News From the Festival
Donna Ruzika and Kaitlin Mills- Guest Bloggers
The Adams Theatre has long been a cornerstone of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Meet two people who will, in one way or another, bring patrons quality entertainment on the Adams stage this 2013 season.
Meet Donna Ruzika, Lighting Designer for the Adams Theatre
Have you ever worked at the Festival before? If so, for how many years and in what roles/capacity?
1998-2005, 2007-2013: in the Adams as Lighting Designer and four fall seasons in the Randall as Lighting Designer.
1973: Box Office Manager
1974 & 1975: First Company Manager
1973: actor, Lady Norfolk in Henry VIII
Where’s your home base?
Orange County, California
What’s your educational/training background?
Theatre, Bachelor of Science, California State University, Pomona
Lighting Design & Theatre Management MA, Cal State Fullerton
Spanish Language Studies in Quito, Ecuador
Where were you working in the last 9 months?
Freelance Lighting Designer…International City Theatre in Long Beach, South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Hollywood Bowl in LA & Utah
How will you spend your time off while here?
Exploring the small dirt roads of Utah in my All Wheel Subaru
Describe what live theatre means to you in one or two sentences…
Collaboration, Enlightenment & Entertainment.
Describe what the Festival means to you in one or two sentences…
It’s like coming home.
Meet Kaitlin Mills, actor
Have you ever worked at the Festival before? If so, for how many years and in what roles/capacity?
I worked for three years in Concessions.
Where’s your home base?
Cedar City, UT
What’s your educational/training background?
Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Utah University
Where were you working in the last 9 months?
The Grind Coffeehouse
How will you spend your time off while here?
Hiking, biking, walks, reading.
Describe what live theatre means to you in one or two sentences…
Nowhere else can you achieve such a strong connection with a group of strangers. The connection you make with your fellow actors and the audience is a deep and lasting one.
Describe what the Festival means to you in one or two sentences…
It’s such a magical place to work. The environment and vibe is so alive and it brings the town to life.
We hope you have the opportunity to witness the work of Donna and Kaitlin this season!
Utah Shakespeare Festival Blog - Love’s Labour’s Lost Preview
Zambrano
Graves
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Laura Gordon
Part of the “Complete the Canon” Project
Key Characters:
Ferdinand: The king of Navarre, Ferdinand wishes to turn his court into “a little Academe” and elicits an immature vow from his closest followers to remain with him for three years as celibate scholars. Played by Quinn Mattfeld.
Berowne: A lord attending the king, Berowne is the most outspoken of the four friends. Played by Matt Mueller.
Longaville: A lord attending the king, Longaville quickly forsakes the oath of chastity. Played by Robert Adelman Hancock.
Dumaine: A lord attending the king, Dumaine rounds out the group of four friends. Played by Jeb Burris.
Don Adriano de Armado: “A fantastical Spaniard”, Don Armado is a parody of a courtly lover. Played by Matt Zambrano.
The Princess of France: Sent by her father the king, the princess is high-spirited and witty, a perfect match for King Ferdinand. Played by Melissa Graves.
Rosaline: A lady attending the princess, Rosaline is nearest in seniority to the princess herself. Played by Melinda Pfundstein.
**Maria:**A lady attending the princess, played by Elizabeth Telford.
Katherine: A lady attending the princess, played by Siobhan Doherty.
Synopsis:
All is peaceful in King Ferdinand’s court, where he and his idealistic friends have resolved to dedicate themselves to three years of fasting, study—and no women. Peaceful, that is, until the beautiful princess of France and her ladies arrive. Could the lesson of this, one of Shakespeare’s most delightful comedies, be that “young blood doth not obey an old degree?”
You can learn more about Love’s Labour’s Lost at http://www.bard.org/plays/loveslabours2013.html.
Love’s Labour’s Lost opens June 24 and plays through August 31. You can purchase tickets online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
Mattfeld
Mueller & Pfundstein 2013, Love’s Labour’s Lost
Jeb Burris and Shay Garber- Guest Bloggers
Meet two returning members of the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Jeb Burris, member of the Festival’s acting company:
Have you ever worked at the Festival before? If so, for how many years and in what roles/capacity?
Yes! This is my third year as a member of the acting company.
Where’s your home base?
