End of Season Party with Runaway Fire
2026-06-28 19:30 - 21:30 UTC | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
SUMMER ARTS SHOWCASE: MUSIC
End of Season Party
with Runaway Fire
June 28, 7:30PM
Kayenta Outdoor Theater

We’re closing out our season and the Summer Arts Showcase with a big bash! Party with us in the outdoor theater to Runaway Fire’s electric music, and celebrate the arts in our community.

This event is part of the Kayenta Summer Arts Showcase, an all-month event featuring exceptional local artists and the premiere of brand-new creative work, across several disciplines. Join us this June to celebrate and experience local art, fun, and community.
We’re introducing tiered ticket pricing for this program. The Kayenta Summer Arts Showcase is about welcoming audiences to see the work of artists within their own community. We’re committed to making our events as accessible as possible, and believe this tiered structure will help remove financial barriers, while also presenting quality events and compensating artists fairly for their work. The pricing tiers are as follows:

$10 – Pay What You Can
$20 – Suggested Ticket Price
$30 – Support This Program
TICKETS

FILM SCREENING: National Treasure
2026-07-03 19:30 - 21:30 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
FILM SCREENING
National Treasure
Friday, July 3, 2026 | 7:30pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

We’re doing a screening of National Treasure during First Fridays at Kayenta on July 3!
A modern-day fortune hunter races to find an ancient treasure hidden by the Founding Fathers.
Runtime: 131 minutes

TICKETS

CineSizzle: Labyrinth
2026-07-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
Labyrinth
Friday, July 10, 7:30pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Director Jim Henson created a fantasyland where David Bowie reigns as King Goblin and a teen (Jennifer Connelly) must navigate to find her brother.
Rating: PG, Runtime: 101 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS
3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

CineSizzle: Starman
2026-07-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
Starman
Saturday, July 11, 7:30pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

A romance between an extraterrestrial and a widow, whose husband’s form he `borrows.’
Rating: PG, Runtime: 105 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS

3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

CineSizzle: Short Circuit
2026-07-12 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
Short Circuit
Saturday, July 13, 3:00pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

When a military robot is struck by lightning, he suddenly becomes self-aware and fearful of being reprogrammed. He comes upon an animal lover who is convinced that he is an extraterrestrial.
Rating: PG, Runtime: 99 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS

3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

CineSizzle: 10 Things I Hate About You
2026-07-17 19:30 - 21:30 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
10 Things I Hate About You
Friday, July 17, 7:30pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” gets a face-lift in this amusing adaptation set in a Seattle high school, where popular Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) is forbidden to date until her older sister Katarina (Julia Stiles) finds a beau. This doesn’t please some of the boys at school, who decide to bribe a student to go out with Katarina. Heath Ledger, Larry Miller.
Rating: PG-13, Runtime: 95 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS

3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

CineSizzle: Wayne's World
2026-07-18 19:30 - 21:30 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
Wayne’s World
Saturday, July 18, 7:30pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Best friends Wayne and Garth are hired to host their public access show professionally. Wayne falls for Cassandra, the lead singer in a metal band, and must contend with a handsome network executive who plans to ruin their show and steal away Cassandra. Based on the iconic SNL skit.
Rating: PG-13, Runtime: 95 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS

3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

CineSizzle: Drop Dead Gorgeous
2026-07-19 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Sunday, July 19, 3:00pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

This canny mockumentary chronicles the backstage goings-on at a Minnesota teen beauty pageant. Kirsten Dunst delights as a lovable trailer-park sweetie and Denise Richards scores as a viperish contest veteran. Ellen Barkin and Kirstie Alley costar as the girls’ mothers. Allison Janney, Sam McMurray, Amy Adams.
Rating: PG-13, Runtime: 98 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS

3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

CineSizzle: I Saw the TV Glow
2026-07-24 19:30 - 21:30 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
I Saw the TV Glow
Friday, July 24, 7:30pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.
Rating: PG-13, Runtime: 100 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS

3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

CineSizzle: The Thing
2026-07-25 19:30 - 21:30 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
The Thing
Saturday, July 25, 7:30pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Americans at a base in Antarctica are terrorized by an otherworldly creature that can shapeshift into the form of anything it kills.
Rating: R, Runtime: 108 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS

3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

CineSizzle: Double Feature: It Came From Outer Space + Attack of the 50ft Woman
2026-07-26 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
CINESIZZLE!
Double Feature: It Came From Outer Space + Attack of the 50ft Woman
Sunday, July 26, 3:00pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

It’s time for a Double Feature! We’re screening two classic 50s sci-fi horror films to finish out CineSizzle! Come dressed up and ready for some fun!
It Came from Outer Space:
Stellar sci-fi thriller adapted from a Ray Bradbury tale is set in an Arizona desert town, where an amateur stargazer can’t convince the locals that what he thought was a meteor crash-landing nearby was actually an alien spacecraft. Originally shown in 3D.
Attack of the 50ft Woman:
A neurotic woman claims to have had a close encounter with a UFO, only to be laughed off as a drunken fool. But then radiation from the spaceship begins to have a strange impact on her and big problems befall her philandering husband and the skeptical townspeople.
Rating: PG, Runtime: It Came From Outer Space: 80 minutes, Attack of the 50ft Woman: 66 minutes

$10 TICKETS

CINESIZZLE! PACKAGES
Save on our Summer Film Series! Buy the CineSizzle! Full Pass for $50 and see every film, saving 45% on your tickets.
Or, can’t make the full series, but still want to save? The Mix-and-Match Package includes any 3 films in the CineSizzle! lineup for $20, saving 33%! Whether you want to see one weekend of the lineup, or those Sunday matinees are calling your name, we’ve got you covered.

$50 FULL PASS

3 FOR $20

Hot Days. Cool Films.
This July, escape the brutal heat and dive into a different kind of desert experience with CineSizzle!—a film series where the only thing sizzling is the lineup. From air-conditioned afternoon escapes to breezy sunset screenings, we’re bringing you a handpicked mix of unforgettable Cult Classics, curated by our staff and board. Whether you’re looking to cool off or just enjoy something different, CineSizzle! delivers cinematic fun in the heart of the desert.

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB: Am I a Good Dog?
2026-08-07 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-08-08 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB

Am I a Good Dog?

by Rook Reilley (St. George, UT)

Friday, August 7 – 7:30pm Saturday, August 8 – 3:00pm

The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Join us for a staged reading of a new play as part of the 2026 Kayenta New Play Lab! Am I a Good Dog follows Max, who returns to their hometown years after moving away—only to find a missing poster with their face on it. A dramedy exploring identity, family, Queerness, and life in rural Utah.

Stay for the guided talkback after the show with the playwright, director, and cast. Discuss the play, ask questions, and learn more about the development process. Be part of shaping new theater by providing your own feedback and delving deeper into the creative process.

TICKETS

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB

Now in its fourth year, the Kayenta New Play Lab is where bold new voices in American theater come to life. Over three weeks, six visionary playwrights—chosen by a panel of esteemed local and national theatermakers—dive into an intensive creative residency, shaping fresh, original works for the stage.

Audiences are invited to witness the magic unfold through staged readings of these brand-new plays—raw, real, and alive with possibility. Stay after each reading for an engaging dialogue with the artists, where your feedback helps shape the evolution of each piece.

Click HERE to learn more about the 2026 New Play Lab.

See all 6 plays for $100, saving $50!

The Kayenta New Play Lab is generously sponsored by Douglas Caputo and Desert Dweller Real Estate.

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB: A Matter of Perspective
2026-08-08 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-08-09 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB
A Matter of Perspective
by Lisa Quoresimo (Cedar City, UT)
Saturday, August 8 – 7:30pm Sunday, August 9 – 3:00pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Join us for a staged reading of a new play as part of the 2026 Kayenta New Play Lab! A Matter of Perspective is an historical drama examining a battle of the minds between rivals, the creation of Florence’s duomo, and the forgotten woman whose genius led to its creation.
Stay for the guided talkback after the show with the playwright, director, and cast. Discuss the play, ask questions, and learn more about the development process. Be part of shaping new theater by providing your own feedback and delving deeper into the creative process.
TICKETS
About the Playwright: Lisa Quoresimo
Lisa Quoresimo’s plays have been seen internationally (Siddahartha the Bright Path, Cloudy with a Chance of Contempt), Off-off Broadway (Not My Heart’s Desire, Endlessly Rocking, Antigone: a Fable Without Walls), in regional theaters in San Francisco and Sacramento (Between Dirt and Sky, Ciribiribin, Charlie and Nell), and across the country. Lisa is delighted to return to the Kayenta New Play Festival for a second time! Their work as performer, director, composer, music director and dramaturg has been seen at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Shotgun Players, Brava Theatre, The Marsh and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. She is currently Associate Professor of Theatre at Southern Utah University and previously taught at NYU and the Manhattan School of Music. She is the co-founder/director of Catalyst: A Theatre Think Tank. Lisa’s academic writing has been published widely. Her book, The Feminist Journey of Stephen Sondheim, is forthcoming at Routledge Press. Lisa holds a Ph.D. from UC Davis and an M.A. from Carnegie Mellon University. and is proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and of the Dramatist’s Guild.
KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB

Now in its fourth year, the Kayenta New Play Lab is where bold new voices in American theater come to life. Over three weeks, six visionary playwrights—chosen by a panel of esteemed local and national theatermakers—dive into an intensive creative residency, shaping fresh, original works for the stage.

Audiences are invited to witness the magic unfold through staged readings of these brand-new plays—raw, real, and alive with possibility. Stay after each reading for an engaging dialogue with the artists, where your feedback helps shape the evolution of each piece.

Click HERE to learn more about the 2026 New Play Lab, as well as participants from previous years.

TICKETS

See all 6 plays for $100, saving $50!

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB: The Franklin Event
2026-08-14 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-08-15 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB
The Franklin Event
by Peter Sham (Cedar City, UT)
Friday, August 14 – 7:30pm
Saturday, August 15 – 3:00pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Join us for a staged reading of a new play as part of the 2026 Kayenta New Play Lab! In The Franklin Event, Benjamin Franklin finds himself materialized in the modern day, as part of a theatrical parlor show, hosted by a historian who knows everything about him. The two discuss modern life, philosophy, and the complex legacy of the founding fathers.
Stay for the guided talkback after the show with the playwright, director, and cast. Discuss the play, ask questions, and learn more about the development process. Be part of shaping new theater by providing your own feedback and delving deeper into the creative process.

TICKETS

About the Playwright: Peter Sham

Peter Sham (playwright, The Franklin Event) is the author of over 25 plays and musicals, perhaps best known for his work as bookwriter/lyricist for Lend Me A Tenor: The Musical (with Brad Carroll, composer). Lend Me A Tenor: The Musical was nominated for a 2011 Olivier Award, received 13 BroadwayWorld.com West End Award nominations, including “Best Musical,” and was the winner of The Critic’s Choice Award for “Best Theatrical Event.” Peter is currently at work (with award-winning composer, Kevin Purcell) on To Catch A Thief: The Musical, based on the David Dodge bestseller which was made into an Academy Award-winning, classic film by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly; and The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, based on the novel by Josephine Leslie (aka R.A. Dick), which was also made into a classic film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, and directed by Joseph Mankewicz. Both musicals are planning West End, London openings in 2027-2028.
Peter is the author of the musicals Sherlock Holmes and the Great Royal Goose Chase, One Night Only, Toyland, and It’s a Dog’s Life: Man’s Best Musical; the plays, A Christmas Carol: On the Air (a Southern Utah holiday favorite for 11 years), its sequel, Frankenstein: On the Air, Shakespeare’s Moby Dick (a classical adaptation of Herman Melville’s American novel), and Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane, written with William Peter Blatty (author of The Exorcist), adapted from Mr. Blatty’s Golden Globe Award-winning “Best Screenplay.” Peter has also written the screenplays, Somewhere, The Playhouse, and Hag. He wrote and directed the feature horror film, Far Remote, which garnered an Honorable Mention at the prestigious HorrorFest International Film Festival in 2021. Peter is now in development on A Penny Urned, a 9-episode television streaming series, created and written with Roger Bean, author of The Marvelous Wonderettes series, Life Could Be A Dream, and more.

