Richard Bugg established the Neil Simon Festival in Cedar City in 2002.
Since then, he has produced and directed an array of the award-winning playwright’s works for Cedar City.
When Bugg and the Neil Simon Festival brings the romantic comedy “Barefoot in the Park” to the Egyptian Theatre for a three-day run from Aug. 19 to Aug. 21, it will mark the first time the festival is taking a production on a tour.
“We’re quite excited about doing this,” Bugg said during a phone call from a grocery store in Cedar City. “We will have to make a few adjustments for the Egyptian, because the venue is a little narrower than what we’re used to, but for the past three seasons, we have used an intimate setting in Cedar City and we built the skylight, which is used during a significant scene, as part of a wall that leans toward the actors instead of putting it above the actors, and it works quite well.”
Other than minor set adjustments, the play will be presented as Simon wrote it.
“As far as controversial material goes, (‘Barefoot in the Park’) is a pretty safe play to produce,” Bugg said. “The only small problem is the fact that it’s set in 1963, so there are some challenges in embracing that time period and overcoming a few script references. There are some references that are a little dated, and while people my age will understand them, some of the younger people may not. But just like a Shakespeare play, we just perform it with the right intent and they’ll get the gist of it.”
“Barefoot in the Park,” which made its Broadway debut in October, 1963, is about newlyweds Paul and Corie Bratter, who are taken aback by a surprise visit from Corie’s mother, Ethel Banks.
The two decide to play matchmaker, and everything that can go wrong goes wrong.
The original production was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Director, which it won.
After 1,530 performances, “Barefoot in the Park” is still Simon’s longest-running hit, according to Bugg.
In 1967, the play became a feature film starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford.
The play was the first Neil Simon work Bugg saw and it resonated with him.
“I just thought it was hysterical,” he said. “I love the story because it’s that classic confrontation between the male and female visions of the world, whereas the male likes to rely on logic and the female relies on emotion. There always seems to be a clash of the two even though we need both and it’s a concept everyone can relate to.
“In fact, most of Neil Simon’s plays are universal enough that we can all understand what the characters are going through.”
“Barefoot in the Park” is the first play to be repeated by the Neil Simon Festival, Bugg said.
“We did it in the first season and wanted to do it again,” he said.
The Egyptian production also celebrates the second time Bugg will serve as director, but the first where he will direct himself in a bit-part appearance.
“I usually don’t like to direct and act in the same show, but this time I’m actually talking on a small role because we were short an actor,” he said. “I figured instead of hiring another person, I would just step in and do it. I’m the telephone repairman, which is a fun role.”
Bugg founded the Neil Simon Festival because he was impressed with the writer’s playography.
“I remember reading one of Neil’s plays and I looked at the dust cover and noticed a long list of his works,” Bugg said. “I counted them all and realized he had written, up to that point, one play shy of what Shakespeare had written, which made me conclude he was the most popular playwright in American history.”
After digging around, Bugg realized no one had ever done a Neil Simon Festival.
“I didn’t know how to start a festival, but I knew I wanted to do it,” he said. “So, when Cedar City built the Heritage Theatre, I already had a venue and decided to go for it.”
During the formative process, Bugg called Simon.
“I felt he needed to know about what I wanted to do and I tried reaching him and was unsuccessful at first,” he said. “Then I called a celebrity friend of mine and asked him if he knew how to get a hold of Neil.”
The friend gave Bugg the number, with an ultimatum.
“He told me not to tell anyone, even Neil, who I got the number from,” Bugg said with a laugh.
Bugg worked up the courage to call, thinking he was going to get a secretary or agent, but Simon answered his own phone and was flattered about the festival.
“The festival started with $500 from a businessman I know here in town,” Bugg said. “We started printing brochures and selling tickets, without knowing how we were going to pay the actors and build the sets, but after more donations and volunteers, we got our first season up and running. When it ended, we had just enough money left to print another brochure and we’ve been doing it like that ever since.
“It’s hard to believe next season is our 10th anniversary.”
The Neil Simon Festival will present “Barefoot in the Park” at the Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St., from Friday, Aug. 19, to Sunday Aug. 21. Friday and Saturday performances are 8 p.m. and Sunday curtain is 6 p.m. Adult tickets range from $22 to $30 and youth tickets for ages 12 and younger are $12 to $15. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.parkcityshows.com or by calling (435) 649-9371. For more information about the Neil Simon Festival, visit www.simonfest.org.