News From the Festival
A Director's Vision
By Brooke Vlasich
Alexis Baigue (left) as Bottom and Marla Lefler as Titania.
January always marks an important time of year at the Utah Shakespeare Festival—the start of the Shakespeare-in-the-Schools educational tour. Developed by the education department, this annual tour visits different states including Utah, Nevada, and Arizona and performs in schools, correctional facilities, and community centers. This year’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is directed by Britannia Howe, a young woman with a vision focused on the power of text and storytelling.
Britannia’s directing experience began here in Cedar City at Southern Utah University where she graduated with a degree in classical acting and received her teaching license. Although she wanted to be an actor, she changed her mind after attending the American College Theatre Festival where she won a directing competition and was awarded the opportunity to attend workshops at the Kennedy Center. In addition, she has also been the assistant director to David Ivers and J.R. Sullivan on Festival productions and has taught the Shakespeare for Junior Actors class at the Festival for the past nine years. Her repertoire also includes work with the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland, Oregon, and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Connecticut.
What attracted Britannia to A Midsummer Night’s Dream? This show was not only the first play Britannia ever read, but it is also a play she views as a touchstone for Shakespeare. She also thinks themes about parental disapproval, love triangles, and dreaming will resonate with younger audiences. Britannia’s concept for the show focuses on taking the text to the stage and showing how influential text and words can be. She’s developed this concept by incorporating images of the text into the scenic design and having the costume designer create costumes made of fabric which people can write on. Britannia sees these elements as a significant part of this production that will help audiences contribute to the show and give them the power to create.
What does Britannia hope to pursue in the future? She wants to continue to work with different types of storytelling, as well as bring theatre to new audiences. One of the main reasons she’s enjoyed directing the Shakespeare-in-the-Schools tour is its combination of education and directing.
Her next endeavor includes directing at the new theatre in Thanksgiving Point, Utah. Wherever her future takes her next, we’ll be watching and supporting this new and innovative director.
Festival Celebrates Champions at 2017 Gala
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is honoring the Ashton Family Foundation, Rocky Mountain Power, and Roy and Elizabeth “Tibby” Simmons, as well as retiring Executive Director R. Scott Phillips at the Festival Forever Celebration February 4 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
As in previous years at the Gala, the Utah Shakespeare Festival wants to celebrate the people, foundations, and corporations who have helped make the Festival’s dreams a reality.
The Festival is honoring the Ashton Family Foundation, led by Alan and Karen Ashton, for its faithful support and generosity for the past 25 years. Alan and Karen rose to great success from modest beginnings through their global software company, WordPerfect, and are widely considered a leading contributor to the quality of life in the state of Utah.
Rocky Mountain Power is being honored this year for its more than 25 years of corporate sponsorship. Rocky Mountain Power (formerly Utah Power & Light) began its Utah presence in Utah, when Salt Lake City became the fifth city in the world to have central station electricity. The Utah Shakespeare Festival reached a milestone in the early 1990s when Utah Power & Light became the Festival’s first-ever corporate sponsorship, a relationship that has continued for over twenty-five seasons.
The Festival is also celebrating Roy and Elizabeth “Tibby” Simmons who made annual trips to the Utah Shakespeare Festival each summer. In 1960, Roy and two colleagues purchased controlling stock in Zions First National Bank and later merged with Lockhart to form Zions Bancorporation. Roy was instrumental in expanding the Festival’s board of governors to include members of Utah’s corporate leaders. Roy passed away in 2006 and Elizabeth in 2009, but their legacy lives on at the Festival.
R. Scott Phillips is being honored for his more than four decades of work at the Festival. Phillips, who will retire February 28, has continually served the Utah Shakespeare Festival for the past 40 years as marketing director, managing director, and executive director. During his time, he expanded the Festival’s audience from 19,000 people per season to 113,000. His crowning achievement was the building of the $39 million Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, the new home of the Festival.
The Festival Forever Celebration will be on February 4 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. Tickets are $200 per person, and tables of ten guests may be purchased for $2,000. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Tickets may be purchased at 435-586-7877.
Educational Tour Hits the Road
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is once again hitting the road with its Shakespeare-in-the-Schools touring production—this year performing the magical story of A Midsummer Night*’s Dream*.
