History
The Festival was founded in 1961 by Fred C. Adams. After a stint in the New York theatre scene, he made his way to Cedar City, entering College of Southern Utah (later renamed as Southern Utah University) in 1959. He soon realized the potential for such a venture in the area, hoping to draw on the 150,000 or so tourists that come to the area's National Parks in the summer. He first traveled to Ashland, Oregon to observe the operations of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which is often regarded as one of the foremost festivals in the world. While in Ashland, Adams met and entensively interviewed OSF's founder, Angus L. Bowmer.
The Festival produced its first season in 1962 on a makeshift platform on the college campus, drawing from students and townspeople to form its first company, who not only acted, but also built their own props, costumes, and stage. This first season featured three of Shakespeare's plays: The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, and The Merchant of Venice. The first season yielded some 3,300 audience members and around $2,000 in profit, which was reinvested in the company to produce a second season the following year. In the years to come, the Festival would grow tremendously, and now plays to an estimated audience of 150,000 and has an operational budget of $5 million.
The Adams Shakespearean Theatre (also known as the Adams Memorial Theatre) was constructed on the University campus, and was completed in 1977. Designed by Douglas N. Cook, it is world-renowned for its accuracy in duplicating Shakespeare's Globe; the BBC used it as a filming location in 1981 for a documentary series on Shakespeare. Within a few years, the Adams Theatre will be replaced by a similar theater, which will include wider seats, and a retractable roof. The modern Randall L. Jones Theatre was completed for the 1989 season. Plans for a third theatre are being developed; it is expected to be a black box space, and will feature modern plays by living dramatists. The new theatre is part of the master-planned Utah Shakespeare Festival Centre for the Performing Arts, which will house a Renaissance study center, restaurants, pubs, and support facilities. It is expected to be completed within 10 years.
In 1991, Douglas Cook, Producing Artistic Director, was one of the co-founders of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America.
In 2004, the Utah Shakespeare Festival was listed as a Major Festival in the book Shakespeare Festivals Around the World by Marcus D. Gregio (Editor).
In 2010, the Festival changed its name to the Utah Shakespeare Festival and revised its logo.
Read more about this topic: Utah Shakespearean Festival
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