The Independent
Audiences may remember the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 1997 production of Brandon Thomas’ “Charley’s Aunt,” one of the funniest plays the Festival has ever produced. From June 25 to Oct. 31 at the Randall L. Jones Theatre, the festival will present this side-splitting play once again, and if you purchase your ticket by Sunday, May 31, you can take $10 off the cost of admission.
“Charley’s Aunt” hilariously chronicles a quiet luncheon that turns into a corset-busting masquerade as two college chums attempt to woo a pair of charming young ladies however they can—including persuading their wacky friend to pose as an aunt from Brazil, “where the nuts come from.”
Premiered in 1892 in Suffolk, England, ‘Charley’s Aunt’ ran a record-breaking 1,466 times in London and also had a four-year run on Broadway a year later, setting yet another record. It has since been adapted for film nine times in addition to being made into a musical.
The festival’s 2015 performance features Brendan Marshall-Rashid as Jack Chesney, Tasso Feldman as Charley Wykeham, and Michael Doherty as Lord Fancourt Babberly—who is persuaded to impersonate Charley’s aunt.
David Ivers, director of the 2015 production of “Charley’s Aunt” and artistic director for the Festival, says the play stands the test of time.
“Looking critically at the play, I find its brilliant construction and its character-driven action full of optimism,” said Ivers.
This isn’t the only play seeing another round at the Festival. As a tribute to the venerable and much-loved Adams Memorial Shakespearean Theatre, Festival Founder Fred C. Adams will be directing “The Taming of the Shrew” as part of the theatre’s farewell year, which first debuted at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in 1965. After this year, the festival will be moving its outdoor productions to the Engelstad Theatre, which is currently under construction as part of the new Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts and is expected to be ready for the 2016 season.
The eight-play 2015 season also includes Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” “Henry IV Part Two,” and “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” The season will also include Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus,” which is similar in plot to the Oscar-winning film, as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.” Steven Dietz’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” debuts at the 54th Utah Shakespeare Festival with first-time festival director and off-Broadway veteran Jesse Berger at the helm.
“Charley’s Aunt” is suitable for all audiences. Buy your tickets to “Charley’s Aunt” today and receive $10 off each ticket (based on availability). To receive the ticket discount, purchases must be made by phone at 800-PLAYTIX using the coupon code “CHARLEY.” For more information, visit www.bard.org.
