The Utah Shakespeare Festival has announced the nine directors who will lead its productions for the 2027 season, with a mix of returning artists and a new addition to the festival.
The upcoming season will feature productions across the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, Randall L. Jones Theatre and Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre, along with The Greenshow.
Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre and The Greenshow
Michael Perlman will return to the festival to direct Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” a drama about the Salem witch trials and the negative results of false accusations. Perlman previously directed “She Loves Me” in 2026 and Ken Ludwig’s “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” in 2025.
Festival veteran Geoffrey Kent will direct Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” which follows King Henry V of England as he leads his army into battle against France. Kent has worked with the festival as both an actor and director, most recently having directed “See How They Run” in 2026.
Carolyn Howarth will also return to direct “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” a Shakespearean comedy about two women who seek revenge against a man attempting to take advantage of their wealth. Howarth previously directed “Troilus and Cressida,” “Antony and Cleopatra” and “The Winter’s Tale” at the festival.
Trey Plutnicki will oversee The Greenshow, returning as director and choreographer for three new shows. Plutnicki previously directed and choreographed the 2026 season of The Greenshow.
The Engelstad productions and The Greenshow will begin preview performances from June 21 to June 23, with shows running through early September.
Randall L. Jones Theatre
Alan Muraoka will return to direct “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a musical comedy about a theater enthusiast whose favorite Broadway show comes to life in his apartment. Muraoka, a two-time Emmy Award winner known for his work on “Sesame Street,” previously directed the festival’s 2026 production of “Something Rotten!”
Aaron Galligan-Stierle will direct “Arsenic and Old Lace,” a dark comedy about a man who discovers that his seemingly innocent elderly aunts have a dark secret. Galligan-Stierle previously directed “The 39 Steps” in 2024 and has appeared in several productions as an actor for the festival.
The festival’s artistic director, John DiAntonio, will direct “William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead,” a horror comedy that envisions Shakespeare and his acting company dealing with a zombie outbreak in 1599 London. DiAntonio previously directed “Twelfth Night” in 2026 and “Macbeth” in 2025.
The three shows will begin previews from June 24 to June 26, with “The Drowsy Chaperone” running through Sept. 2 and the remaining productions continuing into October.
Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre
Britannia Howe will return to direct “The Two Noble Kinsmen,” a Shakespeare play that is rarely performed. It is co-written with John Fletcher. The play centers around two men whose friendship turns into a rivalry over a shared interest in the same woman.
Notably, the production will also mark a milestone for the festival, completing its “Complete the Canon” initiative, which began in 2012 with the goal of staging every play in Shakespeare’s canon. “The Two Noble Kinsmen” is the final work the festival has yet to produce.
Howe has previously directed “Cymbeline” and worked on several productions of The Greenshow. She has also studied, taught and produced shows at Southern Utah University.
Laura Kepley will make her festival directorial debut with “Into the Breeches!” which is a comedy set during World War II. It is about a group of women who take over a Shakespeare theater company’s productions after its male actors leave for the war.
Kepley is currently the artistic director of Cleveland Play House and has worked with many regional theater companies throughout the country.
“The Two Noble Kinsmen” will begin previews July 21 and run through October 2, while “Into the Breeches!” will preview July 22 and continue through October 1.
For more information about the 2027 season, visit the Utah Shakespeare Festival website.
Author: Charlee Steed
Photo courtesy of Southern Utah University
Editor: Lainey Porter
arts@suunews.net
