Festival Announces New Marketing Manager

By Liz Armstrong 

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to announce the latest member of its year-round staff: Cedar City native Brittney Corry started August 1 as the Festival’s new marketing manager. 

Corry calls herself a “southern Utah gal,” having grown up in Cedar City. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in strategic communication in 2014 and currently teaches dance at Cedar High School. 

The SUU alumna owned a dance studio at one point and does freelance graphic design work. She loves paddleboarding, hiking, and crafting with her two kids. Corry strongly believes in giving back to the community and hopes this position will be a great opportunity to do so. 

Her role at the Festival will include, among other duties, website curation, email marketing, and digital campaign planning and analysis. 

We are thrilled to have Brittney join the team as the marketing manager,” Director of Development and Communication Donn Jersey said. “She is from Cedar City, has a solid connection to our community and the Festival, and will bring exciting new ideas to our organization.”

Corry feels that this is the perfect job for her. “I love [technical writing] and personal relations, and that’s why I chose to pursue strategic communications,” Corry said. “But there’s also a very creative side to me. I love dance and performing arts and watching theatre, and so this is a dream opportunity.”

Corry plans to offer a unique perspective to the Festival. “I’m a local, but I sometimes feel like I don’t fit into the Cedar City climate,” Corry said. “I feel like I know what locals value but also what those visiting might be looking for.”

She said she can’t wait to start at the Festival and contribute. “I loved growing up here. The Festival felt like the biggest thing in the world, it’s sensational. So I couldn’t be more thrilled to be included and have this opportunity,” Corry concluded.

Modernizing Shakespeare

By Liz Armstrong

Shakespeare’s first plays were performed in the 1590s. This means that his plays have been seen for over 400 years, inspiring and impacting audiences around the world for centuries. Because his plays have been performed for so long, it’s understandable that updates and changes are often implemented. This year, The Tempest is utilizing projections to aid in the storytelling and has set the play in the 1990s, while Director Melinda Pfundstein decided to set All’s Well That Ends Well against the backdrop of 1940s France and Italy. 

Pfundstein explained that “Shakespeare’s plays were written through his particular lens in the world, and were relevant in his time, meant to stir conversation, provoke thought and inquiry, entertain the senses, serve as a mirror to society, and so much more.”

Even though the plays were written so long ago, the core themes remain relevant in today’s society, which is why Shakespeare is still so beloved. But modernizing the plays a bit can make them even more relatable.

“We have an opportunity with his plays to present All’s Well That Ends Well through a contemporary lens—without making any contemporary language additions, in a way that may inspire the same outcomes as Shakespeare’s time: conversation, inquiry, thought, etc., and make his themes relevant to our current world and audience,” Pfundstein said.

“His plays are repeated over and over at the Festival, and I am excited by the opportunity to breathe fresh perspective into these beloved and sometimes lesser-known stories, in a way that allows my own children to see themselves and the world around them represented within,” Pfundstein said. 

Cameron Knight, who is directing The Tempest this year, agrees, adding that modernizing any Shakespeare play allows for the audience to wrestle with the story of the plays in a more immediate way. 

“It allows for Shakespeare to truly transcend and become the representative and inclusive author that we believe him to be,” Knight said. “The impact is profound when an audience and the artists can see themselves in the work.”

Although modernizing Shakespeare is sometimes controversial, it ultimately gives audience members the opportunity to connect to the plays on an even deeper level while enjoying the fresh take directors choose to implement. 

Enjoy the productions of All’s Well That Ends Well, The Tempest, and morethis 2022 season. The changes and creative decisions that directors have made will ensure that they are productions you have never seen before, and that is the beauty of modernizing Shakespeare.

The Journey of Creating Prospero

By Liz Armstrong 

Jasmine Bracey is candid about her experience preparing to play the role of Prospero in The Tempest this summer at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. She is quick to note that there are so many things about this role that scare her. 

“I’ve seen The Tempest four times, and I think it’s a wonderful play, but I never remember Prospero, because I’ve never really followed that line of vengeance and orchestrating-puppet-master,” Bracey said. 

