Appreciating the Artistry of Friends: Utah Shakes

I decided to take a break from my own art and research to make the trip to Utah to support my good friends Wayne and Isabel, who are some of the great minds that went into crafting this year’s season at USF, where creativity blooms in the shadow of Zion National Park.

Wayne—the face of USF’s 2018 season as Othello—this year delivered a friendly, conflicted, and then fallen Macbeth, whose doubt and fear were palpable, and whose descent into lustful rage was painful. The show was beautifully blocked, and included the most stunning nightwalking sequence I’ve ever encountered.

Wayne and I discussed the art of performing work in all fields and the intersection of theatre arts and industry. He may have a book in the works; keep an eye out for it. He’s a smart and witty human, which I’m sure will be reflected in his writing.

The morning after the show, I was pleased to see nearly a hundred human beings gather at 8am to discuss dramaturgy and seek insight about the shows that they had seen the night before.

Isabel deftly answered questions with intelligence, wit, and warmth. A gentleman next to me said she “brought so much more life and meaning” to the plays he’d seen than his own experience of the performances had. I am so glad that USF highlights dramaturgs in this way, allowing the audience to engage with the backstage brilliance that helps to birth the performances they witness. despite the early hour, the conversation was lively, debates were had, and the community of audience members questioned and pondered the shows with lively, invigorated curiosity.