The Festival Announces the Cast of See How They Run

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to announce the cast of this season’s production of Philip King’s zany comedy See How They Run. Never before produced at the Festival, this play is under the direction of returning artist Geoffrey Kent, who most recently performed in the 2024 and 2025 seasons and directed The Play That Goes Wrong in 2023.

“I’m delighted to helm another comedy for the Utah Shakespeare Festival,” says Kent. “See How They Run builds to an incredible final act with an epic laugh per minute finale. It is a perfect comic fit for the Randall Theatre and Festival audiences, especially with our cast, chock full of clowns with heart that will keep the show brisk, bright, and laugh out loud funny.”

Not only is Kent directing, he is also the Fight Director for this production. Working alongside him are Scenic Designer Jo Winiarski, Costume Designer Tracy Christensen, Lighting Designer Tom Mays, Sound Designer/Composer Lindsay Jones, Voice/Speech/Text Coach Steven Eng, Intimacy Coordinator Caitlyn Herzlinger, and Stage Manager Caleb Thomas Cook.

The cast for See How They Run has both new and returning actors, as follows:

Calvin Adams returns for his first full season with the Festival, after performing as Falstaff in last year’s Shakespeare in the Schools tour of Henry IV. This summer he will perform as Rev. Arthur Humphrey in See How They Run. He has worked at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Guthrie Theater, and Chicago’s Lifeline Theatre, among others. He holds a theater degree from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program. 

Gabriel W. Elmore returns for his second season, as Cpl. Clive Winton in See How They Run. He performed last summer as Orlando in As You Like It and Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, among other roles. He has appeared with Fulton Theater, Quintessence Theatre Group, InterAct Theatre Company, and Delaware Shakespeare Festival, among others. Elmore was also in the film Alice Heart and taught at Temple University where he received his MFA in acting.

Emily Hawkins makes her Festival debut as Penelope Toop as See How They Run. She performed numerous roles at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, including Rosalind in As You Like It, Hermione in The Winter’s Tale, and Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers. Other regional credits include Chicago Children’s Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, and The House Theatre of Chicago. She received her BFA in acting from Oklahoma City University.

Clara Hevia debuts at the Festival as Ida in See How They Run. She performed in the national tour of Cats, and regionally at the Umbrella Stage, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Saratoga Shakespeare Company, and CommShakes CSC2. She earned a BM in vocal performance/musical theatre from NYU Steinhardt.

Mat Hostetler makes his Festival debut this season as Rev. Lionel Toop in See How They Run. His Broadway work includes Death of a Salesman and the North American Tour/Japan Tour of War Horse. Off-Broadway he has performed at Lincoln Center and NYTW Next Door, while his regional credits include La Jolla Playhouse, Denver Center, and Colorado Shakespeare Festival. His television work includes The Gilded Age, Boardwalk Empire, The Blacklist, and Six Feet Under, among others. He was also seen in the film The Utopian Society. He is the creator and host of the Sometimes It Rains Podcast. He received his MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Avery Michael Johnson is debuting at the Festival as Sergeant Towers in See How They Run. His work at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks includes roles in Henry V, The Winter’s Tale, and The Three Musketeers. He has also performed at Richmond Shakespeare and Signature Theatre and received his BFA in theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Loren Jones will be performing the role of The Intruder in See How They Run. He was an external understudy for numerous roles last season for all the shows in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. He has also worked at the Goodman Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and Boise Contemporary Theatre, as well as in the film Sharing Air. He has a master’s degree in acting from Northern Illinois University and is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors.

Rodney Lizcano returns to the Festival as Bishop of Lax in See How They Run after directing The Importance of Being Earnest last season and performing in Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew in 2024. They also spent 24 seasons with the Denver Center Theatre Company and 10 seasons at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, among many other theatres. They received an MFA from The National Theatre Conservatory and are a member of Actors’ Equity Association and Society of Directors and Choreographers.

Caitlin Wise returns for her third season, as Miss Skillon in See How They Run. Audiences may remember her from last season as Hecate in Macbeth; Louise in Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise; and Octavia in Antony and Cleopatra. Other Festival roles include Kate in The Taming of the Shrew and Emilia in The Winter’s Tale in 2024. Wise has also done numerous productions at The Denver Center, Theatreworks, and Creede Repertory Theatre. She has an MFA from National Theatre Conservatory and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

The Festival’s 65th season runs June 18 through October 3, 2026. See How They Run plays in rotation with Something Rotten! and She Loves Me in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. Don’t miss these outstanding productions, as well as more shows in our other two amazing theatres. Get your tickets online at bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).

The Festival Announces the Cast of Twelfth Night

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is eager to announce the cast of this season’s production of Shakespeare’s popular romantic comedy, Twelfth Night. This delightful and profound play has been produced at the Festival nine times during the last 65 years. This year for its tenth time it will be directed by Festival Artistic Director John DiAntonio, who also directed Macbeth last season.

“Twelfth Night was the first Shakespeare I saw live, and I remember falling in love with everyone onstage,” says director John DiAntonio. “That’s still true for me today. It’s rare that a play lets you love the entire ensemble, flaws and all. This year’s production in inspired by Venetian Carnival, a world that’s bold, decadent, slightly chaotic, and that’s filled with masks, music, and social inversion. But underneath the mayhem, it’s always about longing — about people’s desire to be seen and loved for their true selves.”

Collaborating with DiAntonio to create the gorgeous world of this show are Scenic Designer Apollo Mark Weaver, Costume Designer Bill Black, Lighting Designer Michael Gilliam, Sound Designer/Composer John Nobori, Music Director Brandon Grayson, Voice/Speech/Text Coach Philip Thompson, Dramaturg Lezlie Cross, Choreographer/Intimacy Coordinator Sacha Comrie, Aerial Choreographer Eileen Little, Fight Director Caitlyn Herzlinger, and Stage Manager Caleb Thomas Cook.

