Q&A with Playwright Jason Ma

Jason Ma wrote the book, lyrics, and music forGold Mountain,which the Utah Shakespeare Festival will be premiering at the West Valley Performing Arts Center on November 4. The son of an immigrant family, Ma wrote this play as an “attempt to reframe, refocus, and widen this particular shot” of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, which Asian Americans played a huge role in. For more information on Ma, visitgoldmountainthemusical.com/writer.

**The Utah Shakespeare Festival:**We see that this play is a tribute to your Chinese culture, and you talked about two specific stories (your mother looking forward to a glass of orange juice in the morning and your father and cousin being questioned at Angel Island as teenagers). Did you interview family members or dig more into your ancestor’s stories as you wrote this play? Are there any other stories that stick out to you? 

**Jason Ma:**Although my family’s names have been incorporated into Gold Mountain, the story itself came to me in an unexpected manner. The initial impulse came from who-knows-where in the middle of a show, while I was waiting between scenes, and I wasn’t actually looking to write anything at the time. A lyric/melody fragment started cycling in my head and then, the person singing this snippet began to let me know who he was. By the end of the next day, the first draft of what turned out to be a middle-of-the-show love duet “Your Eyes” was finished, and the world, the characters, the themes, and the plot that surrounded this song all fell in line in the next months after that initial encounter.

**The Festival:**What was the hardest part of writing this play/researching, etc.? 

**Ma:**Writing the first draft was fast. After that initial blast of inspiration, I spent the rest of that summer walking the streets of New York City, writing all day, and then going to the theatre to perform at night. Every spare moment was spent working on composing and writing the show. By fall, I had the first draft. The research was often done after the initial writing of a scene. I would finish something and then think, “Is that right? Could that happen?!” Luckily, I was usually on foot, so I’d head to the library, and do some fact checking. 

**The Festival:**This is your first full-length musical, but you said your experience as an actor prepared you for realizing that narratives like this are needed. How did your experience as an actor help you with writing the script? 

**Ma:**I’ve acted in Miss Saigon, Flower Drum Song, and The King and I, all very worthy/classic pieces of theatre writing, but each of them can be problematic for the Asian communities represented in them, and limiting for the actors performing in them. It’s important that we get to tell our own stories and act in pieces written by people from our own communities. My past decades as an actor have provided the fuel to write, because as much as I loved playing those roles and other roles that were not specifically Asian, or being cast in “colorblind” productions of classics, I still craved roles and representation that spoke to the specific kind of humanity and soulfulness of Asian human beings, something that Asian writers are uniquely suited to bring into light. It’s important that we add to the canon, and there are many AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander] writers who are trying to do just that.

**The Festival:**You said because the Festival has one of the best reputations for producing theatre, you were excited to partner, but why else did you decide to partner with the Festival? How did that happen? 

**Ma:**Frank Mack came to one of our Spike150 concert performances in 2019. He reached out to the executive producer of that concert, Max Chang; and Max arranged for us to meet and talk. Next thing I knew, I was in Cedar City being warmly greeted by the wonderful [Festival Founder] Fred Adams and then, being given a tour of the facilities and theatres. To be honest, I was blown away. The Festival grounds feel like theatre Nirvana!

**The Festival:**You noted that Utah is family centered and has an appreciation for the arts, so it’s a great place for the world premiere of Gold Mountain. Is its close proximity to the Sierra Nevada also why you chose Utah? I saw the actor playing Chu attending UNR.  

**Ma:**We didn’t choose Utah. Utah chose us. It is interesting that this has come about twice. We did a big New York concert at The Times Center performance space in Times Square. Apparently, there were folks in the audience who spread the word about this Chinese railroad worker musical, because within weeks I had received an email from the beloved Judge Michael Kwan, who we lost unexpectedly last year. Mike was the president of the Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association and invited me to attend their conference in 2018. It was there that I first met Max Chang and where I found out that he wanted to bring Gold Mountain to Utah for the Spike150 celebration. Multiple trips to Salt Lake City and Ogden occurred over the next months, and, as I met more and more Utahns, I came to the realization that it was such a natural home for the show and its themes of family, sacrifice, and community. Combine that with music, storytelling, and history, and you’ve got a show that’s quintessentially Utah.

**The Festival:**Why did you include a love story? How do you think this contributes to the important message you are trying to convey? 

**Ma:**One of the things that storytelling can do for all of us is activate that beautiful empathetic response that is part of our intrinsic humanity. The love story and many other story elements in the show are there to create empathy and humanize. We all have so much in common; a good story is the best way to reconnect us to each other.

