Salt Lake Acting Company to Co-World Premiere Troy Deutsch’s VERY LIKE A WHALE

Breaking news to your phone. US mobile only. No password required.

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

West End / UK

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

The play follows the Sharp family as they reunite to sell their late father's lakeside home and face the environmental crisis surrounding them.

Most Popular

Get all the top news & discounts for Utah & beyond. No password required.

Salt Lake Acting Company's 55th Season opener will run September 30 through October 25, 2026, in SLAC's Upstairs Theatre. Alexandra Harbold will direct Very Like a Whale by Troy Deutsch , a Co-World Premiere with Cadence Theatre Company (Richmond, Virginia), in collaboration with Flying Bobcat Theatrical Laboratory.

Get all the top news & discounts for Utah & beyond.

Whales in the Great Salt Lake. A busty mermaid portrait. A dance for the seagulls. A farcical comedy tackling grief, lineage, and a planet in crisis. The Great Salt Lake is disappearing—and so is this family's sanity. This comedy follows the eccentric Sharp family as they reunite to sell their late father's lakeside home. Chaos erupts as they're forced to confront their legacy and the truth that lies beneath the salty water just outside their window.

Playwright Troy Deutsch , whose previous works Climbing With Tigers and Bull Shark Attack both received world premieres at SLAC, said, “I'm thrilled to be back at SLAC for the world premiere of my new play, Very Like a Whale. As the world gets crazier and reality feels less and less recognizable, my writing seems to get more and more absurd. I can't wait for audiences to see the slightly tilted world we're creating, grapple with how we can save the rapidly disappearing Great Salt Lake, and laugh our heads off along the way.”

Robert Scott Smith, one of the stars of the show, as well as the co-founder of Flying Bobcat, shares Troy's excitement: “Reuniting with SLAC, Flying Bobcat and Troy Deutsch 10 years after our first collaboration, Climbing With Tigers, feels right. We couldn't be more excited to share this wild ride of a show with you. Born out of a newspaper article from 1890 that I knew Troy would bring to life in his unique, hysterical, and wildly heightened way of playwriting. Buckle up!”

Alongside several familiar faces to Salt Lake Acting Company's audience, the cast of eight will include two newcomers as well. Returning to SLAC's stage will be Olivia Custodio (#SLACabaret, Saturday's Voyeur, Streetlight Woodpecker) as Megan, M. Scott McLean * (Murder Ballad) as Chester, Sarah Shippobotham (Can I Say Yes to That Dress?, SLACabaret: Down the Rabbit Hole, Tribes) as Miss Penelope Dickinson, Robert Scott Smith* (Bat Boy: The Musical, SLAC's Summer Show: The Secret Lives of Real Wives in the Salt Lake Hive & Close Encounters in the Beehive) as Greg, Yolanda Stange* (Harry & Sherri, Four Women Talking About the Man Under the Sheet, Surely Goodness and Mercy) as Old Woman, and Ben Young (You Will Get Sick, Climbing With Tigers) as Old Man. Making their SLAC debuts in the show will be Mack Barr as Sophia, and Devoree Ellis* as Max.

Joining director Alexandra Harbold on the creative team will be Erik Reichert (Set Designer/Construction Supervisor), Timothy Swenson (Lighting Designer), Cynthia L. Kehr Rees** (Sound Designer), Niamh Helwig ( Costume Designer ), Arika Schockmel (Props Designer), Adriana Lemke (Assistant Director/Fight & Intimacy Director), Bridgette Lehman* (Production Stage Manager), and Cynthia Fleming (Executive Artistic Director).

Joining the production team as part of SLAC's Professional Theatre Program for Emerging Artist s is Adriana Lemke as Assistant Director.

“I fell in love with Very Like a Whale at first read. I was amazed and enlightened while laughing. This play is the most entertaining and awe-inspiring take on our cherished Great Salt Lake. It was an easy “yes.” To be reunited and in the same room with Troy and the creatives of Flying Bobcat Theatrical Productions feels like stepping into an adult amusement park, and you'd better fasten your seat belt! I'm thrilled for the ride and excited to see where this extraordinary journey takes us.” Cynthia Fleming , SLAC's Executive Artistic Director.

Nominate your favorite local productions and performers before the deadline on October 31, 2026.

SIX North American Tour Reveals New Cast

Exclusive: THE SOUND OF MUSIC Tour Star Cayleigh Capaldi Performs the Title Song

Exclusive: MAYBE HAPPY ENDING National Tour Cast Gets Ready to Hit the Road

Review: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD at the Eccles Theater is Staggeringly Awe-Inspiring

Also text me

When are you seeing ?

Get an Alert Each Time Stephi Wild Writes

BroadwayWorld TV

Breaking Broadway news and show discounts. No password required.

Breaking Broadway news on your phone. US mobile numbers only.

POPULAR

Sign up for announcements and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 — Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

Episode

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/salt-lake-city/article/VERY-LIKE-A-WHALE-to-Make-Co-World-Premiere-at-Salt-Lake-Acting-Company-20260930)._