New and returning actors make up this cast, which are as follows:

Lavour Addison is returning for his second season at the Festival as Orsino in Twelfth Night. Audiences may remember him as Macduff in last season’s Macbeth, among other roles. He has also worked at Creede Repertory Theatre; Idaho, Lake Tahoe, and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals, Cleveland Playhouse, and Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. Addison received his MFA in acting from Case Western Reserve and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.    

Gabriel W. Elmore returns for his second season, as Feste/Sailor in Twelfth Night. He performed last summer as Orlando in As You Like It and Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, among other roles. He has appeared with Fulton Theater, Quintessence Theatre Group, InterAct Theatre Company, and Delaware Shakespeare Festival, among others. Elmore was also in the film Alice Heart and taught at Temple University where he received his MFA in acting.

John Harrell returns for his third Festival season, this time as Sir Andrew/Sailor in Twelfth Night. Audiences may remember him as Hortensio in 2024’s The Taming of the Shrew and Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale, among others. He has also performed the title characters in Hamlet, Cyrano de Bergerac, Richard II and more at the American Shakespeare Center. Harrell received a Bachelor of Arts in English from James Madison University. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

Emily Hawkins makes her Festival debut as Olivia Attendant/Sailor in Twelfth Night. She performed numerous roles at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, including Rosalind in As You Like It, Hermione in The Winter’s Tale, and Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers. Other regional credits include Chicago Children’s Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, and The House Theatre of Chicago. She received her BFA in acting from Oklahoma City University.

Blake Henri returns for his fourth season, playing Sir Toby/Sailor in Twelfth Night. He was previously seen at the Festival in Macbeth, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, The Play That Goes Wrong, and A Raisin in the Sun. He has worked at the American Shakespeare Center; the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa; Cleveland Playhouse; and Dallas Theatre Center, among many others. He has appeared in numerous television shows such as The Chosen, Walker, and HBO’s Love and Death, as well as the films American Underdog and Great Plains. He holds a BFA from the University of Oklahoma. 

Mat Hostetler makes his Festival debut this season as Antonio/Sailor in Twelfth Night. His Broadway work includes Death of a Salesman and the North American Tour/Japan Tour of War Horse. Off-Broadway he has performed at Lincoln Center and NYTW Next Door, while his regional credits include La Jolla Playhouse, Denver Center, and Colorado Shakespeare Festival. His television work includes The Gilded Age, Boardwalk Empire, The Blacklist, and Six Feet Under, among others. He was also seen in the film The Utopian Society. He is the creator and host of the Sometimes It Rains Podcast. He received his MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Avery Michael Johnson is debuting at the Festival as Valentine/Second Officer in Twelfth Night. His work at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks includes roles in Henry V, The Winter’s Tale, and The Three Musketeers. He has also performed at Richmond Shakespeare and Signature Theatre and received his BFA in theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Luke Sidney Johnson returns for his ninth season, this time as Curio/First Officer in Twelfth Night.  Last season he played Lane/Merriman in The Importance of Being Earnest and Man 1 in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Other favorite roles at the Festival include Younger Brother in Ragtime, Simeon in Joseph…Dreamcoat, and Samson in Romeo and Juliet. He has also performed at Pioneer Theatre Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and Playmill Theatre, among others. He earned a BFA in musical theater from SUU and is an Actors’ Equity Membership Candidate. 

Kayland Jordan returns for her third season at the Festival, playing Olivia in Twelfth Night. She previously performed as Rosalind in last year’s As You Like It and Second Weird Sister in Macbeth, along with other shows including A Raisin in the Sun and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also acted Off-Broadway and at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Theatre SilCo, and American Stage Theatre Company, among many others. She has appeared in HBO’s Betty, ABC’s Emergence and The Brides, and in the films Gap Year and Keep Me At Bay. She is a resident teaching artist at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, earned a BFA in acting from Pace University, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Rodney Lizcano returns to the Festival as Malvolio in Twelfth Night after directing The Importance of Being Earnest last season and performing in Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew in 2024. They also spent 24 seasons with the Denver Center Theatre Company and 10 seasons at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, among many other theatres. They received an MFA from The National Theatre Conservatory and are a member of Actors’ Equity Association and Society of Directors and Choreographers.

Brianna Miller is debuting at the Festival, playing Olivia Attendant/Sailor in Twelfth Night. She has performed at Cleveland Play House, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, among others. She has received the KCACTF Irene Ryan Regional Award and the Janicka Zuck Richards Playwriting Award. She earned an MFA in acting from Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House.

Thom Rivera is making his first appearance at the Festival as Captain/Priest in Twelfth Night. His Off-Broadway work includes The Acting Company, Culture Project, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Roundabout, among others. He has performed regionally at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center, and South Coast Rep, including numerous others. He has been in many television shows such as Law & Order, Bunk’d, New Girl, Lucifer, and The Mindy Project, and films like Eddington, El Tigre, and Once Upon a Time in Venice. He has taught at UCI Irvine, SUNY Albany, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Kathryn Tkel is returning for her second season at the Festival, and will be performing the role of Maria in Twelfth Night. She was seen last season as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Audrey in As You Like It, and Lady Macduff in Macbeth. Other work includes productions at Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, Folger Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, and many more. She was seen in the film Harriet and currently teaches at Southern Utah University. She has an MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.  

Matthew Wangemann returns for his third season, playing Sebastian in Twelfth Night. Previously at the Festival he was in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Greenshow in 2023 and 2024. He has performed Off-Broadway at the Vital Theatre Company, as well as at Alliance Theatre, Shakespeare in the Woods, Hale Center Theatre, and Pickleville Playhouse. He earned a BFA in musical theater from SUU. 

Caitlin Wise returns for her third season, as Viola in Twelfth Night. Audiences may remember her from last season as Hecate in Macbeth; Louise in Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise; and Octavia in Antony and Cleopatra. Other Festival roles include Kate in The Taming of the Shrew and Emilia in The Winter’s Tale in 2024. Wise has also done numerous productions at The Denver Center, Theatreworks, and Creede Repertory Theatre. She has an MFA from National Theatre Conservatory and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

The Festival’s 65th season runs June 18 through October 3, 2026. Twelfth Night plays in rotation with Troilus and Cressida and Hamlet in the outdoor Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. Don’t miss these remarkable productions under the stars, as well as more shows in our other two amazing theatres. Get your tickets online at bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).