**The Festival:**Do you think plays like this can help us understand these differences and in today’s world solve some of these pervasive issues such as injustice and inequality?

**Ma:**I absolutely believe that plays and musicals have the potential to lift us up and help us bridge differences. They are, by their nature, perfect to stir hearts and start thought.

**The Festival:**As playgoers, what should we watch for in this production that may help us enjoy it and/or understand it more?

**Ma:**For our play, just let the story take you. This is not an intellectual piece, but one to be experienced with the heart. There will be plenty of time to think after the show.

**The Festival:**Ali Ewoldt [who is playing Mei] is a world-class talent, and the cast is almost entirely Asian-American. Is there anything special about the actors/cast we should know about? 

**Ma:**This cast and creative team bring decades of Broadway show experience with them. This is a very special gathering of talent, and it is flattering and mind blowing to think that they’ve all made room in their lives to do this show. For this particular production, the main challenge of casting the show has been who to choose from the many talented Asian actors who auditioned for us. 

**The Festival:**What is the lasting statement you hope this play gives the audience? 

**Ma:**What I hope for more than anything is for our audiences to think about the lives and humanity of these migrant laborers that helped build our country, and maybe think about all waves of immigration that have occurred in our history, all the way from the very beginning. Folks from all over, coming to America. That’s what defines us as a country and makes us great.

To purchase tickets to this play, visit wvcarts.org/gold-mountain.  

Festival to Present Twenty-Eighth Education Tour

The Utah Shakespeare Festival has been taking its Shakespeare-in-the-Schools tour on the road for twenty-eight years, bringing Shakespeare to schools and rural communities across the Intermountain West. This year, for the first time, the touring production will be Shakespeare’s much-loved Much Ado About Nothing. 

Seventy-five minutes in length, the play is followed by a talkback where actors directly interact with the audience. Afterwards, three workshops are available, and actors share what they know with students concerning stage combat, Shakespeare text, and improvisation and performance. 

Education Director Michael Bahr describes this play as a morality tale about the consequences of words, societal dictates, and our own pride when we use language as a weapon. 

“A ‘merry war’ of wits, this production will be a rapid-fire, comic, and consequential contest, drawing connections between marriage, masquerade, and military allusions and upending the facades of courtship and love,” Bahr said, “illustrating that love is wonderfully complicated, vulnerable, and at its essence, simple—once we throw our weapons and shields aside and allow people to be themselves.”

It’s a fun, light comedy that deals with very dark, consequential issues, and Bahr thinks that’s why “everyone likes it.”

 Eight professional actors will go on tour, journeying to Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming and putting on over sixty-five performances. “The actors are selected from a national search, and we look for high quality actors that are good with Shakespeare text that are also great teachers,” Bahr said. A stage manager, tour manager, company manager, technician, and director will also be traveling along. 

Betsy Mugavero, who has appeared in numerous Festival plays such as *Romeo and Juliet, The Book of Will,*and *Macbeth,*will be directing the play. 

The education tour began in 1995, with Artistic Director Brian Vaughn as a member of the very first touring company. Meant to inspire, teach, and entertain, the tour brings professional acting to middle and high schools throughout the west. 

“I love that we take Shakespeare performances to their schools,” Bahr said. “For many of these individuals it’s the first time they’re able to see Shakespeare or a professional performance. It’s a life changing event.”

Because these productions are designed to tour, the students and teachers at the schools can get ideas on how they can produce their plays. “We become examples of what they can do in their own schools,” Bahr said. “I had a teacher say, ‘I didn’t know how I was going to do Annie, and I just figured it out.’”

Bahr said he also loves that, because the actors come from a variety of different backgrounds, students will watch and identify with at least one of the cast members. “When students can see these actors and have a talkback with them, they say, ‘Wow I could do this,’” Bahr said. “I love when a student can see themselves on stage.”

To request the tour at your school, or for more information, visit the tour web page at bard.org/tour, call 435-865-8333, or email education@bard.org.

Fall Favorites: Fun in Cedar City

By Liz Armstrong

We can’t be*-leaf* it! This is the last week of the 60th season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Although the season is ending this Saturday, there are still plenty of fun fall festivities this time of year that we think you really autumn know about.

Take a Drive: Fall Color Loop

Orange you glad it’s fall? There is nothing quite like the vibrant yellow, orange, and reds the fall leaves bless us with during this time of year. 

Parowan became the first incorporated city in Iron County in 1851, and this little town is the start of the Fall Color Loop that follows Highway 143. Snuggle up in cozy clothes, hop in the car, and start in Parowan up to Brian Head Resort, and then head east toward Panguitch. 

