2022-2023 Season

With a show as universal as Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Ballet, one would think that there wouldn’t be many unknowns to staging a production. However, director Ashley Parov had a vision to make this classic ballet more accessible to ballerinas of all ages. Instead of producing a typical 3-hour-long ballet, Ashley imagined an hour-long family-friendly piece. How then, do you fill in the gaps of the story?

I used to vandalize property now I evangelize properly. - Gospel Graffiti

Before a show opens its doors to audiences, before there are costumes and props, before sets are built and actors are cast, it starts simply as an idea. This idea is known as the ‘director’s concept,’ which a director presents to the designers at the show’s first production meeting. After that, it is the designers’ job to transform that concept from an abstract idea to a physical manifestation that can be seen onstage.

One of the great things about working as a production dramaturg is the time spent in rehearsal working with the actors. For this production of 12 Angry Jurors, we spent quite a bit of time exploring the world of the play. To help the actors interact with the courtroom drama world of Boston in 1953, we created a dramaturgical website for the actors. We put a link to this website on QR codes that were printed and hung throughout the rehearsal space, so that the actors could have access to the website at any time.

While bringing a show to life is always an exciting challenge, BYU’s recent production of Go, Dog. Go! has provided many unique opportunities for our design team to prove that their bark is just as big as their bite! Read on to learn about the behind-the-scenes process of putting up this show for young audiences.

Cast and Crew(listed alphabetically by first name)

Opera productions are three parts passion, passion, and passion! Passion for the libretto! Passion for the music! Passion for the theatre makers! – Pollyanna Eyler

View the online program at the link below: