This is not the week for outdoor activities, with high heat in the Salt Lake Valley. So stay inside and catch some local theater. From professional to volunteer, there is no shortage of talent and entertainment just around the corner.
Hale Theaters
When it comes to the Utah theater scene, the Hale family has had an outsized influence. Ruth and Nathan started with a 99-person theater in Glendale, California in the 1940s, which has transformed into two theaters in Utah, with capacity for more than 1,500 theater-goers, combined.
The Hale Center Theater in Sandy combines professional-quality sets, costumes, and performances with an intimate, in-the-round stage that places every audience member close to the action. The nonprofit theater presents a year-round season of musicals, family favorites, and classic plays, earning a reputation for spectacular production values and immersive storytelling.
The Ruth Theater in Pleasant Grove entertained audiences for 35 years as Hale Center Theater Orem. The company moved in 2025 to a state-of-the-art performing arts center on the doTERRA campus in Pleasant Grove. Each season features Broadway musicals, classic plays, comedies, youth productions, and educational programming.
🎭 Currently on-stage: "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "Hadestown: Teen Edition"
Since opening in Murray 1989, the Desert Star Playhouse has become known for its original, family-friendly musical parodies that spoof everything from blockbuster movies and Broadway hits to television shows and pop culture. Desert Star puts a melodramatic twist on familiar stories, encouraging audiences to cheer the hero, boo the villain, and expect plenty of improvisation and Utah-specific jokes along the way.
🎭 Currently on-stage: "The Big Bang Parody"
The Draper Historic Theatre has been a cornerstone of the south Salt Lake Valley arts scene since 1938, when it opened as The Pearl, a neighborhood movie house. In its early days, audiences enjoyed vaudeville performances before feature films, and the theater quickly became a gathering place for the growing community.
Today, the nonprofit Draper Historic Theatre produces affordable, family-friendly musicals, comedies, and youth productions while offering opportunities for performers, technicians, and volunteers of all ages.
🎭 Currently on-stage: "High School Musical"