The tour will be performing 65 shows for over 120 schools and 25,000 students throughout the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. The cast and crew will be on the road for 14 weeks from January through April to bring this classic comedy to schools, community centers, and correctional facilities. Students will have the chance to watch the show and then participate in a post-show discussion and workshops in Stage Combat, Performing Shakespeare’s Text, Technical Theatre and Developing Character through Improvisation.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream will premiere on January 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. General admission tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Festival ticket office at 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849) or online at www.bard.org. Tickets purchased ahead of time will be available at will call in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. On the night of the performance, only cash and checks will be accepted at the Randall Theatre door, whereas credit and debit cards will be accepted at the main ticket office next to the Anes Theatre. Admission is free for SUU students.
Britannia Howe is returning to the Festival as the director for the tour this year. She was inspired by the imagination of this famous play and said that each performance, “starts with an individual on stage opening up a book. Everything is text-driven, and it’s literally page to stage.” From the costumes to the First Folio in the background, the text is coming to life in this rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“Because it’s one of their first touchstones to Shakespeare for many students, Midsummer is so great because it talks about imagination, dreaming and magic,” said Howe.
“I hope that the audience is able to see the power that the written word has and how Shakespeare is timeless and versatile, and that story-telling is transcendent,” she continued.
Howe is a graduate of Southern Utah University and has worked for the Cabaret Theatre, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center and the Innovative View Theatre Company. The tour has ten members in its traveling company, and they have come from all around the country to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
There are some familiar faces this season who have performed with the Festival before. Alexis Baigue (Demetrius/Bottom) acted last year in Henry V and Much Ado about Nothing. Brandon Burk (Lysander/Flute/Cobweb) began working with the Festival in 2015 and in 2016 performed in Much Ado about Nothing, Henry V, and The Three Musketeers. Luke Sidney Johnson (Theseus/Oberon) has previously worked for the Festival in the 2015 and 2016 summer seasons. Karen Thorla (Egeus/Helena/Snug/Mustardseed) worked with the Festival for the 2016 season in Julius Caesar.
The other actors in the cast have brought their talents to A Midsummer Night’s Dream from many different theatres and productions across the country. Madison Kisst (Puck) has worked with Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Nevada Conservatory Theatre, and others. Mara Lefler (Hippolyta/Titania) has appeared at Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indiana Festival Theatre, Salt Lake Shakespeare, and PCPA. Stephanie Resnick (Hermia/Quince/Peaseblossom) has worked with Great River Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Nevada Conservatory Theatre, Jewish Repertory Theatre of Nevada, and TITAN Theatre Company.
The three crew members on the tour are returning to the Festival to make Shakespeare-in-the-Schools possible this year. Elizabeth Marquis (Technical Director) has returned to the Festival from recent work as master electrician/automation engineer at Gateway Playhouse and Haunted Playhouse, Long Island. Miriam Michaels (Stage Manager) worked last fall on Julius Caesar and The Odd Couple. Devery North (Company Manager) has worked previously with the Festival for the 2015 season and the 2016 educational tour of Hamlet.
In addition to support from the Shakespeare for a New Generation program which is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, this tour’s school performance partners are the Utah State Office of Education: Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools, Mountain West Small Business Finance, Ally Bank, and Southern Utah University.
For more information, visit www.bard.org/tour.
Festival Playmakers Announces Auditions for Children's Musical
A scene from the 2016 Playmakers production of Junie B. Jones.
CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently announced open auditions for children to perform in this spring’s Playmakers production of Once on this Island.
Auditions will be February 7 from 3:15 to 8:15 p.m. in the Garth and Jerri Frehner Rehearsal/Education Hall at the Beverley Center for the Arts. Audition slots will be every 15 minutes, and children will be required to sing one of two songs from the show. Those interested can register for the audition and download the music for the songs at the Festival Playmakers webpage, www.bard.org/playmakers.
Call-back auditions will be the next day, February 8, also in the Frehner Rehearsal/Education Hall.
To help children prepare, the Festival is offering an audition workshop for anyone interested. It will be February 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Frehner Rehearsal/Education Hall. The workshop is optional, but can be very helpful. “We will focus on the two songs that you will be required to sing at your audition,” said Krista Bulloch, education programs manager. “Most of our Playmakers generally find it very useful.”
Performances of the Playmakers version of Once on this Island will be in the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre. School performances will be April 5, 6, 7, and 10. A public performance will be April 8. Exact times will be announced later.
