
Curtain rises on $30M theater as The Ruth debuts in Utah County
by Rob Shelton
The legacy of Ruth and Nathan Hale began simply: a young Ruth Emma Hudson performing plays for chickens and cows in her family’s barnyard while, in another part of Utah, Nathan Hale discovered his love for theater playing Little Jack Horner in a school production. Neither could have imagined that their shared passion would lead to a state-of-the-art theater bearing their names 78 years later.
On Jan. 4, the Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater celebrated its grand opening in Pleasant Grove, marking a new chapter in the couple’s theatrical legacy. The story of the theater’s namesakes mirrors the determination behind the new facility’s creation. In 1947, inspired by a newspaper article about a shortage of leading men in Hollywood, the young couple initially dreamed of movie careers. Though Hollywood stardom eluded them, they found their true calling by founding the Glendale Center Theater, beginning a theatrical legacy that would span generations.
“My mother, if she were here now, would be telling these stories in a way that would captivate you so much that when the actors arrived, people would be upset because they wanted to hear more from her instead,” recalled their son, Cody Hale, during the opening ceremony.
The $30 million project materialized through a partnership between the theater organization, Greg and Julie Cook, Pleasant Grove City, Utah County, the State of Utah and doTERRA, embodying the same entrepreneurial spirit that drove Ruth and Nathan to establish their first theater.
Greg and Julie Cook played a pivotal role in bringing the theater to Pleasant Grove. Through their foundation, the Cook Center for Human Connection, they helped coordinate the relationship between doTerra and the city. The project also attracted support from prominent Utah philanthropists
“We have spent 25 of our 35 years trying to find a home,” said Ann Swenson, one of the theater’s founders. “A home that we could fit all of our friends in, that we could grow in.”
The search ended when Greg and Julie Cook approached doTERRA’s founders about donating land for the project.
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