2026 Directors in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to announce the directors for the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre shows and The Greenshow for the 2026 season. “We are thrilled to share with you these amazing artists who will head our Shakespeare productions and popular Greenshows for our celebratory sixty-fifth season,” says Executive Managing Director Michael Bahr.
With Shakespeare as our cornerstone, the Festival is excited to produce three of his amazing stories, all very unique from each other and one which hasn’t been done here since 1999. Get ready for the family-friendly Greenshow and Shakespeare under the stars in the Engelstad Theatre!
ON THE ENGELSTAD SHAKESPEARE THEATRE STAGE
Troilus and Cressida
By William Shakespeare
Directing the seldom done tragedy Troilus and Cressida is Carolyn Howarth, a returning artist who directed last season’s Antony and Cleopatra as well as The Winter’s Tale in 2024. Her amazing work has also been seen at Colorado Shakespeare Festival where she spent 14 seasons. She has also directed at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, and Foothill Theatre Company where she served as artistic director. She earned her BA and MFA from UC-Davis and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Troilus and Cressida is a tragic tale of love, power, survival, and betrayal set during the Trojan War. It focuses on two people whose passion is tested, as war rages and loyalties shift. This play is the second-to-last production for the Complete the Canon initiative which began in 2012, when the Festival committed to produce every one of Shakespeare’s works.
“I love the satiric tone of this rarely-performed play and how it takes aim at our Romantic and Heroic ideals, at political leadership, at the War Machine, and really takes those notions down a notch,” says Howarth. “In those terms it feels like a play that could have been written yesterday. It is at times very funny, sometimes tragic, with singing and swordplay––one gets a little of everything!”
Troilus and Cressida previews on June 18, 2026, and runs through September 3, 2026.
Hamlet
By William Shakespeare
Returning director Beth Lopes will lead the 2026 production of Hamlet after having directed As You Like It last season. She also assistant directed at the Festival in 2010 after which she spent ten seasons directing at New Swan Shakespeare Festival where she is an associate artistic director. Her work has also been featured at South Coast Repertory, San Antonio Shakespeare in the Park, and Theatre Horizon. She received her MFA from UC Irvine and is a member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).
Hamlet is one of the most produced Shakespeare plays at the Festival. The well-known tragedy finds Prince Hamlet struggling with the sudden death of his father. He spirals into crisis, isolation, and a convoluted relationship with vengeance, exemplifying the complexities of the human condition.
“There are many different stories to tell within Hamlet, but the element that I’m most excited to share in the 2026 season focuses on Hamlet’s haunting,” says Lopes. “Our beloved Dane’s past and present obligations of duty are personified in the ghost of his father, a painful reminder of what has transpired, but also a dreadful harbinger of what’s to come.”
Hamlet previews on June 19, 2026, and runs through September 4, 2026.
Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
The Festival’s Artistic Director John DiAntonio returns as a director in 2026, helming the popular comedy Twelfth Night. He previously directed Macbeth last season in addition to performing as Jack in Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise and Petruchio in 2024’s The Taming of the Shrew. Prior to coming to Cedar City, he was the producing artistic director at Creede Repertory Theatre. Additional acting and directing credits include the Denver Center Theatre Company, The Arvada Center, and Cleveland Shakespeare Festival. He received his MFA in acting from the National Theatre Conservatory and also attended the British American Drama Academy. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Twelfth Night is a beloved comedy, last featured at the Festival in 2019, that includes a complicated love triangle, mistaken identities, mischief, and witty banter that proves love often finds us when––and where––we least expect it.
“Twelfth Night was the first Shakespeare play I ever saw performed live, and I was instantly enchanted. I remember sitting in the park and falling in love with every character. It’s rare in Shakespeare to feel that affection for an entire ensemble, but this play invites it. Twelfth Night is truly an ensemble — joyful, generous, and full of heart.”
Twelfth Night previews on June 20, 2026 and runs through September 5, 2026.
ON THE GREENSHOW STAGE
The Greenshow
Prepare for delightful summer evenings of stories, music, and dance with three new shows on the green in 2026. Directed by returning artist Trey Plutnicki and written by Festival veteran Britannia Howe, both of whom have long histories with the Festival, these shows are the perfect way to get in a theatrical mood before the mainstage evening shows.
Plutnicki returns to direct and choreograph The Greenshow after serving as choreographer for The Greenshow and various mainstage shows in 2024 and 2025, and as a member of the acting company in 2019 and 2021. He has also worked with Drury Lane Productions, Hunterdon Hills Playhouse, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, and Otterbein Summer Theatre.
A Cedar City native, Howe grew up attending the Festival. She earned a MFA in directing from Illinois State University and has directed at Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, and with the Utah Symphony. She was awarded a national directing fellowship from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. She has written and directed The Greenshow six times in the last eight years, and is currently a Theatre Arts faculty member at Southern Utah University.
“The Greenshow was my introduction to the Festival in 2019. Like many patrons of USF, it was the gateway to my love of Shakespeare, the Festival, and the Cedar City community,” says Plutnicki. “This year, I hope to share the love I’ve felt over the past seven years.”
The themes for the three 2026 Greenshows will be “Stratford Night” with a focus on Shakespeare and his many vibrant stock characters, “Americana Night” celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States, and “Celtic Night” featuring traditional Irish and Scottish music, dance, and lore.
The Greenshow previews on June 18, 2026, and runs through September 5, 2026.
Be sure not to miss our upcoming Cyber Monday sale on December 1 and 2 and join us in 2026 for a thrilling and delightful season! For more information, visit our website at bard.org or call the Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX.
