In the Great Salt Lake, brine shrimp are tiny but mighty parts of the ecosystem. At just under a half-inch long, brine shrimp manage to thrive in the inhospitable Salt Lake waters, eating microscopic algae and acting as a food source for millions of birds.
Singing to the Brine Shrimp
Plan-B Theatre Company
Feb. 13-23, with a preview on Feb. 12
Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Tickets and info here.
In the new play Singing to the Brine Shrimp, these small creatures serve an important role in a new ecosystem — the competitive, egotistical world of theatre. This idiosyncratic comedy, written by local playwright and Weber State theater professor Jenny Kokai, turns brine shrimp into a sort of Greek chorus, played by an ensemble of actors with hand puppets. Oh, and there are musical numbers.
Allison (Latoya Cameron) is a playwright from Utah who might have gotten her big break. One of her plays will be produced in New York, but Allison is feeling increasingly uneasy. The actors are difficult, she misses her wife, and she feels lost away from home. As the brine shrimp (helpfully?) sing, “You’re thousands of miles from all you know/ So who the heck will you be?”
The play is a perfect fit for Plan B, a company that produces works from local playwrights. Singing to the Brine Shrimp is not just from Utah’s art scene — it’s about Utah’s art scene. A celebration of creative expression, this play will be relatable to anyone who has been torn between the comforts of home and the pull of new opportunities.
Read more of our theater coverage here.
