THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR JUN 24 - 30 

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Wasatch Theatre Co. 2021 Page-to-Stage Festival
Last year, Wasatch Theatre Co. planned its annual Page-to-Stage showcase of new one-act plays with the theme "Hindsight is 2020." Ironically, in hindsight, we now know that a live theater presentation wouldn't be possible, and the company did not believe that the planned works would be best represented through a virtual format. This year feels more promising in many respects, however, and WTC offers up its 2021 lineup of plays—returning to live performance for the first time since spring 2020—under the designation "Hindsight is Still 2020."

The eight original scripts all address theme of regret, reflection and remembrance. Hide, by Morag Shepherd, deals with a couple working through marital differences on a ride home. Chelsea Hickman's Buttery Yellow and Ocean Blue concerns two friends re-connecting at a high school reunion. Beth Bruner's Mother Love takes on the pandemic world as a mother and daughter deal with a sick baby, while Tyler Fox's The Golem applies the Jewish myth to a father confronting personal tragedy. Also featured are Snacktime Royalty by Jared Greathouse about a lonely man who has a strange way of finding friends; Used to Be by Michael McGuire; The Sinner by Ryan Humeniuk; and Playground Equipment by Aidan Croft.

The 2021 Page-to-Stage Festival runs for just four performances this week, June 24-26 at 8 p.m. and June 27 at 2 p.m., at The Box venue at The Gateway (124 S. 400 West). Seating is limited, and masks will be required during performances. Visit theboxgateway.org to purchase tickets and for additional information. (Scott Renshaw)

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Antelope by Moonlight Bike Ride
Continuing the theme of "continuing the theme (from 2020)," the annual Antelope by Moonlight Bike Ride was another event that, after being forced to cancel due to the pandemic in 2020, decided to use that year's planned theme in 2021. In this case, it's "The Rolling '20s," a chance to celebrate the Jazz Age of the 1920s while getting your bicycle jazzed up for a non-competitive nighttime ride featuring a 24-mile route on Great Salt Lake's historic Antelope Island from White Rock Bay to Fielding Garr Ranch and back.

The activities on June 25 at 7 p.m., with registration and a full range of entertainment on-site including vendor booths, music provided by Now97.9 DJ Justin Taylor, a Prohibition-themed "mocktail lounge" party, food truck offerings (including Bandidos Tacos) and more. From 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., raffle drawings will feature prizes including tickets to headliner events at Ed Kenley Amphitheater like Diamond Rio, Three Dog Night and Air Supply. Costume and decoration prizes will also be awarded, including tickets to Lagoon and Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, backpacks, gym memberships and gift cards. Then it's time to line up and enjoy the beautiful ride beginning at 10 p.m.

Registration must be completed online by 5 p.m. on June 24, and registration slots will be limited; no on-site, day-of-event registration will be permitted. Adult riders are $35, child riders $30, and all individual riders must wear a helmet and have a bike fitted with both headlamp and taillight. Visit daviscounty.gov/moonlight to register, learn about purchasing light packages and for additional details. (SR)

• Stephanie Hock

J GO Gallery: Of Dance
The beauty and fluidity of dance provide an exhilaration for those who witness it—but it can also provide artistic inspiration. On June 25, Park City's J GO Gallery (268 Main St., jgogallery.com) launches the joint exhibition Of Dance, with works by three artists capturing the grace of movement and all its accoutrements.

The figurative works of Park City artist Carole Wade are well-known to locals, often portraying scenes highlighting the area's winter sports focus; here, she turns her attention to dancers at work. Stephanie Hock similarly keeps her attention on the dancers themselves (Hock's "En Pointe" is pictured), exploring the physicality of dancers in elegant motion, or even at rest while preparing to rehearse. Marketa Sivek, meanwhile, takes her work in a different direction by highlighting the lovely costumes often associated with ballet and other professional dance, the images often accompanied by supportive exhortations like "LIVE LOVE DANCE." Together, the three artists create a complete portrait of the joy, passion and sheer effort involved in creating an art form that at its best can seem effortless.

The exhibition runs through Aug. 2, and begins with a Gallery Stroll reception on Friday, June 25 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., including Marketa Sivek in attendance to discuss her contributions to the show. For those who prefer to experience the event remotely, the reception will be streamed live via J GO Gallery's Instagram, @JGOgallery. The exhibition also runs in conjunction with a series of live dance events in the gallery space by newly-relocated-to-Park City company BalletNEXT; visit BalletNEXT.com for dates and ticket information. (SR)

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Taste of Living Traditions
The pandemic year of 2020 took a lot away from us, but as it turns out, 2021 is sometimes giving us even more. The Salt Lake Arts Council's annual May celebration of the Living Traditions Festival might have been scaled back, but in its place we've received an opportunity for a wide range of events, including the Downtown SLC Open Streets, and culminating this weekend with the Taste of Living Traditions at Washington Square (400 S. 200 East) on June 25, from noon – 9 p.m.

The festivities include a wide array of live performances on two stages, representing more than a dozen ethnic and cultural traditions as they bring music and dance to audiences. Among the headliners performing throughout the day are Taylorsville-based Viva Peru Peruvian Dance (pictured), Robb "Little Owl" Martin on Native American Flute, North African music by Bazeen, Halau Ku Pono I Kamalani Hawai'ian Dance, Ballet Folklorico Bolivia, South Jordan's Rinceoiri Don Spraoi Irish Dancers, Salt Lake Capoeira Brazilian Dance, Utah'ko Triskalariak Basque Dance, Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl Mexican Music and Dance, and many more. In addition to the performances, visitors can enjoy food representing nearly as expansive a sampling of cultural cuisine, with fare offered by 8th Catering Greek Food, the African-American Faith Initiative, Basque Club of Utah, Bolivian Association, Serbian Orthodox Church, Utah Argentinian Alliance and much more.

The event is free to the public, with masking encouraged but not required, and socially-distanced seating encouraged between household groups. Visit saltlakearts.org/livingtraditionspresents/june-26/ for the full performance schedule and additional event details. (SR)