Utah Shakespeare Festival Celebrates 65 Years of Storytelling and Connection
Published: May 13, 2026 | Author: Nikki Koontz | Read Time: 2 minutes
CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Utah Shakespeare Festival will celebrate its landmark 65th anniversary season this summer, centering on the theme “Generations Gather Here.” The upcoming season honors more than six decades of artistic excellence while celebrating the Festival’s enduring role as a cornerstone of community, mentorship, and cultural innovation in the American West.
Since its founding in 1961, the Festival has evolved from a small outdoor stage into a Tony Award-winning institution. This year’s anniversary also marks a decade since the opening of the Beverley Taylor Sorensen Center for the Arts, a transformative facility on the SUU campus that united the Festival’s theaters with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA). This "magical oasis of story" continues to serve as a vital laboratory for student opportunity and professional mentorship.
"The Utah Shakespeare Festival has remained relevant for 65 years because of its attention to story; the importance of telling incredible stories that unite us," said Michael Bahr, Festival Executive Managing Director. "Our theaters are designed for intimacy, where the communication between actor and audience creates a shared energy you simply won’t find anywhere else. We are the antidote to the digital screen; we are about real human connection."
The 65th anniversary season features a robust lineup that balances classical rigor with modern vibrancy, including Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, Something Rotten!, See How They Run, She Loves Me, Frankenstein, and The Book Club Play. Beyond the stage, the Festival experience includes the nightly Green Show —a free gift of song and mirth to the community—and the long-running Seminar Groves, where patrons and scholars engage in candid dialogue about the plays’ themes and relevance.
This season also aligns with the broader "Americana" celebration, highlighting stories of place, purpose, and community-building that mirror the history of Cedar City. From "Bard Quests" in the local community to historical exhibitions at SUMA, the anniversary year is designed to be an accessible, life-changing experience for families and first-time visitors alike.
"We are grounded in the beautiful foundational work of the past, which catapults us into who we are supposed to be," Bahr said. "We treat Shakespeare like a living, modern playwright informed by the present. This 65th year isn't just a look back; it’s a launching pad for the next 65 years of humanity and discovery."
Contact Information
Brooke Heath
435-586-5400
brookeheath1@suu.edu