News From the Festival
2026 Military Appreciation Days
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is celebrating our Armed Forces by offering free tickets to military members for performances from September 9 to 12, 2026. Our Military Appreciation Days recognize the invaluable sacrifices, commitment, and unwavering dedication of our veterans and active-duty members.
Eligible patrons—those with a military ID or DD214 form, whether active or veteran—are entitled to a total of two (2) complimentary tickets per ID for select shows during the specified dates. These tickets can be split between two shows or used for a single performance.
Reserve tickets now by calling 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849) or by visiting the Ticket Office. Please note: these tickets cannot be redeemed for premier seating sections, this special offer cannot be reserved online, and spaces are limited.
Available performances are:
Wednesday (9/9)
- Something Rotten! - 2:00 pm, Randall L. Jones Theatre. (This is a musical.)
- She Loves Me - 8:00 pm, Randall L. Jones Theatre. (This is a musical.)
- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein - 8:00 pm, Anes Studio Theatre
Thursday (9/10)
- The Book Club Play - 2:00 pm, Anes Studio Theatre
Friday (9/11)
- She Loves Me - 2:00 pm, Randall L. Jones Theatre. (This is a musical.)
- Something Rotten! - 8:00 pm, Randall L. Jones Theatre. (This is a musical.)
Saturday (9/12)
- Something Rotten! - 2:00 pm, Randall L. Jones Theatre. (This is a musical.)
- She Loves Me - 8:00 pm, Randall L. Jones Theatre. (This is a musical.)
For more information about the productions, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Utah Shakespeare Festival to Present 9/11 Commemorative Reading of "The Guys"
By Kathryn Neves, guest writer
The Utah Shakespeare Festival will commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11 with a special one-time presentation of Anne Nelson’s The Guys on September 11 at 9:30am in the Anes Studio Theatre. All proceeds from the performance will benefit 9/11 first responders.
Directed by Festival Artistic Director John DiAntonio and starring longtime Festival artists Melinda Pfundstein and Chris Mixon, this production will be a staged reading with the actors reading from scripts, akin to the Festival’s Words Cubed new play program.
According to DiAntonio, the simplicity allows for an intimacy that will deeply move audiences. “That simplicity is at the heart of the play. It doesn’t need elaborate scenery or theatrical effects to have an enormous impact. It’s about two people, their words, and what happens between them. A staged reading allows that humanity and intimacy to come through with great directness.”
The Guys follows the true story of a journalist who, in the days following the attack on the World Trade Center, helps a New York fire chief write the eulogies for eight of his men who were killed. Through this reading, the Festival hopes to commemorate and honor those first responders who gave their lives responding to the 9/11 attacks. To that end, all proceeds from the event will go to helping 9/11 first responders and their families.
“It’s a beautiful and tender script—so simple, so intimate, and perfectly suited to the Anes Theatre. I’m incredibly excited about our cast: Melinda Pfundstein and Chris Mixon are both beloved members of the Utah Shakespeare family, and I know our audiences will be thrilled to see them together,” said DiAntonio. “I hope you can join us for what will be a very special morning. The Guys is a small play about an enormous event, but its power lies in its humanity—in two people trying to find the words when words seem impossible. Twenty-five years after September 11, that feels like a story still worth telling.”
In this anniversary year, The Guys offers audiences a chance to remember the lives lost on 9/11 and the people who were left behind to tell their stories. Tickets for the performance are $11 and can be purchased online here or by calling the Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).
Exciting Initiatives Celebrating 65 Years!
2026 is a special year for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. We are celebrating our 65th Anniversary Season, as well as 10 years at the Beverley Center for the Performing Arts. To commemorate these milestones, patrons are invited to immerse themselves in special activities, visual history, and artistry of the past 65 years by participating in the following initiatives:
Dive into the Festival Quest: This family-friendly adventure is designed to be a fun guide to help you fully experience everything the Utah Shakespeare Festival has to offer, whether you are a seasoned patron or a first-time attendee. Pick up the free physical Festival Quest guidebook at the Ticket Office or visit bard.org/Festival-Quest for more information. Track your progress to win prizes at the Ticket Office.
