UVU’s The Story Stone is Solidly Great

A Utah Theater Review By MH Thomas

Wow. The Story Stone is a show like no other. Award winning playwright, Wendy Gourley, has taken a familiar storyline and made it fresh and exciting. This is the world premiere of this tale of two rival tribes and two young people who strive to bring them together.

The Noorda Theater is dimly lit as you enter and find your seat. The set is like a big tent and the lighting brings everything alive. Arrive early and prepare yourself for the show. George Grant has worked with the actors and they have learned innovative ways to create rhythm and sound. He also performs in The Story Stone. Movement is another important part of this show. Director Barrett Ogden has done an excellent job of incorporating all the unique elements of the show and creating a sense of magic and wonder, as well as getting across a message about the importance of understanding and caring for our fellow human beings.

Lux and Cor are from rival tribes and find themselves thrown together. They are not happy about it until after they meet a mystical old storyteller called Fabu. Fabu possesses the Story Stone and realizes they are meant to have it. There is a Messianic quality to the character of Fabu. Even so, the actors imbue these three characters with a sense of fun and levity. The two young people learn to listen—but who else will do the same?

What follows is a series of stories and the reactions of the tribes and the leaders. All the actors play multiple parts as the wondrous stories unfold. All the performances are solid. The actors are very united and the performances flow smoothly from story to story. The captain of the guard is played with a stern haughtiness and the heads of the tribes are stubborn and willful—but display the emotion that goes along with their experiences with each other and with friends and family they interact with. The narrator carries the audience through the stories with wit and wisdom. She has a clear and natural style. I just can’t say enough about the talent of this cast. The abilities they display in their movement and sound and acting are remarkable.

Watching the show in the theatre is just the beginning. This is a thought provoking show full of wisdom, magic, joy and tenderness. If you are like me, you will be thinking about its themes well after you have left the building.

The Story Stone

UVU Noorda Theatre 26 September at 19:30 until Saturday 5 October at 19:30 with a matinee on the 5th

By Wendy Fullmer Gourley Directed by Barrett Ogden Music Direction by George Grant