Theatre

An unsurpassed, extraordinary opening night performance for the premiere of Carleton Bluford’s The Clean-Up Project, Plan-B Theatre’s newest production

by

Just slightly past the midway point of the opening night performance in the world premiere of Carleton Bluford’s The Clean-Up Project, it was evident that another Plan-B Theatre production was having the usual very good opener. Bluford’s script, about a swift revolution that has transformed the country and flipped the power structure, is complex in … Read more

Two worthy Utah premieres: Salt Lake Acting Company’s Egress, Pygmalion Theatre Company’s Bella Bella

by

SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY: EGRESS Aided by excellent acting in a small ensemble cast, the Salt Lake Acting Company’s Utah premiere of Egress, a play by Melissa Crespo and Sarah Saltwick nicely elucidates the metaphors about exits and safety that embody the narrative about the trauma and the steps toward recovering from a horrific breakup … Read more

Plan-B Theatre set to open 2022 season In Person. In Color. with world premiere of Carleton Bluford’s The Clean-Up Project

by

This is the psychological balm of racial caste in America: If you’re Black and couldn’t overcome every obstacle to pull yourself up, it’s because you’re lazy and did not want to work hard. If you’re Black and you manage to be successful, it’s because of affirmative action and you didn’t earn it. Your failures and … Read more

Lots of new energy: The top 10 moments of The Utah Enlightenment in 2021

by

INTRODUCTION It has been an enormous project to regain the spirited momentum that many arts and cultural organizations in Utah’s creative industries had amassed before the pandemic brought everything to a ground stop in the early spring of 2020. With resilience and durability exercised to their intrinsic advantages for respective organizations, many creative producers also … Read more

Free Plan-B Theatre offerings of Radio Hour Episode 15: Sleepy Hollow, Alli and #3 signify strengths of two of company’s outstanding programs

by

RADIO HOUR EPISODE 15: SLEEPY HOLLOW For Plan-B Theatre’s Radio Hour series, in addition to his original science fiction episodes, playwright Matthew Ivan Bennett has penned outstanding adaptations of Frankenstein, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s only Christmas-themed short story The Blue Carbuncle.  But, his latest adaptation, which premiered last week in … Read more

Plan-B Theatre’s Radio Hour series set to return to live broadcast premiere on KUER-FM’s RadioWest with Matthew Ivan Bennett adaptation of Sleepy Hollow

by

Most young people in the last three generations have been introduced to Washington Irving’s short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow through the Disney animated adaptation package, which includes Kenneth Graham’s The Wind in The Willows. The 1949 film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad has long legs both in residuals as a long-term … Read more

Live performances continue to return in first-class fashion: season openers for Repertory Dance Theatre, Bachauer concert series, NOVA Chamber Music Series, Pygmalion Theatre Company

by

Four more local performing arts organizations have now launched their seasons with live performances, vividly reminding audiences just how impressive Salt Lake City’s cultural scene is as it returns to its pre-pandemic pace. Beginning its 56th season, the Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) offered North Star, celebrating the work of choreographer Lar Lubovitch, including two selections … Read more

Elaine Jarvik’s Four Women Talking about the Man under the Sheet makes a stellar opener for Salt Lake Acting Company’s 50th season

by

Justin Ivie’s consummate set design for Salt Lake Acting Company’s (SLAC) world premiere production of Elaine Jarvik’s Four Women Talking About the Man Under the Sheet highlights large banner portraits of the four historical characters and the smaller portrait of Frederick Douglass. The shrouded body of Douglass lies in repose on a bier in the … Read more

Salt Lake Acting Company latest local independent performing arts organization to mark milestone anniversary: 50th season opens this week

by

Longevity of independent arts organizations in Salt Lake City is an encouraging marker of the local acknowledgment of the indispensability of community cultural and arts activities, especially given the metropolitan area’s compact size. The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art is celebrating its 90th anniversary. Ballet West will mark its 60th anniversary in 2023. Ririe-Woodbury Dance … Read more

Salt Lake City’s arts scene is roaring back to full steam: Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s Total Ellipse, Roger Benington’s Psychopomp, SONDERimmersive’s The Chocolatier

by

With live performances resuming on several fronts, the arts calendar for the fall season in Salt Lake City has returned to levels not seen since the fall of 2019. The Utah Review offers reviews of three shows, seen within the span of four days. RIRIE-WOODBURY DANCE COMPANY: TOTAL ELLIPSE Season openers for Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company … Read more