News From the Festival
Bardway, Baby! a Night of Musical Magic
Cedar City, UT – Bardway, Baby! is back at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for its sixth annual night of musical entertainment. Bardway, Baby! is a late-night concert event which features family friendly music. Performed by Festival actors, the concert will be August 7 at 11:30 p.m. in the Auditorium Theatre. Tickets are $25 for reserved seating and are available now at the Festival ticket office, online at www.bard.org, and by calling 1-800-PLAYTIX.
Not only is Bardway, Baby! an evening of delightful show tunes, but it’s the largest annual fundraiser for the Festival’s Artistic Initiative Fund, which was established by Artistic Directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn. The fund serves to increase the size and scope of the Festival’s production design aesthetic, as well as increase the Festival’s national and international presence.
“We are thrilled to once again produce Bardway, Baby! for our guests,” said Ivers. “This special evening of performance showcases the incredible talents of our company and raises money for the Artistic Initiative Fund which directly benefits the productions on our stages each season. I hope our community and beyond will support this exciting and unique event!”
Brandon Burk and Anthony Simone, actors in this year’s company, are co-hosting and directing. According to Burk, “Bardway, Baby! is a great opportunity for actors to be involved in the Festival Experience and showoff their range of talent. It’s a real treat for patrons to see the breadth and scope of these performers.”
Performers include Melinda Pfundstein, Michael Scott Harris, Christine Jugueta, Samantha Ma, Nigel Huckle, Allie Babich, Bree Murphy, Natasha Harris, Zack Powell, Michael C. Thatcher, and Kaitlin Margaret Mills. Musical direction is by Todd Olson.
Mary Poppins Joins the 2016 Season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival
Mary Poppins Blows in on the East Wind
CEDAR CITY, UT – With so much to look forward to in 2016, the Utah Shakespeare Festival is thrilled to have secured the rights to Disney’s beloved musical, Mary Poppins. Before a public announcement could be made a signed contract and confirmation had to be received which just happened late last week.
Artistic Directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn are trilled to be bringing Mary Poppins to Cedar City. “It’s the perfect complement to a season that will introduce the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts to our audiences,” said Ivers.
“With a lush score by the Sherman Brothers, book by Julian Fellowes (of Downton Abbey fame), based on P. L. Travers endearing children’s books, as well as the award-winning Walt Disney film, Mary Poppins is in every way Shakespearean,” said Vaughn. “ With equal parts music, magic, wit and wonder, it is the perfect offering for the young and young at heart.” Even grownups can learn a lesson from the “practically perfect in everyway” nanny who advises “anything can happen if you let it.”
Mary Poppins is the story of the Banks family and how their lives change when a mysterious and magical nanny, Mary Poppins, arrives at their home on Cherry Tree Lane. This fun for the whole family musical features all the classic songs, “Spoonful of Sugar”, “Chim Chim Cher-ee”, and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”.
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins was written by Julian Fellowes with music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman (with new songs, additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe).
Announced earlier, here are the additional titles in the 55th season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. In the outdoor Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre will be William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V and Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers.
In the Randall L. Jones Theatrewill be the Marx Brother’s romp, The Cocoanuts with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by George S. Kaufman, Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple and now Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins.
In the new Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, will be Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and the musical murder mystery, Murder for Two with book and lyrics by Kellen Blair and book and music by Joe Kinosian.
With so much changing next year, be assured that “Your Festival Experience” is still at the forefront of every visit, but now all located in one amazing Center for the Arts. The Festival will still offer props, costume, actor and literary seminars, orientations, Greenshows and of course backstage tours of our new facilities.
Tickets for the 2016 season go on sale August 4. They will be available via the Festival website, www.bard.org; telephone, 800-PLAYTIX or at the Ticket Office.
In the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
- Henry V by William Shakespeare, June to September
- Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, June to September
- The Three Musketeers by Ken Ludwig adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, June to September
In the Randall L. Jones Theatre
- The Cocoanuts, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by George S. Kaufman, July to October
- Mary Poppins, by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh,July to September
- The Odd Couple by Neil Simon, September to October
In the Eileen and Allen Anes Theatre
- Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, July to October
- Murder for Two, book and lyrics by Kellen Blair and book and music by Joe Kinosian, August to October
Greenshow Actor Blog
The Greenshow with Jade Payton and Tyler Sparacio
This year’s Greenshow features eight performers, five of whom are new to the Festival. And just in case you don’t know what the Greenshow is, it’s a free 30 minute frolic of song, dance, laughter, Elizabethan sweets, and just plain fun. The Greenshow stage is in the courtyard next to the Adams Theatre. The Greenshow offers three different shows: Irish (before King Lear), English (before Henry IV, Part 2), and Italian (before The Taming of the Shrew).