Outside of his writing, Peter has been a regional actor for over 35 years, appearing at such places as Utah Shakespeare Festival (for 12 seasons), Milwaukee Rep, Asolo Theatre Company, The Neil Simon Festival, Studio Arena Theatre, TheatreLoft, Artpark, Yale Cabaret, Perry Street Theatre, and more. Kayenta audiences may remember his performances as Jake in Neil Simon’s Jake’s Women, and Andre in Neil Simon’s The Dinner Party. He is also an accomplished director of over 85 productions throughout the East coast and Southern Utah.
A professor of theatre for over 20 years at Southern Utah University, he is a two-time SUU Thunderbird Award winner for “Professor of the Year”; an SUU “Outstanding Scholar of the Year Award” winner; and the recipient of SUU’s Highest Honor, “The Board of Trustees Award for Excellence.” Peter has received national recognition as a recipient of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s “Excellence in Education Award.” He holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Acting from the University of Delaware’s Professional Theatre Training Program.
Peter is married to SUU movement/dance professor, actress & choreographer, Kirsten Sham, and blessed with two remarkably talented children, Liv Rylan and Orlando Grayson.
For more information, visit: www.buffalotheatrecompany.org

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB

Now in its fourth year, the Kayenta New Play Lab is where bold new voices in American theater come to life. Over three weeks, six visionary playwrights—chosen by a panel of esteemed local and national theatermakers—dive into an intensive creative residency, shaping fresh, original works for the stage.
Audiences are invited to witness the magic unfold through staged readings of these brand-new plays—raw, real, and alive with possibility. Stay after each reading for an engaging dialogue with the artists, where your feedback helps shape the evolution of each piece.

Click HERE to learn more about the 2026 New Play Lab, as well as participants from previous years.

FULL PACKAGE

See all 6 plays for $100, saving $50!

The Kayenta New Play Lab is generously sponsored by Douglas Caputo and Desert Dweller Real Estate.

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB: If the Creek Don't Rise
2026-08-15 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-08-16 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB
If the Creek Don’t Rise
by Tyree Marshall (Los Angeles, CA)
Saturday, August 15 – 7:30pm
Sunday, August 16 – 3:00pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Join us for a staged reading of a new play as part of the 2026 Kayenta New Play Lab! If the Creek Don’t Rise is a drama/science fiction set in the rural south, following two women in their fight for survival in a dystopic post-civil war America.
Stay for the guided talkback after the show with the playwright, director, and cast. Discuss the play, ask questions, and learn more about the development process. Be part of shaping new theater by providing your own feedback and delving deeper into the creative process.

TICKETS

About the Playwright: Tyree Marshall

Tyree Marshall is a Los Angeles-based Playwright, Actor, and Producer. Tyree’s afro-futurist, sci-fi play, If The Creek Don’t Rise (O’Neill NPC Semi-finalist) was selected and developed as a part of The Vagrancy’s “Blossoming: Workshop Edition” program in 2024. If The Creek Don’t Rise had a public reading at Skylight Theatre in May of 2025 and received another workshop & reading in November 2025 with Ammunition Theatre Company. Her play Banish Him! had its world premiere in September 2025 with The Roots and Wings Project in Highland Park as part of the program Luminous Streets. Tyree helped create and choreograph the play Love Gasoline by Stacy Dawson Stearns which premiered at the RedCat Now Festival in 2017 and later moved to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland that same year. Tyree’s latest play, You Will Burn was developed in IAMA Theatre Company’s Emerge Playwrights Lab from 2025-2026.

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB

Now in its fourth year, the Kayenta New Play Lab is where bold new voices in American theater come to life. Over three weeks, six visionary playwrights—chosen by a panel of esteemed local and national theatermakers—dive into an intensive creative residency, shaping fresh, original works for the stage.
Audiences are invited to witness the magic unfold through staged readings of these brand-new plays—raw, real, and alive with possibility. Stay after each reading for an engaging dialogue with the artists, where your feedback helps shape the evolution of each piece.

Click HERE to learn more about the 2026 New Play Lab, as well as participants from previous years.

FULL PACKAGE

See all 6 plays for $100, saving $50!

The Kayenta New Play Lab is generously sponsored by Douglas Caputo and Desert Dweller Real Estate.