Well, I don’t have one. I have been lucky enough to just follow the work where it leads me.
What’s your educational/training background?
I have a Bachelors Degree in Acting from Ball State University and a Masters of Fine Arts from Illinois State University. I have also studied with Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK.
Where were you working in the last 9 months?
I was at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre playing Mercutio.
How will you spend your time off while here?
Going hiking and hanging with Melisa!
Describe what live theatre means to you in one or two sentences…
To me, the theatre is all about the shared experience, and the exchange of energy from the actors and production crew to the audience.
Describe what the Festival means to you in one or two sentences…
The Festival, to me, represents tradition. It has this beautifully rich history that means so much to everyone and at the same time, they are constantly finding ways to reinvent themselves.
Shay Garber, member of company management
Have you ever worked at the Festival before? If so, for how many years and in what roles/capacity?
Yes, this is my second season! Last season, I was the Company Management Assistant; and in the Spring, I was the Tour Stage Manager for Romeo and Juliet.
What is your title/role? (e.g. actor, costume stitcher, stage crew)
Assistant Company Manager.
Where’s your home base?
Since last June, I have called my home Cedar City. However, my home town is Mission Viejo, CA.
What’s your educational/training background?
I have a BFA in Stage Management from Syracuse University and an AA in Theatre from Saddleback College.
How will you spend your time off while here?
I am hoping to spend more time this summer exploring the surrounding state parks. But also, taking time to relax and appreciate being in one beautiful place for an extended period of time.
Describe what live theatre means to you in one or two sentences…
Live theatre, for me, is so powerful because it has the ability to affect change, inspire, and bring people from diverse backgrounds together.
Describe what the Festival means to you in one or two sentences…
The Festival isn’t just a workplace for me, but has become a home and a family. I feel a strong sense of support and belonging from the friendships I have formed over the past year.
Anything Goes Preview
Hancock
Rehearsal
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Directed by Brad Carroll
Key Characters:
**Reno Sweeney:**A sexy evangelist turned nightclub dancer, played by Melinda Parrett
Hope Harcourt: A beautiful debutante, played by Elizabeth Telford
Evangeline Harcourt: Hope’s mother, a widow, played by Mindy B. Young
Lord Evelyn Oakleigh: A wealthy Englishman, played by Aaron Galligan-Stierle
Elisha Whitney: A goggle-eyed tycoon, played by Joe Vincent
Billy Crocker: Whitney’s young assistant, played by Robert Adelman Hancock
Moonface Martin: A hapless gangster, Public Enemy #13, played by Max Robinson
Synopsis:
When this ship heads out to sea, convention heads out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love, with a little help from singing sailors, an exotic disguise, and good old-fashioned blackmail. Peppering this hilariously bumpy ride is a songbook of Cole Porter’s biggest hits, including “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “It’s De-lovely,” and, of course, “Anything Goes.”
You can learn more about Anything Goes at http://www.bard.org/plays/anything2013.html.
Anything Goes opens on June 26 and plays through August 30. You can purchase tickets online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
Telford
Dance Rehearsal
New Production Manager Announced
After an extensive search and interview process, the Utah Shakespeare Festival recently announced the hiring of Tim Schroepfer as production manager.
“We had a great committee that spent months combing through applicants until we found the right candidate,” said Ben Hohman, interim production manager and properties director. “Tim Schroepfer was the right person with experience, determination, and an excitement about the Festival and its future.”
A California native, Schroepfer brings a wealth of knowledge and professional experience to the position. Prior to joining the Festival, Schroepfer was a production manager for the University of California, Los Angeles in the School of Theater, Film and Television, where he oversaw student and professional productions. Schroepfer also worked as a stage manager at Universal Studios Hollywood managing large stunt spectaculars. He has offered consultation on construction and equipping of new theaters and has served as a technical director for a midsize professional theater.
Mr. Schroepfer holds a BA in musical theatre from the University of the Pacific and an MFA in producing and production management from California Institute of the Arts.
Hohman continued, “We are looking forward to working with him to move the Festival forward with improvements in the production department leading to more exciting and dynamic productions, while being mindful of the Festival’s unique heritage and it’s commitment to classical theater.”
