SALT LAKE CITY — In a tradition spanning almost 50 years, Salt Lake Acting Company is back with its summer show, this year titled The Secret Lives of the Real Wives in the Salt Lake Hive. The company has a reputation for taking a hard look at Utah’s conservative culture and speaking out for the fringe left who often feel unheard and unseen—usually with a very irreverent tone—and this year is no exception. Writers Austin Archer, Penelope Caywood, and Olivia Custodio have pulled out all the stops to take on Utah’s current wave of pop culture, how it intersects with national discourse, and how the people around us are viewed.
First, it’s important to underscore the irreverence. From language to costumes to subject matter, this show is not for the pearl-clutchers among us. That’s clear from the start, with the pre-show music and a deliberately provocative opening. When director Cynthia Fleming steps onstage for the traditional welcome and season subscription pitch, the announcement is interrupted by the voice of Marc Nielson in an uncanny Trump impression—setting the tone that no one from politics to pop culture will be spared.
The star quality at Salt Lake Acting Company remains strong, and the clever writing from the creative team complements the cast’s talent. Much of the humor relies on inside jokes, awareness of current events, popular TV shows, and local lore. Some of my favorite elements included the hilariously exaggerated spellings of character names—like Stefaneigh (Mikki Reeve) and Reighlynn (Rachel Johnson)—because, frankly, I’ve seen that naming trend too many times in real life. I was also glad I’d seen many of the TV shows being parodied; otherwise, some of the humor might not have landed as well.
The parody follows four women trying to launch a new product for their #momstagram brand while their husbands attempt to embrace alpha-male energy and fall deeper into internet rabbit holes. This may be the first time I’ve praised a videographer in a live theatre production, but Nick Fleming did an outstanding job helping the cast recreate the bizarre visual language of TikTok trends. Seeing these social media quirks through the lens of young Mormon influencers was both hilarious and haunting.
At times, it was hard to separate the parody from what felt like a melancholic reality. One scene, for instance, features Johnson, along with Tori Kenton as Melinda and Noelani Brown as Parlor, going for Botox even though they’re far too young, getting high on nitrous oxide, and hiding alcohol in their Swig cups—while their husbands spiral into increasingly uncomfortable radical beliefs. The show’s musical direction by Zach Hansen and choreography by Fleming helped make the songs shine. Most of the numbers are parody songs from the radio or musical theatre, full of layered jokes—like a cutting version of a song from Sweet Charity about letting RFK do the thinking for the men. The humor is biting and the production value is excellent, but at times it felt less like satire and more like social commentary. As a therapist, I’ve had clients describe experiences that mirror these storylines—whether it’s feeling pressure to get Botox at 21 or trying to make sense of online misinformation.
Without giving away the ending, I’ll say this: it’s cathartic for those on the political left who feel silenced in Utah’s right-wing climate. For moderates or anyone right of center, it might be a little uncomfortable. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received as a critic is that our job is to be a matchmaker—pairing the right audience with the right show. If you’re looking for a night of sharp, unapologetic political satire that celebrates pop culture and gives voice to a particular side of Utah’s population, The Secret Lives of the Real Wives in the Salt Lake Hive is your show. It’s a great night out full of laughs, bold commentary, and top-tier production quality.
These reviews are made possible by a grant from the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks program.
