SALT LAKE-In an old church building in the heart of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Acting Company is known for staging everything from parodies of the local culture, important new works that are not likely to be produced anywhere else, and innovative children’s shows based on wonderful literature. Recently I had the privilege of sitting down with Executive Artistic Director Cynthia Fleming to learn more about the history of this Salt Lake theatrical staple, the vital part they play in our community, the challenges they face, and the future they are hoping for.
History
Salt Lake Acting Company, or SLAC, was founded in 1969 by Ed Gryska, though it was formally incorporated on February 17, 1970. In those days, they performed in a Unitarian Church. In 1978, they moved to what was known as the glass factory for 5 years, until landing in the building they now call home, known as the historic 19th Ward House of Worship. Ed and the other founders, Don Roberts and Margaret Hack had been in plays together in high school. It is quite a fun story to see high school theatre friends start a theatre that has the staying power of 55 years and counting. An early interview from Ed stated that they had been interested in doing shows that the other theatre companies in Utah were not doing, and that is a mission that SLAC is still focused on according to Fleming. Fleming pointed out that Utah is a community that is committed to family values, and SLAC is passionate about representing alternative lifestyles and families that also deserve to feel represented within the community. According to Fleming SLAC respects the integrity of plays and present them “with the authors intent, uncut, unadulterated.” When looking at the caliber of shows past and present, it is clear that SLAC has lived up to this mission and hopes to continue to do so. One of the main projects each year is the well known parody, for many years called Saturday’s Voyeur, that takes a fun and irreverent lens and looks at our current landscape locally and nationally. Written by local authors, the show is a tradition that many look forward to.
Challenges and Growth
As with any Theatre, one of the major challenges has been managing the changing landscape during COVID. There are also the challenges of dealing with a unique space and presenting theatre within that space. Representing art and theatre in the current political climate, being a voice for the people who want representation within the arts, and the organization’s desire to be a safe space for people on the fringe, so to speak. One story that Fleming shared was particularly moving. “One of our board members, their son is gay, and he brought his son and his son’s boyfriend to one of our plays. He noticed while at the theatre that his son was holding his boyfriend’s hand, and he had never done that in public before. The board member asked him why. What made him feel like he could do that? He said I just feel safe here, like I can hold his hand. This is the environment we are hoping for. Where people can feel safe.”
Another story that was important to Fleming was the accessibility of the building. There are two main performance spaces, their main performance hall, and the smaller performance space upstairs. The smaller space is where the performance for young audiences happen. They had a young woman whose mother got some tickets to a show, and there were complications getting her into the chair lift that the space had. A group of people ended up picking her wheelchair up and brought her up to the wheelchair. For years after that, that was how this patron attended the show. After this patron passed away, her mother wanted more children to experience the joy of our kids shows. They worked with a generous donation from Linda and Don Price, which was then matched with donations from the community. During COVID, SLAC took the opportunity and the funds to improve their accessibility. They now have an accessibility coordinator that can be contacted with any special needs that a patron may have when they are wanting to attend a performance.
Future of SLAC
Before COVID, Fleming was working on getting 4000 subscribers so that the community could continue to grow and be supported. She says that is still the hope and the dream for the future of SLAC. She also hopes to continue the dream of being a safe space in the community for telling the stories that other theatres may not tell. Fleming has also stated that she does not want SLAC to become an institution. What she means by that is that she hopes they will always be thinking of ways to be fresh and innovative. Even though the summer show is a staple, they are always looking for ways to keep it new. They want to find authors that match the mission. They support new authors and new works. In discussing the theatre for youth, Fleming pointed out that SLAC has chosen to produce shows that are based on children’s books. This is helpful for many reasons. The children can read the stories before they come and be prepared for a theatrical experience. SLAC is also partnering with local schools to provide many with their very first opportunity to see a show. Several years ago I took my daughters and stepdaughters to see SLAC’s production of Pete the Cat, a set of books that are staples in my home. Just as Fleming stated, the connection of books and theatre is a phenomenal way to have young children connect to the performing arts.
Attending and Supporting SLAC
The best way to support SLAC is by attending a show, according to Fleming. If you want to support even more, consider subscribing to their season. They are a nonprofit organization, so they are of course willing to take donations and often look for volunteers. They primarily hire local talent, so pay attention to the website for audition and employment opportunities. It is an amazing piece of history to see a show in this historic building, connect with shows that may not be seen anywhere else, and discover so much more At this Utah Theatre.
[box]Salt Lake Acting Company operates year-round at 168 W 500 North Salt Lake City 84103 . For more information, visit https://saltlakeactingcompany.org/ [/box]