The Utah Shakespeare Festival, founded in 1961, has been one of the biggest Shakespearean festivals in the United States with over 100,000 visitors per year. It is held at Southern Utah University’s campus in the heart of Cedar City. In 2000, the festival won the Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre.
Starting off with one of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, “Romeo and Juliet” is performed under the beautiful Utah night sky in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre. The play truly gets a person emotionally involved, especially during the deaths of the famous star-crossed lovers. Due to being outdoors, it will be performed for the final time on Sep. 8.
“Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical” is based on English novelist Jane Austen’s “Emma,” published in 1815. With a musical twist and outstanding set, the story follows Emma, who tries to play matchmaker with her friends after the marriage of two friends she matchmade. It is performed in the Randall L. Jones Theatre and will close on Oct. 7.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is another classic comedy written by Shakespeare. With breathtaking costumes and a unique set, the comedy is performed in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre to bring the nature within the story to life. This play is a beautiful remake of the first “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” performed at the festival in 1963. Showings will continue until Sep 6.
Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 American classic, “A Raisin in the Sun,” is being performed in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. It is a powerful story about racial prejudice, with topics including financial insecurity and abortion. The final performance of this play will be on Sep 8.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” is a hilarious play-within-a-play murder mystery. This play breaks the fourth wall throughout the show, with the actors and stage crew holding the set together as some actors fall unconscious mid-show. This play is in the Randall L. Jones Theatre and will be closing on Oct. 7.
“Timon of Athens” is one of Shakespeare’s less popular tragedies yet is important to today’s world. The plot follows a rich Timon, who eventually loses his money and all of his friends. This play has a wonderful royal Greek set for the small space in the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre. It will be closing Oct. 7.
“Coriolanus” is another one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known tragedies. Rarely performed, it was set to be similar to today’s world when talking about politics. This play notably shares a similar royal set to “Timon of Athens.” Due to being in the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, seats are limited. It will be closing on Oct. 7.
“The Greenshow” is a free, thirty-minute interactive musical experience. With excellent choreography, the themes consist of “The Hills of Appalachian,” “English Regency Garden Party,” and “Paiute Heritage Celebration.” It is held in the Ashton Family Greenshow Commons and will be closing on Sep. 7.
From wonderful technical aspects to hardworking actors, the Utah Shakespeare Festival has upheld its reputation. All of these shows have discussions that the world deserves to hear as they put a mirror up to humanity. This experience is too good for people to miss out on.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival will be ending on October 7, 2023. Get tickets at bard.org.
