Utah Shakespeare Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Utah Shakespeare Festival |
|
|---|---|
| Begins | June, annually |
| Ends | October, annually |
| Venue | The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts |
| Location(s) | Cedar City, UT |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founders | Fred C. Adams |
| Attendance | Nearly 100,000 |
| Budget | Over $7 million |
| Website | bard.org |
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is a super fun theater event! It mainly shows plays by the famous writer William Shakespeare. This festival happens every summer and fall. You can find it at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, USA.
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Why is the Festival So Special?
The Utah Shakespeare Festival has won some really big awards! These awards show how amazing their plays and performances are.
Top Awards for Theater
In 2000, the Festival won the "Outstanding Regional Theatre Tony Award". This is a huge honor in the theater world! It's like winning a major championship for a sports team.
The American Theatre Wing and the League of American Theatres and Producers gave them this award.
In 2001, they received another special award. It was the National Governors Association Award. This award was for their great artistic shows.
What Plays Can You See?
The Festival puts on eight different plays each year. These shows happen in the summer and fall.
Plays by Shakespeare and More
Usually, four of the plays are by Shakespeare. Sometimes they also show plays by other writers from his time. One famous writer was Christopher Marlowe.
The other plays are classic stories. Some are even modern plays. There is usually a fun musical too!
Shakespeare's plays are often performed outdoors. They are shown at the Adams Shakespearean Theatre. This theater looks like Shakespeare's original Globe Theatre.
Other plays are performed indoors. These are at the Randall L. Jones Theatre. There's also the Auditorium Theatre. It's used for daytime shows and when it rains.
The Greenshow: Fun Before the Play!
Before the evening plays, there's a free outdoor show. It's called The Greenshow. It's full of funny skits and sword fighting! You can also see musical dances.
Actors dressed in old-fashioned clothes walk around. They sell programs and tell jokes. They also offer tasty treats!
New Plays in the Works
The Festival also helps new writers. They have something called The New American Playwrights Project. It's a series where new plays are read aloud. This helps writers make their plays even better. These workshops happen every August.
Past Seasons Highlights
The 2015 season ran until October 31. Plays included Charley's Aunt and Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona. They also showed Dracula.
In 2016, the Festival opened new buildings. These were part of The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts. The season started on June 27 and ended October 22.
Plays in the new Englestad Shakespeare Theatre included Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V. Both are by William Shakespeare. They also showed The Three Musketeers.
The Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre had Julius Caesar and Murder for Two. The Randall L. Jones Theatre showed Mary Poppins and The Odd Couple. They also had The Cocoanuts.
Sadly, the 2020 season was canceled. This was due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It was too hard to follow health rules.
How the Festival Started
The Festival began in 1961. Its first shows were in 1962. It is one of the oldest and biggest Shakespeare festivals in North America.
Where is the Festival Located?
The Festival is in Cedar City, Utah. About 28,000 people live there. It's close to many national parks and forests.
You can drive there from Las Vegas, Nevada, in about two and a half hours. From Salt Lake City, Utah, it's about three and a half hours. The Festival is right on the campus of Southern Utah University.
Learning at the Festival
The Festival offers many ways to learn about theater. They have classes and camps. Some classes are for a week. Others are for two days. Many even give college credit!
Traveling Shows for Schools
Each year, the Festival sends a short Shakespeare play to schools. They travel all over the Southwest. In 2015, the play was Macbeth.
These school visits can also include workshops. Kids can learn about acting, stage combat, and designing sets.
Who Runs the Festival?
The Festival has a team of leaders. They make sure everything runs smoothly.
Leaders Over the Years
Frank Mack was the Executive Director from 2017 to 2022. The Festival's budget grew a lot during his time.
Michael Bahr became the Interim Managing Director in November 2022. Before Frank Mack, R. Scott Phillips was the executive director. He started in 2007.
The Festival's founder, Fred C. Adams, passed away in 2020. He was still involved until then.
David Ivers and Brian Vaughn were co-artistic directors in 2011. Brian Vaughn became the main artistic director in 2017. This was when David Ivers left.
A group of six leaders works with the directors. They handle the daily tasks. A bigger group of thirty volunteers helps with long-term plans. They also help with marketing.
Festival Team Members
The Festival has 32 people who work there all year. About 250 people work on the plays. For every actor on stage, there are about six other people helping. These helpers work in production, marketing, and management.
Over 200 more people from the community volunteer their time. They help with many Festival activities.
See also
- Wooden O Symposium
