News From the Festival
Healing Through Theatre: Shakespeare in Utah’s Juvenile Justice System
By Katie Neves, guest writer
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” Shakespeare observed. For 31 years, the Utah Shakespeare Festival has embraced this philosophy, turning the Southwest Utah Youth Center into a stage where disadvantaged youth can step into exciting roles, develop new skills, and gain confidence through the transformative power of theater.
The Festival’s Juvenile Justice program began in 1993, when Cedar City’s Judge Thomas Higbee reached out to the Festival. He worked with the Southwest Utah Youth Center as part of a Scout Troop program—and, understanding the impact that theatre can have––asked the Education Department to bring a little of the Festival into the correctional facility.
For more than three decades, a team of teaching artists and actors visit the Center and introduce the works of Shakespeare to the youth there. They share performances, teach basic theatre concepts, and help the youth direct and perform scenes and monologues. During the summer, the program corresponds with the Festival’s season. This year they’ve covered Much Ado About Nothing, Henry VIII, The Winter’s Tale, and The Taming of the Shrew, as well as USF’s non-Shakespearean shows of the season: The 39 Steps, Silent Sky, and The Mountaintop.
The Southwest Utah Youth Center is also the first stop of the Festival’s Shakespeare in the Schools Tour each winter. Leading up to that performance, the Juvenile Justice program spends time contextualizing, studying, and dissecting the play––making it more accessible than ever to youth who’ve never experienced Shakespeare.
“The ultimate goal of this program is to allow these boys to have a meaningful experience with theater arts, specifically Shakespeare,” said Stewart Shelley, Education Director. “Most of these boys have not had a lot of exposure to the arts, and look forward to the weekly class. We make honest theatre and have a lot of fun doing it.”
While students may initially be reluctant to step into the role of actor or director, Festival actors and teachers work to pull them out of their shells and recognize their own abilities. Whether by breaking down a monologue word by word, coming up with fun nicknames for tricky Shakespeare characters, or simply providing a space for students to tell their own stories, the Juvenile Justice program builds meaningful connections with the kids who need it most.
Program Manager Darin F. Earl II (who audiences will recognize onstage in Much Ado and Henry VIII this season) was introduced to the program while starring in the Othello Shakespeare in the Schools Tour in 2023. “It’s one of the best educational experiences I’ve ever had in my decade of being a teaching artist,” they said. “While the prospect may seem intimidating to people who may not be familiar with ‘The System,’ it truly is as simple as remembering that these students are looking for company and support.”
Along with Earl, other company members, such as actors Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha and Alia Shakira, and intimacy director Sacha Comrie have also spent time with the youth at the Center this summer.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is deeply committed to the educational power of the theatre. Through its longstanding relationship with the Southwest Utah Youth Center, the Festival offers more than just performances; it fosters an environment of growth and healing for some of Utah’s most vulnerable youth.
“In my eyes, the opportunity to teach is to create and share space together,” said Earl. “In that space we create, there are an infinite amount of possibilities. We can help, we can hear, we can hide, and we can heal.”
To get involved with the Education Department or to learn more about the program, visit bard.org/education.
Props to Pages: Properties Director Ben Hohman Publishes Book
By Liz Armstrong, guest writer
Properties Director Ben Hohman has been at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for over 30 years, working with his staff to build everything from a Model T Ford (in Ragtime) to board game pieces (in Clue) to a life-size bear puppet (in this season’s The Winter’s Tale).
The past couple of years, however, Hohman tried his hand at something different, shifting from props to pages. This past Tuesday, July 23, Hohman’s book 101+ Tips and Tricks Every Prop Maker Should Know was released.
Although the book is targeted to those that work in the theater industry, there’s plenty of Festival lore included. For a behind-the-scenes look at the props the Festival has had on stage, how-to’s, and life lessons, we encourage Festival patrons to pick it up as well.
The Process
Hohman had considered writing a book years ago, but it wasn’t until he presented a workshop at USITT, a theater conference he attends every year, that the opportunity to do so finally came about.
“I did a workshop on how we use texture in props at the Festival. A book editor had watched my presentation, and I got an email asking if I knew anyone who was interested in writing a book or if I had any ideas for one,” Hohman said
Hohman pitched three ideas, and soon he was working on 101+ Tips and Tricks Every Prop Maker Should Know. At first 101 ideas seemed like a lot, but Hohman soon realized that, due to his time at the Festival, he had more than enough tips and tricks to share.
“I’m used to explaining things hands-on in my shop, but having to write it down so someone else could pick it up and do it without having seen it is a little more challenging,” Hohman said. “I learned that I’m not a great writer, I’m a much better demonstrator, so luckily I had my wife and editors to [help].”