Step into the Portrait Gallery: Located just inside the Festival Administration building by the Engelstad Theatre gift shop, wander through this gallery to see characters portrayed during our performance history. While not every production is portrayed due to space constraints, each season and theatre is represented. New this season: you can also view it online at bard.org/portrait-gallery where additional information about each portrait is available.
View Past Festival Posters: Take a journey in the Randall L. Jones Theatre lobbies (both on the main floor and upstairs) through 65 years of Festival posters, brought up from our historic archives just for this season.
Seek Out the Special Mosaic: While in the upper Randall Theatre lobby, visit the special mosaic display near the stairs to see how your individual memories come together to create one giant work of art.
Specialty Season Posters: Take the magic home! Two exclusive, limited-edition season posters inspired by the poster from the Festival’s very first season are available only at the Festival gift shops.
Explore the SUMA Exhibits: Visit the Southern Utah Museum of Art just north of the Randall L. Jones Theatre to experience this summer’s special exhibitions. Discover displays celebrating the artistry of the Southern Utah painter Jimmie Jones, the legacy of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the history of the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games.
Collect the 65th Season Pins: Purchase all three commemorative theatre pins at either gift shop location once you see all the shows in that theatre. If you see all eight productions this year, you can join the All Shows Club and pick up your FREE special edition pin from the Ticket Office.
Share a Festival Memory: The best part of any journey is the story you bring home. Whether you’re finishing a Festival Quest activity today or reminiscing about a memory from years ago, share your Festival memories with us by visiting https://api.bard.org/forms/story to upload your photos and “tales from the trail”—plus, be sure to stop by the Ticket Office to collect your exclusive sticker if you share your story!
Listen to Festival Podcast Interviews: Festival Orientation and Seminar host Ryan Paul, who also hosts Southern Utah University’s APEX Radio Hour, interviews members of the 2026 Season company. Hear entertaining stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and personal histories at bard.org/about/media.
Accessibility and Back to School Offerings at the Festival
Families may be going back to school and schedules are changing, but there’s still lots of chances at the Utah Shakespeare Festival to catch your favorite shows! There are also numerous accessibility opportunities and educational offerings available for patrons of all ages.
OPEN CAPTIONING
The Festival provides open captioning for select performances, ensuring accessibility for patrons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or benefit from reading along with the performance. Open captioning displays the spoken dialogue, some sound effects, and other audio elements, such as music cues, on a visible screen near the stage, allowing all audience members to fully engage with the production.
Open captioning services will be available during these 2026 performances:
Monday, August 17 at 2pm - See How they Run
Monday, August 17 at 8pm - Troilus and Cressida
Tuesday, August 18 at 2pm - She Loves Me
Tuesday, August 18 at 8pm - Hamlet
Wednesday August 19 at 2pm - Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Wednesday August 19 at 8pm - Twelfth Night
Thursday August 20 at 2pm - The Book Club Play
Thursday August 20 at 8pm - Something Rotten!
For assistance selecting appropriate seating or for additional information, email guestservices@bard.org or call the Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).
Captioned performances are sponsored through a generous grant provided by the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation.
ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCES
Live American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation services will be available during these performances:
Monday, August 24 – See How They Run at 2pm
Tuesday, August 25 – She Loves Me at 2pm
For assistance selecting appropriate seating or for additional information, email guestservices@bard.org or call the Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).
SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE
Tuesday, September 1 – She Loves Me at 2pm
The Festival is again pleased to present a Sensory-Friendly Performancethis season. Patrons ages six and above who would benefit from attending the theatre in a more relaxed environment, such as house lights on at a low level throughout the performance, the use of fidget items, audience members being welcome to stand or move around, and more. Those for whom this is designed includes––but is not limited to––those with sensory sensitivities, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, dementia, learning challenges or differences, and other neurodiversities.
