Casting Announced for Cymbeline

Jasmine Bracey

Afua Busia

Yao Dogbe

Josh Innerst

Howard Leder

Tiffany Scott

Constance V Swain

Jeremy Thompson

What happens when you take a show like Shakespeare’s Cymbeline with over twenty characters and numerous locations, and you stage it in the intimate Anes Studio Theatre with only eight actors? Not surprisingly, if you have eight actors with the talent of those cast for this summer’s production at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, you have magic.

Cymbeline has been called a fairy tale, a classic story book, full of wonderment and charm; and these actors are excited to be working at the Festival and bringing this Shakespearean romance to the Anes theatre stage. “Over the years, I’ve had many friends work at the Festival as actors and designers, and I’ve always listened to their stories and seen their photos with awe and just a little envy.” said actor Howard Leder. “The chance to come here this summer—and make my debut with the Festival—is really kind of a dream come true.”

The eight actors in Cymbeline are:

Jasmine Bracey will be making her Festival debut, playing Belarius. She has worked in many other regional theatres, including Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, American Blues Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Resident Ensemble Players, and The Acting Company. She has also appeared in the television series New Amsterdam, and Chicago P.D. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Afua Busia is also at the Festival for her first time, playing Pisanio, British Soldier, Musician, and other roles in Cymbeline. She has also appeared as Ama in School Girls at Berkeley Rep, Mary in A Christmas Carol at A.C.T., Grace in An Octoroon at Berkley Rep, and others. She earned her M.F.A. from American Conservatory Theater and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Yao Dogbe is playing the roles of Posthumus and Cloten in his first appearance at the Festival. Regionally, he has appeared in Intimate Apparel at Northlight Theatre, Fences at American Players Theatre, Homebound and Ohio State Murders at Round House Theatre, Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and many others. In 2017 he was listed as one of Houston’s best actors for his performance as Booth in Topdog/Underdog. He is an Equity Membership Candidate.

Josh Innerst, who is playing Iachimo, has appeared at the Festival in over a dozen roles, most recently as Earl of Suffolk and Earl of Salisbury in Henry VI Part One, Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice, and Robert in The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2018. He has also worked in theatres across the country including Cleveland Playhouse, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and American Shakespeare Festival. He has also done extensive audiobook and commercial voiceover work. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Howard Leder is appearing for his first time at the Festival this season. He will play the roles of Philario and Ghostly Father. Work at other theatres has included Beverly Hills Playhouse (Duet for One), Actors Rep of Simi Valley (Our Country’s Good), Oberlin College and Conservatory (Antigone, Waiting for Godot, The Beggar’s Opera, Time and the Conways, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Yeomen of the Guard). He has worked as a film and television editor for This Is Us (NBC), The Newsroom and Big Love (HBO),and others.

Tiffany Scott last worked at the Festival in 2005 when she played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This year she is playing Queen and Arviragus in Cymbeline. Other theatres she has worked at include National Theatre D.C., Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Berkeley Repertory, McCarter Theatre Center, Seattle Repertory, Goodman Theatre, American Players Theatre, and Illinois Shakespeare Theatre. She also has appeared on television in Chicago Med. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Constance V Swain is making her Festival debut this summer as Imogen in Cymbeline. Regionally she has performed in such plays as Caesar and Cleopatra, Antigone, The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, Grimm Lives, and the world premiere musical Willard Suitcases. She also played the role of Zoe in the movie To Love and to Cherish. She was honored with the 2019 Broadway Regional Award for Best Actor in a Play.

Jeremy Thompson is returning to the Festival this year as Caius Lucius and Frenchman. Previously at the Festival he has played Horatio in Hamlet, Seyton in Macbeth, Philiste in The Liar, Lodovico/Soldier in Othello, Brutus in the Julius Caesar education tour, and Narrator in the Every Brilliant Thing tour. He has also worked at the Oregon Shakespeaer Festival, Island Shakespeare Festival, Book-It Repertory Theatre, and more.

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Check Out These Discounts from the Festival

By Liz Armstrong

With the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s sixtieth anniversary season right around the corner, it’s time to purchase tickets for your next visit to the Festival. But before making that purchase, you may want to check out some discounts the Festival offers. You’ll enjoy the same brilliant plays with extra savings.

All discounts are based on availability and cannot be combined with other discounts. Other exclusions may apply.

To purchase tickets and take advantage of these discounts or for more information, call the Festival Ticket Office at 800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849) or visit bard.org/tickets (some discounts are not available online).

