The Utah Shakespeare Festival is home to many programs and initiatives, among these is the visible actor-run organization, Really Eager Actors Crying Hire.
“We raise money to bring out artistic directors, casting directors, freelance directors from all over the country to see all the shows and then meet with all of our members,” said REACH president Michael Doherty. Joining Doherty on the senior committee is vice president Trent Dahlin, secretary Dariana Elise Pérez and treasurer Chris Mixon.
Many other people make up the team at REACH, covering tasks such as booking flights and hotel rooms, transportation, decorating lodging and much more.
“I started out doing a lot of delegating, just first figuring out what the jobs were that needed to happen,” said Doherty. “Then oversight, acting as a sort of catch all for any time things go wrong or slip through the cracks.”
REACH exists largely because Cedar City is such a secluded location away from U.S. acting hubs: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
“Part of the reason why this gig is so great is the same reason why REACH is necessary, which is that normally when you go on a gig, it’s two months max. It’s rare to be in any place for five to six months at a time,” said Doherty. “There’s a sense of job security that’s rare to find in this freelance theater business.”
REACH was founded in 1993 by Leslie Brott with the help of Rick Van Noy, and has grown exponentially since then. REACH’s two most profitable initiatives came into being well after its founding.
“The cabaret didn’t start till, like, halfway through its existence. And even more recently than that, the flower booth, which is now our second largest fundraising effort,” said Doherty. “It’s cool to see it evolve over time.”
The “REACH Cabaret” happens on Thursday evenings during the summer season, after performances conclude for the day. There are typically nine differently themed cabarets throughout the summer, culminating in a “Best Of” evening. They feature performances from members of the acting company, with occasional appearances from other company members.
REACH’s flower booth stands outside the Randall L Jones Theater before matinees, and outside the Engelstad Shakespeare Theater before evening shows. Guests can pay to send flowers or postcards to actors that they particularly enjoyed.
REACH also hosts additional events, such as play readings and shows from members of the company, with this year having more additional events than any other.
All of REACH’s fundraising efforts go towards bringing people to the festival, and coordinating for them to meet members of the company. Over 20 people had their visits to the festival funded by REACH this year.
“There’s no better audition than the play you are doing, a fully realized performance,” said Doherty.
According to Doherty, the number of jobs booked through REACH are immeasurable, due to the fact that so many of them are down the line payoffs from building relationships. These relationships of course include those with casting directors, agents and others from the casting industry and they also extend to connections within the company.
“This is a collection of amazing artists, and we get extra opportunities to connect with each other and see each other in different lights and facets and appreciate each other and laugh with each other,” said Doherty.
REACH has their final “Best Of” cabaret on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 11 p.m. at Off The Cuff Comedy. People are encouraged to come see what the acting company of USF has to offer and be inspired to become more involved with REACH during USF’s 2025 season.
“It’s all the moments that we share that make us love each other more and build this transplanted community that’s out here,” said Doherty.
Author: Tessa Cheshire
Photos courtesy of REACH
arts@suunews.net
