The play you’re going to see tonight is a wonderful and intriguing investigation of a Victorian family’s misadventures after their cherished father passes away unexpectedly. Romance, humor, intrigue, skullduggery, and frightful disclosures will fascinate you. The characters are keenly drawn, the action is tight, and the storyline itself is exciting and captivating. By the close, the world has changed dramatically for all involved. It is truly a thoughtful and spectacular tale. Audiences and players alike have been enchanted. So where did all this charming theatre come from?
I’d only been a professor at UVU for two years. For my Intro to Theatre class, I had my students write a 10-minute play and then for instruction, critique, and fun. We’d read them out loud. When we read Mahonri Stewart’s short play, without thinking I slammed my hand down on the table and shouted,“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a playwright!” And. boy. was I right. Thus began a wonderful friendship and remarkable journey that created his first play, FAREWELL TO EDEN.
And now… 20-years later our enthusiastic playwright had the waking dream of a twenty-year celebration production! We were all thrilled with the possibility, and most of the actors from the original cast were able to sign on. It has been a labor of love. From the beginning rehearsal the same delightful and powerful feeling of cast brother/sisterhood emerged. The rehearsals of our reunion show were amazing and warmhearted as the cast members made sacrifices by traveling from Idaho, California, and various parts of Utah to join and re-mount the production. Many thanks to these wonderful actors and production folks who spent most of their hot summer laboring on re-learning the lines, movements, and relationships. Amazingly, it has been a tricky to produce but with such friends who all adore the theatre, it has been dream come true!
Many thanks to all who have made this production possible. From rides to and from rehearsal to diligent work on all the many details of creation, there are too many to name here (read the cast/production list), but special thanks and appreciation to Nate & Emily Drew for sacrificing their garage and studio as an extraordinary rehearsal space.
Now please, sit back and enjoy this magnificent work that started as a ten-minute play.