Utah Shakespeare Festival
Walking the tree-lined avenue of the Utah Shakespeare Festival lively music beckons you like the Pied Piper. Taking your seat in the grand Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, the lights come up and Elizabethan costumed actors take to the stage. You’ve entered a time warp and a magical evening under the stars is about to begin.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1961 by a young theater professor named Fred C. Adams. Each year the Festival welcomes over 100,000 guests from all over the country and the world.
The Festival is one of the oldest and largest Shakespeare festivals in North America and most of the Festival’s lead actors are members of the Actors’ Equity Association and come from all over the country, including Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Famous actors that have appeared on the Festival stage include Harold Gould, Benjamin Bratt, Jeremy Irons, Bradley Whitford (NBC’s The West Wing), Matt Bomer (USA’s White Collar) and Ty Burrell (ABC’s Modern Family).
In 2000, the Utah Shakespeare Festival received the coveted Tony Award for America’s Outstanding Regional Theatre. The Tony Award is the most prestigious and sought-after award in live theatre—the equivalent to the Academy Award in film—and is presented by the American Theatre Wing and the League of American Theatres and Producers. The Festival was nominated for the award by the American Theatre Critics Association.
Get fully immersed in the world of The Bard.
2024 Season
June 17 to October 5
Henry VIII
June 17 – September 5, 2024
Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
The Winter’s Tale
June 18 – September 6, 2024
Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
The Taming of The Shrew
June 19 – September 7, 2024
Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
Much Ado About Nothing
June 21 – October 5, 2024
Randall L. Jones Theatre
The 39 Steps
June 22 – October 5, 2024
Randall L. Jones Theatre
Silent Sky
July 12 – October 5, 2024
Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre
The Mountaintop
July 13 – October 5, 2024
Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre
For additional information visit www.bard.org.
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Join them for the free family-friendly outdoor entertainment on the green each summer evening, Monday-Saturday! With singing, dancing, stories, music, and audience participation, this 30-minute show is the perfect way to experience the Festival for the first or one-thousandth time. See calendar for details.
The Greenshow – FREE | 7:10 pm
Ashton Family Greenshow Commons
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Backstage Tour:
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.
Meet at the Fred C. Adams Statue • Zions Bank Courtyard
July 5 to September 30 (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
10:15 a.m.
$10
*ADA routes available.Tours start promptly at 10:15 am. Late arrivals may not be able to join a tour in progress. Tickets for late arrivals may be exchanged to another date, subject to availability. No refunds.
Play Seminars:
Share your views about Festival plays, their interpretation, and subtle nuances, and hear the views of others. 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 – FREE
June 22 to September 10, Tuesdays through Sundays
9:00 am – Discussion of the previous day’s matinee performances
10:00 am – Discussion of the previous day’s evening performancesSeptember 13 to October 8, Wednesdays through Sundays
10:00 am – Discussion of the previous day’s matinee and evening performancesProduction Seminars:
Props, costumes, actors, and producers – get to know more about all of them better at these FREE interactive seminars.
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 (Auditorium Theatre on July 13 and 27) – FREE
July 3 to September 7, Mondays and Thursdays
September 15 to October 6, Thursdays only
11:00 amCOSTUME SEMINARS
Join Costume Director Jeffrey Lieder as he demonstrates how our elaborate costumes are designed, fabricated, and maintained.
Randall L. Jones Theatre (Auditorium Theatre on July 25) – FREE
July 18 to September 8, Tuesdays and Fridays
September 15 to September 29, Fridays only
11:00 amACTOR SEMINARS
Ask questions about actors’ roles and the process of bringing the plays to life.
Balcony Bards Seminar Grove – FREE
June 28 to September 2, Wednesdays and Saturdays
September 16 to September 30, Saturdays only
11:00 amPRODUCER SEMINARS
Discover the magic that encompasses the work from the Festival’s leadership and how all the parts of the organization come together each season.
Balcony Bards Seminar Grove – FREE
July 4, 7, 11, and 14
11:00 amPlay Orientations:
Learn more about the plays at our free Play Orientations. Conducted by theatre experts, these introductions will answer your questions and help you more fully enjoy the plays.
Balcony Bards Seminar Grove – FREE
Before every performance:
June 21 to September 9 • 1:15 pm for matinees and 6:45 pm for evening performances
September 12 to October 7 • 1:15 pm for matinees and 7:15 pm for evening performances -
One of the most magical and difficult aspects of our repertory theatre is the changeover. Technicians must hurry to change everything from the matinee show to the evening show, and you can witness the scene change and ask questions as it is happening.
Randall L. Jones Theatre
July 7 to September 29, Fridays only
4:30 pm
$10Tickets are available online.
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An evening at the Utah Shakespeare Festival is not complete without splurging on a few of their freshly baked tarts!
Location
The Utah Shakespeare Festival is part of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts on the campus of Southern Utah University, 300 W University Blvd in Cedar City.
Season
The festival season runs from June through mid October.
More Info
Utah Shakespeare Festival
351 W. University Blvd.
Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 586-7878 (Box Office)
1(800) PLAYTIX
Tickets
Ticket prices depend upon the season and the seating section. Purchase tickets at the Ticket Office at approximately 200 W. Center St. at the Beverley Center for the Arts, by calling
1(800) PLAYTIX
or log onto www.bard.org
Child Care
Children under the age of six years are not admitted to the Festival Plays. Childcare for children up to the age of ten years and children with special needs is provided during all plays, but not during other Festival activities. The professionally staffed, safe, and state-licensed facility is located at 123 S 300 W, just south of the Randall L. Jones Theatre. The cost is $20 per child per play. Advanced reservations are required through the Ticket Office at (800) 752-9849.