For additional information, email guestservices@bard.org or call the Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).
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Educating and inspiring theatre lovers is a huge part of the Festival’s mission, and this often begins with young thespians.
Students can get a Student Access Pass for only $50 which allows them to get one ticket per performance day-of to up to 32 performances during the season. This pass is available to enrolled elementary through undergrad university students taking 12 or more credit hours; a student ID must be provided when purchasing the pass. Limit of one pass per student; expires October 3, 2026.
For teachers with school groups, Shakespearience is a must!
SHAKESPEARIENCE
Monday through Friday, through September 25
Shakesperience events are for school groups and include a performance, access to Festival-created study guide materials, and a selection of seminars, orientations, and other Festival programs like a workshop or backstage tour.
Utah public and public charter school groups of 12 students or more may receive free or reduced tickets to shows in the Engelstad or Randall Theatres, courtesy of the Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools (POPS) sponsored by the Utah State Legislature (excludes premier seating and is subject to availability). Chaperones may receive one reduced ticket per 12 students; additional chaperones receive half-off the regular ticket price. Additional events like those mentioned above are included in the ticket price.
Out-of-state, private, parochial schools, residential treatment centers, and homeschool groups/co-ops of 12 students or more may receive $15 tickets in the Engelstad or Randall Theatres (excludes premier seating and is subject to availability). Chaperones may receive one reduced ticket per 12 students; additional chaperones receive half-off the regular ticket price. Additional events may include an extra cost based on the activity and the size of the group.
Because of limited inventory, tickets to shows in the Anes Studio Theatre for school groups will be available only at a 50% discount.
Please contact the Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849) to arrange for your group, or for non-educational group rates. For more information, visit bard.org/about/education/shakespearience.
The Festival’s 65th anniversary season includes Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, Hamlet, and Twelfth Night, and the comedy See How They Run which close by September 5; the musicals Something Rotten! and She Loves Me, along with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and The Book Club Play which run until October 3.
Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Words Cubed Program Announces Two New Plays
The Utah Shakespeare Festival announces the selection of two new plays and welcomes their playwrights for the annual Words Cubed new play program. Morphology by Jillian Blevins and The Forgeries of Jealousy by Grant Goodman will be presented on select dates August 7 through 22 in the Anes Studio Theatre. Tickets are $20.
Words Cubed is the Festival’s new play program and seeks to nurture and develop openly submitted and selected plays. It provides a professionally supported platform to provide readings and workshops during which playwrights spend a week at the Festival in rehearsals with directors, actors, and stage managers as they refine and rework their plays. At the end of the week, the revised plays are presented as staged readings, followed by a lively, interactive discussion between the playwright, actors, and audience.
“The selection process begins about a year in advance,” says Festival Artistic Director John DiAntonio. “Our dedicated team of twenty play readers thoughtfully reviewed over 200 play submissions to narrow them down to the final two selections.”
“While the Festival often focuses on the classics, it’s worth remembering that every play was once a world premiere,” DiAntonio continues. “They were tested in front of early audiences, characters and scenes were cut and changed, and adjustments made in order to become the versions that are eventually premiered to the world. We honor that same spirit of theatrical discovery and evolution.”
Join us this August for these two new works, and play a part by contributing to their development. In general, the plays in this series are written for contemporary adult audiences, and may contain themes and language not appropriate for children and that some may find offensive.
MORPHOLOGY
by Jillian Blevins
August 7, 8, 19, and 21, 2026
9:30am, Anes Studio Theatre
Nico, a nonverbal Autistic teenager, longs to be understood by his mother Claudia, a former academic who longs most for him to speak. When Claudia’s own mother Arlene intervenes and tries to convince Claudia to place Nico in a group home, their attempts to reach each other grow more desperate, Nico reaches out to one creature he thinks might understand him, and their carefully balanced world starts coming undone. Written in a mix of verse and prose, Morphology explores the power and inadequacy of language, what it means to know one another, and what we can learn from deep sea biology.
