Festival’s Educational Tour Presents Macbeth

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is once again hitting the road with its Shakespeare-in-the-Schools touring production—this year performing the classic tragedy, Macbeth.

From January to April, the Festival will take its production of Macbeth to more than 25,000 students in five western states. The tour will spend 14 weeks on the road visiting schools, community centers, and correctional facilities across Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona with over 65 performances for 120 schools. Directing this year is Quinn Mattfeld, who has been as an actor on the Festival’s stages for many seasons and directed last year’s New American Playwright Project play, Breakout.

To kickoff the tour, the play will be performed for the public in the Auditorium Theatre at Southern Utah University on January 21 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5 for general admission and may be obtained by calling the Festival’s ticket office at 1-800-PLAYTIX or 435-586-7878.

In its 17th year, this educational outreach program features a 75-minute version of Shakespeare’s *Macbeth,*including complete costumes, sets, and theatrical lighting. Also included is a fifteen-minute post-show discussion with the actors and optional workshops in Stage Combat, Performing Shakespeare’s Text, Technical Theatre and Developing Character through Improvisation.

“This is a play about a man who walks into the darkness and becomes it,” said Mattfeld. “We all fear that the mistakes we make in our lives will come back to haunt us. For Macbeth and his wife, the haunting is literal.”

When asked why perform Macbeth Mattfled said, “there is so much room for storytelling, I am interested in doing a theatrically dynamic production, that immediately engages the audience’s imagination.”  

Scenic Designer and Props Director Ben Hohman was inspired by images of black and white birch trees for the set, which will create an eerie ambience for this play. Costume Designer Christina Leinicke is exploring the concept of light verses dark in the costumes, as well as incorporating images of the Three Fates into the witch’s costume. Actors off stage will be creating the percussive scoring themselves as part of transitions, dramatic punctuations and the necessary sound effects.

Ten professionals from all over the country are coming together to bring this production to students. The company consists of seven actors, a company manager, a stage manager, and a technical director.

Six cast members were seen in this past 2014 season at the Festival: Drew Shirley (Macbeth) was Antipholus of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors and Antonio in Twelfth Night ; he received his M.F.A in acting at the University of Illinois. Natasha Harris (Lady Macbeth) was Juliet in Measure for Measure, Florinda in Into the Woods, and ensemble in Henry IV Part One; she received her B.A. at the University of California, Irvine. Sceri Ivers (Witch) performed in The Greenshow, Into the Woods and Sense and Sensibility; Sceri will be receiving her B.F.A in musical theatre at Southern Utah University in 2015. Marco Antonio Vega (Banquo) performed in The Comedy of Errors, Henry IV Part One, and Measure for Measure; Marco received his B.S. in theatre from Southern Utah University. Eric Weiman (Malcolm) was in The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night; he received his B.F.A. at the University of Minnesota/Guthrie. Molly Wetzel (Lady Macduff) performed in The Greenhow, Lucinda in Into the Woods, and Sense and Sensibility; she received her B.F.A in musical theatre and minor in dance from Otterbein University. Andrew Voss (Duncan and MacDuff) is new to the Festival. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has worked at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and Great Lakes Theatre.

The support crew is Sam Callery (technical director) who graduated from California University of Pennsylvania and is working in New York City as a lead electrician. Stephanie Ellis (company manager) is a University of Utah Alumni, and Bryan Sommer (stage manager) has worked at the Festival for five years as an assistant stage manager and production assistant and is an alumnus of Southern Utah University.

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 UBS Bank. Mountain America Credit Union is serving as the community performance sponsor. 

Over the next few weeks, we’ll interview Quinn Mattfeld, the director, as well as Natasha Harris (Lady Macbeth) and Drew Shirley (Macbeth).

For a complete tour schedule visit http://www.bard.org/education/tour.html

Costume sketches by Christina Leinicke.

