The Best of Shakespeare Offered in Southern Utah

Shakespeare rocks . . . and so do Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Alfred Hitchcock, all featured in the 2010 season of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, on the campus of Southern Utah University in Cedar City.

The 2010 Summer Season will feature six shows rotating in two theaters from June 28 to August 28:

"Macbeth," haunted by witches prophecies and spurred by his wife’s ambitions and his own taste for power, dares to twist and tempt fate in one of the world’s first psychological thrillers.

"The Merchant of Venice" is a thought-provoking masterpiece of love and humor, racism and greed which explores issues of justice and mercy, the complexity of humanity and the nature of forgiveness and love.

"Much Ado About Nothing" is a vibrant and comic celebration of life and romance involving lovers for which you will cheer when these lively couples finally learn the realities of life, love and themselves - through lessons learned from an assortment of villains, clowns, and eccentric characters.

"Pride and Prejudice" involves a plot by desperate parents to find eligible suitors for their five beautiful daughters. Fully capturing the spirit of the classic book by Jane Austen, this adaptation is delightful, romantic, and fun for the entire family.

Alfred Hitchcock’s "The 39 Steps" blends the "master of mystery" with Monty Python. A hilarious mystery spoof involving murder, betrayal, and espionage, this is one of the funniest plays to ever hit Broadway. See if you can figure out whodunit as this cast of four transforms into over 150 farcical characters!

"Great Expectations" is a world premiere musical based on one of history’s most popular novels involving the adventures of young Pip and his struggles and triumphs to find his place in the world. Charles Dickens’ timeless prose is interwoven with soaring and rich music.

During the fall season (September 16 - October 16 ) the Emmy-award winning theater group will present three additional shows including "The Adventures of Pericles" a rich tale of a young man’s search for thrills, riches and love while the gods seem to be against him as his loves die and his friends deceive him. In the end . . . well, you’ll have to find out for yourself.

In "Greater Tuna" you’ll meet the on-air personalities of OKKK Radio as they bring you the daily happenings in Tuna, Texas, complete with UFOs, Smut Snatchers, and Puppy Pushers, and where laughter fills every thirty-second sound bite.

And, USF’s final offering in 2010 is "The Diary of Anne Frank," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play which testifies - not to the brutality of war and hatred - but to the unshakeable spirit of a young girl and to the hopes and loves of a family and a people trying to hold to their faith.

Sorry . . . you won’t be able to enjoy any Shakespeare during the Utah Rotary District Conference on May 13-15, 2010! Guess you’ll just have to come back!