News From the Festival
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
Announcing 2014 Season
Henry IV, Part I, 2004, Pfundstein, Vaughn
The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently revealed its 2014 season, eight plays running from June 23 to October 18. Artistic Directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn announced the season, which includes four plays ranging from Shakespeare classics to a Stephen Sondheim musical to a world premier adaptation of a beloved novel.
Tickets for the 2014 season go on sale June 24, 2013. They are available via the Festival website, www.bard.org, telephone, 800-PLAYTIX; or at the Ticket Offices at the Adams Shakespearean and Randall L. Jones theatres.
The Adams Shakespearean Theatre will feature three plays by William Shakespeare, playing from June 23 to August 30. First is the Festival’s continuation of its History Cycle with the third play in Shakespeare’s theatrical chronicle of England and its kings: Henry IV Part One. This follows the first two in the series produced in 2013: King John and Richard II. The History Cycle will continue chronologically through all ten plays in future years.
2003 Measure for Measure
Also in the Adams Theatre will be two more Shakespeare plays (Measure for Measure and The Comedy of Errors) which are part of the Festival’s ambitious Complete the Canon Project, an ongoing initiative to produce all of Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays between 2012 and 2023.
2007 Twelfth Night
In the Randall L. Jones Theatre will be a new adaption of Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility, commissioned by and premiering at the Festival and written by Joseph Hanreddy and J. R. Sullivan, and Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant fairytale-inspired musical, Into the Woods. These two shows will run from June 23 to August 30.
In addition, the Randall Theatre will host a fourth Shakespeare play, also part of the Complete the Canon Project: Twelfth Night. One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, Twelfth Night will play throughout the Festival season, from June 23 to October 18. Rounding out the late end of the season will be playwright Steven Dietz’s Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, a mystery adventure about the world’s most popular detective, and Boeing-Boeing a high-flying farce by French playwright, Marc Camoletti. Both will play from September 20 to October 18.
“I think 2014 embodies the perfect balance of progressive programming for the Utah Shakespeare Festival,” said Artistic Director David Ivers. “Most importantly, by producing four of Shakespeare’s plays we further deepen our connection to our namesake playwright. I’m particularly excited that Twelfth Night will have such a long run in the Randall, allowing Shakespeare to be exposed to our loyal guests and new students across many regions.”
In Summary:
In the Adams Shakespearean Theatre, June 23 to August 30
• Henry IV Part One by William Shakespeare
• Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare
• The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
In the Randall L. Jones Theatre, June 23 to August 30
•Sense and Sensibility by Joseph Hanreddy and J. R. Sullivan
•Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim
In the Randall L. Jones Theatre, June 23 to October 18
• Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
In the Randall L. Jones Theatre, September 20 to October 18
• Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure by Steven Dietz
•Boeing-Boeing by Marc Camoletti
For Photos and Information
Visit: http://bard.org/news
Join us for the Company Meeting
The staff of the Utah Shakespeare Festival goes from 35 to nearly 300 in a matter of days. It takes a small village to produce a show, let alone 6 plus a Greenshow in only 6 short weeks. But as everyone gathers in Cedar City, the day we all look forward to is the official kickoff to the season, the opening company meeting.
A play wouldn’t be complete without its audience, so we want to invite all of you to join us on Wednesday, May 8th at 11am (MDT) to our live Twitter Welcome Meeting. Be a part of the “Ellis Island Day” commotion and enjoy the warm embrace of Fred Adams, Scott Phillips, David Ivers and Brian Vaughn.
We also have an exciting announcement regarding our 2014 season that you won’t want to miss!
Log on to your Twitter account and follow the Festival - @UtahShakespeare.
Use the designated hashtags to follow the live event…
#usf2013
#ellisislandday
#utahshakespeare
#usf2014
Our moderator will live tweet during the meeting with comments and photos.
Not sure how Twitter works? Check out this site for all your Twitter questions… https://support.twitter.com.
We look forward to you joining us!
Help the Guild Celebrate 50 Years of Service
50 years ago, Barbara Adams (wife of founder Fred C. Adams) and other Cedar City residents founded The Utah Shakespeare Guild, whose goal is to serve, support and promote the Festival. If you’ve ever attended a Curtain Call Luncheon or Christmas in July, you’ve seen this dedicated group of volunteers at work. Each year, they donate the proceeds of their hard work to the Festival. For 2012, they donated $19,000, and for 2013 they hope to raise even more.
