A Play Pops Up At The Gateway With A Big And Relevant Question

When a socially conscious theatre company takes an opportunity to stage an adaptation of a historic production about the unseen plight of homeless squatters, what better place than a pop-up theatrical venue at Salt Lake City's still-semi-abandoned Gateway mall?

That's exactly what Pinnacle Acting Company is doing, with At The Bottom, by Christopher Madsen (directed by Alexandra Harbold) as it stages the Utah playwright's reimagining of the Russian classic The Lower Depths by playwright Maxim Gorky.

An Adaptation Of A Classic

The adaptation, like the original, centers around "a flop house in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of a large city [that is] home to a rag-tag group of people struggling to survive from one day to the next," states the summary on the theater company's website. "When a mysterious stranger comes to live there, he brings hope to the hardscrabble lives of the residents."

But not all is as it seems. The Lower Depths is noted by Wikipedia as a "hallmark of Russian social realism," and as such, derives much of its energy by offering a meditative theme of the human experience on society's bottom rung. That is to say, there is a question the players pose, and it may not sit altogether very comfortably with the audience. To be challenged, that is the point!

First presented in 1902 at the Moscow Art Theatre, The Lower Depths was initially criticized for its "pessimism and ambiguous ethical message" according to the summary on Wikipedia. "The presentation of the lower classes was viewed as overly dark and unredemptive, and Gorky was clearly more interested in creating memorable characters than in advancing a formal plot." And yet, the online encyclopedia notes that "the play is generally regarded as a masterwork."

A Modern Retelling

Like the source material, At The Bottom "shines a light on those living at the margins who are, almost literally, invisible to the rest of society," as Pinnacle's promotional materials state. "With elements of the fantastic, the play explores the tension between pessimism and hope and asks which is better: the truth, or the comforting lie?"

Playwright Christopher Madsen has reimagined The Lower Depths for the 21st century," Pinnacle advertises, because "many of the central themes are just as relevant today as they were over a century ago." ⁣

Pinnacle’s At the Bottom is a world premiere that has popped-up in a normally empty retail space at Salt Lake City's Gateway outdoor mall and entertainment district, which will, as the theater company suggests, "be transformed into the world of this incredibly relevant play."

If You Go

There are only 4 shows left.

Show: At the Bottom by Christopher Madsen
Directed by: Alexandra Harbold
Dates: February 27 – 29 2020, March 5 – 7 2020 at 7:30PM
Matinee: March 1 2020 and March 8 2020 at 2:00PM
Genra: Drama, Dark Comedy, World Premier
Rating: Not recommended for children under the age of 16, for mature themes and strong language.