The
Salt Lake Acting Company started in
1970 in the First
Unitarian Church Eliot Hall near the
University of Utah’s campus. Back in those days they were known as “
Human Ensemble Company.” The university had a big influence on the theatre and so did the
civil rights movements of the late
60s. They produced such work as
Viet Rock! And earned a reputation as an “
avant garde” theatre company.
As this theatre grew they remained not for profit, and adopted an affinity for contemporary theatre (post Ibsen) with a spattering of American playwrights and new works. They also threw spectacle and high production values out the window. The artists at Salt Lake value theatrical intimacy more.
Their hard work and commitment to “straightforward” artwork has paid off, They’ve earned the sponsorship of numerous foundations including American Express.
Still, every year, they seem to feel the need to let down their hair a bit so they host Saturday's Voyeur Road Show annual spoof and satire show that tours Utah making fun of everyone from politicians to farmhands. It’s notoriously “offensive” but someone must like it since it brows in popularity every year.
Personally, I think a modern satyr play is a much more interesting cash cow for a regional theatre than the usual Christmas show found in most cities…..