On a rainy Halloween night in 2012, actor Davy Morrison skated across a frozen stage at the Castle Amphitheatre in Provo, embodying the murderous charisma of Richard III. For Steven Pond, who watched in awe, the performance wasn’t just entertaining—it was transformative.
“That was the first Grassroots show I ever saw,” Pond recalls. “The energy was electric. I said to myself, ‘I need to do this.’”
Pond auditioned for their next show, The Tempest, and, thirteen years later, is still deeply entrenched in the company’s ever-evolving theatrical experiment.
Founded in 2009 by a group of UVU students inspired to continue doing Shakespeare beyond the classroom, Grassroots Shakespeare Company has since grown into a unique force in Utah’s theatrical ecosystem. Known for their lively performances, minimal tech, and deeply collaborative ethos, Grassroots sets itself apart with a bold claim: they’re not just doing Shakespeare. They’re doing it like it used to be done. They cite their work as being the original practices of the bard of Avon.
I had the opportunity to sit down with long time members of Grassroots — Steven Pond, Alyssa Tanner Vaughn and Alyx Vaughn — to learn more about the company’s, well, roots.
What Is “Original Practices” Anyway?
For Grassroots, “original practices” doesn’t mean strict historical re-creation with doublets and candlelight. Instead, it refers to an approach rooted in Elizabethan methods: fast-paced rehearsal schedules, collaborative creation, and—most importantly—audience engagement.
“Shakespeare wrote his shows anticipating that there would be audience response,” Pond explains. “So we lean into that. Direct address isn’t just a trick—it’s baked into how we perform.”
That philosophy came to life again when Morrison reprised Richard III after COVID. In the text, Richard muses, “Is there a murderer here?” before answering his own question. But thanks to the style Grassroots cultivates, in performance after performance the audience beat him to it.
“People in the crowd shouted, ‘Yes, you are!’” Pond says. “Then Davy responded, ‘Yes, I am.’ And suddenly the line’s iambic pentameter just… snapped into place.”
Alyx Vaughn, who serves as the company’s fight director, notes that “the audience is our third scene partner. Their presence changes everything. We don’t fully know what the show is until they show up.”
From Auditions to Opening in Two Weeks
In keeping with their original practices, Grassroots mounts productions on a condensed timeline, with a method that’s both structured and radically democratic.
Auditions are open and collaborative. After presenting monologues and participating in feedback-driven exercises, auditioners—even first-timers—help vote on the cast. “We’re not just evaluating talent,” explains longtime company member Alyssa. “We’re looking for collaborators. People who give thoughtful feedback. People who are generous.”
Roles are cast collectively in a second meeting, and actors spend the next two weeks memorizing lines, sourcing costumes, and, occasionally, performing the entire show with little or no rehearsal.
Sometimes their first rehearsal is the show.
“It’s terrifying,” Alyssa admits with a laugh, “but thrilling. The chaos makes it real.”
Grassroots rehearsals are fast but intentional. They block the show in thirds, refine moments as a team, and end each rehearsal with a “grievances circle”—a designated space to air frustrations or celebrate progress.
“This prevents drama and miscommunication,” Alyssa says. “We clear the air, every single day.”
Beyond the Bard: Expanding the Canon
While Shakespeare is the company’s namesake and foundation, Grassroots doesn’t limit itself to the First Folio.
“We’ve done Doctor Faustus, Waiting for Godot, even a Shakespearean remix of The Little Mermaid,” says Pond. “If the piece supports our audience-interactive style and we can mount it quickly, it’s fair game.”
There’s talk of tackling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in rep with Hamlet, depending on funding. Vaughn is advocating for The Bacchae or other Greek works. There’s even buzz about Pirates of Penzance.
“Original practice doesn’t just mean Shakespeare,” Vaughn explains. “It’s about approaching text with immediacy and flexibility—doing theatre the way it was meant to be: live, dangerous, joyful.”
So What’s Next?
Grassroots is currently performing Romeo and Juliet, bringing their signature stripped-down, amped-up energy to Shakespeare’s most iconic love story. For Vaughn, who is also fight directing the production, it’s a favorite.
“I’ve done a lot of Shakespeare,” he says. “But this show—this process—it just hits different.”
Upcoming summer tours are still in development, but fans can expect more unorthodox stagings, more public domain deep cuts, and more of the company’s signature blend of playfulness and rigor.
Want to catch a show? Grassroots typically performs outdoors in parks, traveling light and setting up on their iconic portable stage. Audiences are encouraged to bring picnic blankets—and a sense of humor.
“We want people to come and shout, cheer, groan, laugh,” says Pond. “It’s not just about watching a show. It’s about being part of it.”
Grassroots by the Book
For skeptics wondering just how “original” these practices really are, Grassroots points to their research. They’re cited in Patrick Tucker’s Secrets of Acting Shakespeare and rely heavily on Tiffany Stern’s Making Shakespeare: From Stage to Page for their textual work.
Their scripts—often Frankenstein’d from various sources—are being gradually cleaned and restored by company members, who aim for fidelity to the First Folio wherever possible. Vaughn has found modern insertions from platforms like No Fear Shakespeare hiding in old scripts: “Some Victorian added this line, and now we’ve all just accepted it? No, thanks.”
Grassroots Shakespeare Company doesn’t just do Shakespeare. They revive the spirit of it—alive, messy, and gloriously unfinished until the audience enters the equation. This week, audiences have the chance to catch two productions: Romeo and Juliet as well as The Comedy of Errors.
