THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR JAN 18 - 24 

• BW Productions

Pioneer Theatre Company: Native Gardens
"Something there is that doesn't love a wall," poet Robert Frost famously wrote—but based on political realities, you'd have to believe that "something" isn't "people." We're quite fond of defining who should be on one side or another of a border, and creating structures that define the limits of our land. That notion of walls becomes a potent allegory in Karen Zacarías' 2016 play Native Gardens, currently making its Utah premiere at Pioneer Theatre Company.

The story involves next-door neighbors in an upscale Washington D.C. suburb. Frank and Virginia Butley, an elderly White couple, have lived in their home for years, with Frank devoting most of his time to his carefully manicured garden; Tania and Pablo Del Valle are a younger Latinx couple expecting their first child. When Pablo decides to replace the fence between their two yards, he discovers that their property line extends farther than they initially believed—into Frank's beloved garden. As Zacarías said in an interview with Portland Center Stage, "People are constantly making judgments, and sometimes they don't go on the generous side—they're assuming the worst of someone. The play ended up becoming a symbol of what's going on in our country, a way to be able to talk about important topics like entitlement, white privilege, and the border through the lens of horticulture, and make it funny."

Native Gardens runs at Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East) through Jan. 27, with performances Monday – Thursday 7 p.m.; Friday – Saturday 7:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. Saturday matinee. Tickets are $42 - $58; visit pioneertheatre.org for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

• Utah Opera

Utah Opera: The Little Prince
There are many ways to tell that a production has struck a chord with an audience. One such example came in June 2020, as the initial months of the COVID pandemic disrupted life arts performances, and Utah Opera turned to a streaming recorded presentation of its January 2019 production of The Little Prince as a way to keep opera-lovers engaged. "The opera was an immediate hit with our audience and community and is arguably one of the most successful Utah Opera presentations in the company's history," Utah Opera artistic director Christopher McBeth said at the time.

Now at last, Utah Opera offers a return in-person presentation of The Little Prince, the 2003 operatic adaptation of the classic 1943 Antoione de Saint-Exupéry book, created by Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman and writer Nicholas Wright. The familiar plot follows the story of a pilot who crashes in the desert, and encounters a young child who offers unique lessons along with the story of his life, as he attempts to find his way back to his beloved rose. Utah Opera's production featured singers from the Madeline Choir School, director Tara Faircloth returns to oversee the production, and Utah Symphony Associate Conductor Benjamin Manis leads the orchestra.

Utah Opera's presentation of Rachel Portman and Nicholas Wright's The Little Prince returns to the J.Q. Lawson Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) for five performances: Jan. 20 and Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 22 and Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.; and Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18.50 - $110; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

• Diane Tuft

Modern West Gallery: Lake Effect
The record low levels reached by the Great Salt Lake in 2022 caused alarm in the environmental community, moving Utah politicians into emergency action. With the lake facing an existential crisis—one that has ripple effects extending through ecosystems and into our air quality and other human impacts—it's not surprising that local and national artists have been moved to explore the subject. Modern West Gallery's new exhibition Lake Effect finds six artists using their work to consider the importance of the lake and the need to save it.

Participating artists include Modern West Gallery represented artists Al Denyer, Tom Judd, Eric Overton and Diane Tuft (her 2022 color pigment print "Journey's End" is pictured), in addition to local artist Alexandra Fuller, whose new photography series Dissolution includes handmade salt prints. Additionally, Lake Effect will showcase artwork and writing from Terry Tempest Williams. "If we can shift our view of Great Salt Lake from a lake to be avoided to a lake we cherish; from a body of wasted water to an ancient body of wisdom," writes Williams. "...not to exploit, dam, and dike, but to honor and respect as a sovereign body, our relationship and actions toward the lake will be transformative."

Lake Effect runs at Modern West Gallery (412 S. 700 West) Jan. 19 – March 2, with an opening reception 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19. In conjunction with the exhibition, Modern West will also host a community panel titled Creative Call to Action to Save Our Great Salt Lake, Saturday, Jan. 20, noon – 2 p.m. For regular gallery hours and additional event information, visit modernwestfineart.com. (SR)