SALT LAKE CITY: The Salt Lake Acting Company has announced the lineup of its 2015–16 season, under the collective moniker “in flight.” The 45th season will include three world premieres and a National New Play Network rolling world premiere.
“There is no better time to be part of the Salt Lake Acting Company,” said executive producer Cynthia Fleming in a statement. “Next season beautifully encapsulates everything SLAC values with stories that will inspire, educate, perhaps shock and always awe our audiences.”
The season opens with Blackberry Winter (Sept. 16–Oct.25), a new play by Steve Yockey about a daughter’s struggle with her mother’s dementia. The play, part of NNPN’s rolling world premiere, will also be performed at Actors’ Express, New Repertory Theatre and Oregon Contemporary Theatre.
Next is Tribes (Oct. 21–Nov. 15) by Nina Raine, which documents the struggle of being deaf in a hearing family. This will mark the play’s Utah premiere.
The acting company will reach out to younger audiences with Art Dog (Dec. 4–23), adapted by John Olive with music by Susan Ennis. Based on the book by Thatcher Hurd, the story follows Art Dog , a museum guard dog, as he tries to prove he didn’t steal the famed painting Mona Woofa by Leonardo Dog Vinci.
Streetlight Woodpecker (Feb. 10–March 6, 2016) by Shawn Fisher is the next world premiere on the list. Written by Salt Lake City native Fisher, the play tells the story of Benji, a Marine who has returned to his Philadelphia home after being wounded in battle. Streetlight Woodpecker was developed at SLAC’s 2013–14 New Play Sounding Series.
The third world premiere will be Climbing with Tigers (March 4–26, 2016), based on the book by Nathan Glad and Dallas Graham, and adapted by Troy Deutsch. Glad is an eight-year-old who was born with brittle bone disease and Graham is the founder of the Red Fred Project, which self-publishes books by 50 children with critical illnesses. The story follows a little bird named Blue who dreams of being able to fly. For the production, SLAC will partner with the local Flying Bobcat Theatrical Laboratory and the Red Fred Project.
Next will be the Utah premiere with Stupid Fucking Bird (April 6–May 1, 2016), Aaron Posner’s irreverent modern adaption of Chekhov’s The Seagull.
Wrapping up the season of premieres is Saturday’s Voyeur 2016 (June 22–Aug. 28, 2016) by Allen Nevins and Nancy Borgenicht. The 38th annual musical satire and cabaret is a celebration of Utah and liberalism.
