Listen to this articleThe Salt Lake Acting Company’s lineup for a historic 49th season includes six Utah premieres (two of which are also world premieres) and features an all-female directing lineup – for the first time in SLAC’s 49-year history.
“When looking to further SLAC’s dedication to showcasing exciting new works for Utah audiences, we knew we must continue to be thoughtful about the current political and social climates,” said Executive Artistic Director Cynthia Fleming. “My team and I sought stories that would continue to captivate, touch the heart, illuminate, and ultimately inspire our very discerning audiences. We’re confident that these six new plays accomplish that goal and then some.”
In regard to SLAC’s first-ever lineup of all-female directors, Fleming stated, “This season, we examined each of our productions and sought the best storytellers to bring each to its fullest life. It just so happens that these productions will be best-served by these fierce females at the helm.”
DEATH OF A DRIVER
By Will Snider
September 11-October 20, 2019
Directed by Alexandra Harbold (The Wolves, Climbing with Tigers)
When Sarah, an American engineer, moves to Kenya to build a road that will shape the country’s future, her charismatic African driver, Kennedy, becomes her first employee and trusted friend. But when a dispute over a local election lands him in jail, she questions the integrity of their alliance. Death of a Driver is a sharp political drama about the complexities of “doing good” abroad.
FORM OF A GIRL UNKNOWN
By Charly Evon Simpson
October 16-November 17, 2019
Directed by Melissa Crespo (making her SLAC debut)
Navigating adolescence is not for the faint of heart, but Amali’s got this. She is 12 years old, she is wise, and she is fascinated – by A Midsummer Night’s Dream; by her changing body; by the story of the children killed in the woods. With humor, magic, blood, and fire, Form of A Girl Unknown is not a typical coming-of-age story.
PETE THE CAT
By Sarah Hammond and Will Aronson
December 6-30, 2019
Directed by Penelope Caywood (Pinkalicious The Musical, How I Became a Pirate)
A Utah premiere based on the popular children’s book, Pete the Cat, after caught jamming after bedtime, the cat-catcher sends him to live with the Biddle family to learn his manners. But for Pete, life is an adventure no matter where you wind up, and the minute he walks in the door, he gets the whole family rocking. The whole family that is, except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet Earth.
But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class during the last week of school, it turns out Pete is the perfect pal to help him out. Together, they set out on a mission to help Jimmy conquer second grade art, and along the way, they both learn a little something new about inspiration.
A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2
By Lucas Hnath
February 5-March 8, 2020
Directed by Nancy Borgenicht (Angels in America, Saturday’s Voyeur)
Nora Helmer leaving her husband and children at the end of Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 masterpiece was the “door slam heard ‘round the world.” Fifteen years later, there’s a knock at that same door. Nora’s back. But why? And where has she been? Lucas Hnath’s brilliantly funny sequel to Ibsen’s classic was nominated for eight Tony Awards and now makes its Utah premiere at SLAC.
HOW TO TRANSCEND A HAPPY MARRIAGE
By Sarah Ruhl
April 8-May 10, 2020
Directed by Shannon Musgrave (Mercury)
A dinner party gone wild. Two married couples invite a polyamorous woman (who hunts her own meat) along with her two live-in boyfriends to a New Year’s Eve party. From the adventurous and provocative Sarah Ruhl comes a comedy that pushes the boundaries of marriage and the limits of friendship.
SATURDAY’S VOYEUR 2020
By Allen Nevins & Nancy Borgenicht
June 17-August 23, 2020
Directed Cynthia Fleming
SLAC’s ever-original musical satire and Utah’s biggest summer party. Not to mention, one of the longest-running shows of its kind in the nation. Now in its 42nd year of raucous, tongue-in-cheek fun.
Orders for season tickets are currently being accepted. For more information, visit saltlakeactingcompany.org or call the SLAC Audience Services team at 801.363.7522.
PHOTO | Pictured clockwise from top left: Alexandra Harbold, Melissa Crespo, Penelope Caywood, Cynthia Fleming, Shannon Musgrave, and Nancy Borgenicht
