin in the Sun, as well as Mrs. Bates in Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical. She is affiliated with Christians in Theatre Arts and has performed at Hale Center, The Grand Theater, and University of Utah’s Babcock Theater and Black Box Theatre.
Lawrence Mbaki will understudy George Murchison and Joseph Asagai in A Raisin in the Sun. This is his second season at the Festival, having been in Much Ado About Nothing.
Darci Ramirez will understudy Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as serve as dramaturg for A Raisin in the Sun. She received a BFA in acting from Brigham Young University and was a KCACTF Irene Ryan Award Finalist. She is a director, actor, dramaturg, and has done voice-over work. She has been involved in productions with Salt Lake Acting Company, Brigham Young University, the Noorda Center for the Performing Arts, Harrington Center for the Arts, and Utah Valley Artists. Previously at the Festival, Ramirez was the seminar manager from 2018-2022 and an assistant dramaturg last season for King Lear, Sweeney Todd, The Sound of Music, and The Tempest, as well as understudying in All’s Well That Ends Well.
Jacob Sorling will understudy Understudy for Aufidius/Nicanor/Titus Lartius/Citizen in Coriolanus and Timon/Servilius/Ventidius/Factotumus/Soldier in Timon of Athens. Last season, he understudied Caliban and others, and actually went on for Sebastian, Trinculo, and Ferdinand in The Tempest. Sorling has performed at The Second City Hollywood, The Pack, and Rise Comedy and received a BA from Adams State University. His film credits include Inch Thick Knee Deep and Death Parts Us.
Elise Thayn will understudy for Junius Brutus/Virgilia/Valeria/Citizen in Coriolanus and Apemantus/Flaminius/Isadore/Jeweller/Poet/Soldier in Timon of Athens. Last season, she played Mariana in All’s Well That Ends Well and was an understudy for Miranda, Ariel, Antonio and others in The Tempest. She has been in The Tempest, The Wolves, Cabaret, and Mother Courage and Her Children at Southern Utah University, where Thayn also received a BFA in Theatre Arts.
The 2023 season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival runs from June 21 to October 7 and includes Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, A Raisin in the Sun, The Play That Goes Wrong, Timon of Athens, and Coriolanus, as well as all the experiences surrounding the plays, such as The Greenshow, seminars, orientations, and backstage tours. Tickets and information are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting bard.org.
Coriolanus: "Shakespeare's Most Powerful Play"
“Action is eloquence,” Coriolanus, Act III Scene II
The Utah Shakespeare Festival announces the cast members for this season’s production of Coriolanus, directed by Lisa Peterson, who is making her directorial debut at the Festival this season. She is also directing Timon of Athens and is a two-time OBIE Award-winner for her productions of An Iliad and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire. Her most recent production, Good Night, Oscar, is on Broadway and stars Sean Hayes who just last night won a Tony Award for Lead Actor in a Play.
“Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare’s most powerful plays with some of his most beautiful writing,” Peterson said. “It is a contemporary play. It’s so much about, ‘what does it take to step up and lead?’”
Featuring beloved returning Festival actors and those arriving for the first time, this rarely-performed Shakespeare play follows the hot-headed Coriolanus– obsessed with becoming Rome’s ruler. This play focuses on themes of ambition, love, family, and power.
“This bold group of twelve actors are going to put on both plays,” Peterson said. “It seems impossible, but I love the impossible.”
The cast is as follows:
Elijah Alexander is returning to Festival as Tullus Aufidius/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Timon in Timon of Athens. His productions previously at the Festival include Richard III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice and more. Alexander has performed at the RSC Royal Shakespeare Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, The Public, five seasons at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, three seasons at California Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center, and The Guthrie, among many others. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA and currently portrays the character Atticus Aemilius in The Chosen TV series.
Anastasha Blakely is returning to the Festival as Valeria/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Isadore/Poet in Timon of Athens. She is also understudying the roles of Menenius Agrippa/Citizen in Coriolanus and Lucullus/Caphis in Timon of Athens. Previously at the Festival, she was in The Tempest, All’s Well That Ends Well, and the Shakespeare in the Schools education tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Jasmine Bracey is returning to the Festival as Menenius Agrippa/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Lucullus/Caphis in Timon of Athens. Bracey’s previous roles at the Festival include Prospero in The Tempest, Belarius in Cymbeline, and Mrs. Dickenson in Intimate Apparel. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and has performed at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Guthrie, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and The Goodman, among others.
Christopher Centinaro is debuting at the Festival as Adrian/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Sempronius/Merchant/Soldier in Timon of Athens. He has performed at Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, Studio Theatre, Ruth N. Halls Theatre, and Kean University.
Jack Doherty will be Nicanor/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Servilius/Soldier in Timon of Athens. Making his debut at the Festival, Doherty has also performed at the Round Barn Theatre and Western Michigan University.
Darin F. Earl II is returning to the Festival as Sicinius Velutus/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Varro/Painter in Timon of Athens. He is also understudying Coriolanus in Coriolanus and Alcibiades in Timon of Athens. He was Othello in this year’s Shakespeare in the Schools education tour of Othello and has also performed at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and Scranton Shakespeare Festival.
