Updated 5/8/24: This event has been delayed. For updates, follow @redrockrevue on Instagram.
The theater has always been a space to bring people together, a place where stories are shared and imaginations run wild. For Ian Buchsbaum, it’s been hard to tap into that magic in Moab–so he’s creating it himself.
“Red Rock Revue,” billed as “Moab’s homegrown, original, non-profit theater company,”
is Buchsbaum’s brainchild, an answer to a gap in the Moab community that he wanted to fill–and an idea grown from the supportive spirit that permeates this town.
“It was partly the Moab community that made me really want to do it,” says Buchsbaum, a two-year resident who also works as a Grand County trail ambassador. “I had to be here for a bit to really tap in and realize that people would truly want to come and engage with something like this–having that aspect of the community was part of the motivation to get this off the ground.”
Buchsbaum, a self-described “theater kid” since high school and a film graduate of Ithaca College, has been writing original plays and looking for ways to share that work beyond his immediate circle. Combined with an itch for performing that he hadn’t been able to scratch anywhere in town, he decided to create Red Rock Revue to showcase original performers and artists in the Moab area.
Buchsbaum and four fellow actors are in the early stages of rehearsal with an eye on a late May performance, but putting on an original theater event is no easy task.
The Revue will feature a one-act play written by and starring Buchsbaum himself. “Eat Sh*t and Die” is a dark comedy-drama about a man receiving a terminal diagnosis and learning how his peers feel about him. In addition, the actors will perform monologues to round out the event.
“I envision this as a regular showcase of multiple pieces,” says Buchsbaum, who hopes to eventually put on two revues each year, with smaller events sprinkled between the pillar performances.
“Just seeing the reaction that people have when they hear about it, it’s a great feeling that people are stoked,” he said. “Even though right now it might be tough, once we do this first show and people see it, hopefully we can grow and expand from there.”
Red Rock Revue is currently operating with no budget; Buchsbaum hopes to collect donations at the event to support the community. As the project grows, Buchsbaum will consider how to best redistribute any funds, whether it’s reinvesting in more theater projects or direct donations to local causes.
“I definitely want to be giving back to the community,” he says. “I don’t want to be making money off of this. I like the idea of just focusing on making the best piece of art I can and just having fun with it.”
As rehearsals continue, anyone interested in participating in the production can reach out to redrockrevue@gmail.com. Buchsbaum says they’ll be amassing crew near the late May production, and he welcomes hearing from original monologue performers if they want to take the stage themselves.
“I want as many people to be involved as possible,” he states.
While they’re still getting off the ground with this first event, Buchsbaum has big dreams for the project. When asked what success would look like, his answer is simple: “That it keeps going when I leave. That I could move away and people are still putting on Red Rock Revues.”