Bracey, who last season was at the Festival as Belarius in Cymbeline and Mrs. Dickson in Intimate Apparel, said she was honest with director Cameron Knight about the role: “You’re having me play a character that I don’t usually care about, so how can we remedy that?”

But this isn’t a problem for Bracey, but rather an exciting challenge. “There’s so much about Prospero that I don’t understand and don’t know, but I can honestly say that I’m very excited to figure that out and go on that journey,” Bracey said. “It’s the first time I’ve really been challenged with a role.” 

Bracey encourages patrons to come and see The Tempest because of how fun it is. “Regardless of my complications with my character, the story holds. It’s messy, like life is, and in a comedic spirit, that’s really great for audience members to experience.”

Because Prospero is usually a male character played by a male actor, Bracey will give the role a fresh, female perspective. “Prospero definitely has a mercurial nature; and it will read differently, I think, coming from a female instead of a male,” she said. 

Bracey also noted that a mother-daughter relationship is viewed differently than a father-daughter relationship because “there is an assumption that females are more communication- and connection-based,” which results in the actress thinking of Miranda differently with Prospero as her mother.

“Though these relationships can be explored regardless of gender, I have a feeling that it may hit differently with me being both female and black, depending on the gender or racial biases in the audience,” Bracey said.

Ultimately, Bracey has been on a journey, trying to navigate how to make this character someone she would personally want to watch. “I’ve done Shakespeare for over a decade, and I’ve never encountered a role like this,” Bracey said. 

To see Bracey as Prospero and experience the imaginative romance of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, purchase tickets at https://www.bard.org/plays/the-tempest/.

10 Things You May Not Know about The Tempest

By Liz Armstrong 

Shakespeare’s last romance, The Tempest is brimming with magic. Full of fairies, monsters, and shipwrecks, this play encompasses themes of love, harmony, and redemption. Before you see this fantastical and fun play, check out the fun facts below. 

1—Prospero battles with fitting into society, as well as knowing when to retire. Because this is one of Shakespeare’s last plays, many believe this to be a reflection of the playwright’s inner struggles as he neared the end of his career. 

2—Shorter than even A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Comedy of Errors, The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s shortest plays, coming in at just about 17,000 words. Hamlet, Shakespeare’s longest, boasts almost 30,000 words.  

3—Romeo and Juliet inspired West Side Story, while Lion King, reflects Hamlet’s themes. So what did The Tempest inspire? Yellow Sky, a 1948 Western film seems to fit the bill. 

4—Ever wonder why it’s called The Tempest? The play is named after the storm that occurs during much of the first scene. 

5—Shakespeare is said to have introduced over 1,000 words and phrases into the English language, so let’s take a peek at what he coined in this play. “Into thin air,” “brave new world,” and “in a pickle,” seem to have been popularized from The Tempest. 

6—The shipwreck in Shakespeare’s play may have been based off of a real one in 1609. William Strachey wrote A True Reportory of the Wracke and Redemption of Sir Thomas Gates, Knight and many believe the playwright took inspiration from this account.

7—Of the twenty-seven known moons of the planet Uranus, twenty-four are named after characters from Shakespeare’s plays, and The Tempest provided the inspiration for the names of several—more than any other play. Curiously, Ariel isn’t one of them. There is such a moon, but it was named for a character called Ariel from Alexander Pope’s poem “The Rape of the Lock.”

8—The first recorded performance of the play was before James I for his royal court in 1611 at Whitehall Palace.

9—The Tempest has been adapted into a startling forty-six operatic productions, the first being a semi-opera in 1695 by Henry Purcell. 

10—Many times, Miranda is the only human female character in The Tempest, which means it has the fewest female characters of Shakespeare’s plays. However, many productions cast Ariel as a female, and several companies, including the Festival this season, have reimagined Prospero as a woman.

