Las Vegans help boost Festival numbers

Friday, Nov. 8, 2002 | 9:41 a.m.

Nearly 22,000 Las Vegas-area residents made a pilgrimage to the cooler climes of Cedar City to see Shakespeare's plays at this summer's Utah Shakespearean Festival.

Southern Nevada theatergoers accounted for 19.5 percent of the 147,952 tickets sold for the 2002 season, up from 17.6 percent of the total in 2001.

"Given the circumstances, we're pleased with these figures," R. Scott Phillips, festival managing director, said.

The increase in attendance by Las Vegas residents was a bright spot in the festival's financial picture.

The total number of tickets was down by 320 over the 2001 season, Phillips said, and the total of $3.9 million in ticket sales this year is 1 percent off from last year's sales.

Ticket sales through the festival's website -- bard.org -- accounted for 15 percent this year, Phillips said.

After the 10 1/2 weeks of summer's plays, the season extended into the fall, attracting a third of its audience to see Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," the only Shakespeare play on the bill.

About 21 percent of the audience this fall came from Las Vegas, said Donna Law, director of marketing and publicity for the festival. About two-thirds of all the people who attended the fall season arrived at the festival for the first time, Law said.

Besides plays, audiences can attend one of 84 greenshows, a pre-performance gala of singing, comedy and street theater and 39 Royal Feastes, where diners eat as if they were fingering food in the 15th century.

By expanding the theater season until Oct. 5, those attending plays could attend special events, Law said.

Student matinees and a community arts festival added to the main events at the Randall Jones Theatre. Post-play refreshments were also a hit, she said.

During the last week of the fall season, the festival held a food drive for the Iron County Care and Share program. Those in need received 724 pounds of food from theater patrons, who, in turn, received a special discount on tickets.

The faltering national economy reached the Utah Shakespearean Festival this year, Phillips said.

"While patrons are still attending, the economic conditions have had a negative effect on our contributed income," Phillips said.

In particular, corporate contributions are down by 20 percent this year.