The process took longer than Hohman thought. He began writing 18 months ago, through the Festival’s 2023 season.
“My last deadlines were right before we got into heavy buildup for this season,” Hohman said. “Last summer, there were days that were really challenging balancing technical rehearsals and deadlines.”
Hohman compared the experience to getting a show onstage on time, noting there’s lots of little details at the end you have to rush through. Just like countless shows Hohman’s done at the Festival, he pulled it off.
The Content
“Two-thirds of the book is aimed at people building props in the film or theater industry,” Hohman said. “I’ve included products or equipment or tools and tricks of how to do things faster, cheaper, or easier.”
A lot of these examples spur from Festival shows, like how the props team built the giant tree in Fred C. Adams’ production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2011.
“There’s close to 100 photos and illustrations to show people certain things like pieces of equipment, theater knots, or how to set a dining table for casual, semi-formal, and formal meals [for example],” Hohman said.
The rest of the book is a little more philosophical, explaining why props are important to not only telling a story, but telling it well.
At the end of the book, there’s a glossary of prop terms. One example is “antimacassar,” which refers to the “lace doilies you would see on your grandma’s couch.”
“There are also some things in there that could be for the general reader, like life lessons that you could apply to more than just props,” Hohman said.
To include other perspectives, Hohman interviewed nine people who are in different parts of the prop industry.
One of these voices is Walter Stark’s, who wrote the foreword. Stark worked for ten years in the Festival’s props department and was incredibly passionate about his work. In 2023, he passed away after a long battle with cancer.
“He said props created magic for the audience,” Stark’s partner, Judith Kilpatrick said. “He was immensely proud to be a part of the process, to the point of working his last seasons for only room and board.”
When Hohman decided to write the book, he went to Stark.
“I asked him if it was a good idea and if he would write the foreword,” Hohman said.
Stark was a scientist, and Hohman wanted that analytical viewpoint of prop-making to be included in the book. Stark reached out right after Christmas in 2022, letting Hohman know he’d sent him the foreword for the book. At this point, Hohman had only turned in the first chapter of his book.
Hohman found out Stark had given him the foreword so far in advance because his cancer had come back and he only had a few weeks to live.
“I told him to not worry about the book and to spend time with his family, but he said he wanted the [foreword] to be perfect for me,” Hohman recounted.
Ultimately, Stark pushed Hohman to do the book and share his knowledge with others and was a large part of why the book was published.
The Future
Writing another book isn’t off the table for Hohman. He has several ideas for future books, including anecdotes from his prop experience.
“We’ve done some crazy things and I often share with my staff a prop experience that didn’t work, like to not run with burlap sacks that are on fire,” Hohman joked.
For now though, he plans to keep working as the Festival Properties Director, presenting his highly popular props seminar during the Festival’s season, and teaching workshops. Hohman is content to have crossed “writing a book” off of his bucket list.
“I am happy that they decided to publish it and that this information is going out into the world,” Hohman said. “I think there are a lot of things in there that people will find useful.”
To purchase the book, click here.
To see props Hohman and his team created in action for this season, purchase tickets at bard.org/plays or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
Festival Announces New Educations Programs Manager
By Katie Neves, guest writer
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to introduce Sophia Grzywacz as the new Education Programs Manager. Her passion for theater and dedication to education will bring fresh energy and ideas to the Festival and its patrons.
Originally from Las Vegas, Grzywacz moved to Cedar City to attend Southern Utah University. She graduated this past April with a Bachelors in Business Management and Accounting and is looking forward to stepping into her new role with the Festival. While at SUU, she worked as an event coordinator for the university’s speaker series, Eccles APEX; she also spent the last two summers working at the Festival in Company Management. “We are thrilled to be welcoming Sophia to the department,” said Education Director Stewart Shelley. “Having an additional full-time member of our team will help us to continue the incredible legacy built by former Education Director (now Executive Managing Director) Michael Bahr.”
Grzywacz’s experience goes beyond management and coordination; she has a long history of education and the arts. She worked as a counselor at youth summer camps for several years, and has developed a lifelong love of theatre. She has fond memories of playing Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Wendy in Peter Pan in her middle and high school years. “When I was a child, theatre was a way for me to express myself. It helped me deal with the awkward life changes and find ways to compose and express myself amidst the chaos,” said Grzywacz. “I love what it did for me, and I love watching students come here each week and seeing the same impact it has on their lives.”
As the Education Programs Manager, Grzywacz will oversee and orchestrate the actor training camps, help coordinate and hire adjudicators for the annual High School Shakespeare Competition, and set up various partnerships and talkbacks that correspond with the Festival’s mainstage productions, among other things. “I am really excited to give back to the community that has given so much to me,” said Grzywacz. “I jumped into the craziness of this season and I love every single second! I truly am continually amazed by the actors, students, and community, and our Education Director Stewart Shelley. They go above and beyond, and are truly here for the patrons.”
