Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018 season offers an eclectic mix
By Tyler Morgan
The Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018 season offers an eclectic mix of eight plays in three theaters, exploring a number of themes relevant in today’s world. The 57th season will run from June 28 to Oct. 13.
“Among other themes, our 2018 season provides a unique examination of intolerance and the adverse impact it can have on our collective humanity,” said artistic director Brian Vaughn. “With four diverse Shakespeare offerings (including the next in our History Cycle), two delightful classic and contemporary comedies, a Tony Award-winning musical based on one of the most controversial novels of our time, and a brilliant retelling of an ancient classic, this season promises to resonate on all levels.”
The Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre
The Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre will feature three plays by the bard, including “Henry VI Part One,” which continues the festival’s serial production all ten of Shakespeare’s History Cycle in chronological order. In addition, “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “The Merchant of Venice” will give festival guests the chance to check off two more plays in the festival’s Complete the Canon Project, an ongoing initiative to produce the entire Shakespeare canon of 38 plays between 2012 and 2023.
“Henry VI Part One” by William Shakespeare
Henry V has died, and his young son is soon crowned Henry VI. In France, war is raging. At home, various factions are claiming the right to the throne, choosing between the symbolic red and white roses. In this seldom produced history, Shakespeare gathers these threads together and combines them into a powerful tapestry of a country soon to be racked by civil war.
“The Merry Wives of Windsor” by William Shakespeare
Falstaff in love? Hardly! But the loveable old renegade does have his lusty eye on a couple of middle-class housewives. Trouble is, feminine wit and wisdom triumph once again as the amused and annoyed wives teach Sir John a lesson in this popular bubbling comedy sure to please everyone in the family.
“The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare
Whether you consider this thought-provoking masterpiece a story of love and humor or one of racism and greed, Shakespeare’s controversial tragicomedy will touch your soul. Its modern and relevant themes and memorable characters could have been drawn from today’s headlines and will certainly cause you to pause and think about justice and mercy, the complexity of humankind, and the nature of forgiveness and love.
The Randall L. Jones Theatre
Plays this year in the Randall L. Jones Theatre will include “Big River,” a popular musical based on classic American literature; “The Liar,” a hilarious French farce newly translated into English; “The Foreigner,” one of America’s most popular comedies, which returns this year to the festival; and “An Iliad,” a retelling of an ancient classic.
“Big River,” book by William Hauptman with music and lyrics by Roger Miller
Mark Twain’s timeless classic sweeps us down the mighty Mississippi River as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom. Their adventures along the way are hilarious, suspenseful, and heart-warming, bringing to life your favorite characters from the novel and leaving you humming tunes such as “River in the Rain,” “Worlds Apart,” and the rousing anthem “Free at Last.”
“The Liar” by David Ives, adapted from “Le Menteur” by Pierre Corneille
The charming Dorante cannot tell the truth, and his manservant Clinton cannot tell a lie. From this simple premise springs one of the western world’s greatest comedies, a 17th century French farce brilliantly adapted for today, complete with mistaken lovers, suspicious fathers, sparkling romance, frothy comedy, and an abundance of breathtakingly intricate “alternative facts.”
“The Foreigner” by Larry Shue
Charlie, shy and seeking solitude, is on vacation at a Georgia hunting lodge. Avoiding the other guests, he pretends he is a foreigner, understanding no English. However, he soon witnesses bizarre schemes by people who think he can’t understand a word they say, leading to confusion and non-stop hilarity that set up one of the funniest endings in all of theater.
“An Iliad” by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, based on Homer’s “The Iliad” as translated by Robert Fagles
“Every time I sing this song, I hope it’s the last time.” So says the Poet in this modern retelling of an ancient classic. The Trojan War is over, and the Poet saw it all — unquenchable rage and endless battles. The telling sometimes overwhelms him, but he must sing. He must tell his sad tale of humanity’s unshakeable and perpetual attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos.
The Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre
The Anes Studio Theatre will be the venue for another play in the festival’s Complete the Canon Project, Shakespeare’s “Othello,” which will run throughout the entire season.
“Othello” by William Shakespeare
Brimming with incredible passion and anguish as well as very human tenderness, this tragic story will lure you into a powerful world of jealousy and betrayal. Fast moving and devastating, “Othello” is one of Shakespeare’s most haunting plays, exploring how fear and jealousy can destroy the most intelligent minds and the purest of loves.
Tickets for the 57th annual festival season are now on sale. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit bard.org or call 1 (800) PLAYTIX. The Utah Shakespeare Festival is part of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts at Southern Utah University, which also includes the Southern Utah Museum of Art.
Articles related to “Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018 season offers an eclectic mix”
‘Guess Fred C. Adams’ Middle Name’ annual competition begins Feb. 1
Shakespeare implicated as a stoner: verily, nothing is sacred
Utah Marlowe Festival opens in St. George, strains relations with Cedar City