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB: Wound Care
2026-08-21 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-08-22 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB
Wound Care
by Jennie Webb (Los Angeles, CA)
Friday, August 21 – 7:30pm
Saturday, August 22 – 3:00pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Join us for a staged reading of a new play as part of the 2026 Kayenta New Play Lab! Wound Care explores a series of encounters following a woman as she works to acquire reparation funding from the State of California for women like her estranged mother who were victims of forced sterilization programs.
Stay for the guided talkback after the show with the playwright, director, and cast. Discuss the play, ask questions, and learn more about the development process. Be part of shaping new theater by providing your own feedback and delving deeper into the creative process.

TICKETS

About the Playwright: Jennie Webb

Jennie Webb is an LA-based playwright and dramaturg (she created the new play development program, Seedlings, at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum which she ran from 2002-2019, and in 2021 co-created the Ignite Project at Ensemble Studio Theatre/Los Angeles) with works including “Reach,” “Currency,” “Yard Sale Signs,” “Carry On,” “Smiling Cat Candy Heart,” “Remodeling Plans,” “Unclaimed Assets,” “On Tuesday,” “It’s Not About Race,” “Rebecca on the Bus,” “About What Matters,” “Separate Loads,” “Brand New Script” and “Buying a House” produced in the LA area by Inkwell Theater, Rogue Machine Theatre, EST/LA, Santa Monica Rep, Virginia Avenue Project, Road Theatre, Theatre of NOTE and La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW Festival, as well as in Canada, the UK, Europe, India, Iran, Iceland and at universities and colleges across the country.
Her plays have been developed by Great Plains Theatre Conferences, The Playwrights’ Center, Moving Arts MADlab, Blank Theatre, Open Fist Theatre Company, Company of Angels, PlayGround-LA, PlayGround Residency, National Winter Playwrights Retreat, Little Black Dress INK Festivals, Protest Plays Project, PlagueWrites, Climate Change Theatre Action, Clamour Theatre Company, Rogue Artist Ensemble’s Rogue Lab, Road Theatre Summer Playwrights Festivals and the Road’s inaugural Under Construction Playwrights Group. These plays include “The Complete Story of the War,” “Crazy Bitch,” “Jilt,” “Into the Gobpile,” “Not Cake,” “adaptation.resilience,” “The Big Red Naugahyde Booth (or, Would-be Elks),” “Footprint,” “Dead People’s Dishes” and “Wound Care.” Her work is published by Heinemann Press, Smith & Kraus, Next Stage Press and ICWP and included in Honor Roll!’s first “50 Plays by Women+ Over 50.”

More national recognition includes Finalist (O’Neill Playwrights Conference, City Theatre Short Play Festival, Gulfshore Playhouse, Utah Shakespeare Festival Words Cubed) and Semi-Finalist (O’Neill, PlayPenn, Athena Project, Trustus Theatre Festival, Dramatists Guild Foundation) nods; she is the recipient of two Max K. Lerner Playwriting Fellowships and a Women in Theatre Red Carpet Award and is currently Artistic Advisor for Hechale Productions in Mexico City. Member: the Playwrights Union, EST/LA, TCT Writers Lab, Honor Roll!, Dramatists Guild, LMDA. Co-founder: LA Female Playwrights Initiative (lafpi.com).
When asked to describe the style of her work, she uses the term “domestic absurdism.” She lives in Northeast Los Angeles with two housecats, Molly and Mick. jenniewebbsite.com.

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB

Now in its fourth year, the Kayenta New Play Lab is where bold new voices in American theater come to life. Over three weeks, six visionary playwrights—chosen by a panel of esteemed local and national theatermakers—dive into an intensive creative residency, shaping fresh, original works for the stage.
Audiences are invited to witness the magic unfold through staged readings of these brand-new plays—raw, real, and alive with possibility. Stay after each reading for an engaging dialogue with the artists, where your feedback helps shape the evolution of each piece.

Click HERE to learn more about the 2026 New Play Lab, as well as participants from previous years.

FULL PACKAGE

See all 6 plays for $100, saving $50!

The Kayenta New Play Lab is generously sponsored by Douglas Caputo and Desert Dweller Real Estate.

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB: Untitled Plantation Wedding Play
2026-08-22 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-08-23 15:00 - 17:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB
UNTITLED Plantation Wedding Play
by chandra thomas (Los Angeles, CA)
Saturday, August 22 – 7:30pm
Sunday, August 23 – 3:00pm
The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Join us for a staged reading of a new play as part of the 2026 Kayenta New Play Lab! UNTITLED Plantation Wedding Play is about a destination wedding at a former plantation forcing two lifelong friends to confront difficult questions about history, privilege, and identity.
Stay for the guided talkback after the show with the playwright, director, and cast. Discuss the play, ask questions, and learn more about the development process. Be part of shaping new theater by providing your own feedback and delving deeper into the creative process.

