The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently announced the casting of the first ten actors for the 2012 season. All are familiar faces, having appeared at the Festival in the past. Actors slated to appear thus far are Jacqueline Antaramian, Monica Bell, Danforth Comins, David Ivers, Martin Kildare, Dan Kremer, Kymberly Mellen, Roderick Peeples, Melinda Pfundstein, and Brian Vaughn. A complete casting list will be available soon at www.bard.org.
“These ten actors, which come from all over the country, are representative of the strongest talent in our field,” said David Ivers, artistic director. “Collectively, they bring a vitality and accomplishment that deepens our ability to produce world class theatre.” Brian Vaughn, artistic director, added, “Please watch for more exciting news regarding casting coming soon. You are certain to see many familiar faces, and we are eager to introduce you to several new members of our acting company in 2012.”
Jacqueline Antaramian is appearing this year as Mary, the much-maligned Queen of Scots, in Mary Stuart Tamora in Titus Andronicus, and Mistress Ford, one of the merry wives, in The Merry Wives of Windsor. She last appeared at the Festival in 2006 as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra and Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Monica Bell has not appeared at the Festival in over two decades, but audiences will quickly remember her as she fills the 2012 roles of Elizabeth in Mary Stuart and the adult Jean Louise Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. In 1989, she appeared as Perdita in The Winter’s Tale, the hilarious Toinette in The Imaginary Invalid, and the scheming Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. In previous years, she played roles as diverse as Desdemona in Othello, Imogen in Cymbeline, Celia in As You Like It, Adriana in The Comedy of Errors, Elizabeth in Richard III, Beatrice in Much Ado about Nothing, and Princess of France in Love’s Labour’s Lost. Bell may have been speaking for many of the actors, when she said: “ In a way, it feels like coming home again. I remember the Utah audiences’ beautiful sense of connection and proud ownership of the theatre. I really felt their energy when I was in performance. The excitement was always palpable. This season is a lovely opportunity for me to come home again.”
Danforth Comins will be at the Festival this year in the monumental title role of Hamlet, which is scheduled as one of two later openings on September 22, along with Stones in His Pockets. He appeared here in 2004 as Sheriff Joe Sutter in The Spitfire Grill and the Porter in Macbeth. In 2001 he played the roles of Valentine in The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Trebonius and Pindarus in Julius Caesar.
David Ivers, a long-time actor at the Festival and now artistic director, will put on his acting hat this year in the hilarious title role of Scapin, as well as Jake in the popular return engagement of Stones in His Pockets. In the previous twenty years he has played nearly forty roles at the Festival, including Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale and Tony Wendice in Dial M for Murder last year, Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing and Clown #1 in The 39 Steps in 2010, and such varied roles as Jaques in As You Like It, Homer Bolton in Morning’s at Seven, Truffaldino in The Servant of Two Masters, Caliban in The Tempest, and Garry Lejeune in Noises Off! He has also directed three shows at the Festival: Romeo and Juliet in 2012, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) in 2009, and Cyrano de Bergerac in 2008.
Martin Kildare is returning to the Festival this year to play the wise and loving father, Atticus Finch, in To Kill a Mockingbird, and Leicester in Mary Stuart. In previous years at the Festival he has played such roles as Iago in Othello and Lynn Sanderson in Harvey (2002), Hamlet in Hamlet (1997), and Cleante in The Imaginary Invalid and Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie (1989). “I never think that I have ‘dream roles,’” said Martin in discussing the upcoming season. “But when David [Ivers] and Brian [Vaughn] called to talk to me about playing Atticus in To Kill A Mockingbird, I realized I do have dream roles, I’m just too superstitious to admit it. To get to come back to the Festival and work on both stages, on great roles, in relevant plays, for great audiences, with great actors, directors, and designers—what more could you ask for?
Dan Kremer will take on the monumental title role of Titus Andronicus this summer, as well as Burleigh in Mary Stuart. In three previous years at the Festival, he has played Morrie Schwartz in Tuesdays with Morrie (2009), Horace Vandergelder in The Matchmaker and Lear in King Lear (2007), and Doctor Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor and a Clown and the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father in Hamlet (2006).
