At This Utah Theatre: Pygmalion Productions

SALT LAKE CITY — Born out of an idea from two friends in 1995, Pygmalion Productions started in Ogden, Utah to fulfill their mission to “Produce Theatre that reflects issues, concerns, and shared experiences in the lives of women.” Since 2005 they have been residents at the Black Box Theatre in the Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts, and they have worked tirelessly with the theatre community in Utah to achieve their mission. Recently, UTBA President Maren Swensen sat down with Artistic Director Francis Pruyn to learn a little more about this piece of Utah Theatre History.

HISTORY

Pygmalion was started by Nancy Ross and Reb Flemming in 1995. They moved to Salt Lake City in 2001 and became official residents of the Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts in 2005. They merged with Theater Works West in 2001, and that is when Frances Pruyn became a part of the theatre, where she has been serving as Artistic Director ever since. The mission, according to Pruyn, while rather self-explanatory, is here because there are so many theatres that serve a variety of audiences and do it well, yet the need for a place to give voice to women and women’s stories has always been necessary.

Utah has a rich history of theatre. Pruyn mentioned the historical fact that when Brigham Young was building the temple in Salt Lake City, he also made sure to build a theater in downtown Salt Lake. This rich heritage of theater is not lost on those that love the theater in our community, and is likely why Utah is one of the places that has weathered things like the Covid pandemic better than most when it comes to performing arts.

However, throughout the history of theater, from the Greeks to Shakespeare until now, it cannot be ignored that there has been a need for a space for women’s stories. Something that is exciting about the history of this particular theater is not only does it give space for stories interesting to women, it has given space for local writers and artists familiar to Utah, such as authors Morag Shepherd and Julie Jensen, whose stories are important to share because of their deep understanding of our local culture. Pruyn acknowledges that many of the stories have a political tilt to them, but that is because of the nature of the stories that are told and the audience that the theatre’s mission is seeking. There are so many theatres in Utah, and Pygmalion has developed over the last 30 years to reach a particular audience, be a safe space for particular players and storytellers, and provide a different experience than what might be experienced at other theatres.

CHALLENGES AND GROWTH

For over 20 years, Pygmalion has received funding and support from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. Because of a new bill, the fact that the mission of the theatre is to tell women’s stories caused the theatre to lose their grant funding. Pruyn has stated that they have other funding from different grants and sources, but that this was a significant lost to them. This is their largest challenge at this time. Pruyn stated that it would not fit their model or their ethics to change their mission at this time. “It is still important to have a place to tell these stories.” This does not mean that men are not welcome or do not participate. Men have acted in, directed, worked behind the scenes, and have been in every part of the theatrical process. In fact, Pruyn shared that their most well-attended show is a show called Dottie S. Dix, which was about a Mormon mother and her gay son performed by a man in drag, written by a man. Many other plays that have been performed over the years have felt important to the time, and have been essential to the makeup of our theatrical community. The growth that Pruyn hopes for is a continued impact on telling the stories that matter to the Utah community, and to the women who love theatre in Utah.

FUTURE OF PYGMALION

Like many theatres, the main focus for the future is in funding. Learning to look outside the box, find new funding sources, and get audiences to come see the shows is the main way to continue to secure the future that Pruyn is hoping for. Pruyn says that the board works together to determine the season each year, and they always want at least some new work and something new and exciting to look for. Pruyn talked about working on a salon series with author Julie Jensen and another author named Laura Munns, and it sounds like a new and innovative way to look at theatre. Pruyn said “Some people say theatre is dying but I do not think theatre will ever die.”

WHY SHOULD WE ATTEND?

Pruyn emphasized that Pygmalion puts on stories that need to be told, and may not be told in any other space. The best way to help is to attend the theatre. They will not say no to volunteers and donations, but attending the theatre is the best way to help the theatre. When asked about why theatre is such a powerful thing in Utah, Pruyn said she believes that it does go back to the roots in the LDS church. The talent in this area is part of the heritage. The performing, the choirs, the singing, the dancing, it is all a part of who we are. The telling of stories is also a part of who we are. Pygmalion hopes to continue to be an integral part of the Utah Theatre Community for many years to come.