Content Advisory- The Way Way West

Rated PG-13- Parental Guidance Recommended

The Way Way West is a collection of five stories, based on true characters, that collide at the Mountain Meadows in the Utah Territory in 1857. It features astonishing acts of pioneering courage, politics, religion, and military aggression, all while fighting for the hope of the new frontier. Scored with modern Americana/Folk music, it is a testament to the ongoing, cascading effects of one man’s narcissism and pain among so many people over so many miles.

Trigger Warnings:

The difficult content in the show is the main reason for the PG-13 rating.

This show tells the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857 which was perpetrated by settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints involved with the Utah Territorial Militia (officially called the Nauvoo Legion) who recruited and were aided by some Southern Paiute Native Americans. It was a brutal and violent event in the history of the country, and the descriptions and depictions of those events may be triggering for some audience members.

Several topics and parts of history are explored in the story: war, political unrest, domestic violence, religious persecution as well as religious aggression, racism, starvation and suffering, etc. While these topics are representative of this era in the country’s history, they may be triggering for some audience members. Rest assured, there are also lighter themes to balance the darkness- love, parenthood, hopes for the future, etc.

There are sounds of gunshots during the performance.

Language:

There is some stronger adult language in the show.

Drugs & Alcohol:

One character is an alcoholic, and his drinking leads to quite a lot of cruelty and violence.

Violence:

This production portrays a lot of violence, both in historical context on a larger scale and in intimate stories within the larger plot. There is a storyline about domestic violence that involves both physical and emotional abuse. There are a few violent assaults (involving guns and knives) against individuals as well as the larger massacre being acted out and described.