Long-Time Festival Actor and Director Passes Away

It is with great sadness but with memories of a life well lived that the Utah Shakespeare Festival announces the death of Howard Jensen, who appeared at the Festival as an actor in its opening year and has returned many times since to act and direct.

Jensen, 73, died Saturday evening, December 13 at his home in Bloomington, Indiana. He is survived by his brother Dale Jensen and wife Carol, two sisters Beverly Markos and Donna Vee Sorensen and husband Leland, close friend Julie Jensen, and the many theatre students who were inspired by his talent, dedication, and love of theatre.

Howard was born in Salina, Utah and grew up in the tiny rural town of Redmond where he saw a children’s theatre production during his early childhood. Ultimately, that experience lead him to pursue a career in theater. After receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah, he spent two years on active duty in the army. Subsequently, he received his M.A. from the University of California, Davis and his Ph.D. in theatre from Wayne State University where he was an actor in the renowned Hilberry Theatre. Howard joined the faculty of the Department of Theatre and Drama at Indiana University, Bloomington in 1972. In 1976 he was appointed head of the department’s Acting and Directing Program. The ultimate strength and national recognition of that program was due in no small measure to Howard Jensen’s leadership.

During his career at Indiana, Howard directed scores of plays including A Streetcar Named Desire that opened the new Brown County Playhouse in 1977 and Death of a Salesman that opened the Ruth Halls Theatre in 2001 in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center. Prior to joining the faculty at Indiana University, he was an actor and founding member of the Utah Shakespeare Festival and later directed more than a dozen productions for the company. He was also a visiting director at such distinguished theatre festivals as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. And, on occasion, he continued to work as an actor with the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

Howard Jensen’s numerous awards and honors are indicative of his impact on the theatre locally, regionally, and nationally. In 1989 he was honored by Arts Indiana as a “State Arts Treasure,” in 2001 the Utah Shakespeare Festival named him one of the forty most “illustrious persons who have illuminated our lives,” and in 2002 he received the Indiana University Trustee’s Teaching Award.

Howard Jensen will be always be remembered as a talented artist and teacher by his students, colleagues, and long-time friends both inside and outside Indiana University. He died peacefully, thanks to Hospice and especially his care-giver/nurse Allison Tomusk. Contributions in Howard’s memory and in support of classical theatre may be made to the Howard Jensen Endowment Fund at the Indiana University Foundation.

How You Can Help the Props Department...

Do you wonder how we get all the furniture and props on stage? If you’ve ever attended a Props Seminar during your visit, you know that Ben Hohman, Props Director, and his team create magic. They have a 6,000 square foot warehouse with everything from furniture to lamps to a suit of armor.

For any given season, they will create the look and feel for each play with 50% from the warehouse, 25% purchased and 25% made from scratch. And they are always looking for new items. Your donations can help!

We recently chatted with Ben to learn more.

Ben: This summer, after a Props Seminar, Jim and Heather Molans approached me and asked if we took donations. I said “yes.” We emailed photos back and forth. They were remodeling their house and they realized they had too much “stuff.” The Molans loved their items and wanted to be sure there was a life beyond their house.

We warned them that their things on stage would probably look different. We might stain it or reupholster it. If an item is broken, we fix it, make it usable again. Bottom line, these are not museum pieces. And, we’ll use it til it falls apart. Then we’ll use all the parts; table legs become lamps, tables become pedestals. So the items definitely live on.

So the Molans rented a 16 foot U-Haul and brought us a fabulous collection of Victorian pieces, many of which will be used next season in Charley’s Aunt. Another example: An auction business in Las Vegas recently contacted our Development Department, saying “We auction off estates and some items are broken or some don’t sell. But we love the Festival and would be happy to donate those to you.” Our response: “Yes, we take broken pieces because we can fix them and repurpose them.” So this fall, we’ll be driving to Las Vegas with a trailer. And what we can’t use, we’ll donate to a local charity.

So how can our supporters help? What do you need?

