Our Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

The Utah Shakespeare Festival brings the works of Shakespeare and other storytellers to life through the Festival Experience. We cultivate connections between artists and local, regional, and national communities. With a commitment to artistic and educational excellence, we inspire, we entertain, and we embrace the enduring power of live theatrical experiences.

Vision

The Utah Shakespeare Festival will be a community that fosters intentional connection and artistic discovery, creating impactful experiences that reflect and celebrate our collective humanity.

Values

Collaboration
We listen to each other with intent and acknowledge each other’s contributions. It takes every member of a company to build a successful organization and bring an artistic vision to life.

Integrity
We commit to being fair, trustworthy, transparent, honest, and financially responsible.

Connection
We build bonds between our audience, artists, donors, staff, and local and national theatre communities through our art, while recognizing and respecting our diverse and unifying interests.

Respect
We prioritize the dignity of the individual because all people hold value. Our best work is achieved through thoughtfulness and deliberation and when each person brings their authentic self to a collaborative environment.

Curiosity
We are devoted to life-long learning and open to inspiration and knowledge from those around us. We believe in the benefits of collective problem-solving.

Dedication
We are committed to bringing the highest quality theatrical programming to life. We invest ourselves in creating an enriching experience for all participants.

Overarching Goals

Artistry
We will present dynamic repertory seasons that balance Shakespeare performance, enriching entertainment, and intimate works. We will focus on story and relationships, invest in our artists, utilize innovations, support diverse voices, and develop strategically.

Sustainability
We will ensure the sustainability of the Utah Shakespeare Festival by promoting a healthy work-life balance, improving long-term financial stability, managing resources, and refining internal systems.

Community
We will strengthen the connection to our stakeholders and cultivate a culture of co-ownership by investing in new and existing relationships, affirming key partnerships, engaging in constructive conversations, and respecting differences.

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

The Utah Shakespeare Festival has both historical and contemporary relationships with Indigenous peoples. Given that Southern Utah has always been a gathering place for Indigenous peoples, we acknowledge that this Too’veep (land) is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Nung’wu (Southern Paiutes). The Utah Shakespeare Festival recognizes the enduring relationship between many Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands. We are grateful for the territory upon which we gather today; we respect Utah’s Indigenous peoples, the original stewards of this land; and we value our relationship with the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. To this end, we acknowledge and honor the Tribe for its resilience, its deep connection to this land, and express our appreciation for the opportunity to live, learn, and enrich the lives of all those who gather on their homelands.