Grzywacz is dedicated to fostering an environment of development and learning, ensuring that the Education Department continues to thrive. “She is incredibly organized, thoughtful, and approaches challenges methodically and creatively,” said Artistic Director John DiAntonio. “Sophia’s exemplary leadership qualities and exceptional interpersonal skills with colleagues, stakeholders, and external partners will be a huge asset.”
With her accomplished background and deep commitment to arts and education, Sophia Grzywacz is poised to make a significant impact. The Festival is excited to see the innovative programs and inspiring leadership she brings to her new role.
Q&A with Director Valerie Rachelle on The Taming of the Shrew
Director Valerie Rachelle is returning to the Utah Shakespeare Festival this season with an uproariously funny production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Festival audiences may remember her as the director of last year’s delightful Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical. Additionally, Rachelle was the Assistant Director of USF’s 2005 production of All’s Well That Ends Well.
Her other directing credits include the Utah Festival Opera, Syracuse Opera, PCPA Theatrefest, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, where she also serves as the Artistic Director. In addition to directing, Rachelle has an extensive academic career, with teaching experience at the University of Southern California, PCPA, and Southern Oregon University.
Rachelle received her MFA in Directing from UC Irvine, and her BFA in Acting at CalArts.
The Festival met up with Rachelle to ask her more about her experience here this season.
The Festival: Why were you excited to direct this play?
Rachelle: I [was] excited because of the challenge and the design we’ve come up with. It’s a world you want to watch and be a part of… and to surprise the audience with what we’re going to do. I’m excited that Lindsay Jones is creating new music and to be in the outdoor theater, because you’re out in the elements and you have to accept the world you’re in and live in this live environment.
The Festival: This play is often considered “problematic” because of its challenging themes of patriarchy, abuse, and sexism. How do you plan on tackling the “problem areas” of the play?
Rachelle: A lot of people don’t [perform] the induction Shakespeare wrote, which includes two scenes before the play starts. It includes Christopher Sly mistreating a female innkeeper, and some higher-ups observe this and decide to take Christopher Sly, dress him up as a lord, and show him The Taming of the Shrew to teach him a lesson. The whole point of the play is not to teach men how to tame their women, but to teach Christopher Sly how to treat others better.
Shakespeare actually didn’t finish the play. Usually [other productions] will bookend the induction with an [epilogue]. We aren’t adding any text, but we will highlight what Christopher Sly has learned.
We are setting up The Taming of the Shrew as a play-within-a-play; as theatre magic. It’s going to be colorful and cartoony. All of the violence in it is going to be done with feathers and food items. There’s no weapons in the show. We are approaching the abuse as slapstick farce, not actual abuse. It’s to heighten it and show Christopher Sly how ridiculous he is treating people.
The Festival: As playgoers, what should we watch for in this play that would help us more fully enjoy and understand it better?
Rachelle: The first goal is for audience members to laugh. It’s going to be very silly on purpose. We want to take this world and put it into something that isn’t real life. We want audience members to see these characters and recognize their faults—we will heighten them to the extreme, so we can laugh at them.
We are adding musical numbers, and so my goal is for audience members to be cheering them on to change Christopher Sly. I also want them to see that in the play, there is true love. Kate and Petruchio do love each other, and if society would allow them to be who they are, they wouldn’t have to live in this cocoon of “the man is in charge and the woman has to follow.” They have an understanding of their relationship and that it’s more equal, but society is forcing them to act a certain way.
The Festival: What challenges came with preparing to direct this play?
Rachelle: The biggest challenge [was] trying to make the theme work in a contemporary society. It’s hard to show a lesson that’s like “The woman should follow the man in every footstep.” We’ve found a way to present it in a way that we’re showing these behaviors—not to say that that’s how it should be, but that’s what it shouldn’t be.
True love is more about listening and responding to each other honestly, rather than forcing will upon somebody. But we’re going to illustrate this in a way that will make you laugh rather than make you cry. We’re going to use music, color, and comedy to do this.
A lot of companies decide not to do this show because it’s “problematic,” but I think they forget that the play is showing us what not to do, rather than what to do.
The Festival: What do you hope audience members will take away from this play?
Rachelle: I hope audience members leave laughing, and that they feel that Christopher Sly got what was coming to him. I want them to come to their own realization of how to better listen to and understand their own partners.
The Festival: You directed Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical last season. Can patrons expect any parallels with this show?
Rachelle: It’s a very different story and very different style of play, but similarities might be that it’s about being a better person, finding love, listening and changing, and following your heart.
