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Small productions scored big, civic leaders thought even bigger, and two of the state's flagship theater institutions celebrated 50 years of productions in a year that marked portentous changes for Utah theater.
Small companies, big-volume shows • Local playwrights continued to find refuge and room to grow at Plan-B and Salt Lake Acting Company. SLAC offered its bracing production of Kathleen Cahill's "The Persian Quarter," about two generations of inter-cultural rivalry between Iranians and Americans. Cahill's charged script developed even more resonance as the revolutions of the Arab Spring rocked the world. Plan-B's production of Matthew Ivan Bennett's "Mesa Verde" cast an insightful eye on the ambivalent relationship between two sisters dealing with their mother's baggage. Performances by Teresa Sanderson, Christie Summerhays, and April Fossen brought the story poignantly to life. For Meat & Potato's "The Odyssey," writer/director Tobin Atkinson updated Homer's story without diminishing the power of the ancient scribe's original, in a bare-bones production with a soundtrack that invited the audience to participate in creating the story.
People Productions continues to come of age • People Productions may not the only African-American theater company in Utah — there's also Melissa Adams' and Toni Byrd's fledgling Etta-Grace company —but there's no denying its artistic force. Remarkable performances by William Ferrer and Kandyce Gabrielsen in Lynn Nottage's "Ruined" brought to life the complex struggles of those experiencing the Congolese Civil War. Then there was the company's subsequent effort of Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf." Under the direction of Michelle Patrick, actresses Angela Trusty, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin and Nasheda Caudle showed all that's possible when a committed cast puts in its best work.
Two big 50s — and the promise of a big theater • Cedar City's Utah Shakespeare Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary with a season's worth of dramatic events, including a special production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" directed by festival founder Fred Adams. Farther north, Pioneer Theatre Company prepared for its own 50th birthday next year with the announcement of New York City-based director and choreographer Karen Azenberg as its new artistic director, noted locally for her recent work directing "Rent" and "Next to Normal." And Charles Morey's remarkable "theater machine" in the fall production of "The Tempest"signaled that the longtime artistic director would not go quietly into that good night of retirement. Late in the year, the Salt Lake City Council voted to spend $18 million toward the design of a $110 million mega-theater, a signature item on the agenda of Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, which is expected to significantly alter the theater market in upcoming years.
Teresa's turn • Beyond her graceful, understated turn in "Mesa Verde," Teresa Sanderson belted out a powerhouse performance as Mama Rose in Dark Horse Theatre Company's "Gypsy." Sanderson realized Mama Rose's balancing act as a stage mama caught between hope, tenacity and denial. Sanderson seemed born to the role, as she demonstrated a surprising knack for knocking out song after song, including "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Rose's Turn," in grand, show-biz style." More than just racking up a pair of singular performances, Sanderson reminded us how fun it is to follow theater in Utah, where surprise discoveries and powerhouse performances are still possible.