Once on this Island is a highly original and theatrical Caribbean adaptation of the popular fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid.” It garnered eight Tony nominations for its Broadway run, including best musical, book, and score. “This is a fun, lively show that we think our Playmakers will love performing, and our audiences will love seeing,” said Michael Bahr, education director.
For more information, call 435-865-8333 or visit the webpage at www.bard.org/playmakers.
Festival Names Top Ten News Stories of 2016
It is the time of year when every news outlet and public organization seems to announce its top stories of the past twelve months. The past season has been a banner year at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, so we thought we would get in on this fun year-end tradition. It was difficult to narrow it down to just ten stories, but here are those chosen for 2016 by the Festival communications team:
10. Salt Lake City Gala raises record amount for one evening: the gala fundraiser, which honored Founder Fred C. Adams, was February 20 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City and netted over $130,000 for the Festival. The evening, with Amanda Dickson and Brian Martin as masters of ceremonies, featured a social hour, dinner, program, and live dancing.
Read about the Gala
9. Everybody was talking about the 2016 season: From prominent mentions in American Theatre magazine and the Los Angeles Times to a twenty-minute news special on KSL-TV and online shout-outs from fans and friends around the world, this season has been the subject of hundreds of positive notices throughout the country.
American Theatre article | Los Angeles Times article | KSL-TV broadcast
8. Incredible artistic season leads to record number of sold out performances: The 2016 season saw more sold out performances than at any other time in the history of the Festival: 139 sold-out performances, compared to 72 in 2012, which was previously the best season for sold-out houses. Driven by the incredible artistic success of the season, it was, indeed, a stellar year.
Read about the landmark season
7. Long-time volunteer coordinator passes away: On September 11, The Utah Shakespeare Festival staff, artists, guests, and volunteers were saddened by the passing of Anne Judd. She had been a supporter of the Festival for many years in many capacities, most noticeably as volunteer coordinator since 1989. She was also very involved in the New American Playwrights Project, as a wise and steady voice in selecting plays for the program.
Read the complete story
6. Festival Founder appears for the first time on the Festival’s outdoor stage and in a Shakespeare play: It’s easy to assume that Fred C. Adams, the Festival’s founder, has appeared on the Festival’s outdoor stages or at least in a Festival play by William Shakespeare. But, even though he has appeared in other Festival plays and has directed most of the Shakespearean canon, 2016 marked his debut in a Shakespeare play (Verges in Much Ado about Nothing) and on the outdoor stage (the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre).
Read a bio of Adams | Read about his latest recognition
**5. Artistic directors perform in The Odd Couple—and alternate between roles:**On September 16, the Festival opened Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, starring David Ivers and Brian Vaughn as the greatly-at-odds roommates Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar. But they added a twist: They would alternate between the roles and once a week let the audience choose who played whom just before the show started. “Crazy” or “heroic,” it was a resounding success.
Read the Complete Story
4. The Festival unveils new logo: In March, the Festival unveiled a new logo. The new emblem has a connection to the past but an eye firmly on the future. It features a stylized crown with three points which represent the three points of the Festival mission: to educate, enrich, and entertain. They also represent the three Festival theatres and acknowledge the Festival’s beautiful mountain home and the Engelstad Theatre, including the chevron pattern that is so prevalent there.
Read about and view a video explaining the logo
3. New plays program re-envisioned, prompting a world premiere in 2017: On August 12, Artistic Directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn announced a new name, an increased commitment, and an enhanced mission for the Festival’s new plays program. Formerly known as the New American Playwrights Project (NAPP), the Festival’s primary vehicle for exploring new works is now Words Cubed. One of the first successes of the new program was to present the first staged reading of nationally-recognized playwright Neil LaBute’s new play, How To Fight Loneliness, which will have its premiere production at the Festival during the 2017 season.
Read the Words Cubed Story | Read about Neil LaBute
2. Festival executive director announces retirement: On September 7, R. Scott Phillips, who has worked in leadership of the Festival for forty years, announced his retirement effective March 1, 2017. This was followed up by the announcement on October 21, that Phillips was the recipient of the prestigious Mark R. Sumner Award, granted yearly by the Institute of Outdoor Drama (IOD). The award recognizes significant contributions by an individual in the theatre community.