To make that happen and to celebrate their 50th anniversary, they are sponsoring some special events to enhance your Festival experience.
First, there will be two “Showbiz Sundays Under the Stars.” In the garden of the lovely Iron Gate Inn, you can enjoy an intimate evening showcasing the vocal talents of Festival actors, sip wines from the IG Winery (or sparkling cider) and nibble on local artisan cheeses and chocolates. What a great way to spend a warm summer evening! Space is extremely limited, so be sure to buy your tickets soon for July 21 or August 25. The evening begins at 8pm. Tickets are $42 and are advance sale only.
Spelbring, Guter, Robinson, Jacoby at Curtain Call Lunch
Second is “Glimpse of the Past: A Variety Revue and Banquet.” On August 10, at 4:30 pm, you can enjoy a Silent Auction, a plated banquet dinner, and a variety revue with performers showing us the hit shows and songs from each decade of the Festival. The 4:30 time was selected so you can attend between the matinee and evening performance. Tickets (advance purchase only) are $55 individually or $400 for a table of eight. Venue is the Great Hall in the Hunter Conference Center, just west of the Adams theatre.
Curtain Call Luncheons continue this year. Each luncheon features four Festival actors in an interactive panel discussion about their roles, experiences at the Festival and beyond. Dates are July 5, 12, 19, 26 and August 2 at the SUU Alumni House. Tickets are $17.50 in advance and $20 at the door.
Christmas in July, an arts and craft faire will be July 26 and 27 on the lawn of the Randall L. Jones Theatre. It’s a great opportunity to get some Christmas gifts and avoid the December stress.
We hope you enhance your Festival experience by participating in these events. The money you pay helps the Guild with their mission and the proceeds will go back to the Festival. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX. You can learn more about the Guild at http://www.bard.org/about/guild.html.
Happy Birthday Shakespeare!
2012 Bard’s Birthday Bash
The Bard’s Birthday Bash is a two-day celebration on April 25 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds surrounding the Adam’s Shakespearean Theatre. The bash is an exciting and enthusiastic way of exposing kids to the Bard’s works through their own performances, as well as by observing the efforts of other students. Students will participate in period activities such as jousting and maypole games, as well as enjoying cake with Queen Elizabeth I.
Bahr and kids 2012
“We’ll have around 1,800 kids here from Cedar City, St. George and other southern Utah communities,” said Festival Education Director, Michael Bahr. “We’d probably have many more, but elementary school kids aren’t generally allowed to travel from greater distances.”
Like the many other education outreach programs, the Bard’s Birthday Bash has proven to be more popular and successful than anyone imagined.
2012 Bard’s Birthday Bash
“When we began this birthday idea, our goal was to get local elementary school students acquainted with Shakespeare through their own performance of his words,” said Bahr. “That way, they find that Shakespeare is a lot easier to understand than they thought. We soon learned that not all kids wanted to perform. So, now we are inviting both performing, as well as observing groups. They have cake with Queen Elizabeth, dance the maypole, learn some fun theatre games, and, interestingly enough, a lot of the past observers have decided to come back the next time around as performers.”
You can see other celebrations for Shakespeare’s birthday at www.happybirthdayshakespeare.com.
You can learn more about the Utah Shakespeare Festival and see our calendar for 2013 at www.bard.org.
“Gershwin’s Broadway” Insights
Dahlin
The Guild of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, in celebration of 50 years of service and support to the Festival, is presenting an original musical revue, “Gershwin’s Broadway,” on April 19 and 20 in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.
The revue was written by Fred C. Adams, the Festival’s founder, and directed by R. Scott Phillips, the Festival’s executive director, with musical direction by Brad Carroll. It promises to be an evening of song and dance paying tribute to the life work of George Gershwin, one of America’s true national treasures.
We were able to interview Adams and Nicole Sterling (one of the cast members) to gain some insights into the evening.
Pfundstein, Dahlin, Sterling
Can you give me some background for this performance?
Sterling: This year the Guild of the Utah Shakespeare Festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary of service and support for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. They have a number of special 50th anniversary events and the “Gershwin’s Broadway” Concert will be the first. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Festival at the end of the year.
