Courtesy Relative Space

On Thursday, Pleasant Grove played host to the debut of “Relative Space,” an atypical musical produced by Van Dean, a Tony-and Grammy-Award winner. The show was directed by Joshua Long who has helped to direct over 100 productions in Utah and has won numerous roles for directing and teaching.

An impressive crowd showed up for the premiere with high-profile attendees like Tony Prenda, a 3-time Grammy winner, holistic coach Wendy Parr and many more. This musical is the direct result of Utahns, including playwright Melissa Leilani Larson, 16-year-old Warner Music Group recording artist Kjersti Long and other accomplished theatrical actors.

From the line up of patrons and artists alone, this night was sure to make waves in the theater world as this musical touches on important topics that are just beginning to be covered on the stage in ways modern artists can relate to.

“Relative Space” tells the story of generational mental illness and trauma, and the effect that it plays on the person suffering from it and their family and friends. Kjersti Long narrates the musical through songs with vocals that convey powerful emotion. Originally from Clinton, New Jersey, Kjersti is in Utah as she prepares for her first EP to be released in 2023. Kjersti has stated that she hopes her music can be a pillar of hope to the downtrodden and is excited to help deliver an important message through music and the spoken word.

As Kjersti narrates and sings throughout the musical, the story follows a mother and daughter traveling through time to tell the story of generational depression. What stuck out to me throughout the show was the impact on the family. While they tried their best to be supportive and caring, the disconnect was still clear as many people don’t fully recognize the ways that depression and mental illness can manifest in a person’s life.

Courtesy Relative Space

Elizabeth Golden, who played Shannon, did a fabulous job of demonstrating the challenges of trying to be a good mother and wife while battling with mental illness and the symptoms that accompany it. Throughout the story, there is a dance/movement ensemble that follows both mother and daughter as a portrayal of the heaviness that follows those who struggle with mental illness.

One thing that caught my eye throughout the show was the use of cellphones. While many people attribute phones as a cause of mental illness, this story depicted them less as a cause and more as an escape from unrelenting sadness and loneliness.

The crew hopes to take the show to New York so that it can greet the Broadway stage, with a Broadway reading in October. Utah audiences have the opportunity to see it this summer as it runs, for the public, from June 29 until July 1 at the Liahona Theater in Pleasant Grove.

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