Discounts for Students

• The Student Access Pass is available for students of any age, including those who are homeschooled, for only $40. Students can redeem their pass for a single ticket per performance on the day of the show, with unlimited use throughout the season. Tickets are subject to availability and exclude premier seating. Only one pass per student is allowed, with no refunds or exchanges. The pass expires October 9, 2021. Students must provide valid proof of student status to purchase.

• Half-Price Student Rush Tickets are available starting one hour before each performance with a valid student ID.

• For tickets purchased in advance, the Festival offers a $10 discount for children under eighteen and students of any age.

Discounts for Local Residents

• Residents of Iron, Beaver, Washington, Kane, Garfield, Piute and Lincoln (Nevada) counties can purchase half-price tickets for Monday-Thursday performances. Tickets must be purchased on the day of the show.

• Iron County residents may also purchase the Iron County Pass for $200, which can be redeemed for eight admissions throughout the season. The pass can be purchased any time, and tickets can be reserved in advance, excluding premier and center orchestra seating. Proof of residency is required to purchase, and the pass has a limit of two passes per resident. There are no refunds or upgrades, ticket purchases are subject to availability, and the pass expires October 9, 2021.

Discounts for Groups

• For groups of twelve of more, discounts starting at $4 per ticket are available.

• School groups and students are eligible for the Festival’s Back-to-School discount. Half-price tickets can be purchased for Monday-Thursday evening performances from August 1 to October 9.

• Schools and education groups are also eligible for $12 tickets on qualifying Shakespearience performances, good for Monday-Thursday matinees from August 1 to October 9. Shakespearience tickets exclude premier seating. Call 435-865-8333 or email groups@bard.org to ask about Shakespearience add-on events.

Other Discounts and Offers

• Discounts for seniors (aged sixty-two and over), AAA members, and past or present members of the military are eligible to receive a $2 discount per ticket to all performances. Tickets in premier seating are excluded.

• For those with sensory needs, Sensory-Friendly performances are offered for The Comedy of Errors on September 8 at 8 p.m. and The Pirates of Penzance on September 18 at 2 p.m. These performances are offered at a reduced ticket price and are only available by calling the ticket office. Modifications include increased lighting in the seating area, lower sound levels, and a more relaxed audience atmosphere.

• Discounts are available for guests purchasing tickets to five or more titles. Ask about our Play More Discount when placing your order ($4 off all tickets on orders containing five or six titles and $5 off all tickets on orders containing seven or more titles).

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Casting Announced for Ragtime

Ezekiel Andrew

Aaron Galligan-Stierle

Perry Ojeda

Melinda Pfundstein

Daria Pilar Redus

“This is a dream ensemble,” said director Brian Vaughn as he began rehearsals last week for the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2021 production of Ragtime. “I can’t wait for them to share their remarkable talent with our audience.”

Ragtime is, indeed, a large production. It is supported by twenty-nine amazing actors playing over sixty roles. Yet, there are three families and cultures represented by five astonishingly talented actors who will anchor much of the show, and most of them will be familiar to Festival audiences.

Ezekiel Andrew will be taking on the role of Coalhouse Walker Jr., a talented and proud African-American musician who believes that his ragtime music will help him achieve the American dream. Andrew appeared at the Festival in 2018 as Jim in Big River and in the ensemble of The Conclusion of Henry VI Part One. He has appeared in numerous regional theatres and received several awards for his portrayal of Ragtime’s Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Theatre under the Stars in Houston, Texas. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Aaron Galligan-Stierle will play Tateh, a poor Jewish immigrant who comes to America to make a better life for himself and his daughter. Galligan-Stierle has appeared at the Festival in eight previous seasons, playing such roles as Dromio of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors, Smee in Peter and the Starcatcher, and Clown #2 in The 39 Steps. He has also appeared on Broadway as Monsieur Andre in The Phantom of the Opera, Henry Ford in Ragtime, and Papa Who in The Grinch, and in theatres across the country. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Perry Ojeda, who is new to the Festival this year, will be playing Father, a wealthy businessman and head of a household which seems to have achieved the American dream. Ojeda has appeared on Broadway in On the Town, Blood Brothers, and Imaginary Friends, as well as in numerous roles off-Broadway, regionally, and on television, including roles in Desperate Housewives, All My Children, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, and Days of Our Lives. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Melinda Pfundstein is well-known to Festival audiences as both a director and actor. She is appearing this year as Mother, the heart of her and Father’s family. Favorite acting roles at the Festival include Constance in King John, Hermione in A Winter’s Tale, Roxane in Cyrano de Bergerac, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, and Fantine in Les Misérables. She also directed The Book of Will (2019) and The Merchant of Venice (2018). She is the founding executive director of StateraArts. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Daria Pilar Redus is also returning to the Festival this year. She will be performing the role of Sarah, a young, beautiful, and innocent woman who falls in love with Coalhouse. Redus has worked at the Festival in the past as Cassius in the 2021 Julius Caesar education “tour” (which was presented entirely online), in the ensemble of Big River in 2018, and as a Featured Performer in The Greenshow in 2018. She recently appeared as Sandy Cheeks in the first national tour of The Spongebob Musical: Broadway’s Award Winning Hit!

