SALT LAKE CITY — Each year, Plan-B Theatre develops a production for elementary school students. This year's edition focuses on Great Salt Lake.
Eb & Flo will travel to elementary schools all over the state until May 2026.
Jerry Rapier, the theatre's artistic director, said the play caters toward students between kindergarten and third grade.
"This piece is really intended to introduce students to Great Salt Lake with a little bit of humor, a little bit of music and a little bit of science," Rapier said.
It centers around two characters, a "sensible seagull" named Eb and a "flamboyant flamingo" named Flo.
Elaine Jarvik, the playwright behind Eb & Flo, said Flo was inspired by Pink Floyd, a flamingo that was living at the Tracy Aviary in the 1980s and escaped to Great Salt Lake.
"Then, I was trying to think of a name for the gull and for some reason Eb came into my mind," Jarvik said. "I didn't plan it that way but it was a great serendipitous thing that happened."
As Eb teaches Flo about the lake, the duo explains a variety of lake-centered topics to students, including brine shrimp, migration, lake inflow and stewardship.
Bringing Eb & Flo to life
When Jarvik finished writing the play, it was sent to Jaimi Butler, a biologist.
"She sent back some notes," Jarvik said. "Like this is what a bird would really sound like."
This wasn't Jarvik's first time collaborating with Plan-B Theatre.
"She is a member of what we call 'The Lab,' which is our monthly meeting of local established playwrights," Rapier said. "Eb & Flo is actually the second free elementary school tour she has created for us."
Penelope Caywood, an educator who works for the University of Utah, was also involved in the development process. Rapier said she helped make sure the play is grade-level appropriate, easy to understand, and connected to Utah core education standards.
Plan-B Theatre to visit schools across Utah
Rapier said while performing at large schools is fun, one of the highlights of touring with the show is reaching students in smaller areas.
"It's really powerful and pretty joyous to take work to schools ... where there might be 16 kids in the whole school."
In those small schools, Rapier said many of the children see Plan-B Theatre Actors as "rockstars."
Additionally, past performances have been a first exposure to theatrical arts for many students in rural areas.
"This is the 14th year of this tour and we've served about 200,000 students in that time," Rapier said. "About 30% of them have seen their very first play through this program. It's really a privilege to think that we're completely introducing so many kids to an art form."
Plan-B Theatre to present two lake-facing projects in October
The play will be open to the public between Oct. 4 and Oct. 18 at the Studio Theatre at The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
Plan-B Theatre's website said free tickets are available now.
Jarvik said Eb & Flo is just one of two Great Salt Lake-focused plays she's written for Plan-B Theatre. The second is a dramedy titled Just Add Water and she co-wrote it with playwright Matthew Ivan Bennett. Both were supported by the public art project Wake the Great Salt Lake.
"He asked me if I would write it with him," Jarvik said. "I was thrilled because I really admire him."
Just Add Water personifies Great Salt Lake—the main character ventures into the city to understand what's happening and what can be done to fix it.
"I think it's quite a romp," Jarvik said.
Just Add Water runs from Oct. 2 to Oct. 19. Showtime details are available on Plan-B Theatre's website.
Just Add Water playwrights reflect on their views of the lake
Jarvik and Bennett both noted that they view the lake as important. In a piece he authored for Q Salt Lake, Bennett wrote:
"Salt Lake City is my hometown. The air quality is personal to me. Seeing the exposed lake bed and the tannish dots on my windshield is personal to me. I don’t want to be a climate refugee. I don’t want to have to leave here."
Since her first visit to the lake after she moved to Utah, Jarvik said she's developed "a fondness" for it.
"It's still a little creepy [out there.]" Jarvik said. "But it has its own beauty which I appreciate now ... I didn't before."
