The Utah Shakespeare Festival will be holding their annual Fall Food Drive on behalf of the Iron County Care and Share Sept. 14 to Oct. 9.
This year’s food drive will be critical since summer monsoon floods coupled with the uncertain grind through the COVID-19 pandemic have left Iron County’s residents uniquely vulnerable.
The festival will be offering half-price discounts on tickets for Monday-Thursday shows in exchange for six items of non-perishable food, which they will collect in donation barrels near the ticket office at the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theater.
The ticket discounts are available on the day of the donations only and cannot be booked in advance, and each donor can collect up to four discounted tickets.
Iron County Care and Share have handled literal tons of food each year since 1984, and oversaw the distribution of over 400,000 pounds of food in 2020 according to their 2020 annual report.
In the last 17 years, the Shakespeare festival has collected thousands of those pounds of goods from the community through this food drive. This year, they’re aiming to exceed the 3,500 pounds they typically collect.
The festival season will conclude on Oct. 9, along with the food drive. The plays still being shown are “Cymbeline,” “Intimate Apparel” and “Pirates of Penzance.”
Iron County Care and Share also accepts direct monetary donations and offers volunteer opportunities year-round for non-playgoers.
For normally priced tickets and weekend shows, call 800-PLAYTIX or visit www.bard.org.
Story by Janzen Jorgensen
eic@suunews.net
Photo courtesy of Utah Shakespeare Festival