The Festival: How long have you been a director? How long have you been with the Festival? What draws you to directing?
Rachelle: I’ve been directing since I was 22, which means I’ve been directing for 27 years. This is my third season with the Festival, and I continue to direct because I love it so much. It’s the love of my life.
The Festival: Anything else you want Festival audiences to know?
Rachelle: It’s all storytelling. Musical theater, dance, opera, anything live—it’s all storytelling, just done in different ways. That doesn’t mean the story changes; you’re just telling it in a different way. That’s what I love about live arts—it’s all just for the audience to be entertained, enlightened, and engaged. We create empathy by telling stories, and we don’t have to tell super serious stories to do that. Sometimes you worm your way into minds through laughter.
Get your tickets to The Taming of the Shrew, running now through September 7 in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. Visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Education Department Honored with Prestigious Award
By Katie Neves, guest writer
Last week, Deseret News recognized the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Education Department during their third annual Honors in Education Gala.
The gala, which is held in conjunction with First Lady Abby Cox’s “Show Up for Teachers” initiative, honors outstanding educators throughout the state of Utah. While primarily recognizing teachers and school staff, Deseret News also selected six businesses with an excellent record of educational programming and outreach—including the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
“This award means that our efforts are noticed,” said Education Director Stewart Shelley, “and that we have set a precedent over the past years in regards to educational programming. We’ve set a high standard to live up to.”
The Festival’s Education Department was selected for the award due to the wide variety and high quality of its programming. The Festival offers programs for learners of all ages and ability levels, serving districts and students across the state of Utah and beyond. Programs include the Shakespeare in the Schools tour, which brings free professional performances to the entire Intermountain West; and the Juvenile Justice program, which introduces the works of Shakespeare to youth in the Southwest Utah Youth Center.
In addition to summer camps and youth classes, Seminar Grove experiences, and various workshops, the Festival also hosts the annual Shakespeare Competition, which brings together thousands of students across the country to learn, compete, and collaborate in Shakespearean study and performance. Through its outreach, the Festival has worked with 34 school districts, 31 charter schools, 818 teachers, and 20,836 students in the 2023-2024 school year alone.
Education has always been a high priority for the Festival. Before becoming the Festival’s Executive Managing Director, Michael Bahr spent 24 years as the Education Director, fostering an environment of excellence, inclusivity, and innovation.
Current Education Director Stewart Shelley stepped into the role this past April, after working with the Department since 2022. After 19 years as a high school theatre teacher, a Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts Education from BYU, and a Master’s in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University, Shelley understands the power of theater in the development and education of young people.
Currently, the Education Department is working to partner with schools throughout the state of Utah who haven’t yet been reached by the Festival. “We want to have a presence state-wide,” said Shelley. “The Festival is currently re-envisioning the strategic plan, and we are excited to see how our department can align with the new mission, vision, values, and goals.” With the recent addition of a new education staff member, Sophie Grzywacz as Education Programs Manager, and a continually-growing team of teaching artists, the Festival’s Education Department aims to make Shakespeare and theater arts more accessible than ever before.
Other ways the department is hoping to reach more students is through Shakespearience, a program that offers discounted matinee tickets and other perks throughout the months of August and September to school groups. Also, USF School Days where school groups can get free tickets to two selected performances in September, is due to generous funding from the state.
The Deseret News Honors In Education award underscores the Festival’s commitment to educational excellence and community outreach. It is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire Education Department, who strive to inspire and educate Utah students and teachers through the power of the theatre.
To learn more about the Festival’s Education Department, visit bard.org/about/education, or reach out at USFeducation@bard.org.
Festival Develops Custom Costume Inventory Program
By Liz Armstrong, guest writer
There’s nothing quite like a night spent at the theatre, and although being immersed in a play can feel a little like magic, an immense amount of work happens behind-the-scenes to make it happen.
There’s a lot that goes into producing our high quality plays––including everything from props, sound, set design, costumes, and more. Additionally, most everything that touches the stage at the Utah Shakespeare Festival is made in-house.
The actors may be the star of the show, quite literally, but what they wear plays a large role in the feeling, storytelling, and execution of the production. Costume Director Jeff Lieder knows this, and has spent nearly four decades at the Festival working on costumes.
The Costume Making Process
This season, over 60 individuals comprised the seasonal costume and costume crafts teams. Costumes are built from scratch, pulled from the Festival’s inventory, or purchased.
“We reuse as much as we can,” Lieder said. “For this season’s Silent Sky, the clothes are from the turn of the century in 1912, and so we were able to pull things from our stock in addition to borrowing some things from Arizona Theatre Company that were used in a production years ago.”
