The Rhetorical Review

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Pioneer Theatre Review: "Ten Brave Seconds" and the Courage of Staying in the RoomPioneer Theatre Review: "Ten Brave Seconds" and the Courage of Staying in the Room
Grasmere Review: The Poet and the Muse, and the Violence of GeniusGrasmere Review: The Poet and the Muse, and the Violence of Genius
Les Misérables: A Timeless Story of Justice, Revolution, and RedemptionLes Misérables: A Timeless Story of Justice, Revolution, and Redemption

Why rhetoric?

The Rhetorical Review is an online outlet dedicated to creative, embodied, and community-based approaches to storytelling, performance, education, and the archive. I approach art and literature through the lens of rhetoric, not as manipulation, but as a way of understanding how meaning is made, taught, and remembered.

About me
A dark stage with silhouettes of an audience in front of bright stage lights, featuring bold white text discussing art and storytelling.
  • arturo flight to freedom
    Beyond labels: an interview with 10-time Grammy winner Arturo Sandoval
  • Les Mis Tour, Mya Rena Hunter as Eponine, Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy
  • A’lante Flamenco Ignites the Westminster Concert Series with Passion and Precision. Photo: Doug Carter.
  • Improv Salt Lake: Building a Hub for Creativity and Community in Salt Lake City
  • Archive and Identity in the Work of Jessica Nicole Begay and Alexandria Yaa
  • The Aunties
    The Aunties by Indigenous Performance Productions
Interior view of a lively venue with purple lighting, capturing an audience gathered for the Sundance Film Festival. A large screen displays footage, while decorative lights and a tree add to the ambiance.
Sundance 2026: Kimberlé Crenshaw, Ava DuVernay, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and Jacqueline Stewart Confront Censorship and the New McCarthyism in The Story of Us
A red dress with a white lace collar against a textured background, featuring the title 'Tiny Beautiful Things' along with the names of the author Cheryl Strayed and adapter Nia Vardalos.
Review: PYGmalion’s “Tiny Beautiful Things” — Writing as Empathy and Witness
Promotional image for the musical 'The Last Five Years' by Jason Robert Brown, featuring actors Diego Rodriguez and Becca Lichfield. Dates of the performance are January 8-19, directed by Morag Shepherd with music directed by Anthony Buck.
Hart Theater Company’s “The Last Five Years” Review (SLC)
Four men posing together, smiling and embracing each other in a light gray studio setting.
Review: Sō Percussion Brings A World Premiere with Steel Pan Lineage to Libby Gardner Hall
A collection of artist comments expressing gratitude for thoughtful reflections and reviews of their performances.
Unpacking Neverland: Removing Indigenous Stereotypes from Tiger Lily in "Peter Pan"
Removing Indigenous Stereotypes from Tiger Lily in “Peter Pan”
Kilo-Wat
The World Premiere of KILO-WAT by Aaron Asano Swenson
The Aunties
“The Aunties” Brings Indigenous Stories and Community to Utah Stages
Dear Jack Dear Louise
When Words Were Enough: “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” at USF
A dynamic dance performance featuring multiple dancers in expressive poses against a vibrant orange backdrop, with dramatic lighting and flowing fabric.
Ballet Hispánico at Kingsbury Hall: Motion, Memory, and the Pulse of Latin Identity
A Bonfire, a Breakdown, and the End of the World: “The Grown-Ups” Utah Premiere
“The Grown-Ups” Utah Premiere
Fatherhood, Friendship, and Fragility: A Powerful Case for the Existence of God
A Powerful Case for the Existence of God
Obsession Unleashed: Onstage Adaptation of Steven King "Misery"
Onstage Adaptation of Steven King’s “Misery”
Glitterbomb Futures: Queer Re-Vision in-& Juliet
“& Juliet” Review: A Queer, Pop-Feminist Remix Takes Over Salt Lake City
“Dreamgirls” at The Grand: Where Black Brilliance Takes Center Stage
