Playwright, Actor, And Director George Plautz Dies At 67

Wasatch Theatre Company has shared that George Plautz-playwright, actor, director, theatre-maker, and friend-passed away Thursday March 9th at the age of 67.

George Plautz came into the world of Wasatch Theatre Company in 2000, directing THE FANTASTICKS at Jim's Soupers Deli, one of WTC's original performance spaces. George joined the WTC Board shortly after and directed a multitude of projects including THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, GREY GARDENS, WHAT THE BUTLER SAW, AN INSPECTOR CALLS, and many more. George also wrote a variety of plays produced with Wasatch including STORIES OF HAWAII based on Jack London's writings, the musical HANDS UP!, FORBIDDEN UTAH for the last two Great Salt Lake Fringe Festivals, and a variety of short scripts for WTC Page-to-Stage Festivals. George was working on a musical when he passed.

Besides WTC, George worked as the Director of the English Language Institute at the University of Utah before retiring where he directed over 75 productions with his students. George spent a month in a writer's residency at the Writer's Colony in Dairy Hollow, Arkansas in 2021, where he spent time working on his new musical. George helped create Bookspeak Theatre which toured schools and presented stories taken from books and Starry-Eyed Puppets. George has taught English and theatre all over the planet including China and Kuwait.

In George's honor, WTC is looking for a playwright for the George Plautz Playwright Award, a $100 prize which will result in a staged reading of an original work with the possibility of full production in a future WTC season. Scripts are being accepted through May 1, 2023 and can be submitted to wasatchtheatrecompany@gmail.com.