Happenings

Summer is here and so are we! We have an amazing cast, full of actors with connections to the University of Utah's nationally ranked Actor Training Program (ATP). Our cast for "Twelfth Night, or What You Will" is mainly comprised of an all-star list from the past seven years of ATP graduates. Grouping these actors together in one production will provide a level of theatre rarely seen in America.

Acting troupes that remain together for years, rare in America and more common in Europe, allow actors to truly grow to know one another. They inhabit one another's abilities, insights, talents, timing and reactions. The level of performance that can occur when such familiarity and unity combusts onstage can be breathtaking. We feel that maximum understanding of the relevance of Shakespeare's plays and the messages contained therein can only be revealed in this type of environment, in a company of connected actors. Our goal is to take advantage of the ties that are formed by those that have participated together in Utah's ATP training. These ties can be accurately compared to the shared-knowledge that so positively improves the interaction of actors in many European troupes. These University of Utah actors have acted with each other in many situations and venues. Even ATP actors from different eras have been trained under the same basic philosophy. Our hope is that this combination of methodology and style will come together to enhance the enjoyment for the audience that experiences their performances.

We are beyond excited about this production. These actors are at various stages in their acting lives. Some are working professionally, some have just completed graduate acting programs, one just now graduated and still another is a junior in the ATP. Two of the actors were not trained in the Actor Training Program but are either recently married or engaged to ATP graduates and each possesses an MFA in Acting from a prestigious university. Salt Lake Shakespeare has an objective to stage Shakespeare's works in contemporary settings. We hope you will attend and enjoy.