Other members of the “dream ensemble” are:

·      Ian Allred as Ensemble

·      Bailey Blaise as Evelyn Nesbit and Ensemble

·      Landon Tate Boyle as Ensemble

·      Cordell Cole as Ensemble

·      Todd Denning as Henry Ford and Willie Conklin

·      Tafadzwa Diener as Sarah’s Friend and Ensemble

·      Raven Flynn as Ensemble

·      Devin Galligan-Stierle as Young Boy

·      Shannon Galligan-Stierle as Ensemble

·      Zoe Galligan-Stierle as Young Girl

·      Rhett Guter as Houdini and Ensemble

·      Richard R. Henry as J. P. Morgan and Admiral Peary

·      Cecilia Iole as Ensemble

·      Luke Sidney Johnson as Younger Brother

·      Peter Reid Lambert as Ensemble

·      Kat Lee as Ensemble

·      Jalon Mathews as Ensemble

·      Chris Mixon as Grandfather and Ensemble

·      Marlene Montes as Emma Goldman and Baron’s Assistant

·      Trey Plutnicki as Ensemble

·      Olivia Sham as Ensemble

·      André Spathelf-Sanders as Ensemble

·      René Thornton Jr. as Booker T. Washington and Ensemble

·      Amara Webb as Ensemble

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Casting Announced for The Pirates of Penzance

Rhett Guter

Richard R. Henry

Cecilia Iole

Jalon Matthews

Marlene Montes

Five talented actors will be taking on the major roles in The Pirates of Penzance when it hits the stage June 25 at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. They will sing and dance their way into our hearts as the largely unsuccessful but kind-hearted pirate king, his duty-bound apprentice and his nursery maid, and a befuddled major-general and his lovely and high-spirited ward. They (and a chorus of sentimental pirates, bumbling policemen, and giggling maidens) will bring to colorful life this family-friendly comedic operetta by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.

“As my first time at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, I am beyond excited to work with this incredible group of artists who all offer unique perspectives and will bring a fresh take to The Pirates of Penzance,” said director Cassie Abate as she began rehearsals May 10.

Rhett Guter will be returning to the Festival this year as the Pirate King. Past Festival performances include Peter in Peter and the Starcather (2013), Tommy Djilas in The Music Man (2011), Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2011), Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank (2010), Lysimachus in Pericles (2010) and many others. He has appeared in regional theatre across the country, received BFA and BS degrees from Southern Utah University, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Richard R. Henry is making his debut at the Festival in the role of Major-General Stanley, a character famous for his full-speed rendition of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.” He has appeared off-Broadway in Drift at New World Stage and Two Gentlemen of Verona the Musical at The Public. He has worked at numerous regional theatres as well as in the national tours of Urinetown, Sweet Charity, Man of La Mancha, and Jesus Christ Superstar. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Cecilia Iole will also be debuting at the Festival, playing the role of Mabel, the Major-General’s youngest ward and Frederic’s love-interest. She has performed across the country in such roles as Rapunzel in Into the Woods at Writers Theatre (directed by Garry Griffin); Johanna in Sweeney Todd at Paramount Theatre; Cunegonde in Candide at Clarence Brown Theatre; Ariel in The Little Mermaid; and Cosette in Les Misérables.

Jalon Matthews will be appearing for his first time at the Festival as Frederic, the duty-bound apprentice pirate. He has performed as Sebastian in Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Musical Theatre West, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors at PCPA, Bobby in Company at University of California–Irvine, and more. He holds a BA in acting degree from Pepperdine University and an MFA in acting from the University of California–Irvine.