Playwright Jillian Blevins is an award-winning New England-based playwright whose work engages with literature, myth, and history, exploring how the stories we think we know resonate in our present. Other plays include Mere Waters (Winner ‘Best Script’ SheNYC Festival 2024); Romeo & Her Sister; The Polycule: A Comedy of Manners; Space Laser, in Space! (Semi-finalist Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway New Play Festival 2023); and Pilloried (Winner, Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway New Play Festival 2024, Concord Theatricals 2025). Jillian’s plays have been featured on audio drama podcasts Gather By The Ghostlight and The Ugly Radio. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.
The cast for this reading includes Kathryn Tkel as Claudia, Jacob Rosengren as Nico, Evelyn Carol Case as Arlene, and Chloe McLeod with stage directions. It will be directed by Patrick Vest.
Please note: This production contains strong language and depictions of ableism, Autistic meltdown, and self harm.
THE FORGERIES OF JEALOUSY
by Grant Goodman
August 14, 15, 20, and 22, 2026
9:30am, Anes Studio Theatre
It’s 1795, and Bardolatry is at its height. Georgian theatre audiences are ravenous for Shakespeare, while literary London longs to uncover any forgotten work by the “Sweet Swan of Avon.” The Forgeries of Jealousy tells the astonishing true story of William Henry Ireland, the teenager who so convincingly forged Shakespearean letters, manuscripts and even an entire “lost play” that he deceived much of eighteenth-century England. Beneath the sensational literary fraud, however, lies the deeply personal story of a son desperate to win the love and admiration of a father incapable of giving it. Exploring authorship, authenticity, ambition and identity, The Forgeries of Jealousy asks not only what makes a masterpiece, but whether the truth matters as much as the story we yearn to believe.
Playwright Grant Goodman is an actor, director, and playwright who recently became a member of the Acting and Directing Studio at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. Grant’s play Rime of the Ancient Mariner, an adaptation with music of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem, was a finalist for the Frank Moffett Mosier Fellowship in Heightened Language. Other plays include American Cyclone, which dramatizes the story of Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first Black American sports superstar; and These Gilded Monuments, which tells the story of brothers Edwin, John Wilkes, and Junius Brutus Booth during their only theatrical performance together in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in 1864. Grant’s radio play adaptations of The Waxwork by A.M. Burrage, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe and The Vengeful Corpse by Ed Adamson and Robert Sloane have been commissioned and produced at the IU Auditorium. Currently in development is A Crew of Patches, a comedy loosely based on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s collaboration with amateur actors on their 2016 touring production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Festival patrons may remember Grant as a member of the 2008, 2010, and 2014 performing companies, during which he performed Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew; the title role of Macbeth; Bernard in Boeing, Boeing; Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night; and Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility, among others.
The cast for this reading includes Nick Case, John Harrell, Jackson Poulin, Heidi Carann Snider, Blake Henri, Emily Fury Daly, Thom Rivera, and Mat Hostetler. It will be directed by Rodney Lizcano.\
For more information or to purchase tickets for Words Cubed or for the 2026 season at the Festival, please visit here, the Festival Ticket Office, or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Returns to Perform The Winter’s Tale at Utah Shakespeare Festival
Utah Shakespeare Festival is proud to welcome the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from London. A group of recent graduates is performing a touring production of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale in the Anes Studio Theatre, as part of a strategic partnership between the two theatre organizations.
The condensed, ninety-minute version of the play will be presented from July 28 to August 1 at 9:30am, with post-performance talk backs with the company scheduled for July 28, 30, and 31 at 11am.
“Festival patrons thoroughly enjoy the work presented by RADA and many schedule their visits to coincide with these performances” says Executive Managing Director Michael Bahr. “This is an excellent opportunity to see high quality work performed by one of the world premiere actor training institutions.”