Enjoy a Scenic Stroll: Cedar Breaks Rim Trail or Coal Creek Trail

At over 10,000 feet in elevation, Cedar Breaks will have the cool, crisp fall air you were wishing for in the heat of the summer. There may even be a skiff of snow at the top, so bring a jacket. Hiking around the rim will give you a whole new Cedar Breaks experience, bringing you up close and personal to the breathtaking orange and red rock formations. The view from the Ramparts overlook is really quite unbelieveable.

Not wanting to drive over 20 miles to the top? Enjoy the fall colors on the trail right at the entrance of Cedar Canyon. Running through three parks, this trail runs from Bicentennial Park east through the mouth of the canyon.  

What the Sheep? Cedar Livestock and Heritage Festival

The Sixteenth Annual Cedar Livestock and Heritage Festival will be October 29–30. Come enjoy the variety of activities, from rodeos to a dutch oven competition and everything in between, so saddle up and ride on over to the Cross Hollows Events Center located at 11 North Cross Hollows Drive. 

Don’t miss the sheep parade! You’ve never seen anything quite like this. Around 1,000 sheep (we’re baaaaaaffled too) will be herded down Main Street on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. Beginning at 200 South and ending at 400 North, there will also be sheep wagons, antique tractors and vintage cars. 

It’s like transporting back in time and enjoying a quick glimpse of the Old West—this is one of the most unique events Cedar City has to offer. 

Oh My Gourd! Visit a Pumpkin Patch

Here’s pumpkinto talk about. Way back in the 1800s, the Irish began carving vegetables to keep away “Stingy Jack,” who was cursed to eternally walk the earth according to legend. Although pumpkins didn’t grow well in Ireland, Irish immigrants quickly learned that the pumpkins in America were ideal for their carving tradition.

Now, it’s just pure fun, and for many, pumpkin-carving is the ideal fall activity, so gourdbig or go home!

Two favorites near Cedar City are:

The Robinson Family Pumpkin Patch is located at 1450 W. Industrial Road in Cedar City. Bring a date, family, or a friend and pick out your very own pumpkin and sweet corn! Open from Monday to Friday at 3 p.m. until sunset and Saturday at 9 a.m. until sunset, the event offers hayrides and petting the farm animals.

The Judd Pumpkin Patch is in picturesque Paragonah north of Cedar City at 314 E. 270 North and is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The pumpkins are thirty cents a pound, wagon rides are $2, and barrel train rides are $1. But you can roam the pumpkin patch and the petting zoo for free.

And So Much More!

You won’t watch to miss a thing this fall. For a complete listing of things to do and places to see in Cedar City and Iron County, go to visitcedarcity.com.

Festival Announces West Valley City Production

The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently announced it is producing its first-ever non-touring production outside of Cedar City. The Tony Award-winning company will present the world premiere of Gold Mountainat the West Valley Performing Arts Center November 4 through 20.

Tickets are available at the West Valley Arts website at wvcarts.org/gold-mountain.html at any time, by calling 801-965-5140, or by visiting the Ticket Office in person at 3333 Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, Utah. Ticket Office hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Playwright Jason Ma

“This incredible new musical tells the story of Chinese workers on the transcontinental railroad. It’s part Utah history, part love story, with an amazing score—and all performed by a fabulous ensemble of professional artists,” said Frank Mack, Festival executive producer. “This production is part of the Thrive 125 celebration of 125 years of Utah statehood, and I am excited to see it performed in West Valley City. Much of our audience here at the Festival is from the Wasatch Front, and this is a great chance for them to see a Festival production in their own neighborhood.”

The production also represents a strengthening and expansion of the partnership between the Festival and West Valley City. “We are thrilled to have our partner, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, here with this beautiful new play, Gold Mountain,” said Wayne Pyle, city manager and chief executive officer of West Valley City. “It’s a great story, and we hope the community will join us at the show.”

“This production is the one of many future collaborations with the West Valley City Performing Arts Center and Festival audiences on the Wasatch Front,” added Festival Artistic Director Brian Vaughn. “I’m incredibly eager to share this beautiful new musical that celebrates and honors the thousands of Chinese workers who were so instrumental in the construction of one of this country’s greatest industrial marvels. It celebrates Utah heritage while magnifying the humanity, grace, and resilience of the thousands of immigrants who made it happen.”