The Festival Announces the Cast of Hamlet

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to announce the cast of this season’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. As one of the Bard’s most extraordinary and psychologically rich plays, it explores conscience, power, and how burdens of the past shape choices for the future. First produced during the Festival’s inaugural 1962 season, Hamlet has returned ten times over the past 65 years. In this anniversary season, it finally takes the stage of the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre for the first time. Beth Lopes, who directed As You Like It last season, directs this production.

“I’m honored to be guiding this iteration of Shakespeare’s masterful Hamlet for the Festival’s thrilling 65th season,” says Lopes. “In this rendition audiences can look forward to deeply felt relationships, edge-of-your-seat intrigue, and a healthy dose of horror. We’ve assembled an exquisite team of artists that have already been working around the clock to bring this haunting rendition to life.” 

Lead artistic staff who are collaborating with Lopes are Scenic Designer Apollo Mark Weaver, Costume Designer Bill Black, Lighting Designer Michael Gilliam, Sound Designer/Composer John Nobori, Music Director Brandon Grayson, Voice/Speech/Text Coach Philip Thompson, Dramaturg Lezlie Cross, Choreographer/Intimacy Coordinator Sacha Comrie, Fight Director Caitlyn Herzlinger, and Stage Manager Martinique M. Barthel.

Hamlet features both new and returning cast members, as follows:

Lavour Addison is returning for his second season at the Festival as Marcellus/Player King in Hamlet. Audiences may remember him as Macduff in last season’s Macbeth, among other roles. He has also worked at Creede Repertory Theatre; Idaho, Lake Tahoe, and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals, Cleveland Play House, and Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. Addison received his MFA in acting from Case Western Reserve and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.    

Kyleen Doman is new to the Festival and is cast as Player Queen/Ensemble in Hamlet. She is currently pursuing a BFA in acting at Southern Utah University and will appear this season courtesy of the SUU Fellowship Program, a partnership between SUU’s Theatre Department and the Festival. She has performed roles in The Three Sisters, Julius Caesar, and The Prom.

John Harrell returns for his third Festival season, this time as Polonius in Hamlet. Audiences may remember him as Hortensio in 2024’s The Taming of the Shrew and Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale, among others roles. He has also performed the title characters in Hamlet, Cyrano de Bergerac, Richard II and more at the American Shakespeare Center. Harrell received a BA in English from James Madison University. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

Blake Henri returns for his fourth season, playing Laertes in Hamlet. He was previously seen at the Festival in Macbeth, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, The Play That Goes Wrong, and A Raisin in the Sun. He has worked at the American Shakespeare Center; the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa; Cleveland Play House; and Dallas Theatre Center, among many others. He has appeared in numerous television shows such as The Chosen, Walker, and HBO’s Love and Death, as well as the films American Underdog and Great Plains. He holds a BFA from the University of Oklahoma. 

Luke Sidney Johnson returns for his ninth season, this time as Rosencrantz/Gravedigger 2 in Hamlet. Last season he played Lane/Merriman in The Importance of Being Earnest and Man 1 in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Other favorite roles at the Festival include Younger Brother in Ragtime, Simeon in Joseph…Dreamcoat, and Samson in Romeo and Juliet. He has also performed at Pioneer Theatre Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and Playmill Theatre, among others. He earned a BFA in musical theater from SUU and is an Actors’ Equity Membership Candidate. 

Kayland Jordan returns for her third season at the Festival, playing Horatio in Hamlet. She performed as Rosalind in last year’s As You Like It and Second Weird Sister in Macbeth, along with A Raisin in the Sun and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2023. She has also acted Off-Broadway and at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Theatre SilCo, and American Stage Theatre Company, among many others. She has appeared in HBO’s Betty, ABC’s Emergence and The Brides, and in the films Gap Year and Keep Me At Bay. She is a resident teaching artist at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, earned a BFA in acting from Pace University, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

John Keabler is making his Festival debut as Claudius in Hamlet. He has performed Off-Broadway at Cherry Lane Theatre, as well as at Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Old Globe, Berkeley Rep, and Cincinnati Playhouse, among many others. His on-screen work includes many television shows including 30 Rock; Madam Secretary; All My Children; and The Men Who Built America; as well as films like Faith, Love and Whiskey; SUGAR!; and Where The Snow Fell. He earned an MFA at The Old Globe Professional Actors Program, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG. 

Walter Kmiec returns for his third season, as Hamlet in Hamlet. Audiences will remember him as Macbeth in last year’s production of Macbeth, Touchstone in As You Like It, and Canidius in Antony and Cleopatra. Before that, he portrayed Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and Norfolk in Henry VIII. He has also worked at Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Endstation Theater Company, and People’s Improv Theater, among others. He has taught at Stetson University and Florida State University, where he received an MFA in directing. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Brianna Miller is debuting at the Festival, playing Guildenstern/Gravedigger 1 in Hamlet. She has performed at Cleveland Play House, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, among others. She has received the KCACTF Irene Ryan Regional Award and the Janicka Zuck Richards Playwriting Award. She earned an MFA in acting from Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House.

Thom Rivera is making his first appearance at the Festival as Ghost in Hamlet. His Off-Broadway work includes The Acting Company, Culture Project, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Roundabout, among others. He has performed regionally at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center, and South Coast Rep, including numerous others. He has been in many television shows such as Law & Order, Bunk’d, New Girl, Lucifer, and The Mindy Project, and films like Eddington, El Tigre, and Once Upon a Time in Venice. He has taught at UC Irvine, SUNY Albany, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Kathryn Tkel is returning for her second season at the Festival, and will be performing the role of Ophelia in Hamlet. She was seen last season as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Audrey in As You Like It, and Lady Macduff in Macbeth. Other work includes productions at Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, Folger Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, and many more. She was seen in the film Harriet and currently teaches at Southern Utah University. She has an MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.  