TICKETS

About the Playwright: chandra thomas

chandra thomas is an award-winning multihyphenate storyteller. As a playwright, her work has been presented at McCarter Theatre, Primary Stages, Naked Angels, Barter Theatre, Queens Theatre, LAFPI, Barrow Group, Echo Theater, Vivid Stage, Passage Theatre, Road Theatre, among others.
chandra’s plays have been named Finalists in the Blue Ink Playwriting Award. She’s a Finalist for the June Bingham Play Commission and a Stavis Award nominee. chandra is a Candela Playwrights Fellow, and a Playwrights Entrepreneur Program member at PlayPenn.
chandra also writes for television, film and narratives (Emmy Award-winning MOM, TACOMA FD) and works as a performer (Public Theatre, LAW & ORDER: SVU). She earned BA degrees from Vanderbilt University, and holds an MFA from Columbia University. Like her vibrant immigrant family, chandra’s storytelling blends humor with emotional heart and social bite. And she absolutely loves baseball, plants and her hometown, New York.

KAYENTA NEW PLAY LAB

Now in its fourth year, the Kayenta New Play Lab is where bold new voices in American theater come to life. Over three weeks, six visionary playwrights—chosen by a panel of esteemed local and national theatermakers—dive into an intensive creative residency, shaping fresh, original works for the stage.
Audiences are invited to witness the magic unfold through staged readings of these brand-new plays—raw, real, and alive with possibility. Stay after each reading for an engaging dialogue with the artists, where your feedback helps shape the evolution of each piece.

Click HERE to learn more about the 2026 New Play Lab, as well as participants from previous years.

FULL PACKAGE

See all 6 plays for $100, saving $50!

The Kayenta New Play Lab is generously sponsored by Douglas Caputo and Desert Dweller Real Estate.

The Book Bungalow Presents: Eli McCann
2026-09-01 19:30 - 21:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
HUMANITIES & LECTURE SERIES
The Book Bungalow Presents
Eli McCann
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Social Hour at 6:30p // Presentation at 7:30p
Join the Center for the Arts at Kayenta and The Book Bungalow for an engaging lecture and book talk with Utah author, humorist, podcaster, and lawyer Eli McCann as he presents his new book, Stitched.
Known for finding humor, humanity, and meaning in the experiences that connect us, McCann brings his distinctive voice to Kayenta as part of our new Humanities & Lectures series. Following the presentation, guests will have an opportunity to meet the author and have copies of Stitched signed.

Eli McCann is the author of We’re Thankful for the Moisture and a host and producer of Strangerville, a live storytelling series and podcast. He writes a monthly humor column for The Salt Lake Tribune, and his work has appeared in The Washington Post, Newsweek, HuffPost, and the BBC. He lives in Salt Lake City with his husband, their new child, and two naughty dogs.

This special pre-launch event gives guests the exclusive opportunity to purchase Stitched and have it signed by Eli McCann—a full week before its official release. Books can be pre-ordered along with your ticket below.

In Stitched, Betty Lou Dearden has been a member of the Ogden Quilter’s Association for more than twenty years when it’s announced that the biggest quilting competition in the country is coming to her small Utah town. With the clock ticking, the women welcome two young gay men to their group as they bicker their way to an award-worthy entry and attempt to beat their long-time rivals once and for all.
With disarming humor and extraordinary heart, Eli McCann takes readers deep into the cozy but cutthroat world of competitive quilting and the sometimes-messy friendships that shape our lives.