Read the Retirement Story | Read the Sumner Award Story
1. The Beverley Center, including two new theatres, opens: July 7, 2016 was one of the most noteworthy days in the history of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, as trumpeters heralded the events, dignitaries spoke, and friends cut the ribbon to the new Beverley Taylor Center for the Arts, new home of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Planned for decades, the center, with two new theatres, administrative and artistic offices and work space, and a rehearsal/education hall, was finally opened to crowds of well-wishers and long-time dreamers.
Read the Complete Story | View Photos of the Dedication
Tickets are now on sale for the Festival’s 56th season. It will run from June 29 to October 21 and features As You Like It, Shakespeare in Love, Romeo and Juliet, Guys and Dolls, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Treasure Island, The Tavern, How To Fight Loneliness, and William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged). For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is part of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts at Southern Utah University, which also includes the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA).
Festival Employee Grants Wishes and Shares Joy
The Peanuts gang
The nativity
Santa’s reindeer
Happy holidays
Donate to Make-a-Wish
The holiday season is always known for snow, trees, and presents, but it’s also seen as a time for giving to those in need. This December marks an important month for this season in Cedar City because of a member of the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s production staff. Ben Hohman, our props director, decorates his home every year with an elaborate light display to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The idea began from Ben’s volunteer work with the organization 14 years ago. During that time Ben worked as a wish granter and met with individual children, their families, and doctors to determine what the child wanted for Christmas. One particular girl, Olivia, had a life-long dream to meet Mickey Mouse, and Ben raised money to allow Olivia to travel to California to fulfill her wish at Disneyland. Olivia’s joyful spirit is what inspires Ben to decorate his home and raise money and make dreams come true.
Every year, neighbors and local community members visit his walk-through display of around 50,000 lights. He constantly reuses décor and has everything organized and arranged for the following year. Although his website has a donation page, he also has a donation box at the house where many viewers have left letters of admiration. A Southern Utah University student left a note thanking Ben and that he had chosen the light display as the perfect place for a his marriage proposal.
Other activities Ben is involved in for the organization include Breakfast with Santa, an event that involves all Southern Utah Families from Make-a-Wish; Letters to Santa, an event he organizes at many Cedar City locations.
Ben’s dedication to Make-a-Wish is something we can all get behind at the Festival for the holidays, and we hope you’ll be a part of the support this year.
Ten Talented Directors Imagining the Festival's 56th Season
Kirsten Brandt
Utah Shakespeare Festival Artistic Directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn recently announced a slate of ten highly-creative, talented and experienced directors for the Festival’s 2017 season.
Christopher Edwards
“I am thrilled with the selection of artists joining us in 2017,” said Ivers. “This potent mix of new-to-the-Festival directors combined with a few veterans will allow our stages to resonate with our patrons through an unprecedented array of offerings. I hope you join us!”
Sean Graney
These nationally-known directors are attracted to the Utah Shakespeare Festival for many reasons, most notably the quality of the work here and the beautiful surroundings.
For instance, Sean Graney, who will be directing Treasure Island, noted the incredible artists the Festival attracts, from the top down: “ My conversations with Artistic Directors Brian Vaughn and David Ivers are so invigorating,” Graney said. “Plus spending ten weeks in one of the most beautiful parts of the country ain’t bad either.”
Joseph Hanreddy
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have been given a string of fantastic projects at the Festival in the past,” added Joseph Hanreddy, who will be directing The Tavern and has a long history at the Festival. “The inspiring collective spirit of the organization, the enthusiastic, informed audiences, and the stunning natural surroundings have made working at the Festival a unique and truly special experience.”
David Ivers
“All of these directors bring their unique individuality and dynamic skill set to these varied projects,” added Vaughn. “We are confident their efforts will bring bold, explorative storytelling, coupled with rich design and thrilling performances, to the Festival.”
The 2017 season directors are:
Robynn Rodriguez
Kirsten Brandt will make her Festival debut by directing the popular comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has a host of playwriting and directing experience, including co-writing the book and lyrics for The Snow Queen off-Broadway at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. She has also directed for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Marin Theatre Company, North Coast Repertory Theatre, and Sledgehammer Theatre (where she also served as artistic director for six seasons).
Peter Rothstein
“The Utah Shakespeare Festival has a wonderful national reputation in the theatre community, and it is an honor to come work here,” Brandt said in anticipation of this summer. “Artistically, I am thrilled to have the freedom to explore one of my favorite plays with professional artists.”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of Shakespeare’s and the Festival’s most popular plays, will appear in the Randall L. Jones Theatre from July 4 to October 21.