The play is a natural fit for a Utah company to produce. Set in 1866 in the Sierra Nevada amidst the thousands of Chinese men building the transcontinental railroad, it shines a light on the inhumane conditions these men worked under. Yet, it is also a love story and highlights the resilient spirit of these immigrants as they give their lives to a dream of love, freedom, family, and community.

Playwright Jason Ma believes Utah to be the perfect home for the world premiere of *Gold Mountain,*as the family-based culture that exists in Utah aligns with the strong sense of community and family values of the people in the story. “There is a deep appreciation in Utah for the arts that seems to be part of the DNA of the citizens here, as well as a deep connection to history that is missing in so much of America today,” Ma said. 

He is excited for the play’s premiere: “The Utah Shakespeare Festival has a reputation as one of the very best producers of theatre in the country,” he said, “and we’re extremely fortunate to have their support and artistic resources.”

Ma identifies deeply with this play, as he is the son of an immigrant family “who were able to persist, overcome, and succeed on their way to becoming Americans.”

“This piece resonates very specifically with our present time, when we are asking ourselves who we are as a nation, as well as who and what an American is,” Ma said. “It’s important to remind ourselves of the contributions that have been made by immigrants in this country and honor the humanity and sacrifices of these fellow humans who have come to our shores throughout our nation’s history right up to the present day.”

This production is made possible, in part, with support from the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, the Thrive 125 celebration of the 125th anniversary of Utah statehood, and the Jeffery R. and Katie C. Nelson Foundation.

For more information about the production, visit www.bard.org/gold-mountain. For questions regarding ticketing, seating, or accessibility, contact Melissa Salguero at melissa.salguero@wvc-ut.gov or 801-965-5140.

Fun Facts You May Not Know about the 2021 Season

The Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre

By Liz Armstrong

The 2021 season has certainly been eventful, from the COVID-19 pandemic to our sixtieth anniversary to our tribute to Founder Fred C. Adams. But there is even more. Listed below are seventeen fun facts you may not know about the season:

• This was the first year without our founder, Fred C. Adams, who passed away in February of 2020. We dedicated this season in loving memory of him.

• The Pirates of Penzance sold the most tickets this season, a total of 23,420 thus far.

•  This is the first year the Festival has produced a play by a black playwright, Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, with the production of Intimate Apparel.

•  With two sensory-friendly performances held this year, 404 audience members were able to attend a professional theatre production that may not have been able to attend otherwise.

• The famous Evelyn Nesbitt, featured in Ragtime, is the cousin of Derek Livingston’s cousin, our director of new play development/artistic associate. 

• Over 600 children were cared for at our child care facility during performances throughout the season. 

• The fully-functional car in Ragtime was built from an old golf cart. 

• Over 2,874 ushering shifts were completed this year. 

•  The two-person cast of The Comedy of Terrors is husband-and-wife duo Michael Doherty and Alex Keiper.

• Acting in The Comedy of Errors and Cymbeline, Howard Leder is also a film and television editor for the NBC-TV show This Is Us.

•  Actor Perry Ojeda has been featured in the television shows Desperate Housewives and Days of Our Lives

•  This season, over 300 volunteers helped distribute brochures, usher for performances, copy scripts, run programming, help promote the season, assist in fundraising, pick up company arrivals, prepare mailings, and much more. 

• Playing the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance and Houdini in Ragtime, actor Rhett Guter is also a professional magician and was the magic designer for Ragtime.

•  An entire family was cast in Ragtime, with parents Aaron and Shannon Galligan-Stierle acting with their two children Devin and Zoe.

•  Playing Mrs. Dickson in Intimate Apparel, Jasmine Bracey has appeared on the television shows New Amsterdam and Chicaco P.D.

•  Properties Director Ben Hohman recruited his mom to help create the crazy quilt in Intimate Apparel. She sewed the basics for the entire quilt top from her home in Ohio.

• This year is the 45th annual Shakespeare Competition, and over 3,000 students from 119 schools across the country have registered to participate.

Till We Fly Back Home

By Rhett GuterEditor’s Note: This is fourth and final installment in a series of blog posts from actor and choreographer Rhett Guter. He has appeared in numerous roles since 2005, including Tom Tucker inH.M.S. Pinafore,Tommy Djilas inThe Music Man, Peter inPeter and the Starcatcher,and this year as The Pirate King inThe Pirates of Penzanceand Houdini inRagtime*. He also choreographed this season’sThe Greenshowand in past seasons has choreographedThe Music Man, Peter and the Starcatcher,andAnything Goes.*

 You may have heard actors say something to the effect of “this is my artistic home.” Certainly the Utah Shakespeare Festival is mine, but what does that mean? For me, it’s where I came from, it’s where my artistic DNA was forged. It was here, in quaint Cedar City, that I learned how to navigate the landscape of the American theatre. 

