First Utah State Theatre Show of Spring Semester, 'The Moors,' to Open at Caine Lyric Theatre

LOGAN — “The Moors” by Jen Silverman opens at the historic Caine Lyric Theatre in downtown Logan this Friday, Feb. 11. The show runs Feb. 11, 12, and 15-18 at 7:30 p.m. with an additional matinee at 2 p.m. on Feb. 12.

Head of the Department of Theatre Arts and director of the show Paul Mitri said the department chose this play more than a year ago.

“We were still in the midst of the first COVID-19 wave and were trying to pick shows with the hope they’d be able to be produced in person,” Mitri said. “The design process for the show began last spring and continued into last fall. Auditions were in November and rehearsals began in earnest the first day of classes this semester.”

The play is about two sisters and a dog living out their lives on the bleak English moors while dreaming of love and power. The arrival of a hapless governess and a moorhen set all three on a strange and dangerous path. “The Moors” is a dark comedy about love, desperation and visibility.

Mitri says Silverman makes it clear that the show is supposed to be as much contemporary as in the past.

“It’s part homage and part satire to the Brönte sisters and their works,” Mitri said. “It’s about two sisters who live in a house on the moors with a dog and a maid. The governess thinks she’s coming at the invitation of the sisters’ brother, the master of the house, to take care of a baby. But there doesn’t seem to be a baby, and there doesn’t seem to be a brother.”

The students have done an amazing job with the material and have been able to find the quirky humor while contrasting with a touch of horror.

There will be a pre-show panel discussion for “The Moors” at 6:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. Panelists Dr. Nicola Olsen (theatre historian and dramaturg), Dr. Keri Holt (18th and 19th century American literature scholar), and Paul Mitri (director) will answer questions about the play, 19th century literature, and women's roles in historical literature and contemporary theatre. This program is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and Utah Humanities as part of the American Recovery Plan Act. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this panel do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Utah Humanities.

Tickets for “The Moors” are $15 for adults, $10 seniors/youth, $8 for USU faculty and staff, and free for USU students with ID. Audience Warnings: Adult humor and content, sexual themes, scenes of violence. For more information or tickets, contact the CCA Box Office in room L101 of the Chase Fine Arts Center on USU’s campus, call (435)797-8022, or go online to cca.usu.edu.