There are countless stories, ballads, plays and films about Robin Hood. But very few of them put Marion at the center of the medieval adventures in Sherwood Forest. But here comes “The Heart of Robin Hood,” running through September at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.
“It’s a wonderful adaptation,” said Jaclyn Miller, director of the ISF production. “The thing that really drew me to it was … well, we already have this idea of Robin Hood. We all grew up with this hero and this myth. But what’s great about this adaptation is that it challenges you to think, ‘What if our heroes aren’t who you think they are? What if they’re on a path that you wouldn’t expect them to be on?’
The play, penned by David Farr, features more than its share of chaos. But the Merry Men of Sherwood are not incredibly popular with the poor.
Enter Marion.
“In many of the adaptations, Marion was headstrong and brave,” said Angela Utrera, who plays Marion. “She has an enormous sense of justice and she just can’t not do what she thinks is the right thing. And other people get swept up in that sense of justice and her courageousness.”
Utrera said she has loved being Marion and some of the audience’s feedback has been priceless.
“One night, after the play, a young girl came up to me. She was about 10 or 12. I was very impressed. And she said, ‘Wow. All of us can just change anytime we want?’ And I said, ‘Yes. You can just wake up one day and decide that today is the day that you stand up for someone or you can be whatever you want.’”
Miller and Utrera joined George Prentice to preview Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s final production of 2026, which opens Sept. 4 and runs through Sept. 27.
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
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