Utah Shakespeare Festival’s “Greenshow” Celebrates Record-Breaking 2024 Season
Published: July 21, 2025 | Author: Abbie Cochrane | Read Time: 3 minutes
For nearly sixty-five years, the Greenshow at the Utah Shakespeare Festival has been a favorite of theater-goers in Cedar City and beyond. During the 2024 season, the shows broke attendance records by several hundred patrons. Composed primarily of song and dance with added elements of skits and comedy, the three productions in the Greenshow mirror the mood of the Shakespeare shows and provide patrons with original stories and songs once lost in the ever-evolving flow of folklore. This is thanks to the work of five-time Greenshow director Britannia Howe, who also serves as an assistant theater professor at Southern Utah University.
A Cedar City native and an SUU alum herself, Howe graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Classical Acting. Today, she has transposed the things she learned as a student into her practice directing the Greenshow. Inspired by the legacy of Barbara Adams, Howe’s goal–and the overall goal of the Festival–is triple-tiered; to build a show that audiences can’t see anywhere else and that primes the audience for the show they’re about to see, all while providing free entertainment and a service to the community. With extensive experience under her belt, Howe has formulated a system she uses to construct every Greenshow.
“I feel like one of the things that I gathered from SUU that prepared me as a director was my work study,” Howe said. “Working in the shops at SUU really opened up my eyes and opened up my world. I love design meetings and analysis, and while [my directing career] didn’t really start in the classroom, it did start at SUU. Theater is an ephemeral art form; shows come and go but people don’t have to.”
Austin Fronk is one of the student Fellows at USF this year, and is also going into his senior year at SUU. “I think the biggest thing I’ve learned so far is how to trust myself not just in the things I already know how to do well, but to trust in my ability to learn new things. I also love the themes of the Greenshows, especially our Mountain Wilderness night, which focuses on all the different ways you can find love in the world and within yourself; that you’re worth gold.”
The three Greenshows are centered around the setting of the mainstage Shakespeare plays, and theme the Greenshows accordingly. Every year, the Festival’s music director, Brandon Grayson, and Howe team up to write an original song together for the Greenshow. This year, they are excited to be adding Andrew Flasch to the team. When adding theatrical elements to the songs, Howe will spotlight special skills that the actors may have, like juggling or playing the accordion. To Howe, artistic collaboration is key.
“I really appreciate the relationship that USF has with SUU in creating that program and learning opportunities for not just the actors, but for the designers and technicians as well,” Howe said. “The Greenshow is a perfect training ground for young actors; not only do you have to sing, dance, and do comedy, but you also have to interact with the audience. Everybody says if you can do Shakespeare, you can do anything. I would say that if you can do Greenshow, you can do anything.”
Another SUU Fellowship student and upcoming senior, AJ Newbury, offered his insights on the experience as well. “Interning is hard, but I’ve gotten to observe professionals applying character work that’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen before and they are constantly leveling up their characters as we go. And when we had our preview for the Greenshow,I was so overwhelmed with joy seeing adults and kids alike just having the best time.”
Tickets for the 2025 season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival are available for purchase online, and seating for the Greenshow is free. Visit bard.org for more information about prices, show dates and times, and the shows happening this season.
Tags: Cedar City Campus Theatre Utah Shakespeare Festival Theatre Arts and Dance Community College of Performing and Visual Arts Theatre Dance and Arts Administration
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