Marlene Montes is also new to the Festival and will be playing the role of Ruth, Frederic’s confused nursery maid and the pirates’ maid. She has performed at numerous theatre companies, including Arizona Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Moonlight Stage Productions, Performance Riverside, Cygnet Theatre, New Village Arts, Starlight Theatre Derby Dinner Playhouse, and others. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Fifteen other actors will join these five to complete this charmingly silly operetta. They are:

·      Ian Allred as Sergeant of Police

·      Bailey Blaise as Sister

·      Landon Tate Boyle as Pirate

·      Lena Conatser as Edith

·      Trent Dahlin as Samuel

·      Tafadzwa Diener as Sister

·      Sophia Guerrero as Sister

·      Peter Reid Lambert as Pirate/Police

·      Nathan Myers as Pirate

·      Connor Padilla as Pirate

·      Andrew Plinio as Pirate/Police

·      Trey Plutnicki as Pirate/Police

·      Daria Pilar Redus as Kate

·      André Spathelf-Sanders as Pirate/Police

·      Amara Webb as Sister

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Announcing the Cast of The Greenshow

Raven Flynn

Sophia Guerrero

Peter Reid Lambert

Kat Lee

Connor Padilla

Trey Plutnicki

Olivia Rylan Sham

André Spathelf-Sanders

Four new faces and four faces familiar to Utah Shakespeare Festival audiences will make up the 2021 cast of the popular pre-play entertainment, The *Greenshow.*The free and fun show opens on June 21 and plays Mondays to Saturdays through September 11, starting at 7:10.

“The Greenshow will return with many familiar faces from last year, and it will be a beautiful reunion to be in the rehearsal hall with them again in addition to some new blood!” said director Britannia Howe. “These actors are some of the hardest working artists in the business. Not only do they dance, act, and sing their faces off every night in The Greenshow, but then they have fifteen minutes to run to change costumes and perform in the mainstage shows. They are hardworking, talented to boot, and such team players.”

These talented and hard-working artists are:

Raven Flynn (also in the ensemble of Ragtime) appears at the Festival courtesy of the Southern Utah University Fellowship Program. This is her first time at the Festival, but she has appeared as Ariel in Footloose at the Playmill Theatre in West Yellowstone and in Seven Brides for Seven Brother and Tarzan at Playmill Theatre. She graduated from SUU with a BFA in theatre arts this spring.

Sophia Guerrero (also in the ensemble of The Pirates of Penzance) is celebrating her first year working at the Festival this summer. She has played Jane in Tarzan at the Hale Center Theatre in Sandy, Utah and Miss Dorothy in Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Hale Centre Theatre in Orem, Utah. She has also appeared at Brigham Young University where she was the senior finalist for the BYU Outstanding Theatre Award.

Peter Reid Lambert (also in the ensemble of both The Pirates of Penzance and Ragtime) is working at the Festival for his first time. He has appeared off-Broadway as Thomas Briggs in An Enchanted April and originated the role of Johnny in Beulah Land. He has also played Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Davey in Newsies, Ernst in Cabaret, Eric Liddle in Chariots of First, and more.

Kat Lee (also in the ensemble of Ragtime) appeared at the Festival as the Narrator in the Every Brilliant Thing very successful educational tour. She has also played Lorrell Robinson in Dreamgirls at Short North Stage and Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia! and The Witch in Big Fish at Otterbein University. She received her BFA in musical theatre from Otterbein University in 2019.

Connor Padilla (also playing various roles in Pericles and The Pirates of Penzance) appeared at the Festival in 2019 as Gad in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Featured Performer in The Greenshow. He has worked at a number of regional theatres including Taffety Punk Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., Annapolis Shakespeare Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Winter Garden Theatre, and Theater Lab.

Trey Plutnicki (also in the ensembles of both Ragtime and The Pirates of Penzance) was at the Festival in the ensemble of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Featured Performer in The Greenshow in 2019 and Mercutio/Friar Laurence in the education tour of Romeo and Juliet in 2020. He has also played at other theatres as Ensemble in All Is Calm, Ali Hakim in Oklahoma!, and Woodstock in Snoopy! The Musical.

Olivia Rylan Sham (also in the ensemble of Ragtime) is working at the Festival for the first time. She is appearing courtesy of the Southern Utah University Fellowship Program. She has performed at the Simonfest Theatre Company as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors and Nora in Brighton Beach Memoirs, as well as various roles at Southern Utah University and Patricia in The Last Yankee at Universitatea Babes Bolyai in Cluj, Romania.

André Spathelf-Sanders (also in the ensembles of both The Pirates of Penzance and Ragtime) is celebrating his third year at the Festival and as a Featured Performer in The Greenshow. He has also played in the ensemble of Big River and as Asher and the Butler in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He has choreographed and danced for other theatres, including Otterbein University where he received a BFA in musical theatre and dance.

