Utah Shakespeare Festival 2024 features The Winter’s Tale, Much ado About Nothing, The Mountaintop, and more

Caroline Bleakley
·2 min read
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Utah Shakespeare Festival opens its 63rd season on June 17 in Cedar City and will feature several productions. Over the decades, the annual festival has been popular with southern Nevadans.

The festival lineup for 2024:

  • Henry VIII (June 17 – September 5) This historical play follows Henry VIII as he wrestles with defying the church by divorcing Katherine of Aragon to pursue a new wife and the possibility of a male heir. It’s been 30 years since this play was performed at the festival.

  • The Winter’s Tale (June 18 – September 6) King Leontes’ jealousy and rage spark this Shakespearean romance. It focuses on themes of betrayal, loss, and forgiveness.

  • The Taming of the Shrew ( June 19 – September 7) This is a comedic tale of a plot by suitors seeking to marry Katherina’s younger sister to find a suitor for the older sister, Katherina. But Katerina will not be tamed easily.

  • Much Ado About Nothing (June 21 – October 5) This story takes place after the war ends and soldiers return to their Italian town. It centers on one of Shakespeare’s best verbal sparring couples in romance. It’s about communication and deception and how both are used for good and evil.

  • The 39 Steps (June 22 – October 5) This is a fast-paced “whodunit” comedy performed with only four actors. Richard Hannay unwittingly entangles himself with the mysterious Annabella Schmidt, and the next day he wakes to find her dead in his flat. He sets out on the adventure of a lifetime, careening from place to place and muddle to mess

  • Silent Sky (July 12 – October 5) This play follows the true story of 19th-century scientist Henrietta Leavitt, whose breakthroughs in astronomy profoundly impacted the way we see the universe. She is torn between her family responsibilities and soaring ambitions.

  • The Mountaintop (July 13 – October 5) This play is set on the last night of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life. It transports the audience to the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where King confronts his legacy and mortality.

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream presented by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (July 30 – August 3) As part of the festival’s artist exchange program with London’s famed Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), their students will present a touring production of the play.

The festival also includes The Greenshow, which is a free, pre-show entertainment as well as free play orientations, play, and production seminars where you can learn more about the props, costumes, actors, and producers.

Here’s a link with more information on the summer festival and how to get tickets.

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