The RADA training program has a long and illustrious history and boasts a number of exceptional alumni that have seen success as actors, including Cynthia Erivo, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Allison Janney, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Rickman, and Ralph Fiennes. Perhaps the next RADA “star” may just be on the Festival stage this summer.
Now marking seven years of this creative collaboration, it represents a commitment to foster international artistry of Shakespeare’s works. Each season, the Festival hosts RADA’s acclaimed touring production.
This thriving exchange was born in 2019 from a casual conversation about RADA’s powerful staging of Hamlet. It has since evolved into a vital cultural pipeline. While the touring group spends the school year performing specially adapted Shakespeare plays for children across London, their summer trip to Cedar City introduces Festival audiences to fresh, contemporary interpretations straight from the UK.
“The RADA collaboration brings a refreshing surge of creative energy to our season each July” says Artistic Director John DiAntonio. “We are honored to showcase the work of these exceptionally talented young artists in addition to our own exciting repertory lineup.”
Bahr agrees: “We are so grateful for the relationship with RADA that we have been able to develop and share. It serves as a testament to the artistic and educational commitment of both RADA and the Festival. It is a wonderful cultural exchange between artists, audiences and organizations!”
Tickets are $20 and are available by visiting the Ticket Office, calling 800-PLAYTIX, or purchasing online at bard.org/plays/rada-2026.
Utah Shakespeare Festival Announces 2027 Season
As we celebrate the opening of our 65th season and welcome you back to the Festival, we’re also thrilled to share a glimpse of what’s ahead in our 2027 season.
We invite you to watch our official 2027 Season Title Announcement video above to view our nine productions!
Tickets are available now. To purchase and learn more, visit bard.org/plays/2027 or call our Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849).
In our largest, outdoor space–the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre:
The Crucible
By Arthur Miller
Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
June 21 - September 2, 2027
Set amid the hysteria of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible transforms historical events into a searing allegory about paranoia, integrity, and power. As accusations fly and reputations crumble, one man’s moral stand becomes an act of defiance against collective fear. Miller’s taut drama lays bare the dangers of mass suspicion and the ease with which truth can be distorted.
Henry V
By William Shakespeare
Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
June 22 - September 3, 2027
A rousing tale of leadership, courage, and unity, Henry V follows the young king as he rallies England to an unlikely victory over France at Agincourt. Through fiery speeches, Shakespeare captures both the glory and the cost of war. The play is a sweeping story of transformation—from reckless prince to noble leader—and asks what it truly means to be a hero.
The Merry Wives of Windsor
By William Shakespeare
Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
June 23 - September 4, 2027
Sir John Falstaff hatches a scheme to woo two wealthy women for their money—only to find himself the target of their hilarious revenge. Set in a bustling English town, The Merry Wives of Windsor brims with mischief, mistaken identities, and middle-class triumph. Shakespeare’s most purely comic play celebrates wit, love, and the joy of comeuppance.
In our beautiful large indoor space–the Randall L. Jones Theatre:
The Drowsy Chaperone
Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar
Randall L. Jones Theatre
June 24 - September 4, 2027
A love letter to golden-age musicals, The Drowsy Chaperone bursts with tap-dancing joy, witty parody, and infectious heart. As a reclusive musical theatre fan drops the needle on his favorite record, the show springs to life in his apartment—complete with glamorous stars, mistaken identities, and nonstop laughter. Equal parts satire and celebration, it’s an irresistible valentine to the magic of theatre.
Arsenic and Old Lace
By Joseph Kesselring
Randall L. Jones Theatre
June 25 - October 2, 2027
Darkly hilarious and deliciously twisted, Arsenic and Old Lace follows two sweet elderly sisters who have a peculiar dark hobby. Their nephew Mortimer discovers their secret just as his deranged brother returns home, setting off a farcical chain of events. It’s a madcap comedy where good manners meet mayhem, and murder has never been so charming.
