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Show Shakespearean Festival goes on tour BY LIBERTY CASE JOURNAL STAFF WRITER The Utah Shakespearean Festival kicked off its annual “Shakespeare-in-the-Schools” tour with four performances in Cedar City. An adapted version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be taken on tour as part of the Festival’s educational outreach program. The program, which is in its eighth year, helps promote the Festival’s popular summer season. Michael Bahr, education director for the Utah Shakespearean Festival, said that most people don’t realize that the Festival is “practically year round.” Twenty-four full-time, year- round employees work for the Festival. Professional actors, including SUU alumnus Matt Bennett, will perform the 75-minute play some 80 times during the 13-week tour. Seven actors and three technical crew members will travel in a van and live out of hotels while they present the play in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Wyoming. The show will be performed in with the USF before and they will face the challenge of playing more than one role. Cast members include Matt Bennett, Salt Lake City; Logan Ernstall, Los Angeles; Kern McFadden, Kentucky; Justin Winterhalter, Minnesota; Clare Arena, Wisconsin; Katie McGlynn, Minnesota; and Tracie Merrill, New York. School children will have a chance to participate in discussions with the cast after each performance. In this way, the actors serve as ambassadors for theatre arts. “It is neat to watch reactions of the school kids when they get to talk to a real actor,” Bahr said. Actors will also present workshops for the students. This year’s workshops include stage combat, performing Shakespeare’s text and developing character through improvisation. “I'm glad that we’re performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Bahr said. “It’s a wonderfully comic tale of love, fairies and magic.” One benefit of the tour is that it fosters interest in acting. It also allows professional theatre to become accessible to students, Bulloch said. : Bahr said the program is » 351 W, Center St Cedar City, UT (Inside the Sharwan Smith Center, SUU) mmmmw 2 exciting because students are able Woid whare prodibited. Mot vald with ary other offsr, O spives 2.28.02 1~ to see “living, breathing drama,” = which provides proper models of ' acting and theatre for school-aged locations ranging from concert PEAREAN FE halls to middle school gymnasiums, Bahr said. The tour will also make several 5 children. stops in rural communities. g “Our focus is to reach people who wouldn’t normally be exposed to Shakespeare,” Krista “[The program] inspires < [students] to pursue acting,” he Bulloch, USF education department secretary, said. Bahr said that sets, costumes and theatrical lighting will make Bennett (left) as Puck, it difficult to take the play on tour. Most of the actors have been on Merrill as Titania, and Logan Ernstthal as Oberon in the Utah Shakespearean Festival’s 2002 Shakespeare-in-theSchools production of ‘A Midsummer Night's a tour before, Bahr said, while three cast members have worked Dream.’ L asliasS s R Z said. “5 Students are also able to better understand Shakespeare because & of the tour. : = 2< “For some students it will be | the first time they have ever seen NYolla)Y }?Jrh@rmONudear Burrito Shakespeare,” Bahr said. Performances are funded by the Utah State Office of Education, in addition to schools and private business sponsors. SR Utah Arts Festival calls for entries The Utah Arts Festival is calling for entries for its 26th annual upcoming event in June set in Salt Lake City. The Festival is accepting applications from performing, visual and culinary artists. The performing arts program considers artists in the following categories: music, dance and literary arts. Submissions from all artists and craftspeople for the Artist Marketplace program can include: clay sculpture, drawing and painting, leather work, photography, wearable art, wood work and metal work. The Culinary Arts program is open to any licensed food vendors selling a diverse selection of culinary items. Artists entering work in the performing arts category will be judged on originality, creativity, professionalism, and how well each submission suits the Festival’s enviroment. Juries made up of musicians, critics, and other professionals in related fields will evaluate each entry. The applications will also be judged in comparison to past performances held in Utah and previous Festival performances. A panel of experts and art professionals will conduct the selection process for the Artist Marketplace program. These applications will be assessed by an expert panel that will judge solely upon the quality of work potrayed in the slides submitted by the applicant. Food vendors will be selected by the Utah Arts Festival staff members. Each vendor chosen will be appraised on booth design, photographs of food items served and application. Performing artists must turn in completed application tapes no later than March 1 at 5 p.m. Applications for the Artists Marketplace must be hand delivered or postmarked by Feb. 1. Culinary artists are required to submit applications March 8 at 5 p.m. For application information contact Lisa Stewell at (801) 322-2428. For general information about the Festival visit www.uaf.org. DRI with choice of dessert included Desserts * * * * * FLAN BUNUELOS FRIED ICE CREAM CHURROS & HOT CHOCOLATE VANILLA ICE CREAM 1166 South Sage Dr. Suite H Call 865-5986 for Take-Out | ¢15 Ski Rental - or _ $20 Snowboard (Expires 4/20/02, excludes holidays.) n Rental with coupon. i 612 S. Hwy. Ski shvp & Bikes 143 Brian Head (435) 677-2013 |