“The Utah Shakespeare Festival is one of the nation’s premier destination theater companies and with the announcement of the
Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts the company is poised for growth in the coming years,” said Schroepfer. “I am thrilled to join the team at this exciting time and look forward to getting to know the entire Festival family.”
The Tempest Preview
Pereyra
Parrett
Rehearsal, Pereyra, Burris, Woronicz
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by B.J. Jones
Part of the “Complete the Canon” Project
Key Characters:
Prospero: The rightful duke of Milan, Prospero has been exiled with his daughter, Miranda, on a magical island for twelve years. He is intelligent, has studied magic for many years, and has achieved a far-reaching power. Played by Henry Woronicz.
Miranda: The daughter of Prospero, Miranda was exiled with her father twelve years ago. Since that time she has seen no other human being and has now matured into a young woman. Played by Melisa Pereyra.
Antonio: The brother of Prospero, Antonio usurped his brother’s dukedom and set Prospero and Miranda adrift in a leaky boat. Played by Martin Kildare.
Alonso: The king of Naples and father of Ferdinand, Alonso plotted in the past with Antonio to take over Prospero’s dukedom, but is now struck with deep remorse. Played by Fredric Stone.
Ferdinand: The son of Alonso, Ferdinand is both pure himself and appreciative of the innocence and purity of Miranda. Played by Jeb Burris.
Caliban: A savage and deformed slave, Caliban is a creature of the earth but not honored with a human shape. Prospero tells us that Caliban’s father was the devil himself, and his mother was Sycorax, a wicked witch. Played by Corey Jones.
Ariel: An airy spirit, Ariel is not human, and yet is endowed with personality and intelligence. Played by Melinda Parrett.
Synopsis:
Teeming with fairies, monsters, shipwrecks, and magic, The Tempest is Shakespeare’s last and most mature romance. The deposed Duke Prospero and his lovely daughter, Miranda, are shipwrecked on a small island where nothing is quite as it seems. But as they separate fantasy from authenticity, they eventually discover a “brave new world” of love, harmony, and redemption.
You can learn more about The Tempest at http://www.bard.org/plays/tempest2013.html.
The Tempest opens on June 25 and plays through August 31. You can purchase tickets online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
Woronicz
Stone
Rehearsal, Pereyra, Burris
Shakespeare Festival Film Series
Here’s a great way to get ready for the Festival’s Summer Season. During June, the Historic Cedar Theatre (downtown on Main Street) is presenting the Shakespeare Festival Film Series. Featured films will be Twelve Angry Men (the classic 1957 movie starring Henry Fonda), Peter Pan (the animated Disney version) and Robin Hood (the animated Disney version).
The films will show in repertory the first 3 weekends in June at 5pm each evening.
Here’s the schedule - all are shown at 5pm:
- Twelve Angry Men on June 1, 10 and 16
- Peter Pan on June 3, 9 and 15
- Robin Hood on June 2, 8 and 17
And the price is right! Each ticket is only $5 and with a punch card you can see all 3 movies for just $10.
See you there!
33 N. Main Street in Cedar City
Twelve Angry Men Preview
Steve Wojtas
Roderick Peeples
Written by Reginald Rose
Directed by David Ivers
Key Characters:
Foreman of the Jury: A small, petty man who is impressed with the authority he has and handles himself quite formally, played by Larry Bull.
Juror #2: A meek, hesitant man who finds it difficult to maintain any opinions of his own, played by Kipp Moorman.
Juror #3: A very strong, forceful and extremely opinionated man within whom can be detected a streak of sadism, played by Max Robinson.
Juror #4: A man of wealth and position, and a practiced speaker who presents himself well at all times, played by A. Bryan Humphry.
Juror #5: A frightened young man, played by Steve Wojtas.
Juror #6: An honest but dull-witted man who comes upon his decisions slowly and carefully, played by Michael Harding.
Juror #7: A loud, flashy, glad-handed salesman type who thinks he has more important things to do than to sit on a jury, played by James Newcomb.
Juror #8: A quiet, thoughtful, gentle man, played by Martin Kildare.
Juror #9: A mild, gentle old man, long since defeated by life, and now merely waiting to die, played by Fredric Stone.
Juror #10: An angry, bitter man who antagonizes almost at sight, played by Roderick Peeples.