J. R. Sullivan
Christopher Edwards, who is also new at the Festival, will be directing the hilarious William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged). Edwards has appeared as an actor in such off-Broadway theatres as Ubu Rep, John Houseman’s the Acting Co, the Lincoln Center, and Mcginn Cazale Theatre. He has also directed at the National Theatre of Norway, NY Hip Hop Theatre Festival, Vermont Stage Co., Capital Rep, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Co. He is also currently a faculty member at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
Christopher Utley
“This brand-new play about a ‘newly discovered brand-new play’ is a rambunctious romp through some 49 of Shakespeare’s amazing characters,” said Edwards. “Three comic actors take on the huge task of producing a non-producible play with a cast of thousands, but this trio of clowns . . . take on the task with fervor, high jinks, anarchy, crowd participation and a whole lot of inspiration from William Shakespeare himself.”
Brian Vaughn
This frantic comedy from the same people who brought you The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged will play in the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre from July 28 to October 21.
Sean Graney, who is also making his first appearance at the Festival this year, will be at the helm of the epic tale Treasure Island. He has directed over 100 productions at theatres across the country, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Hypocrites, Actors Theater of Louisville, American Repertory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Only Theatre Company, Court Theater Chicago, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. He is the writer and director of All Our Tragic, a unique adaptation of the 32 surviving Greek tragedies into one 12-hour play. He has received numerous awards, including a Creative Capital Award in 2016, and six Joseph Jefferson Awards for Direction and Adaption from 2003 to 2015.
This regional premiere adaption of Treasure Island will thrill the entire family with tales of buried treasure, pirates, adventure, and song. It plays in the Randall L. Jones Theatre from July 5 to September 2.
Joseph Hanreddy is returning to the Festival to direct and adapt the world-premiere adaptation of George M. Cohan’s The Tavern. He directed 2016’s acclaimed Julius Caesar, as well as productions of Private Lives, Macbeth, and Sense and Sensibility. He is also the co-adaptor of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility which played at the Festival in 2010 and 2014. In addition, he has directed at the Pearl Theater in New York City, as well as Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Madison Repertory Theater, People’s Light (Philadelphia), Writer’s Theatre (Chicago), Connecticut Repertory Theater, American Player’s Theater (Wisconsin), and many others.
This adaptation of the satirical comedy The Tavern will be set in a remote Utah tavern and will include Utah locations and oddball characters that just might feel familiar. In will be staged in the Randall L. Jones Theatre from September 19 to October 21.
David Ivers, one of the Festival’s artistic directors, will be adding one more to his long list of plays he has directed for the Festival: How To Fight Loneliness*.* Other Festival directing credits include last season’s popular Much Ado about Nothing, as well as Charley’s Aunt, Twelfth Night, Twelve Angry Men, Romeo and Juliet, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), and Cyrano de Bergerac. He has also directed at Berkeley Rep (including the west coast premiere of One Man, Two Guvnors), Pioneer Theatre Company, the Guthrie Theatre, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Denver Center Theatre Company, the Alabama and Idaho Shakespeare festivals, Portland Center Stage, Portland Rep., ACT, Seattle Rep., and others. In addition, he has been a popular actor at the Festival and other major theatres across the country.
This Intermountain West premiere of award-winning playwright Neil LaBute’s latest play will be in the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre from August 25 to October 14. This modern play is for mature audiences and contains explicit language and mature themes.
Robynn Rodriguez returns to the Festival after successful productions of King John in 2013 and The Two Gentlemen of Verona in 2015. This season, she will be directing William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. She has directed off-Broadway at the Public Theater, as well as at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (22 seasons), Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Denver Center Theater Company, Shakespeare Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Intiman Theater, PCPA/Pacific Conservatory Theater, Birmingham Rep (the United Kingdom), the Barbican (London), and many others.
As You Like It, a rollicking frolic of confused courtship, beautiful poetry, and unsurpassed wit, will play in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre from June 29 to September 7.
