Cedar City Shakespeare Festival
This small regional theater company has a big presence in the southwest region. Founded in 1961 by Fred C. Adams, a New York theater scene veteran who saw 150,000 annual tourists who came to the region for the landscape with nothing to do but stare at the stars after dark. (Utah issued its first liquor license in 2002 to Hells Backbone Grille to allow them to serve wine with their meal, and throughout the state still requires club membership in order to purchase a stand-alone drink.) The theater was a hit with locals and visitors alike and now attracts a more than 150,000 ticketholders, some of whom come to Cedar City just for the 250 festival performances. The success of the festival has engendered other arts companies and activities.
The Grind Coffee House – hosts an after theater theater event that invites actors and other artists to sing, dance, juggle or otherwise show their talents in a benefit for REACH, that helps fund job search services for the performers at the end of their season.
The Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery at the Southern Utah University – offers a showcase for visual arts presentations and competitions. The Wooden O Symposium brings together Shakespearean, Medieval and Early Modern Studies scholars from all disciplines to deepen the cultural and historical understanding of Shakespeare’s works.
The Cedar Falls Arts Festival is an outdoor arts faire. The annual Shakespeare Competition brings theater students from across the southwest together in a competitive performance venue that offers workshops and critique of their work. In 2000, the festival was garnered a Tony Award for America’s Outstanding Regional Theatre.