Prospero through the Years

By Liz Armstrong 

This season marks the ninth time the Utah Shakespeare Festival has produced The Tempest. That is probably true because of the love Festival audiences have for the magical and spell-binding elements of the play—the wild storms, unknown islands, and ethereal spirits. But it is also probably true because of the fascinating character of Prospero. 

Over the years, the Festival has attracted a talented group of actors to play this sometimes perplexing character. Let’s take a closer look at those actors:

1967—James Sims 

The Tempest was first produced at the Festival in 1967, over 55 years ago! Sims had previously played (in 1966) roles in Julius Caesar, Baptista Minola in The Taming of the Shrew, and Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. During the 1967 season (which was his last at the Festival), he also had roles in The Comedy of Errors and Hamlet. 

1971—Paul Cravath 

In 1969, Cravath played Marcade in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Iago in Othello. In 1970, he returned to the Festival, taking on the title role in Richard III, as well as Shallow in The Merry Wives of Windsor. While playing Prospero, he also balanced his last season at the Festival as Earl of Westmoreland in Henry I: Part One and Gremio in The Taming of the Shrew. 

1976—Len Alexander 

Alexander only acted in one season at the Festival, playing Prospero, as well as Decius Brutus and Luculius in Julius Caesar and an attendant in Love’s Labour’s Lost. 

1984—David Knight

Knight also appeared at the Festival for only one season, playing Prospero as well as Priam in Troilus and Cressida. He also, however, directed The Tempest. Knight studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1952. He also developed the Illinois Repertory Theater and professional acting program there, where he also worked as the artistic director.  

1989—Barry Kraft 

In his only season at the Festival, Kraft played Prospero in The Tempest, as well as Leontes in The Winter’s Tale. He has been a dramaturg of nearly 50 Shakespeare productions and has acted in 86 productions of Shakespeare’s 38 plays. His publications include After-Dinner Shakespeare and Shakespeare Insult Generator.

1995—Harold Gould 

When Gould first appeared at the Festival in 1992 to play King Lear, many audience members recognized him for his work in film and television—as the con man Kid Twist in the movie The Sting, Valerie Harper’s father on television’s Rhoda, and Betty White’s boyfriend on The Golden Girls. In 1995, he returned to the Festival to play Prospero, marking his second a last appearance here.

2007—John Pribyl

Pribyl played the role of Prospero in 2007, but worked at the Festival nearly three decades before, appearing in 1980 as Elbow in Measure for Measure, Duncan in Macbeth, and Pinch in The Comedy of Errors. He returned in 2006, cast as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and Montgomery Hawkes in Peg o’ My Heart. While filling the role of Prospero, he was also Marc in ‘Art.’ Eight seasons later, he returned to the Festival to play in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Amadeus, and Charley’s Aunt.  

2013—Henry Woronicz

Woronicz started out at the Festival in 1983, as Antonio in The Merchant of Venice and King Henry V in Henry V. Years later (in 2002), he returned to direct As You Like It. Since then, he has worked at the Festival several seasons. As an actor he has played such roles as Richard in Richard III (2003), Macbeth in Macbeth (2004), Prospero in The Tempest (2013), and Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV Part One (2018). He also directed As You Like It (2002), The Taming of the Shrew (2004), Coriolanus (2007), Titus Andronicus (2012), Richard II (2013), Henry VI Part One (2018), and The Conclusion of Henry VI: Parts Two and Three (2019).

2022—Jasmine Bracey

This season the Festival has cast a woman as Prospero: Jasmine Bracey is bringing new depth and humanity to this timeless role. She first came to the Festival in 2021 to play Belarius in Cymbeline and Mrs. Dickson in Intimate Apparel. 

“I love Jasmine’s interpretation,” said Sophia K. Metcalf who is playing Ariel. “Prospero talks for almost 30 percent of the show, more than any other Shakespearean lead. It takes a lot to keep the audience engaged, and Jasmine is always finding little new ways to keep the story fresh and alive.” 

For more information about Prospero, you may want to check out the Festival’s study guide “Prospero’s Many Roles,” at https://www.bard.org/study-guides/prosperos-many-roles/.