I can trace nearly every professional theatre job I’ve ever done back to the Festival, sometimes in multiple ways, and it’s no wonder. I spent my very formative years studying theatre at Southern Utah University and the summers at the Festival practicing it. While the classroom provided the context, standing in the wings watching was the real lesson. 

My first big “role” at the Festival was playing The Boy who would later become Pan inPeter and the Starcatcher, the story of an orphan who, through an incredible adventure, discovers his family, his identity, and his home. When Brian Vaughn, the artistic director, called to offer me the role, I was elated. But, excited as I was, there was no way to comprehend the experience that was in store. The show was a success in many ways, and for me it opened a myriad of doors—so many, that after seven seasons at the Festival, it would be seven more till I would come back. 

I find it ironic that my first year back after Peter and the Starcatcher I found myself playing a pirate; and, while performing in the The Pirates of Penzance, I always chuckle to myself when Samuel says, “Of course: we are orphans ourselves, and know what it is.”  

Boy, do I ever. 

As the season wraps up, I’ve been reflecting on how incredible this visit home has been. After this past year, I could not be more grateful to be back on the Festival stages performing for and with so many that have cheered me on since the beginning.

Thank you.

“And so may we go on and on . . . past all the jostles of life, till we fly back home.”—Peter and the Starcatcher

Read Blog Post #1 | Read Blog Post #2 | Read Blog Post #3

Coincidently—The Comedy of Terrors

Alex Keiper (left) as Jo Smith and Michael Doherty as Beverley Jones in The Comedy of Terrors. (Photo by Karl Hugh.)

By David G. Anderson

The Utah Shakespeare Festival has a long history of cultivating and nurturing its patrons’ love affair with farce. Exhibit’s A, B and C being *Noises Off!, The Foreigner,andCharley’s Aunt,*each being produced twice at the Festival, as well as exhibits D and beyond: Boeing Boeing, Blithe Spirit, A Flea in Her Ear, The Servant of Two Masters, etc. Further enabling this amusing love affair, the Festival’s 2021 season is treating us to yet another, The Comedy of Terrors.

Farce, Old French for “stuffing,” is a play that features a most improbable plot and the resulting evolution of very humorously-exaggerated situations. Common fare in these dramas include multiple occurrences of mistaken identity, stereotypical characters in disguise, plot twists aplenty, fast-paced perfectly-timed entrances and exits, and numerous coincidences. Known for his amplified skepticism, NCIS Special Agent LeRoy Jethro Gibbs might have difficulty with its overabundance of coincidence.

Aristophanes, the designated father of farce would delight in John Goodrum’s creation. There would probably be a nod and wink for Goodrum from British born Michael Frayn (Noises Off), the most celebrated faceur in modern times. As a fellow Brit, Goodrum is more recognized for his gothic horror plays/parodies such as Masque of Red Death(Edgar Allen Poe), Captain Murderer(Charles Dickens), and The Ripper Files.

If you are wondering if The Comedy of Terrorsis a playoff and/or parody of Shakespeare’s *The Comedy of Errors,*also coincidently (there’s that word again) playing at this year’s Utah Shakespeare Festival, it is, and it isn’t. There are two sets of identical twins, but in true one-upmanship form, there is an identical third younger brother to one set of twins. Another similarity is, instead of a shipwreck, there is a plane crash on an idyllic desert island in the Pacific. Otherwise, the plots differ—well—except for the mistaken identity, riotous mayhem, and unequivocal absurdity. But then there is that impending horror thing.

The Comedy of Terrors takes place in the present, and the setting is the Randall L. Jones Theatre in Cedar City, Utah, which when you think about it, is rather convenient . . . or coincidental? The playbill advises us that there are two actors credited with playing five parts. The farrago of characters includes an actress, a social worker, a devil worshipper, an ex-prostitute, and a thespian-wannabe cop. Could there be a more motley cast?

The play opens with Jo Smith and Beverley Jones, Beverley is a man—the name is his mother’s fault: “She was desperate for a girl” (p. 4; all quotes are from: The Comedy of Terrors, Goodrum, Samuel French, Ltd). Wait until you hear the names of his twin and younger brother. Jo, an actress, is responding to an audition call, ostensibly from theatre director Vyvian Jones (also male). Coincidently, it is a farce pertinently titled, Keep Your Hands to Yourself.