William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead
By John Heimbuch
Randall L. Jones Theatre
June 26 - October 2, 2027
London, 1599. Shakespeare’s Henry V has just opened at the Globe Theatre when a mysterious plague sweeps through the city—one that leaves its victims dead… and then decidedly not dead. Trapped inside a quarantined playhouse, Shakespeare and his company must battle the undead, rivalries, and their own ambitions in a thrilling race for survival. This fast-paced mash-up of Elizabethan history, sharp comedy, and zombie horror is unlike anything else you’ve seen before.
In our intimate, 200-seat indoor space–the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre:
The Two Noble Kinsmen
By William Shakespeare and John Fletcher
Anes Studio Theatre
July 21 - October 2, 2027
A rarely-produced Shakespearean gem—and the only Shakespeare play never before produced by the Utah Shakespeare Festival—The Two Noble Kinsmen follows two devoted friends whose bond is shattered when they fall in love with the same woman. Set in ancient Greece, this sweeping tale of romance, rivalry, honor, and obsession explores how desire can transform even the noblest of hearts.
Into the Breeches!
By George Brant
Anes Studio Theatre
July 22 - October 2, 2027
When the men of a Shakespeare theater company leave to fight in World War II, a group of inexperienced actresses step in to save the season. Determined to mount an all-female production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Henry V, they embark on a hilarious and heartfelt journey of confidence, community, and purpose. This uplifting comedy celebrates the power of art and the connections that sustain us in difficult times.
In the brand new George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Music Center at Southern Utah University:
All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented The Villain
Created and Performed by Patrick Page
Directed by Simon Godwin
Eccles Music Center
July 28 - August 7, 2027
Dubbed “The villain of Broadway” by Playbill, Patrick Page has never shied away from exploring his dark side. Now, with this tour de force show, he turns his attention to the twisted motivation and hidden humanity at the heart of Shakespeare’s greatest villains. Moving swiftly through the Shakespeare canon, Page illuminates the playwright’s ever-evolving conception of evil by delving into more than a dozen of his most wicked creations. Thrilling, biting, hilarious, and enlightening, what Page delivers is a masterclass on the most terrifying subject of them all: human nature. Created and performed by Patrick Page, and directed by Simon Godwin, the duo bring the fullness of Shakespeare to life in this dynamic, contemporary, and accessible take on Shakespeare’s villains, promising an evening of mesmerizing artistry, powerful storytelling, and a rare intimacy that will redefine your perception of Shakespeare and his villains. Following each performance, the audience is invited to a 15-20 minute talkback with Patrick, moderated by Patrick, to explore the world of Shakespeare’s villains and his relationship to them more intimately.
The Festival Announces External Understudies for 2026 Season
With the 65th Season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival opening soon, there is one group of performers with a unique job. Understudies are a critical part of each production at the Festival who ensure that performances can continue should there be a reason the cast members cannot perform.
What does it actually take to be an understudy? These performing artists study the lines, movements, staging, exits/entrances, costume changes, and if needed, music and choreography of another performer (or performers) in the event they must step in. Much of the time understudies are either in the production already as another character (or characters), or are a part of the acting company and prepare understudy roles in shows of which they are not a part of the main cast.
Actors called external understudies focus on preparing assigned understudy roles only. They are not cast in other productions this season, though they may have other positions at the Festival.
For this season, the external understudies are:
Brittni Shambaugh Addison is the understudy for Helen in Troilus and Cressida, Horatio in Hamlet, Olivia in Twelfth Night, and Miss Skillon in See How They Run. Addison earned an MFA in Directing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has performed at Creede Repertory Theatre, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, and Cleveland Play House, among others. She is the winner of the Best Lead Performance Award from Cultural Voice of North Carolina for her performance as Narrator in Every Brilliant Thing.
