| Today's
special — three restaurants and their stories
August 7, 2005 | LOGAN — It might be called a
blue plate special where information and stories are
the main course, paired with sides of humor and insight,
with a serving of history for dessert. That's on the
menu for Utah State University faculty member Lynda
Linford and a unique creative project she is undertaking.
Linford, a professor in the department of theatre arts
at Utah State, is gathering information for a project
that focuses on three of Utah's oldest and fondly remembered
restaurants — Logan's Bluebird Restaurant, Salt
Lake City's Lamb's Grill and Brigham City's Idle Isle
Café. Linford plans to assemble the information
into a play — "The Café Plays"
— and she is asking for input from the public.
"I'm looking for materials to augment my research
on three of Utah's oldest and most revered restaurants,"
Linford said. "The anecdotes, stories or special
personal insights that relate to these restaurants and
their communities are what I want."
Linford said the completed work is not intended to be
a history of each of the selected establishments. It
is a work of fiction and she will take poetic license
with the gathered information. The work will be a dramatic
interpretation of what the restaurants meant to the
social, economic and cultural life of their respective
communities.
With these needs in mind, Linford is interested in hearing
from cafe workers, city and civic leaders (service clubs
such as Lions and Kiwanis often held meetings at these
establishments, as did politicians), families, socialites
(lady's luncheons), celebrities, military personnel
and travelers.
The project began when Linford received a grant from
the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies at Utah
State. She intended to write a one-act play about these
culinary classics. The project expanded to a full play
in three acts — one for each of the establishments.
The final work can be performed in its entirety, or
as three one-act plays with a single focus on an individual
establishment.
The Mountain West Center for Regional Studies awards
grants to faculty members to focus attention on Utah
heritage and its preservation in diverse and carefully
detailed forms.
Linford is calling for personal remembrances, experiences
or stories from patrons and employees from the restaurants.
"I want to collect stories of long association
or infrequent patronage, of employment and humorous
anecdotes," Linford said. "These personal
stories will authenticate the unique personality of
each cafe and will help describe the local culture and,
more perceptively, make important the exceptional role
such gathering places have in the lives of those who
have associated with them over the course of the venue's
long-established career."
Linford will survey and incorporate collected gems from
this information into her play. Those who have stories
or information to share can submit items to Linford
via email at llinford@hass.usu.edu. She can also be
reached by telephone on the Utah State campus at (435)
797-3050. Mail can be sent to L. Linford, Theatre Department,
4025 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT
94322-4025.
The deadline for submissions is Dec. 1.
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