Ben: Big picture, if you’re remodeling, downsizing, cleaning out an old house, or planning a trip to the dump, please consider the Festival first! We can use furniture, old books, records, lamps, decorative items, rugs, wooden ladders, telephones of any era, old computers, silk plants, paintings – just to name a few.

You can email me at propsdir@bard.org, include photos and we’ll see what we can do. Our range for pick up is usually Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, but if it’s something we can use, we’ll find a way.

For next season specifically, we need World War II Army items i.e. tents, duffle bags, equipment for South Pacific and 1890s/1900s sports memorabilia i.e. pennants, paddles, for Charley’s Aunt. And if you just happen to have a 1700s pianoforte, we could use that for Amadeus!

Your donations are tax-deductible and every little bit helps. You can email me at propsdir@bard.org, include photos and we’ll see what we can do. Our range for pick up is usually Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, but if it’s something we can use, we’ll find a way.

For next season specifically, we need World War II Army items i.e. tents, duffle bags, equipment for South Pacific and 1890s/1900s sports memorabilia i.e. pennants, paddles, for Charley’s Aunt. And if you just happen to have a 1700s pianoforte, we could use that for Amadeus!

Your donations are tax-deductible and every little bit helps.

Join us for a Christmas celebration at the Frontier Homestead State Park

Are you looking for a fun, family friendly, affordable way to celebrate the Christmas season? The Utah Shakespeare Festival has partnered with the Frontier Homestead State Park to provide a weeklong Christmas of Yesteryear. There is something for everyone in our community – young, old, and in between.

During week of December 8, each evening from 5:30 pm to 8pm and all day Saturday will feature music from local musicians, Christmas story readings with Festival favorites, visits with Santa (every evening from 5:30 to 8), decorated trees, local artists, hands on activities and food and beverages.

We talked with Ryan Paul, Curator at the Frontier Homestead, to get some details. This year, instead of only one night for Christmas at the Frontier Homestead, we’ve partnered with the Festival to create an entire week of community centered celebration.

Each night will be different, and we’re encompassing all the arts: there will be music from local groups such as the Festival City Chamber Singers, Suzuki Strings, Miss Iron County and the USF Playmakers. Christmas readings will feature Festival powerhouses such as David Ivers, Brian Vaughn and Melinda Pfundstein. There will be music at 6pm and 7pm and readings at 6:30 and 7:30.

And then there are the visual arts with invited local artists demonstrating their craft. For example, Ron Flud will make leather holsters and bags and Susie Prince will demonstrate jewelry making.

Walking through the various museum structures, you’ll get a feeling of yesteryear. Each will be decorated with a themed tree. Ben Hohman, Props and Display Director for the Festival, is creating two trees: a paper tree and a tree made entirely of tumbleweeds that’s fourteen feet tall. The Livestock Festival is making one out of barbed wire.

Santa will be in the Hunter House each evening from 5:30 to 8. Each night, there will be different treats: popcorn and hot cider, scones and hot chocolate. Roving musicians will entertain you as you walk among the various buildings. There are also different hands-on activities each evening: print-making for Christmas cards, dipping candles.

And Saturday, from 11am – 8pm, the Festival’s Playmakers will provide Christmas carols all day. There will be ten featured artists, demonstrating their craft and helping your gift buying by selling their items.

Bottom line, this is a fun, affordable, community-centered Christmas celebration. We hope you’ll come more than once to sample all that we have to offer.

Have we whetted your appetite? Admission is $1.50 per person, only $5 per family. And you can get a pass for the entire week for only $20. We hope to see you there!

You can find a complete schedule of events at

http://www.frontierhomestead.org/event/christmas-homestead-1

For questions, you can call Ryan Paul, museum curator, at 435 586 9290.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from the Utah Shakespeare Festival!

We want to thank our donors, audience members, volunteers, and fans for their support this year. We have so many things to be thankful for; a successful 2014 season, starting construction on the new Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, a world premier, a visit from England and continuing to bring Shakespeare’s words to life. Thank you to all. 