TICKETS

First Fridays at Kayenta
2026-09-04 16:00 - 20:00, 2026-10-02 16:00 - 20:00 | Kayenta Art Village, 881 Coyote Gulch Court, Ivins, UT, 84738, United States
COMMUNITY
First Fridays at Kayenta
every First Friday / 4:00pm-8:00pm
FREE to attend!
Kayenta Art Village
Celebrate the creative spirit of Southern Utah every First Friday at Kayenta! This monthly event brings together art, music, community, and now—a curated boutique market from Southern Utah Market, featuring an exceptional selection of local art, crafts, and farmers market favorites. Shop handmade goods, meet regional artisans, and enjoy the vibrant energy that fills the Kayenta Arts Village.
Our ongoing partnership with DOCUTAH adds another layer of inspiration, presenting this year’s “Best of Fest” film series—a handpicked showcase of audience favorites and award-winning films from the Utah-based international film festival. It’s your chance to experience world-class storytelling right here in Kayenta.
Stroll the galleries, explore open studios, discover something new at the market, and end the evening with thought-provoking cinema under the stars.

To view the current lineup, click HERE.

DOCUTAH Presents: Secrets of Great Salt Lake
2026-09-04 19:30 - 21:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
FILM
DOCUTAH Presents
Secrets of Great Salt Lake
Friday, September 4, 2026 // 7:30p
part of First Fridays at Kayenta
An uplifting story of how water connects all life on Earth.
Journey from the ancient shores of Lake Bonneville to the extraordinary ecosystem of Great Salt Lake, following freshwater from the snowy Rockies through rivers, wildlife refuges, and the surrounding watershed. Meet the scientists, Indigenous leaders, farmers, and young people working together to protect this vital landscape for generations to come.
Presented as part of Kayenta’s First Fridays and DOCUTAH’s Best of Fest film series.
TICKETS COMING SOON

3hattrio
2026-09-09 19:30 - 21:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
MUSIC
3hattrio
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 // 7:30p
3hattrio returns to Kayenta for another night of music inspired by the natural world of their Zion Canyon home. 3hattrio emerged from the red rock country of Zion, Utah in 2013, when teenage violinist Eli Wrankle fell in with veteran musicians Greg Istock and Hal Cannon. The chemistry was instant. Blending their vastly different musical worlds, they coined the term “American Desert Music” for their singular sound. After seven albums, four European tours, and a pandemic pause, the trio reunites in September 2026 for a series of retrospective concerts.
TICKETS

The Toast of Kayenta
2026-09-13 17:00 - 21:00 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
FESTIVALS

The Toast of Kayenta

Hosted by the Kayenta Arts Foundation

Sunday, September 13, 2026 // 5:00p-9:00p

Join us for an incredible evening celebrating our region’s diverse restaurant and growing wine & beer scenes beneath the breathtaking red rocks of Kayenta. This one-of-a-kind food and wine festival brings together the best of the best, allowing patrons to sip, savor, and celebrate our community’s vibrant and growing culinary scene.

All proceeds benefit Kayenta Arts Foundation & The Arts in Southern Utah.

This event is 21+

Attendees must be 21 or older with valid ID. Only service animals are permitted. The event is rain or shine and there are no refunds within two weeks of the event date. Guests are encouraged to have a designated driver or take ride sharing or public transportation. Please consume responsibly.

Tickets:
TICKETS

VIP Entry: $100 Adults (21+ event) Early entry, beginning at 5pm Access to air conditioned indoor lounge

General Admission (6pm, 7pm): $75 Adults (21+ event)

Get Involved!

Interested in becoming a Food & Beverage partner at the event? Vendors are carefully curated to provide a fantastic experience for guests. We do not charge restaurants or food/wine vendors a fee to participate, and the costs of your food and beverage may be tax deductible through Kayenta Arts Foundation.

If you’re interested, email Telah@KayentaArts.com!

DOCUTAH Presents: Being Adolf Gasser
2026-10-02 19:30 - 21:30 | Center for the Arts at Kayenta
FILM
DOCUTAH Presents
Being Adolf Gasser
Friday, October 2, 2026 // 7:30p
part of First Fridays at Kayenta
Adolph Gasser contemplates the life of being a camera repairman, WWII veteran, inventor, best friend of legendary photographer Ansel Adams and owner of a business that supports local filmmakers and employees to flourish as artists and innovators. With threats of eminent domain, technology shifts and new business model challenges he fights for the survival of his San Francisco based Adolph Gasser Incorporated store. Professor and filmmaker John C. Aliano chronicles the significant impact of this American hero.
Presented as part of Kayenta’s First Fridays and DOCUTAH’s Best of Fest film series.
TICKETS
