Utah Shakespearean Festival
Encyclopedia
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
productions of the works of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
and other dramatists. The Festival is held during the summer and fall on the campus of Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University, or SUU, is located in Cedar City, Utah. It was founded in 1897 as an extension of the Agricultural College of Utah, by the citizens of Cedar City.During its history, the school has been known as:...
in Cedar City, Utah
Cedar City, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,527 people, 6,486 households, and 4,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,021.8 people per square mile . There were 7,109 housing units at an average density of 353.9 per square mile...
.
Awards
In 2000, the Festival was the recipient of America's Outstanding Regional Theatre Tony AwardRegional Theatre Tony Award
The Regional Theatre Tony Award is a special non-competitive Tony Award given annually to a regional theatre company in the United States. Initially presented in 1948 to Robert Porterfield of the Virginia Barter Theatre for their Contribution To Development Of Regional Theatre, the Regional Theatre...
, presented by the American Theatre Wing and the League of American Theatres and Producers. In 2001 it received the National Governors Association Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts for Artistic Productions.
The Seasons
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
, and the others are non-Shakespearean classics or works by more contemporary dramatists, one of which is usually a musical. The Shakespeare plays are usually performed in the outdoor Adams Shakespearean Theatre, which is modeled after Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
. The other plays are performed on an indoor proscenium
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
stage, the Randall L. Jones Theatre. The Auditorium Theatre is used for matinee performances of plays normally produced at night in the Adams, and as a rainstage for Adams performances. During the summer The Greenshow is performed outside before the evening productions. The Greenshow, often includes comedic skits, sword fighting, and musical routines with dancing. During and before the performance people dressed (roughly) in period clothing walk around the courtyard (green) selling programs, telling jokes, and offering a selection of treats.
The Festival also produces The New American Playwrights Project or N.A.P.P., a "plays in progress" series, featuring staged readings of new plays in a workshop setting These workshops take place each August at The Festival.
The 2011 Season includes Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Romeo and Juliet," "Richard III," and "The Winter's Tale." The season also includes "Noises Off!," "The Music Man," "The Glass Menagerie," and "Dial M for Murder."
History
The Festival was founded in 1961 by Fred C. Adams. After a stint in the New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
theatre scene, he made his way to Cedar City, entering College of Southern Utah (later renamed as Southern Utah University) in 1959. He soon realized the potential for such a venture in the area, hoping to draw on the 150,000 or so tourists that come to the area's National Parks in the summer. He first traveled to Ashland, Oregon
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
to observe the operations of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States. The festival annually produces eleven plays on three stages during a season that lasts from February to October...
, which is often regarded as one of the foremost festivals in the world. While in Ashland, Adams met and entensively interviewed OSF's founder, Angus L. Bowmer
Angus L. Bowmer
Angus L. Bowmer was the founder of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, United States. During his tenure as artistic director, he produced all 37 of William Shakespeare's plays and performed 32 Shakespearean roles in 43 separate stagings.-Biography:Angus Livingston Bowmer was born...
.
The Festival produced its first season in 1962 on a makeshift platform on the college campus, drawing from students and townspeople to form its first company, who not only acted, but also built their own props, costumes, and stage. This first season featured three of Shakespeare's plays: The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, and The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
. The first season yielded some 3,300 audience members and around $2,000 in profit, which was reinvested in the company to produce a second season the following year. In the years to come, the Festival would grow tremendously, and now plays to an estimated audience of 150,000 and has an operational budget of $5 million.
The Adams Shakespearean Theatre (also known as the Adams Memorial Theatre) was constructed on the University campus, and was completed in 1977. Designed by Douglas N. Cook, it is world-renowned for its accuracy in duplicating Shakespeare's Globe; the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
used it as a filming location in 1981 for a documentary series on Shakespeare. Within a few years, the Adams Theatre will be replaced by a similar theater, which will include wider seats, and a retractable roof. The modern Randall L. Jones Theatre was completed for the 1989 season. Plans for a third theatre are being developed; it is expected to be a black box
Black box theater
The black box theater is a relatively recent innovation, consisting of a simple, somewhat unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor.-History:...
space, and will feature modern plays by living dramatists. The new theatre is part of the master-planned Utah Shakespeare Festival Centre for the Performing Arts, which will house a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
study center, restaurants, pubs, and support facilities. It is expected to be completed within 10 years.
In 1991, Douglas Cook, Producing Artistic Director, was one of the co-founders of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America
Shakespeare Theatre Association of America
The Shakespeare Theatre Association of America was established to provide a forum for the artistic and managerial leadership of theatres whose central activity is the production of Shakespeare's plays; to discuss issues and share methods of work, resources, and information; and to act as an...
.
In 2004, the Utah Shakespeare Festival was listed as a Major Festival in the book Shakespeare Festivals Around the World by Marcus D. Gregio (Editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
).
In 2010, the Festival changed its name to the Utah Shakespeare Festival and revised its logo.
Education
The Utah Shakespeare Festival has many educational programs, from Summer and Fall Classes to a school tour. A Shakespeare competition takes place each October, with schools from across the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
participating. The Shakespeare for Jr. Actors program, for ages 11 to 15, gives students an opportunity to learn about the plays of the season and see them all. At the end of the session, students perform scenes from the three Shakespeare plays.
Leadership
Fred C. Adams served as executive director of the festival from its founding until 2005, when he retired. Although retired, Adams continues to advise and assist the program.In October 2007 R. Scott Phillips was named the executive director. Phillips has been associated with the festival since 1974, when he was a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
at College of Southern Utah. He performed public-relations work for the festival during the summers. He became the festival's first full-time paid employee in 1977; he was managing director for 15 years and marketing director for 13 years before that.
Douglas N. Cook - Producing Artistic Director 1966–2002
G. Cameron Harvey - Producing Artistic Director 1969–2005
JR Sullivan - Associate Artistic Director 2002–2009
Kathleen F. Conlin - Associate Artistic Director 2003–2010
David Ivers - Artistic Director 2011 to present
Brian Vaughn - Artistic Director 2011 to present