Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Whittaker.
Hi Liz, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The creation of Deep Love began in 2010 with authors Ryan Hayes and Garrett Sherwood, as they were college roommates in Rexburg Idaho. After writing the first set of songs they immediately brought in their friend, Jon Peter Lewis, to perform the part of “Old Bones.” The first performances of Deep Love happened in Jon’s living room and a local club in Idaho where small crowds came not knowing what to expect, and finding themselves captivated and wanting more.
That initial thrust of enthusiasm led Garrett, Ryan and Jon to further develop the show, bringing it bigger stages and audiences, making a home in the Salt Lake area as a yearly Halloween tradition, and taking the show on the road to New York, Chicago and the Northwest.
Each cast member, band member, director, producer who has been a part of Deep Love over the years have left their fingerprints all over it. It’s a living, breathing organism brought to the audience through years and years of passionate, brilliant people bringing it to life each and every performance.
In 2022, I joined the team as director, and in 2024, I and a few other team members created The Fairest of Friends Collective, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to producing Deep Love annually. This was also the year that Deep Love was released as a two-part studio album, more than a decade in the making.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every large project has struggles along the way. In the early days, productions were put on through crowd-funding. There have been the occasional creative clashes, schedule challenges, personnel changes, and more. But each of those struggles helped shape Deep Love into the project it is now, and its survival is mostly due to the passion of the people who love it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
It’s impossible for me to personally talk about my contributions to Deep Love without also mentioning all the other collaborators that bring it to life. My background is in theatre, so when I joined the team in 2022, I specified blocking, added props and set pieces, and helped clarify the story for newcomers. But Deep Love is unique in that its the sum total of everyone’s contributions. Chase added guitar solos. Andrew and Candido made additional musical arrangements. Garrett and Ryan reimagined the plot several times. I’m most proud of being at the helm of a project that is a collective effort.
What are your plans for the future?
We’re always looking for ways to bring the show to more audience members. As a newly formed non-profit, we’re applying for grants to help us produce the show more times and in more places. We usually take the show to Idaho Falls, Idaho every fall, but we’d love to add even more stops and go on a full tour.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.deeploveopera.com
- Instagram: @deeploveopera
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeepLoveOpera
