News From the Festival
Season in Review: 36 Facts from the 63 Season
by Liz Armstrong, guest writer
With the 2024 season officially over, we’d like to thank all those who attended, donated, volunteered, or participated in any way for supporting us once again this year. The Festival’s 63rd season came to a close on October 5, and as Will says: parting is such sweet sorrow. So, in the spirit of celebrating another successful year, let’s look at some of the highlights from this season.
Enjoy these fun facts regarding productions, strike, props, education, and more!
2024 Productions
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The Greenshow pulled inspiration from the season’s Engelstad mainstage productions. Commedia Night drew inspiration from The Taming of the Shrew, Royals Night from Henry VIII, and Folk Night from The Winter’s Tale.
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The infamous bear puppet from The Winter’s Tale will be on display in the Festival Props Shop for years to come.
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Director Cameron Knight leaned into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s mental health in The Mountaintop, exploring psychological and fear elements to approach King in a more human way.
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Playwright Lauren Gunderson joined Southern Utah University and the Festival in September to talk about her production of Silent Sky.
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This is the 11th time The Taming of the Shrew and the 9th time Much Ado About Nothing was produced at the Festival.
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The Festival’s Artistic Director, John DiAntonio, played Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew this season opposite his real-life wife, Caitlin Wise, as Kate in their first season as part of the Festival.
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The play The 39 Steps has over 150 characters and was played by a cast of only four actors.
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This was only the third time Henry VIII was produced at the Festival. It was last produced nearly thirty years ago, in 1995, and 1974 before that.
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There was a performance of The 39 Steps this season in which three out of four cast members were understudies. They did a tremendous job on such a difficult show!
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The closing night of the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre brought record-numbers for audience attendance: over 900 at the Commedia Night Greenshow and a sold-out house for The Taming of the Shrew in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre.
End-of-Season Strike
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The Festival implemented a new Costume Inventory Program this season, making costumes more accessible to designers. The process includes applying heat-set bar codes on each costume piece, and then uploading photographs and information about each piece into the system. Pieces from this season will be some of the first to undergo this process.
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While some prop and scenery pieces will be sold or given to other organizations and interested patrons, most will be stored in the props warehouse and scenery storage tent––a combined space of about 8,500 square feet––for future seasons after strike.
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The Festival hosted a surplus sale during last weekend’s annual Shakespeare Competition, giving nearly 3,000 students and their teachers and chaperones the opportunity to take home pieces of theatre history.
Costumes and Props
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David Mickelsen was the costume designer of an original version of Silent Sky when Lauren Gunderson was writing it in Cleveland. He came this season to design the same show for the Festival.
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Uniforms for Much Ado About Nothing were custom made in Scotland.
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Some costume pieces were borrowed from Arizona Theatre Company for Silent Sky, while others were pulled from Festival stock.
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Two king sized fur comforters were used to make the bear puppet for The Winter’s Tale.
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There were four bears in The Winter’s Tale. The bear rug (custom built in the prop shop), a wooden toy bear (purchased by the prop shop), the giant bear puppet (custom built in the prop shop), and a stuffed animal bear sold by the character Autolocus to the young shepherd, which two girls fought over, resulting in ripping its head off (the prop shop modified a regular teddy bear so this action could happen each performance).
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All the aluminum legs for The Taming of the Shrew furniture were custom bent in the prop shop and welded by Assistant Props Director, Marielle Boneau.
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The 39 Steps armchair ended up being two chairs––one for each act due to the nature of the action in the play.
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The Greenshow stage got an arch this year that was originally designed to be used in 2016.
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There were seven ladders in The 39 Steps. One of them was custom welded for the Festival by a local company.
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The Props Department went through 14 buckets for the “foot stuck in the bucket” scene in Much Ado About Nothing.
The People
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There were several Southern Utah University students, alumni, and faculty in the acting company this year, including Ashley Aquino, Zac Barnaby, Whitney Black, Trent Dahlin, Gracelyn Erickson, Luke Sidney Johnson, Rockwell MacGillivray, Bailey Savage, Elise Thayn, Marco Antonio Vega, Spencer Watson, Stephen K. Wagner, Matthew Wangemann, Emily Wheeler, and Gabriel Wright.
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Former Director of New Play Development, Derek Charles Livingston, directed Henry VIII this season and became the new Artistic Director of Stage Theatre in Houston in August.
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John DiAntonio and Michael Bahr completed their first season as Artistic Director and Executive Managing Director, our fearless head leadership team. Congratulations!
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The Festival was delighted to be back in the local community parades this year.
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Stewart Shelley was appointed as the Education Director, moving from Associate Education Director. What an exciting announcement!
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Director of Development and Communications Donn Jersey announced his upcoming departure from the Festival. We thank him for his six and a half years of leadership.
Education Department
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Schools from California, Arizona, Wisconsin, Utah, and Nevada attended this year’s Shakespeare Competition.
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For the Junior and Actor Training Camps this summer, students attended from Utah, Michigan, Florida, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Arizona, and Nevada. They also traveled from Canada and the US Virgin Islands.
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During the 2024 Shakespeare in the School’s Tour of Hamlet, there were 52 performances in 29 public schools, 1 public district, 14 public charter schools, two residential treatment centers and eight community performances in various venues.
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Nearly 10,000 students saw this production of Hamlet, engaged in a Q&A with the actors, and participated in various workshops led by the tour team.
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This season, there was supplemental astronomy encounters surrounding Silent Sky, including discussion in the Seminar Grove. Dark Sky Coordinator at Cedar Breaks National Monument Mattias Schmitt and Dr. Cameron Pace from the Ashcroft Observatory discussed the science behind the story.
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The Education Department was delighted to welcome the 2024 company members back as tour guides for the backstage tours.
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Company members participated in the Juvenile Justice program at the Southwest Utah Youth Center in Cedar City.
So many amazing moments created and experiences enjoyed this season! The 63rd season served as a time that encouraged those that attended and participated to ‘Believe’ in the transformative power of live theater. We’d like to profoundly thank our patrons and donors for supporting us and encourage you to return next year for the 2025 season.
The lineup for the 64th season includes: Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Steel Magnolias. Tickets are on sale now!
Results of the 48th Annual Shakespeare Competition
This past weekend the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Southern Utah University hosted the 48th annual Shakespeare Competition where dozens of awards, prizes, and scholarships were given to drama, dance, and music students.
The competition is the largest scholastic Shakespeare competition in North America, and this year, over 3,000 students from 101 schools attended from Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Idaho, and Wisconsin. More than 300 coaches and teachers helped prepare these students for the competition.
From October 3 to 5, students competed before numerous adjudicators on the Festival’s stages and on SUU’s campus. More than 80 judges consisting of arts professionals with strong literary and performance backgrounds, including company members from the 2024 season at the Festival, provided feedback to participants.
The competition recognizes and educates students between second and twelfth grade in four areas: acting, dance/choreography, music, and technical theatre. At the conclusion of the competition, selected students received plaques, prizes, and scholarships to study with professionals at Southern Utah University and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
The competition is divided into six divisions: Buckingham (large public high schools), Oxford (midsize public high schools), Cambridge (small public high schools), Westminster (private, charter, and parochial schools), Stratford (junior high and middle schools) and Essex (schools or groups which are not members of state high school associations).
Education Director Stewart Shelley is thrilled with how this year’s competition went. “We have so many schools and groups who return year after year. This is an important tradition for these students and teachers. We have new schools coming too, and it’s an incredible opportunity for all the participants to get professional feedback and revel in the art of William Shakespeare.”
ACTING COMPETITION
For the acting portion of the competition, students compete in monologues, duo/trio scenes, and ensembles. Monologue competitors present a two to four-minute monologue from a Shakespeare play or sonnet for the judges. In the duo/trio scenes competition, two or three actors present a three to five-minute scene from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of students from a school present a six to ten-minute Shakespearean scene.
In addition, first, second, and third place overall sweepstake prizes were awarded to the school in each division with the most total points from all categories.
Also, several scholarships are presented in the acting competition:
The first place winners in the duo/trio scene and monologue categories are awarded scholarships to either Southern Utah University or the Utah Shakespeare Festival summer classes, depending on the grade of the student.
Ray Jones Award: Given to seniors, this award is a $1,000 scholarship to Southern Utah University.
Barbara Barrett Award: Given to juniors and under, this award is a $500 scholarship to the Festival’s summer acting intensive Actor Training Camp or Junior Actor Training Camp.
Larry Lott Acting Award: In conjunction with the ensemble competition, judges annually recognize the best actor in an ensemble scene in each division. The recipient of this award received a trophy for his or her accomplishments and, if a senior, a $1,000 scholarship to SUU.
Here are the winners for the Acting Competition.
BUCKINGHAM DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Corner Canyon High School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Lehi High School
Sweepstakes Third Place: Skyridge High School
Ensemble First Place: Corner Canyon High School
Ensemble Second Place: Lehi High School
Ensemble Third Place: Skyridge High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Ellie Walsh and Ezekial Binkard (Westlake High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Kaiya Sharp and Paul Witzel (Corner Canyon High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Izzy Anderson and Hannah Lewis (Lehi High School)
Monologue First Place: Alex Hsiao (Skyridge High School)
Monologue Second Place: Nora Booth (Westlake High School)
Monologue Third Place: Kaleb Phillips (Lehi High School)
Ray Jones Award: Alex Hsiao (Skyridge High School); Ellie Walsh and Ezekial Binkerd (Westlake High School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Aubrey Boman (Corner Canyon High School)
OXFORD DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Hillcrest High School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Brighton High School
Sweepstakes Third Place: Orem High School
Ensemble First Place: Hillcrest High School
Ensemble Second Place: Brighton high School
Ensemble Third Place: Valencia High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Claire Bartlett, Ryan Rasch, and Cooper Runnells (Hillcrest High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Gideon Kirby and Caleb Timmerman (Hillcrest High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Camie Hopkins and Nate Thorne (Salem Hills High School)
Monologue First Place: Riley Thompson (Hillcrest High School)
Monologue Second Place: Eliza Moises (Orem High School)
Monologue Third Place: CaRina Day (Timpanogos High School)
Ray Jones Award: Riley Thompson and Ryan Rasch (Hillcrest High School)
Barbara Barrett Award: Claire Bartlett and Copper Runnells (Hillcrest High School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Lucia Glime (Brighton High School)
CAMBRIDGE DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Canyon View High School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Northridge High School
Sweepstakes Third Place: North Sanpete High School
Ensemble First Place: Canyon View High School
Ensemble Second Place: Northridge High School
Ensemble Third Place: North Sanpete High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Max Brown, Alicia Cerda, and Michael Hibbert (Northridge High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Andy Larsen, Jules Wilson, and Lin Anderson (North Sanpete High School)
Duo/Trio Third Place: Charlotte Pulica and Sabrina Grimshaw (Canyon View High School)
Monologue First Place: Emma Wallace (North Sanpete High School)
Monologue Second Place: Lucy Sorber (Mountain View High School)
Monologue Third Place: Jey Stucki (North Sanpete High School)
Barbara Barrett Award: Max Brown, Alicia Cerda, and Michael Hibbert (Northridge High School), Emma Wallace (North Sanpete High School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Beth Manwill (Northridge High School)
WESTMINSTER DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Rockwell Charter High School
Sweepstakes Third Place: American Leadership Academy Spanish Fork - Senior High
Ensemble First Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School
Ensemble Second Place: American Leadership Academy Spanish Fork - Senior High
Ensemble Third Place: Intermountain Christian School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Benjamin Decker, Samuel Vick, and Peter Dowdle (Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy - High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Anthony Lombardi and J.J. Betts (Providence Hall High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Samuel Smith and Evey Jackson (American Heritage School - SLC High School)
Monologue First Place: Scarlet Boss (Rockwell Charter - High School)
Monologue Second Place: Jacob Keller (Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy - High School)
Monologue Third Place: Charlotte Heinrich (Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School)
Ray Jones Award: Scarlet Boss (Rockwell Charter - High School); Benjamin Decker, Samuel Vick, and Peter Dowdle (Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy - High School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Scarlet Boss (Rockwell Charter - High School)
STRATFORD DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School
Sweepstakes Second Place: Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy - Middle School
Sweepstakes Third Place: Vista Heights Middle School
Ensemble First Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School
Ensemble Second Place: Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy - Middle School
Ensemble Third Place: Vista Heights Middle School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Levi Hilmo, Adam Jensen, and Nicholas Jackson (Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Jocelyn Hellewell and Haley Anderson (Vista Heights - Middle School)
Duo Trio Scenes Third Place: Madison Flowers and Macy Upstill (Vista Heights - Middle School)
Monologue First Place: Ally Rees (Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
Monologue Second Place: Kyler Seamons (Liahona Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
Monologue Third Place: Hallie Springer (Lake Mountain Middle School)
Barbara Barrett Award: Ally Rees (Liahona Preparatory Academy); Levi Hilmo, Adam Jensen, and Nicholas Jackson (Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy - Middle School)
Larry Lott Acting Award: Cannon Rockwood (American Heritage School - SLC Junior High)
ESSEX DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: First Stage Young Company
Sweepstakes Second Place: Take Note Troupe
Sweepstakes Third Place: Dixie Leadership Academy
Ensemble First Place: First Stage Young Company
Ensemble Second Place: Take Note Troupe
Ensemble Third Place: Liahona Preparatory Academy - Elementary
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Maya Thomure and Max Larson (First Stage Young Company)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Lola Onorato, Thomas Bastardo, and Lucy Kuhnen-Grooms (First Stage Young Company)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Blake Nelson, Oakley Brewster, and Bella Richey (Dixie Leadership Academy)
Monologue First Place: Josephine Van Slyke (First Stage Young Company)
Monologue Second Place: Paisley Stillman (QQAAC)
Monologue Third Place: Elena Marking (First Stage Young Company)
Ray Jones Award: Josephine Van Slyke (First Stage Young Company)
Barbara Barrett Award: Maya Thomure and Max Larson (First Stage Young Company)
Larry Lott Award: Madison Jones (First Stage Young Company)
DANCE/CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION
For the dance portion, students were able to compete in duo/trio or ensemble groups. In the duo/trio competition, two or three dancers presented a three to six-minute interpretation of a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of dancers interpreted a three to six-minute Shakespeare play or sonnet.
Here are the winners for the Dance/Choreography Competition:
BUCKINGHAM DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Skyridge High School
Ensemble Second Place: Westlake High School
Ensemble Third Place: Lone Peak High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Alyviah Brownlee, Hallie Hadlock, and Sadie Gatherum (Westlake High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Arath Cardona, Elisabeth Bessette, and Baylie Spainhower (Taylorsville High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Brynlee Turner, Rylie Jones, and Elle Jones (Skyridge High School)
OXFORD DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Orem High School
Ensemble Second Place: Olympus High
Ensemble Third Place: Provo High School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Jayde Garrett and Aubrey Child (Pleasant Grove High School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Lily Cannon, Lucy Richards, and Charlotte Johnsen (Olympus High)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Layla Filby, Kaden Gatherum, and Mareli Perez (Kearns High School)
CAMBRIDGE DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Murray High School
Ensemble Second Place: Desert Hills High School
Ensemble Third Place: Mountain View High School
Duo/Trio First Place: Atley Larrabee, Kai Louderback, and Mattix Espinoza (Desert Hills High School)
Duo/Trio Second Place: Kate Lutkin, Sophie Ballard, and Hannah Bowen (Murray High School)
Duo/Trio Third Place: Ava Knudsen and Sabrina Gordon (Canyon View High School)
WESTMINSTER DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: American Leadership Academy - Spanish Fork
Ensemble Second Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts
Ensemble Third Place: Juan Diego Catholic High School
Duo/Trio First Place: Ellie Krull and Holly Richard (Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts)
Duo/Trio Second Place: Naomi Tveten, Ian Hadfield, and Sadie McGhie (Liahona Preparatory Academy - High School)
Duo/Trio Third Place: Isadora Salekfard and Kianna Cuthcins (Pacifica Christian High School)
STRATFORD DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Frontier Middle School
Ensemble Second Place: Vista School
Ensemble Third Place: Vista Heights Middle School
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Jax Davis, Greyson Lefevre, and Brennon Gough (Vista School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Savannah Sheppard and Hannah Fowles (Frontier Middle School)
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Kaiya Wride, Savvi Wright, and Taylee Featherstone (Vista Heights Middle School)
ESSEX DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Saint Contemporary Ballet
Ensemble Second Place: Take Note Troupe
Ensemble Third Place: Youth Theatre - University of Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Linnea Lopez, Jhoryan Eggett, and Aspen Dail (Lighthouse Commonwealth of Iron County)
MUSIC COMPETITION
The music competition encourages students to explore the music of the Renaissance (music prior to 1650). Students were encouraged to utilize creative combinations of instruments; however, no instrumentation was required. The competition was split into four divisions: Troubadour (one to five participants), Minstrel (six to ten participants), Canzonetta (six to 16 participants), and Madrigal (17 plus participants). Choral pieces could be up to ten minutes in length.
Here are the winners for the Music Competition:
TROUBADOUR
First Place: Cambri Burgon, Camryn Pittard, and Lily Withers (Skyridge High School)
Second Place: Savannah Anderson, Morganne Strong, and Emilee Farmer (Romney Youth Bard Brigade)
Third Place: Elise Farmer (Herriman High School)
MINSTREL
First Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts
Second Place: Pleasant Grove High School
Third Place: Corner Canyon High School
CANZONETTA
First Place: Pleasant Grove High School
Second Place: Corner Canyon High School
Third Place: Herriman High School
MADRIGAL
First Place: Corner Canyon High School
Second Place: Skyridge High School
Third Place: Herriman High School
SWEEPSTAKES
First Place: Pleasant Grove High School
Second Place: Corner Canyon High School
Third Place: Skyridge High School
TECHNICAL THEATRE COMPETITION
The final competition was in the technical theatre area for students who work behind-the-scenes creating sound, lighting, props, scenery, make-up, and costumes. In the portfolio area, students were given the chance to have their technical and/or design portfolios evaluated by professionals in technical theatre. Technical theatre students were able to compete in Tech Olympics, with winners named in costumes, lighting, make-up, props, rigging, set construction, sound, and stage management. Overall school winners were also named. The best portfolio and runners-up were also recognized.
TECH OLYMPICS––INDIVIDUAL WINNERS
Costumes: Lucy Rowley (Riverton High School)
Lighting: Matthew Estes (Mountain View High School)
Make-up: Dylann Miller (Corner Canyon High School)
Props: Peyton Bodily (Corner Canyon High School)
Rigging: Elise Parry (Hillcrest High School)
Carpentry: Catherine Tobler(Orem High School)
Audio: Jackson Christensen (Orem High School)
Stage Management: Harrison Treat (Hillcrest High School)
TECH OLYMPICS––OVERALL WINNERS
First Place (Gold Drill): Hillcrest High School
Second Place (Silver Spotlight): Salem Hills High School
Third Place (Bronze Boot): Riverton High School
TECH PORTFOLIO WINNERS
Overall Winner: Ophilia Cerda Echeverria (North Ridge High School)
Runners-up: Elise Parry (Hillcrest High School)
For more information on the Shakespeare Competition, visit competition.bard.org.
A Tour of the Utah Shakespeare Festival Statue Garden
By Katie Neves, guest writer
Located just south of the Balcony Bards Seminar Grove, the Catherine and Robert Pedersen Shakespeare Character Garden is an artistic tribute to the works of William Shakespeare. Walk around the grounds, and you’ll see some of his most iconic characters in vivid detail. From tragic heroes like King Lear to the comical Falstaff, these statues bring Shakespeare’s timeless figures to life. Let’s take a closer look at each statue and the stories they tell.
William Shakespeare
Where better to start than with the Bard of Stratford on Avon himself? Born in 1564, Shakespeare wrote, acted, and produced his plays in several theatres in England, most famously the Globe Theatre in London. His works have only grown in popularity since his death over four centuries ago. In fact, he is the most performed playwright in history. Standing at a podium filled with books and facing out toward all the characters he created, this statue captures his enduring legacy as a master storyteller.
Festival Fun Fact: When the now-retired Adams Memorial Shakespeare Theatre was built in 1977, it was one of the world’s most accurate replicas of the original Globe. Its authentic design was so impressive that the British Broadcasting Company filmed a program in it in 1981 about Elizabethan theatre.
Hamlet
Perhaps Shakespeare’s best-known hero, this brooding and philosophical prince of Denmark delivers some of Shakespeare’s most famous words. From “Alas, poor Yorick” to “To be or not to be,” Hamlet delves deep into the human psyche as he seeks to avenge his father’s murder. He’s best known for his indecision and inner turmoil—traits which, ultimately, lead to his tragic end.
Festival Fun Fact: The small, pale tree behind Hamlet is known as a ghost pine. This is meant to represent the ghost of Hamlet’s father, who haunts the court of Elsinore and sets the play in motion.
Juliet
Juliet is the young heroine of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays. At just 13 years old, she falls deeply in love with Romeo—a star-crossed relationship that defies the bitter feud between their families. Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most adapted characters, appearing in hundreds of operas, ballets, musicals, stage plays, paintings, animations, and live-action films.
Festival Fun Fact: This statue was modeled after USF founder Fred Adams’ oldest daughter, Dorcas Adams Woodward.
King Lear
“Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks,” this statue seems to cry, tearing his clothes and dropping his crown to the ground. He yells at the elements with all the grief and rage that Shakespeare gave him. A king of ancient England, Lear contends with evil daughters, traitorous courtiers, and his own madness as he suffers the consequences of his vanity and foolishness.
Festival Fun Fact: In 2015, USF’s production of King Lear starred acclaimed actor Tony Amendola. Audiences may recognize him from his roles in Stargate SG-1, Once Upon a Time, and Continuum.
Lady Macbeth
Ambitious and ruthless, Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most chilling villains, known for her sinister influence over her husband. As the play progresses, the guilt of her murderous actions slowly overcomes her, and she descends into madness. This statue depicts the famous sleepwalking scene, where she desperately tries to wash King Duncan’s blood off her hands.
Festival Fun Fact: When referring to her, most theater folk call her “Lady M.” According to urban legend, the word “Macbeth” is cursed, and it’s bad luck to say it in a theater. Next year, audiences will see Lady Macbeth return to the Festival stage as a part of the 2025 season.
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved characters. Making his first appearance in Henry IV Part 1, he is a close friend and (terrible) mentor to Prince Hal. This statue depicts the famous pillow scene, where Falstaff puts a cushion on his head as a makeshift crown and pretends to be King Henry IV. As Falstaff and Hal playfully banter back and forth, Shakespeare foreshadows the heavy weight of kingship young Hal will soon have to bear.
Festival Fun Fact: According to legend, Queen Elizabeth I was distraught when Falstaff was killed offstage in Henry V. She demanded that Shakespeare write Falstaff a new play—a comedy, where he could fall in love. That, supposedly, is where The Merry Wives of Windsor comes from.
Henry V
King Henry V is Shakepseare’s most famous military leader. After learning that he has a claim to the French throne (and after a very rude gift from the French prince), Henry gathers his troops and goes to war. This statue depicts his famous St. Crispin’s Day speech, where he rallies his outnumbered soldiers before the Battle of Agincourt. In the end, he’s miraculously victorious, and returns home as King of England and heir of France.
Festival Fun Fact: USF’s last production of Henry V, in 2016, was one of the first shows to be produced in the new Engelstad Shakespeare Theater.
Cleopatra
Regal and brilliant, Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare’s most formidable heroines. As the Queen of Egypt, she wields her intelligence and charisma to navigate the battlefields of love and politics alongside her lover, the Roman general Marc Antony (remember him from Julius Caesar?). Cleopatra’s tragic fate (a bite from a venomous snake) cements her legacy as a woman who refuses to be subdued.
Festival Fun Fact: The last time the Festival produced Antony and Cleopatra was in 2006—almost 20 years ago! Audiences will see Cleopatra return next year as a part of the 2025 season.
Bottom and Puck
One of the most hilarious characters in literary canon, Bottom from A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a terrible actor who has a run-in with fairies in the woods outside Athens. As a part of a devious prank, he is transformed into a hideous donkey, and catches the eye of the bewitched fairy queen Titania. Whispering in his donkey ear is a tiny Puck—Oberon the fairy king’s loyal servant, and the mischievous menace who transforms Bottom and sets the mischief in motion.
Festival Fun Fact: This statue is the newest in the garden, and was from Festival founder Fred C. Adams’ favorite Shakespeare plays. It’s also the only statue to feature two characters (unless you count Cleopatra’s snake and Hamlet’s skull).
Bonus Statues
Titania
Moving outside the statue garden, you’ll find Titania—the enchanting Queen of the Fairies—nestled in a planter at the west entrance to the Randall L. Jones Theatre. After a fight, her husband, Oberon, magically tricks her into falling in love with Bottom—a grotesque donkey man. At the end of the play, all is resolved; she and Oberon reunite, and the fairy kingdom is at peace once more.
Festival Fun Fact: With Titania, Bottom, and Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the only Shakespeare play that has multiple statues of various characters at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Lear’s Head
Next to the grand staircase of the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre you’ll see a small bronze head—the crownless head of King Lear. Unassuming and simple, this statue represents Lear as he is by the end of the play: a powerless shadow of who he once was. Lear shows the wide spectrum of the human experience—mighty to humble, sane to mad, cruel to remorseful. It’s no wonder he’s often considered Shakespeare’s most tragic hero.
Festival Fun Fact: King Lear is the only Shakespeare character who has two statues at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Fred C. Adams
Situated near Ellen’s Sweet Shop and Engelstad gift shop, the statue of Fred C. Adams is a tribute to the founder of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Along with his wife Barbara, he started the Festival in 1961 and continued his work until his death in 2020. Beginning with a thin plywood stage on the grass, then moving to the Adams Memorial Theatre, and finally to the Beverley Taylor Sorenson complex as it stands today, Fred made it his life’s work to bring quality theatre to southern Utah.
Festival Fun Fact: If you look really closely, you can see the watch on his wrist is a Mickey Mouse watch—something he wore every day in real life.
As you stroll through the Utah Shakespeare Festival grounds, be sure to make a stop at the statue garden. From the haunting Lady Macbeth to the contemplative Bard himself, each figure captures an enchanting piece of Shakespeare’s literary legacy. Whether you’re a lifelong Festival enthusiast or a newcomer to the theatre, the statue garden offers a unique glimpse into the brilliant world of William Shakespeare. (Final Festival Fun Fact: come back in December and this statue garden––and the rest of the Beverley Center––will be marvelously lit with holiday lights and decor.)
2024 Season is Almost Over; Get Your Tickets Now
It hardly seems believable that the 2024 season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival is almost over. With only a week and a half remaining, you still have time to catch Shakespeare’s witty comedy Much Ado About Nothing, the hilarious and zany whodunit The 39 Steps, the moving and historical Silent Sky, and the poignant The Mountaintop before they close on October 5. And there are plenty of ways to snatch a good seat to either the matinees or the evening performances.
For residents of Iron, Beaver, Washington, Kane, Garfield, Piute, and Lincoln counties, we encourage you to participate in our Fall Food Drive discount. For every five non-perishable food items donated, guests receive a half-price ticket to a play of their choice. Seats may be reserved in advance but tickets must be purchased in person, as this offer is not available online. There is no limit on the number of half-off tickets local guests can get. Please note that premier seating is not available for this promotion. See here for more info.
With one T-bird Tuesday remaining, students from Southern Utah University can get $10 tickets on Tuesday, October 1. We love when SUU students fill our theatres and bring their enthusiasm and excitement. Students can also still get a Student Access Pass for $40 and see as many shows as they like, based on availability. As a bonus, pass holders can bring a friend for free on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 1 and 2.
And don’t forget the extras! We still have play seminars and orientations happening, along with our final costume and actor seminars this Friday and Saturday, September 27 and 28. These are amazing ways to supplement your knowledge about the shows, as well as get your questions answered about the Festival, how the productions come together, and the experience our actors have.
Also wrapping up this weekend are the exhibits at our closest neighbor, the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), on the corner of University Boulevard and 300 West, just north of our Randall L. Jones Theater. Multiple exhibits are on display through September 28, and as always, entrance is free! Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
As an exciting end to the season (and a head’s up to you, our patrons), our Shakespeare Competition is happening during our closing weekend of October 3-5. What does this mean? Nearly 3,000 students from over 100 middle and high schools gather on our grounds and the campus of Southern Utah University for three days of performances, competitions, adjudications, and activities based on the works of Shakespeare. Not only does it include theatre scenes, but dance and choral groups compete as well. The public is welcome to watch these performances. And of course, our shows are filled with these dynamic students. If you’ve ever wanted to watch one of our plays along with excited and invested students, grab a ticket (if you can!) and join us closing weekend!
For tickets and information, visit our plays webpage, call 800-PLAYTIX, or come to our Ticket Office near the Anes Studio Theatre.
Donn Jersey to Depart Utah Shakespeare Festival and Embark on New Ventures
The Utah Shakespeare Festival announces the upcoming departure of Donn Jersey, director of development and communications, at the end of the season after six and a half years of leadership. Jersey will continue his involvement in the arts and mental health fields as he transitions into advisory roles with arts organizations and other nonprofits, offering expertise in fundraising, communications, and strategic planning with his new endeavor, Strategic 3C.
“Donn’s leadership and tireless work have been critical to the Festival’s success,” said Michael Bahr, executive managing director. “His energy and drive in building relationships is remarkable. His impact, particularly in fundraising and outreach, will continue to shape the Festival for years to come.”
Jersey, who joined the Festival in 2018, was instrumental in driving its growth and securing financial stability through key fundraising and communication initiatives, enhancing digital technology, and analytics. Under his leadership, donations grew to record-setting levels, from 18% to 50% of the Festival’s annual budget in just three years. He spearheaded the $10 million Fred C. Adams Endowment, a $3 million campaign for theatrical equipment, and the ‘Believe’ campaign in 2023 and 2024.
“As a long-time attendee and supporter, I have witnessed firsthand the profound impact Donn Jersey has had on the Utah Shakespeare Festival. His visionary leadership and innovative spirit have elevated the Festival to new heights,” said Shelley Berkley, honorary co-chair of the Fred C. Adams Endowment and former Congresswoman from Nevada.
During the COVID-19 shutdown, Jersey played a critical role in guiding the Festival through one of its most challenging periods, helping to keep its community connected and informed and leading several public outreach efforts. A campaign focusing on gratitude set a new fundraising record during a season when the Festival was closed.
“Donn is the most talented businessman we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” said Eileen and Allen Anes, longtime Festival donors and current members of the Board of Governors. “We will profoundly miss seeing Donn at the Festival.”
One of Jersey’s most impactful contributions was his involvement in the Festival’s Every Brilliant Thing touring production, a play about teen depression and suicide prevention. From 2019 to 2024, this initiative reached over 50,000 students across Utah through 220 performances, aiming to break down stigmas and transform lives.
“How fortunate I feel to have found a home with the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City,” expressed Jersey. “I will look forward to participating as an audience member to witness the magic of this extraordinary storytelling institution that has captured my family’s hearts.”
As a principal with the consulting organization Strategic 3C, Jersey will advise several arts organizations in and outside of Utah. Some of his first projects will be with the West Valley Arts Foundation, the Sedona International Film Festival, and Encore Theatre in St. George, Utah. He plans to continue his work with Mission High School, a recovery high school he co-founded in Las Vegas in 2017. Furthermore, he is actively involved in launching the grand opening of his family’s new restaurant, Jersey’s Corner, in Parowan, Utah, and is preparing to publish the first in a series of children’s books in 2025, inspired by adventures with his granddaughter.
The Festival wishes Donn all the best in his future endeavors.
The Art of Rosa Lazaro: Seeing the World in Abstract
By Katie Neves, guest writer
If you haven’t had a chance to wander through Rosa Lazaro’s photography exhibit in the Randall L. Jones Theater lobby, now’s the perfect time to lose yourself in her work. Known for her background as the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s costume crafts supervisor, Lazaro brings a unique perspective to her photography—offering Festival patrons a new and dynamic view of the world.
This exhibit, found in the Randall lobby near the main level concessions stand, celebrates Lazaro’s ability to view the world from unexpected angles. “I gather my inspiration from the ability to view the world through the abstract,” she explained. Whether through her bold use of color or her deep attention to detail, her work invites viewers to pause and consider the everyday world in a new way. As a seasoned costume designer, her focus on texture and form is reflected in each photo, giving her work an unmistakably theatrical quality.
Originally from Delta, Utah, and now a professor of costume design at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Lazaro’s artistic journey began in scenic design, where she learned the importance of composition. She eventually transitioned into costume design, which gave her new understandings of color, texture and pattern. “All of these lessons learned in theatre aid me greatly as I work on my photography,” said Lazaro. Her award-winning photography has been seen on the cover of Bend magazine, as well as in various galleries, museums, and art centers in Texas. The Randall exhibit is her first in Utah: “I’m delighted I can show my work for the first time in my home state.”
One of the standout aspects of Lazaro’s work is her macro photography. “My macro photography is some of my most successful and loved work by both myself and the public,” she said. Her macro photos transform ordinary subjects into dazzling displays of vibrancy and texture, challenging the viewer to look deeper at the world. “Viewing the world differently is truly a thrill,” said Lazaro. “”I want nothing more than to share that with others.”
Among the many beautiful photos in the exhibit, one holds a special place in her heart: a piece she calls “Fred.” Named after Fred C. Adams, the founder of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the piece captures a nostalgic moment of reflection.
One evening, she visited the Adams Memorial Theatre and thought back on her many years at the Festival. She remembered years past, sitting at the back of the theater after rehearsals; without realizing she was there, actors would come back onstage to run through their lines again. “I loved watching them hearing the echoes of their words,” she said. “It was work I would never see or hear onstage; they were faceless in the dark, they were taking risks they never would onstage. That was true theatre magic to me.”
As she reminisced, Lazaro remembers watching as a ray of sunshine hit the hanging Adams sign. “I felt as if it was Fred saying ‘hi,’ or maybe thanking me for visiting our home—the home Fred built for us all,” she said. This piece, steeped in nostalgia and personal significance, not only honors a beloved figure but also captures the essence of Lazaro’s deep connection to the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Ultimately, Lazaro hopes her exhibit will leave a lasting impact on Festival patrons. “I want people to feel triggers—warmth, peace, happiness. Maybe a piece can remind them of a moment,” she says. Her abstract works, in particular, encourage viewers to question what they see and to explore new perspectives. “I love when people ask me what a piece is—it shows they’re seeing the world differently.”
Rosa Lazaro’s exhibit runs through October 5. Be sure to visit the Randall L. Jones Theater and catch her incredible work which can be purchased, as well as Much Ado About Nothing and The 39 Steps playing in the Randall, and Silent Sky and The Mountaintop in the Anes Studio Theatre, before the season closes! For tickets and more information, visit bard.org. For more information from Lazaro about her photography, email her at rmlazarodesigns@gmail.com.
Find Deals and Treasures at the Festival’s Surplus Sale
Need a costume for Halloween? Or props for an upcoming production? Visit the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s upcoming surplus sale! A sale on costumes, props, scenery, and lighting is scheduled to take place during this year’s Shakespeare Competition in early October. While nearly 3,000 students come to town to perform, compete, and enjoy Festival shows, this sale is an opportunity to take home pieces of theatre history.
Competition participants, other theatre groups, and the general public are invited to check out the available merchandise. “The sale is open to the public, but we are hoping a lot of the items go to school groups as they will benefit the most from them,” says Festival Costume Director Jeffrey Lieder. “The sale happens during the competition but is not held every year; generally only when we have enough items we’d like to pass along.”
Scheduled for October 3 and 4 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and October 5 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), there will be hundreds of pieces from past productions at the Festival to choose from. Items available include costumes, furniture, lighting equipment, mini fog machine, miscellaneous trims and decor, hand props, par lights, scenery pieces, and more.
“The production departments at the Festival have limited storage space and we hate to throw things away, so every once in a while we need to make some room by selling off items we’re not able to use anymore,” says Festival Props Director Ben Hohman. “This sale is our chance to sell items we can no longer store to other theater groups and the community.”
Everything will be available for bargain prices, sold “as is”, and are non-refundable. Credit/debit cards, cash, and checks will be accepted. The sale will be held in the Festival Costume Shop. Entrance will be on Shakespeare Lane (the one-way street that runs along the back side of the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre), between 100 West and 200 West. Please note that nearby parking may be limited and the adjacent administration parking lot is for Festival employees only, but that there are places to pull over to load vehicles near the loading dock of the Engelstad Theatre and the Pedersen Shakespeare Character Garden on Shakespeare Lane.
For questions or more information, email guestservices@bard.org.
Silent Sky Playwright to Visit the Festival
The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s current production of Silent Sky tells the story of 19th Century scientist and astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and was written by playwright Lauren Gunderson, who will be visiting the Festival and Cedar City during the week of September 23.
Since 2015 Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in the United States, reaching the top of that list three times, including in 2022/2023. She is an award-winning writer who won the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award twice, the Lanford Wilson Award, and the Otis Guernsey New Voices Award. She has also been a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Weisberger Award, and John Gassner Award for Playwriting. Her musical adaptation of The Time Traveller’s Wife premiered on The West End last year. Revolutionary Women––her new anthology of five plays––was published by Bloomsbury in 2023. She has authored numerous other theatre works and screenplays, as well as a picture book, Dr. Wonderful: Blast Off to the Moon, and hosts a creative podcast for theatre lovers called How To Playwright. She is a board member of The Playwrights Foundation, and a member of the Science & Society Program Advisory Council at The Aspen Institute.
In addition to Silent Sky, the Festival has also produced her play, The Book of Will, in 2019, both directed by longtime Festival artist Melinda Pfundstein.
“Lauren Gunderson is a prolific and powerful playwright whose works are produced extensively across the nation,” says Festival Executive Managing Director Michael Bahr. “It is a gift having her plays performed here. It is a double gift that she is able to share her experience and expertise with students and patrons.”
The public is invited to participate with these FREE events during her visit:
- Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Play Seminar in the Balcony Bard’s Seminar Grove on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 10-11 a.m. MDT
- Southern Utah University’s Eccles APEX Lecture Series with a book signing to follow, presenting “Theatre as Thought Experiment: Timeless Discoveries in New Plays”, on Thursday, September 26, 11:30 a.m. MDT, in the R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center Great Hall. Live streaming of this event can be found here.
- SUU’s Eccles APEX Radio Hour on Thursday, September 26, 3:00 p.m. MDT on KSUU Thunder 91.1. Live streaming can be found here.
For more information regarding SUU’s APEX Lecture Series, visit here. For more information about Gunderson, visit her website at laurengunderson.com.
Get your tickets today for Silent Sky, which runs through October 5. SUU students can take advantage of T-Bird Tuesdays ($10 tickets with an SUU student I.D.). Any student who has a Student Access Pass can bring a friend for free on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And locals can get a half-price ticket for every five non-perishable food items contributed to our Fall Food Drive. For more information, visit bard.org, calling 800-PLAYTIX, or stop by the Festival Ticket Office.
Q&A with Director Cameron Knight on The Mountaintop
Cameron Knight returned to the Festival this year to direct Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final night on earth. He also directed Richard III in 2021 and The Tempest in 2022 here at the Festival. He has worked with the Ensemble Studio Theatre on off-Broadway and numerous other regional theatres as a director, such as American Shakespeare Center, Resident Ensemble Players, and Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival.
Knight also has experience as an actor at The Kennedy Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, among others. His television work includes Blue Bloods, Chicago Med, and The Orville, in addition to film work on Widows, Sister Carrie, The World Without You, and Intrusion.
His teaching credits include Rutgers University, Carnegie Mellon University, DePaul University, and University of North Carolina. He received an MFA at University of Delaware and a BFA at University of Michigan-Flint.
The Festival caught up with Knight to ask about his experience directing The Mountaintop.
The Festival: What kind of personal connection do you feel to the play or characters and why were you excited to direct this play?
Knight: I know this play very well, I’ve seen productions of it and I’ve worked on it as an actor and coach, and it’s beautiful telling the story of [an African American hero], so I feel a connection to it because of that.
I love how bold the play is, and how bold Katori Hall was willing to be to tell some truths about Dr. King and race and race relations in this country, which are oftentimes glamorized, and this play [removes] that veil.
Because it’s such a small play in terms of cast, we can really tear it apart and put it back together in some fun ways that you can’t do with larger plays.
I was also drawn to direct this play because of the impact a story like this can have. Going into a political election year, that really stood out to me and the idea of hero worship and not making space for people’s health and mental health.
The Festival: Speaking of that, you noted that you planned on approaching mental health in this play through a more modern lens. Can you talk about this?
Knight: The advantage we have today is that we have so much more language and understanding about mental health than we did during King’s time. We are in a place now of hero worship, where we make a person bigger than they ever were, and we often lose sight of the human aspect of a person, like what they must have been going through. A lot of my family is in the military, and the term they used was “shell-shocked,” but now we know there’s a term called PTSD, and that distinction can be very helpful to the individual and the community.
It’s important to not necessarily diagnose, but look back and say, “What impacts might these very real things that we didn’t talk about because of pride, or culture… have had.” That can really open up the play for the audience today.
