ART AND CLASS to Make Full Production Premiere with Wasatch Theatre Company

Wasatch Theatre Company will conclude the Page-to-Stage Festival with the production of Matthew Ivan Bennett's ART AND CLASS, making its full production premiere September 7-11, 2023 at the Regent Street Black Box at The Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City.

ART AND CLASS is based on the story of Mateo Rueda who was an art teacher in the Cache County School District during the 2017-2018 school year.  He left the district with an agreement in early 2018 after allowing his sixth graders to view artwork with nudity during one of his classes.  ART AND CLASS was written following this event.  In this version, the art teacher is Lucia, an art teacher who is similarly targeted because of her choice of materials.  The production features Yoah Kristine, Stephanie Howell, Jesse Nepivoda, and Roger Dunbar and directed by WTC Executive Director Jim Martin.  

ART AND CLASS is more than a play about censorship.  It provides a complicated look into relationships as they strain against the culture of an area. The play also deals with themes of the ways we honor our true selves in the midst of societal and professional expectations.     

Bennett's play was first produced by Plan-B Theatre Company 2021 as a radio play.  This was in the midst of theatre closures due to the pandemic.  This will be the first time the production is staged in front of a live audience.  

The Page-to-Stage Festival is an annual tradition featuring new works by local playwrights.  This year's slate included new works by Cordelia Brand, George Plautz, Mindy Curtis, and now Matthew Ivan Bennett.  The Page-to-Stage Festival has been a previous Best of Utah staff selection by City Weekly.  

Tickets are available at the Wasatch Theatre Company website or through ArtTix at the link below.

About Wasatch Theatre Company

Wasatch Theatre Company is a non-profit theater company that produces a variety of plays and musicals each year. The company's mission is to produce timely, relevant, and entertaining theatre by supporting diverse artists and providing opportunities for unique voices to stimulate conversation, increase empathy, and empower positive social change.  

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