local stories local stage
Posted By Salt Lake County ZAP
October 20, 2015
Since 1991, Plan-B Theatre Company has developed and produced unique and socially conscious theatre with a focus on new plays by Utah playwrights.
We share stories with local points of view as well as global stories from a local perspective. We strive to create and nourish a pool of local playwrights to rival that found in any other city in the country.
As noted by the Dramatists Guild of America, Plan-B is the only professional theatre company in the United States producing full seasons of new work by local playwrights. We have produced 83 world premieres thus far in our history.
We believe the best way to serve our community is to reflect it onstage—to create conversation, to provide opportunities for patrons to think a little differently, to consider points of view that may previously have been foreign, to listen in a way they may not have before.
Every decision we make ties to/springs from our mission to develop and produce unique and socially conscious theatre with a focus on new plays by Utah playwrights. We are honored to be able to share stories we are passionate about in a place that we love.
And we have been feeling the love in 2015!
In April we were named ‘Best Theatre Company’ by QSaltLake for the 11th year in a row. In May we received the Governor’s Organization Leadership in the Arts Award. In June we received Salt Lake City’s Mayor’s Artist Award for Service to the Arts by an Organization. And just today, we received two City Weekly Best of Utah ARTs Awards for our world premiere of Carleton Bluford’s MAMA: Best Original Play (which we have won 8 of the past 10 seasons) and Best Local Theatre Production (which we have won 14 of the past 15 seasons).
Pretty heady, humbling stuff for a company operating on an annual budget of $250,000.
Our unique and innovative way of telling stories will be on full display with the four world premieres by Utah playwrights that comprise our 2015/16, Silver Anniversary season:
Eric Samuelsen’s THE KREUTZER SONATA, October 18-November 9 – A cautionary tale of rage, revenge and remorse interwoven with Beethoven’s sonata in a co-production with NOVA Chamber Music Series.
Rob Tennant’s BOOKSMART, December 3-13 – A dark comedy about working retail at the holidays and sticking it to The Man, provoking change and taking action—by doing nothing. In partnership with The David Ross Fetzer Foundation for Emerging Artists.
Elaine Jarvik’s BASED ON A TRUE STORY, February 25-March 6 – A tale of comfort, doubt and the power and perils of narrative. With time travel. And chocolate donuts.
Jenifer Nii & David Evanoff’s KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, March 31-April 10 – A quest for self-acceptance in a culture focused on perfection … and one Mormon housewife's desire to do it in drag. Plan-B’s first original musical.
Visit http://planbtheatre.org for details – see you at the theatre!
And below, just for fun, are some thoughts about Plan-B from artists who have worked with us:
Plan-B is part of my soul.
Jerry Rapier, Producing Director
Plan-B is the spark that lights the fire in me.
Cheryl Ann Cluff, Managing Director
Plan-B is home.
Kirt Bateman
Plan-B is a place where artists live, where ideas can thrive.
Bill Allred
Plan-B is a voice that’s relevant to where I live, when I’m living, and who I’m living with.
Stephen Brown
Plan-B means a home for Utah writers, a stage for Utah stories.
Julie Jensen
Plan-B means a life buoy thrown to a drowning man.
Eric Samuelsen
Plan-B is a spiritual home to me.
Matthew Ivan Bennett
Plan-B means theatre that never disappoints.
Carol Lynn Pearson
Plan-B is Utah’s home for socially conscious theatre.
Carleton Bluford
Plan-B is locally-sourced handmade artisanal theatre.
Rob Tennant
Plan-B is an incubator in which new stories and familiar characters can thrive.
Melissa Leilani Larson
Plan-B is the embrace of risk and the support of unique voices which means opportunity.
Susan Miller
Plan-B is family.
Mark Fossen
Plan-B is home.
April Fossen
Plan-B is home.
Stephanie Howell
Plan-B is essential to the community, pushing boundaries, has changed my life for the better, encouraged and nurtured me artistically . . . and they’re just a bunch of super sweet and generous people.
Camden Chamberlain
Plan-B is the opportunity to explore and challenge yourself.
David Spencer
Plan-B means making what was hope a reality.
Jenifer Nii
Plan-B means there’s always another way to see things.
Dave Mortensen
Plan-B means community.
Jay Perry
Plan-B means togetherness.
Daisy Blake Perry
Plan-B is a bold, daring and supportive home for SLC actors and playwrights.
