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Show 5 ( '1 4 -r 4V "V : ,r - nil ' ' i -'tflJ6i v- (a) I - fa1 . i fit v tK i Ari "f;v w f v : I ... t - . j 1 ' . , i ... . ' w " ; " ,ii . -' ' ! Utah Shakespearean Festival support comes from the Dennis Peterson extended family: Russell and Donna Stewart, Todd, Ty and Brandon Peterson, Evelyn Peterson and Charles and Wilma Merryweather. Festival's a family affair Community participation par-ticipation is a major asset of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, but when a single Cedar City family provides eight regular Festival participants, they just may be establishing a record. The Dennis Peterson extended family, consisting con-sisting of mom and dad and sisters and brothers-in-law and sons, is providing this summer's Festival with -eight performers: an entire Madrigal singing group and orga nizer of the Festival support,., heads the Madrigal singers, assisted by her sister Donna Stewart, Donna's husban Russell, and Donna and Evelyn's brother Charles Merryweather and his wife Wilma. Confusing? Not so when you hear their beautifully blended voices during the green show, perhaps renewing the Old English lines regarding the vices of smoking tobaccoes... a not very popular pastime, , incidentally, in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Or perhaps you will notice the group strolling around the Festival grounds or singing in the Auditorium or Exhibit Hall. "We love madrigal singing since high school, and last summer Charles ; and Wilma came from California just to sing for the Festival. We con- vinced them they should move back to Cedar City. They did and this summer sum-mer they don't have so far to commute. We all regard the singing as fun rather than work." This group has recorded a soon-to-be-released album with the title of MERRYWEATHER PLUS, in which many of their favorite madrigal songs appear. Three of Dennis and Evelyn's sons are likewise performing for the Festival this summer. Todd, 16, is a puppeteer for the Punch and Judy show; Ty, 15, is the Page who leads audiences to the Recital Hall for REVELS OF THE QUEEN; and Brandon. 10, already has a string of acting credits both with the Festival and with the regular Southern Utah State College drama program. The Peterson boys appeared first in the SUSC production of SHENANDOAH. Brandon later appeared in SUSC productions of A DOLL'S HOUSE (1977), and STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF (1978). In 1979 he was William in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDOR, and this summer he is appearing as the young son of Macduff in the Festival production of MACBETH. Brandon has had speaking lines in both Shakespearean productions. Mrs. Peterson stresses that their sons love music and drama. "Since the first time the boys appeared ap-peared in a play, they have just watched for each new opportunity to audition for another one. All three boys are sincerely sin-cerely attracted to theater." And if this isn't enough Festival support from one family, Mrs. Peterson concludes that "Most of our family has moved back to Cedar City where we grew up as children of the Austin Merry weathers. Only one brother yet remaias in California, and we need him in our Feslival group. We're trying to get him back to Cedar City. |