Imagine a world where the only way to gain U.S. citizenship is by competing in a live online game show. Welcome to AMERICAN DREAMS, where each night you, the audience, gets to choose who will become your new neighbor. This playful participatory performance takes a page from America’s favorite game shows and uses voting, polling, trivia and more to explore what it means to be(come) a citizen.
See the full production listing here.
What is SLAC's involvement in this being a co-produced virtual national tour?
AMERICAN DREAMS was originally produced onstage by Cleveland Public Theatre in 2018. Other in-person productions were subsequently planned; however, once the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theatres across the country (and world), the show's creators retooled the production for a virtual, immersive experience unlike anything ever produced before. Co-creator and AMERICAN DREAMS Director Tamilla Woodard (also Co-artistic Director of Working Theater, which is serving as lead producer) is no stranger to SLAC audiences, having directed our world premiere of Kathleen Cahill's HARBUR GATE in 2017. When Ms. Woodard reached out with the exciting opportunity for SLAC to be a co-producer, joining 9 other likeminded theatre companies across the nation, it was an offer we couldn't resist. What resulted is a virtual national tour, with each participating theatre playing host to specific performances of AMERICAN DREAMS. SLAC's tour stop is October 14-18th.
How do I get tickets?
Visit tickets.saltlakeactingcompany.org or call the box office at 801.363.7522. Our (remote) box office is available Monday-Friday from 11am-5pm, with extended hours during the run of a show.
Season subscribers get this production as a free gift with their subscription (if you still need to subscribe, give us a call!) and single ticket buyers have a pay-what-you-can option.
Keep an eye out on your email. You’ll receive an email (within 24 hours of your purchase) with everything you need to know to access and best enjoy this production. We will also send an email reminder the day before your performance so the information you need is at the top of your inbox. And, of course, our box office is available to answer questions and help troubleshoot any technical concerns.
This production utilizes a heightened version of Zoom. The very best way to enjoy American Dreams is on a laptop or desktop with a working webcam and microphone rather than on a tablet or phone. If that’s all you have, we’ll make sure you enjoy your experience. You can also experience with or without headphones, depending on your preference.
Do I have to be a part of the audience participation portion?
This is a live and interactive virtual theater event. You’ll be asked to sing along and clap along sometimes but don’t worry––you’ll always have the choice to participate or not.
Those who are interested can volunteer to be an Audience Delegate for a special level of participation. It's as easy as raising your hand, giving a thumbs up or helping a contestant (actor) answer a question about America's favorite things.
You can let us know your preference for level of participation by following the directions in the confirmation email you’ll receive within 24 hours of getting your ticket(s).
How you can engage outside of the performance...
For this production, we've teamed up with the national nonprofit,
Vote Forward, which organizes letter-writing campaigns targeted toward underrepresented voters. This partnership has been made in order to reinforce the importance of voting, a theme thoroughly explored in AMERICAN DREAMS. For more information on how you can volunteer your time to increase voter awareness, visit VoteFwd.org.
