Pioneer Theatre Company’s season-opening production will be staged at a different venue.

According to a newsletter the company sent to subscribers, three levels of the Roy W. and Elizabeth E. Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre were flooded after the sprinkler system was activated last week.

In a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune, Pioneer Theatre Company said on Aug. 17 the sprinklers were “activated during load-in” for the upcoming show.

As the company and University of Utah work with insurance providers, it remains unclear when theater repairs will be completed.

The flooding extended to the orchestra pit and stage. Nobody was injured and the show will go on.

Now, the production of “John Proctor Is the Villain” — playing Sept. 11-26 — will take place at the Westminster Performing Arts Center.

The play follows a group of rural Georgia high school students who are studying “The Crucible.” The students, all female, examine the play through a modern lens.

The Simmons Theatre opened in 1962 and seats 1,000 guests at the main stage. The Jay W. Lees Courage Theater at the Westminster Performing Arts Center has 269 seats.

A representative from Westminster said the university was happy to accommodate Pioneer Theatre Company and help during this challenge.

Current ticket holders will be contacted by the company’s box office directly. Tickets are still available for showings, but some in limited quantities.

“While this is certainly not the start to our 65th Anniversary Season we anticipated, we remain as eager as ever to share the poignant, powerful stories that make up our 2026–27 season,” the newsletter stated.

Pioneer Theatre Company’s 2026-27 season will feature five other productions, including “Mean Girls” and a yet-to-be-announced production as the season closer.