What is the Utah Shakespeare Festival and How Do I Participate as a Student?
Posted: November 16, 2021 | Author: Abbie Cochrane | Read Time: 3 minutes
“Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your ears!” Did you know that Cedar City, home to Southern Utah University, is actually more famous than you think? Not only is it the location of the most beautiful campus in Utah, but it houses the world-renowned Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Part of the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, performances are held in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theater, Randall L. Jones Theater, and the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre. The Utah Shakespeare Festival holds seasonal performances of classic theater, with the works of William Shakespeare being the main attraction. The Tony-Award winning festival itself has staged hundreds of plays and musicals over the years, even winning an Emmy with its 2011 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The Festival’s mission is to share with each audience a performance that educates and entertains. And for 60 years, the Festival has done just that. Over 300 shows, including all 38 of Shakespeare’s works, have graced the stage of the festival. Each performance is also preceded by The Greenshow, or an outdoor collection of skits put on by actors in the other shows. The Greenshow is free to all and is a great way to get warmed up as an audience member before the main stage performance.
For any SUU students who are interested in seeing a production or two, they can purchase a Student Access Pass for around $40. This pass allows unlimited access to each show of the season. Students must show their Student ID at the Festival Ticket Office when buying a pass. If you have a Student Access Pass, you can redeem your ticket by visiting the Festival website or show your Student ID at the Ticket Office on the day of a performance.
After missing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Festival has come back strong this year with nine fantastic productions including The Pirates of Penzance, Ragtime, and Cymbeline. The Festival has yet to announce when it will be hosting auditions for the 2022 season, which includes the following shows; All’s Well That Ends Well, King Lear, Sweeney Todd, The Sound of Music, Trouble in Mind, Clue, The Tempest, and Thurgood.
The Festival also offers classes, camps, and seminars for all who are interested in becoming better versed in the ways of Elizabethan theatre and the art of acting itself. No matter your age or acting background, the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Education Department has something for everyone.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival has brought the joy of live theater to thousands of people, including many students attending SUU. No matter major or interests, the Festival has touched hearts, sparked laughter, and pulled heartstrings of students of all backgrounds for years. And it continues to do so as more and more students flock to the house seats to experience the magnificent work of Shakespeare and the world of musical and straight theater.
For more on how you can witness the wonder of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, visit bard.org. To contact the Ticket Office, call 435-586-7878 or 1-800-PLAYTIX.
Tags: Utah Shakespeare Festival College of Performing and Visual Arts