We met with two of the performers to learn more. Jade Payton is new to the Festival and Tyler Sparacio is back for his second year.
Tell us about this year’s shows.
Tyler: All the shows are completely different. The dancing is more complex. And we have the whole Italian night which is a new theme. And even though we had an English and Irish night last year, these are completely different. For example, the egg dance in the English night is replaced with a broom dance.
Josh Stavros is directing the shows. Did he write them as well? Tell us about the creative process.
Jade: Josh came in with an outline and some dialogue. He and Christine Kellogg (choreographer) then worked together to figure it all out based on the strengths of the performers.
Tyler: Everyone has their niche and is showcased in their strength. But there’s also some challenges.
Jade: For example, I’ve never tap-danced before and I learned how for Irish night. And I get to do some gymnastics in Italian night.
There’s always so much audience interaction, especially with the kids. Do you plan that?
Tyler: When we’re going to interact with the audience is planned. What we do is not planned – it depends on the kids that night.
Jade: There are moments in rehearsal where we think this is a place where interaction could happen. But until I saw kids in the audience, I didn’t really understand how important the show was to them and what we really are doing it for.
Talk about the transition time from the end of the Greenshow to being on stage for a mainstage play.
Tyler: All of us are in the ensemble for South Pacific. Luckily, we’re not in the first scene, but we still have to race across the street to the Randall to get into new costumes for the show.
Jade: And we’re both understudying roles. I’m understudying for Shrew and Tyler for Amadeus.
You can see the free Greenshow every night, Monday through Saturday, at 7:10 p.m. from June 25 to September 5 on the green and the courtyard surrounding the Adams Shakespearean Theatre. You can see the complete cast information at http://www.bard.org/the-greenshow-artists-and-cast/
#utahshakes #greenshow
Charley's Aunt Actor Blog
Charley’s Aunt with Michael Doherty (Lord Fancourt Babberley) and Christine Jugueta (Donna Lucia d’ Alvadorez)
Christine Jugueta (Donna Lucia d’ Alvadorez)
This season’s comedy, Charley’s Aunt, is a classic British farce, where a quiet luncheon turns into a corset-busting masquerade. Two college chums go to great lengths to woo a pair of charming young ladies, including persuading their wacky friend to pose as an aunt from Brazil—where the nuts come from.
We recently spent some time with the two “aunts”: Michael Doherty who plays Lord Fancourt Babberley and Christine Jugueta who plays Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez. Both are new to the Festival this year.
How do you rehearse for a farce? How much is learning text versus your “business”? (A piece of unscripted or improvised action, often comic in intention, used to establish a character, fill a pause in dialogue, or to establish a scene.)
Michael: We spent so much time rehearsing this one piece of business with this very specific prop and this very specific liquid. It’s a minute of stage time and it’s hours and hours of rehearsal. Every line, there’s a move, a look, there’s something happening. It’s a science. And then getting it down and making it look real and organic - it’s like a dance.
Christine: In terms of working with text versus business – we’ve more than any show. We also spent a lot of time on our British accents with the help of Michael J. Barnes, the voice and text coach. We’re really on that and trying to find the right voice.
Michael Doherty (Lord Fancourt Babberley)
Why do you think this play is timeless?
Christine: It’s the timelessness of optimism and good old romance. I’m struck by the sense of second chances in love. It seems most of the characters are trying to win a second chance or they have the surprise of a second chance. That’s lovely in terms of romance.
Michael: It’s so funny by today’s standards. We haven’t stopped laughing while we rehearse it. Timelessness in comedy goes a long way. It’s structured so beautifully, and it’s so smartly written. It’s long for a comedy – three acts, but in each act there’s something new.
The show is about false identity and really, really high stakes - higher than it would be in real life. And then being able to fool as many people as we do. Watching Fancourt win over people. You think he’s doomed from the get-go but he keeps fooling people.
Michael Doherty (Lord Fancourt Babberley), Christine Jugueta (Donna Lucia d’ Alvadorez) and Allie Babich (Ela Delahay).
