News From the Festival
Come “Dressed to the Teeth” for Dracula’s Costume Night
Tyler Pierce as Dracula
Cedar City, UT – Celebrate Halloween and the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s spooky rendition of Bram Stoker’s gothic story by attending Dracula’s Costume Night.
For the last two showings of Dracula on October 30 and 31, the Festival is sponsoring a costume contest and inviting playgoers to come “dressed to the teeth” in hopes of winning a prize for the best Halloween costume. Audience members will vote for the best costume, and a grand prize of a pair of tickets to a 2016 play will be awarded each night. Other prizes of Festival memorabilia will be awarded to other costumes that we can sink our teeth into.
The play begins at 7:30 p.m. both evenings in the Randall L. Jones Theatre, but to enter the contest, you must be in the theatre in costume by 7:15.
“What better way to celebrate the end of our 2015 season and the spooky fun of Halloween than a night with Count Dracula and costumed fun?” asked Joshua Stavros, Festival media and public relations manager. “I can’t wait to see who and what will be there.”
The Festival’s productions of Dracula, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Charley’s Aunt continue through October 31. For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.
From Food Drives to Blood Drives
Cedar City, UT – Fall is the season of community involvement at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. From food drives to blood drives, from community donations to joint dramatic productions with the community—the Festival and the Cedar City area come together in unique ways during October and November.
Fall Food Drive
The 12th annual Fall Food Drive wraps up October 31, as the Festival and community members work together to collect food for the Iron County Care and Share. Thus far, the partnership has collected over 800 pounds, so there is still plenty of work to do.
Local residents can participate by donating six items of nonperishable food per individual on the day of the performance directly to the Festival and receive a half-price ticket to any Tuesday through Thursday performance. Food donation barrels are located in the Randall L. Jones Theatre lobby next to the ticket window.
“The support of our community is so critical to the success of the Utah Shakespeare Festival Fall Food Drive,” said Executive Director R. Scott Phillips. “Since 2003 the Festival has provided a forum where generous and caring playgoers can see great theatre and support those less fortunate through our annual fall food drive. And over the years, our guests have demonstrated time and time again their generosity and support of those in need by supplying food as part of a ticket purchase.”
Residents of Iron, Washington, Kane, Garfield, Sevier, Piute, and Beaver counties in Utah are eligible for the discount, as well as patrons from Lincoln County, Nevada. All residents should bring proof of residency and six nonperishable food items for each discounted ticket they wish to purchase. This offer is good Tuesday through Thursday on the day of the performance only. There is a limit of four discounted tickets per resident I.D.
Dracula’s Blood Drive
The Festival, the Red Cross and Count Dracula just completed a spooktacular blood drive Dracula (from this season’s popular horror play) encouraged ghouls, goblins and vixens to signup, roll up their sleeves and have their veins drained.
The one-day event netted 22 pints of blood, enough to potentially save the lives of over 60 people in need. Nine of the donors were “first-timers.”
In Utah, every eight minutes someone needs blood, and the Red Cross strives to collect an average of 2,350 units of blood in the state each week to meet patient’s needs. Blood is needed everyday for cancer patients, accident victims, premature babies, and other ill or injured people. The Festival and our community were happy to help.
State Bank of Southern Utah Challenge Donation
Citing their desire to give back to the community that has supported them for over 50 years, State Bank of Southern Utah (SBSU) officials recently presented a check for $50,000 to the Festival. The bank’s donation will assist with the approximately $750,000 still needed to complete landscaping and fund equipment for the $38 million complex, located on the campus of Southern Utah University.
“The Festival is a huge asset and will continue to benefit our community for years to come,” explained Tyler Brown, SBSU director of marketing. “We hope this gift will not only help the building of the new center, but challenge other community minded businesses that are able to give.”
Presenting the SBSU donation to the Festival were Brown; Eric Schmutz, president and chief executive officer; Kirk Jones, director of operations; and Linda Wilson, member of the board of directors.