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Announcing the Cast of The Comedy of Errors

Michael Doherty

Mauricio Miranda

Andrew Plinio

Marco Antonio Vega

Three faces familiar to audiences and one actor making his debut at the Utah Shakespeare Festival will lead the celebration in this season’s 1970s Greek island-themed version of The Comedy of Errors which takes the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre stage beginning June 23.

“I am very excited to be working with Festival favorite Michael Doherty again after our collaborations on The Foreigner and Every Brilliant Thing at the Festival,” said director Vincent J. Cardinal. “It’s a terrific cast of Festival veterans and newcomers who are ready to have great fun sharing one of Shakespeare’s silliest plays.”

Doherty will be playing Dromio of Syracuse, one fourth of two sets of zany twins. Andrew Plinio will play his twin brother, Dromio of Ephesus; and Mauricio Miranda and Marco Vega will play the other set of twins, Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus.

Michael Doherty (Dromio of Syracuse) first appeared at the Festival in 2015 as Lord Fancourt Babberley in Charley’s Aunt, Speed in The Two Gentlemen of Verono, and Tranio in The Taming of the Shrew and in 2018 as Charlie Baker in The Foreigner and Tom Sawyer in Big River. However, he is probably most remembered for his performance as the Narrator in the one-man show Every Brilliant Thing in 2019. He has also appeared off-Broadway in Dublin by Lamplight and in various regional theatres across the country. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Mauricio Miranda (Antipholus of Syracuse) appeared at the Festival in 2019 as Curio in Twelfth Night and numerous roles in The Book of Will, including Ralph Crane. He has also played John Proctor in The Crucible and Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath at Connecticut Rep and various roles at New Frontiers International, Indiana Rep, Kansas City Rep, and Phoenix Theatre. He is an Equity Membership Candidate.

Andrew Plinio (Dromio of Ephesus) is new to the Festival this year, but he has worked at numerous other theatres including playing the role of Patrick in The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and appearances as Oliver in As You Like It and Sebastian in Twelfth Night at the London Academy of Music and Performing Arts and several roles at the University of Michigan. He also appeared on television as Billy in HBO’s The Young Pope.

Marco Antonio Vega (Antipholus of Ephesus) has appeared in numerous roles at the Festival the past few years including Marco/Puck in William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (Abridged), Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bardolph in Henry V and Henry IV Part Two, Hugh Oatcake in Much Ado about Nothing, and Lord of Burgundy in King Lear. He is also the recipient of the Festival’s Michael and Jan Finlayson Acting Award.

Fourteen other actors will join these four to inhabit a madcap Greek island paradise, ala Mamma Mia! They are:

·      Finley Caciola as Citizen, Servant, Guard, and Pinch Acolyte

·      Lena Conatser as Luce and Messenger

·      Trent Dahlin as Balthazar and Merchant

·      Jovan Davis as Jailer, Office, and Executioner

·      Kristina C. Harding as Courtesan

·      Michael A. Harding as Egeon

·      Alex Keiper as Luciana

·      Howard Leder as Duke Solinus

·      Desirée Mee Jung as Adriana

·      Nathan Myers as Citizen, Servant, Guard, and Pinch Acolyte

·      Aidan O’Reilly as Angelo

·      Sarah Shippobotham as Abbess and Emilia

·      Jeremy Thompson as Dr. Pinch and Merchant

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Announcing the Cast of Richard III

Aidan O’Reilly

Desirée Mee Jung

Melinda Pfundstein

Sarah Shippobotham

Sarah Suzuki

“I am beyond excited for this cast to be among the first to bring live theatre back! This is a great group of artists I have known of and admired for many years,” said director Cameron Knight as the casting for the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s production of Richard III was announced. “I am honored and excited to collaborate with them, audiences are going to deeply enjoy this group!”

This murderous and dark play will include nearly twenty actors, but those playing the roles of Richard and the four major women are of particular interest: Aidan O’Reilly as Richard (the murderous duke, then king); Desirée Mee Jung as Queen Elizabeth, Melinda Pfundstein as Margaret, and Sarah Shippobotham as the Duchess of York (three noble women who strongly condemn Richard); and Sarah Suzuki as Lady Anne (whom Richard makes a widow then woos her to be his bride).

The actors arrived at the Festival and started rehearsals May 10; the play will take the stage June 22.