Nick Case is understudying Menelaus/Pandarus/Myrmidon in Troilus and Cressida and Lionel Toop/Bishop of Lax in See How They Run. Case teaches at UNLV where he recently earned an MFA in acting. Performing credits include productions at Nevada Conservatory Theatre, Fulton Theatre, Interlakes Theatre, and APEX Theatre Studio, among others.
Kristina C. Harding is the understudy for Agamemnon/Ulysses in Troilus and Cressida and Gertrude in Hamlet. Previously at the Festival, she performed in Pericles and The Comedy of Errors, and understudied roles in Silent Sky and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also performed with American Crossroads Theatre, Hoosier Shakespeare, Women of Will, and Kayenta Center for the Arts.
Molly Pearson will understudy Ida/Penelope in See How They Run. She was previously seen at the Festival as Louisa in The Sound of Music and at Tuacahn Ampitheatre in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She is currently pursuing a BFA in musical theatre at Southern Utah University, where she performed in Alice By Heart, The Anastasia Trials in the Court of Women, and Pippin.
Giuseppe Michael Pipicella is understudying Percy/Victor/Byron/Creature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Will/Rob in The Book Club Play. He recently performed in the Festival’s Shakespeare in the Schools tour of The Comedy of Errors. He has also performed with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, and Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival, among others. He teaches at the University of Central Florida where he also earned an MFA in acting.
Patrick Vest will understudy Priam/Nestor in Troilus and Cressida, Ghost/Polonius in Hamlet, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, and Man in See How They Run. He was previously seen at the Festival in Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, Macbeth, Henry VIII, and Much Ado About Nothing. He earned an MFA in acting from Alabama Shakespeare Festival and has also performed at Rubicon Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, and Asolo Rep, among many others.
The Festival’s 65th season runs June 18 through October 3, and includes Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, Hamlet, and Twelfth Night, along with the Tony Award-winning musicals Something Rotten! and She Loves Me, the hilarious farce See How They Run, the bold reimaginig of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and the contemporary comedy The Book Club Play. For tickets and information, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
“Under the Greenwood Tree”: A Brief History of The Greenshow
By Kathryn Neves
Every summer, families from all over Utah—and beyond—gather in the Ashton Family Greenshow Commons beneath the towering “greenwood” trees (as Shakesepeare might say). As the smell of fresh tarts wafts over the air, boys and girls sit around the wooden stage and wait for the telltale sounds of festive music and laughter. And it comes. Performers dance out to the sounds of flutes and tambourines. The Greenshow begins.
This beloved institution has been around since the Festival’s beginning. “It’s a fundamental part of the Festival Experience,” said Executive Managing Director Michael Bahr. “Since the first years of the Festival, patrons have been immersed in a live theatrical experience, preparing them for the evening that awaits.”
Immersion: that was the original goal of The Greenshow founder, Barbara Gaddie Adams. As she and her husband, Fred C. Adams, worked to bring about the Festival’s first season, she felt that something was missing. They needed a transition; something to guide audiences out of the modern world and into the bygone, spellbinding world of William Shakespeare.
Music was the best way to do it. Barbara, an accomplished musician herself, gathered together a group of local performers and taught them a number of madrigals and dances. Glynis Adams Neves, daughter of Fred and Barbara—and early Greenshow performer herself—remembers that time fondly. “My mother taught my sister and cousins and I to play the recorder,” she said. “She would research songs, music, and dances from the time period, and taught [us] to play the instruments. From the time I was eight or nine, I played the recorder and sold tarts. It was a lot of fun.”
The early days of The Greenshow featured live music from Renaissance-style recorders and lute guitars. Community members sang English folk songs and performed dances like the maypole, pavane, and galliard. The Greenshow also featured a Punch and Judy puppet show, complete with hand-crafted puppets and authentic scripts from the mid-17th century. Local children played the recorder before and after the show, while tart sellers wandered through the delighted crowd. It was a celebration of Shakespeare performed for—and by—the community.