The new center, which is currently under construction, includes two new theatres for the Festival and will be ready for the opening of the 2016 Festival season in July.
Exploring Human Origins and Staged Reading of Inherit the Wind
From October 16 to November 12, the Cedar City Public Library will be one of only 19 libraries in the county to present the Smithsonian exhibit, Exploring Human Origins. As part of the month-long celebration, the Festival has joined forces with the library and the community to present a staged reading of a scene from Inherit the Wind, a play which is based on the famous 1925 “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Tennessee.
The reading, directed by Festival Education Director Michael Bahr, will be November 11 at 7 p.m. in the Cedar City Festival Hall. A discussion with the performers will follow the performance. Admission is free.
“I am so excited that we can come together to celebrate the things that make us human and discuss one of the great debates of the 20th century,” said Bahr. “Inherit the Wind is particularly appropriate because it formulates the arguments of both sides of the issue of evolution and religion in a way that elevates the discussion. I can’t wait to share it with our community.”
Tickets for the Festival’s 2015 season, which will run until October 31, are now on sale. The fall season includes The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Dracula and Charley*’s Aunt*.For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.
Play On Podcast | Ep. 53: Samuel Clein, Brett Gardner & Natasha Harris, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Our incredible talented musicians for this season’s production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, chat with us about gypsy jazz and how their outlaw band adds to the world of the play. They share with us some amazing music as we journey through Verona and Milan. You don’t want to miss this episode!
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Projections Designer Brings Stunning and Magical Special Effects to Dracula
Tyler Pierce (left) as Dracula and Jamie Ann Romero as Lucy in Dracula, 2015. Photo by Karl Hugh.
Take two 8,000-lumen projectors, stack them on top of each other, hook them to a powerful computer, and point them at a rear-projection screen. What do you get? In the case of the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s production of Dracula, you get bloody moons, shipwrecks, roiling oceans, and howling wolves.
Of course, it takes a lot more than fancy technology to provide the stunning and magical visual effects evident in the Festival’s production of this iconic horror story. It takes a talented designer to bring it all to life. In the case of the Festival, it takes Kristin Ellert, projections designer extraordinaire.
Ellert comes to the Festival from the Midwest where she works as a freelance scenic and projections designer. She has also worked at the Oregon Shakespare Festival, Park Square Theatre, First Stage, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Hartford Stage, and others.
“At heart, projections design is still design,” says Ellert. All the aesthetic sensibility, the understanding of color and space that is evident in scenery, costume, lighting, and sound design is also part of projections design. Ellert starts with the director’s vision and understanding of the play, then adds to that the input of the other designers—then goes to work finding and creating moving images that are cast on the rear of a large screen at the back of the set and are visible to the audience.
For instance, the roiling waves and scudding clouds in one scene of the play started as stock video Ellert purchased. She then “changed it, cut things, added in stuff, adjusted colors, to make it my own,” ultimately providing just the effect and mood the play demands.
She uses software such as Photoshop and After Effects to create the projections then feeds them into the computer where they are controlled during the show by the light board operator using sophisticated control software.
The result is magic.
Rear projections are becoming more and more popular in recent years. “It is growing in the theatre,” said Ellert. “Everybody wants to do it, but the cost of the technology is extremely high, so smaller theatres are finding it hard to do. I am thrilled the Festival was willing to invest what it takes to achieve these projections.”
Ellert’s magical (and sometimes frightening) projections are visible in the Festival’s production of Dracula through October 31, Halloween. Also playing at the Festival are Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona and the hilarious farce Charley’s Aunt. For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.
“Let the Dog Be the Dog”: Comedy, Forgiveness, and a Loveable Mutt
Chris Mixon as Launce and Jake as Crab in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 2015. Photo by Karl Hugh.
What does an actor do when, in the middle of a comic scene in front of a full house, the dog who appears with him on stage begins to wander toward the wings? “You let the dog be the dog,” says Utah Shakespeare Festival actor Chris Mixon, “trusting that his training kicks in, and he stays where he should.”