Peter Rothstein is directing at the Festival for the first time in 2017; he will be leading the musical Guys and Dolls. He has directed at such diverse theatres as Guthrie Theater, Children’s Theatre Company, Minnesota Opera, Ten Thousand Things, 5th Avenue, and Theater Latté Da (where he was the founding artistic director and directed 55 productions, including 10 world premieres). He is the creator of the plays All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 and Steerage Song. He has been recognized for his work with numerous awards, including the 2015 Minnesota Artist of the Year and seven Ivey Awards for Outstanding Production.
“I am thrilled to be making my directing debut with the Utah Shakespeare Festival, an organization I have long admired,” said Rothstein as he discussed the upcoming season. “Guys and Dolls is a perfect musical comedy, filled with iconic songs, show-stopping dances, dynamic characters, and not one, but two endearing love stories. I look forward to bringing it to life with a stellar design team and top-notch cast.”
Guys and Dolls, with easily-recognized music and lyrics by Frank Loesser (including “A Bushel and a Peck” and “Luck Be a Lady”) will be staged in the Randall L. Jones Theatre from July 3 to September 1.
J. R. Sullivan, who has long been associated with the Festival, is returning this year to direct Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet*.* Sullivan was the Festival’s associate artistic director from 2002 to 2009 and has directed Festival productions from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams. He is also the writer/adapter of Sense and Sensibility (world premiere), 2014, and Pride and Prejudice, 2010. In addition, he is the former artistic director of the Pearl Theatre Company in New York City and the founder and former producing director of New American Theatre. He has directed at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Theatre X, Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre, Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., Delaware Theatre Company, and Resident Ensemble Players at the University of Delaware, among many others.
Romeo and Juliet, possibly the most famous love story in the world, will be in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre from July 1 to September 9.
Christopher Utley, also new at the Festival in 2017, will be directing (and re-envisioning) the Festival’s free pre-show entertainment, The Greenshow. Utley brings a host of experience with him, especially Disney experience. He has directed The Royal Theatre Presents Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, and Frozen; Laughing Stock Co.; Dick VanDyke’s 90th Birthday Celebration; and The Bootstrappers at Disneyland. In addition, he has directed at Disney California Adventure, Hong Kong Disneyland, and the Epcot Center. He has also acted at such theatres as Musical Theatre West, Performance Riverside, and Laguna Playhouse.
“I look forward to developing and directing the 2017 Greenshow, with an eye toward heart, humor and surprise,” said Utley. “Our troupe of actors will welcome and engage our audience, setting the stage for whatever theatrical adventures lie ahead.
The Greenshow, which is extremely popular with audience members of all ages, is performed free each Monday through Saturday evening from June 29 to September 2. From September 4 to 9, the Greenshow stage will feature various performing groups.
Brian Vaughn, the Festival’s other artistic director, will continue his string of directorial successes at the Festival with the stage adaptation of the film Shakespeare in Love. Previously at the Festival he has directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare-in-the-Schools touring production), Greater Tuna, Dial M for Murder, Peter and the Starcatcher (regional premiere), and Shakespeare’s historical trilogy of Henry IV Part One, Henry IV Part Two, and Henry V. He has also directed at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre (resident company member for 13 seasons), Arizona Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, and more. As an actor, he has performed in over 50 roles in 22 seasons at the Festival.
Shakespeare in Love will share cast and scenery with Romeo and Juliet, which is the story at the center of this passionate and fun celebration of the Bard and theatre. It will play in the Engelstad Theatre from June 30 to September 8.
Tickets are now on sale for the Festival’s 56th season, which will run from June 29 to October 21. For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is part of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts at Southern Utah University, which also includes the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA).
Enjoy a Festival Christmas
Are you looking for a fun, family friendly, affordable way to celebrate the Christmas season? How about Christmas at the Homestead—the Frontier Homestead State Park Museum, that is!
The Utah Shakespeare Festival and the popular state park in Cedar City are once again partnering to provide a Christmas celebration December 5 to 9 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. each day. The cost is only $2 per person or $5 for the entire family, and there will definitely be something for everyone—young, old, and in between. As an extra holiday treat, all proceeds from December 7 will be donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
“Nothing will get you in the holiday spirit quicker and more completely than spending an evening at Christmas at the Homestead,” said Joshua Stavros, Festival media and public relations manager. “It’s an enchanting experience with everything that makes Christmas special: music, friends and family, entertainment, and holiday goodies.”
