Fred C. Adams Honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award

Two great men were honored recently at the twenty-fifth annual Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA) conference held earlier this January in San Francisco. To recognize and preserve the memory of Douglas N. Cook, who was a co-founder of the Shakespeare Theatre Association and the Festival’s producing artistic director emeritus, STA created the Douglas N. Cook Lifetime Achievement Award, which was graciously bestowed on Festival Founder Fred C. Adams.

According to STA Past President, Jeff Watkins of Atlanta Shakespeare Company, the award was given to Adams to acknowledge his twenty-five years of service and involvement with STA. “We really should express our gratitude, love, and admiration while Fred is still with us,” said Watkins. “The time to honor Fred is now. His contributions to the field cannot be overstated. Likewise his impact on STA, which is such a supportive atmosphere… so much knowledge, so much wisdom, so freely shared among great and small, and Fred, of course, would be the great.”

“To me, Fred is the living, beating heart of STA,” said STA Executive Director Patrick Flick.  “As a young member he was quick to make me feel welcome with a smile, a handshake, a joke or a kernel of wisdom.  Now, Fred is a trusted ally and friend, and holds the keys to the institutional memory of STA.  That is invaluable not only to me, but to every member of STA.”

“I was totally surprised,” said Adams. “I had no idea this Lifetime Achievement Award had even been created in memory of Doug, so I’m thrilled to be recognized with an award that has his name on it. I am so fond of STA and hope it continues to thrive in the years to come.”

“STA has over 150 members from around the world and continues to grow,” stated Flick.  “None of this would have been possible without that first meeting on a cold January day in 1991 when Fred Adams joined Doug Cook, Sidney Berger and a ‘happy few’ Shakespearean producers in Washington, DC to create this wonderful thing we now call STA."

The Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA) was established to provide a forum for the artistic, managerial, and educational leadership for theatres primarily involved with the production of the works of William Shakespeare; to discuss issues and methods of work, resources, and information; and to act as an advocate for Shakespearean productions and training.

Drew Shirley as Macbeth for the Tour production

Drew Shirley, who is playing Macbeth in our Tour production, has appeared here at the Festival for 4 seasons. Last year, he was in The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, and Sherlock Holmes: the Final Adventure. He earned his BFA at Emporia State University and his MFA in acting at University of Illinois. While he has participated in a school tour for the Kingsman Shakespeare Company, this will be his first tour where they travel in a van and visit 5 states in 3 months.

We chatted with Drew, right after the first two performances: one at the Iron County Correctional Facility in front of ten young inmates and one for the Iron County schools with over 900 kids.

Tell us your thoughts about Shakespeare and this play.

First – in high school, I hated Shakespeare (like many kids). It wasn’t until I worked here in 2008 that I realized how incredible Shakespeare can be. When you see it done well, it can be life changing!

Our production of Macbeth is a high octane train ride to hell. It moves really fast. The first half is like a ghost story or a fable. The second half is the descent into insanity, war and hell.

And it’s not a morality play. Shakespeare often shows us the opposite side of the same coin; no one is all good or all evil. It makes it more interesting. The play is about making decisions and the consequences of those decisions. All of us make the “easy” decision – the little evils that we do. Macbeth makes the “easy” decision to kill the king. And then it all unravels.

What are your thoughts on touring?

I think it’s important for the kids. I figure there’s someone like me out there who hates Shakespeare. I have a shot to make him/her fall in love – it could be life changing.

With live theatre, there is something asked of the audience. It’s not like a movie. If they stay with us for the first ten minutes to get through the language, then they will be hooked and stay with us.

I also believe it’s important for adult actors to work with the kids in the workshops. We can show that acting isn’t just selfish but that we can help people. I’ll teach the Improv and Shakespeare Text workshops.

What about the different venues?

We have to be really careful with the fights because each school and venue will be different. They are stage fights, but it is contact fighting, so it can be scary if we don’t practice. And I have to worry about breathing when I’m “dead.” I’m always afraid I’ll cough.

I know we’ll have challenges on the road – flat tires, breakdowns, lighting or sound that doesn’t work. So we have to be totally in the moment and chose how to respond. We have a really good group of people with a good balance of skills and temperaments so I know we’ll be fine.

