Westminster University alumni are making their mark on Salt Lake City's theatre scene, showing how creative talents cultivated on campus continue to find new life onstage.
Voodoo Theatre Company's production of Heroes of the Fourth Turning, which ran October 15–25 at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center in Taylorsville, featured seven Westminster alumni. Their involvement is a testament to the value of pursing passion and connection within our Griffin community.
The play was produced by Patrick Kibbie ('00), Artistic Director and Founder of Voodoo Theatre Company, and directed by Jack Cobabe ('23), Assistant Artistic Director at Voodoo. Emily Kitterer ('22) served as Assistant Director, with Taylynn Rushton ('24) as resident stage manager. Current Westminster student Austin Ray (‘27), who is a senior majoring in Theatrical Light Design, was the production's lighting designer.
Onstage, Alvaro Cortez ('20) returned for his third production with Voodoo Theatre Company to portray Justin, a stoic outdoorsman who works at the main characters' alma mater. Charlotte Gordon ('26) made her Voodoo Theatre debut as Emily, empathetic daughter of college professors who lives with chronic pain.
Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Will Arbery, Heroes of the Fourth Turning follows four young conservative classmates reuniting at their Catholic college in Wyoming for a celebration that quickly turns into a darkly powerful exploration of faith, identity, politics, and friendship.
According to Cobabe, Voodoo is very intentional in choosing "emotional, thrilling, and thought-provoking" shows. "We always try to pick plays that align with that mission statement and that challenge us both as artists but also as a society," he said. "It's been so rewarding to get to talk to audience members after the shows and see that in action."
"It's just fascinating, seeing all this thought-provoking work," said Rushton, who, as resident stage manager, witnesses discussions and discoveries from the cast, the design team, and the audience as they grapple with the material in each show. "It keeps you coming back."
Cortez finds that Voodoo's shows have provided him with exciting opportunities to grow as a performer after graduation. "The role I'm doing is very different than what I usually do, in a really fun and exciting way, but also in a way that's really scary and kind of hard," he said. "I get to use all of the tools and tricks and skills that I learned at Westminster in a new and exciting way."
For each of these artists, pursuing theatre after graduation has taken a different form. Some have built careers entirely in the performing arts, working at multiple venues in multiple production and stage roles, while others balance intensive rehearsals and performance schedules with jobs in different industries.
Whether they are pursuing a full-time career in the arts or making time for it around other responsibilities, the foundation and confidence these alums built at Westminster supports every kind of role.
"I'm thankful for Westminster because they cast me in stuff that I didn't feel comfortable in at first," said Gordon. "It's better to be pushed and to learn to do scary and uncomfortable things that end up teaching you a lot, and you can feel fulfilled in your craft."
Kibbie, who recently completed an MFA in Directing through the East 15 Acting School in London and has a full-time job in marketing, said that his work directing at Westminster helped him see how skills in the arts can translate to other fields.
"Theatre makes you better at any other job," said Kibbie, explaining that skills like communication, listening, and performance can be applied to any industry day-to-day. "I do theatre for joy, but I use my theatre skills all the time throughout my life."
However it looks for each member of the team, a shared passion for theatre continues to push them through the challenges and inspire them to bring their best selves to the stage—and working with others who share a Westminster background adds an important layer of camaraderie.
"This is my first show post-grad, so it's pretty exciting to be around so many people who went to Westminster," said Gordon. "I feel like we're all pretty like-minded."
Voodoo Theatre Company's 2027 season will feature The Florida Variations (April 8–18), directed by Patrick Kibbie; A Number (June 17–27), directed by Morag Shepherd; and An Iliad (September 9–19), directed by Jack Cobabe.