David Mickelsen was the costume designer of an original version of Silent Sky when Lauren Gunderson was writing it in Cleveland and came this season to design the same show for the Festival.
This year, a lot of the costumes in The Taming of the Shrew were built from scratch because of the design style.
“The color and nature of the show required that a lot of it has to be cohesive,” Lieder explained.
The Festival purchased pieces this season as well. Lieder noted that uniforms were made for the production of Much Ado About Nothing in Scotland due to efficiency.
“It takes 40 hours or more of labor to make a man’s suit coat, and that’s not including the cost of the material, and so it was cheaper and easier for us to have them made across the world than do them in-house,” he said.
Once the season has closed, most costumes are stored in Festival facilities. If they are no longer needed, stock is sold to other theatres, or to schools and community groups during the Shakespeare Competition hosted by the Festival each fall for bargain prices, along with props and other items.
The Costume Inventory Process
It’s the 63rd season of the Festival, and so quite the costume collection has accumulated over the years. Pulling costumes from inventory was proving to be difficult. To help solve the issue, a costume inventory program was created.
“The program was developed by Randy Handley, who worked at the Festival when he was a student,” Lieder explained. “The program is customized to the Festival.”
The process includes applying heat set bar codes on each costume piece, and then uploading photographs and information about the piece into the system.
“The program makes costumes [more accessible]” Lieder said. “During the winter or if they aren’t in Cedar City, designers can search for a specific piece.”
The program will also make it easier to find what the Festival has already, saving time and money for all those involved.
“We won’t have to remake them if we already have and can find them,” Lieder said.
Eileen and Allen Anes made a donation several years ago to start this costume inventory process.
“They’ve always been fans of the Festival and the Costume Department, and they saw the need for the inventory process,” Lieder said. “They were really generous donors to start it out.”
The Future and the Challenges
Although the Festival is in the process of inventorying all the costumes, it will take some time to input all of the information, especially with Lieder being the only full time, year-round staff member in the Costume Department.
“We have thousands of items in storage and are just now starting this process,” Lieder said.
Another challenge for the Costume Department are the facilities where the costumes are stored.
Although there is a storage facility, the conditions make it difficult for employees to work there.
“We are hoping that someday, a donor would be willing to build another building for us to expand so we can get to the costumes [into a less crowded space] and have a facility that is temperature-controlled,” Lieder expressed.
For those that are interested in donating to the Costume Department, please contact the Development Department at devasst@bard.org.
To see the fabulous costumes in action this season, visit our photo gallery or better yet, purchase tickets today at bard.org/plays.
Festival Announces Passing of Jyl Shuler, Former Development Director
With deep sadness, the Utah Shakespeare Festival announces the sudden passing of our dear friend, Jyl Shuler, former Development Director and lifetime advocate for the Festival. Jyl worked for the Festival as Development Director for 29 years, leading fundraising efforts through periods of tremendous growth and rigorous financial challenges. Jyl was instrumental in raising millions of dollars to build the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts. She was especially gifted at creating long-lasting, genuine relationships with Festival friends. During her tenure, essential connections were cultivated with patrons, donors, and institutions that have provided the foundational support that sustains the Festival today.
Jyl was hired in 1988 as the Festival’s first full-time Development Director. Working closely with Festival Founder Fred C. Adams and former Executive Director R. Scott Phillips, Jyl built a legacy of generous giving on all levels. “Jyl was a ray of light with a huge heart. She brought a magic sparkle to the work, and people trusted her,” states Michael Bahr, Executive Managing Director. “Jyl’s fundraising accomplishments paved the way for the growth of the Festival. Jyl acquired the Festival’s first corporate gift. She obtained the first seven-figure gift, and this happened because of her genuine love for those who give.”
As part of a dedicated team, Jyl, Scott, and Fred cultivated relationships with key philanthropic foundations in the state, underscoring the importance of the Festival’s mission. Jyl’s efforts in this area––such as fostering combined support from the Marriner S. Eccles, Emma Eccles Jones, and George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundations–– were instrumental in securing the support the Festival needed to thrive.
The building of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts required a wide range of contributions from patrons, donors, board members, and university personnel. Jyl was instrumental in creating these lifelong Festival friends, a testament to her ability to unite people and nurture connections. Through the focused collaboration of a team of fundraisers, she helped to fulfill this community dream.
Jyl loved serving people, organizing galas, and planning fundraising trips and parties. These events sparked and solidified lifelong friendships with patrons. Jyl’s impact is remembered by hundreds on social media sharing memories and comments, including: “I felt Jyl was the Festival’s heart.” “Jyl maintained warm and lasting relationships with our family for 25 years.” “ Fred and Jyl were always the face of the Festival for us.” “Jyl was a positive driving force in development and a warm, welcoming spirit for the Festival.” Jyl was a second mother, mentor, and faithful friend.” “Jyl was a beautiful human being who contributed to the success and growth of the Festival.” “I’ll dearly miss her jovial ‘Hey Kiddo’ and ‘Huzzah!’”