Describe the evening:
Adams: With individualized narrations and musical numbers we trace the story of George Gershwin’s short life. He died at 39 from a brain tumor. And yet he’s considered the father of American music.
We start with the delivery of a piano to his family who finally have enough money to buy a second hand piano to give their older son, Ira. Ira didn’t take to the music, but the younger George, 12 years old, did.
The first number is a Jerome Kern number (They’ll Never Believe Me) because that was the number that George Gershwin as a 14 year old with his buddy Richard Rodgers sat in the upper balcony and heard for the first time. And the irony is, it’s the first time a song was dialog. It was integrated into the story. It shattered these 2 young boys; it changed their whole way of thinking.
And this talented group of six, three men (Alex Allred, Trent Dahlin and Rhett Guter) and three women (Melinda Pfundstein, Jennie Smith and Nicole Sterling), take us on this journey through WWI, the jazz age, the depression and finally the birth of movies with Fred Astaire.
The evening will be an elegant celebration, capturing the essence of Gershwin’s time, with proceeds benefiting the Guild and ultimately the Festival. Performances are April 19 and 20 at 7:30 pm in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. Ticket prices range from $18 to $50 and can be purchased online at www.bard.org or by calling 800-PLAYTIX. You can learn more at http://www.bard.org/news/releases/gershwin.html#.UWiOwxnR2wE
Playmaker's The Wizard of Oz Cast
This week, the Festival’s Playmakers opens The Wizard of Oz. We caught some of the cast right before their first dress rehearsal.
Duncan as Professor Marvel
Bailey Duncan is in 5th grade at Three Peaks Elementary. Last summer, he played Dill in the Festival’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird. He plays Professor Marvel and the Wizard of Oz.
Allen, Espinoza, Kraus and Denhalter
Tell me about Wizard of Oz
I’m the big and great guy. My character relates to Professor Marvel in Kansas who Dorothy would like to go along with because he’s a gypsy and travels around and she’s running away. He doesn’t want her to come along, but he doesn’t say that. He says “sure but I have to check with my crystal first” and tricks her into thinking that Auntie Em is sick and could possibly die and that’s what makes Dorothy want to go home.
What’s the hardest part?
Probably the words. The Wizard speaks a lot of Latin, but I can usually figure it out.
How have you developed as an actor since last year?
Allen and Ensemble
I think I’ve gotten a lot bigger voice and gotten a lot better with people.
Nick Denhalter plays the Tin Man. He’s in the 9th grade at Cedar High. Last summer, he was in the Festival’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird, playing Jem.
What’s the hardest part of this role?
Staying real stiff - the physicality. I have to lock my knees to make sure I don’t move. My English teacher told me how The Wizard of Oz compared to the job industry of the time. With the farming industry a lot of them were uneducated, so the scarecrow not having a brain, the metal industry/Tin Man - greedy - not having heart, the Lion was about politicians - cowards. She showed me how it connected, which really helped.
How does this compare to last summer in Mockingbird?
Since then my diction has gotten a lot better. At the beginning of the summer season I got lessons from David Ivers because I was fading and not getting the words across with my accent. It really helped me and he was so great. I’m in debate now, which also helps.
Lauren Allen plays Dorothy. She’s in 8th grade at Cedar Middle School. Last summer she was in the Festival’s production of The Merry Wives of Windsor and she played Amaryllis in The Music Man in 2011.
Tell us about Dorothy
It’s my first lead role. I love the play and I love how we’ve done it. It’s different from previous shows. We can’t just take the movie because it’s iconic. We did our own thing and it’s worked.
What’s the hardest thing about this role?
The character - She’s not a “character,” she’s a real person. She’s closely related to my personality. So it’s hard to differentiate her from me - what she would do versus what I would do. I have to be careful about that.
A scene from The Wizard of Oz
What do you do outside of school and acting?
I take dance, theater, voice, and piano. I love performing - it will always be a part of what I do. It might not be the only thing I do. It can be anywhere - singing in church or performing in a play. And this summer, I’m playing Jane Banks in Mary Poppins at Tuachan.
You can see this imaginative production, featuring over 70 local children April 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 at 7:30 pm in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at www.bard.org or by calling 435-586-7878. You can learn more at http://www.bard.org/news/releases/wizardofoz.html