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Show 1 Times OUTDOOR SThavelGuida E 3 Thursday, May 30 Page 21 feJ Mi Qmym yogs tate to to When Orval Hafen acquired an unnamed box canyon in Southern Utah in the 1950s, it was considered worthless by many since it was accessible only by horseback and geologists could find no available water. But Hafen knew he had a treasure on his hands. ' '1 was awestruck," he wrote in his journal regarding the first time he encountered the canyon. "There lay before me a scene of indescribable beauty: wild, primitive, unspoiled; largely unknown un-known waiting to be enjoyed, waiting to inspire folks and bring them nearer to God. (In this place) it is easy to declare the glory of God, to feel the strength of the hills, to rejoice in the goodness of God, and to sense the order and planning of the universe." Within Hafen's "towering red sandstone cliffs", he found serenity and peace like in no other place. The community leader spent many hours hiking ; and riding his horse beneath the cliffs he eventually came to call ; his Shangri La. He later built a cabin here with the hope of someday sharing this beauty with others that they "may drink of the inspiration that is here." He believed at some time the canyon would be used for a special purpose, although he wasn't sure what it would be. He contemplated various approaches, ap-proaches, and in 1961 wrote the canyon might "feature an Indian atmosphere in honor of natives (whom) the first settlers found here." But his dream lacked two essential ingredients: funding, and water for development. In 1964, Hafen suffered a fatal heart attack in his Shangri La, where he had built a cabin as a permanent residence. Six months after his death, the canyon was sold to Delmont Truman and Dexter Snow, who also shared in Hafen's dream of developing it "I got the dream from Orval," says Snow, who planned to build homes and perhaps a resort here. Again, the problem was inadequate in-adequate financing. By this time, the canyon was a forgotten hideaway with very few visitors. While Snow and Truman owned the property, "Butch Cas-sidy Cas-sidy and the Sun dance Kid", was being filmed in and around Snow Canyon. Leading actress Kathrine Ross needed a secluded place to live during the filming, so for several weeks she rented the cabin Hafen built. Well water was piped into the living quarters and a small generator gen-erator provided electricity. The property, called Padre Canyon by locals, changed hands again twice duringthe following fol-lowing decades, although each owner sensed it was a place of special purpose. In 1993, that purpose was realized when author, screenwriter, and playwright Doug Stewart dis- covered it after searching several weeks for a spectacular scenic backdrop for an outdoor musical depicting Southern Utah history. "As I walked up the canyon, it was sheer magic," says Stewart of his first glimpse of Hafen's Shangri La. "In my mind I could see the buildings, the parking lot, and the amphitheater." am-phitheater." Standing at what is now the f amphitheater, Stewart noticed the natural bowl-shaped seating area and visualized actors performing per-forming below him on the . canyon floor and on surrounding sandstone slopes. Physically, the canyon could not be more perfect for Stewart's' purposes. The sweeping 80 acres provided enough space for complex buildings build-ings and future expansion. The amphitheater bowl even provided tremendous natural acoustics. " "It has a big spirit about it," , Stewart says of the site. Itis this , grandeur that led him to rename the canyon Tuacahn, meaning "Canyon of the Gods". Doug Stewart's wife, Mary, also had a dream that needed a home. She wanted to create a community school of the arts, where students could come to receive expert training. In 1991, she began to establish the arts school in St. George, using temporary tem-porary facilities. The school opened at its permanent site, the 42,000-square-foot Tuacahn Center for the Arts, in January 1995. ; The Stewarts believe student stu-dent artists would benefit from being immersed in the natural beauty of the canyon; natural and artistic aesthetics blend and harmonize. "We want Tuacahn to become be-come a mecca for training and nourishing young artists," said Doug Stewart. "We want students stu-dents to come and sit at the feet of great teachers. We want this place to be conducive to creativity." The school features dance studios, teaching studios, practice prac-tice rooms, theaters, a state-of-the-art recording studio, teacher's lounge, apartment for overnight guest artists, and library. In honor of Orval Hafen's remarkable vision, the 320-seat indoor auditorium was named for him and his wife, Ruth. Tuacahn is the only member mem-ber of the National Guild of Community Schools of Arts in Utah. Partial scholarships are available for students who cannot can-not afford the school's tuition costs. - " : ' The vision continues. These projects are just the beginning of what the Heritage Arts Foundation hopes to accomplish ac-complish at Tuacahn by providing provid-ing enriched experiences to the community through performing arts. Visitors to UTAW's second season will take advantage of campus features, including a concession stand and gift shop. They can also enjoy the free pre-show pre-show at the mini amphitheater before "America's Most Spectacular Spec-tacular Outdoor Musical". 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