To short shrift *The Comedy of Terrors,*which flourishes with complications, is challenging at best. But the complications follow speedily. Jo soon determines that her “audition” is not with Vyvian, but his twin brother Beverley. Why the subterfuge? Beverley, a social worker, wants to hire Jo to convince his twin Vyvian that she hasn’t had an affair with him, so as not to tell his fiancée, Cheryl, who is returning months after being plane-wrecked on a deserted island. And of course, they haven’t, they met ten minutes ago. So, why hire Jo? Because Beverley has slept with Fiona, Jo’s identical, but ten-year-estranged, twin sister. Confused yet? Secret relationships form a perfect keystone, arching the oft-used scheme of sexual escapades, and identical twins in farces. Just ask Shakespeare about the usefulness of twins as a plot device! 

However, there is one afront to our moral senses, Fiona left home at age fifteen and ended up as a lady of the evening, but after meeting Beverley, has inextricably found her metanoia. Part of Beverley’s employment is managing a hostel for ex-prostitutes who are trying to escape not only pimps but their past lives. This tryst, about which he is inducing Jo to lie, is with an occupant of said hostel and thus his concern. “Aye there’s the rub.” The discomfiture runs way deeper than purely concealing infidelity from his fiancée. Conversely, both Vyvian and Jo’s theatrical occupations lend themselves perfectly to the charade.

No dramaturgical experience is required to divine that within minutes both Vyvian, sporting elan and a red handkerchief, and Fiona turn up. And coincidently, so does the mistaken identity and the hysterical verbal exchanges! Vyvian is there for a concocted staff meeting, and Fiona to declare her eternal and undying love for Beverley. 

Unbuttoning the frantic running amuck with the extensive door slamming, characteristic of farce, these characters exit the stage for intervals to allow another to appear. Stage directions call for the ingenious use of directional sound and voice overs simulating where another character might be within the theatre.

Not coincidentally, Vyvian effortlessly unspools their conspiracy and launches his own intransigent counter scheme. He is a long-time member of the local chapter of the Sons of Satan Society, and his darker side makes an appearance. After enlightening Jo that she will become his first human sacrifice, he kills Beverley, “I know a dead body when I see one! I stuck that knife in him up to the hilt,” (p.41), clearly evidenced by Beverley’s legs protruding beneath the theater curtain. Very Cain and Able like!—Not so fast dear patrons—quoting a line from The Princess Bride,“He’s only mostly dead.” Apparently, a packet of condoms in his pocket did provide protection! With strange, crude noises emanating from a theatrical trunk on stage, Vyvian chortles, “No fear, That’s his spirit alright! I haven’t been a member of the local District Sons of Satan Society for fifteen years without getting to know a bit ‘bout it! Quick! Sit on the skip to stop it coming out” (p. 41).

Enter, the third Jones brother, Janet, donning a trench coat and Cockney accent. “Our mother gave up all pretenses by the time I came along, (p. 48). Janet is a full-time police officer, “copper” (p.47) and, coincidently, a part-time thespian. “I am indeed a treader of the boards. . . . I’m a paid-up life member of the local Amateur Shakespeare Players” (p. 47). 

Jo: “Do the three of you often get together in the same place?”

Janet: (with a wry look) Not if we can ‘elp it, no” (p. 48). 

No familial propinquity here. Ah ha! You are surmising the police, in heroic salvific fashion, will rescue Jo from the sacrificial alter and thwart another attempted fratricide. Recall that tidbit about numerous plot twists?

Casting a titanic shadow on the intrigue is the months-absent (although, there might be a coincidental phone call), soon-to be-returning fiancée, Cheryl. Unless you are Jo, who calls her Charlotte. It’s more than Beverley eschewing exposure, shame, and disgrace. It’s Vyvian also flashing a predacious sibling rivalry in wanting Cheryl for himself, (critics call this memetic desire). So why wouldn’t he share his debauched, but accurate, suspicions, and throw Beverley under the proverbial bus?

Remember, no matter how improbable the plot, farce is expected to work, and it does. Goodrum’s script concedes the absurdities laced throughout, and very Frayn-like, mocks itself continuously, a hallmark of exceptional farce, where the language itself almost becomes a character. It is likewise essential to consider that we observe the theatrical universe through a limited prism of our own personal experiences.

