A staged reading of the play Hideous Progeny, exploring the relationship between Lord Byron and Mary Godwin as they challenge each other to write a ghost story.
The SLCC Theatre Department is bringing Hideous Progeny to The Grand Theatre on Thursday, April 15, 2027, at 7 PM. It's a staged reading, so you'll see the actors with scripts in hand rather than a fully blocked production, which keeps the focus on the text and the performance. The reading is directed by Emily Dendinger.
The story centers on Lord Byron challenging Mary Godwin—not yet Mary Shelley—to write a ghost story that will make her immortal. It's a reimagining of those larger-than-life Romantic figures as the teenagers they actually were: overeducated, egotistical, and convinced they're about to change the world despite knowing very little about it. The production is billed as witty, salacious, and often melodramatic, so expect the dialogue to lean into the drama of the era.
If you're interested in the process behind the show, there's a window to get involved before it ever hits the stage. Auditions run January 26 and 27, 2027, from 4 PM to 7 PM, with callbacks on January 28 from 5 PM to 7 PM. If you're not looking to audition, you can just catch the final result on the night of the reading.
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Tickets are $10 for general admission, and the reading starts at 7 PM on Thursday, April 15, at The Grand Theatre in Salt Lake City.