All the museum’s regular features, hands-on activities, and exhibits will be open each night. In addition, different entertainment will be featured each evening, including music and dance at 6 and 7 each evening and Christmas story readings at 6:30 and 7:30. Specific performers and readers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Walking through the various museum structures, visitors will get a feeling of yesteryear. Each will be decorated with a themed tree and other decorations. Some of the trees will be favorites from previous years, but a few new ones will also make their premieres. Ben Hohman, properties director for the Festival, has designed the lighting in the park.
Of course, Santa will be in the Hunter House each evening from 5:30 to 8. Each night will also include different treats: popcorn and hot cider, scones and hot chocolate. Roving musicians will entertain holiday revelers as they walk among the various buildings. Each evening will also include different hands-on activities: print-making for Christmas cards, dipping candles, etc.
“This is a great opportunity for individuals and families to benefit from an affordable and entertaining holiday experience,” said Park Manager Todd Prince. “Christmas at the Homestead gives us a chance to celebrate our rich heritage and give something back to the community.”
The park is located at 635 North Main Street in Cedar City. For the latest information and details, visit the museum website: www.frontierhomestead.org.
2016 a Landmark Season
The most recent year at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, its first in the new Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, was a landmark season—and an artistic success. After seventeen weeks of eclectic theatre, greenshows, seminars, and educational activities, the last spotlight dimmed on October 22, leaving behind a warm glow of memorable productions and milestones.
“I am extraordinarily pleased with the quality, content, and spirit of the productions in 2016,” said David Ivers, artistic director. “An astonishing body of artists, craftspeople, managers, and staff worked well together to produce an exceptionally strong season against all odds!”
“I was particularly proud of our work in the Engelstad Theatre,” added Brian Vaughn, artistic director. “The bar was set very high as we embarked on producing in a completely new venue. All three productions were artistically top notch and the level of passion and commitment from our artists was everything we could have hoped for.”
Of course, this opinion of the season’s artistic success is also shared by our guests. For instance, Barb-Las Vegas said on Trip Advisor: “This year’s season was, I believe, the best overall that I have seen. Not only does this Festival give audiences the opportunity to experience brilliantly acted, directed, and staged Shakespeare, it also provides a musical or two, some classic popular comedies and dramas, and an occasional new or relatively unknown play.”
And Mary Anne added on Facebook: “I have attended off and on for the last forty-five years. Never disappointed. Saw all the plays this year in the brand new, beautiful theatres. Sad to say goodbye to the old, but this is an amazing new chapter. Will return, of course, and look forward to the next season of amazing productions.”
“I think the 2016 season will certainly go down in the record books as a milestone for the Utah Shakespeare Festival,” agreed R. Scott Phillips, executive director. “Not only did we open a beautiful new artistic center, but we produced eight plays to match the grandeur of our new surroundings.”
Our guests seemed to overwhelmingly love the new Beverley Center and our two new theatres: the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre and the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre.
“The new theatre complex which just opened this season is breathtakingly beautiful,” Lisa S. said on Trip Advisor. “The theatres themselves are thoughtfully designed with excellent sight lines, acoustics, and consideration for patron comfort. Don’t miss this experience!”
“The Beverley Center is an amazing addition to the Utah Shakespeare Festival,” agreed Ivers. “The expansion in general allows us to greater serve the plays, thereby enhancing the experience for the guest. It’s a world-class facility which should inspire us for years to come.”
In addition, the Festival surpassed some ticket sales milestones. According to Kami Terry Paul, communications and marketing director, ticket sales numbers were solid, with growth from the previous season. “We saw a significant increase in the number of Festival guests from the Salt Lake City area,” she said. “And we had a record 139 sold out performances, compared to 72 in 2012, which previously was the best season for sell outs.”
Of course, no discussion of 2016 would be complete without exploring how it sets the stage for 2017 and the fifty-sixth annual season. The Festival will not be premiering any new theatres, but is already working on enhancing the guest experience and making changes to improve the new center. And the Festival will be premiering new plays: Treasure Island is a regional premiere; in fact, the Festival is the first theatre to produce this critically-acclaimed adaptation after a joint world premiere at Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago and Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, California. Shakespeare in Love is a regional premiere; the Festival is one of only four theatres to present the first United States productions. The Tavern by George M. Cohan is being adapted by Joseph Hanreddy for a world premiere at the Festival. And How to Fight Loneliness and William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) are both Intermountain West premieres.
