There are a couple of myths regarding the Utah Shakespearean Festival I'd like to put to rest:
"Shakespeare is so boring! Reading all those dreary passages from `Hamlet' back in high school was sheer drudgery!"Not true! The plays of William Shakespeare were written to be staged by live actors, not merely read out of books. Much of what Shakespeare wrote is beautiful and poetic, but when the plays come to life at the Utah Shakespearean Festival the one thing they're definitely not is "boring."
"I've tried and tried to get through to the box office and all I get is a busy signal. Does this mean the shows are all selling out?"
Some performances of the most popular works - "A Midsummer Night's Dream," for example - may be difficult to get into on weekends, but there are good seats available for most plays, at least this early in the season.
However, when word starts getting out on the excitement of "Timon of Athens," the hilarity of "The Royal Family," the splendid humor of "Tartuffe," the sweetness of "Our Town" and the intense power of "Richard II," tickets for these shows should start moving fast, too.
The busy signals, I was told, were probably caused by the fact that while there are seven lines into the festival box office, they're part of the Southern Utah University phone system, which is served by a total of only 22 lines.
Keep trying. When you do get through, the USF box office has one of the most efficient and helpful ticketing operations around.
- SO WHAT'S HOT this year?
My gut hunch is that "Timon of Athens" will soon turn into a blockbuster. It's one of Shakespeare's most rarely produced plays (last seen in New York more than 20 years ago).
"Timon" is a dark-edged comedy with a bravura performance by Equity actor Sheridan Crist (who also delighted audiences in the much lighter, dual roles of Oberon and Theseus in "A Midsummer Night's Dream").
Other sure-to-be-talked-about performances (in a season that features a very strong acting ensemble) will likely include Jack Wetherall as both King Richard II and Alcibiades, the Athenian general who is Timon's one true friend; Harley Venton, who joined the company barely two weeks before it opened, swashbuckling his way through "The Royal Family" and the emotionally rich role of Henry Bolingbroke in "Richard II," and Robert Machray as the masterful scoundrel, Tartuffe.
Before the festival opened, Venton was just "that chap who replaced Patrick Page," but once you see him on stage in two widely diverse roles, you'll remember Venton as a brilliant young actor of impressive depth and range.
One production with a particularly strong cast all across the board is "The Royal Family," which features the talents of four Equity actors and one "guest artist."
Other noteworthy performers include ebullient Michele Farr (in both "Tartuffe" and "The Royal Family"); Susan Sweeney, back for her third season in a row, being directed by husband William Leach in "Our Town" and stirring things up as the saucy maid in "Tartuffe"; Leach himself as Herbert Dean in "The Royal Family"; Salt Lake actress Gail Hickman's stellar performance as Fanny Cavendish, the grand dame of a fictitious acting dynasty; plus finely honed performances from Bradford Wallace, Leslie Brott, Tim Gregory, Richard Kinter and others.
The 62-member repertory company (not counting several others in the combined Greenshow/Royal Feaste ensemble) includes 10 professional Equity performers and five visiting "guest artist" players.
Both "Tartuffe" and "Timon of Athens" share common themes: central characters who are generous to a fault, only to discover that their philanthropy begets rejection, even eviction, by those they befriended.
You don't believe that plays written more than 300 years ago are relevant today? See both "Timon" and "Tartuffe," then consider how United States politicians constantly hand fistfuls of money to so-called "friendly" nations around the world. The similarities are frightening.
Here's an overview of the 1993 festival's offerings:
- IN THE OUTDOOR Adams Shakespearean Theatre, one of the most authentic replications of a Tudor-style Elizabethan theater in the world, are "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Timon of Athens" and "Richard II."
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, directed by James A. Christy. Performances: Mondays and Thursdays at 8:30 p.m., with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. (in the Auditorium Theatre), through Sept. 4. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.
It matters not one whit that Shakespeare pushed theatrical license to the limit and never let historical accuracy get in the way of an entertaining plot.
When Theseus, the Duke of Athens, advises Hermia, "If you yield not to your father's choice, you can endure the livery of a nun . . . " you don't stop to nitpick about the fact that nuns simply did not exist in ancient Greece.
This is, after all, a romantic fantasy. It has enough plot lines and scenarios for four separate plays - but the way Shakespeare cleverly intertwines the various couples' mirthful mix-ups it's easy to see why this is among his most popular comedies.
Director James J. Christy, who helmed last season's delightful "The Merry Wives of Windsor," obviously has a flair for Shakespearean comedy.
And what a wonderful cast!
Maduka Steady has the plum role of that mischievous imp, Puck; Erika Rolfsrud (Helena) is reminiscent of a young Fanny Flagg; energetic George Judy, back for a third USF season, portrays Nick Bottom (the play-within-a-play actor who makes an ass of himself - thanks to Puck); Leslie Brott, who's back for a second season (in the dual roles of Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons, and Titania, Queen of the Fairies) and Andy Paterson and Ron Heneghan are the love-smitten Lysander and Demetrius . . . and these are just for starters.
"Midsummer" is two and one-half hours of pure enchantment.
TIMON OF ATHENS, directed by Robert Cohen. Performances at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays through Sept. 3. No matinees. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.
