Utah Shakespeare Festival

Utah Committed to Completing Canon

Four Shakespearean classics, two hit musicals, an American stage icon about justice, and a regional premier of a new play are all on the 2013 playbill for the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City.

“Shakespeare is our cornerstone playwright, and we are excited for the next phase in our Complete the Canon campaign,” said Artistic Director David Ivers, in an on-line announcement. Starting this past season, the Festival has committed to producing Shakespeare's entire canon of work over a period of 12 years, including completing his entire cycle of history plays in sequential order.

With that in mind, the Festival will present in the world-famous outdoor Adams Shakespearean Theatre the first in that history cycle, King John. Also in the Adams Theatre will be Shakespeare's The Tempest and Love's Labour's Lost. These three plays will run from June 24 to August 31.

“In addition to featuring works by The Bard, we will return to producing two musicals in the season,” Ivers said. Featured in the Randall L. Jones Theatre from June 24 to August 31 will be Cole Porter's Anything Goes. During the late season, September 18 to October 19, guests can enjoy favorite songs from the '50s and '60s in Roger Bean's The Marvelous Wonderettes.

Also in the Randall L. Jones Theatre will be the American theatre classic Twelve Angry Men from June 24 to August 31 and the second in Shakespeare's history cycle, Richard II, from September 18 to October 19.

The final 2013 production will be a regional premiere of the winner of five 2012 Tony Awards, Peter and the Starcatcher by Rick Elice, based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Peter and the Starcatcher is a retelling of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, and all the memorable characters he encounters on his journey to Neverland. Peter and the Starcatcher will run all season from June 24 to October 19 in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.

“Each play represents our continued commitment to explore master works of the theatre while entertaining and engaging our audiences in new and thrilling ways,” said Artistic Director Brian Vaughn. “It is a season of limitless possibilities.” 

February 20, 2012

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