Kearns is keenly aware of this and urges us to reshape our opinions regarding the genre. Henry IV, Part I is one of his most popular histories, but ranks lower in popularity when the tragedies and comedies are thrown into the mix. So why choose it to be the play for the Shakespeare in the Schools tour? Everybody knows Romeo and Juliet. A coming of age story is perfect to bring to primarily middle and high school students across the Intermountain West, as each student is experiencing their very own coming of age story.
The minute condensed version of Part I tells of King Henry IV and his son Prince Hal, and how the prince is faced with growing up and preparing to assume the throne. It ends with the battle between Prince Hal and his rival Hotspur. Shelley and Kearns wanted to show that any school can do the play with just the actors and minimal needs. The seven actors play a myriad of characters and will make small changes in their physical appearance, so they will focus on transforming themselves vocally and stylistically.
Another change is that the tour is using only actor-generated sound, as opposed to the pre-recorded sound used in previous years. I hope they can thread the needle and think of how they should live their lives given whatever is put in their laps.
Shelley added that the tour is not possible without incredible sponsorships, which primarily comes from the Utah Legislature through the Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools POPS. For more information on the tour click here. The Utah Shakespeare Festival is thrilled to announce its touring team for Shakespeare in the Schools, its annual education tour production. He has also filled the roles of associate education director, education programs manager, and summer camp coordinator for the Festival and has directed over 50 plays in educational and community theatre.
Making her debut at the Festival, Kearns is also the artistic associate of Forward Theater Company and former education director of Milwaukee Shakespeare. She, too, will not go on tour with the group. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Rider University.