The Creative Process of Costume Design

Take a look into the creative process of costume designer and artist Raquel Adorno by viewing her costume designs for The Tempest which is now showing at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. (View a larger image by clicking on the thumbnails above.) How do you take a beloved Shakespeare play set it in 1990s? How do you show the magic and humanity that abounds in this show through the clothing the characters are wearing? These early design sketches may give you a bit of insight.

Paiute Youth Take Center Stage at The Greenshow

Similar to last year, the Paiute Tribal Youth Performers from the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah will be taking center stage each evening before The Greenshow. Beginning at 7 p.m., the performances consist of dancing and flute playing by the young members of this talented group. Later in the season, a youth hand drum group will be added.

“The evening performer will tell a little about themselves and do the performance, whether that is dance or flute,” said Native Youth Coordinator Roger Clark. “The dancers start dancing at a [young age], usually around three years old. One of the dancers, Sully, won Best-in-Class at this year’s annual Pow Wow for Youth Men’s Fancy Dancer.” 

The flute players range in age from twelve to eighteen years old and most have been playing since 2017. Clark explained that because the flute songs are quite short, the audience can expect each flute player to play two different songs on two different flutes. 

Executive Producer Frank Mack is excited that the tribal youth are returning this year, and that some changes are being implemented. 

“It’s a more integrated show, with a smoother transition,” Mack said. 

The Greenshow Director Cassie Abate explained those changes, saying that the handoff is more of an “exchange of energy that continues into The Greenshow” so that the two performances feel like one unified piece.  

“I love that the Paiute performers are becoming a part of the fabric of The Greenshow,” Abate said. “We are visitors on this land, and so to be able to acknowledge and honor that feels so vital to the show.” 

Three different versions of The Greenshow rotate throughout the week, including “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” “British Music Hall,” and “Coronation Day.” The Greenshow is open and free to the public and begins at 7:10 p.m. Monday-Saturday on the Ashton Family Greenshow Commons just north of the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. 

The 2022 season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival runs from June 20 to October 8 and the main stage shows are All’s Well That Ends Well, Sweeney Todd, King Lear, The Sound of Music, Trouble in Mind, Clue, The Tempest, and Thurgood. Tickets and information are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or going online to bard.org.

RADA Is Coming to the Festival

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to Perform Much Ado about Nothing

By Liz Armstrong 

As part of a strategic partnership with the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London is bringing a group of recent graduates’ touring production of Much Ado about Nothing to Festival audiences. This annual touring production has been performed in London and at European arts festivals for years, but this is the first time it will be seen in the United States.

The ninety-minute version of the play will be presented at 9:30 a.m. each day from July 26 to 30 in the Anes Studio Theatre, where audience members will have the opportunity to watch ten graduates from this prestigious London training program perform. The RADA training program boasts a number of exceptional alumni that have seen success as actors, including Alan Rickman, Allison Janney, Anthony Hopkins, Glenda Jackson, Roger Moore, Joan Collins, and Richard Attenborough. And the next RADA “star” just may be on the Festival stage this summer.

Tickets and further information are available by calling the ticket office or visiting bard.org/plays/much-ado-about-nothing/.

“I have long thought that the American approach to Shakespeare—full of gusto and verve—and the British classical elegance are companion acting styles that show why Shakespeare is beloved on both sides of the pond and throughout the English-speaking world,” said Derek Charles Livingston, interim artistic director. “Our RADA guests will provide the Festival audience a chance to witness these beautiful performing contrasts with their morning presentations of Much Ado about Nothing and our afternoon and evening offerings of King Lear, All’s Well that Ends Well, and The Tempest.  It is a rare opportunity, and I’m excited for our audiences to be part of it.”

Announced more than two years ago, the partnership between the Festival and RADA is being fully realized after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership includes a commitment to present the annual RADA play at the Festival and to hire at least one RADA student or graduate in the Festival acting company each season. (This year the Festival hired two: Aidan O’Reilly and Michael Sharon.) The five-year agreement is funded by an anonymous donor.

