Cedar City Gears Up For ‘Guys And Dolls’ At IMPAC

Brandon Burk, co-owner of Intermountain Performing Arts Conservatory (IMPAC) in Cedar City, joined KSUB’s Big Picture Morning Show to share details about the company's upcoming production of Guys and Dolls—and the distinctive mentorship model that sets the program apart.

“We started it almost three years ago. We’re in our third season and we’ve got a production of Guys and Dolls. This will be our fifth production,” said Burk. Past shows have included Into the Woods, The Addams Family, and two runs of White Christmas.

IMPAC's model is centered on a dual-cast mentorship system: “We cast a full adult cast, and a full youth cast and the adults mentor the students throughout the process,” Burk explained. “They all rehearse the same shows and then at the end of the process, the adults perform the show and then the students get to perform the show.”

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The youth cast includes children and teens between ages 8 and 19, who benefit from one-on-one training from adult performers—many of whom are educators. “It’s more focused on the educational part of it than anything else,” said Burk. “We have one young lady who teaches voice lessons for us at IMPAC, somebody who teaches homeschool classes… a lot of educators in the room.”

Burk, who holds a master’s degree in theater from UNLV, was drawn to Cedar City through the Utah Shakespeare Festival and is now deeply rooted in the community. “I don’t miss being on stage that much,” he said. “I’m enjoying being on the directing side of things… helping students learn how to get better.”

IMPAC Has Training And Competitions Year Round

IMPAC offers ongoing opportunities for training and performance through its conservatory and programs like “The Troop,” which meets weekly during the school year and travels to competitions.

The adult cast of Guys and Dolls opens this weekend, with performances continuing into next week, followed by the youth cast’s run. Curtain time is 7:00 p.m. at the IMPAC studio, located behind State Bank on 100 West in Cedar City.

Tickets and more information are available at www.im-pac.com.

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You can listen to the interview with Burk in the podcast below.