Mare Trevathan is making her Festival debut as Gertrude in Hamlet.  She has performed at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and Denver Center Theatre Company, and is a founding member of the Local Theater Company in Boulder, Colorado. She has worked with Sundance Lab, Saratoga International Theater Institute (SITI), and P3, and was seen in the film Silver City.

Matthew Wangemann returns for his third season, playing Barnardo/Player Villain in Hamlet. Previously at the Festival he was in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Greenshow in 2023 and 2024. He has performed Off-Broadway at the Vital Theatre Company, as well as at Alliance Theatre, Shakespeare in the Woods, Hale Center Theatre, and Pickleville Playhouse. He earned a BFA in musical theater from SUU. 

Braedon Young returns for his fourth season at the Festival, as Francisco/Priest/Player Musician in Hamlet. His previous roles include George Seacole in Much Ado About Nothing, Robin Starvling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Abram in Romeo and Juliet, among others. Other performing credits include She Loves Me, Don’t Stop Me, and Drowsy Chaperone, as well as being a two-time soloist at Carnegie Hall. He received his BM in musical theater from The Manhattan School of Music. 

The Festival’s 65th season runs June 18 through October 3, 2026. Hamlet plays in rotation with Troilus and Cressida and Twelfth Night in the outdoor Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. Don’t miss these remarkable productions under the stars, as well as more shows in our other two amazing theatres. Get your tickets online at bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).

The Festival Announces the Cast of Troilus and Cressida

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is thrilled to announce the cast of this season’s production of Shakespeare’s rarely-performed tragedy Troilus and Cressida. As one of the final plays in our 14-year goal to “Complete the Canon," this will be only the third time in the Festival’s 65-year history that this story––based on the Trojan War––will grace our stage. At the helm is director Carolyn Howarth, who directed Antony and Cleopatra last season and The Winter’s Tale in 2024. 

“Troilus and Cressida is one of my favorite plays,” says Howarth. “I so enjoy how it deconstructs traditional love stories and heroic myths, and simultaneously feels incredibly modern. It is so rarely performed and yet this darkly-witty satire offers a critical and sarcastic take on war and love, is full of humor and song, and overall is quite the thriller! It feels relevant in that it highlights how powerful countries can lose their soul when consumed by pride, greed, and a relentless pursuit for victory. Plus the characters are so intriguing! And there are high-octane sword fights! I think it’s a great night in the theatre!”

Working alongside Howarth to create the world of this show are the following lead artistic staff: Scenic Designer Apollo Mark Weaver, Costume Designer Jen Gillette, Lighting Designer Michael Gilliam, Sound Designer/Composer Lindsay Jones, Music Director Brandon Grayson, Voice/Speech/Text Coach Philip Thompson, Dramaturg Lezlie Cross, Choreographer/Intimacy Coordinator Sacha Comrie, Fight Director Geoffrey Kent, and Stage Manager Martinique M. Barthel.

Both new and returning actors make up the cast of Troilus and Cressida, which is as follows:

Calvin Adams returns for his first full season with the Festival, after performing as Falstaff in last year’s Shakespeare in the Schools tour of Henry IV. This summer he will perform as Patroclus/Myrmidon in Troilus and Cressida. He has worked at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Guthrie Theater, and Chicago’s Lifeline Theatre, among others. He holds a theater degree from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program. 

Lavour Addison is returning for his second season at the Festival as Ajax in Troilus and Cressida. Audiences may remember him as Macduff in last season’s Macbeth, among other roles. He has also worked at Creede Repertory Theatre; Idaho, Lake Tahoe, and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals, Cleveland Playhouse, and Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. Addison received his MFA in acting from Case Western Reserve and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Kyleen Doman is new to the Festival and is playing Alexandra/Trojan Attendant/Soldier in Troilus and Cressida. She is currently pursuing a BFA in acting at Southern Utah University and will appear this season courtesy of the SUU Fellowship Program, a partnership between SUU’s Theatre Department and the Festival. She has performed roles in The Three Sisters, Julius Caesar, and The Prom.

Luke Elison is also appearing courtesy of the SUU Fellowship Program and is pursuing a BFA in musical theatre at SUU, where he recently played Pippin in Pippin and roles in Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play and The Secret Garden. His roles this season include Trojan Attendant/Greek Soldier in Troilus and Cressida.

Gabriel W. Elmore returns for his second season, as Diomedes/Myrmidon in Troilus and Cressida. He performed last summer as Orlando in As You Like It and Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, among other roles. He has appeared with Fulton Theater, Quintessence Theatre Group, InterAct Theatre Company, and Delaware Shakespeare Festival, among others. Elmore was also in the film Alice-Heart and taught at Temple University where he received his MFA in acting.

John Harrell returns for his third Festival season, this time as Pandarus/Myrmidon in Troilus and Cressida. Audiences may remember him as Hortensio in 2024’s The Taming of the Shrew and Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale, among others. He has also performed the title characters in Hamlet, Cyrano de Bergerac, Richard II and more at the American Shakespeare Center. Harrell received a Bachelor of Arts in English from James Madison University and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

Emily Hawkins makes her Festival debut as Helen of Troy in Troilus and Cressida. She performed numerous roles at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, including Rosalind in As You Like It, Hermione in The Winter’s Tale, and Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers. Other regional credits include Chicago Children’s Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, and The House Theatre of Chicago. She received her BFA in acting from Oklahoma City University.

Blake Henri returns for his fourth season, playing Thersites in Troilus and Cressida. He was in last season’s Macbeth and As You Like It, as well as The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, The Play That Goes Wrong, and A Raisin in the Sun from earlier seasons. He has worked at the American Shakespeare Center; the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa; Cleveland Playhouse; and Dallas Theatre Center, among many others. He has appeared in numerous television shows such as The Chosen, Walker, and HBO’s Love and Death, as well as the films American Underdog and Great Plains. He holds a BFA from the University of Oklahoma. 