Frank Mack, Festival executive producer, said the artistic exchange program idea began with a simple discussion of the play Hamlet, which the Festival was producing in 2019. “A friend of the Festival mentioned he had seen an exceptional production of Hamlet at RADA, and so we wanted to talk to them about that,” Mack said. That conversation soon expanded into a strategic partnership between the two theatre companies.

Mack noted that this is an exciting partnership because it gives RADA actors the opportunity to come to the U.S. and possibly build a career here while also giving our audiences the opportunity to see magnificent artists from a European training academy. 

“The opportunity for the Festival to expand its artistic horizons beyond our shows and collaborate with one of the most prestigious training academies in the world provides access for our audience to another dimension of theatre performance that we wouldn’t otherwise see,” Mack concluded.

Niamh Dowling, the principal at RADA, added: “I am delighted that we have this excellent partnership with the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Our Shakespeare for Young Audiences program performs specially adapted Shakespeare plays to children all over London, including on occasion in the garden of Number 10 Downing Street. We are thrilled to be visiting for the first time and to share Much Ado about Nothing with you. Huge and sincere thanks to the Utah Shakespeare Festival for your partnership, support, and friendship.”

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Festival Education Director Michael Bahr Announces Retirement

By Liz Armstrong 

After more than twenty-three years with the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Education Director Michael Bahr has announced his retirement, effective July 31. Beginning July 1, Bahr started the next act in his life as the director/principal at Gateway Preparatory Academy in Enoch, Utah.

“I am so happy to see Michael step into this exciting new chapter of his life after his amazing and transformative years at the Festival,” said Executive Producer Frank Mack. “Michael has led the education department brilliantly. His innovative curricula and devoted teaching has changed the lives of countless students, while the insights he has shared with our audience members in the Seminar Grove has deepened their experience at the Festival.” 

For the next few weeks, Bahr will stay tied to the Festival, continuing his work until July 31 as he assists the education department during this transitional period. He will also be visible at the Festival in the future conducting seminars and orientations, while his wife, Kris Bahr, assistant guest services manager and volunteer coordinator, continues as a full-time member of the Festival staff.

Called “Peter Pan, the Pied Piper and the Energizer Bunny, all rolled into one,” Bahr has served as the education director for over two decades.

In making the announcement, Bahr made it clear that, although he wasn’t looking for a new position, he is “excited for the challenge that waits at Gateway.”

“I am filled with a sentimental, melancholic sadness upon leaving this position,” Bahr said. “But I am also filled with joy because of what lies ahead for the Festival.” 

Bahr was hired in December 1998 as the education director when he joked he was “dragged kicking and screaming out of the classroom.” He noted that “when Festival Founder Fred C. Adams first made the job offer to me back then, Adams said ‘I need someone who speaks the language of teachers, professional theatre and actors, and students.’”

Bahr spoke those three languages and was hired, but his journey with the Festival began years before this.

“In 1982, I acted in the Shakespeare Competition and was awarded a scholarship to Southern Utah University, which was then Southern Utah State College,” Bahr said. During his time as an undergraduate, Bahr worked at the box office in the Festival. After graduating, he took a job as a teacher in Bakersfield, California, and brought his students back to Cedar City to participate in the Shakespeare Competition. He then moved to northern Utah for another teaching job and continued to bring his students to the competition. 

As Education Director, Bahr was able to spend time teaching at Cedar City and Canyon View High Schools and as an adjunct professor for theater methods at SUU beginning in 2001. 

He has built an incredible legacy in his time at the Festival, implementing monumental changes that have made theatre more accessible to students and teachers. During this time, he solidified summer programs and dramatically amplified the Shakespeare Competition which grew from 45 to over 120 schools. 

Bahr collaboratively created Bard’s Birthday Bash, Playmakers, the Wooden O Symposium, and Shakespeare-in-the-Schools—which consists of an annual touring production for over 20,000 students across the Intermountain West.