Enjoy Christmas of Yesteryear

This December, the Utah Shakespeare Festival is partnering with the Frontier Homestead State Park Museum to present Christmas at the Homestead from December 8 through 13. The weeklong holiday celebration will feature local entertainment, pioneered-themed crafts, an arts festival, tasty treats and nightly appearances from St. Nicholas. Activities start at 5:30 p.m. during the week with an all day event-taking place on Saturday, December 13. Entry is only $5 per family or $1.50 for individuals.

With so many holiday events happening all around town, the Museum approached the Festival last year about creating one unifying community-centered Christmas event. Park Manager Todd Prince commented, “Partnering with the Utah Shakespeare Festival has allowed us to significantly expand our Christmas event this year, from one evening to an entire week. This is a great opportunity for individuals and families to benefit from an affordable and entertaining holiday experience. Christmas at the Homestead gives us a chance to celebrate our rich heritage and give something back to the community.”

With such a large undertaking, both organizations are reaching out for support. Volunteers are needed as greeters. Local artists are needed for decorating. Musicians are needed to perform carols. And that’s just the beginning. There are many volunteer opportunities to fit any skill level. If you are interested in participating, please email Volunteer Coordinator Kris Bahr at kris@bard.org.

Christmas at the Homestead is for the whole family. Every day there will be a featured artist inside the museum doing live demonstrations while outside all the buildings will be lit up and open for exploration. There will be crafts, hot chocolate, music and Christmas cheer. The festivities begin on December 8 with an all day culmination event happening on Saturday, December 13.

For more information visit http://www.frontierhomestead.org or call Ryan Paul, museum curator at (435) 586-9290.

Another Successful Season Supports the Festival Legacy

With a $38 million project under construction, a world premiere adaptation, a visit from England, and the continuation of the Complete the Canon and History Cycle initiatives, the Utah Shakespeare Festival showed no signs of slowing down in 2014, its 53rd season. Producing 235 performances in rotating repertory in three theatres for 17 weeks is no easy feat, but through countless hours, a dedicated group of artists has pulled off another artistically successful year.

Groundbreaking Ceremony

“Cedar City, Utah, is a midsummer’s dream of a spot, where top-caliber theater rubs shoulders with high-desert canyons,” said Los Angeles Times reporter Sherry Stern. “If you’re an avid theatergoer, Cedar City’s Utah Shakespeare Festival is a must.” A must indeed, especially with the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, the new performing and visual arts complex, under construction.

When the first shovel broke ground on the long-awaited Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts on the campus of Southern Utah University, the cultural landscape of southern Utah was forever changed. Demolition of nine buildings took place in August and September, and now construction crews are working on rerouting utility lines. With red dirt flying, the Center is on track to finish in January 2016.

The Center is predicted to further establish Cedar City as a regional arts mecca. It will serve as the home to the new Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, the new Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, an artistic/production building and rehearsal studio for the Festival, and SUU’s Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA). The Center also features a tree lined walkway and sculpture gardens and will offer many large public gathering spaces ideal for receptions and special events.

Another large undertaking this year was the world premiere adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility co-written by J. R. Sullivan and Joseph Hanreddy. Sullivan and Hanreddy also wrote Pride and Prejudice, which appeared at the Festival to great acclaim in 2010. The adaptation faithfully followed the plot and themes of Austen’s beloved novel.

“From the masterfully adapted script, courtesy of Director Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan, to a beautifully simplistic set that allows for seamless transitions, this theatrical jewel opens the door to Austen’s classic work in a way not previously explored,” said Lisa Larson, reporter for The Spectrum.

Eva Balistrieri (left) as Marianne Dashwood and Cassandra Bissell as Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility

Also, this summer scholars and lovers of Shakespeare traveled from England to America to study why Shakespeare is so popular here, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival was on their list of places to visit. Shakespeare on the Road, a team from the University of Warwick and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which is based in Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, stopped at the Festival as part of a 60-day road trip visiting 14 Shakespeare-related theatre festivals across America.

