Just one month ago, the theater inside Cedar Fun Center still looked much like the movie theater where Cedar City families watched films for decades.
Today, it features a newly constructed stage, theatrical lighting, professional sound equipment, and a growing vision for the future of community arts in Southern Utah. On June 7, The Forge Center for the Arts will invite the public inside for the first time during a free Community Open House celebrating the transformation of the space and the launch of its inaugural summer season.
Led by three-time Emmy Award winner Ellen Wheeler, The Forge was created to expand opportunities for artists, audiences, and families to connect through the performing arts. While the venue will serve as the home for The Forge’s productions, the long-term vision is to create a gathering place for artists, educators, performers, and community groups throughout Southern Utah.
“Cedar City is blessed with incredible artistic talent,” Wheeler said. “The Forge is about creating another place where that talent can grow, where artists can tell stories, and where people can gather together to experience the joy that the arts bring to our community.”
The Open House offers the community its first opportunity to tour the transformed theater and experience the vision behind the project. The evening will feature performances by local and guest artists, including Cheyenne Grace, Austin Fronk, Tamera Merkley, Brandon Burk, Brielle Bowden, Remington Comp, Kira Pasket, and Andrew Briggs.
The event also launches The Forge’s All-American Summer Season, presented in conjunction with America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The season includes High School Musical (June 10–13), Oklahoma! (June 18–22), and 1776 (June 26–July 3).
The project carries a personal connection for Shannon Comp, who spent the past month leading construction of the new stage. His father helped build the original movie theater, and Comp helped install many of its seats. Decades later, he found himself removing those same seats to make way for a new stage and a new chapter in the building’s history.
A space once dedicated to stories on a screen is now bringing those stories to life on stage, creating a new home for artists and audiences in Southern Utah.
The Community Open House takes place Sunday, June 7, at 5 PM at The Forge inside Cedar Fun Center, 170 E. Fiddlers Canyon Rd., Cedar City. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets for the summer season are available at theforgearts.com.
