Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Alumni Days at Shakespeare 2015

This past week, more than 100 alumni and friends joined us for the fifth year of Alumni Days at Shakespeare, held June 25-27. Alumni Days continues to grow in popularity and we are
The Adams Memorial Theatre
excited each year to offer alumni the opportunity to return to our beautiful campus, enjoy the summer season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival (at a discounted rate) and participate in unique events planned specifically for them.

This year’s Utah Shakespeare Festival (USF) plays included Amadeus, The Taming of the Shrew, Charley’s Aunt, Henry IV Part Two, South Pacific, and King Lear. All of the productions were phenomenal, but it was especially poignant to see the Shakespearean plays in the Adams Memorial Theatre for its final season as a part of the Festival. We will surely miss that wonderful theatre and all the memories we have collected during its 38 years.

At the traditional Dinner in the Pines, we heard from SUU Vice President for Alumni & Community Relations Mindy Benson, USF Associate Education Director Josh Stavros, USF Executive Director R. Scott Phillips, and SUU
A great turnout to the Dinner in the Pines
Associate Vice President for Advancement Staci Carson. In addition, SUU student Samae Allred (actor in the Greenshow and various productions) talked about her role at the Festival and told her moving story of her battle with cancer and the university’s impact on her life and love of theatre.

The heat was sweltering all throughout last week, but that didn’t stop some of our alumni and their families from visiting the Frontier Homestead Park to learn the ins and outs of life for both the indigenous people of Southern Utah and pioneer settlers. They also had the chance to cool down by participating in a backstage tour of the Randall and Adams theatres and an Ice Cream Social, where they could interact and thank the Festival’s 2015 cast and crew for their awesome performances.

Alumni Days at Shakespeare 2016 will be held around the same time, next June. Mark your calendars now (tickets will go on sale early in 2016) and plan to attend the Festival’s first year in the new Beverly Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts. You won’t be disappointed!
Alumni Days at Shakespeare can be a family affair, too!

This year's Italian Green Show is directed by
SUU Alumnus Josh Stavros

National Alumni Board VP of Programming Jessi Allen loved
mingling with the Festival cast & crew

We really appreciate the Festival actors for mingling
with us after a long day of performances

Thanks to Alumni Board VP of Programming Melissa Corry,
 her husband, and Lex Allen for scooping all of our delicious
 ice cream

Our tour guide is an SUU alumnus that is Stage Managing
for King Lear
Our alumni loved finishing the backstage tour among
the portraits of actors from all the past Festival productions

Our alumni will never starve because of the
atlatl hunting skills they learned at the Frontier Homestead Park