Southern Utah’s Destination for Unique, Artistic Experiences Hosts Innovative Performance Installation Inspired by NASA’s Voyager Mission and The Golden Record. 

Ivins, UT (October 1, 2024) – Center for the Arts at Kayenta, southern Utah’s premier destination for unique, artistic experiences, is thrilled to present Utopian Hotline, an innovative immersive theater installation by the acclaimed company Theater Mitu from Brooklyn, New York. An open look at the installation of Utopian Hotline will be available during the Art In Kayenta Festival, running October 11-13, and the groundbreaking ticketed performance will run from October 17-20, 2024, at the intimate Lorraine Boccardo Theater, offering a limited number of participants a truly one-of-a-kind artistic journey.

Inspired by NASA’s 1977 Voyager mission, which launched a vinyl recording of Earth’s natural sounds into space, Utopian Hotline poses a poignant question for our times: If we were to send another message into the distant future, what would we say?

This experimental performance blends elements of sci-fi, group therapy, and cosmic exploration to create a meditative and soothing experience.  Relax as you’re tethered to performers through sound, creating a unique connection that blurs the line between observer and participant. Each 45-minute journey offers a chance to explore, interpret, and complete the experience in your own way.This intimate and transformative experience accommodates only 30 participants per session, making it an ideal event to experience as an individual, or intimate group seeking a novel, creative way to reflect on our shared future. 

Upon entering the exhibit, participants will be invited to remove their shoes, adding to the sense of intimacy and comfort. They will then choose a spot on a plush, comfortable pink carpet, creating a shared space that encourages connection and reflection. Each 45-minute journey offers a chance to explore, interpret, and complete the experience in a deeply personal way, blending real voicemails left on a public hotline with live performance elements.

Performance Schedule:

• Thursday, October 17: 7:00 PM
• Friday, October 18: 7:00 PM
• Saturday, October 19: 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM
• Sunday, October 20: 2:00 PM

Additional performances may be added based on demand.

“We’re excited to bring this revolutionary theatrical experience to Kayenta,” says Miranda Wright, Executive Director of the Center for the Arts at Kayenta. “It’s a perfect blend of technology, artistry, and human connection that aligns perfectly with our mission to provide unique, transformative experiences to our community.”

Utopian Hotline was made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project, with lead funding from the Mellon Foundation and additional support from the Doris Duke Foundation.

Center for the Arts at Kayenta is committed to providing accessible experiences for all. The shoes-off, carpet-seated format creates a uniquely inclusive environment, and additional accessibility accommodations are gladly provided upon request.

Don’t miss this opportunity to dive into a world where reality and imagination intertwine, all within the inspiring setting of Kayenta’s artistic hub. Book your slot now for Utopian Hotline – where your presence completes the performance and your voice can be projected into tomorrow.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit KayentaArts.org or call (435) 674-2787.

About Theater Mitu: 

Founded in 1997, Theater Mitu is renowned for challenging the parameters of theater research and practice. Under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Rubén Polendo, the company creates groundbreaking work that pushes the boundaries of traditional theater. Their practice investigates trans-global performance, interdisciplinary collaborative models, and the intersection of technology and live performance.

About Kayenta Arts Foundation: 

Kayenta Arts Foundation’s mission is to develop and create an environment that fosters diverse artistic endeavors for educational and cultural enrichment purposes. Our vision is to become Southern Utah’s premier venue for professional quality, multi-disciplinary performing arts in an intimate space, fostering awareness, appreciation, education, and enjoyment of diverse artistic forms and ideas.

The Center for the Arts at Kayenta (CFAK) was constructed with the love, labor, and funds of the Kayenta community, under the management of Kayenta Arts Foundation. Today, CFAK produces and presents over 50 events annually, with a total of approximately 120 individual performances, across the artistic disciplines of theater, music, dance, storytelling, and humanities-based lectures. We serve audiences throughout Washington County, and across the American SouthWest.

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