Mixon, who is appearing as the comic servant Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, faces dilemmas like this nearly every performance with his canine costar, Crab. He admits sometimes he has to be quick on his feet, but the dog’s training and the time the two have spent together pays off, and the show continues.
Crab is played by Jake, who is trained by Nick Massey. “Nick is really good at bonding him to another person, and has taught me how to communicate with Jake,” says Mixon.
However, as much as audiences love Launce and his canine friend, The Two Gentlemen of Verona is not all about a loveable dog or its comic “owner.” Instead the romantic comedy tells the story of two sets of adolescent lovers who are at times inconstant, impulsive, emotional, self-involved, and ultimately forgiving.
The play is about change and being imperfect, says Mixon. “The Two Gentlemen of Verona challenges our notion of happy endings. The people are flawed, and we have to forgive them in the end.”
This inconstancy is much more evident in the two young men in the play, than in their female loves. According to Mixon, men care about themselves, their own ambition, which “I think allows for inconstancy without forethought.” Women, especially Shakespeare’s women, care about the world around them and in the broader picture. “Shakespeare brings a woman on the stage when he wants to bring the world on the stage.”
In the end, the four lovers do transform. As director Robynn Rodriquez says, “four young people take the first stumbling steps toward becoming gentlemen—and gentlewomen.”
Yet, in between all these machinations between the four young lovers, comes the comedy of Launce and Crab, offering a bit of humor but also a grounded pragmatism, perhaps a counter-balance to the four adolescents, an admission that the world is complex and varied, and a sure sign of a master playwright at work.
Tickets are now on sale for The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Charley’s Aunt, and Dracula, currently being performed Tuesday through Saturday until October 31. For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.
Charley’s Aunt – Still Funny after All These Years?
By Ryan D. Paul
Betsy Mugavero (left) as Kitty Verdun, Michael Doherty as Lord Rancourt Babberley, and Kelly Rogers as Amy Spettigue in Charley’s Aunt, 2015. Photo by Karl Hugh.
Here’s a joke for you. A young New Yorker was introduced to a Boston girl, and before they were acquainted thirty minutes, she got so spoony that she had called him an asterolepis, a Silurian placoid, and cartilaginous vertebrate. He returned to New York by the evening train. Hilarious, right? I am not sure I got it either. This came from an 1890s joke book and is evidence that some things just don’t hold up well with the passage of time. Language and cultural context are often grounded in a specific era. How then does Charley’s Aunt, a comic farce written in 1892 and produced this season by the Utah Shakespeare Festival, hold up? Should it be in the comics section or the obituaries? I spoke with the play’s director, David Ivers to find out.
“This is a great, joyous comedy,” said Ivers. “Often people refer to it (I have myself) as an ‘old chestnut.’ Charley’s Aunt stands the test of time, and looking critically at the play, I find it’s brilliantly constructed. Charley’s Aunt is full of character driven action, full of optimism. I’ve acted in the play twice, so I know it requires rigor, detail, and specificity to make it appear easy, loose, and chaotic. As I have rediscovered the play, this time with a director’s eye, I have found myself laughing out loud again; refreshed and invigorated by what it all has to say.”
Ivers argues that while some find Charley’s Aunt to be a typical piece of comedic theatre, the message of the play goes much deeper. “Anyone can and should find love in any circumstance, and sometimes, we will go to great lengths at the expense of a great many to shape our destinies. Once in a while, a small window of opportunity presents itself—are you going to jump through it with reckless abandon or shut it out? At its core, Charley’s Aunt allows us all an opportunity to vicariously answer that question for ourselves. Through this comedic vehicle, the audience is asked the question: How far are we willing to go for love?”
Speaking about his vision for Charley’s Aunt, Ivers added, “This incredible situation the characters find themselves in results in comedy because the obstacle is so large. We can almost see the wheels inside their heads cranking away. ‘How are we going to pull this off?’”
