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Show THE SUMMERBIRD JULY 20, 1987 PAGE 3 SiiaiespeaEjears Festival operas amid pomp, eet'ercaorai (LUtafo The Utah Shakespearean Festival opened its season Thursday night with a performance of The Comedy of Errors presented to hundreds of dignitaries, members of the media and others. Utah Gov. Norman Bangerter offically opened the 1987 season during ceremonies just before the play began. Also at that time, Fred C. Adams, founder and producing director of the festival, and Southern Utah State College President Gerald R. Sherratt announced plans for the completion of the indoor performing arts theatre. The building will be named for Randall L. Jones, a prominent Cedar City resident who was instrumental in developing southern Utahs reputation as a beautiful vacation locale. Jones family contributes $500,000 toward the financing of the $4.2 million structure. During his remarks, Gov. Bangerter praised the Jones family for giving something back to the community. He said their selflessness was something people everywhere could take as a fine example of what it means to be a good 1987 citizen. The new theatre is currently under construction across the street from the existing outdoor theatre. In attendance at the opening night ceremonies were Cedar City Mayor Robert Linford, several local lawmakers and dozens of mayors and legislators from all over the state. Miss Utah, Maryann Bales, was also present. Theres an electricity in the air opening night, something that happens only once each year, said Adams. It is a magic, really; an adrenalin rush. This is the big night, when you see if all your long hours of exhausting work have paid off. Since were performing in repertory, we actually have three opening nights this week, he said. Thursday was The Comedy of Errors, Friday, Richard 111, and Saturday was opening for Much Ado About Nothing. The popular Renaissance Feaste also began its run. Other festival performances, such as A Royal Tea and the Costume Cavalcade, begin this week. The Comedy of Errors is the hilarious story of two sets of twins who, unaware of each others existence, cause havoc in a mythical kingdom. Richard III is the' history of the bloody and short reign of one of Englands most hated kings. Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy about a plot to make two people who despise each other fall in love. Adams presents a complimentary orientation for festival patrons at 7:15 p.m. daily. The free Greenshow, which is traditionally attended by more than 1,000 people nightly, begins at exactly 7:30 p.m. Theres another thing that happened opening night that people should be aware of, said R. Scott Phillips, festival public relations director. Tickets for our 1988 season went on sale in the box office. Phillips said the festival was more than 75 percent soldout for this seasons performances a month before opening: We encourage people who know they are coming to the festival next year to get their seats as soon as they can. The good news is that we will be running a week longer than usual next year, so, naturally, more seats will be available, he said. The festival runs through Sept. 5. For more information, contact the USF Box Office at 586-787- 8. rotors provide entra People come to the Utah Shakespearean Festival to see the plays, but what goes on behind the scenes is often as entertaining, if not necessarily as literate, as anything Shakepeare ever wrote. That is why, according to festival Public Relations Director R. Scott Phillips, the backstage organization sponsors tours. For a lot of people, theatre is something of a mystery, Phillips says. "They see the play when it is produced, but they havent any idea of the hundreds of hours of work that go into getting ready for opening night. The tour is designed to answer their questions. Held every Tuesday and Friday afternoon, the tour ushers participants behind the scenes, showing them where props are made, how costumes are designed and constructed, what goes into the development of makeup for each actor, and much more. We even take them underneath the stage, where the actors wait for their entrances, and into the dressing rooms, says Phillips. At every stop along the tour, the festival has arranged for technicians and administrators to be present to explain how things work and to answer questions. For instance, in the scene shop we have a scenic technician who explains how the sets are built, how props are put together so that they are as accurate as possible, and tricks used to enhance the theatrical illusions needed for the various play, Phillips says. We also have costume and makeup technicians available to demonstrate what they do, he said. In fact, weve found that these twice-weekl- y irasiglDE stops along the tour are often the most interesting, because people are really surprised to see how we build armor, for e by the instance, or how a beard is crew. makeup Plus, there are always a few surprises along the way, he says. The tour also includes a 10 minute slide presentation outlining the festivals past, how actors are chosen, what the outlook is for the future and much more. Then the tour groups are introduced to actors who will serve as the guides, and the tours begin. Of course, we not only allow questions, but we encourage them, Phillips says. People are usually especially interested in the actors, why they are here, what their backgrounds are and things like that. Phillips says the tour is much more than good public relations: We think it is very healthy for people to see how theatre is made. One of our goals here at the Utah Shakespearean Festival is to get people involved in the theatre, not just as audience members, but occasionally as participants. With this tour, they can see that while theatre is magic, its a magic everyone can take a part in. The tour gives people a tangible understanding of our art, and its important for that reason. Its also a lot of fun. Tickets for the tour are available at the Utah Shakespearean Festival Box Office. People can either order them ahead of time, or buy them just before the tour is scheduled to start. For more information, call the box office at hand-mad- Adriana (Monica Bell, right) is shocked that her sister Luciana (Corlis Preston) could be so rude in the Utah Shakespearean Festival production of The Comedy of Errors. Greenshow adds fun, relaxation, excitement to Festival evenings About an hour before the play begins each evening at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, hundreds of people gather on the green behind the theatre and in the courtyard surrounding it. They are there to watch the festivals Greenshow, which through the years has grown in popularity and has earned an audience all its own. The Greenshow features bawdy Elizabethan wenches, witty jesters, jugglers, minstrels, dancers, a Punch and Judy show and much more. There are games for the youngsters, appearances by royalty, and a different form of entertainment on each of the Greenshows three stages. Its a festive atmosphere, designed to relieve people to their 20th century burdens and get them in the mood for the play. We like to think of it as a sort of time machine, said Douglas H. Baker, director of the Greenshow. The festival does its best to present its plays the way they would have been done in Shakespeares time, as nearly as possible. So it is the Greenshows job to help people slip into an Elizabethan frame of mind. There are different Greenshows for each of the three plays, so people who come to the Greenshow one night wont likely witness the same program if they come again later. Baker said there are 50 different entertainments, ranging from comic dances and story tellers to wandering madrigal singers and recorder players. The Greenshow is very participation-orienteBaker said. People dont just watch, they get involved, and this helps create a transition from the world of today to the 15th century. Jugglers d, 586-787- 8. (continued on page 8) |