For the first time in over eighteen months, the Department of Theatre will welcome live audiences when Storm Still opens on Friday, September 24. A fast-paced, rollicking riff on Shakespeare’s King Lear—part “play therapy,” part drinking game—Storm Still features a live band to accompany the stage combat and slapstick tragicomedy from the three-woman ensemble.
The loose-limbed plot is nicely summed up in this excerpt from the program note by director Alexandra Harbold:
“In Gab Reisman’s Storm Still, three sisters have all shouldered their tempestuous father’s decline and death in very different ways. By playing a game of pretend from their childhood, they are able to reconnect through an act of collaborative storytelling. As they swap their father’s hats (often literally) and perform their own fast and loose version of Shakespeare’s King Lear, they all reckon with the past and its imprint on their relationships and choices.”
The Department of Theatre currently plans to host live audiences for all of its 2021-2022 productions. Audience members will be asked to abide by CDC regulations, which currently call for masks to be worn indoors even if patrons are fully vaccinated. Additionally, the Department is adopting a new late seating policy for certain shows—including Storm Still. Out of consideration for the safety and comfort of audience members and the company of Storm Still, no late seating will be allowed. If the performance is delayed by unforeseen events, latecomers may be seated at the discretion of the House Manager before the performance begins.
Storm Still opens in the Babcock Theatre on Friday, September 24 and runs until Sunday, October 3rd, with evening shows at 7:30pm and 2pm matinees on select weekend days. Free parking is available for most performances across the street at Rice-Eccles Stadium. General admission to Storm Still starts at $10, with $15 “Champion” tickets available for patrons wishing to provide additional support to the Department of Theatre. Discounts available for faculty, staff, non-U students, senior citizens, and members of the military. As always, U students get free admission to all Department of Theatre shows through Arts Pass with a current UCard. Tickets can be purchased online at artstickets.utah.edu.