Spotlight two actors performing so many roles. There is no teasing the audience or cast. Everyone is in on the jest—It’s genius; there are only two of them! Most farce obliges the characters have blind ignorance to the larger picture. Coincidence, is the heart and substance of The Comedy of Terrors, so beware of feasible cramping while exercising the “suspension of disbelief” muscle as well as the facial smiling muscles. There is no hiding behind its abstraction, coincidence in farce is a staple employed by playwrights from Aristophanes to—well—Goodrum. The Comedy of Terrorsis a veritable “stuffing” of a resplendent celebration by and for actors, thespian wannabes, patrons, and anyone who knows a twin. How fun to witness theatre inside jokes, and the how-not-to-perform a Shakespeare audition, at a Shakespeare festival! But wait, isn’t the guy supposed to get the girl in—THE END?

Jeff Bezos: The Pirate King?

Rhett Guter (center) as the Pirate King in a scene from The Pirates of Penzance, 2021.

By Rhett Guter

Editor’s Note: This is third installment in a series of blog posts from actor and choreographer Rhett Guter. He has appeared in numerous roles since 2005, including Tom Tucker inH.M.S. Pinafore,Tommy Djilas inThe Music Man, Peter inPeter and the Starcatcher,and this year as The Pirate King inThe Pirates of Penzanceand Houdini inRagtime*. He also choreographed this season’sThe Greenshowand in past seasons has choreographedThe Music Man, Peter and the Starcatcher,andAnything Goes.*

As an actor it’s my job to create the inner life and backstory of a character. No matter how silly, or over the top a character may seem I always strive to create a relatable scenario, even if I’m the only one who knows it. For me, the role of the Pirate King proved especially challenging. 

I had never seen the play before; and, admittedly, the first several weeks in rehearsal I just wandered around the room in the Jolly Roger tricorn hat and pirate boots taking haphazard stabs at being the Pirate King. Finally, one afternoon during a break, I asked Brad Carroll, our music director and resident expert in all things Gilbert and Sullivan, what he thought. He replied, “Well I’ve never thought of them as actual pirates, just a bunch of guys playing pretend.” It seemed far-fetched and a bit ridiculous. No one would do that, except . . .

LARPing is an acronym for Live Action Role Playing. Perhaps you’ve seen this when passing a park. A group of fully-grown adults wearing costumes and armor, usually meticulously designed and homespun, bearing weapons, also homespun and not actually dangerous, are engaged in battle with one another. They are often playing out a character with special abilities, backstories, etc. It’s very much a real thing, and it’s practiced all over the world. It may seem silly to some, but I think we all have an inner child that yearns to play pretend long after our costume trunk gets put away and we are knighted with the daunting title of adulthood. 

Now, what if someone very rich, say Jeff Bezos, was to embark on such a journey? Could he be the inspiration I was looking for for my Pirate King? Of course he could buy a full pirate ship, bring all his friends along the way and afford to do pretty much whatever he pleased. (After all, the man did just buy the most expensive ship ever—one that takes him to the moon.) Even Jeff Bezos longs for adventure and to show the world that he is, more or less, the king. 

So, come see Jeff Bezos, errr—I mean me, in The Pirates of Penzance!

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Four Remaining Weeks, Four Plays at the Festival

Photos, left to right: Josh Innerst as Guiderius, Jeremy Thompson as Arviragus, and Jasmine Bracey as Belarius in Cymbeline; a scene from The Pirates of Penzance; Michael Doherty as Vyvian Jones and Alex Keiper as Jo Smith in The Comedy of Terrors; and Josh Innerst as Mr. Marks and Afua Busia as Esther in Intimate Apparel. (Photos by Karl Hugh.)

By Liz Armstrong

Following an emotional and powerful week of closing performances of The Comedy of Errors, Pericles, Richard III, and Ragtime, it is with a new burst of energy that the Utah Shakespeare Festival happily announces that the entertainment isn’t over yet! 

With four fabulous performances to see before the season ends October 9, Festival administrators and artists hope you purchase tickets to enjoy another four weeks of live theatre.

The Comedy of Terrors

This chaotic and comedic play consists of not only twin sisters, but twin brothers as well. Throw in another brother that looks identical to his older twin brothers, and it’s, well, a recipe for disaster. 

Performed by husband-and-wife Alex Keiper and Michael Doherty, the duo takes on the challenge of playing five characters between them. Doherty describes this play as “a sweaty high wire act, a farce in comedy of manners clothing, and a total delight for all who lean in.”

The comedic mistaking of the twins over and over throughout the play will have you smacking your forehead in frustration, laughing all the while as you watch the characters spin themselves into an amusing web of confusion.

Playing the Smith sisters, Keiper encourages those thinking about attending the play to come for a laugh. “The Comedy of Terrors was made to make people laugh,” Keiper said. “We’re hoping to bring some levity and outright silliness into the hearts of anyone who comes to see us.” 