Described by some scholars as an unfinished work, "Timon of Athens" is actually more "unpolished." Most likely it was never produced during Shakespeare's lifetime. It was written around 1605-08, about eight years before he died.
Despite the large cast (29 performers playing a total of 54 different roles), the relatively simple plot is easy to follow and, ultimately, packs a wallop.
The central character is, of course, Timon, a noble Athenian who has surrounded himself with flatterers and parasites. Timon delights in giving others freely of his wealth and has constantly ignored the pleas of Flavius, his faithful steward, who is concerned about his employer's rapidly dwindling finances. When the Great Giveaway comes to a screeching halt and Timon is suddenly faced with asking his "friends" for assistance, he has a rude awakening.
Just before intermission (act four, scene one), Timon rips off his fine apparel, swears his hatred for mankind in general, and consigns himself to the lonely life of a recluse in the wilderness. His lifestyle takes a complete turn here - from expensive clothes and a large home, to a costume that would make Tarzan look overdressed. (I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the audience who was somewhat apprehensive when Timon kept reaching into his loincloth to retrieve his nuggets of newfound gold.)
Robert Cohen, who, in the past, has directed such USF productions as "The Winter's Tale" and "Antony and Cleopatra," is working with an exceptional cast.
For Sheridan Crist, who earned a well-deserved standing ovation, the role of Timon is a 180-degree switch from the light comedy of Theseus/Oberon in "Midsummer."
Other standouts include Jack Wetherall as Timon's one genuine friend, Alcibiades; Bradford Wallace as the philosophizing Apemantus (pronounced, in Cohen's version, as Ape-man-toos, apparently focusing on the role's function as a "fool"), and Mikel MacDonald as Flavius, the steward worried about Titus' badly botched finances.
RICHARD II, directed by Kathleen F. Conlin. Performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. through Sept. 3. No matinees. Running time: 3 hours.
While it seems like ancient history today, Shakespeare's intense chronicle of King Richard II being ousted from power by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, was fairly recent stuff for Elizabethan audiences. And, unlike some of Shakespeare's other "historical" plays, it was a reasonably accurate retelling of political unrest 200 years before.
Director Kathleen F. Conlin's production has a large cast (29 players spread across 45 roles), but the drama focuses mainly on two men: the incompetent ruler, Richard, and his rebellious cousin, Bolingbroke.
Despite his shortcomings as a king, the soon-to-be-deposed Richard is a rather sympathetic character. We can't really condone his arranging the murder of Thomas, the Duke of Gloucester, or his banishment of Bolingbroke, but being evicted from power and packed off to the infamous Tower of London is no picnic.
Jack Wetherall has the difficult role of Richard II, a man who doesn't merely fall from grace - he disintegrates before your very eyes from an arrogant, obsessive king into a psychologically broken failure.
His rival, Bolingbroke, is played by Harley Venton, who imbued this key role with deep emotional richness.
Both Wetherall and Venton give the kind of finely honed performances festival patrons have come to appreciate.
Lesser roles, too, are filled by a cadre of strong performers - notably Richard Kinter as John of Gaunt; Tim Gregory as Thomas Mowbray (and in three other roles, including Sir Pierce of Exton, Richard's assassin); Mikel MacDonald as Earl of Northumberland; Gail Hickman as the Duchess of Gloucester (a brief, but moving segment) and Karla Nielson as Richard's queen.
- ACROSS THE STREET in the Randall L. Jones Theatre, patrons can travel back to a gentler time in "Our Town," revel in the sumptuous hypocrisy of "Tartuffe" or peek behind the scenes of a Broadway acting dynasty in "The Royal Family."
THE ROYAL FAMILY by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, directed by Howard J. Millman. Performances: Mondays and Thursdays at 2 p.m., Tuesdays and Fridays at 8:30 p.m. through Sept. 3. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.
This 1927 Kaufman/Ferber comedy, based none too loosely on the escapades of the famous Barrymore clan, fits nicely in a Shakespearean festival. John Barrymore was one of the most famous Hamlets of his generation and played Mercutio in the 1936 film version of "Romeo and Juliet."
When you first enter the Randall auditorium and see Thomas C. Umfrid's magnificent set - an opulent East Fifties apartment with a grand, spiral staircase - you know even before this show begins you're going to be in for a first-class treat.
What I was not prepared for was the show's scathing, biting hilarity.
The "family values" for the close-knit but jealous Cavendish brood are: Who gets the best roles in a hot new script, and Will I get to the theater on time?
Woe unto any theatrical outsider who marries into the Cavendishes - they'd better be content with being alone at night while their spouses are busy plying The Family Trade down at the Shubert.
The dialogue is fast and furiously funny and - not surprising, considering the subject - most of the characters are given to frequent fits of highly exaggerated histrionics.
The performances are uniformly flawless. Two gifted Utah actresses have major roles: Equity artist Michele Farr (who's had a busy, bi-coastal career with numerous roles on Broadway and in film/TV in Los Angeles) and well-known Salt Laker Gail Hickman.
