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Superlative world premiere of Plan-B Theatre’s Just Add Water is captivating Utah audiences, heightening awareness of Great Salt Lake in uniquely emotional ways

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A broad spectrum of emotions animates the superlative world premiere of Plan-B Theatre’s Just Add Water, directed by Penelope Caywood. At one point, the personified Great Salt Lake (played majestically by Latoya Cameron) encounters TBH who represents Brutal Honesty (Isabella Reeder, in a dazzling performance). Her words are painfully too on the nose: Once upon … Read more

Exceptional season openers for two of Utah’s greatest dance institutions: Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s Reverberation; Repertory Dance Theatre’s Migrations

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Sensitive to their historical legacies, two of Utah’s greatest dance institutions opened their new seasons with respective themes of reverberation and migrations, as well as new artistic director leadership at the helms of both companies. RIRIE-WOODBURY DANCE COMPANY: REVERBERATION As noted in a preview at The Utah Review, Leslie Kraus became the company’s fourth artistic … Read more

Open through Oct. 12: Ogden Contemporary Arts’ (Im)Posibilidades: Performance Art for Video is marvelous sampling of media possibilities

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When many arts organizations turned to video during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns as a means of staying visible and demonstrating that fresh forms of creative expression could still thrive, many artists found ways to merge cinematography with their media and disciplines. In contemporary dance, as an example, video primarily had been used for archiving and … Read more

Repertory Dance Theatre’s 60th anniversary season set to open with Utah premiere of Zvi Gotheiner’s Migrations

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Repertory Dance Theatre’s (RDT) 60th anniversary season’s first production this week will highlight a profound and fruitful relationship with choreographer Zvi Gotheiner, which spans more than half of the company’s history and whose works have produced some of its most memorable performances. Gotheiner’s Migrations (2022), which also has been restaged by Doron Perk, will receive its … Read more

A Great Salt Lake Play: Plan-B Theatre’s world premiere of cli-fi dramedy Just Add Water, by Matthew Ivan Bennett and Elaine Jarvik, set to open Oct. 2

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For its 35th season, Plan-B Theatre has produced The Great Salt Lake Plays, part of Wake the Great Salt Lake, a temporary art project supported by Salt Lake City Arts Council, Salt Lake City’s Mayor’s Office, and Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. One is Just Add Water by Matthew Ivan Bennett and Elaine … Read more

A Great Salt Lake play: Elaine Jarvik’s Eb and Flo is Plan-B Theatre’s offering for 13th Free Elementary School Tour (FEST) production

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For its 35th season, Plan-B Theatre has produced The Great Salt Lake Plays, part of Wake the Great Salt Lake, a temporary art project supported by Salt Lake City Arts Council, Salt Lake City’s Mayor’s Office, and Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. One is Eb and Flo by Elaine Jarvik, which is Plan-B … Read more

Countdown to 50th anniversary: 2024 bronze medalist Wynona Yinuo Wang to lead off season of Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation laureate concerts

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In preparation for its 50th anniversary celebrations next spring, the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation has invited four Bachauer laureates for this season’s concert series, including two gold medalists, the most recent bronze medalist from last year’s international artist competition, and the fifth prize winner from the 2012 young artists competition. Opening the season on … Read more

Reverberation: Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company set to open its 62nd season with new artistic director, two premieres

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The first lines in the new chapter of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s history will be written this weekend when the company opens its 62nd season with Reverberation. Along with the reprise of  Keith Johnson‘s A Century, A Day, which the company premiered in 2024, there will be two premieres: one by Leslie Kraus, the company’s new … Read more

Beth Krensky’s enchanting stream of consciousness: Material Art Gallery exhibition The Trees Will Love You and the Earth Will Hold You

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When we are astutely reading a novel, watching dance or theater, listening to a recital or concert, or visiting a gallery exhibition, at some point, we inevitably discern and appreciate the crucial role of place as the bearer of memories. This significant bit of comprehension connects us to understanding the artist’s own sense of the … Read more

Two recent excellent events: ChitraKaavya Dance: In a forest, a deer…, Intermezzo Chamber Music Series’ September concerts at The Grand America Hotel

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The Utah Review offers reviews of several recent excellent downtown Salt Lake City performing arts events.   ChitraKaavya Dance: In a forest, a deer… In a talkback following ChitraKaavya Dance’s production featuring In a forest, a deer…, an Indian-American audience member who was visiting downtown Salt Lake City on the most recent Labor Day weekend commented … Read more