Jyl retired from the Festival in October of 2017. She actively continued to advocate for the Festival, providing suggestions for future growth, participating in events, and was a catalyst for further building of community. Southern Utah University President Mindy Benson shared, “Jyl is a bright light, full of creativity, service mentorship, and love to all who had the opportunity to spend time with her, work with her, and learn from her. She will be missed. She continues to make a difference through all of us.”
Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 20, at 11 a.m. in the Great Hall of the Hunter Alumni Center at Southern Utah University, 405 West University Blvd, Cedar City, Utah 84720. A viewing will be held prior to the service, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Whiting Room. It is requested that attendees wear a touch of pink, as that was Jyl’s favorite color.
Click here for the obituary and link to livestream the services.
Q&A with The Winter's Tale Director
In her first year with the Utah Shakespeare Festival, director Carolyn Howarth is taking on one of Shakespeare’s most underrated—and most beautiful—plays: The Winter’s Tale. And, though she’s new to the Festival, Howarth has a rich background in Shakespeare. She directed shows for 14 seasons at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, as well as at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, and the Sierra Shakespeare Festival. Her productions have also appeared at Perseverance Theatre Company, Capital Stage, and Foothill Theatre Company, where she also served as the artistic director.
As an actor, Howarth has appeared onstage at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Jewish Theatre San Francisco, Maxim Gorky Theatre, and a number of regional theaters across the country.
Howarth received her BA and MFA from UC Davis, where she also worked as a professor. Her other teaching credits include the University of South Carolina, the University of Alabama, and Sierra College.
The Festival sat down with Howarth to learn more about her approach to The Winter’s Tale.
The Festival: Why were you excited to direct this play?
Howarth: I love this play. It was one of my first professional productions when I started as an actor. I thought about this play a lot. It’s a later Shakespeare play, which don’t come up a lot. It’s only the second time in my entire career that it’s crossed my path, so I was excited for that.
I was excited because it’s hard and complicated and it deals with messy humans that are trying to figure stuff out, and I find the form of the play and [the two worlds coming together] so fascinating. I was also excited to be at the Festival because it’s been on my bucket list for a long time.
The Festival: This play has a lot of dark themes, such as betrayal and jealousy. How did you balance these ideas with the lighter ones?
Howarth: You can’t shy away from dark moments in plays because then the moments of lightness don’t mean anything. This play is beautifully structured, because you have this world of jealousy, betrayal, and infidelity, and then you go to this idyllic world where they’re singing and dancing… and Shakespeare balances it all very nicely and takes those two worlds into the fifth act and combines them.
Even in the moments of darkness, there’s humor that’s often ironic and satiric. It’s those moments that [show us] how we behave as humans, whether for good or for bad. That allows us to laugh and to find that personal connection.
The Festival: You noted in a production design meeting that this is ultimately a play about faith. Can you expand more on that?
Howarth: There’s a myriad of themes in the play, including loyalty, family, Pagan and Christian… it’s so full of contrast. For me, though, it’s all leading to the ending moments of rebirth and resurrection and reunion. In order for those things to happen, the characters have to have hope and faith and believe in the reality of miracles.
Love is redefined as a miracle. Shakespeare’s audience really believed in the supernatural, in a way that we don’t as much contemporarily, and for them faith was “anything can happen in theatre and can represent anything.”
The Festival: As playgoers, what should we watch for that would help us enjoy/understand the play even more? Are there any special hidden surprises you’ve implemented in the show?
Howarth: There is an article of clothing that will keep reappearing throughout the play. There’s also a scenic element that will reappear in various places and surprise the audience. On a philosophical level, Shakespeare was pulling from a lot of sources, but there’s little things that crop up in our notion of “fairytales.” There’s a lot of fairytale moments littered throughout the play that are fun to look for.
It’s fun to look for the turns in the characters. The big one is Leontes and his many shifts. But some of the comic characters have shifts, too. It’s also fun to look at the characters that oppose one another. Who in Bohemia feels the same in Sicilia thematically?
The Festival: What challenges came with preparing to direct this play?
Howarth: Shakespeare wrote big plays. This one spans 16 years of time, and there’s always things you have to figure out how to solve. Modern day audiences look at these plays through a modern lens; so how do you stay true to Shakespeare but present these themes [for audiences today]? We keep doing Shakespeare’s plays because he managed to put so much humanity in his plays; he transcends time and [continues] to teach us lessons. We recognize human behavior in his plays.