“We were thrilled to be a part of this amazing study being undertaken by the University of Warwick and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust,” said Festival Executive Director R. Scott Phillips. “Chronicling the love affair that America has with master William Shakespeare is astounding, and to have it done with our friends from the UK is even more astonishing.”

The History Cycle initiative, now in its second year, introduced audiences to young prince Hal in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part One. According to Barbara Bannon from the Salt Lake Tribune, “Henry IV Part One is a compelling start to the story of Henry V’s kingship. Its to-be-continued ending promises good things to come.”

One of the goals of the History Cycle is to have elements of consistency within each production as this further establishes a common thread from one show to the next. It gives cohesiveness to this series that is engaging and dramatic. The most exciting development with the History Cycle is the announcement that three actors have been hired with the commitment that they will continue their roles throughout the Henry tetralogy.

Larry Bull, who played Bolingbroke in 2013 in Richard II, returned in 2014 to assume his role as the newly appointed King Henry IV. Sam Ashdown, who was new to the Festival this season, was been hired to play Hal. Audiences will see him grow over three seasons from a young, rebellious teen (Prince Hal in 2014) to one of England’s most heroic and noble kings (Henry V in 2016). Last but certainly not least is Henry Woronicz who is playing the loveable rogue knight, Sir John Falstaff.

The Festival continues to offer more than just plays: guests were able to experience the free nightly Greenshow, the New American Playwrights Project, Bardway Baby!, production and literary seminars, orientations before every show, backstage tours, educational classes, and Repertory Magic.
Other season highlights include the many community outreach programs that the Festival participated in. These included Military Appreciate Night, July Jamboree, Groovefest, the Iron County Care and Share Fall Food Drive,and Relay for Life.

Although the plays have closed, the Festival staff is hard at work preparing for the 2015 season. Artistic Director David Ivers commented, “The 2014 season brought strong productions and phenomenal artists to our stages. Our full time and seasonal staff are to be commended for delivering some of the finest professional theatre in the country. We are very excited to share 2015 with you!”

The Center is predicted to further establish Cedar City as a regional arts mecca. It will serve as the home to the new Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, the new Anes studio theatre, an artistic/production building and rehearsal studio for the Festival, and SUU’s Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA). The Center also features a tree lined walkway and sculpture gardens and will offer many large public gathering spaces ideal for receptions and special events.

“We were thrilled to be a part of this amazing study being undertaken by the University of Warwick and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust,” said Festival Executive Director R. Scott Phillips. “Chronicling the love affair that America has with master William Shakespeare is astounding, and to have it done with our friends from the UK is even more astonishing.”

The History Cycle initiative, now in its second year, introduced audiences to young prince Hal in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part One. According to Barbara Bannon from the Salt Lake Tribune, “Henry IV Part One is a compelling start to the story of Henry V’s kingship. Its to-be-continued ending promises good things to come.”

Sam Ashdown (left) as Prince Hal and Henry Woronicz as Falstaff in Henry IV Part One.

One of the goals of the History Cycle is to have elements of consistency within each production as this further establishes a common thread from one show to the next. It gives cohesiveness to this series that is engaging and dramatic. The most exciting development with the History Cycle is the announcement that three actors have been hired with the commitment that they will continue their roles throughout the Henry tetralogy.
Larry Bull, who played Bolingbroke in 2013 in Richard II, returned in 2014 to assume his role as the newly appointed King Henry IV. Sam Ashdown, who was new to the Festival this season, was been hired to play Hal. Audiences will see him grow over three seasons from a young, rebellious teen (Prince Hal in 2014) to one of England’s most heroic and noble kings (Henry V in 2016). Last but certainly not least is Henry Woronicz who is playing the loveable rogue knight, Sir John Falstaff.

