Awesomesauce: Echo Theater & The Woman in Black

I’m going to step out of my usual blogging position to tell you about some cool theater stuff in Provo right now. And all this without the authorization of Dame Toadstool! Apologies to my lady!

Perhaps you’ve heard of the new Echo Theater? It’s located right in between those hipster-havens, Muse and Velour. It was a derelict space for, well I don’t know how long, until about a month ago some people were like, “Lets make this something awesome!” It’s a pretty cool story. In that month they got it all cleaned up and refurbished. It’s not posh, but it’s the type of small theater that I like. The stage is so uncomfortably close to the back row, you can see every bead of sweat on the actors’ brows. It’s so sincere, you know; you can tell it’s a bunch of people working together to do what they love for other people who love it.

Here’s the second part of the story! My friend at work, whom I may have mentioned before (shifty eyes), is directing and starring in the theater’s first production, The Woman in Black. The same ghost story as the movie, but quite a different type of production.

I went to the opening night last Thursday, and I LOVED it. It’s minimal theater–there’s no glamor or glitz for the production to hide behind, and no recourse to hide any amount of failure. It is the pure, rare power of good story and good acting. It is vivid and intense in its rawness. Three actors, foley, and a tiny set which slowly gets revealed throughout the play, strike a more ardent and sincere chord than all the fancy costumes, dance numbers, and fireworks you could care to see.

Clearly, I highly recommend this show. It has a few more days left: March 12, 15, 16, 17, and 19. If you have any love for theater or any love for horror, I beg of you, get thee to the theater. It is time and money well spent.