This September, three Dayton-area theatre companies joined together to launch the Utopia Theatre Festival, a new event. The festival is aimed at expanding the support, opportunities, access and representation available to local artists. The festival takes place at the University of Dayton’s Black Box Theatre and features three productions developed just over the last few months by coordinators and directors.
The Magnolia Theatre Company (MTC), the lead organizer, was founded in 2012 by Gina Handy Minyard. The company relocated to Dayton in 2014, where Minyard soon began teaching at Stivers School for the Arts. Magnolia has since become known for women-centered storytelling and increasing the representation for marginalized groups in theatre. Minyard was inspired to go the route of female-forward work by Washington D.C. Women’s Voices Theatre Festival.
When MTC first arrived in Dayton, the company was started under the wing of the “ImPACt program” an initiative created by the Victoria Theatre Association that supported indie companies.
“It really helped us to ground ourselves in downtown Dayton and flourish as a small company,” Minyard said.
The goal of the festival is to create an accessible space where Dayton and surrounding-area residents can engage with new work and emerging artists. Many of which have come from Wright State University (WSU). “Ultimately, [we] came up with a group of about 30 emerging-artists…A lot of them are from Wright State and that brings me a lot of joy,” Minyard said.
There were only two weeks of rehearsals and a few weeks more of planning. The festival pulled everyone together, depending on the community and emerging artists to complete the project.
"There’s a certain aspect of me that was like I know that it’s possible and that’s why I did it. It’s so fascinating to see how much these students have accomplished in two weeks. It requires some extra effort, extra outside time, working harder to take care of yourself when you’ve just got a lot on your plate. I knew it would be successful but just seeing it over the last couple of days, it is truly amazing to see how far it has come in such a short time," Minyard said.
The Utopia Theatre Festival shows a growing trend of cross-company partnerships in Dayton’s arts scene, with leaders emphasizing that shared resources and stages can help strengthen the city’s creative space.
The festival has three productions, each performing once.
Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30pm, “macbitches” in partnership with Dayton Playhouse and directed by Shanna Camacho.
Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2pm, “Athena” in partnership with Magnolia Theatre Company and directed by Annie Pesch.
Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2pm “Occupation” in partnership with Dayton Theatre Guild and directed by Melissa Ertsgaard.
“macbitches” centers on a college freshman receiving a lead role and being invited to a “celebration” by upperclassmen looking to assert their positions as the top of the hierarchy. The play investigates misogyny and toxic hierarchy within their theatre department.
“Athena” is centered on two teenage fencers who blur the lines between friendship and rivalry as they prepare for the Junior Olympics.
“Occupation” involves five women surviving in an dystopian America with terrorism and a secret movement of female suicide bombers. It explores how different women are living through the fascist state and how their relationship is impacted by that.
MTC’s biggest challenge for the festival was to secure a venue. Fortunately, the University of Dayton stepped up and donated the Black Box Theatre space for the shows to occur. Theatre Lab Dayton and the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio donated rehearsal spaces.
WSU Alumni Annie Pesch, the director of “Athena” has previously worked with Magnolia as an actor and director. Pesch was personally invited by Minyard to direct the production and finds it “extremely rewarding.” Although in-person rehearsals only started at the end of August, the festival will close this Sunday.
“This festival is extra special for me…it is a full-circle moment, and I am extremely thankful for this opportunity,” Pesch said.