The Festival continues to offer more than just plays: guests were able to experience the free nightly Greenshow, the New American Playwrights Project, Bardway Baby!, production and literary seminars, orientations before every show, backstage tours, educational classes, and Repertory Magic.
Other season highlights include the many community outreach programs that the Festival participated in. These included Military Appreciate Night, July Jamboree, Groovefest, the Iron County Care and Share Fall Food Drive,and Relay for Life.

Although the plays have closed, the Festival staff is hard at work preparing for the 2015 season. Artistic Director David Ivers commented, “The 2014 season brought strong productions and phenomenal artists to our stages. Our full time and seasonal staff are to be commended for delivering some of the finest professional theatre in the country. We are very excited to share 2015 with you!”

The Center is predicted to further establish Cedar City as a regional arts mecca. It will serve as the home to the new Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, the new Anes studio theatre, an artistic/production building and rehearsal studio for the Festival, and SUU’s Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA). The Center also features a tree lined walkway and sculpture gardens and will offer many large public gathering spaces ideal for receptions and special events.

Update on the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts

Dreams Do Come True

After years of planning, fundraising, and dreaming our new home is finally underway. A lot has changed since the end of August, and hopefully this will inspire everyone to dream big, because they can come true! 

Fences came up on August 27, 2014. It started at the Randall Theatre and stretched all the way to our company housing, and permanently closed 200 West.

Once the fences were up, demolition began with 8 buildings crashing to the ground.  It was bitter sweet to see our old homes being torn down. 

Old Costume Crafts Shop

Fred Adams and Ashley Pollock in front of Administrative Building Demo

Startford Housing

Administration Building 

More Administrative Building 

Once all the buildings were down, it was time to remove all the debris and smooth everything out. 

So what was once this:

Turned into this:

Outside the Randall looks a little different: 

It is amazing to think that in two months buildings, parking lots and streets are now red dirt. Your support and donation dollars have made this possible. 

As of Friday, November 7, Big D, our construction company, is installing conduct, electrical wiring, and pouring site walls.

The Engelstad Theater’s basement is taking shape as well:  

The Festival is thrilled to see our new home coming together. We will keep our audiences, donors, and fans updated as we build this dream together!

David Ivers, Artistic Director - Guest Blog

Thoughts From David

I was approached last week by our PR department to do a little blogging on behalf of USF…Now…I’ve never done this before so you’ll have to forgive the form if it’s somehow not to “industry” standards.

I took the job (the blogging job) for several reasons. First, I thought: “Well, this will be good: force me as one of the Artistic Directors to formulate a few thoughts about what I’m doing at USF to help ‘move the needle’ and share a few thoughts about what’s in the works for the future….you know; have the courage to put it in INK.”

Now, on the heels of THAT thought, this arrived:

“MAN…..this will be so cool when, at 9pm, after my sons have read and cleaned and brushed and shared some thoughts about the universe and asked the big questions and are finally asleep and all the little plastic toys that scar my feet are picked up and put away; after Steph (my wife) and myself finish the dishes and prep the house for the next morning; after that’s all done and we SIT and re-introduce ourselves to each other, she will invariably ask:

“How was work today, anything new?”

I will get to say:

“Good. Good. Yeah. Did a little Bloggin’.”

“Excuse me?” I can hear.

“Yup…did…uh….did a little Bloggin’. Blogging.”

“Really?”

“For USF…you know Nikki (Our PR Director) asked and I said yes…. (silence) I have a blog….(longer silence) I’m a blogger.”

“What did you BLOG about, dear?”

“Just wrote a bit about, the work Brian and myself are doing as we continue to look for new plays to produce at Utah Shakespeare and contemplate commissioning mores classics like the recent Sense and Sensibilitythat just closed in our 2014 summer season.