Cymbeline

Set in Britain, this play follows Imogen, the only child of the king. In love with Posthumus instead of her stepmother’s son and chosen husband, Imogen is caught in a tragic tale of star-crossed lovers. 

Throughout the play, the evil queen plots her stepdaughter’s death, a “friend” convinces Postumus of Imogen’s infidelity, sleeping potions cause supposed deaths, and Cymbeline prepares for war with Rome. 

Despite it all, a happy ending ensues, so purchase tickets to this rarely performed Shakespearean play, full of intrigue and deception.

Playing in the intimate Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, this play uses a variety of trunks provided by the props team to creatively add to the fantastical theme of the performance. 

Intimate Apparel

Set in the early 1900s in New York City, Intimate Apparel is a heart-rending play that gracefully navigates the human desire to be loved, while dealing with the difficult issues of racial, religious, and class divisions.

After years of sewing intimate apparel for other women, Esther battles with feelings of loneliness as she longs to be married. She begins a flirtatious correspondence with George, who is working in Panama, all while tucking away money in her quilt in hopes to one day fulfill her own dreams. 

Esther marries George but soon learns he is not the man she believed him to be. She ends up back where she was at the beginning of the play, sewing in the boarding house of Mrs. Dickson, stitching piece after piece of material together, resiliently mending her broken heart in the process.

The Pirates of Penzance

A sparkling and adventurous play full of policemen, pirates, and vivacious women, Frederic is bound to the pirate trade after finally finding his true love, Mabel. Must he follow the call to duty and abandon his true love? Or will love conquer all?

Breathtaking set design and colorful costumes will transport you into another world, one where an energetic and hilarious Pirate King will tap-dance away with your heart and cowardly policemen will playfully earn your sympathy.

Richard R. Henry, playing Major-General Stanley, says it’s a treat to be able to spend some time in the Gilbert and Sullivan universe and their particular brand of humor.  “[The director has] assembled an incredible team of theatre folk to tell this hilarious classic tale in a fresh new way,” Henry said. 

The catchy tunes and energetic acting make this Gilbert and Sullivan classic especially family friendly, and you will leave smiling, content with the happy-ever-after we all wish to have.

The Festival’s 2021 season continues through October 9. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Blog #2: My Favorite Memories

Rhett Guter as The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance.

By Rhett Guter

Editor’s Note: This is second installment in a series of blog posts from actor and choreographer Rhett Guter. He has appeared in numerous roles since 2005, including Tom Tucker inH.M.S. Pinafore,Tommy Djilas inThe Music Man,Peter inPeter and the Starcatcher,and this year as The Pirate King inThe Pirates of Penzanceand Houdini inRagtime*. He also choreographed this season’sThe Greenshowand in past seasons has choreographedThe Music Man, Peter and the Starcatcher,andAnything Goes.*

Hey, it’s Rhett again! 

Thanks all for the responses from the last blog! The emails are still coming in. I’m loving the traditions and memories at the Utah Shakespeare Festival that are uniquely yours! I figure it’s only fair that I share some of my favorite memories at the Festival.

*Camelot,*2005: My very first show at the Festival was this legendary musical, with Brian Vaughn (now artistic director) as Arthur and Brad Carroll as the director. 

*HMS Pinafore,*2006: This was my first Gilbert and Sullivan show. I played Tom Tucker the mute with no lines, but boy did I have a lot to say! 

Lend Me a Tenor:*The Musical,*2007: This world premiere went on to play the West End in London! Fun fact—there is now a character in the show named after me! 

*The Music Man,*2011: This was my first opportunity as a professional choreographer! To this day I think it is some of the best choreography I’ve ever created for the stage. I also played the role of Tommy Djilas

*A Midsummer Night’s Dream,*2011: I played Francis Flute in this Shakespearean comedy, and it was the only show I did that was directed by Festival Founder Fred C. Adams. The BYUtv live broadcast was a night to remember, and we won an Emmy to boot!

*Peter and the Starcatcher,*2013: My absolute favorite. I was the choreographer and played The Boy. I could write a whole blog on this one—perhaps I will. . . . 

*Ragtime,*2021: Never have I been part of a more significant show. How can a story that takes place over 100 years ago, written over 20 years ago, still be so heartbreakingly relevant? Playing the role of Houdini, something of a hero to me, and the opportunity to bring my other passion (magic) to the stage makes this “one for the books.” I mourn it’s closing and hope you got an opportunity to see it. 

Till next week!

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