'Male Intellect' leads pack of new stage productions

A national touring one-man comedy and the premiere of a new, locally written drama about Joseph Smith are among this week's new stage offerings.

• "THE MALE INTELLECT: AN OXYMORON?" actor-writer Robert Dubac's comedy, is geared to two types of people — men . . . and women.

The national touring production plays Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary G. Steiner Egyptian Theatre, Park City, under the auspices of the Egyptian Theatre Company.

Dubac plays a bachelor named Bobby, who has been told by his fiancee to think about what women want then check back in two weeks. The comedy opens when the two weeks are up and Bobby is desperately seeking advice from chauvinistic role models inhabiting both the right and left sides of his brain — suave French philosophy student Jean Michel, hip womanizer Fast Eddie, aging Mr. Linger, sensitive Ronnie Cabrezzi and a war veteran called The Colonel.

Dubac is in the process of working on a sequel, set to debut next year, entitled "The Male Intellect: New and Improved (With 60 Percent More Truth)."

The Egyptian Theatre warns that due to sexual content and adult humor, no one under the age of 14 should attend these performances.

Ticket prices vary. On opening night, cabaret seating is $50 and seats in rows 1-6 are $40 — including private reception following the performance. Those in rows 7-15 are $27 each but do not include the reception.

On Saturday night, tickets are $45 for cabaret seating, $32 in rows 1-6 and $27 for the remainder of the seats (435-649-9371).

• "FRIENDS OF GOD," a new drama by award-winning playwright Mahonri Stewart, will premiere Friday in the Art City Playhouse, 254 S. Main, Springville, where it continues through Jan. 30.

The cast includes Benjamin King as Joseph Smith, Heather Jones as Emma Smith, Adam Argyle as William Law, Jordan McMillan as Hyrum Smith and Holly Harris as Eliza R. Snow, with Penny Pendleton, Amos Omer, Jason Fulmer and Adam Stallard as the "voices of history."

Stewart cautions parents that the drama does touch on several hard issues, including polygamy, and portrays the violent deaths of Joseph and Hyrum. These aspects should be considered before bringing younger children to the production.