Audiences loved it. Local Cedar City children would ride their bikes to come and watch, and many of the same families attended night after night. The performance, free and available to everyone, was a unique and wholesome way to spend the evening, and come together with the community.
Over the years, The Greenshow has evolved and grown with the Festival. Modern Greenshows have expanded from the purely Renaissance-style performances, and now feature themed “nights” that explore different cultures and eras—like Scotland, Ireland, Italy, America, and local performances from members of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah—often themed after the evening’s play.
While the show may look very different from the early days, that same sense of community spirit is alive and well today. On a different lawn, but just as green; on a newer stage, but just as magical. Families still come each night for an evening of free live entertainment. “For 65 years, The Greenshow continues to be the flagship of the Festival, the epitome of live, interactive, intimate performance,” said Bahr. “Cedar City citizens love it and attend each year. It signals that summer has arrived—and the gathering of community, visitors, and company has commenced.”
This year’s Greenshow will feature three different themes: Stratford, an exploration of Shakespeare’s home and era; Americana, a celebration of America250; and recurring favorite Celtic, featuring folk music and dancing from Ireland. And just like the early years of community gathering, families and friends come together to celebrate performance, music, and the friendly welcome of the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Don’t miss these free 30-minute performances each Monday through Saturday evenings at 7:10pm, June 18 through September 5 on The Greenshow lawn. For more information, visit bard.org/plays/greenshow or call 800-PLAYTIX (752-9849).
Utah Shakespeare Festival Marks 65 Years of Storytelling and Connection
The Utah Shakespeare Festival celebrates its landmark 65th anniversary season this summer centering on the theme “Generations Gather Here.” The upcoming season honors more than six decades of artistic excellence while celebrating the Festival’s enduring role as a cornerstone of community, artistry, and cultural innovation in the American West.
Since its founding in 1961, the Festival has evolved from a small outdoor stage into a Tony Award-winning institution. This year’s anniversary also marks a decade since the opening of the Beverley Taylor Sorensen Center for the Arts, a transformative facility on the Southern Utah University campus that united the Festival’s theaters with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA). This “magical oasis of story” continues to serve as a vital space for artistic excellence, community engagement, student opportunity, and professional mentorship.
“The Utah Shakespeare Festival has remained relevant for 65 years because of its attention to story––the importance of telling incredible stories that unite us,” said FestivalExecutive Managing Director Michael Bahr. “Our theaters are designed for intimacy, where the communication between actor and audience creates a shared energy you simply won’t find anywhere else. We are the antidote to the digital screen; we are about real human connection.”
The 65th anniversary season features a robust lineup that balances classical rigor with modern vibrancy, including Hamlet,Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, Something Rotten!, See How They Run, She Loves Me, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and The Book Club Play. Beyond the stage, the Festival Experience includes the nightly Greenshow—a free gift of song and mirth to the community—and the long-running Seminar Grove, where patrons and scholars engage in candid dialogue about the plays’ themes and relevance.
To celebrate not only the opening of the Festival’s 65th season, but to celebrate the tenth year of the Beverley Center, the community is invited to attend a Beverley Center Anniversary Celebration on Friday, June 26. It is an all-day event featuring a street fair, live music, SUMA activities and exhibits, a special Seminar Grove presentation, plays, and more!
This season also aligns with the broader “Americana” celebration, highlighting stories of place, purpose, and community-building that mirror the history of Cedar City. From a new experience-based activity list called “Festival Quest" to historical exhibitions at the neighboring SUMA, this exciting anniversary year is designed to be an accessible, life-changing experience for long-time patrons and first-time visitors alike.
“We are grounded in the beautiful foundational work of the past, which catapults us into who we are aiming to be,” Bahr said. “We treat Shakespeare like a living, modern playwright informed by the present. This 65th year isn’t just a look back; it’s a launching pad for the next 65 years of humanity and discovery.”
For tickets and information, visitbard.org or call the Festival Ticket Office 800-PLAYTIX (752-9849).