Taking on the title role of the manipulative Richard will be a newcomer to the Festival, Aidan O’Reilly, who was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and appears here as part of a collaboration between RADA and the Festival. He has appeared in numerous theatres across the country and abroad, including American Shakespeare Center, Avalon Players, Marin Shakespeare Company, City Lights Theatre Company, and Prague Shakespeare Company. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Also new to the Festival this year is Desirée Mee Jung who will be playing Elizabeth, queen to King Edward IV. Mee Jung has appeared at various other theatres, such as Alley Theatre, South Coast Rep, A Noise Within, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Antaeus Theatre Company, Curious Theatre Company, LA Theatreworks, and The 6th Act. She is also a member of both the Screen Actors Guild and Actors’ Equity Association.

Long-time Festival favorite Melinda Pfundstein will be returning to the Festival to play Margaret, widow of King Henry VI and mother of the murdered Prince Edward. Pfundstein has appeared in nearly forty roles at the Festival since 1996, including Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Fantine in Les Misérables, and Miss Jane Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. She also directed The Book of Will (2019) and The Merchant of Venice (2018). She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Sarah Shippobotham returns to the Festival after playing Eleanor and other roles in The Conclusion of Henry VI: Parts Two and Three in 2019. This year she will take on the role of Duchess of York, the mother of Richard. A full professor at the University of Utah, Shippobotham has worked as an actress and voice and dialect coach in numerous theatres. She is a member of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association and the National Alliance of Acting Teachers.

Sarah Suzuki makes her debut at the Festival as Lady Anne. She has appeared at the American Shakespeare Center, 5th Floor Theater Company, Dixon Place, Target Margin Theatre Company, and many others. Film work includes The Surprise Party, The Elucidation of Dr. Park, Neighborly Love, and Teeth Bait.

Other actors in Richard III are:

·      Ezekiel Andrew as Sir Robert Brakenbury and Sir James Blunt

·      Finley Caciola as Prince of York

·      Cordell Cole as Marquess of Dorset, Earl of Richmond

·      Danforth Comins as Sir James Tyrrel

·      Jovan Davis as Sir William Catesby

·      Todd Denning as Lord Hastings

·      Aaron-Galligan-Stierle as Duke of Clarence and Bishop of Ely

·      Mauricio Miranda as Cardinal Bourchier and Sir Richard Ratcliffe

·      Chris Mixon as Lord Stanley

·      Perry Ojeda as King Edward IV and Lord Mayor of London

·      Jeffrey Scott Salsbury as Officer, Messenger, and Priest

·      Jessica Sannar as Prince Edward

·      René Thornton Jr. as Duke of Buckingham

·      Marco Antonio Vega as Officer, Citizen, Murderer, and Messenger

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Announcing the Cast of Pericles

Danforth Comins

Desirée Mee Jung

Sarah Suzuki

René Thornton Jr.

A tale of adventure, intrigue, and miracles, William Shakespeare’s Pericles, which takes the stage June 21 at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, has a little of everything—including a talented pool of actors to guide us through this exciting story. The Festival recently announced the casting, including the actors who will be playing the four main characters in the play: Danforth Comins as Pericles, Desirée Mee Jung as Thaisa, Sarah Suzuki as Marina, and René Thornton Jr. as Gower.

The actors arrive at the Festival and start rehearsals May 10, and Pericles director Kent Thompson is ready to get to work. “I’m very excited that we have cast such a talented and experienced cast, including the remarkable Danforth Comins as Pericles,” he said. “I cannot wait to begin rehearsals.”

As mentioned, taking on the title role of the play will beDanforth Comins who has appeared several times at the Festival over the past twenty years, most recently in the title role in Hamlet in 2012. In previous years he played roles in Macbeth; The Spitfire Grill; Ah, Wilderness!; Julius Caesar; and several others. He has also appeared off-Broadway in Throne of Blood at BAM and in other theatres across the country, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Yale Rep, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. He is a member of both the Screen Actors Guild and Actors’ Equity Association.

New to the Festival this year is Desirée Mee Jung who will be playing Pericles’s long-suffering and noble wife, Thaisa. Mee Jung has appeared at various other theatres, such as Alley Theatre, South Coast Rep, A Noise Within, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Antaeus Theatre Company, Curious Theatre Company, LA Theatreworks, and The 6th Act. She is also a member of both the Screen Actors Guild and Actors’ Equity Association.

Sarah Suzuki, also new to the Festival this year, will be taking on the role of Marina, Pericles and Thaisa’s beautiful and virtuous daughter. She has appeared at the American Shakespeare Center, 5th Floor Theater Company, Dixon Place, Target Margin Theatre Company, and many others. Film work includes The Surprise Party, The Elucidation of Dr. Park, Neighborly Love, and Teeth Bait.