In addition, the Festival is offering three plays by William Shakespeare: As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as the musical Guys and Dolls.
In case you’re counting, that is nine (yes nine!) plays in the 2017 season, one more than in the 2016 season.
“We are making a huge commitment to a re-invigorated road map and a commitment to each employee and guest we serve,” said Ivers. “We aim to offer a wide variety of programming. So, we intend to honor our legacy but also move forward with new work, reimagined classics, and musicals—while also offering the traditional faire that has put us on the map.”
“Our two new theatres provide tremendous artistic possibilities going forward,” concluded Vaughn. “How those two theatres work in harmony with the magnificent Randall L. Jones is going to be fun to explore.”
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is part of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts at Southern Utah University, which also includes the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA).
Tickets and more information are available online at www.bard.org and by calling the Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX.
Festival Leader Receives National Award
R. Scott Phillips, executive director of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, was recently named as the 2016 recipient of the prestigious Mark R. Sumner Award, granted yearly by the Institute of Outdoor Drama (IOD). The award will be presented at the National Conference on Outdoor Drama October 21 and 22 in Chillicothe, Ohio.
According to the IOD, “the award recognizes significant contributions by an individual to a specific drama, or to the outdoor drama movement as a whole, including but not limited to playwriting, directing, acting, design, theater architecture, patronage, scholarship, musical composition, technology and innovation, producing and administration.”
A list of some of the previous awardees reads like the “Who’s Who of American Theatre”: Bill Patton, executive director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Tina Packer, founder of Shakespeare and Company in Massachusetts; and Josef Meier, founder of the Black Hills Passion Play in South Dakota; and many others.
The award is named for the late Mark R. Sumner who was instrumental in writing and creating many of the successful historical dramas that eventually formed to create a national organization to promote and support the nearly 100 outdoor dramas in existence today. According to its website, the IOD is “dedicated to the intrepid devotees of theatre who have gathered under the open sky for story, dance and song since the dawn of history.”
Phillips was instrumental in drastically expeanding the membership of the IOD by bringing many of America’s Shakespeare festivals into the organization.
He is also one of the founders of the highly effective Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA), an organization that now boasts 120 member theatres, including the London Globe, the Stratford (Ontario, Canada) Festival, the National Festival of Prague in the Czech Republic, and the New Zealand Festival of Shakespeare—along with festivals in Saudi Arabia, Poland, Egypt, and every state in the United States.
Phillips recently announced his intent to retire in March, after more than 40 years at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. He joined the Festival in 1977 as its first full-time employee. During his tenure, Phillips held positions of director of marketing and public relations (1977-1990), managing director (1990-2006), interim Festival director (2006-2007), and executive director (2007-2017). In his early years at the Festival, Phillips’ primary responsibility was to increase the numbers of Festival attendees. Audience size grew from 19,000 to 113,000 per season during his time as director of marketing.
As executive director, Phillips has been responsible for articulating and implementing the Festival’s values, vision and mission, as well as protecting its artistic image. Phillips contributed to some of the most important milestones for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, including the 1989 construction of the Randall L. Jones Theatre, wherein he worked on all aspects from fundraising, to design, to construction; the naming of the Festival as the 2000 Tony Award-winner for Outstanding Regional Theatre; and the 2016 completion of the $39 million Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, including the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, Greenshow stage, seminar grove, and production spaces.
In addition to the positions held at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Phillips has served many other organizations in Utah, the mountain west region, and nationally. He was the co-founder (1991) and past president, (1998-99) of the Shakespeare Theatre Association; past president, Rocky Mountain Theatre Association; current theatre panelist, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C.; regional adjudicator, Rocky Mountain Theatre Association, American College Theatre Festival, and University Resident Theatre Association; theatre consultant for the Institute of Outdoor Drama, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; member, board of advisors, New West Theatre, Las Vegas, Nevada; board of directors, Utah Arts Council, Salt Lake City, Utah; charter board member, South West Arts Network; past board member, Cedar City Area Chamber of Commerce and Cedar City Arts Council; past chair of Cedar City Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee; and director of over 55 university and professional theatre productions, including the 1989 world premiere production of Nothing Like the Sun.
Phillips is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Utah Theatre Association in 2001 and the Southern Utah University Outstanding Staff Member in 1990. He received his bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University in 1975 and pursued graduate studies in theatre administration at Idaho State University.