Someone once said that jokes are like frogs, once you dissect them; they are no good any more. That’s something you will not have to worry about in this season’s production of Charley’s Aunt. This play is funny because comedy, true comedy, transcends generations. The relatable characters in this play remind us of the strange and often comic things we do for love. Those human stories, the ones that really make us laugh to our core, the ones that are told over campfires and bridal toasts, they resonate through this play. To answer my own question, yes, like my Great Aunt Alice, Charley’s Aunt is still funny after all these years.
State Bank of Southern Utah Donates to Festival
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State Bank of Southern Utah (SBSU) officials present a check for $50,000 to the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Pictured are (left to right) Tyler Brown, SBSU director of marketing; Fred C. Adams, Festival founder; Eric Schmutz, SBSU president and chief executive officer; R. Scott Phillips, Festival executive director; Linda Wilson, member of the SBSU board of directors; and Kirk Jones, SBSU director of operations and board member.
Cedar City, UT – Citing their desire to give back to the community that has supported them for over 50 years, State Bank of Southern Utah (SBSU) officials recently presented a check for $50,000 to the Utah Shakespeare Festival. The bank’s donation will assist with the approximately $750,000 still needed to complete landscaping and fund equipment for the $38 million complex, located on the campus of Southern Utah University.
“The Festival is a huge asset and will continue to benefit our community for years to come,” explained Tyler Brown, SBSU director of marketing. “We hope this gift will not only help the building of the new center, but challenge other community minded businesses that are able to give.”
Presenting the SBSU donation to the Festival were Brown; Eric Schmutz, president and chief executive officer; Kirk Jones, director of operations; and Linda Wilson, member of the board of directors.
The new center, which is currently under construction, includes two new theatres for the Festival and will be ready for the opening of the 2016 Festival season in July.
Play On Podcast | Ep. 52: Jesse Berger, Dracula
Jesse Berger, director of this season’s Dracula, sits down with us to discuss his introduction into the arts, his approach to this classic tale and the symbolism throughout.
Students Receive Honors at 39th Annual Shakespeare Competition
Cedar City, UT – This weekend the 39th annual Shakespeare Competition, hosted by the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Southern Utah University, gave out dozens of awards and scholarships to drama, dance and music students. The competition is the largest scholastic Shakespeare competition in the country, and this was a record-breaking year with over 3,200 students from 110 schools in six states.
From October 1 through 3 students competed before numerous adjudicators on the Festival’s stages and at several other venues on the SUU campus. Judges consisted of arts professionals with strong literary and performance backgrounds. The judges came to Cedar City from across the country, including New York and Los Angeles, and not only judged the competition, but provided critiques of performances and gave feedback to the young artists. Judges also offered numerous workshops on topics such as stage combat, improvisation, movement, modern dance techniques, and choral performance.
“There really is nothing like the Shakespeare Competition,” said Michael Bahr, education director for the Festival. “For thirty-nine years the competition has provided young people an outlet to share their passion and excitement for the arts, while also cultivating the future generation of arts professionals.”
Providing wonderful opportunities, the competition recognizes and educates students in four areas: acting, dance/choreography, music, and technical theatre. At the conclusion of the competition selected students received trophies and scholarships to study with professionals at Southern Utah University and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
As part of the total experience, students were able to attend the Festival’s fall productions of Dracula, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Charley’s Aunt, as well as an SUU production of Hamlet.
The competition was divided into six divisions: Buckingham (for schools with enrollment of 2,001 or more), Oxford (enrollment of 1,701 to 2,000), Cambridge (enrollment of 801 to 1,700), Westminster (enrollment of 800 or fewer), Stratford (junior high and middle schools of any size) and Essex (schools or groups which are not members of state high school associations).
Acting Competition
For the acting portion of the competition, students were able to compete in monlogues, duo/trio scenes, and ensembles. Monologue competitors presented for the judges a two- to four-minute monologue from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the duo/trio scenes competition, two or three actors presented a three- to five-minute scene from a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of students from a school presented a six- to ten-minute Shakespearean scene.
