PYGmalion Theatre Company turns 30
PYGmalion Theatre Company is set to present a compelling 2025–26 season, continuing its decades-long commitment to producing theatre that centers women’s voices and experiences. This season’s three productions tackle profound questions of love, autonomy, identity, and resilience, each with a distinct blend of humor, heart, and insight. Performances take place at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, where the company has been a resident tenant since 2005.
The season opens with Tiny Beautiful Things, running November 7–22. Adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos from Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling book, the play brings to life the anonymous advice columnist “Sugar,” whose letters and responses ran online from 2010 to 2012. Pygmalion’s production highlights Strayed’s signature blend of empathy, humor, and hard-earned wisdom as Sugar helps people navigate life’s obstacles, ranging from heartbreak and loss to questions about love and purpose. The play examines the courage it takes to confront life’s unanswerable questions, offering audiences a heart-heavy yet ultimately uplifting exploration of grief, hope, and human connection.
In February, the company presents Becky Nurse of Salem by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Morag Shepherd, running February 6–21, 2026. This contemporary comedy explores the life of Becky Nurse, a strong-willed grandmother trying to navigate post-Obama America while dabbling in witchcraft. As the distant descendant of the infamous 1692 Salem witch Rebecca Nurse, Becky wrestles with raising her teenage granddaughter and reconnecting with an old flame. Ruhl’s script blends historical echoes with present-day humor, examining the ways women seek empowerment and agency in both domestic and social spheres—even when magic doesn’t quite go as planned.
The season closes with The Day My Vagina Met “Richard Gere” by Andrea Peterson, directed by Fran Pruyn, running May 1–16, 2026. A comedic tragedy, the play follows 37-year-old Ginnifer as she navigates pregnancy, outdated social norms, complicated family dynamics, and a healthcare system that often feels hostile to women’s autonomy. Peterson’s script explores the high-stakes battle for control over one’s body and life, offering both searing humor and pointed social commentary. Ginnifer’s journey underscores the larger struggle for personal agency, challenging audiences to consider who gets to define a woman’s path.
Founded in 1995 by Nancy Roth and Reb Fleming in Ogden, Utah, PYGmalion Theatre Company has dedicated three decades to telling stories that center women on stage, behind the scenes, and in every creative aspect of production. The company has long embraced challenging and provocative material, often exploring controversial or underrepresented issues through dramatic literature, music, and multimedia. True to its mission, each show in the 2025–26 season reflects the lives, struggles, and triumphs of women, continuing Pygmalion’s legacy of amplifying female voices in Utah’s theatre community.
With a season that spans heart-wrenching empathy, historical reflection, and sharply observed contemporary struggles, PYGmalion Theatre Company invites audiences to engage with stories that are as entertaining as they are deeply human, affirming its position as a vital platform for women’s perspectives on the Salt Lake City stage.
