To see or not to see, that is the question.
With six plays rotating in 20 performances during any given six-day period (Mondays-Saturdays) from now through Sept. 5, what are your options for the Utah Shakespearean Festival's 1992 season?Last year, several friends and colleagues asked me to rank the six shows in numerical order, with my favorite being No. 1 and my least favorite No. 6.
Someone asked Fred C. Adams, the festival's founder and executive producer, what his favorite production was during one of his orientations last week. His response was, "The one I'm watching."
And that's pretty much how I feel, too. I have no distinct personal favorites. I liked all six plays for different reasons. The plays you select from the 1992 menu will depend on your personal tastes and preferences. If you love witty comedy but don't particularly enjoy hard-hitting drama, then you'll probably pick "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and "Blithe Spirit" over "Julius Caesar" and "King Lear."
If you'd rather spend an afternoon or evening reveling in an adventurous spectacle, then "Cyrano de Bergerac" is the obvious choice.
Or, for a classic, insightful comedy, try Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."
The best (and least frugal) tactic is to spend an entire week in Cedar
City, spreading the productions out over one play per evening. The motelswill love you, and a leisurely week allows ample time to soak up each play's cultural nuances.
You can also pack all six plays into just four days (three nights' lodging) by scheduling a combination of both matinees and evening performances. This does tend to get a bit hectic at times, however, if you also take in all of the morning seminars (which are immensely enjoyable and educational), the Greenshows and the other activities.
But what if you have only a day or two?
Well, if you're there on a Friday, you can catch two of the festival's biggest shows - "Cyrano" at a 2 p.m. matinee in the state-of-the-art Randall L. Jones Theatre, then the rich drama of "King Lear" just the way the folks in Shakespeare's day did, under the stars in the world-renowned Elizabethan-style Adams Shakespearean Theatre.
The acting ensemble is one of the strongest yet assembled for the annual repertory marathon with many praiseworthy performances. Certainly Harold Gould as the insane "King Lear" is an unforgettable performance, deserving of standing ovations all summer long.
Robert Machray has a sizable (physically as well as literally) role as Sir John Falstaff, busily courting Windsor's merry wives, and George Judy is outstanding in three major parts (the title role in "Julius Caesar," the Earl of Kent in "King Lear" and Antonio in "The Merchant of Venice."
William Leach and Susan Sweeney, who portrayed the Lomans and the Tarletons last season in "Death of a Salesman" and "Misalliance," each have major roles in two of the three outdoor productions. They're both in "King Lear" - Leach as the Earl of Gloucester and Sweeney as Goneril, one of Lear's greedy daughters. Sweeney also has a field day as Mistress Ford in "Wives," and Leach is terrific as Shylock in "Merchant."
Andrei Hartt, first seen two seasons ago as Romeo, gives a memorable performance as Antony, especially in the dramatic eulogy of the slain Caesar.
Other fine performances: Leslie Brott and Laurie Birmingham in both "Blithe Spirit" and "Wives"; Deanne Lorette as Elvira in "Blithe Spirit" and Portia in "Merchant"; Carole Healey, who has a number of roles in three productions, including Regan in "King Lear"; Robert Lee Martini as Brutus and the Duke of Albany ("Caesar" and "Lear"), and energetic Brad DePlanche as Launcelot Gobbo and Pistol in "Merchant" and "Wives."
Next year's season announced
While the 1992 Utah Shakespearan Festival season has barely started, many USF regulars make their plans a year in advance so they can be assured of motel rooms and seating preferences.
The 1993 season will include the festival's first mounting of "Timon of Athens," alternating in the Adams Shakespearean Theatre with "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Richard II."
Productions in the Randall L. Jones Theatre next season will be Thornton Wilder's classic, "Our Town"; Moliere's comedy, "Thornton Wilder's classic, "Our Town"; Moliere's comedy, "Tartuffe," and George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber a sophisticated satire, "The Foyal Family, "based on the Barrymore clan of actors.
Preview performances will gegin Thursday, June 24, and the 1993 season will continue through Sept. 4.
Next season, the festival will initiate new "family special" discounts (half-price for children 18 years of age and under for specified performances) and discount programs for senior citizens and school groups. Details are in the 1993 season brochures. For a copy, write to:
Utah Shakespearean Festival
Cedar City, UT 84720.