Mat Hostetler makes his Festival debut this season as Paris/Myrmidon in Troilus and Cressida. His Broadway work includes Death of a Salesman and the North American Tour/Japan Tour of War Horse. Off-Broadway he has performed at Lincoln Center and NYTW Next Door, while his regional credits include La Jolla Playhouse, Denver Center, and Colorado Shakespeare Festival. His television work includes The Gilded Age, Boardwalk Empire, The Blacklist, and Six Feet Under, among others. He was also seen in the film The Utopian Society. He is the creator and host of the Sometimes It Rains Podcast. He received his MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Avery Michael Johnson is debuting at the Festival as Troilus in Troilus and Cressida. His work at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks includes roles in Henry V, The Winter’s Tale, and The Three Musketeers. He has also performed at Richmond Shakespeare and Signature Theatre, and received his BFA in theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Loren Jones will be performing the role of Menelaus this season in Troilus and Cressida. He was an understudy for numerous roles last season for all the shows in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. He has also worked at the Goodman Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and Boise Contemporary Theatre, as well as in the film Sharing Air. He has a master’s degree in acting from Northern Illinois University and is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors.

Kayland Jordan returns for her third season at the Festival, playing Aeneas in Troilus and Cressida. She performed as Rosalind in last year’s As You Like It and Second Weird Sister in Macbeth, along with previous shows including A Raisin in the Sun and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also acted Off-Broadway and at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Theatre SilCo, and American Stage Theatre Company, among many others. She has appeared in HBO’s Betty, ABC’s Emergence and The Brides, and in the films Gap Year and Keep Me At Bay. She is a resident teaching artist at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, earned a BFA in acting from Pace University, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

John Keabler is making his Festival debut as Hector in Troilus and Cressida. He has performed Off-Broadway at Cherry Lane Theatre, as well as at Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Old Globe, Berkeley Rep, and Cincinnati Playhouse, among many others. His on-screen work includes many television shows including 30 Rock; Madam Secretary; All My Children; and The Men Who Built America; as well as films like Faith, Love and Whiskey; SUGAR!; and Where The Snow Fell. He earned an MFA at The Old Globe Professional Actors Program, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG. 

Walter Kmiec returns for his third season, as Achilles in Troilus and Cressida. Audiences will remember him as Macbeth in last year’s production of Macbeth, Touchstone in As You Like It, and Canidius in Antony and Cleopatra. Before that, he portrayed Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and Norfolk in Henry VIII. He has also worked at Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Endstation Theater Company, and People’s Improv Theater, among others. He has taught at Stetson University and Florida State University, where he received an MFA in directing. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Rodney Lizcano returns to the Festival as Agamemnon in Troilus and Cressida, after directing The Importance of Being Earnest last season and performing in Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew in 2024. He also spent 24 seasons with the Denver Center Theatre Company and 10 seasons at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, among many other theaters. He received an MFA from The National Theatre Conservatory and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and Society of Directors and Choreographers.

Brianna Miller is debuting at the Festival, playing Cressida in Troilus and Cressida. She has performed at Cleveland Play House, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, among others. She has received the KCACTF Irene Ryan Regional Award and the Janicka Zuck Richards Playwriting Award. She earned an MFA in acting from Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House.

Harry B. Reid makes his debut as part of the ensemble in Troilus and Cressida. He is currently pursuing a BFA in acting at Southern Utah University, is appearing courtesy of the SUU Fellowship Program, and was part of the Festival’s house management team last season. He has performed in Three Sisters; Cloud 9; Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play; The Comedy of Errors; and Alice by Heart, among others.

Thom Rivera is making his first appearance at the Festival as Priam/Nestor in Troilus and Cressida. His Off-Broadway work includes The Acting Company, Culture Project, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Roundabout, among others. He has performed regionally at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center, and South Coast Rep, including numerous others. He has been in many television shows such as Law & Order, Bunk’d, New Girl, Lucifer, and The Mindy Project, and films like Eddington, El Tigre, and Once Upon a Time in Venice. He has taught at UCI Irvine, SUNY Albany, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Ivy Robbins is new to the Festival and will be part of the ensemble in Troilus and Cressida. She has been in Pippin; Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play; Sweet Charity; and The Secret Garden, all at Southern Utah University where she is currently pursuing a theatre degree. She is appearing courtesy of the SUU Fellowship Program. 

Veronique Robledo makes her Festival debut as part of the ensemble in Troilus and Cressida. She has performed in Sweet Charity, Pippin, and The Secret Garden at Southern Utah University. She has also worked at The New Play Lab at Kayenta Center for the Arts. She is a current Musical Theatre major and is appearing courtesy of the SUU Fellowship Program.

Ty Saunders is also a Southern Utah University Musical Theatre major, appearing courtesy of the SUU Fellowship Program, and will be seen as Greek Page in Troilus and Cressida. His work at SUU includes Mr. Burns in Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play and other roles in Pippin, Cloud 9, and Black Comedy.

Kathryn Tkel is returning for her second season at the Festival, and is performing the role of Cassandra/Ensemble in Troilus and Cressida. She was seen last season as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Audrey in As You Like It, and Lady Macduff in Macbeth. Other work includes productions at Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, Folger Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, and many more. She was seen in the film Harriet and currently teaches at Southern Utah University. She has an MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.  

Mare Trevathan is making her Festival debut as Ulysses in Troilus and Cressida. She has performed at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and Denver Center Theatre Company, and is a founding member of the Local Theater Company in Boulder, Colorado. She has worked with Sundance Lab, Saratoga International Theater Institute (SITI), and P3, and was seen in the film Silver City.

