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Show Jestival chanqes like niqftt and day' Fred Adams, Howard Jensen reminisce over 20 years By BRUCE LEE Record Editor "I was just an unmarried kid then. 1 was forming pretty pictures on a stage in those days." That unmarried kid was Fred Adams, founder and now managing director of the Utah Shakespearean Festival; and' the pretty pictures were part of the first edition of the Festival, 20 years ago. Adams was speaking with Howard Jensen, this year's director of "Henry IV, Part I' and Hamlet in the first year's production. The two men have watched the Festival grow and change over the past 20 years and have a lot of memories and insights to share with each other. "There have been a lot of changes," said Jcsnen. "It's like night and day. In those 20 years incredible things have hapiK'iiod." One of the main changes he sees is the change from a small, minor happening to the large production the Festival has become. "We all did a bit of everything on our own then," he said, including cooking, sewing, acting and selling refreshments. refresh-ments. Now, of course, those involved in the Festival are mainly specialists, bringing specific talents to their specific jobs. However, added Jensen, "so many things were there that first year, only in miniature." He cited the greenshow and the concessions con-cessions as evidence. Also much different is the theatre building itself. "It's an incredible building," said .Jensen. "This is one of the linost Shakespeare theatres anywhere." But it wasn't always so. Adams remembers the year the wind blew some Hats used to form walls of an earlier stage clear across the present auditorium building onto the junior high school lawn across the street to the north. At that time, said Adams, the actors were also not as polished and professional as the actors this year, but he was also quick to point out that they made up lor it with enthusiasm. There was an energy ;n those first years that I think made up for, maybe, a lack of experience," he said. Jensen concurred: "We never worried about being good then, but we were, in a different way." Although many things are different both agreed that one thing hasn't changed: "I think this community is remarkable," said Jensen. "It's just one of the best audiences I know." Looking back, Jensen and Adams both say that they always knew the Festival would go big someday. 'I never doubted," said Jensen. "We figured it could be done," added Adams. "I think we all had the vision of it then. But both also look to the future. In fact, they look to it with eagerness. "II would have Ix'en stupid to say we have arrived," said Adams, who has been the driving force behind 2(1 years of success. Certainly the Festival has not arrived; it will probably never arrive, but it will keep going, moving forward. The twinkle in Adams' eve tells all. ' Howard Jensen (left) and Fred Adams discuss plans for the I9S1 Shakespearean Festival. The two hae been involved with the Festival since its inception. Adams directed Jensen in the title role of the first ear's production of "ll.nnlel." He is now producing director and is also directing "llamlct". this year. Jensen is directing this year's "Henry IV, Part I." 'Tfie perfLmc aid supy(iMce of a minute |