When ‘Will’ Comes Out to Play
Tony Award winning Utah Shakespearean Festival kicks off it’s fall season with “Pippin,” “The Foriegner” and Shakespeare’s comedy “All’s Well that End’s Well”
By Matt Wright
Diversions Editor
The Bard is alive and well and living in Cedar City where the Tony award winning Shakespearean Festival waits to present its three-play fall season.
Beginning Sept. 22 and running through Oct. 29, two different plays will be presented daily, one at 2 p.m. and the other at 8 p.m. This year’s productions, as in years past, consist of a musical (“Pippin”), a contemporary comedy (“The Foriegner”) and a true Shakespearean (“All’s Well that Ends Well”) with several actors playing multiple parts.
“Pippin”
“Pippin,” which premiered on October 23, 1972 is a musical story of a son of Emperor Charlemagne who is on a quest to find his place in life. The play recounts the search as Pippin experiences war as a soldier, politics as his father’s successor and, of course, love.
Director Marc Robin plans to make the musical as vibrant as the authors, Stephen Shwartz (music and lyrics) and Roger O. Hirson (book), intended it to be. The production sports a vibrant cast with eye-popping color sequences that give credit to the era of the plays conception.
“There will be a lot of energy up there on the stage, you can count on that,” Robin said.
“The Foreigner”
“The Foreigner” tells the tale of a shy guest (Charlie) who visits an English hunting/fishing lodge and pretends not to understand English in order to escape awkward conversation. What he overhears as a result makes the basis of this modern comedy.
“All’s Well that Ends Well”
Directed by Festival Associate Artistic Director J.R. Sullivan, “All’s Well that Ends Well” play shows the problems that appear when a king forces a count to marry an orphan. The play, one of the bard’s dark comedies, sets out to prove that immature youth is no match for a determined woman seeking true love.
In addition to the three plays, the festival offers free literary seminars hosted by actors and directors from the plays, free actor seminars, backstage tours and pre-show entertainment and play orientations before all evening plays.
Good seating is still available for the fall season plays. Tickets are available at 800-PLAYTIX, online at www.bard.org or in person at the Festival Box Office located at 351 W Center Street, Cedar City Utah. Ticket prices range from $16-$30 on Monday-Wednesday and $20-$34 on Thursday-Saturday. Discount rates are available for groups of 12 or more, and there is a $3 discount if tickets are purchased to all three fall season plays.
The Utah Shakespearean festival is hosted on the Southern Utah University campus in Cedar City.
-mattgo@cc.usu.edu