The Festival: What do you hope audience members will take away from this play?
Howarth: I hope they leave with a feeling that we as humans need each other—now more than ever—for empathy, compassion, community, and friendship; and that that is possible. Grace is attainable through forgiveness, and I hope audience members leave feeling that possibility. You can always find a way to move past feelings of hatred.
There’s a lot of fun in this play too, and I hope people are entertained by those moments.
The Festival: How long have you been a director? What draws you to directing?
Howarth: I started acting in junior high and then did actor training and was working as a professional actor for years. I was primarily acting and directing [only] occasionally, but as I aged, the acting roles became fewer and farther between and it shifted. I’ve been directing for 28 years.
I love directing because I love puzzles. I’m addicted to crossword puzzles and sudoku, and directing for me is a puzzle, because it’s all about figuring out how those pieces fit together.
The other huge part of directing for me is being able to work with brilliant colleagues to create. It’s about the collaboration, and I’m in more of those worlds as a director than I was as an actor.
The Festival: Anything else you want Festival audiences to know?
Howarth: I would encourage people to not be afraid of these plays they haven’t heard of. I realize it’s not a Romeo and Juliet, but these lesser-known titles bring so much substance, and they’re such a delight. They’re so deep and thick and rich with drama and humor. It’s a gorgeous show.
Get your tickets to The Winter’s Tale, running now through September 6 in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. Visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Q&A with Henry VIII Director
Derek Charles Livingston, the director of new plays at the Festival, directed this season’s production of Shakespeare’s political drama, Henry VIII.
In past few years at the Festival, Livingston served as the interim artistic director, and the director of last season’s A Raisin in the Sun. He also played Thurgood Marshall in the Festival’s production of Thurgood in 2022. Livingston was previously the managing artistic director at the Celebration Theatre, program manager/production and new play producer at the Playwrights Project, and the artistic producer for Plays in Progress at Cygnet Theatre. He won the New Hampshire Drama Award for his leading role in Driving Miss Daisy, and the LA Scenie Award for directing Sweeney Todd and M Butterfly.
Livingston received an MFA from the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, as well as a BA in theatre arts from Brown University.
The Festival talked to Livingston and asked him about his preparation and experience directing this historical drama.
The Festival: Why were you excited to direct Shakespeare’s Henry VIII?
Livingston: It’s not done often, so it’s a chance as an artist to delve into a Shakespeare play that a lot of people don’t know, to give it shape. I’m always thrilled by political intrigue because the human decisions, selfishness, and selflessness come from people’s internal wants.
I’m excited for audiences to get to see the character of Katharine who I think is one of the best female characters Shakespeare ever wrote. People know about Lady Macbeth and Kate [from The Taming of the Shrew] and Beatrice [from Much Ado About Nothing] and Juliet, but Queen Katherine has some amazing monologues. Anytime we can elevate the voice of women within Shakespeare, we should do it.
The Festival: King Henry’s love affairs often get a bad rap. What should we know to better understand the circumstances in this play?
Livingston: He has an awful reputation when it comes to wives and women. It’s important for our audiences to know that we are the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and that we’re presenting the Henry that Shakespeare wrote—which requires some context and understanding. Shakespeare couldn’t disparage Anne Boleyn, because that would be to disparage Queen Elizabeth [who was Henry and Anne’s daughter], and was very loved. He was walking a tightrope in creating this play, and what he chose to focus on were specific moments of crisis.
This play focuses on two relationships: his relationships with Katharine and Anne. The audience should come in expecting to learn about Shakespeare’s interpretation of the relationships.
Deservedly so, Henry has a bad reputation when it comes to his wives and other women—as there were extramarital relationships as well—but there was almost seven years between the time Henry met Anne and declared his interest, and when he made her his wife—which speaks to me that there must have been a real affection and love there [to span that time period].
The Festival: For those that are intimidated by Shakespeare’s more political plays, what would you say? Why should they come see Henry VIII?
Livingston: We think we know who Henry was, but here’s a chance to see the alternative of it. My plan was to stage and create a show that anyone can follow the storyline without necessarily understanding every nuance of the language. There are moments that are visually arresting, such as the coronation for Anne and the christening of Elizabeth.
[In addition], Bill Black, one of our longest-serving costume designers, does his best work in this [time] period, and he designed this show. It really should offer something for people that just lean into pure theatricality, to be able to enjoy, and the language will come.
Go to our seminars and orientations, as it really helps set up the context of the play. That’s why Fred [C. Adams] started them, so people could approach Shakespeare fearlessly.
The Festival: As playgoers, what should we watch for in this show? Are there any special “Easter eggs” you have implemented into the play as a director?