In addition, first, second, and third place overall sweepstake prizes were awarded to the school in each division with the most total points from all categories.
Also, several scholarships were presented in the acting competition:
The first place winners in the duo/trio scene and monologue categories are awarded scholarships to either Southern Utah University or the Utah Shakespeare Festival summer classes, depending on the grade of the student:
Ray Jones Award: Given to seniors, this award is a $1000 scholarship to Southern Utah University.
Barbara Barrett Award: Given to juniors and under, this award is a $500 scholarship tothe Festival’s summer acting intensive Actor Training, or a tuition scholarship to Shakespeare for Junior Actors.
Larry Lott Acting Award: In conjunction with the ensemble competition, judges annually recognize the best actor in an ensemble scene in each division. The recipient of this award received a trophy for his or her accomplishments and, if a senior, a $1,000 scholarship to SUU.
Acting Winners
BUCKINGHAM DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Lone Peak High School; Highland, Utah
**Sweepstakes Second Place (tie):**American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah; and Pleasant Grove High School; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Ensemble First Place (tie): Hillcrest High School; Midvale, Utah; and Lone Peak High School; Highland, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Pleasant Grove High School; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Ray Jones/Barbara Barrett Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Mikah Olsen and Faith Johnson; Hillcrest High School; Midvale, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: TJ Holdman and Rilee Crump; Lone Peak High School; Highland, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Riley Smith and Skye Karlinsky; American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah
Ray Jones/ Barbara Barrett Award and Monologue First Place: Miriam Edwards; Lone Peak High School; Highland, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Yana Anderson; Orem High School; Orem, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Nicole Peterson; Pleasant Grove High School; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Larry Lott Acting Award: Nic Thomas; Lone Peak High School; Alpine, Utah
OXFORD DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place (tie): Provo High School; Provo, Utah; and Timpanogos High School; Orem, Utah
Ensemble First Place: Provo High School; Provo, Utah
**Ensemble Second Place:**Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah
**Ensemble Third Place:**Highland High School; Salt Lake City, Utah
Ray Jones/Barbara Barrett Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Kylan Goodwin and Bryce Jack; Alta High School; Sandy, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Liam Isaak, Isaac Chock, and Chante Bronson; Provo High School; Provo, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Jesica Shelton and William Jenkinson; Timpanogos High School; Orem, Utah
Ray Jones/ Barbara Barrett Award and Monologue First Place: Abby Maxwell; Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Harrison Lind; Highland High School; Salt Lake City, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Isabela Giordano; Highland High School; Salt Lake City, Utah
Larry Lott Acting Award: Isabela Giordano; Highland High School; Salt Lake City, Utah
CAMBRIDGE DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place: Box Elder High School; Box Elder, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place (tie): Cedar High School; Cedar City, Utah; and Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork; Utah
Ensemble First Place: Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Cedar High School; Cedar City, Utah
Ray Jones/Barbara Barrett Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Micki Marteniz, Hanna Romney, and Wiley Adams; Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Duo/Trio Second Place: Nathan Reeder, Hannah Wood, Katelynn Perkins; Box Elder High School; Box Elder, Utah
Duo/Trio Third Place: Alden Croft, Lauren Prince, Christian Earl; Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Ray Jones/Barbara Barrett Award and Monologue First Place: Abagail Mower; Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Tracy Gubler; Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Kaitlyn Thacker; Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Larry Lott Acting Award: Tani Lee; Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
