(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 28, 2009 ) CEDAR CITY, Utah–The Tony Award-Winning Utah Shakespearean Festival will, again, profoundly celebrate the arts in the park like no other summer program, even while theatre companies across the country close due to the economic downturn and the festival itself addresses its own slight deficit. The new dates for the 2009 summer season are June 29 to August 29 and the fall season is now September 18 to October 17, as opposed to what was previously announced.

Several money-saving cuts have been made and both seasons have been shortened, as well as positions eliminated in order to “weather the financial storm” according to festival officials this week. “We have taken a fine scalpel and carefully sliced away costs in ways that will not hurt our artistic product or the experience of our patrons,” says R. Scott Phillips, Festival executive director.

Cedar Breaks National Monument, a 2,000 foot deep natural amphitheater made only more magnificent by the connecting 10,000 foot high Markagunt Plateau, is the backdrop to this festival and grants a vacationer’s wish for the best of both worlds – outdoors and the arts. The Festival Company performs on three stages, including a grand outdoor theater patterned after Shakespeare’s original Globe Theater.

Revised matinee and evening performances for summer include: Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,” “Henry V,” and “As You Like It,” as well as Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” the charming “Foxfire,” and the family musical “The Secret Garden.”

A revised fall schedule will feature: “Tuesdays with Morrie,” “The Woman in Black,” and “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” – a “hilarious farce”, says Phillips.

Executive Director of the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau, Maria Twitchell, notes, “We want this landmark festival, which was founded almost 50 years ago, to continue for many more decades and Cedar City Tourism is proud to support and help festival organizers in making this year successful – artistically, financially and for the enjoyment of old and new patrons. We want play-goers to still come out and enjoy what the festival has to offer and experience the affordability of Cedar City. Combining national park visits with classic and contemporary plays is a perfect vacation and even more, it fits into today’s budget-cautious lifestyle for so many of us.”

Playgoers can enjoy activities such as a pre-play entertainment “green show,” backstage tours, literary and production seminars, play orientations, curtain call lunches and a new premier seating option with extra perks.

Patrons who have purchased tickets for canceled or altered performances can call the Festival Ticket Office at 1-800-752-9849 to exchange tickets for other dates or plays; exchange them for a certificate redeemable for future performances; or receive a refund. No fees apply.

For more information on lodging and the festival and its recently announced 2009 schedule changes and adjustments, call the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau at 1-800-354-4849. Also, call the theater box office at 1-800-PLAYTIX or visit www.bard.org. Tickets are on sale now for the summer and fall shows noted above.

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Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau
CONTACT: Maria Twitchell
TEL: 435-586-5124, ext. 15
E-MAIL: maria@netutah.com
WEB: www.scenicsouthernutah.com
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Contact Information:
Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism
Bobbi Bolio
Tel: 480-219-0085
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