CEDAR CITY — There are many reasons to see live theatre. You may be attend a play to see a friend or family member perform on stage. Or you may attend a production because a group is producing one of your favorite plays. Perhaps you’re merely looking for a nice evening of entertainment, or you are looking to be emotionally moved or intellectually stimulated. In short, there are many reasons to attend a play.
As the final installment of UTBA’s interviews with actors from the Utah Shakespeare Festival, I asked three members of the company why audience members should visit Cedar City and attend the plays. Their answers are interesting (in my opinion) in and of themselves. But as I watched these videos, I realized that these actors were also indirectly explaining why they do what they do: why they tell stories, why they memorize Shakespeare, and what it is about these plays that makes them transplant their lives to Utah for months at a time.
Ben Jacoby, who plays Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, on the Festival’s production of the classic Tennessee Williams play:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU5jzAAfMWo]
Betsy Mugavero, who plays Poppy Norton-Taylor, explains why Utah audiences should see Noises Off!:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3oQ4OyrvAk]
Matt Mueller, who plays roles in all three Shakespeare productions at the Festival this year, explains why people should travel to Cedar City to see the plays:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN0g06cad0g]
Betsy Mugavero talks about the Shakespeare classic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiZEnyQfobo]
You can also read our the online interview with these actors, or watch them talk about the roles they play. Please also read our review of the 2011 Utah Shakespeare Festival production of The Music Man and watch our interview with the Festival’s executive director.
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For more information about the Utah Shakespeare Festival, visit www.bard.org.
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