As The Utah Review noted as part of its Sundance coverage in 2018, “there is a beautiful curation of artistry in every element of 306 Hollywood, a gem of a documentary directed by Elan Bogarín and Jonathan Bogarín.” This award-winning documentary, which premiered at Sundance and was a Utah Film Center fiscal sponsorship, will be … Read more
In one of many intensely emotional passages in Plan-B Theatre’s unprecedented streamed production of Jenifer Nii’s The Audacity, actor April Fossen rises to an unforgettable moment in Utah theater history. Among the six characters she portrays in this solo work is Josie Bassett, one of Utah’s most famous pioneer ranchers. Josie, nearly 90, is walking … Read more
Earlier this winter, one of the most unconventional yet captivating productions to arrive on the Salt Lake City performing arts scene was Thank You, Theobromine, by SONDERimmersive. Set in The Chocolate Conspiracy shop, near the corner of 800 South and 300 West, the show immersed its audience members, kept always on the move, in dramatic scenes incorporating … Read more
SALT LAKE ELECTRIC ENSEMBLE: RETURN ALBUM Return, the newest album release of the Salt Lake Electric Ensemble (SLEE), transmits listeners to their own virtual interstellar journey, exploring a legion of cosmic soundscapes with surprising pleasures in timbral shifts and rhythmic modulations which listeners can enjoy and immerse themselves in as they see fit. A masterpiece … Read more
In David Jacobi’s Ready Steady Yeti Go, when a hate crime targets the home of Carly, the only black student in her suburban school, the adults, despite their best intentions, still perpetuate worrisome sentiments even if they do not directly express racial animosity. How young people learn about racism extends well beyond the halls of … Read more
In the second act of Sheila Cowley’s Flying, Susan and Fisher are trying to cope with the act of forgetting from different perspectives. The townspeople, including her father, are oblivious to Susan’s capabilities as a former military pilot in World War II as she struggles to keep her husband’s airfield in business. Everyone is awaiting … Read more
Any “confident-sized” playwright would have envied the spectacular opening of Plan-B Theatre’s premiere of Jenny Kokai’s Singing to the Brine Shrimp, directed by Jason Bowcutt. The rhythm was sharp, precise and natural in a brilliantly written comedy with a smart set of songs. It is the model marriage of aquaculture and the theatrical arts. Perhaps … Read more
Fierce Grace, the most recent NOVA Chamber Music Series’ concert, was more than a credible parallel where music and song stood in for the stemwinders one might have heard at a political rally during the suffragette and civil rights movements. Rousing spiritual moments highlighted the three works, including the Utah premiere of the cycle of … Read more
Nora Helmer likely would be pleased at how far Norway has come in gender equality. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, Norway ranks second, eclipsed only by Iceland, and has closed 84 percent of its gender gap. Meanwhile, the U.S. ranks just 53rd. However, the Forum concludes, “But there is still an … Read more
After viewing The Utah Museum of Fine Arts’ (UMFA) largest presentation of Japanese art in its history, one realizes that the best way to think about the sensational works is much broader than the suggested frames of art history often told from either a Japanese or Western perspective. The reasons by which we appreciate, admire … Read more