THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR MAR 2 - 8 

• Arden Wray

Britt Wray: Generation Dread @ Tanner Humanities
It's more than possible that most of us have considered, while reading the latest piece of climate news, what our lives will look like as time goes on and the world continues to change. And whether or not that consideration launches you into climate grief—a term environmentalists have been using in one form or another since the 1940s—the work of climate and mental health researcher Dr. Britt Wray attempts to show a path forward.

In her 2022 book Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis, Wray attempts to get a practical hold on the problem of climate collapse, its effects and how we can actually plan to move forward and keep our sanity in the process. The book comes after the success of her newsletter, Gen Dread, which originated as a response to her own climate grief and concerns (familiar to many young people) about what it means to bring a child into a climate-changed world. Her resulting research, in both the book and newsletter, demonstrates how reining in climate grief and harnessing our mental responses to the uncertain future can actually help us foster hope, stewardship and communal survival strategies.

At the Author Meets Readers series hosted by the Tanner Humanities Center, fans of her work can learn more about Wray's research and writing processes. This event takes place Thursday, March 2 from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., at Dumke Auditorium in the University of Utah's Utah Museum of Fine Arts (410 Campus Center Dr.). It's free and open to the public, but make sure to register at thc.utah.edu. (Erin Moore)

• BW Productions

Pioneer Theatre: Putting It Together
The death of composer Stephen Sondheim in November 2021 left a gaping hole in the American musical theater, but his extraordinary body of work remains. Decades of beloved musical productions generated songs that became staples of the theatrical canon—and Sondheim himself recognized the appeal of those individual songs enough that he participated in the creation of musical revues of those songs not once, but twice. And so, working with director Julia McKenzie, Sondheim updated the 1976 revue Side by Side by Sondheim in the 1990s, developing Putting It Together.

A loose plot structure finds a pair of unnamed couples—one older, one younger—dealing with marital discord and strife, while an omniscient commentator observes their behavior. But that premise is really just a thin scaffolding on which to hang compositions from a dozen Sondheim shows, with memorable tunes like "Hello Little Girl" (Into the Woods), "Lovely" (A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum), "Putting It Together" (Sunday in the Park With George), "The Road You Didn't Take" (Follies), the Oscar-winning "Sooner or Later" (from the film Dick Tracy) and show-stoppers from Company like "The Ladies Who Lunch," "Not Getting Married Today," "Marry Me a Little" and "Being Alive."

Putting it Together runs at the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East) March 3-18, with performances Mondays – Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $48 - $72 advance, $5 more day of show; visit pioneertheatre.org for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

• Hailey Caminiti

Fem Dance Company: Embrace
As we head into Women's History Month in March, Fem Dance Company's new production Embrace looks to draw attention to the occasion. And while it may seem to an outsider that the world of professional dance is a more even playing field than most when it comes to opportunities for women, artistic director Alicia Ross notes that there's still work to be done—which is part of why Fem Dance Company exists.

"I do still believe there is gender inequity in the dance industry that needs to be addressed," Ross says via email. "Many director, choreographer, and soloist dancer positions are given to men in dance, so Fem Dance stands strongly in providing similar opportunities for women and non-binary individuals. Our goal is not to exclude anyone, but simply to create a platform of professional opportunities that elevate the voices and talents of all women and non-binary individuals."

The program consists of four pieces:  Xochitl Marquez's "I am a headache;" Nick Harding's "Unapologetic;" Christi Harris's "This Is a Man's World;" and Ross's own "Is that me?" "The performance will highlight the courage and power that women express in today's society," Ross adds. Overall, it is an evening for us to reflect, recognize, and celebrate women of the past and present."

Fem Dance Company presents Embrace at the Regent Street Black Box of the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) on March 3 - 4 at 7:30 p.m. Each performances features a a post-show social event including historical information and an opportunity to meet the choreographers. Tickets are $25 general admission; visit arttix.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

• Matt Petit

L.A. Theatre Works: Lucy Loves Desi @ Park City Eccles
Certain figures in popular culture remain fascinating long after their deaths, but recent years have seen a surge in narratives about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and their groundbreaking sitcom creation, I Love Lucy. In 2021, writer/director Aaron Sorkin provided a fictionalized version of the story with Being the Ricardos; last year, actor/comedian Amy Poehler directed the Sundance documentary Lucy and Desi. The latest touring production from L.A. Theatre Works returns to this story, but from a unique insider perspective.

Playwright Gregg Oppenheimer's Lucy Loves Desi: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom again relates the tale of how the husband-and-wife team of Lucille Ball (Ellis Greer) and Desi Arnaz (Bill Mendieta) brought I Love Lucy into being—and Oppenheimer should know whereof he speaks. Gregg's father, Jess Oppenheimer, was one of I Love Lucy's original writers, producers and co-creators, and Gregg served as co-writer of Jess's 1999 memoir Laughs, Luck ... and Lucy about his experiences behind the scenes. Making use of that first-hand knowledge, Gregg and L.A. Theatre Works' unique radio theater-style hybrid production explore how I Love Lucy gave birth to multiple sitcom innovations—despite being a show the network was convinced couldn't succeed. "This is a comedy about the comedy business," says Oppenheimer. "It's a true story, but sometimes it almost feels like an episode of I Love Lucy itself."

L.A. Theater Works' Lucy Loves Desi comes to the Park City Eccles Theater (1750 Kearns Blvd.) on Sunday, March 5 at 3 p.m., with tickets $26.50 - $80.50. Visit parkcityinstitute.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)