You’re both new to the Festival – what are your impressions?
Michael: I’m struck by the sense of ensemble throughout the whole company. I love the way people look out for each other. There’s lots of love and support you don’t always find in this business.
Christine: There’s a sense of a high school reunion feel in the company and you get to play every day. Everybody is so committed to the work – so engaged and serious. It’s delightful.
Charley’s Aunt opened in preview on June 26 and runs through October 31. You can purchase tickets online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX. You can learn more about the play, including cast, costume designs and director interviews at http://www.bard.org/plays/2015/charleys-aunt.
2016 Expected to be a Big Year at the Utah Shakespeare Festival
2016 Expected to be a Big Year at the Utah Shakespeare Festival
CEDAR CITY, UT – The future is rising at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Taking shape on the campus of Southern Utah University is the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, which will house the Festival’s new outdoor theatre, the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre; the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre; and much needed production, rehearsal and education space. The center for the arts is sure to become an arts mecca and one of the premier arts destinations in the West.
Thus, 2016 is a big year at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and the leadership team is excited to share the much-awaited announcement of the 55th season running from June 27 to October 22. Artistic Directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn recently announced the season, which includes three Shakespeare classics, three musicals and two comedies.
Opening in the outdoor Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre will be Henry V by William Shakespeare. This is the final play in the Henry IV tetralogy and a continuation of the Festival’s commitment to the History Cycle. In Henry V audiences will watch as young Prince Hal takes the throne to become one of England’s finest kings.
Also featured in the Engelstad Theatre is Shakespeare’s timeless romantic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. Much Ado introduces us to the bantering Beatrice and Benedick, one of Shakespeare’s wittiest and most lovable pair of lovers. And “it’s all for one and one for all” in Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s famous action packed, sword fighting quest for all time, The Three Musketeers.
Audiences can rest assured that the open-air Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre will have the same intimate actor-audience relationship they’ve grown to love. In fact, the Engelstad will enhance the experience for both our audience members and our company. It will be ADA accessible, have additional restrooms and will be on the same side of the street as the Randall L. Jones Theatre. The new theatre is the next step in further elevating the capacity of the Utah Shakespeare Festival to continually produce artistic, relevant, and meaningful productions of William Shakespeare’s work.
In the Randall L. Jones Theatre a sidesplitting comedy awaits you with a hilarious Marx Brother’s romp, The Cocoanuts with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by George S. Kaufman. This musical comedy is sure to leave audiences rolling in the aisles. And, opening later in the season is the unforgettable mismatched pair of Felix and Oscar in Neil Simon’s beloved comedy, The Odd Couple.
With final details pending, another family popular musical will be added to the Randall mix and announced soon.
The Festival is thrilled to open the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, a 200-seat theatre, which will provide a third, flexible option for smaller, more intimate plays. The first play to be produced in the Anes Studio Theatre will be Shakespeare’s powerful political drama, Julius Caesar. It’s an action-packed drama perfect for an election year. It’s a play that still resonates with today’s modern audience.
And rounding out the Festival’s programing is a new musical murder mystery, Murder for Two, which features just two actors*.* One actor investigates the crime. The other plays all the suspects. And they both play the piano. It’s a tour-de-force musical that will keep everyone on their toes. Murder for Two featuresbook and lyrics by Kellen Blair and book and music by Joe Kinosian.
With so much changing next year, be assured that “Your Festival Experience” is still at the forefront of every visit, but now all located in one amazing Center for the Arts. The Festival will still offer props, costume, actor and literary seminars, orientations, Greenshows and of course backstage tours of our new facilities.
Excitement and anticipation is rising as everyday buildings take shape. Thank you for your support and continued belief in the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Watch the website (www.bard.org) for more information as it’s revealed throughout the year.
Tickets for the 2016 season go on sale August 4. They will be available via the Festival website, www.bard.org; telephone, 800-PLAYTIX or at the Ticket Office.
In Summary:
In the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
- Henry V by William Shakespeare, June to September
- Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, June to September
- The Three Musketeers by Ken Ludwig adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, June to September
In the Randall L. Jones Theatre
- The Cocoanuts, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by George S. Kaufman, June to October
- The Odd Couple by Neil Simon, September to October
- Mary Poppins, June to September
In the Eileen and Allen Anes Theatre
- Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, July to October
- Murder for Two, book and lyrics by Kellen Blair and book and music by Joe Kinosian, August to October
Going Once, Going Twice. Place a Bid in Our Online Auction
Even if you can’t take part in the Festival Board of Governors Fundraising Gala July 10, you can be part of the action—and bid on some fantastic bargains. One exciting part of the gala is an online auction now until July 12. And it’s open to everyone!