I wrote a bit about how the new Beverly Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts (BTSCA) will certainly require us to adjust our thinking in terms of HOW we program and WHAT we program. I’m excited (I wrote) about the possibility of opening our season a bit earlier and looking at how we might extend the Fall component of our work to allow greater access for our student and local population. The BTSCA will incorporate a smaller, flexible theater which will allow us to produce intimate works of varying genres to help build an audience during portions of the year that are not typically programmed.

I continued, Brian and myself along with Executive Director Scott Phillips and General Manager Zach Murray are meeting weekly to strategize effective ways to produce our work more efficiently, to organize the Utah Shakespeare Festival in a way that protects our resources and improves the support we offer our full and seasonal staff.

We are currently working with our board to complete a Long Range Plan, which has been stalled over the last two years as other priorities, and challenges have moved higher up the list. I’m excited, I wrote, about the progress being made with the caliber of artists who appear on and off our stages and hope to continue the trend as we look toward a 2015 season that will bring noted stage, film and TV actor TONY AMENDOLA to USF as King Lear.”

“You sound excited” smiled Steph.

“I am…there was a lot to share in my little Blog debut. Things like our great working sessions with a really dedicated production staff on how the 2016 and 2017 season line-up(s) look. How our repertory of plays may weave in and out of the calendar year and how we support our local southern Utah community as we continue to reach out beyond our borders.

We have a new and innovative approach to branding recently brought to us by our Marketing and Communications team that will certainly support our mission.

And, I’m eager to share results and details of upcoming casting sessions as we put together the 2015 company and I’m hopeful we will be in a position to announce our 2016 season in the new BTSCA sooner than later (3 titles have been chosen!).

All in all, it’s been great to share a few thoughts with our friends and supporters as we continue to build some of the best theatre in our country.”

“Wow.”

Steph quipped. “Big day….can’t wait to read it.”

Festival Inspires Generosity in Patrons

Cedar City, UT – The Utah Shakespeare Festival partnered with the Iron County Care and Share this fall to take action against hunger in Iron County. Throughout the 2014 fall season, southern Utah residents were able to participate in the eleventh annual Festival food drive. Thanks to the generosity of the surrounding community, the Festival was able to donate 3,467 pounds of food to the Iron County Care and Share facility.

In addition to the food drive, Festival actors, musicians, and company members hosted a special, one-night only benefit concert, Singing for Supper, on October 2nd at the Iron Gate Inn donating all proceeds to the ICCS. The concert showcased the musical talents of Melinda Pfundstein, Zack Powell, Bree Murphy, Anthony Simone and many other Festival actors. Along with beautiful musical performances, actors also read testimonials from individuals who have benefited from the ICCS. The concert raised $465 and 103 pounds of food.

“Millions of Americans are at risk of hunger, one in five of whom are children,” said Singing for Supper event organizer Tanya Searle. “Iron County Care and Share provides food to an average of 800 families every month, helping parents and children achieve a more promising future and offering seniors a healthy and secure present. Donations help the ICCS continue to provide these valuable services to the community.”

“On behalf of the Iron County Care and Share, and the residents of Iron County who so desperately need immediate hunger relief; I would like to express our deep gratitude to all of those who work so hard each year to pull this food drive together.” Said ICCS Executive Director April Hill. “The pre-holiday season is very difficult for our organization because most of the larger food drives are held early in the year. The Festival food drive gives us the boost we need to provide hunger relief to our families before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For the fall season, the Festival offered discounts to theatergoers who donated at least six nonperishable food items. Local residents were able to see any Tuesday through Thursday production for half price with the food donation. Every week the bins were full of food in the Randall foyer, demonstrating the generosity of local residents.

The Iron County Care and Share still needs help feeding families this holiday season. They also welcome volunteers to assist them. You can visit the Iron County Care and Share at 222 West 900 North in Cedar City, or you can call 435-586-4962. According to the Iron County Care and Share, “food drives raise awareness of hunger in the community, collect food for people in need and play an essential role in the fight against hunger.”