Livingston: Patrons should look for paper. Anytime a piece of paper appears onstage, someone’s life is about to change. That to me is the level of political intrigue in which we are playing. I want people to watch for how decrees and papers and letters are almost used as a sword.
Our set designer Apollo Weaver and I talked about what some of the emblems on the flags in Henry’s court should look like, and plan to combine the house of York and Lancaster to create the Tudor line symbolically.
There’s [also] the great seal, which is something that would mark an official letter, carried by Wolsey, and patrons should watch how this becomes an important moment, along with Wolsey’s ring.
The Festival: What statement/realization/feeling do you hope audience members leave with after seeing the play?
Livingston: I want people to leave saying, “Henry really emerged and pulled that off. He went through that crisis and emerged as his own person.”
I hope they walk away appreciating the moments of royal pomp and pageantry. I hope that patrons, especially if they came with the preconceived notion of who Henry is, go and do their own research to understand how and why Shakespeare wrote the play the way he did.
There’s been a recent book on Anne Boleyn that explores her mind and her position within the time, and she was far more than just the lady-in-waiting. She was a woman with her own mind and was probably very influential to Henry on the idea of moving away from the Catholic church. [We aimed to make] sure that Anne comes across as an intelligent woman with her own mind, so audiences will be intrigued by her as well, because history gives her a bad rap.
The Festival: What challenges came with preparing to direct this play?
Livingston: The biggest challenge is the known story of Henry, and all the variations and interpretations of the Tudor family—so I think people approach this play with a very strong notion of who they think Henry VIII is. The challenge is acknowledging that, but also being faithful to the story that Shakespeare is trying to tell.
Because Shakespeare wrote the play for an audience that understood [royalty], those things aren’t necessarily explained to our modern audience. This can get very lost on a modern American audience, and so part of the challenge has been to make sure to tell the story of this king who is in romantic, constitutional, political, and moral crises in a royal realm without the audience necessarily having to know what each of these royal ranks mean and represent.
The Festival: You have a long history of directing highly-acclaimed shows. What draws you to be a director?
Livingston: I continue to direct because I love bringing stories to the stage and I love creating compelling and interesting moments where the audience leans in and really listens. I love working with actors and being in the rehearsal process, and the collective discovery that can happen.
To purchase tickets to Henry VIII, visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX.
Shakespeare Under the Stars: Theatre in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
For 63 years patrons have enjoyed their yearly dose of Shakespeare and live theatre under the stars at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. Prior to 2016 they thronged to the outdoor Adams Memorial Theatre, a beloved but retired performance space. Since then, performers and patrons alike have delighted in Festival performances in the open-air Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, where the majority of productions presented are written by the Bard. Both the Adams and Engelstad Theatres were inspired by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London.
There is something so unique and special about seeing live theatre in an outdoor space where night falls, stars come out, and temperatures cool off while you sit and revel in the incredible performances on the stage. This season, already off to a great start, patrons can experience this very memorable opportunity by seeing Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, The Winter’s Tale, and The Taming of the Shrew in the Engelstad.
Make sure not to miss Henry VIII this season. Besides being done outdoors, another reason to catch this play is that it is rarely performed. The last time the Festival produced this regal history was nearly 30 years ago! It is also a part of the Festival’s “Complete the Canon” initiative as well as the final piece to the “Shakespeare’s History Cycle” initiative, both started over a decade ago.
Artistic Director John DiAntonio says, “Audiences won’t want to miss this rare opportunity. The production is filled with grand pageantry, including the coronation of Anne Boleyn and the christening of Princess Elizabeth. But none of that will take away from the gripping human drama at the story’s center.”
Another brilliant production in the Engelstad this season is The Winter’s Tale. Though originally grouped with Shakespeare’s comedies, it is now considered a romance (Elizabethan romance contains both tragedy and comedy, a melancholy tone, and the remedy of a past injustice). Centering around the actions in two dynamically different European kingdoms, Utah Theatre Bloggers call this production “highly entertaining and accessible…[with] tremendous professional acting and impressive staging…[it] deserves to be seen and appreciated.”
The third show in the outdoor theatre this season is the hilarious and touching The Taming of the Shrew. Often considered a problematic story for modern audiences, the Festival’s production is considerate of problematic plot points and is “packed with zany comedy and ingenious comedic performances,” says Utah Theatre Bloggers.
Presented as a play-within-a-play (not often done with this show), the fiery Katherine and the braggart Petruchio discover ways to meet on common ground and as Front Row Reviews say, “We are left pondering the definition of selfless love and what it means to truly care for each other.”
Get your tickets now for these outstanding outdoor performances. They are experiences you don’t want to miss. Visit bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX for more information.