The effervescent Farr plays Julie Cavendish, America's No. 1 actress, who finds herself torn between personal issues and The Family Business. Hickman portrays matriarch Fanny, stoutly determined to take yet another show out on the road.
The Cavendish household is a hectic place - phones ringing, doorbells buzzing, servants dashing here and there, black sheep Tony (how could he stoop so low as to trade life on the legitimate stage for a career in moving pictures!) on the run from a $200,000 breach-of-promise lawsuit, the hilarious bickering of Herbert and Kitty, granddaughter Gwen's quandary about whether or not to marry someone who's not in the theater . . . as Julie says at one point, her family makes Grand Central Station look like a quiet, rustic retreat.
Director Howard J. Millman draws Broadway-caliber performances from his cast.
Harley Venton is terrific as the adventurous Tony; William Leach and Karla Nielson are right on target as Herbert and Kitty; Lauren Ward gives perplexed young Gwen just the right edge, and Robert Machray (who is already an overwhelming presence in the title role of "Tartuffe") is superb as the family's business agent, Oscar.
OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder, directed by William Leach. Performances: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. and Tuesdays and Fridays at 2 p.m. through Sept. 4. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.
A true American classic, this is a simple, bittersweet look at life in the small New Hampshire town of Grover's Corners. In a day and age when theatrical entertainment relies more and more on high-tech gimmicks, it's refreshing to get back to the basic simplicity of homespun dialogue.
Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama utilizes the barest essentials for scenery and props. The story line focuses on two neighboring families - the Gibbs and the Webbs, and each of the three acts is set in a particular time. The action in Act One (the "Daily Life" segment) takes place on May 7, 1901; Act Two ("Love and Marriage") is set on July 7, 1904, and the third act shifts the focus to the community's cemetery.
Birth . . . life . . . death.
These topics are central to the everyday lives of the gentle folks residing in Grover's Corners.
Directed by William Leach (seen this season in "The Royal Family" and certainly remembered from the past two seasons for his performances of Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" and Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice"), this new mounting of "Our Town" is an amiable reminder of those poignant days of life in a simpler time.
The stellar cast includes Susan Sweeney as Mrs. Gibbs, Jean Reese Jenkins as Mrs. Webb, George Judy as Dr. Gibbs and Lawrence Bull as Mr. Webb - the heads of two of the town's most typical families. Ashley Smith and Christine Williams are excellent, too, as the boy and girl next door, George Gibbs and Emily Webb.
One unique character running through the entire play is the Stage Manager, nicely played by Bradford Wallace. He narrates some of the action, informs the audience about interesting tidbits of town lore, moves some props around, and even slips into a couple of small roles.
You may come away from this delighted with its optimism, or - perhaps - a little distressed with its pessimism. "Our Town" is like a jar that can be perceived as either half full or half empty. Despite the final act's dark edges, overall "Our Town" is uplifting and thoroughly enjoyable.
TARTUFFE by Moliere (English translation by Richard Wilber), directed by Paul Barnes. Performances: Mondays and Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. and Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through Sept. 4. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.
The "poetry" in "Our Town" is carefully woven into its dialogue, but in Richard Wilber's English translation of Moliere's "Tartuffe," the poetry is literal. The entire play is presented in rhyming verse.
If you're not familiar with this classic French comedy, it catches you a little off guard at first, but once you get into the flow, the delicious comedy clips right along.
The story is fairly simple: Tartuffe, a hypocrite who puts on a pious front only to exploit those around him, is a guest at the estate of Orgon. Tartuffe manages to weasel his way into the family, eventually enticing Orgon to make him his sole heir - a mistake that throws the family into turmoil.
While Orgon and his mother, Madame Pernelle, steadfastly believe that Tartuffe is a completely honest man, everyone else - from the household staff to Orgon's wife - realize he has dangerous motives.
At one point Elmire, Orgon's wife, sets out to prove Tartuffe's real intentions by allowing him to seduce her, while Orgon is hiding beneath a table. Be forewarned: The naughty shenanigans in this particular scene are outrageously bawdy and may offend some viewers.
Under Paul Barnes' direction, "Tartuffe" is a grand, sophisticated romp.
The cast includes portly Robert Machray (who delighted crowds last year as Falstaff) in the title role of the exploitative scoundrel; Michele Farr as Elmire; Susan Sweeney as Dorine, a maid who cunningly helps manipulate Tartuffe's ultimate downfall; Richard Kinter as Orgon; Jim Anzide as Damis, Orgon's son, who is provoked into proving Tartuffe is a fake; Jean Reese Jenkins as Madame Pernelle; Lawrence Bull as Cleante, Orgon's brother-in-law, and Lauren Ward as Mariane, Orgon's daughter, who balks at being forced to marry Tartuffe.
"Tartuffe" is a French comedy classic which, like "Timon of Athens," is rarely performed these days. It's a little naughty - and a lot funny.
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Ticket information
Ticket prices for both the Adams Shakespearean Theatre and Randall Theatre range from $24 to $16, depending on seat location.
Ticket prices for Auditorium Theatre matinees range from $24 to $10.
For reservations or further information, call 586-7878. Mail-order forms can be found in festival brochures, available at customer information counters in most Wasatch Front shopping malls.