A Shakespearean comedy set during the Civil War leads off this week's new stage productions on five Utah campuses."MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING," staged by Salt Lake Community College and directed by Frank Gerrish, is set in the fictional village of Messina, Virginia, instead of Shakespeare's Sicilian setting for the play. Gerrish is also placing it during the final two weeks of the Civil War — April 1865.
Gerrish hopes to make the atmospheric experience of the Civil War the very core of the play's emotional life, allowing Shakespeare to be deeply felt and understood by a contemporary audience.
The cast includes Tim Maness as Benedick, Rebecca Johnson as Beatrice, Geoff Hansen as Don Pedro, Hank Pond as Leonato, Francis Fecteau as Don John, Jonathon Rudy as Claudio and Abby Singer as Hero.
"Much Ado" opens Wednesday and continues on Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. through April 22 in the Black Box Theatre, located on the third floor of SLCC's South City campus, 1575 S. State. All tickets are $10 each, but there is no charge for SLCC students, faculty and staff (957-3322).
"ONE-ACT FESTIVAL," showcasing five short plays directed by Westminster College theater students, will play Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Dumke Student Theatre of the Jewett Center, 1250 E. 1700 South.
The plays, authors and directors include David Ives' "Sure Thing," co-directed by Annette Smith and Amber Swena, A. R. Gurney Jr.'s "The Problem," directed by Jessica Shurtleff and Megan Hoskins; Cathy Celesia's "Anything for You," directed by Adam Wilkins and Carrie Cooper; Murray Schisgal's "Extensions," directed by Alissa and Stephanie Christensen; and Stanley Rutherford's "Tables and Chairs," directed by Kirsten McGann and Erica Johnson.
The performances are free and open to the public.
"WEST SIDE STORY," Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents' contemporary musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," opens Thursday and continues through April 22 in the Morgan Theatre of Utah State University's Chase fine Arts Center, Logan.
Directed by Adrianne Moore and choreographed by Artemis Preeshl, the cast includes Richie Call as Tony, Kimberly Roderick as Maria, Jessica Hyde as Anita, Christopher Martin as Bernardo, along with two members of the local theater community — Frank Shaw and John McReynolds — as, respectively, Officer Krupke and Glad Hand.
Performances are Thursday-Saturday this week and Wednesday-Saturday the following week at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $11 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and USU faculty and staff, $8 for youths and non-USU students and free for all USU students (with valid activity cards). For tickets, call 435-797-0305.
"ARMS AND THE MAN," George Bernard Shaw's classic 1894 romantic comedy, will be staged Thursday through April 16 in Studio 115 of the U.'s Performing Arts Building, directly west of the campus book store.
Set in the Petkoff household in Bulgaria during the war between Serbia and Bulgaria, the backdrop provides the framework for a satire of romantic ideals concerning war, heroism and love. Sandra Shotwell is directing.
Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and April 16 at 2 p.m., with one additional matinee at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Tickets are $7 for general admission and $5 for students (581-7100 or www.kingtix.com).
"SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL," directed by Richard Bugg, is playing from Thursday through April 20 in Southern Utah University's Randall L. Jones Theatre, Cedar City.
The cast includes Rhett Guter as the Cat in the Hat, Tanner McGuire as JoJo, Andrew Hunsaker as Horton, Melissa Nay as Mayzie and Cassandra Averill as Gertrude.
Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the general public, $8 for SUU faculty and staff and $5 for all students (435-586-7878). There will also be weekday matinees at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday and April 21 for school groups ($3 per student for up to 74 youths and $2 each for those with 75 or more, with teachers and chaperones admitted for free).
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com