Playing the role of Gower, the narrator of the play, is René Thornton Jr. who has become a favorite at the Festival in recent years. In 2019 he appeared here as Orsino in Twelfth Night and Henry Condell in The Book of Will. Previous to that he has played roles in Cymbeline and As You Like It (2002), Damn Yankees and Troilus and Cressida (1999), and Romeo and Juliet and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1998). He is a resident company member with The Rep in Delaware and has appeared at such theatres as American Shakespeare Center, the Oregon Shakespeare Theatre, and San Diego Rep. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Other actors in Pericles are:

·      Cordell Cole as Thaliard, Lysimachus, and other roles

·      Trent Dahlin as Servant, Pirate, and Ensemble

·      Jovan Davis as Pirate, Lord, and Ensemble

·      Todd Denning as Antiochus, Bolt, and Marshall

·      Kristina C. Harding as Dionyza and Diana

·      Michael A. Harding as Cleon and Ensemble

·      Mauricio Miranda as Soldier, Lord, Knight, and Ensemble

·      Chris Mixon as Simonides, Pander, and Philemon

·      Perry Ojeda as Helicanus, Poor Man, and Ensemble

·      Aidan O’Reilly as Cerimon and Fisherman

·      Connor Padilla as Lord, Servant, and Ensemble

·      Sarah Shippobotham as Lychordia, Bawd, Priestess, and Ensemble

·      Marco Antonio Vega as Leonine, Lord, and Ensemble.

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

Festival Reaches Agreement with Actors Union

The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently finalized an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States, which sets up COVID-19 health and safety protocols for actors, artists, and audience members and opens the door for the Festival to finalize the hiring of actors and stage managers for the 2021 season.

“This puts a feather in our cap and the wind in our sails as we move forward building the 2021 season,” said Artistic Director Brian Vaughn. “I’m thrilled we have finally reached an agreement with Actors’ Equity and look forward to our full company gathering in a few short days.”

Executive Producer Frank Mack agreed: “This is the last step in ensuring that we have an absolutely great 2021 season. We start rehearsals on May 10 for what I expect to be one of the best seasons at the Festival ever. It’s our 60th anniversary, the season is dedicated to our founder, Fred C. Adams, and it marks a return to producing after missing the 2020 season.”

The goal of the agreement is to provide a safe and healthy working and performing environment not just for actors but for all artist, technicians, and audience members. Both organizations agree that goal has been reached.

“The staff of the Utah Shakespeare Festival has been working with the staff at Actors’ Equity Association for two months to find a way that we can create the work on our stages in a way that actors, artisans, technicians, and audiences all stay safe,” said General Manager Kami Terry Paul. “We now have that plan and will begin implementing it immediately.”

The plan is based on the entire Festival company being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and regularly tested. In addition, work and performance areas will be sanitized regularly and all company members will be required to wear masks at all times except when performing on stage.

For audience members, this means that theatres, seats, and high-traffic areas will also be sanitized regularly. Also, all patrons must wear a mask at all times in the theatre and other performance and seminar spaces (including at The Greenshow). This is in line with the Equity contract and a Utah Department of Health requirement of masks for any group of fifty or more. Because people can’t eat or drink without removing their masks, concessions (including water) will not be sold or allowed in the theatres. 

Up-to-date health and safety information is available at bard.org/health-and-safety. Playgoers should check the site often as they prepare for their visit to Cedar City.

All testing for the Festival company will be provided by Nomi Health. “Nomi Health is proud to partner with the Utah Shakespeare Festival to bring the arts back to life in Utah,” said Mark Newman, founder and CEO of Nomi Health. “Our COVID solutions were born in our home state of Utah, and since then, we’ve deployed millions of tests and hundreds of thousands of vaccines across the country. We’re thrilled to support the Utah Shakespeare Festival in its return to the stage, supporting them with a customized COVID testing solution to help ensure safety as their employees and talent return to work and as Utahns can once again enjoy the arts.”

 Of course, all of this is required to keep our actors on the stage and allow our audiences into the theatres again. “Each and every one of our talented artisans is eager to get back to work while safely continuing to create powerful and moving drama for Utah audiences,” said Vaughn. “After an incredibly bleak year, I look forward to a resurgence of unity, positivity and possibility as we celebrate sixty years at The Utah Shakespeare Festival."

