It's High School All Over Again in "Girl in the Yellow Dress"
The Timpanogos Valley Theatre in Heber City presents the second run of The Girl in the Yellow Dress, a coming-of-age play co-written by Tal Hughes and Ethan Scott. The performances run from November 7 to 15, including nightly shows and Saturday matinees.
Updated Production and Creative Team
The play features an updated script and a new assistant director, Roy Buttermore, who joins Tal Hughes in this role. Ethan Scott returns as the stage director. This production revisits the play’s 2022 debut at the same theatre, which coincided with the playwrights graduating from Wasatch High School.
Plot and Characters
Ben Larson stars as Robert, a boy returning to Southview High School after his family moved away following elementary school. Rather than reconnecting easily, he discovers his old friends have changed, and a childhood crush is involved in a controlling relationship.
Themes Explored
- Adapting to change during high school
- The challenges freshmen face in new environments
- The complexities of teenage relationships and personal growth
“Our family moved around a lot. When I went from middle school to high school, I was also moving back from California to Utah, and I saw a lot of my friends change.” — Tal Hughes
Authors’ Perspectives
Co-writers Hughes and Scott explore whether individuals need to share the same vision to connect and if freshmen can survive the challenges of high school. Hughes’s personal experiences with relocation and changing social dynamics forged much of the play’s emotional core.
Summary: This play revisits high school challenges through a refreshed script and new direction, drawing from real experiences to explore growth, change, and relationships in adolescence.