Salt Lake

Lantern Church Gym

July 31, 2010

Salt Lake is a far more multi-layered show than I had anticipated.

At the core of the play is the relationship between two young men: Josiah, a practicing Mormon, and Wil, an ex-pat of the faith who has moved to Salt Lake City to pursue a more self-determined existence. The show opens after both men have just witnessed a terrible crime and are waiting to give their statements to police. As they wait, tensions mount, and it becomes clear there’s more to this story than two guys stalling time until they can talk to the cops. In classic story structure, the crime is really just the initial incident that serves as the catalyst for the rest of the play. Old resentments between the young men rise to the surface, touching on issues ranging from responsibility to one’s family, to religion and abuse.

Even though Salt Lake is only 45 minutes long, the play is well –developed. It keeps you engaged from start to finish, because there always seems to be another twist to the tale. Laurel Lepine’s script is well-paced, as each new story element is added at a sufficient interval from the last to allow you to process each one. You could hear a pin drop in the audience the afternoon I attended.

Perhaps some of the acting is a bit over-wrought and lacks subtlety, but that doesn’t distract from the piece as a whole. If, amongst the many comedic and satirical works that seem to be prevalent at the Fringe, you’re up for a really good, serious story, then don’t miss out on Salt Lake.