By Kathryn Olsen
Utah Shakespeare Festival is one of the best-kept secrets of Utah entertainment. Set among the beautiful red rocks of Cedar City, it attracts professional actors as well as up-and-coming newcomers to the theater world. Seasoned directors train Assistant Directors from universities across the country and Southern Utah University sponsors ten actors and technical artists per season to work on the Festival, so the result is something that should be a fixture of every summer arts experience. I, myself, first attended in the 90s and most recently came for one of the musicals, but this was the first time in over twenty years that I had a chance to experience more than the shows themselves.
As one director put it, “We have to have some fun because this year’s shows are a bit murder-y.” This is best exemplified with the nightly Greenshow. A small troupe of actors and musicians take the stage in honor of a country on a rotating schedule. Under an hour before the evening performance of Macbeth, the show kicks off with a rousing cry of “SCOTLAND!” before kilted highlandmen and women in traditional costumes weave their way through the audience. From there, they sing traditional folk songs as well as modern comic ballads. They even invite several youngsters onstage for a rousing Highland Games. Not all of the humor is appropriate for younger audiences, but they easily make sure that the entire audience has something to enjoy and end with a crowd sing-along of “Auld Lang Syne.” Similar shows are provided for Russia and England this year.
For those not yet familiar with the plays they are about to see, the Play Orientations are invaluable. They allow audience members to come into an informal classroom of sorts near the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre and ask whatever questions come to mind. It undeniably enhances the experience for newcomers as well as providing a welcome refresher course for those who have been before.
Perhaps the most entertaining of the extra-curricular options is the Play Seminar. The morning after a show, a dramaturg and members of the production staff join with audience members to discuss history, themes, and the many opinions that the audience members had during the previous night’s performance. In the case of Macbeth, attendees speculated on the role of the witches and their views on costume as well as various theories on the meaning of the set. In the following discussion of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the discourse ran from why the sons of Jacob were wearing Converse to the “rocker chick” aesthetic of the narrator. It’s impossible to predict where the discussion will go, but it is a great forum for continuing the experience of the Festival.
Three seminars which were not taking place during the days that I attended were on props, costuming, and acting, but schedules for all of these events can be found on www.bard.org. This is also a place to reserve tickets for such things as the Curtain Call Luncheon and backstage tours of the various theaters.
It is undeniable that every production at the Utah Shakespeare Festival is worth seeing, but taking the time to sit in for one of these extras is well worth the effort and, with the exception of private events, is a free way to entertain the kids until it’s time to take your seats.
Utah Shakespeare Festival 300 W Center St, Cedar City, Utah 84720
Jun 27-Sep 6, 2019, times and dates may vary. Check website for schedule.
Contact: 800-752-9849
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