“Our patrons have been so supportive, already buying lots of tickets for the coming season; and I could not be more joyful in anticipating welcoming our guests back to the Festival after a too-long absence,” concluded Mack.

The Festival’s 2021 season is June 21 to October 9. Plays will be Pericles, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, Cymbeline, Intimate Apparel, and The Comedy of Terrors. Tickets are available by calling 800-PLAYTIX or visiting www.bard.org.

For inquiries regarding this news, email jersey@bard.org.

Q&A with Intimate Apparel Director Tasia A. Jones

Tasia A. Jones is making her Utah Shakespeare Festival debut this season, directingIntimate Apparel.She is a professional director, actor, and theatre educator hailing from Boston. Her directing credits includeIntimate Apparelat Northlight Theatre,Small Mouth Soundsat TheatreWorks,Voyeurs de VenusandWhiteat Northwestern University,For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enufat Boston University,Hidden Faces of Courage at On with Living and Learning,Oleanaat Can’t Wait Productions, the world premiere ofMargaret in Search of Herselfat ARRT/New African Company, and many others.

The Utah Shakespeare Festival: Let’s start with a general question. What is Intimate Apparel about; what are its important themes?

Tasia A. Jones: Intimate Apparel is about a woman who is determined to realize her dreams for love and success. Her determination inspires those she comes in contact with to consider their own dreams for success and happiness and the obstacles in their way. 

**The Festival:**Intimate Apparel takes place in several intimate and personal locations. How will you create these spaces in a way that characters and action can move seamlessly and quickly between them?

**Jones:**Our scenic designer [Stephen C. Jones] has created a space that has anchoring elements for each character but allows our protagonist, Esther, to be the focal point at the center. This scenic structure combined with light shifts allows Esther to move seamlessly from one location to another with very little actual movement necessary. 

The Festival: The play is set in 1905 Manhattan, yet it somehow resonates for us in 2021 and in various locations around the world. Why do you suppose that is so?

Jones: The themes in this play are universal. We all have dreams. We all yearn for love and acceptance. The play is also an ode to our ancestors, the everyday people who came before us and dared to dream. Their dreams opened pathways for those of us trying to make our way in the world today. This is especially true for immigrants and Black Americans. The reverberations of our ancestors lives are felt today. 

The Festival: In your early director’s notes, you write about “getting a glimpse into the extraordinary lives of ordinary people.” What makes the lives of Esther and others extraordinary?

Jones: What seems ordinary is extraordinary in this play. The characters in this play all have things working against them that are beyond their control. Being a woman, an immigrant, or a person of color in 1905 Manhattan came with challenges. As a Black woman Esther has to work twice as hard to get half as far, and despite the obstacles in front of her she has created a thriving business as a seamstress creating beautiful garments and is working towards her other goals. The play is also about artistry and craftsmanship. Several characters exhibit extraordinary artistry that often goes without notice or praise. 

The Festival: In many ways, all the dreams of the play’s characters have been lost by the end of the play. Yet you say that “Esther still has hopes for her dreams” and “if we still have hope, we have the ability to find the positive.” Would you elaborate on that a bit? Is this a hopeful play, and can it help us be more hopeful in our lives?

Jones: I definitely think there is hope in this play. Esther has not lost her dreams by play’s end; they have just shifted. I find it really inspiring to watch her accept her circumstances and pivot with renewed energy and hope towards a future that will be something other than what she imagined but no less vibrant. I think we could all learn from her tenacity and audacity to stay hopeful and positive against all odds, especially in our current world. 

**The Festival:**Intimate Apparel is also a play that deals with inequality in gender, race, and social status. Do you think plays like this can help us understand these differences and in today’s world solve some of these pervasive issues?

Jones: I don’t know that the play can help us solve today’s issues with injustice and inequality, but it can certainly serve as a reminder that these issues have been pervasive in our society for centuries, and, hopefully, it can inspire a desire for change.  

The Festival: As playgoers, what should we watch for in this production that may help us enjoy it and/or understand it more?

The costume design in this production is so intricate and detailed. I think patrons will enjoy all of the beautiful garments and fabrics in the play. Understanding Esther’s artistry and appreciation for beauty helps us understand her choices. I was also especially excited by the photographs that the playwright refers to in the script. I think patrons will enjoy how we have interpreted those photographs and embraced the idea of looking back at the past. I encourage everyone watching the play to consider those that came before them. Lynn Nottage wrote this play with her ancestors in mind. I see my grandparents’ story in this play as well. I hope to acknowledge and honor those that paved the way for me with this production and I encourage the audience to do the same as they watch.