'Shelter: A New Musical' to make its debut in the Murray Theatre

It's a Thursday night, and State Street in Murray is relatively quiet. Most storefronts are closed. The post office parking lot is empty. A handful of cars take turns crossing onto Vine Street. But open a small side door to the historic Murray Theatre and there is a sort of electric buzz inside.

A group of women using scattered folding chairs as make shift scenery are rehearsing for a show no one has ever seen before. There is nothing tentative in their actions. They sing and deliver their lines with a confidence--even exuberance. They seem to be rehearsing with a sense that this untried show has the makings of something special.

And from May 20-28, audiences will have a chance to see for themselves when "Shelter: A New Musical," written by Brittany Bullen, makes its debut run at the Murray Theatre.

"Shelter" tells the story of Janine, a counselor at a women's shelter in Philadelphia, who is starting her first day of work and struggling to overcome her troubled past. Through the experiences and stories from the other women in the shelter, Janine ultimately discovers a hope and a peace that allow her to move forward.

Bullen, a Utah native who has acted in New York, said she started this project because she wanted to write a musical with lots of parts for women. But when she decided to base it on a women's shelter, the musical seemed to have a more important mission. She had some experience working with a women's shelter through her college sorority in Ohio and knew there was a story to tell that hadn't been told before. She wanted to give this story a voice, and donate all the proceeds to homeless shelters around the valley.

Bullen needed $10,000 to make it happen. Sound, lights, costumes and publicity are all high- priced production musts. She was able to raise most of the money through private donations, but the real breakthrough came when she found a place to perform.

"Finding a venue was the hardest part," Bullen said. "But the Murray Theatre was amazing. They basically said you can use the place for any price you need and you can rehearse for free."

Now when patrons go to buy tickets to the show online, there is a drop down menu where they can choose which shelter they want to donate their $15 ticket price to. Every dollar goes directly toward shelters such as The Road Home, the YWCA and Safe Harbor—basically any shelter in the Salt Lake Valley. The play has potential to generate $45,000 in donations.

Once word catches on, Bullen thinks this could absolutely happen.

"We have such amazing talent in this show," she said. "I wish we could have written bigger roles for all of our actors and given everybody more songs and more lines. Our two leads, Jessica Pierce and Matthew Wade, are going to be fantastic."

The cast and crew believe this production is something powerful. At the very least, it is going to bring donations and attention to homeless shelters around the valley. Bullen said she hopes other communities will take the show and use it to raise money for shelters in their areas.

Bullen emphasized that the show contains no foul language or anything explicit.

"It is a tough subject, but we have made it as family-friendly as we can for teenagers and adults at least."

For tickets and more information, go to www.sheltermusical.blogspot.com.

CAPTION: Jessica Pierce plays Janine, the lead role in "Shelter: A New Musical," opening May 20 at the Murray Theatre to benefit local homeless shelters.