It includes a wide range of items to bid on, from vacation packages and artwork to concerts and fabulous dining. For instance, you can bid on six suite tickets to the “Smoke + Mirrors” Concert of Imagine Dragons, along with dinner at Flemings Prime Steakhouse in Las Vegas. Or, if something quieter is more to your liking, you can try your luck at a two-night stay in Zion National Park, including dinner and gas. Or you can purchase an opportunity to sit in the control booth during South Pacific and watch the stage manager and light and sound operators do their work.
All told, you can bid on 40 different items. So, visit our auction website at www.biddingforgood.com/bard and see all the great items available. Then make a bid or two for your favorites. But hurry. The auction ends July 12, and these great bargains are going once, going twice . . .
Cabaret Organizers, Larry Bull & Natasha Harris
An Interview with Cabaret Organizers, Larry Bull & Natasha Harris
REACH Cabaret, the fun-filled Thursday night variety show, has a new home. This year, it will be at Off the Cuff, 913 South Main in Cedar City.
We met with Larry Bull and Natasha Harris to learn more.
Larry: It’s very exciting. Off the Cuff is a wonderful space in that it’s specifically designed for performances. There’s not a bad seat in the house, there will be no standing in the back, everyone can be accommodated. We can fit about 250 people in there.
TJ and Wendy Penrod who run OTC are very enthusiastic and we’re really excited for them to host. From a performance standpoint, OTC will be exciting – they have a wonderful green room, there’s a good amount of backstage, there’s multiple entrances and exits so we can have fun with that.
Natasha: It opens up our options as to what kind of performances we can have.
What about the format for this year?
Natasha: It’s much the same with an emphasis on variety. We’d like there to be as much different talent as possible. We’re reaching out to more than just the acting company – the production staff, house management. We’re hoping to have a wider group of people audition and perform.
When do performers audition?
Larry: Auditions are on Tuesdays from 10 – 1. That’s one of the most fun things. It’s created a bit of a live TV buzz like SNL. We see what we have at the beginning of the week, we put together a line up and the show is made up of what’s provided to us in the audition. Some weeks, it might be mostly musical, some weeks more variety.
How are you making sure that patrons know about the new location?
Larry: It’s on every piece of material. The words “new location” are larger than “Reach Cabaret”. We’re posting somebody at the Grind (last year’s location) to head off folks. We have program inserts. There’s a display sandwich board, and we’ll have people stationed in the lobbies on Thursday evenings.
The money raised through donations at the REACH Cabaret is used to provide transportation and housing for casting directors from other theatres so company members can audition during their long run here. This year, they are targeting between eighteen and twenty different guests. Prior guests included Disney, PCPA, and New York and Chicago casting agents. The guests see all six shows and audition any REACH member who wishes to participate.
REACH Cabaret begins Thursday, July 9 and runs through September 3. Off The Cuff is at 913 South Main, in the same mall as IFA, Staples and Bealls. The doors will open about 10:30pm and the show begins as soon after 11pm as possible – once the actors and audience get there from the plays that evening. Suggested donation is $11. There will be concessions available.
So remember – NEW LOCATION! 11th Season, 11 o’clock, $11. You can find the most up-to-date information on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ReachPresentsTheCabaret
Taming of the Shrew Actor Blog
The Taming of the Shrew with Melinda Pfundstein (Kate) and Brian Vaughn (Petruchio)
In our interview with Fred Adams, Festival founder and director of this year’s production of The Taming of the Shrew, he told us that he believes this play is a love story based on two people finding their perfect match. http://www.bard.org/news/a-chat-with-fred-adams
A month later, we chatted with the actors playing Petruchio (Brian Vaughn) and Kate (Melinda Pfundstein) to learn their thoughts.
Fred told us that this production is about a love story between your two characters…what are your thoughts?
Brian: For Petruchio it starts out as a guy who is making a deal to marry for money. He says “ if I woo her, what will I get out of this?” The game changes the minute he sees her. First, he sees her external beauty. And then there’s an awakening – it’s love at first sight.
Melinda: Petruchio and Kate are different than anybody else in their world. They recognize true partnership in each other immediately. This is a match for wit and fire and energy. There’s instant attraction on many levels.
With our modern sensibilities, many people object to the concept of “taming”…how are you addressing that?
Melinda: I don’t think there’s getting around it. It’s getting inside it. Michael Barnes, the voice and text coach, found this moment in the folio that’s not in any other version. In the big wooing scene, Petruchio says these really heart-felt words “we are a match.” You can tell that he’s fighting for her. Then the folio says, the father and others walk in and Petruchio puts on a his “public face” again. There are things like that throughout the text that tell you this is not a crushing of a woman’s will, power and individuality. I have a feeling that if this were called anything other than “Taming of the Shrew”, it wouldn’t be an issue.
Brian: I have to say I was petrified going into this show because of the stigma and solving the riddles of the text and what it means. And now that I’m inside it and we’ve talked about what this means, I think it’s a really clear examination of two people who complement one another…
Melinda: and challenge one another…
Brian: as equals…in some ways it becomes about celebrating Kate’s identity and who she is - her intelligence, wit, bravado. They call it “mad and headstrong wit” in the play and I think it’s more than that. She is that way because of the environment she’s around and it becomes about cherishing that and relishing in it. The message in there is “be that way when you need to be that way but not all the time.”
Melinda: It’s not a taming of her spirit. Shakespeare is very smart about giving her the longest speech in the play at the very end after all this has happened. He gives her a platform to raise her voice and speak her mind and her heart. I think it’s a taming of the heart – she’s angry and rightly so. She’s been pushed aside and maybe not handled it the best way. The taming part comes from taming the anger and taming her heart.
Brian: One of my favorite lines in the play is “if she and I be pleased what is that to you?” – he says it to her father and Bianca’s suitors. It’s the truth. What does our relationship have to do with anybody else? The most important thing is that there’s our connection, our spirit, our love and it’s unfair for those people to be passing judgement or calling her a shrew…what do you care?
Melinda: I think that line also speaks to relationships – we make compromises and agreements in relationships that you can’t explain. Nobody can put words to what happens and the way you come to level waters in relationships.
The Taming of the Shrew opens in preview on June 25 and plays in the Adams Theatre (evenings) and the Auditorium Theatre (matinees) through September 5. You can learn more about our production at http://www.bard.org/plays/2015/the-taming-of-the-shrew where you’ll find study guides, costume designs and director interviews.
You can purchase tickets online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
Festival says a fond farewell to the Adams Shakespearean Theatre
We say a fond farewell to the Adams Shakespearean Theatre
The Utah Shakespeare Festival says a fond farewell to the historic Adams Shakespearean Theatre at the end of this summer. Next season, 2016, will usher in a whole new audience experience at the Festival with the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center of the Arts and the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. However, before the lights dim forever in the Adams Theatre, the Festival has planned celebrative activities throughout the season. Patrons can come and experience all the magic the Adams has to offer as well as say goodbye.
“For over forty years this wonderful ‘wooden O’ has provided the blank page for us to tell a thousand dreams,” said Festival Founder Fred C. Adams. “She has sat through snow storms, wild winds and pelting rains, waiting patiently for world class directors and designers to bring her to life each spring with creative ideas and just the right amount of magic. She now serves as the inspiration for a new and exciting youngster to pick up the torch and carry the Festival to new and brighter heights.”
The complete list of activities is below. More information is available at our website, www.bard.org.
Adams Farewell Art Exhibit in the Randall L. Jones Lobby
This exhibit celebrates the architecture, spirit, and history of the Adams Memorial Shakespeare Theatre, the symbol of the Utah Shakespeare Festival since 1977. Over ninety artists from the western United States and as far away as Beijing, China, submitted work, presenting the Adams Theatre in oils, watercolors, quilts, sculpture, and drawings. Most pieces are on sale, with proceeds going to the artist and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Video Tribute to the Adams Theatre
A video tribute has been commissioned to highlight the memories and history of the Adams Shakespearean Theatre. The video can be seen in the Auditorium Theatre lobby and online.
The Greenshow
The Festival will once again have three different Greenshow’s this year; Irish Night, English Night, and Italian Night. English Night will conclude with a touching song about the Adams Shakespearean Theatre and the stories we have shared inside the Wooden O. The Greenshow is free and begins at 7:10p from Monday to Saturday on The Greenshow stage.