Scott Smith
Plan-B means a place for challenging, engaging, and imaginative theatre. It’s a gem!
Bob Nelson
Plan-B is the best theatre company in Utah providing socially conscious theatre at an incredible value.
Benjamin Brown
Plan-B means fearlessness.
Jason Tatom
Plan-B means unbelievable opportunities.
Teresa Sanderson
Plan-B is thought-provoking and world-bettering.
Kevin Emerson
Plan-B is a theatrical amplifier exposing thought-provoking and original works by local artists to Utah audiences and beyond.
Teri Cowan
Plan-B is where anyone can learn to expand their mind, heart, and soul.
Sarah Young
Plan-B is theatre that makes me think for a week.
Jesse Nix
Plan-B is a work of art that challenges me.
Melissa Rasmussen
Plan-B makes me think, makes me feel, makes me laugh . . . and it makes me want to stay up late drinking Moscow Mules talking about theatre and serious shit (stuff).
Larry West
Plan-B means brave, new theatre.
Betsy West
Plan-B is a supportive team that puts story first.
Matthew Greene
Plan-B means challenging theatre – a force that moves you in the right direction.
Topher Rasmussen
Plan B is a homegrown product and one to be proud of. It assures me of good, intimate theatre with provocative new plays by local playwrights, performed by brilliant local actors, sets/sound/designs by sensitive local craftsmen, and directed by innovative local directors. And the price of the ticket is affordable. It doesn’t get better than that!
Anne Cullimore Decker
Plan-B is a generous and nurturing artistic environment that respects and stretches the artists and audiences that step inside.
Jason Bowcutt
Plan-B is part of the heart of our community. It brings joy, thought and hope.
Michael Aaron
Plan-B means opportunity and inspiration.
Lauren Byington-Noll
Plan-B is a place where theatre artists in our community can come together to make their very best offerings.
Christy Summerhays
Plan-B is an organization that takes its community role seriously, even to the level of young children. They have sponsored opportunities for young people to learn about and empathize with the condition of bullying in today’s schools. This is an essential role to play when so many kids are struggling with their emerging identities in a school system that struggles to understand, acknowledge, and affirm difference. Plan-B provides a forum for young adults to engage with the topic of bullying and reflect on their place in eradicating it.
Jim Martin
Plan-B is always thought-provoking scripts that are well acted.
Beth Bruner
Plan-B means exciting, innovative, and intimate theatre.
Debora Threedy
Plan-B means courage.
Logan Tarantino
Plan-B is an important part of my SLC.
Mike Thompson
Plan-B means mental stimulus to me.
Latoya Rhodes
Plan-B is telling stories without precedent.
Phillip R. Lowe
Plan-B means thought-provoking theatre.
Elaine Jarvik
Plan-B means enlightenment.
Jennifer Freed
Plan-B is theatre with substance.
Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin
Plan-B means life-changing experiences for me.
Jayne Luke
Plan-B means reshaping artistic and conversational boundaries for me.
Martine Kei Green-Rogers
Plan-B is creativity on steroids.
Kay Shean
Plan-B is the only socially-relevant stage to me.
Sean Sekino
Plan-B shows me the human condition in stories that I would not otherwise encounter. I have to think and stretch my mind.
Karen Duncan
Plan-B means I get thought-provoking theatre by local Utah playwrights and actors.
Brian Doughty
Plan-B means thought-provoking scripts, fearless acting, confident directing, innovative sets and always the experience of going home with new questions and answers, new thoughts in my head and new admiration for the theatre.
Colleen Baum
Plan-B is honest and artful storytelling.
Emma Munson
Plan-B means outstanding opportunities for actors, playwrights, artists, and audiences.
Charles Lynn Frost
Plan-B is a path to discovery.
Claire Wilson
Plan-B means home grown: local actors, local playwrights, global conversations. But mostly Plan-B means “Theatre Christmas.”
Kyle Lewis
Plan-B is inspirational.
Tia Byington-Noll
Plan-B is a relevant, artistic voice for our unique community and culture.
Tyson Baker
Plan-B means learning something new.
Michael Johnson
Plan-B means a delightfully unsettling theatre experience.
Chriss Meecham
-Jerry Rapier
Jerry Rapier has been Producing Director of Plan-B Theatre Company since 2000. He has directed 30+ productions for the company. He and his husband Kirt celebrate their 20th anniversary this December. Their lives are completely run by their soon-to-be-three-year-old son Oscar.