An Actor's Perspective, Part 2

By Abram Yarbro and Holly Mancuso Microburst Theatre Festival opened last week, and it has been great to have an audience. As Lee Hall explained in an interview, "Whether you are a writer, or an actor, or a stage manager, you are trying to express the complications of life through a shared enterprise. That's what theatre was, always. And live performance shares that with an audience in a specific compact: the play is unfinished unless it has an audience, and they are as important as everyone else."

This week we're fortunate to hear from actors Clayton and Madison about performing and producing this show. "It’s week two of the run, and we could not be more excited to get back in the Margetts! Our names are Madison Dennis and Clayton Cranford, and we’re two of the actors in Microburst. Our fellow cast mates and good friends Emily and Cooper talked a bit about the rehearsal process and working with the playwrights, so we thought we’d share some of our experiences performing these ten-minute plays, thus far." [caption id="attachment_3632" align="aligncenter" width="493"]

Clayton Cranford and Madison Dennis[/caption] Clayton Cranford plays Evan in The Piano Room, Mr. Samson in Different But EquaI, Dad in Memory Jar, and Fletcher in D&D and the Big Date. Madison Dennis plays Mila in The Piano Room, Jeanne in Different But Equal, Stephanie in A Death in the Family, and Josephine in D&D and the Big Date. "One of the most challenging parts of performing in this production is moving from character to character. Not only does it take extreme focus to flip in and out of distinctly different characters in little to no time, we also have to deal with the technical aspects that go along with that: hair, make-up, clothing, shoes, accessories, and so on. Thankfully, the set list (or the way the shows were ordered) was done so each of us actors only have one show back to back. These quick changes require us to re-enter the stage with new clothes, hair, physicality (which can include vocal placement or dialect!) and frame of mind within a matter of seconds, minutes if we’re lucky. But the challenge is also what makes this production so exciting to be a part of; it stretches you as a performer. And talk about an adrenaline rush! [caption id="attachment_3637" align="aligncenter" width="3264"]

The Piano Room, the opening play in Microburst[/caption] And as wonderful as it is to perform these characters, and it really is wonderful, the most enjoyable part of being in this production has been working with such incredible people. Everyone involved with this production knows that it’s all about George. He’s been delightful to work with; he is incredibly supportive in his directing approach and makes what he wants very clear. Thanks to his leadership, everyone is on the same page, which saves lots of time and energy when tech week comes. The stage managers and dramaturgs have been just as wonderful to work with. The playwrights have all been incredibly supportive and giving. And getting the opportunity to work so closely with Emily and Cooper has been a blast. There’s been a great energy on this production from day one, and we believe that plays a significant role in any production’s success. We are very lucky to be surrounded by such talented, warm, giving people. We hope you’re able to come see us this week!" Make sure you get your tickets for Microburst, which runs through Saturday, March 14th. Check out arts.byu.edu for more information.

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by Emme Corbett, dramaturg As a senior student studying history at BYU. One of the first concepts you learn as a history major is that when you study history, it is vital that you do not bring your modern-day biases with you. As strange as some past behaviors or occurrences may be to our modern eyes, understanding the reality of what life was like in historical societies allows for a more authentic and rich study of the past. It also becomes evident fairly quickly that no matter what point in time you’re studying or where you are in the world, there will be commonalities across many cultures. The shared similarity of the human experience allows these connections to occur, so it is no surprise that researching various time periods could be related back to Caesar in Ancient Rome. It was necessary in our dramaturgical research to explore three major time periods that are encompassed within this play in one way or another. These time periods are first, 49 B.C. Rome, when Julius Caesar first became a dictator of Ancient Rome, and the setting for the original script. Second, 1599 England, when William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar was first performed, most likely at the Globe Theatre. And third, 1919 Italy, when Italy was recovering from participating in the First World War, and the setting for our performance at BYU. This weakened state created a situation where authoritarianism could ensue. It was an interesting experience to be able to connect the culture of Ancient Rome to that of Italy in the early 20th century. The reason for choosing this production of Julius Caesar to take place in 1919 Italy is not random. The significance of that time period is to draw upon the reality that history repeats itself. An aspect of history that is repeatedly detrimental to countless societies is when a group of people finds itself weak and vulnerable--whether that is due to lack of resources, a change in leadership, exiting a war, or simply evolving generations--and a power vacuum is created. This moment in time when desperation allows for someone to assume leadership (based purely on the need to rely on anybody) and provide temporary relief is often too quickly turned into an authoritarian government. The third time period that we also had to account for in this production was the time of Shakespeare in 1599 England. Some of the questions we had to ask ourselves were: Why Julius Caesar? What elements from the story of Caesar’s assassination did Shakespeare feel would resonate with his audience? From these questions and further research on the Elizabethan period, we discovered that, like in 1919 Italy, there was a concern with the succession to the Crown. Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne at the time and created conflict among the people beyond her just being a woman in power. Queen Elizabeth never married and subsequently never bore any children, thus failing to secure a successor who was in her direct line. Another element of the play that related to Shakespeare’s audience was the role of the plebeians. Their behavior in the play could symbolize how the lower class in the Elizabethan Era, while uneducated and changeable, contribute largely to the success of their society.

An Actor's Perspective, Part 2

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