WESTMINSTER DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place: Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place: DaVinci Senior Preparatory Academy; Ogden, Utah
Ensemble First Place: Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: American International School of Utah; Murray, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Rockwell Charter High School; Eagle Mountain, Utah
Ray Jones/ Barbara Barrett Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Thomas Petrucka and Courtney Heirtzler; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
D****uo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Lincoln Stone, Zachary Hanks, and Bowen Davis; Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Ilizabith Summerhalder, Joshua Takuafu, and Katia Dengin; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Ray Jones/ Barbara Barrett Award and Monologue First Place: Susannah Castleton; Liahona Senior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Hannah Ford; Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts; American Fork, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Tevica Schneider; DaVinci Senior Preparatory Academy; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Larry Lott Acting Award: Jimmy Henderson; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
STRATFORD DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy; Lehi, Utah
Sweepstakes Second Place: DaVinci Junior Preparatory Academy; Ogden, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place: Hurricane Middle School; Hurricane, Utah
Ensemble First Place: Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy; Lehi, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Willowcreek Middle School; Lehi, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Hurricane Middle School; Hurricane, Utah
Ray Jones/ Barbara Barrett Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Jacob Robinson, Sydney Van Vilet, and Jessica Lewis; DaVinci Junior Preparatory Academy; Ogden, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Joelle Ray, Lexi Charistensen, and Nathan Cannon; Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Christopher Harper and Seth DeWolff; Hurricane Middle School; Hurricane, Utah
Ray Jones/ Barbara Barrett Award and Monologue First Place: Anthony Madsen; Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy; Lehi, Utah
Monologue Second Place: Avery Rindlisbacher; Liahona Junior Preparatory Academy; Lehi, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Darci Ramirez; American Fork Junior High School; American Fork, Utah
Larry Lott Acting Award: Allie Killpack; Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah
ESSEX DIVISION
Sweepstakes First Place: First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sweepstakes Second Place: Utah Center for the Performing Arts; American Fork, Utah
Sweepstakes Third Place: Logan Youth Shakespeare; Logan, Utah
Ensemble First Place: First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ensemble Second Place: Youth Theatre–University of Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Utah Center of Performing Arts; American Fork, Utah
Ray Jones/ Barbara Barrett Award and Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Taylor Kass and Henry Lynch; First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Jarren Worthen and Daniel Anderson; Logan Youth Shakespeare; Logan, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Danielle Kinner, Joshua Kinner, Millie Warren, Victoria Hunter, Katrina Young, and Mason Miller; Jean Massieu School of the Deaf; Salt Lake City, Utah
Ray Jones/ Barbara Barrett Award and Monologue First Place: Alison Pogorelc; First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Monologue Second Place: Laura Randall; Utah Center for the Performing Arts; American Fork, Utah
Monologue Third Place: Elisabeth Spencer; Logan Youth Shakespeare; Logan, Utah
Larry Lott Acting Award: Alison Pogorelc; First Stage Theatre Academy; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dance/Choreography Competition
For the dance portion, students were able to compete in duo/trio or ensemble groups. In the duo/trio competition, two or three dancers presented a three- to six-minute interpretation of a Shakespeare play or sonnet. In the ensemble competition, a group of dancers from a school interpreted a three- to four-minute Shakespeare play or sonnet.
Dance/Choreography Winners
The Dance Scholarships to Southern Utah University were awarded to Huy Q. Tran, Hunter High School, West Valley City, Utah; Morgan Hales, Riverton High School, Riverton, Utah; Samantha Simonich, Riverton High School, Riverton, Utah; Caitlyn Greer, Timpanogos High School, Orem, Utah; and Marco Vaccaro, Pine View High School, St. George, Utah.
