Plan-B Hosts Annual Fund Raiser, AND THE BANNED SLAMMED ON, 5/1

AND THE BANNED SLAMMED ON is Utah's only fundraiser featuring five 10-minute plays created in 24 hours based on incidents of censorship in Utah over the past year.

Aided by special guests Matt Aune & Derek Jones (the Main Street Plaza Kissing Criminals) and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, hosts Bill Allred (X96) and Doug Fabrizio (KUER) will share highlights of censorship in Utah over the past year.

Yes, sadly, there's enough to work with that highlights are necessary: from the Utah Legislature's attempt to ban wolves, to the furor over Obama's speech to school children, to Weber School District's banning of the incense damiana (aka Spice), to the University Hospital's ban on frosted eye shadow, to the concern over Trailside Elementary School in Park City going nut-free, to any number of incidents involving gay people kissing each other, trying to run wedding announcements or trying to run an ad for a memorial for suicide victims.

The past year is also especially rich with theatrical tie-ins: Judge Memorial High School's production of RENT (due to its depiction of homosexuality-never mind the drug use and homelessness); The Classic Greek Theatre Festival's production of THE BAKKAI (due to its sexual content-never mind the severed head); Old Lyric Repertory Company's last-minute replacement of GHOSTS OF OCEAN HOUSE (due to a reference to incest) with AN INSPECTOR CALLS (featuring a pregnant prostitute).

Then we'll shift gears and share five world-premiere, ten-minute plays inspired by these (or similar) incidents-five short plays that will not have existed 24-hours prior to the event.

Each playwright (Matthew Ivan Bennett, Deborah DeVos, Jenifer Nii, Julie Jensen, Tim Slover) will be randomly assigned an incident of censorship and three actors and given 12 hours to write a 10-minute play inspired by said incident. The plays will then be turned over to randomly assigned director to stage in 10 hours with the assistance of a design team. An hour for lunch (which is mandatory) = 23 hours. The 24th hour, for better or worse, is the performance of these five world-premiere, ten-minute plays.

AND THE BANNED SLAMMED ON raises 10% of Plan-B's annual operating budget. The event features a cash bar (which, guaranteed, the actors will need), finger food by Cali's Natural Foods and...the announcement of our 2010/11, 20th anniversary season.

The cast consists of Kirt Bateman, Colleen Baum, Anita Booher, Teri Cowan, Daisy Blake, April Fossen, Mark Fossen, Stephanie Howell, Deena Marie Manzanares, Emma Munson, JJ Peeler, Topher Rasmussen, Teresa Sanderson, Richard Scharine, and Christy Summerhays.

Performances take place at the Jeanne Wagner Theatre at Rose Wagner, located at 138 West 300 South. The performance has reserved seating. Tickets to the event range in price from $25 to $40 with a limited number of $10 student tickets also available. Tickets may by purchased by calling the box office at 801-355-ARTS or online at planbtheatre.org/bs.

Plan-B's most recent anthology, MORE PLAYS FROM BEHIND THE ZION CURTAIN (Juniper Press/Oxide Books 2010), will also be available for purchase.

For more information, visit www.planbtheatre.org.

 

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