A Message from Actor Michael Doherty
Dear Festival Friends,
What. A. Season.
When I think back on the 2022 Season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, one word comes to mind: Resilience. Between leadership changes, an unprecedented amount of understudies and swings on and backstage, and the new challenges of mounting the first-ever musical on our outdoor stage, it is miraculous to have produced another high-caliber season of shows, but we did it. It speaks to the dedication and tenacity of a company of artists assembled this–and every–season. To continue producing world-class theatre, I’d like you to consider donating to the Utah Shakespeare Festival today.
I love the Festival. The fantastic opportunities it has provided me over the years have been deeply humbling: dream roles include Fanny Babbs in Charley’s Aunt, Charlie in The Foreigner, the Narrator in Every Brilliant Thing, and many more.
The Festival is hard at work for the upcoming 2023 season. First, on the Engelstad stage, enjoy West Side Story, one of the most extraordinary pieces of musical theatre ever written. Also playing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Then, in the Randall Theater, the great American classic A Raisin in the Sun; a bright, new musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma; and the hilarious The Play That Goes Wrong, which, during its Broadway run, may be the hardest I’ve ever laughed in a theater. Finally, in the Anes, two Shakespeare plays so rarely produced, actors and Shakespeare enthusiasts practically salivate at the opportunity to witness them: Timon of Athens and Coriolanus.
It’s bound to be another incredible season, but it couldn’t happen without the support of patrons like you. Please consider donating to the Festival today, and continue to be a part of the community to which I feel so lucky to belong. We are brighter this season because of you!
With Boundless Gratitude,
Michael Doherty