The Festival: For those that aren’t familiar with this play, why is it important and why should patrons come see it?
Knight: It puts a human touch and human connection on the legend that is Martin Luther King Jr. and brings him back down to the people. There’s also a strong religious element, and this very real thing of when we lose someone, a hope that they’re not alone.
I think the further we get from the events of loss of a human being––certainly someone as iconic as Martin Luther King Jr.––they start to transform in our memories. With Dr. King, we’ve tried to make him larger than life, and some people have tried to tear him down, but I do think bringing a human element to him, which Katori Hall has done so beautifully in this play, is something that people will be intrigued by.
It’s surprisingly funny. It’s a heartfelt play, but it’s very funny. I promise you’ll enjoy it.
The Festival: What challenges came with preparing to direct this play?
Knight: The big thing I’m aware of while working on this play is balancing people’s image in their mind of Dr. King and the reality of the King that’s written in the script. You have a real person on the stage, and people have their image of King…there will be audience members that were alive during King’s time and “know” King…and so I want to be sensitive to their memory and experience but also move the conversation forward. Striking the balance of that will be a delicate thing.
The Festival: As playgoers, what should we watch for in this play that would help us enjoy/understand it better? Are there any special “Easter eggs” you have implemented into the play as a director?
Knight: We [did] a lot with projections in this play to really bring the story to the forefront. I love those psychological thriller/horror elements, so there will be things like that that have been included in my previous work.
The Festival: What statement/realization/feeling do you hope audience members leave with after seeing the play?
Knight: I hope people are motivated to vote, and to go out and impact their communities and listen to each other. I hope they’re inspired to check in on their quiet friends, you know the ones that are always “doing well,” and to have more space for each other.
The Festival: How long have you been directing plays? How long have you been with the Festival? What draws you to be a director?
Knight: I’ve been directing for 12 years, I still act a little bit but mostly direct. This is my third season with the Festival, having directed Richard III and The Tempest. What I love about directing is being able to bring people together and tell stories that people are concerned or afraid to tell…there’ve been so many conversations about inclusion over the years, but people weren’t doing that work.
I find that I can empower artists from the seat of the director better than I can as an actor and take bold stabs at stories to impact audiences in the time that we are in.
To purchase tickets to The Mountaintop, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX. The play runs through October 5.
Q&A with Director Melinda Pfundstein on Silent Sky
Longtime Festival favorite Melinda Pfundstein returned to the director’s chair this season with her production of Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky. Throughout her years with the Festival, she has directed All’s Well That Ends Well, The Book of Will, The Merchant of Venice, Words Cubed’s The Virgin Queen Entertains her Fool, and a Shakespeare in the Schools tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Her acting credits include starring roles in Ragtime, Richard III, King John, The Winter’s Tale, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Taming of the Shrew, My Fair Lady, Les Misérables, Into the Woods, Love’s Labour’s Lost, King Lear, and Twelfth Night. She was also a past recipient of the Festival’s Michael and Jan Finlayson Actor Award.
In addition to her expansive Festival career, Pfundstein has also performed with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Skylight, Lake Dillon Theatre Company, First Stage Children’s Theatre, and Nevada Conservatory Theatre.
Pfundstein holds an MA in Arts administration from SUU, where she also served as an assistant professor of Theatre Arts.
The Festival: Why were you excited to direct this play?
Pfundstein: I love exploring parts of history that have been a bit buried in the history books or have gone wholly untold. Lauren Gunderson often writes such stories, using the parts that we think we know as a backdrop to explore the buried parts. I could not wait to bring my own daughters to learn about Henrietta Leavitt, Annie Cannon, Williamina Flemming, and their great contributions to science and our world.
The Festival: What challenges came with directing this play?
Pfundstein: No challenges to speak of. It was particularly delightful to co-create our physical and aural world with the designers, in hopes of bringing the audience’s senses online as we share space in the theater.
The Festival: In the design meetings, you noted that you want to explore the theme of maturation, of “expanding and discovering instead of shrinking.” Where did this idea come from?
Pfundstein: Silent Sky spans decades, beginning in the early 1900s, before the Suffragist movement, when Henrietta Swan Leavitt, a real-life “computer” of the stars wonders in Gunderson’s play, “I have questions, I have fundamental problems with the state of human knowledge! Who are we, why are we—where are we?” Henri’s journey to the end of her physical life is one of rooting into her knowledge, of speaking her discoveries into existence, of sharing her findings with her colleagues and then, long after her death to today, with the world. Aging is often thought of as a withering or fading away from the height of life. This story is a celebration of the exact opposite, as our characters’ wisdom, knowledge, impact, and legacy grow to create waves far beyond the limits of the body and mind on earth.
The Festival: How will light (both literally and figuratively) play a role in this play?
Pfundstein: Light and projection, designed for our play by Jaymi Smith, Tom Mays, and Joe Payne, will literally paint the picture of the galaxy and the various scene settings, as we navigate the characters’ journey to understanding the light of the stars. Henrietta Leavitt taught us to map the stars, and in the process of this telling of her life and contributions, we get to consider that there is wonder in our makeup and influence as human beings. As Henri says, “There’s a reason we measure it all in light.”
The Festival: What do you want audiences to take away from this play?
Pfundstein: I hope this story inspires our audience to consider the wonder in their own lives, the relationships they hold dear, and the legacy they hope to leave through the expression of their own light in the world. I believe that this play is an invitation to do just that. I invite audiences to lean into our characters’ journeys and perhaps a consideration of their own contributions in the world.
The Festival: How long have you been directing plays? How long have you been with the Festival? What draws you to be a director?
Pfundstein: I have been with the Festival for over 25 years, and I have been directing plays for about half of that time. The collaboration and dance between crafting big picture choices, combined with the moment-to-moment detail is thrilling to me. I find great joy in facilitating a creative space wherein our whole team can explore the limits of their own artistry. It is an honor to witness such creativity at work and to take hands with makers toward a common goal.
To purchase tickets to Silent Sky, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX. The play runs until October 5.