Braedon Young returns for his fourth season at the Festival, as Antenor/Myrmidon in Troilus and Cressida. His previous roles include George Seacole in Much Ado About Nothing, Robin Starvling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Abram in Romeo and Juliet, among others. Other performing credits include She Loves Me, Don’t Stop Me, and Drowsy Chaperone, as well as being a two-time soloist at Carnegie Hall. He received his BM in Musical Theater from The Manhattan School of Music.

The Festival’s 65th season runs June 18 through October 3, 2026. Troilus and Cressida plays in rotation with Hamlet and Twelfth Night in the outdoor Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. Don’t miss these remarkable productions under the stars, as well as more shows in our other two amazing theatres. Get your tickets online at bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).

Celebrating 65 Years: Shakespeare and the Fluffy Bundle

By Ryan Paul, guest writer and Festival Orientation/Seminar Moderator

Walt Disney, at the height of his popularity, advised his animators to “remember that it all started with a mouse.” In the case of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, it all started in a laundromat. In the spring of 1960, Fred Adams, a young (and the only) drama professor at the College of Southern Utah sat with his fiancée Barbara Gaddie in the Fluffy Bundle Laundromat and on a yellow note pad designed their dream. The notes on that pad would become the blueprint for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. The events that culminated with this Fluffy Bundle planning session had taken root years before. 

Fred Adams had begun to build a successful drama program that the Cedar City, Utah, community enthusiastically supported and which would eventually evolve into the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Coming from a family that actively encouraged his dramatic ambitions, Fred brought some of the biggest shows of the New York theater scene to rural Southern Utah and its small college. The only looming difficulty became the cost of continually purchasing royalty rights for newer shows. The solution: produce Shakespeare. The plays of William Shakespeare existed in the public domain, so no royalties needed.

Fred had spent a few weeks in the summer of 1959 living with friends in Ashland, Oregon. There he developed a life-long friendship with Angus Bowmer, the founder of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Fred spent all his time taking notes, watching rehearsals, and sketching sets. He began to notice similarities between Ashland and Cedar City. Both were similar in size, had small junior colleges, and were surrounded by scenic wonder. If a Shakespeare festival could work in Ashland, Oregon, why not Cedar City, Utah? 

In 1960, Fred took his college acting company on a barnstorming tour of rural Utah and Nevada. They performed Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit in cultural halls and rented auditoriums to great acclaim. This cast became the foundation for the first Festival productions. 

The pieces began to fall together. Fred and Barbara wanted to stay in Cedar City. Shakespeare worked in the community. The drama program had expanded and the students were enthusiastic. However, there were some storm clouds on the horizon. Cedar City had begun to suffer some economic troubles. The iron mines, which had brought large amounts of tax revenue into the city and county coffers, were beginning to close.

Additionally, the proposed route of the new Interstate 15 bypassed Cedar City by over 15 miles to the west. If the freeway did not have an interchange in Cedar City, it would be a devastating blow to the local business community.

Fred and Barbara envisioned a Shakespearean festival that would draw tourists into the community––tourists that would stay in motels, eat at restaurants, buy gas for their cars, and shop in the local stores. A festival could provide leverage for bringing the freeway closer and making Cedar City a destination point for travelers. Shakespeare could help Cedar City survive. Fred and Barbara took the ideas written on the yellow note pad, finished their laundry, and set to work.

Since it’s inaugural season sixty-five years ago, the Utah Shakespeare Festival has evolved from three plays over two weekends on a temporary stage into an internationally recognized, Tony Award-winning theatre company. The Festival now presents in three diverse theaters, eight plays in repertory through the summer and fall bringing quality professional theater to hundreds of thousands of people from around the world.

Hamnet, Hamlet, and the Question of Grief

By Kathryn Neves, guest writer

This year, as part of the 65th anniversary season, the Utah Shakespeare Festival will be producing one of Shakespeare’s best loved plays—in fact, one of the best works in the entire English language! Hamlet, often considered the Bard’s magnum opus, is brimming with universal themes. Inaction, legacy, memory, identity, and sanity are all topics that have defined the human experience for millennia. But perhaps the most relatable theme in Hamlet is its exploration of grief and mourning. The play’s many deaths allow us, as an audience, to explore what grief is; what it means to lose someone, the dangers of getting stuck in grief, and how loss can transform a person.

Is it any wonder, then, that so many people see a connection between this play, and Shakespeare’s deceased son, Hamnet?

With the recent release of the film Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao and based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, the topic of Shakespeare’s life is on a lot of people’s minds. How might his personal tragedy have affected his work? Over the centuries, historians and scholars and fans alike have seen the possible connection between the death of Shakespeare’s son and his best-known play. Most obvious, of course, is the name: “Hamnet” is remarkably close to “Hamlet.” In fact, the neighbor that Hamnet was named after—Hamnet Sadler—often called himself Hamlet. Shakespeare even called him “Hamlet” in his will. The names were practically interchangeable at the time.

Then, of course, there’s the timing. Shakespeare’s son died in August of 1596, likely from the bubonic plague which was sweeping through Stratford (and all of London) at the time. The play Hamlet then appeared only three to five years later; a play which featured the turmoils of grief, and famously, an iconic contemplation of what comes after death. The play also centers around the relationship between a father and son; it is old King Hamlet’s death, after all, that sets the events of the play into motion. It seems like a no-brainer that Hamlet was inspired by the death of Hamnet.

It’s natural to want to find a connection between Shakespeare’s work and his loss. After all, who isn’t curious about his life? We know so little about him and his family. No wonder we try to read Shakespeare himself into every work. But, as interesting as this theory is, the truth is—we don’t really know. Most scholars reject the Hamnet/Hamlet connection; Hamlet is, after all, based on an earlier legend—a legend about a man named “Amleth.” Hamlet is also largely taken from an earlier, lost play (which scholars call the “Ur-Hamlet”), meaning that these themes of loss, grief, and a father-son relationship existed in this form long before Shakespeare lost his son.