Juror #11: A refugee from Europe, Juror #11 speaks with an accent and is ashamed, humble, almost subservient to the people around him, played by Joe Vincent.
Juror #12: A slick, bright advertising man who thinks of human beings in terms of percentages, graphs and polls, played by Christopher R. Ellis.
Synopsis:
On a sweltering August night in New York City, the jury files into the deliberation room. The door is locked behind them. Now twelve nameless men from twelve varied backgrounds must decide the fate of a young man accused of killing his father. Faced with playing the executioner, these dozen men must first face themselves, their biases, and their own sense of justice. This American classic will have you on the edge of your seat until the final verdict is announced.
You can read more about the characters and plot on our website at http://www.bard.org/plays/twelveangrymen2013.html
Twelve Angry Men opens in preview on June 24 and plays through August 31. You can purchase tickets online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
Max Robinson
Martin Kildare
Meet Suzette Bulloch- Guest Blogger
In January, Pam Reddington retired after many years of service at SUU and the Festival. The Festival was fortunate to be able to hire Suzette Bulloch who had worked here in the 1990s.
Suzette, tell us about your prior experience at the Festival…
I was born and raised in Cedar. I have grown up in the shadow of the Festival. It was a great childhood experience, to be at the Greenshow. My friends and family were all involved.
I worked here in 1995 and 1996. I was in the Education Department, working for Gary Armagnac, before Michael Bahr. I was the office manager for Operations, Personnel and Education. I also served as the facilitator for the summer educational workshops. It’s so wonderful to see the growth. It’s great to get those kids when they’re young.
Having been a part of it then – it really did change my life. Being surrounded by these people who are so generous and their passion for their art and life in general. I told them in my interview – when they asked what theatrical production impacted me the most, I said I can’t really pinpoint anything, but the 2 years I spent here changed my life.
What will be your role this time?
I’m supporting Scott Phillips, Executive Director, David Ivers and Brian Vaughn, Artistic Directors and Fred Adams, Founder.
Why did you leave and what did you do during your “gap”?
My husband is in law enforcement and he got a job with Brian Head. That was why I needed to quit because we had to live in Brian Head and the commute was too much. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do – felt like I was breaking up with a boyfriend. So to be able to come back is wonderful. The Festival has never left me. Once it’s in your blood, it’s always there.
I worked at Smead Manufacturing, the Brian Head Resort as an admin assistant, payroll, accounting, sold tickets – variety of things. Then I was the town treasurer for Brian Head town. I worked in the assessor’s office for Iron County. Then I was the office manager for Parowan Dental.
I feel like all these experiences help me do a good job for the Festival. I am so blessed to be back. It’s such an exciting time with the new Center for the Arts and all the changes. I feel like I never left.
Welcome aboard Suzette!
King John Preview
Corey Jones
Melinda Pfundstein
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Robynn Rodriguez
First play in the Festival History Cycle
Part of the Complete-the-Canon Project
Key Characters:
King John, son of King Henry II and Elinor of Aquitaine, played by Corey Jones
Prince Henry: The son of King John, played by Zack Powell
Hubert de Burgh: A citizen of Angiers and later in the service of King John, played by Roderick Peeples
Philip the Bastard: A fictional character, the Bastard is the illegitimate son of Lady Faulconbridge and King Richard I, played by Steve Wojtas
Queen Elinor: The widow of King Henry II and the mother of the late King Richard I and of King John, Elinor supports John’s claim to the throne. Played by Jeanne Paulsen
Constance: The wife of Geoffrey, John’s older brother, and the mother of Arthur, she supports her son’s claim to the throne. Played by Melinda Pfundstein
Arthur, Duke of Britain: The son of Geoffrey and Constance, Arthur has a stronger claim to the throne than John, but is only a child. Played by Bailey Duncan.
Synopsis:
Beginning with struggles for power between kings, churches, and individuals, and continuing through war, revenge, and eventual murder, King John is one of Shakespeare’s most revealing history plays. Set during the period when the nobles were changing the face of English government and forcing the king to sign the Magna Carta, this intriguing and rarely-produced play is one you won’t want to miss.
You can read more about the characters and plot on our website at http://www.bard.org/plays/john2013.html
King John opens in preview on June 26 and plays through August 30. You can purchase tickets online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
Jeanne Paulsen
Bailey Duncan