Shakespeare would be proud to see life-affirming classic and contemporary plays in the repertory of the Utah Shakespeare Festival as it aims to educate, enrich, and entertain. Attracting 120,000 visitors to Cedar City, Utah, Shakespeare Festival is deemed to be one of the largest and oldest festivals in North America dedicated to the grand poet.
The Festival exhibits eight or nine professional plays annually. In addition to that, it offers a variety of activities such as literary and production seminars, a free pre-play Greenshow, workshops, classes, and backstage tours—making this event one of Utah’s precious cultural treasures. Besides Shakespeare's plays, you will see works by one of his contemporaries like Christopher Marlowe or other non-Shakespearean works by more contemporary playwrights, one of which is usually a musical.
The Shakespeare plays are usually staged in the outdoor Adams Shakespearean Theater, a replication of the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The other plays are performed on an indoor stage at the Randall L. Jones Theater. The Auditorium Theater is usually used as a rain-stage for Adams' performances.
Cedar City is an excellent location for combining nature-based adventures with cultural enrichment. The city is a gateway to nearby Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Cedar Breaks National Monument.