Nell Geisslinger will be Junius Brutus/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Apemantus in Timon of Athens. Previously at the Festival, she was in Twelfth Night, Boeing Boeing, and Sense and Sensibility. In addition to eleven seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Geisslinger has performed at South Coast Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and more. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
James Ryen is making his Festival debut as Coriolanus in Coriolanus and Alcibiades in Timon of Athens. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and has participated in seven seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, as well as performing at American Repertory Theatre, New Art Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, and more.
Gabrielle Francine Smith will be making her debut at the Festival as Virgilia/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Flaminius/Jeweller/Soldier in Timon of Athens. She is also understudying the roles of Volumnia/Citizen in Coriolanus and Flavius in Timon of Athens. Smith has also performed at the Phoenix Theatre Company, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Kansas Repertory Theatre, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, and more.
Jeremy Thompson is returning to the Festival as Titus Lartius/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Ventidius/Factotumus/Soldier in Timon of Athens. Previously at the Festival, he recently performed in the Festival’s Utah tour of Every Brilliant Thing earlier this year and has been in All’s Well That Ends Well, King Lear, Trouble in Mind, and Cymbeline, to name a few. Thompson has also performed at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Island Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Repertory Theatre, and Book-It Repertory Theatre.
Sheila Tousey will be Volumnia/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Flavius in Timon of Athens. Although this is her debut at the Festival, she has also performed at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Yale Repertory Theatre. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Jeorge Bennett Watson will be Cominius/Roman Citizen in Coriolanus and Lucius/Hortensius in Timon of Athens, making his Festival debut. He is an active stage, film, and television actor and has performed at Roundabout Theater, Arena Stage, Studio Theater, The Huntington Theater, Williamstown Theater, and Resident Ensemble players to name a few. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Kinsley Seegmiller and Rory Shakespear will alternate playing Young Martius in Coriolanus as young performers. Kinsley is from Cedar City and will be in the fourth grade in the fall. She loves traveling with her family, gymnastics, and is excited to perform at the Festival this season. Rory is also from Cedar City and has performed in Once Upon a Time with Cedar City Children’s Musical Theater; in Matilda and Brigadoon with Cedar Valley Community Theater; and in Honk with the Festival’s Playmakers.
The 2023 season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival runs from June 21 to October 7 and includes Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, A Raisin in the Sun, The Play That Goes Wrong, Timon of Athens, and Coriolanus, as well as all the experiences surrounding the plays, such as The Greenshow, seminars, orientations, and backstage tours. Tickets and information are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting bard.org.
Coriolanus: The Journey of an Unlikeable Hero
10 Facts You May Not Know About Coriolanus
One of Shakespeare’s last tragedies ever written, Coriolanus, follows a Roman general who becomes a military hero. He seems to be the perfect leader––until his unlikable temperament results in his downfall. Exploring themes of leadership, ambition, and power, Shakespeare’s play is powerful, heartbreaking, and intense.
This season’s production is only the third time the Festival has produced this play in its sixty-two year history, with previous productions being in 1977 and 2007. Here are ten more facts about the play and our production you may be interested to know:
- Scholars consider Coriolanus unusual for Shakespeare’s works, as it follows a single narrative line. Additionally, some of its most striking moments are accentuated by silence. Still, Director Lisa Peterson considers the play to be one of Shakespeare’s most powerful.
- Although Coriolanus faced military success, his temperament was not suitable as a leader, which resulted in his downfall. This brings up an interesting theme that Peterson will play on in her production, asking the question: “what does it take to step up and lead?”
- Peterson has made the artistic decision for Coriolanus to be produced in a modern setting this year at the Festival. (The other play in the Anes Studio Theatre this season, also directed by Peterson––*Timon of Athens––*will, however, be set in the time of its creation, around 1607.)
- Along with Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus was the last of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Although they are both Roman plays, Coriolanus is set in a time period two centuries earlier, while Antony and Cleopatra takes place in Imperial Rome.
- Coriolanus was written around two to three years after Timon of Athens, and scholars speculate it was first performed in 1609 or 1610 at the Blackfriars Theatre in London.
- The play is based on the life of Caius Marcius Coriolanus, Rome’s leader, who was a hero in the early fifth century and late sixth century. Shakespeare most likely took inspiration from The Life of Caius Martius Coriolanus written by biographer Plutarch. The text was later translated into English by Sir Thomas North in 1579.
- The play is historically accurate in the fact that it is set after the fall of Tarquin, who was the last king of Rome. Ultimately, the play shows the struggle that occurred during the transitional period when Rome was moving from monarchy to republic.
- The play may be rarely-performed because of its unlikeable characters, yet the political appeal of Coriolanus allows for a continual buzz of discussion amongst scholars and politicians alike.
- This is one of the few Shakespeare plays that was actually banned in a democracy in modern times. In the 1930s, it was banned in France, and post-war Germany prohibited it due to its themes of militarism.
- A 2011 British film adaptation placed the setting as contemporary, reminiscent of Yugoslav Wars. Adaptations of the story have proved to be difficult because of Coriolanus’ questionable integrity. Although he is a successful military hero, our protagonist is still unlikeable.
The 2023 season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival runs from June 21 to October 7 and includes Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical, A Raisin in the Sun, The Play That Goes Wrong, Timon of Athens, and Coriolanus, as well as all the experiences surrounding the plays, such as The Greenshow, seminars, orientations, and backstage tours. Tickets and information are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting bard.org.