The Tour departed Cedar City on January 22 for Las Vegas. After two weeks there, they will hit the road, visiting five states with 65 performances . You can learn more about the tour at

http://www.bard.org/education/tour.html

Honk, Jr. Audition Workshops Available for Festival Playmakers Program

Cedar City, UT – Kids ages 6 to 17 are invited to attend a free audition workshop series on Monday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 3 hosted by the education department of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. The workshop will be in the Southern Utah University Music Building, room 209 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The goal of the audition workshop series is to introduce new and returning students to Playmakers and get them ready for the Honk, Jr. auditions, which are on Wednesday, February 4 starting at 3 p.m. Kids will play theatre games, get to know the Playmakers team, and learn the audition songs. If parents or students have questions, are nervous about auditioning or need a little more practice, this is a great way to get to know the Playmakers program. Attending the workshop is not required to audition for Playmakers.

If individuals are interested in attending the workshop or scheduling an audition time, please visit usfplaymakers.blogspot.com and click “Honk Jr. Auditions” tab at the top.

For the audition on February 4, performers should come prepared to sing one of the songs linked on the audition page. An accompanist will be provided. Callbacks will be Thursday, February 5 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the SUU Music Building, room 209.

Rehearsals for this Playmakers’ production will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays beginning February 9. Once a child is cast, the cost of participation in the production is $200. This covers the cost of royalties, costumes, set, etc. Scholarships are available in many cases. Honk, Jr. will be performed in the Auditorium Theatre from April 8 through April 13.

Check the website and Facebook page for more information.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/utahshakespeareplaymakers

Website: bard.org/education/classes/playmakers.html

Blog: http://usfplaymakers.blogspot.com

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Beverley Taylor Sorenson

CEDAR CITY, UT - The Utah Shakespeare Festival will honor the life and legacy of Beverley Taylor Sorenson at its inaugural Salt Lake City gala event on Saturday, February 7 in the Imperial Ballroom of the Grand America Hotel. Proceeds from the evening will support the Festival Forever Endowment.

Co-chairing the event are Colleen B. Paddock and Jeffrey R. Nelson, members of the Festival’s board of governors; and according to Paddock, they are delighted to host the first Salt Lake City-based gala at the beautiful Grand America. “It promises to be a magical evening benefiting the Utah Shakespeare Festival. A romantically divine atmosphere and a Valentine dinner will set the stage for everyone to enjoy.”

“I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our board to assist with this event. Their commitment and energy are reflective of their love for live theater and enthusiasm about this world-class organization,” added Nelson.

The evening’s program will feature Carole Mikita as the master of ceremonies, vocalist Erica Hanson, artistic director David Ivers, silent and live auctions, as well as a performance by the Festival’s Playmakers (part of the Festival’s educational arm). The evening’s highlight will be a special presentation to the Sorenson family.

During her long and celebrated life, Sorenson was a determined and effective advocate, strong in her belief that “all children receive the best possible education, an education that includes the arts.” In 2013, the Sorenson Family Foundation made a generous gift of $6 million toward Southern Utah University’s new center for the arts. This multi-million dollar arts center, now affectionately known as the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, will blend educational facilities with visual arts, live theater and other artistic endeavors at the heart of the SUU campus.

The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts will dramatically magnify the cultural life of Cedar City and its surrounding region. It will also serve as home to the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), the new Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, a rehearsal hall, offices and an artistic/production building for the Festival.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 435-586-7880.

Marco Vega as Banquo in Macbeth on Tour

Marco Vega, who plays Banquo in the tour production of Macbeth, hails from Northern UT. He was born in Provo and grew up in American Fork. He’s a SUU alum and appeared at the Festival last summer in all three Shakespeare plays: Comedy of Errors, Henry IV, Part I and Measure for Measure. He’s appearing in his first Macbeth and traveling on his first tour. Here are his thoughts about the upcoming tour.   

What are you looking forward to the most?

I’m looking forward to performing this show to a wide range of people. Usually it’s one “type” of audience you perform for. Also, I look forward to all the shenanigans we as a cast will get into :) 

What are some challenges that you might run into while on the road?