BUCKINGHAM DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Westlake High School; Saratoga Springs, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts; Ivins, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Pleasant Grove High School; Pleasant Grove, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Michael Spens and Casee Salazar; Westlake High School; Saratoga Springs, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Katie Ann Powell, Alex Palmer, and Nick Fife; Hillcrest High School; Midvale, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Andy Truong, Huy Q. Tran, and Monica Hunt; Hunter High School; West Valley City, Utah
OXFORD DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Provo High School; Provo, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Timpanogos High School; Orem, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Taylor Liljenquist, Makenzie Henry, and Monet Frank; Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Autumn Kallunki, Shaunie Jakeman, and Magaly DeAvila; Provo High School; Provo, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Lucy Gutierrez and Veronica Caballero; Timpanogos High School; Orem, Utah
CAMBRIDGE DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Pine View High School; St. George, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Box Elder High School; Box Elder, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Salt Lake School for the Peforming Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Duo/Trio First Place: Marco Perez-Vaccaro and Sarah Hancock; Pine View High School; St. George, Utah
Duo/Trio Second Place: Coltin Snyder, Katherin Dennis, and Emma Hansen; Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Duo/Trio Third Place: Brandon Stone, Talise Mosley, and Shawn Barnhurst; Canyon View High School; Cedar City, Utah
WESTMINSTER DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: American International School of Utah; Murray, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts; American Fork, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Western Christian High School; Upland, California
Duo/Trio First Place: KJ Mills and Tag Brockbank; Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts; American Fork, Utah
Duo/Trio Second Place: Brooklynne Ratliff and Sam Bixby; Western Christian High School; Upland, California
Duo/Trio Third Place: Abbie Simpson and Bianca Cherenfant; American International School of Utah; Murray, Utah
STRATFORD DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Desert Hills Middle School; St. George, Utah
Ensemble Second Place: Timberline Middle School; Alpine, Utah
Ensemble Third Place: Vista Heights Middle School; Saratoga Springs, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes First Place: Jacob Robinson, Sydney Van Vilet, and Jessica Lewis; DaVinci Junior Preparatory Academy; Ogden, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Second Place: Joelle Ray, Lexi Charistensen, and Nathan Cannon; Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; Lindon, Utah
Duo/Trio Scenes Third Place: Christopher Harper and Seth DeWolff; Hurricane Middle School; Hurricane, Utah
ESSEX DIVISION
Ensemble First Place: Youth Theatre–University of Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah
Music Competition
The music competition encouraged students to explore and develop a relationship with the music of the Renaissance (music prior to 1650). Students were encouraged to utilize creative combinations of instruments, however no instrumentation was required. For the music competition, students were able to compete in Madrigals and Minstrels. Madrigals (a minimum of five people) presented six- to ten-minutes of Renaissance music. Minstrels (one to four people) presented three- to seven-minutes of Renaissance music.
Music Winners
MADRIGAL COMPETITION
First Place: American International School of Utah; Murray, Utah
MINSTREL COMPETITION
First Place: Skyline High School; Salt Lake City, Utah
Technical Theatre Competition
The final competition was in the technical theatre area for students who work behind the scenes creating sound, lighting, props, scenery, and costumes. In the portfolio area, students were given the chance to have their technical and/or design portfolios evaluated by professionals in technical theatre. The best portfolio per division was honored, and the best overall portfolio was awarded a $1,000 scholarship to SUU. In addition, technical theatre students were able to compete in Tech Olympics, with a $50 gift certificate from General Theatrical Supply awarded to overall team winners in each division, based on timing, execution, and accuracy.
