"As happy prologues to the swelling act."
—Macbeth
Directed by Cassie Abate
Leave the noise and stress of the world behind as you prepare for the evening’s play with our free outdoor entertainment: The Greenshow. Join us for a celebration on the Green as we welcome our guests with delightful dances, engaging music, and lively laughter before each of the evening’s plays. Get a taste of times past and revel in three different shows presented on alternating nights. Return night after night to enjoy Seafaring Night, England Night, and Celtic Night. With traditional songs, puppets, stories, folk dances, and audience participation, there is something to please every guest and remind you of what you love about the Festival.
Ashton Family Greenshow Commons
June 20 to September 10
7:10 p.m.
Free
Sponsored by Rocky Mountain Power, Cedar City RAP Tax, and The Marriner S. Eccles Foundation
Peek behind the scenery and into the Festival’s various production areas to see how all the enchantment comes together. These informative tours are led by Festival actors and artists who can share their backstage knowledge with you. Participants must be able to negotiate stairs.
Meet at the Fred C. Adams Statue • Zions Bank Courtyard
July 5 to September 10 (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays)
September September 14 to October 8 (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
10:15 a.m.
Tickets are available at the Ticket Office • $10
Subject to change because of possible COVID-19 restrictions.
One of the most magical (and difficult) aspects of repertory theatre is the twice-a-day changeover. Lighting, scenery, props, costume, and sound technicians must hurry to change everything from the matinee show to the evening show. It is a fascinating and well-choreographed process. You can witness the scene change and ask questions as it is happening.
Randall L. Jones Theatre
July 4 to September 8 (Mondays and Thursdays)
September 16 to October 7 (Fridays)
5 p.m.
Tickets are available at the Ticket Office • $10
Subject to change because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Nancy Melich, conducts a Literary Seminar.
If you have ever wanted to share your views about Festival plays, their interpretation, and subtle nuances (or to hear the views of others), the Play Seminar is for you. Theatre scholars (with play directors and actors joining in at times) lead the discussions, allowing audience members to engage in a lively give-and-take where everyone learns.
If you have ever wanted to share your views about Festival plays, their interpretation, and subtle nuances (or to hear the views of others), the Play Seminars are for you. Theatre scholars (with play directors and actors joining in at times) lead the discussions, allowing audience members to engage in a lively give-and-take where everyone learns.
Balcony Bards Seminar Grove
June 20 to October 8 (Tuesdays through Sundays)
9 a.m. discussion of previous day’s matinee performances. 10 a.m. discussion of previous day’s evening performances.
Free
Ben Hohman, Festival props director, conducts a props seminar.
PROP SEMINARS
Learn from Properties Director Benjamin Hohman as he demonstrates how hundreds of props and special effects help create the Festival magic you see on stage.
Randall L. Jones Theatre
July 4 to September 8 (Mondays and Thursdays)
September 15 to October 6 (Thursdays only)
10 a.m.
Free
COSTUME SEMINARS
Join Costume Director Jeffrey Lieder as he demonstrates how our elaborate costumes are designed, fabricated, and maintained.
Randall L. Jones Theatre
July 5 to September 9 (Tuesdays and Fridays)
September 16 to October 7 (Fridays only)
10 a.m.
Free
ACTOR SEMINARS
Engage with the Festival actors and ask questions about their roles, careers, and experiences—and what it is like working in repertory theatre at the Festival.
Balcony Bards Seminar Grove
June 29 to September 10 (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
September 17 to October 8 (Fridays only)
10 a.m.
Free
Subject to change because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Learn more about the play in advance at our free Play Orientations. The orientations are conducted by theatre experts—and heighten your experience by learning about the play before you see it, as well as answering questions about the Festival and Cedar City.
Balcony Bards Seminar Grove
Before every performance:
June 20 to September 10 • 1:15 for matinees and 6:45 for evening performances
September 13 to October 8 • 1:15 for matinees and 7:15 for evening performances
Free
Subject to change because of COVID-19 restrictions.
The Pedersen Shakespeare Character Garden, featuring some of Shakespeare’s most famous lovers, warriors, kings, and scoundrels, is a quiet place for contemplation, reading, and leaving the cares of the world behind. The garden includes several benches, various flowers and shrubs, as well as nearly twenty varieties of trees. It is located between the Engelstad Shakespeare and Randall L. Jones Theatres. Click for more photos and more details.
Sponsored by Catherine and Robert Pedersen
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Curtain Call Luncheons are canceled.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival has embarked on an exciting new initiative to produce the entire canon of Shakespeare’s thirty-eight plays. During these years, you may have more than one opportunity to see such plays as Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, but productions of some other plays will definitely be more rare. So start planning now; you don’t want to miss a single experience.
Progress Thus Far
2012: Hamlet, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Titus Andronicus
2013: King John, Love's Labour's Lost, Richard II, The Tempest
2014: Henry IV Part One, Measure for Measure, The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night
2015: The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry IV Part Two, King Lear
2016: Henry V, Julius Caesar, Much Ado about Nothing
2017: A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet
2018: Henry VI Part One, Othello, The Merchant of Venice
2019: The Conclusion of Henry VI: Parts Two and Three, Macbeth
2021: Pericles, Richard III, Cymbeline
Still to Come: All's Well That Ends Well, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Henry VIII, The Two Noble Kinsmen, The Winter's Tale, Timon of Athens, Troilus and Cressida
As part of the Complete-the-Canon Project, the Festival is producing all ten of Shakespeare’s history plays in chronological order, beginning with King John and Richard II in 2013, Henry IV Part One in 2014, Henry IV Part Two in 2015, Henry V in 2016, Henry VI Part One in 2018, The Conclusion of Henry VI: Parts Two and Three in 2019, Richard III in 2021, and in the future Henry VIII. One of the goals of the History Cycle is to give a cohesiveness to these plays that will be engaging and dramatic for our audiences.
Top photo: A scene from Mary Poppins, 2016.