“Dreamgirls” at The Grand: Where Black Brilliance Takes Center Stage
Meanwhile Park 2025: Backyard Theatre and the Queer Art of Survival
What We Leave Behind: The World Premiere of "Paper Weight" by Skyler Denfeld
The World Premiere of
“Paper Weight” by
Skyler Denfeld
A vibrant stage performance featuring a diverse cast dressed in green outfits, celebrating a festive atmosphere with neon lights and a sign reading 'NO SLEEP CLUB'.
The Wiz
A green armchair with a grey hat on the armrest, set against a striped wall, featuring the title 'The Hatmaker's Wife' in bold white font.
Listening Walls and Lost Names: Westminster University’s “The Hatmaker’s Wife”
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2 Pianos 4 Hands
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Some Like it Hot
Wynona
Golden Resonance: Wynona Yinuo Wang Opens Bachauer’s 50th Anniversary Season
Threads of Memory: Archive and Identity in the Work of Jessica Nicole Begay and Alexandria
Archive and Identity in the Work of Jessica Nicole Begay and
Alexandria Yaa
Hart Theatre Company's "Next to Normal": A Raw and Resonant Exploration of Mental Illness
Hart Theatre
Company’s “Next to Normal”
Life of Pi": Survival, Spirituality, and the Power of Puppetry
“Life of Pi”: Survival, Spirituality, and the Power of Puppetry
A hand holding the book 'Rhetorical Healing: The Reeducation of Contemporary Black Womanhood' by Tamika L. Carey, featuring a colorful abstract cover design.
Book Review—Rhetorical Healing: The Reeducation of Contemporary Black Womanhood by Tamika L. Carey
Meat Without the Footprint: Good Meat Cultivated Chicken
Ignorance is No Longer an Option: The Large-Scale Meat Problem in America 
A performer in a vibrant costume passionately singing on stage, with dramatic lighting and enthusiastic expressions from fellow performers in the background.
Kurbasy’s Songs of the Ukrainian Forest at Kingsbury Hall
A diverse group of sixteen individuals posing together, dressed in various casual outfits, showcasing a variety of skin tones and hairstyles, against a neutral gray background.
“Deliberate Joy”: Francesca Harper on Legacy, Memory, and Ailey II
Pay No Attention to That Man: Wicked’s Wizard as Trumpian Spectacle
Pay No Attention to That Man: Wicked’s Wizard as Trumpian Spectacle
A framed artwork depicting a dark, gothic mansion on a moorland, surrounded by rolling hills and a bare tree, with the title 'The Moors' by Jen Silverman at the bottom.
A Funny, Bloody, Queer Gothic: Voodoo Theatre Company’s “The Moors” Bites Back
Four Queens in the show Six posing.
SIX the Musical Reigns Supreme
Silhouette of a person looking upward against a blue background with the text 'DEAR EVAN HANSEN' in bold white and blue bubble text.
“You Still Matter”: Pioneer Theatre Company’s “Dear Evan Hansen” Hits a Nerve in Utah
Four male performers in historical costumes, striking dynamic poses on stage, evoking energy and camaraderie.
“Hamilton” Unbound: A Timeless Fusion of History and Modernity on Stage
A theater seat is visible in the foreground, with a hand holding a program for the show 'Tootsie.' The background features a colorful draped curtain in hues of purple, green, and red, and a few audience members are seated nearby.
Rewriting the Punchline at Ziegfeld Theater: Tootsie’s Impact on Gender Norms
Two women practicing yoga, one seated in a meditative pose on a purple mat, while the other sits on a green mat with a serious expression.
Pygmalion’s “Be Here Now”: The Art and Ethics of Presence
A promotional image for the play 'Coach Coach' by Bailey Williams, presented by Good Company Theatre, featuring bold red typography against a white background.
“Coach Coach”: Self-Reflexivity, Late Capitalism, and the Theatre of Becoming
Quill and Feature
Black and white picture of a dancer in the Spotlight

Art is that which remains unknown the longest.

~Christopher Risher~

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