Ogden Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a nonprofit theatre company rooted in the belief that classical theatre should be alive, welcoming, and deeply human—something you feel in your bones, not something kept at arm’s length. We create bold, intimate productions that invite audiences into the heart of great stories and ask big questions about power, love, loyalty, courage, and community.
OSF was officially formed on October 10, 2023, but its story began much earlier. In 2009, founder Jennifer Riley launched Beehive Theatre Company with the dream of building a Shakespeare-focused theatre in her hometown of Ogden. The company later evolved into Junction City Theatre Company, continuing to explore classical work before life took Jen in another direction. As she devoted herself to a full-time theatre teaching career at St. Joseph Catholic High School, the company paused—but the vision never left.
For years, Jen carried the conviction that Ogden deserved a home for Shakespeare: a company that honored language and craft while embracing joy, risk, and accessibility. Ogden Shakespeare Festival is the realization of that long-held promise—a return to an idea that waited patiently for the right moment to bloom.
Today, OSF produces classical theatre that centers clear storytelling, emotional truth, and human connection, alongside community events that welcome both seasoned theatre-goers and those discovering Shakespeare for the first time. OSF is also home to Arden Academy, our educational arm, which provides classical theatre training for young artists ages 8–18 and ensures that the next generation learns not only how to perform, but how to listen, think, and speak boldly.
Ogden Shakespeare Festival exists to serve its community—to gather people together, to make space for wonder and courage, and to keep classical theatre vibrant, urgent, and unmistakably alive in Ogden.
Our Mission
Empowering our vibrant and diverse community by building a legacy of accessible, joyous, and thought-provoking theatre experiences that promote and preserve classical works, while inviting and celebrating the voices of new participants.
Founder & Artistic Director
Jennifer is a theatre artist, director, and educator driven by a love of storytelling and a deep belief in the power of the arts to build connection. She spent 18 years teaching theatre at Saint Joseph Catholic High School, where she helped generations of students find their voices, take creative risks, and discover joy in the work.
Known to friends and collaborators as Jen, she is also an accomplished singer, actress, dancer, and choreographer, with a professional practice rooted in collaboration and curiosity. She holds a B.A. in Musical Theatre from Weber State University and an M.F.A. in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Directing from the University of Idaho, and she is currently pursuing her MBA at Weber State—bridging artistic vision with thoughtful leadership.
Jen regularly directs for theatre and performing arts organizations along the Wasatch Front and is passionate about creating work that is rigorous, welcoming, and deeply human. She is the founder of Ogden Shakespeare Festival, where she is building a home for classical theatre in her community—one that invites courage, joy, and meaningful connection onstage and beyond.
