Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utah Shakespeare Festival topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utah Shakespeare Festival seeks $130,000 from RAP tax as it recovers from pandemic losses
Summary
The Utah Shakespeare Festival asked the Cedar City RAP Tax Arts Committee for $130,000 to support free Green Show programming and local discounting as the festival reports recovering ticket sales and renewed donor support following pandemic deficits.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival briefed the RAP Tax committee on its 65th season and requested $130,000 in RAP funds to sustain the free Green Show series, local discount programs, and related community access work.
Artistic director John De Antonio previewed a season of eight mainstage shows and three nightly Green Shows. Development director Jay Woody Lots said the Green Show averages about 400 attendees per evening and runs across the season, which he estimated equates to roughly 35,000 free attendees annually. Woody also outlined ticket‑access programs supported by RAP funds including Iron County passes (a bundled local pass sold for about $200 and translating to significant savings for local patrons) and day‑of 50% discounts for southern Utah residents.
The festival described post‑pandemic financial recovery: Woody traced donor counts falling from about 1,200 to roughly 200 at the pandemic trough, then surging to more than 1,300 donors in 2025. He said ticket revenue also increased in 2025 and that 2026 projections show continued growth. "We went from 1,200 individual donors then we went down to 600 and then we went down to 350... this past year in 2025 that number surged over 1,300 donors," he told the committee.
Festival leaders framed RAP support as essential to maintaining free nightly programming that draws both residents and visitors to downtown Cedar City and to keeping local access pricing low. No funding decisions were made at the session; the RAP Tax committee asked the festival to submit its standardized financial template ahead of the reconvening to finalize allocations.
Ending: The festival will provide supporting budget details to the committee before the scheduled follow‑up meeting. The Green Show remains the festival’s primary free public engagement vehicle and a key target for RAP support.