Tech Olympics Winners
FASTEST OVERALL TMES
Rigging First Place: Jordan Dube; Shadow Ridge High School; Las Vegas, Nevada
Props First Place: Hannah Warden; Riverton High School; Riverton, Utah
Lighting First Place: Hunter Nance; Clearfield High School; Clearfield, Utah
Audio First Place: Nick Henderson; Skyline High School; Salt Lake City, Utah
Costumes First Place: Lindsey Powell; Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
Set Construction First Place: Shay Draney; Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
Stage Management First Place: Staci Allen; Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
Hair and Makeup First Place: Briana Lefler; Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
BUCKINGHAM DIVISION
Rigging First Place: Jordan Dube; Shadow Ridge High School, Las Vegas, Nevada
Props First Place: Hannah Warden; Riverton High School; Riverton, Utah
Lighting First Place: Daryll McKane; Riverton High School; Riverton, Utah
Audio First Place: Jonathan Hodson; Pleasant Grove High School; Pleasant Grove High School
Costumes First Place: Lindsey Powell; Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
Set Construction First Place: Shay Draney; Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
Stage Management First Place: Staci Allen; Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
Hair and Makeup First Place: Briana Lefler; Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
OXFORD DIVISION
Rigging First Place: Willian Jenkinson; Timpanogos High School; Orem, Utah
Props First Place: William Jenkinson; Timpanogos High School; Orem, Utah
Lighting First Place: Hunter Nance; Clearfield High School; Clearfield, Utah
Audio First Place: Hunter Nance; Clearfield High School; Clearfield, Utah
Costumes First Place: Maile Fischer; Timpanogos High School; Orem, Utah
Set Construction First Place: Hunter Nance; Clearfield High School; Clearfield, Utah
Stage Management First Place: Jesus Alonso; Provo High School; Provo, Utah
Hair and Makeup First Place: Maile Fischer; Timpanogos High School; Orem, Utah
WESTMINSTER DIVISION
Rigging First Place: Rhys Kaiser; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Props First Place: Weston Martinez; Western Christian High School; Upton, California
Lighting First Place: Nikko Guardado; White Pine High School; Ely, Nevada
Audio First Place: Rhys Kaiser; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Costumes First Place: Ilizibith Summerhalder; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Set Construction First Place: Caleb Chapman; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Stage Management First Place: Taylor Knight; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
Hair and Makeup First Place: Sabrina Hudson; American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
CAMBRIDGE DIVISION
Rigging First Place: Elijah Cameron; Cedar High School; Cedar City, Utah
Props First Place: Madison Walker; Hurricane High School; Hurricane, Utah
Lighting First Place: Benjamin Conn; Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts; Salt Lake City, Utah
Audio First Place: Nick Henderson; Skyline High School; Salt Lake City, Utah
Costumes First Place: Bryce Barnhill; Cedar High School; Cedar City, Utah
Set Construction First Place: Sterling Raveling; Saguaro High School; Scottsdale, Arizona
Stage Management First Place: Emily McDonald; Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Hair and Makeup First Place: Aubrie McConnell; Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
STRATFORD DIVISION
Rigging First Place: Sarah Estes; Salem Junior High School; Salem, Utah
Props First Place: Kenzi Murray; Salem Junior High School;Salem, Utah
Lighting First Place: Ethan Moser; Salem Junior High School; Salem, Utah
Audio First Place: Dallin Concoby; Salem Junior High School; Salem, Utah
Costumes First Place: Rachel Concoby; Salem Junior High School; Salem, Utah
Set Construction First Place: Wyatt Wilcock; Salem Junior High School; Salem, Utah
Stage Management First Place: Macy Nielson; Salem Junior High School; Salem, Utah
Hair and Makeup First Place: Ariel Hall; Salem Junior High School; Salem, Utah
Portfolio Winners
**Overall Winner:**Katelyn Isaacson; Venture High School; Marriott-Slaterville, Utah
**Buckingham Division First Place:**Alexandria Pearrow; American Fork High School; American Fork, Utah
Oxford Division First Place: Drew Kindig; Corner Canyon High School; Draper, Utah
Westminster Division First Place: Katelyn Isaacson; Venture High School; Marriott-Slaterville, Utah
Cambridge Division First Place: Emily McDonald; Spanish Fork High School; Spanish Fork, Utah
Overall Winners
The Golden Screw Gun First Place Award: American Leadership Academy; Spanish Fork, Utah
The Silver Spotlight Second Place Award: Granger High School; West Valley City, Utah
The Bronze Boot Third Place Award: Riverton High School; Riverton, Utah
Play On Podcast | Ep. 51: Robynn Rodriguez, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Enjoy another great episode with the brilliant Robynn Rodriguez, director of this season’s, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Learn more about Robynn’s introduction into the world of theatre, her experience as both an actress and a director and her journey here at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Robynn sets this romantic comedy in the 1920s, during the “era of change” where these young lovers make choices in their adolescence and have to face the consequences.