Lack of sleep and quiet time. 

How do you make this story relevant for school age kids?

By doing it well. I think that Shakespeare is totally relevant today- it’s just hard to connect to because the language Shakespeare uses. I believe if we do it well, if we can reach them from behind our text they’ll see something they didn’t expect. 

What do you hope the audiences will take-away from your production?

I simply hope they walk away more open to live theater and to Shakespeare. 

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I would have the power to understand and speak any language.

Anything else?

We’ll perform this show 89 times. 4 months. 5 states. 10 people. 80 minutes of “Go” every time. Pray for us.

You can follow Marco and the rest of the Tour company at http://www.bard.org/education/tour.html and by following the Festival on Twitter @utahshakes and Facebook www.facebook.com/utahshakespeare

Quinn Mattfeld Talks about Macbeth

When you hear Quinn Mattfeld’s name, you might think of an incredibly gifted actor who has played many roles here at the Festival, including Blackstache in the 2012 production of Peter and the Starcatcher, Robert in last fall’s Boeing Boeing or Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility last summer. And you’d be right. And Quinn is much more. He’s taught Shakespeare for 4 years at Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s PCPA and he’s directed there as well as here in the New American Playwright’s Project.

So it’s no surprise that he’s directing this year’s tour production of Macbeth. Quinn and the rest of the company arrived in Cedar City on December 28 (brrrr – temps in single digits and snow on the ground) and started rehearsals immediately in preparation for the tour, which begins on January 21. We recently talked with Quinn about his vision for Macbeth in this 75-minute production.

Tell us about your familiarity with Macbeth…

I’ve appeared in it twice. First, I was a senior in college – I played Macbeth. At the age of 21, I had no business playing Macbeth and it was probably the worst ever. Then in 2010, I played Malcolm here at the Festival.

For the last 4 years, I’ve taught Shakespeare at PCPA and used this play as a cornerstone. It’s such a fantastic play. So I know most of it by heart.

What’s your vision or concept for this production?

The backdrop is birch trees – stark, black and white. There are two islands that move. The backdrop is a curtain. It’s a forest in winter and a moral wilderness. People say this play is about ambition. But the word “ambition” is only used twice. I think it’s about the consequences of taking action – the before and after. It’s a moral wilderness. Everyone has something happen - actions create consequences. For example: Macduff goes to England because he wants to save Scotland. And his family dies as a result. He went with good intentions but his family died.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth go all in to get what they want - they kill the king but at the cost of her sanity and for Macbeth - his soul. It’s like Into the Woods – I’m using Into the Woods as a way of understanding the before and after. Macbeth has a number of moments to make new decisions – he keeps getting the opportunity to go back, but he doesn’t.

How do you make this play relevant for the students?

I think the way to make it relevant is we do it well. I feel like I could understand the most complexity in my life when I was in high school. This play happens in a moral wilderness and there is no better place to understand that than high school. If we just are worthy of the story it will be relevant. Every single scene has something to watch.

There is plenty of spectacle: fight scenes and ghosts that come back. There’s a bunch of neat imagination engaging things that I think are spectacular and they work in a theatric way instead of a cinematic way.

Other thoughts?

It feels like a cycle. At the beginning of the show, Macbeth, who is the hero of the country, kills the traitor of the country. The end of the play, Macbeth has become the traitor and is killed by Macduff who has become the hero of the country.

The one thing I’m trying to highlight in the show is that it all turns on decisions. We don’t realize the consequences til after. Macbeth is able to look back. In his “tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow” speech the first thing he says about his wife “she should have died hereafter…” it’s the first time that he’s thinking in “should and would”. It’s like he’s apologizing to his wife for not telling her “no”, for not stepping back and saying “we’re not doing this”. It’s the everyday decisions that lead to consequences you can’t see til it happens.

Thanks Quinn!

The Tour will have a public performance in Cedar City on January 21 at 7:30pm. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased by calling the ticket office at 800-PLAYTIX. The company then departs, traveling through five states until April. You can see the entire schedule at http://www.bard.org/education/tour.html

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.