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Visual art inspired by Shakespeare is curiously underrepresented when it comes to exhibition time, perhaps because most people find his plays filling enough by themselves.
Out to change that, and provide a remarkable visual respite for art lovers during this year's Utah Shakespeare Festival, is oil painter Richard Lance Russell. His exhibit "Truth, Mirth, and Turmoil" opens June 28 in the Randall L. Jones Theater Gallery, with images inspired by "Hamlet," "As You Like It" and "Midsummer Night's Dream" among others.
"Shakespeare's characters are illustrative of the human condition. We all sometimes find ourselves in situations of contradiction or confusion," Russell said in press materials for the exhibit. "We all have choices to make, and we understand how it feels to anguish over them or mourn over consequences. Shakespeare captures those moments of emotion in words, and I try to capture them in paint."
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'Truth, Mirth, and Turmoil: Shakespeare Paintings by Richard Lance Russell' at Utah Shakespeare Festival
When • Opening reception June 28, 5:30-7 p.m. with Russell signing his work June 29, 12:45-1:45 p.m. Festival runs June 21-Oct. 20 with plays "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Mary Stuart," "Titus Andronicus," "Scapin," "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Les Misérables," with "Hamlet" and "Stones in His Pockets."
Where • Randall L. Jones Theatre Gallery, 315 W. Center St., Cedar City
Info • Visit richardrussellart.com or bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX or 435-586-7878.