Alumni Days at Shakespeare

Our second year of Alumni Days at Shakespeare was a wonderful success as 120 alumni and guests were on campus June 25-27 for the 51st season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Fred C. Adams, founder and executive producer emeritus, and R. Scott Phillips ('76), executive director, were our featured speakers at a dinner Monday evening on the patio of the Hunter Conference, after wich we attended The Merry Wives of Windsor in the Adams Outdoor Theatre. Earlier that afternoon, attendees enjoyed the compelling American drama To Kill a Mockingbird.

Tuesday, June 26, was the hilarious production of Scapin in the Randall Jones Theatre. That afternoon, Brian Vaughn ('95), co-artistic director, was our guest and speaker at a reception in the J. Reuben Clark Jr. Alumni House. Ben Hohman, properities and display director, explained how props at the Utah Shakespeare Festival are made and revealed a little-known fact that a "monkey" is hidden in at least one prop for all productions at the Adams Theatre. A wig artist also demonstrated the intricacies of wig weaving that occurs for each hair piece used at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. That evening was the production of Mary Stuart, which told the story of the political power game that took place between Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary Queen of Scots.

On our final day, we enjoyed the always popular backstage tour of the both the Randall Jones and Adams Theatres, and viewed this summer's blockbuster Les Misérables. That evening the outdoor stage featured Titus Andronicus, which was one of Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime, and an ice cream social was held at the Alumni House where alumni and guests visited with cast and crew.

Thank you to all who attended this year's Alumni Days at Shakespeare. If you happened to miss this year's event . . . we invite you to attend next year!

View more pictures from the Alumni Days at Shakespeare 2012 on our flickr photostream.