If you’re looking for something likely inspired by Hamnet’s death, though, a lot of scholars point to King John. Written in the year after Hamnet’s death, it features one of the most moving depictions of grief Shakespeare ever put to paper. After losing her son, the character Constance says: 

“Grief fills the room up of my absent child,
Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me,
Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words,
Remembers me of all his gracious parts,
Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form;
Then, have I reason to be fond of grief?”

This passage, to many scholars, feels like a more immediate, definite, and obvious response to Hamnet’s death than anything in Hamlet.

Still, whether or not Hamlet was inspired by Hamnet’s death, it’s clear from all of his works that Shakespeare was deeply familiar with grief. Hamlet’s depiction of loss, obsession, and family ties have captivated audiences for centuries. It’s reasonable to think, then, that Shakespeare was writing about his own experience. Even if Hamnet’s death wasn’t consciously on his mind when he wrote Hamlet, it’s fair to say that his own experiences with past grief shaped the play.

Written so realistically, with such universal and relatable language, it’s no wonder that people come back to Hamlet again and again. One of the most commonly performed plays in the English language, it’s been a Festival favorite ever since the opening season in 1961. So this summer, come and see Hamlet running June 19 to September 4, 2026, in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, and see for yourself just how well Shakespeare captures the human experience.

Meet the Team for the 2026 Shakespeare in the Schools Tour

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to announce its team for the 2026 Shakespeare in the Schools education tour of The Comedy of Errors. This group of ten theatre professionals recently gathered in Cedar City to begin rehearsals. Beginning in February, nine of the ten will travel across Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, and Nevada from February 2 through April 17, visiting more than 50 schools and community centers. 

Before they get on the road, the community is invited to a free public performance on Friday, February 6, at 7pm in the Southern Utah University Auditorium. A talkback with the cast will follow the performance. All ages are welcome.

The Tour

This 75-minute Shakespeare performance is part of the Shakespeare in the Schools program run by the Festival’s Education Department. It is designed to be a condensed yet complete theatrical experience. Education Director Stewart Shelley says this tour is one of the most meaningful opportunities for young people in our region each year.

“Through this program, Shakespeare is presented in an accessible, engaging format to students in grades 1–12 across the Intermountain West, many of whom may not otherwise have access to live theatre,” he says.

For middle and high school-aged students, the touring company offers hands-on workshops in addition to the show. “Beyond performance, the touring company offers talkbacks and interactive workshops that invite students to practice and refine their own theatrical skills, including text and speech, movement, improv, and tech and design.” 

For elementary school students, the tour company prepares a 45-minute assembly version that explores elements of theatre and Shakespeare. They talk about the story of the play, ask the students questions, and offer Shakespeare in a way that is exciting and digestible for even the youngest student. 

The Play

This is the first time The Comedy of Errors will be sent on tour by the Festival. Director and Festival veteran Marco Antonio Vega hopes the comic story will offer an opportunity to laugh and to show that we are more alike than we are different. 

“This play is ultimately a story about outcasts and homecomings,” he says. “It’s a comedy that begins with a tragedy: an elderly man is given a punishment of death, simply because of where he is from.” But he is allowed to tell his story about the search for his lost twin sons and their servants, who are also twins, in hopes of being reunited. Through a series of mishaps and seeming errors, at long last, his family comes back together again.

“From a full outcast refugee tragedy, to a comedic homecoming feast of equals, The Comedy of Errors teaches us that there is more that connects us than separates us,” Vega says.

The Team

Many may remember Vega from his numerous appearances at the Festival, performing in seven main stage seasons between 2014 and 2024. Some of his roles include Antipholus of Ephesus (one of the twin sons!) in 2021’s The Comedy of Errors, Paris in 2023’s Romeo and Juliet, and Don John in 2024’s Much Ado About Nothing. He received his BA degree in theater from Southern Utah University and his MFA from the University of San Diego, and has taught at both Utah Tech University and Southern Utah University. 

The tour will travel with two production staff: Tour Manager Alyssa Peters and Stage Manager Fiona Misiura. The performing cast consists of seven actors: Jeric Gutierrez, Mikki Pagdonsolan, Giuseppe Michael Pipicella, Gianna Porfano, Emily Michelle Walton, Christian Watts, and Zay Williams. The company will perform for thousands of students, teachers, and community members. Read more about the team’s individual bios here. 

Members of the resident Festival staff designed the production. Scenic design is by Properties Director Ben Hohman. Props design is by Assistant Properties Director Marielle Boneau. Costume design is by Diana Girtain, who has designed costumes for The Greenshow and previous tours. All the elements of the touring production are designed to be easily set up and taken down, and hauled in a moving truck and van, which the company will use to take the show on the road. 

The Festival has been sending out the Shakespeare in the Schools tour since 1993. Shelley sums up why this tour is so important: “This direct exchange between professional artists and young audiences creates powerful learning experiences, making the tour deeply impactful for students and profoundly rewarding for the actors who serve them."

For more information, contact the Utah Shakespeare Festival Education Department at 435-865-8333, usfeducation@bard.org, or by visiting bard.org/about/education/shakespeare-in-the-schools.

Bright Lights at the Beverley Center to Celebrate the Holiday Season

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is proud to welcome the public to the ninth year of their dazzling holiday light display all around the Beverley Center for the Arts, which has become a favorite local seasonal tradition.  

“We are thrilled that the community comes and meanders through the grounds, taking in the beautiful lights, decor, and music,” says Executive Managing Director Michael Bahr. “It’s a lovely reason to step out of warm cars and homes with our family and friends and have a Hallmark-like experience.”

The display includes over 100,000 lights, icicles, wreaths, and other decorations, inspired by the 2020 design by professional lighting designers Tom and Donna Ruzika. This year, installation took four members of the Festival’s facilities and electrical staff more than 125 hours to complete. 

The vision for the Festival lights combines traditional Christmas lights and music with theatrical and architectural lighting. New in the last couple of years is additional lighting on Shakespeare Lane and in the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) Stillman Sculpture Court. The end result is a beautiful display for the community to wander through and enjoy on the Festival grounds during the holiday season. 

The lights turn on near sunset each night, and run through January 1, 2026.