“The play—that is central to everything we do. I hope to have left a legacy of access and engagement to plays,” Bahr said. “My legacy is the acknowledgment of the power of the dream and the power in the play to cultivate civil discourse and education.”

Announcing the 2023 Season

Tickets Go On Sale July 7

Cedar City, UT—The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently announced its 2023 season, featuring seven plays from June 21 to October 7. 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: online at www.bard.org, by phone at 800-PLAYTIX, or at the Ticket Office near the Anes Studio Theatre.

“Our 2023 season is full of beloved classics and bold stories—most of them new to Festival audiences,” said Derek Charles Livingston, interim artistic director. “It is a line-up perfect for theatre lovers, a must-see collection of great work.”

Here’s the 2023 lineup:

In the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
By William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed at the Festival for the eleventh time next year, a testament to its enduring popularity. This luxurious tale of fairies, dreams, and moonlight features some of Shakespeare’s most famous and enchanting characters: Oberon and Titania, Puck, the four young lovers, and, of course, the hilarious and loveable Bottom. It will play June 22 to September 9.

West Side Story
Based on a Conception of Jerome Robbins
Book by Arthur Laurents
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
The story of Tony and Maria (and the Jets and the Sharks) is known around the world, and is now being brought to the Festival’s outdoor Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. Featuring iconic song and dance, this musical masterpiece is just as relevant and provocative now as when it premiered in 1957 and changed American musical theatre forever. Dates for West Side Story are June 21 to September 8.

In the Randall L. Jones Theatre

Jane Austen’s Emma
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Paul Gordon
Orchestrations by Brad Haak, Paul Gordon, and Brian Allan Hobbs
Based on the Novel by Jane AustenJane Austen’s romance is given new life as a flirtatious musical. Emma, one of Austen’s most adored heroines, is a bungling matchmaker who ignores her own desires for love while setting out to find a suitor for her friend Harriet. Sweet, intelligent, and buoyant, this musical will make you fall in love all over again. Jane Austen’s Emma will run from June 22 to October 7.

A Raisin in the Sun
By Lorraine Hansberry 
In 1959 playwright Lorraine Hansberry created a theatrical masterpiece that broke down racial barriers both on and off the stage. A Raisin in the Sun follows the proud Younger family members as they grapple with different definitions of the American dream and how to achieve it, all the while battling racial discrimination and financial pitfalls that threaten to pull the family apart and dash their dreams. It will play June 23 to September 8.

The Play That Goes Wrong
By Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields
In this play-within-a-play, the Cornley Drama Society’s newest production quickly goes from bad to utterly disastrous. Everything seems to go wrong—the leading lady is unconscious, a corpse won’t play dead, and actors trip over everything (including their lines). But, somehow, the intrepid thespians persevere to their final curtain call. The play premiered in 2012 in London and quickly earned numerous awards, including Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards. It will run from June 30 to October 7.

In the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre

Timon of Athens
By William Shakespeare
Timon of Athens has only been produced one other time at the Festival, in 1993. But the rarely-performed play has seen a bit of a resurgence of late because of its exploration of modern themes. Certainly a play for our times, it is hilarious, satiric, and deeply moving as it explores friendship, wealth, and the foibles of a materialistic society. It will play from July 14 to October 7.

Coriolanus
By William Shakespeare
One of Shakespeare’s last tragedies, Coriolanus is a full-throttled war play based on the life a legendary Roman leader, Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Arrogant, proud, and hot-headed, Coriolanus disdains the commoners around him who soon drive him from Rome and into allegiance with a sworn enemy, forcing him and those around him to closely examine the forces of ambition, love, family, and power. It will run from July 15 to October 7.  

“The 2023 season is an exciting mix of Shakespeare, musical theatre, farce, and an American classic,” said Frank Mack, executive producer. “With these works by authors and composers such as William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, and Lorraine Hansberry; 2023 will provide laughter, emotion, meaning, and big laughs for Festival audiences, all within the extraordinary beauty of southern Utah.”