Special Adams Theatre Backstage Tour
The Backstage Tour will focus more on the Adams Theatre and the technology that is used to create the magic onstage. Call for tickets or visit bard.org
Reunion Weekend: August 13-15
All past employees of the Utah Shakespeare Festival are invited for a special reunion weekend to celebrate the closing of the Adams Theatre. There will also be a reception in the Adams Courtyard on August 15 after the evening shows. For more information visit bard.org/news.
Photo Opportunities around the Adams Theatre
Around the Adams Theatre will be designated photo opportunities so audience members can document and share their last time at the theatre. Please share these photos on our Instagram page @utahshakespeare or on Facebook, facebook.com/utahshakespeare.
September 3, 4 and 5: Closing Night Celebrations
On the closing nights of The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear and Henry IV Part Two there will be a special commemoration highlighting the many memories and shows that have been produced in the Adams Theatre.
Tickets are on sale for the Festival’s 54th season, which runs from June 25 to October 31, 2015. The eight-play season includes Shakespeare’s King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, Henry IV Part TwoandThe Two Gentlemen of Verona. The season will also include Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, Charley’s Aunt by Brandon Thomas and Steven Dietz’sadaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.
Company Spotlight: Andy Baldeschwiler and Matthew Henry
Andy Baldeschwiler, Actor
Have you ever worked at the Festival before?
No, this is my first year!
Where’s your home base?
I currently reside in NYC, but I also claim Chicago, since I performed there for 11 years.
What’s your education/training background?
I studied music and theater at DePaul University. Over the years, I’ve taken classes and workshops at many places, such as Victory Gardens, Black Box Acting, and the Pearl Conservatory.
What brought you to your field and what keeps you doing your craft?
I joined a youth theater in the fifth grade after seeing a friend’s performance of ‘Charlotte’s Web’; I have been acting ever since. What keeps me involved are the constant challenges and joys - not just with scripts and characters, but also with actual people and places.
How will you spend your time off while here?
Hopefully a lot of time will be spent hiking and sightseeing. If I don’t make multiple visits to the nearby National Parks and Monuments, something has gone wrong! I’m also hoping to catch up on some reading and writing.
What does the Festival Experience mean to you?
I’m simply happy for the opportunity to work at such a well-regarded Festival alongside such talented folks.
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
Since omniscience and omnipotence are a bit much to ask, I’d settle for the ability to fly.
If you had a time machine, where would you like to visit?
I’d like to go back as a fly on the wall to see my forebears and know what their lives were like.
Matthew Henry, Cosmetologist-Wig and Makeup Run Crew
Have you ever worked at the Festival before?
This will be the first time I have had the opportunity working at the Festival.
Where’s your home base?
I was born and raised in Richfield, Utah.
What’s your education/training background?
High school diploma: Richfield High School, 2010
Associate of Science: Snow College, 2011
Cosmetology/Barbering Cert. of Proficiency: 2015
What brought you to your field and what keeps you doing your craft?
I have always had an interest in working with personal appearances, which inspired me to attend cosmetology school. The arts have always appealed to me, which led me to apply for a position on the wig & makeup crew here at the Festival. I have also developed some skills in costume-making, and love the creative opportunities in the field of theatre. I thrive under pressure, and enjoy the successes of demanding atmospheres. It brings out my best work, the best of my creativity. I look forward to the challenges the Festival has to offer.
How will you spend your time off while here?
In my off time while I am here, I am sure I will find a piano where I can spend some time playing, singing, and immersing myself in music. I may have an opportunity of visiting Angola(Africa) in September playing music for children, and encouraging them to develop talents through opportunities that are being presented them to develop their talents.
Also, I am sure I will be doing some hair on the side.
When it’s raining, I’m going to read poetry with friends while we listen to the rain.
What does the Festival Experience mean to you?
This experience is an opportunity to start my cosmetology career in a place where I get to work with other creative, extremely talented professionals. This experience is a chance to continue to learn a great deal.
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
Definitely, to be able to move things with my mind.
If you had a time machine, where would you like to visit?
I would visit Europe during the musical Romantic period of budding young artists such as Chopin and Liszt, and hear their amazing performances in the concert halls of Paris, the center of the finest training for promising musicians of the Romantic era.