Shakespeare Cinema Celebration Scheduled

CEDAR CITY, UT—The Utah Shakespeare Festival Education Department and Southern Utah University’s Center for Shakespeare Studies are sponsoring the second annual Shakespeare Cinema Celebration on April 22 in the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre. This year, the celebration centers around William Shakespeare’s birthday (April 23) with adaptations of Shakespeare on film in an all-day movie marathon.

Participants may attend any number of movies, with prizes for those who attend every film in the series. This event is free of charge. Please be aware that not all movies are appropriate for all age groups.

“Each year the committee takes special care to select a broad range of film titles that will celebrate classics in cinema while also introducing audience members to cinema they might not have seen before,” said Festival Education Director and Director of the Shakespeare Studies Center Michael Bahr. “There is a wide range of film being offered from Gnomeo and Juliet and She’s the Man for young audiences to the timeless West Side Story and Kiss Me Kate for classic musical fans.”

The Cinema Celebration includes the following films:

• Gnomeo and Juliet (rated G) from 9:15-10:45 a.m.
• She’s The Man (rated PG-13) from 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• West Side Story (rated G) from 1-3:30 p.m.
• Kiss Me Kate (Not rated) from 3:45-5:45 p.m.
• Ran by Akira Kurosawa (rated R) from 6-8:45 p.m.
• Shakespeare in Love (rated R) from 9-11 p.m.

Bahr continued, “One of the highlights for this year is the Academy award-winning film Shakespeare in Love. The Utah Shakespeare Festival has the unique opportunity of being one of the only theatres in the country this summer producing the play which is based on the film.”

Audience members are welcome to enjoy the seating or bring a blanket and pillow to watch.