Utah has so much outdoor recreation and such a stunningly beautiful landscape that it’s easy to forget one of the other greatest things about this state: our love and attention to the arts. Our largest city, Salt Lake, has many venues for live theater — even more than you’d expect from a city its size. But what makes Utah truly unique is that our smaller towns support live theater productions. Between community theater and those supported by higher education across the state, I’d wager that almost any Utah resident can attend a play or musical by driving for less than an hour.
- Adams Theater, Cedar City
Utah Shakespeare Festival/Facebook This Utah Shakespeare Festival venue is a facsimile of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. The 2015 was the Adams’ last season, however. The Festival is tearing it down to make way for a new theater.
- Brigham’s Playhouse, Washington
Brigham’s Playhouse This theater is fairly new; it opened in 2013.
- Capitol Theater, Salt Lake City
Leslie Johnston/flickr The Capitol Theater opened in 1913 and seats over 1,800 patrons.
- CenterPoint Legacy Theater, Centerville
CenterPoint Legacy Theater/Facebook A 62,000 square foot theater, open since 1996.
- Desert Star Playhouse, Salt Lake City
Lyman Green/flickr This comedy dinner theater resides in the old GEM theater in Murray.
- Egyptian Theater, Park City
Jimmy Emerson DVM/flickr The Egyptian Theater opened on December 25, 1926. It underwent a huge renovation in the 1990s and is a thriving, landmark theater in Park City.
- Ellen Eccles Theater, Logan
By UtahStizzle (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Built in 1923, you’ll find this theater on Logan’s Main Street.
- Empress Theater, Magna
Empress Theater/Facbook The Empress opened in 1916 and was a source of entertainment for Kennecott’s miners for years. Then it sat vacant for decades until recent renovations opened it to the community again.
- Hale Centre Theatre, Salt Lake City and Orem
By Cygnusloop99 (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons Theater in the round in two locations: Salt Lake City and Orem.
- Heritage Theater, Perry
By Ntsimp (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Heritage Theater resides in an old LDS church, built in 1890.
- Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden
Peery’s Egyptian Theater/Facebook Peery’s was built in 1924 and has been restored to accommodate up to 800 theater patrons.
- Pickleville Playhouse, Garden City
By Ntsimp (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Near beautiful Bear Lake since 1977.
- Salt Lake Acting Company, Salt Lake City
Salt Lake Acting Company/Facebook This 14,000 square foot theater was originally an LDS church, built in 1896.
- SCERA Center for the Arts, Orem
By An Errant Knight (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons The SCERA Center for the Arts opened in 1941. The newer, outdoor SCERA Shell has been operating for over 30 years.
- Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City
Plan B Theater/Facebook Entertaining since 1991, Plan B Theater Company makes its home at the Rose Wagner.
- Tuacahn Center for the Arts, Ivins
Tuacahn Amphitheater/Facebook This venue, with its black-box theater, indoor theater and outdoor amphitheater, opened in 1995.
- Ziegfield Theater, Ogden
Ziegfeld Theater/Facebook Located at 3934 S. Washington Blvd.
- Any of Utah’s College or University Campuses
Edgar Zuniga Jr./flickr All of Utah’s nine state schools and two private schools (BYU and Westminster) have theaters on campus — some schools have more than one (for instance, University of Utah has both Kingsbury Hall and Pioneer Theater Company). On Utah’s college campuses you’ll find both high-quality student productions and visiting professional productions.
What other theaters would you add to this list?
Utah Shakespeare Festival/Facebook
This Utah Shakespeare Festival venue is a facsimile of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. The 2015 was the Adams’ last season, however. The Festival is tearing it down to make way for a new theater.
Brigham’s Playhouse
This theater is fairly new; it opened in 2013.
Leslie Johnston/flickr
The Capitol Theater opened in 1913 and seats over 1,800 patrons.
CenterPoint Legacy Theater/Facebook
A 62,000 square foot theater, open since 1996.
Lyman Green/flickr
This comedy dinner theater resides in the old GEM theater in Murray.
Jimmy Emerson DVM/flickr
The Egyptian Theater opened on December 25, 1926. It underwent a huge renovation in the 1990s and is a thriving, landmark theater in Park City.
By UtahStizzle (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Built in 1923, you’ll find this theater on Logan’s Main Street.
Empress Theater/Facbook
The Empress opened in 1916 and was a source of entertainment for Kennecott’s miners for years. Then it sat vacant for decades until recent renovations opened it to the community again.
By Cygnusloop99 (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons
Theater in the round in two locations: Salt Lake City and Orem.
By Ntsimp (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Heritage Theater resides in an old LDS church, built in 1890.
Peery’s Egyptian Theater/Facebook
Peery’s was built in 1924 and has been restored to accommodate up to 800 theater patrons.
Near beautiful Bear Lake since 1977.
Salt Lake Acting Company/Facebook
This 14,000 square foot theater was originally an LDS church, built in 1896.
By An Errant Knight (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons
The SCERA Center for the Arts opened in 1941. The newer, outdoor SCERA Shell has been operating for over 30 years.
Plan B Theater/Facebook
Entertaining since 1991, Plan B Theater Company makes its home at the Rose Wagner.
Tuacahn Amphitheater/Facebook
This venue, with its black-box theater, indoor theater and outdoor amphitheater, opened in 1995.
Ziegfeld Theater/Facebook
Located at 3934 S. Washington Blvd.
Edgar Zuniga Jr./flickr
All of Utah’s nine state schools and two private schools (BYU and Westminster) have theaters on campus — some schools have more than one (for instance, University of Utah has both Kingsbury Hall and Pioneer Theater Company). On Utah’s college campuses you’ll find both high-quality student productions and visiting professional productions.
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