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Cedar City’s SimonFest shifts gears after losing patronage of playwright Neil Simon

“We’ve kind of rebranded ourselves,” said Richard Bugg, founder and executive producer of what’s now the SimonFest Theatre Company, running July 11 to Aug. 3 at Cedar City’s Heritage Theater. “It’s rather frustrating. I’ve put in a lot of work to promote the work of Mr. Simon, and it’s tossed away.”

The change was forced upon Bugg by attorneys representing the estate of Simon, the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning comic playwright who died last August.

“I always had a cordial relationship with Mr. Simon,” Bugg said. “But with his passing, that ended.”

(Associated Press file photo) Playwright Neil Simon, seen here in 1994, died Sunday, Aug.