Fall Arts: Pygmalion Productions

Pygmalion

Productions opens their 2024–25 season with “Tender Hooks,” a play by Julie Jensen. Pygmalion produces theater that highlights women’s issues, concerns, and shared experiences. Every production is rooted in its mission to amplify women’s voices — whether through the work of playwrights, directors, performers, or the stories they bring to life on stage.

TENDER HOOKS is a play about social class in a rural setting, focusing on an older woman terrified by a family moving in next door. It was written by Julie Jensen, who has received a Kennedy Center Award for New American plays, a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work, and an LA Weekly Award for best new play. Jensen is a frequent speaker and workshop coordinator, and she coordinates masterclasses and teaches intensive playwriting courses at the Kennedy Center.

The play’s development began at the Ossabaw Island Artists’ Colony in Georgia, a nurturing environment where the story first took shape. It was further refined at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah, and later at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles.

The play has been successfully produced at various theaters, starting with its debut at Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, Virginia, where it won the Mill Mountain Playwriting Award. It continued to gain acclaim with a production at the Women’s Project in New York City.

The upcoming production at Pygmalion Theater in Salt Lake City, UT, promises to bring a new perspective to this richly layered play. Known for its dedication to socially relevant works, Pygmalion Theater is an ideal venue for “Tenderhooks,” and the production is expected to offer Salt Lake City audiences a unique and compelling theatrical experience.

At its core, “Tenderhooks” is a story about the barriers we create when confronted with the unfamiliar and the potential for connection that lies beyond those barriers. The play’s exploration of the dynamic between the older woman and her new neighbors serves as a microcosm for broader societal issues, making it a relevant and timely piece in today’s world. The young girl’s interaction with the older woman not only drives the narrative but also highlights the innocence and honesty that can bridge the gaps between people from different backgrounds.

More information at pygmalionproductions.org