Jenifer Nii on creating our second subscription offering: THE WEIRD PLAY

Jul 17, 2017

It’s the first time I’ve scripted in any detailed way a vision of what I wanted the piece to look like, and to use those elements as characters with roles to play. And, I wanted to write something that invited (required, really) audience members to participate and determine what the play is about and what it means to them.

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Thank you Jesse Portillo!

Jun 26, 2017

Jesse Portillo has been designing lighting for Plan-B since in 2007. He became our resident lighting designer in 2010, having designed all but one Plan-B production since.

He’s heading east to join the faculty of the College of Charleston in South Carolina, but we’ll see him back at least once next season.

Included here are images from most of Jesse’s Plan-B designs and thoughts about him and his work from many of his Plan-B collaborators.

Break a leg in South Carolina – we love you and will miss you; we’ll miss your eye and especially the catty things you say from the top of the genie!

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Why (in)divisible?

Jun 9, 2017

All performances of (in)divisible through June 18 (presented as part of our Script-In-Hand Series) are technically at capacity, but you can still see the show. Free + summer = a certain number of no-shows! Click here for details, waitlist and walk-up info. Below each of the 17 actors share their thoughts on what drew them to participate in (in)divisible. Everything in (in)divisible is rooted in real-life experience and the parameters are pretty strict: no mentioning of Trump or Clinton, or even allusions to them – when those names surface in conversation, listening seems to cease. And listening is the goal. The lack of respect for those with whom we differ is at the root of the quagmire we find ourselves in as a country. Identifying people by labels creates polarity. And the more polarized we become, the less chance there is for real communication and real change. We’re not asking people to agree; we’re asking people to listen to those whom they may normally write off as “the other.” The greatest challenge of (in)divisible has been for each playwright to write their own point of view. The opposite point of view was much easier: it could be looked at objectively as a piece of theatre, as a character to treat as truthfully as possible. But when faced with representing their own point of view, each playwright felt immense pressure to avoid being preachy or didactic. The result is pretty magical: each playwright examined their own biases and fears and is boldly and frankly sharing what they found. Grasping for a wisp of magic, in a thundercloud … – Joe Debevc While growing up Japanese American in Utah,... read more

(in)divisible is coming June 8-18 and it’s free!

May 1, 2017

(in)divisible is our response to the response to the election. But it’s not about Trump. Or Clinton. Or Sanders. Or Obama. Or any other political figure. As the project took shape, we followed two ground rules: (1) none of the above could be mentioned or even alluded to because when they are mentioned, listening ceases; and (2) everything had to be rooted in real-life experience. (in)divisible is about our country. (in)divisible is about its citizens. (in)divisible is about us. Twelve local playwrights have each created two five-minute pieces: one liberal and one conservative. Scroll down to see who they are and their thoughts on the pieces they’ve created – stories from some people you’ll agree with, some people you’ll disagree with, all who just happen to be just like you. (in(divisible is a reminder of what it means to listen. Click here to reserve your free tickets and see who’s in the cast. We ask that in lieu of a ticket purchase you make a contribution to The Children’s Center at the theatre.   Click here to reserve your free tickets... read more

How To Love Utah Give Utah March 1-30

Mar 23, 2017

All Love Utah Give Utah gifts made between now and 11:59pm on March 30 count toward our total! Thank you to everyone whose gifts combined to match a $5,000 gift from Vickie Venne between March 1-28. We’re now working toward matching a $2,500 gift from Jane & Tami Marquardt through their Peace & Possibility Project). Please help us by giving as little as $10 by 11:59pm on Thursday, March 30! This means $15,000 (Vickie’s gift + Jane & Tami’s gift + matching funds from you!) will provide 3/4 of the first year’s salary for a new half-time Education Coordinator, who will manage our Free Elementary School Tour and assist the Artistic and Managing Directors to look to the future in a bolder way regarding diversity and gender parity. In its first year, our Free Elementary School Tour served 7,500 students at 20 elementary schools in 3 counties. Just three years later, it now serves 15,000 students at 40 schools in 7 counties. Our goal is to expand statewide by 2020. Working with Title I schools (including several primarily minority-majority schools) has helped us see what our future can be in terms of a more diverse talent pool, audience and donor base. We must think several generations ahead in order to accurately reflect, speak to and represent our evolving community.

Four of the first six plays commissioned for the Free Elementary School Tour are by female playwrights and the casts of each are intentionally diverse. Sharing more plays by women featuring gender-balanced and multi-ethnic casts allows more elementary students to see stories onstage that are performed by people who look and sound like them. If we authentically make the... read more

Jenny Kokai on her play THE ART OF FLOATING

Feb 14, 2017

So some parts of this play are very true, some parts are very false, and some parts lie somewhere in between. Most of the things I won’t confess to, but here are a couple. The first is that I think everybody is still trying to figure stuff out, whether you’re 75 or 21. We think we’re supposed to get old and wise but I don’t think that ever happens.

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