Live Theatre Makes the Perfect Gift This Christmas! 

Looking for the perfect gift for ALL your loved ones? Give the gift of live theatre this season!

It’s not too early to purchase tickets for the 2026 season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. The play lineup for the 65th anniversary season includes Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, and Twelfth Night, along with the hilarious musical Something Rotten!, the romantic comedy musical She Loves Me, the farce See How They Run, the visceral Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and the satirical The Book Club Play. 

You are such a gift to us––thank you for your support of the Festival! So here’s our gift to you: gift ideas, deals, and discounts to another incredible season of telling stories and making memories! 

If you’re looking for gift ideas for students and lifelong learners, check out details about our educational offerings below. 

To purchase tickets and take advantage of these discounts and educational offerings, and for more information, call the Festival Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX visit bard.org/tickets, or email guestservices@bard.org for inquiries or assistance during reduced holiday season hours at the Ticket Office. 

FOR ANYONE

Gift Certificates can be purchased from the ticket office in any amount. These are available for main stage productions as well as backstage tours and Repertory Magic. These make the perfect stocking stuffers!

The Play More discount is also a great way to give tickets to the most shows. Buy tickets to five or six shows and receive $4 off each ticket, or buy seven or eight shows and get $5 off each ticket.

FOR STUDENTS AND CHILDREN

The Student Access Pass is an amazing deal and available for only $50. It allows students one ticket per performance to be used up for up to 32 times throughout the season and is extremely popular.

This steal of a deal is for students in grades 1-12 from any school or home-school, as well undergraduate students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours. 

The pass is available for purchase by phone or in person, but not online. During the season, it can only be redeemed for one ticket per student per show on the day of the performance. The tickets are subject to availability and exclude premier seating. The pass cannot be refunded or exchanged, and it expires October 4, 2026. 

For young thespians, don’t miss out on our amazing summer youth camps! Imagine their faces when they find out they’re going to Summer Playmakers Camp (ages 5-17) from June 8-20, Junior Actor Training (ages 12-14) from July 20-25, or Actor Training (ages 15-17) from July 13-18. 

FOR LOCALS

If you’re local, the perfect gift for any theatre lover is the Iron County Pass. Iron County residents may purchase it for $200, which may be redeemed for six admissions throughout the 2026 season. Proof of residency and an ID is required when purchasing, and residents are limited to two passes per resident. This pass expires October 4, 2026 and excludes premier orchestra seating. (There are no refunds or exchanges with the pass, and some exclusions may apply.)

FOR EDUCATORS AND ADULTS

Teaching artists may be available to visit Utah public and charter schools to lead free workshops and events. Request a workshop from our PlayTeam here. 

Give the gift of learning this season. Adult courses are offered during the month of July, where participants can apply to receive Southern Utah University professional development credit for attending Teaching Shakespeare and/or Tech for Teachers. 

FOR SUU ALUMNI

For those who graduated from Southern Utah University, the gift of an Alumni Days package is the way to go! Along with discounted tickets for shows June 24-27, 2026, there is also a backstage tour, exclusive cast seminars, a dinner, and more included. It’s the perfect getaway for alumni and their families and friends.

FOR SCHOOL GROUPS

Need a really unique gift for students or teachers in your life? Gift an experience for schools and education groups of 12 or more to enjoy a professional play, orientation, and other experiences with the Festival’s Shakespearience program. This special offer is available for any matinee Monday through Friday, August 3–September 25, 2026. 

Shakespearience excludes premier seating and is subject to availability. Pricing is free or reduced per person for Utah public/public charter school groups, and $15 per person for private, parochial, or out-of-state school groups; residential treatment centers; and homeschool/co-op groups of 12 or more students. Other exclusions may apply. 

OTHER DISCOUNTS AND OFFERS

For groups of 12 or more, a discount starting at $4 per ticket is available. 

For those that are 62 years and older, AAA members and members of the military, a $4 discount per ticket to any performance is available. 

For those with sensory or accessibility needs, options such as Sensory-Friendly performances, live American Sign Language Interpretation services, and captioned performances are offered as well. 

Call the ticket office at 800-PLAYTIX or visit bard.org for more information. During this holiday season, our ticket office will have reduced phone hours. To ensure we can assist you promptly, we recommend emailing guestservices@bard.org for any inquiries or assistance.

21st Annual Holiday Light Display Raises Money for Charity

Festival Properties Director Ben Hohman and Assistant Properties Director Marielle Boneau, and their many elves, once again present their long-standing holiday light display, a favorite in the Cedar City community. Located at 26 North 1150 West in Cedar City, near the Southern Utah University football stadium, this is the 21st year of the display. The display lights up each evening from 5:30-10pm, running through December 31, weather permitting.

This year’s display includes around 70,000 lights, 60 plastic blow-molds, over 24 lighted animal sculptures, more then 35 inflatables, a homemade nine-foot wreath, wire-frame animated sculptures, and much more. The lights in the front of the home as well as some of the lights in the backyard are choreographed to twenty different Christmas songs. The public is invited to walk through display on “Candy Cane Lane,” which leads attendees through the entire property. Some of the highlights of the display include Santa’s Flight School where reindeer are learning to fly, the Christmas Zoo, Winter Disco Land, Santa’s Workshop, and Gingerbread Land. Other favorite characters include Snoopy and his Peanuts friends, Minnie Mouse, and Mater from Cars.

Hohman and Boneau are avid year-round collectors for this festive display, finding pieces at thrift and antique stores, snatching end-of-season discounts, as well as donations of lights and vintage decorations from others.

As part of the display, donations are collected for Make-A-Wish® Utah. The display has raised over $43,000 in the last 20 years. Hohman and Boneau also donate the value of their December power bill to the organization. Donations can be made in person at the display, online which has a link to the Make-A-Wish® Utah online donation site, or with Venmo @benslightdisplay.

If you’d like more information about this event please contact Ben Hohman at benhprops@hotmail.com.