"Do not be deceived by glitter and show"

by Lola Danielson, dramaturg

As you can imagine, there are many adaptations of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories. There have been numerous plays, cartoons, storybooks, and movies about his stories and life. When it came to choosing a script for their production of The Nightingale, Brigham Young University’s Young Company wanted a unique experience that holds a special message for its audience. Timothy Mason’s adaptation had everything they were looking for.

Timothy Mason is an author and a playwright. He adapted Hans Christan Andersen's "The Nightingale" for children's theatre.

Timothy Mason adapted The Nightingale in partnership with Seattle Children’s Theatre and Children’s Theatre Company – Minneapolis for their 1975-76 season. Mason has produced plays across the United States and in London, but is best known for his musical adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas. His adaptation of The Nightingale merges elements of dance and storytelling, with the narrator speaking English and the other characters speaking Mandarin Chinese.

Mason weaves proverbs into the script to relay important messages to the audience. A proverb is a popular phrase that expresses truth through messages of common sense or reflections on humanity. Here are a few examples of Chinese proverbs:

This is a Chinese proverb. It says, "Learn till old, live till old, and there is still one-third not learned." It means that no matter how old you are, there is still more learning or studying left to do.

A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood.
The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be.
Of all the stratagems, to know when to quit is the best.
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one.
One joy scatters a hundred griefs.
If you want happiness for a lifetime; help someone else.

While there are many Chinese proverbs, some more bizarre than others (i.e. Play a harp before a cow), Mason uses proverbs that are recognizable to younger audiences in America. Like Hans Christian Andersen, Timothy Mason used his knowledge and experience with China to influence his work, but blended English phrases and culture into the script as well.

The Chinese emperor in Mason’s adaptation of The Nightingale provides sage advice to members of his court when he says, “Do not be deceived by glitter and show. A true voice and a gentle heart are all you will ever need.” The emperor learns a hard lesson throughout the play and finally realizes that friendship is what really matters. He is deceived by the beauty of a golden, mechanical nightingale which leads to him turning away from the real nightingale. It is only when he is faced with death and saved by the real nightingale that he realizes what is really important in life – friendship. The emperor realizes that keeping promises and being kind to others, especially your friends, are more important than anything else mankind can make.

Proverbs may also act as a theme or a moral to the story. While Hans Christian Andersen did not write obvious morals into the end of his stories, there is always something to learn. The same goes for any book you read! Think of your favorite story. What is the moral of that story? What message did you take away? Why is it your favorite story? Is it because of what it taught you? The beauty of a great story is not just the great characters and the exciting plot, but what it teaches us. Great stories make us what to be better. Timothy Mason’s The Nightingale is no different.

I will leave you with another proverb from the play – something to reflect on as you continue through the rest of your week: “Do not be in such a hurry to get there, that you forget why you went.” Enjoy your journey!

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by Amelia Johnson, Dramaturg Creating a show is a process. Though the run of the show is over, there was a lot more that went into the show than what was seen in those few weeks. Months before the run, the production team began meetings. They discussed the director’s vision for the show and began planning designs. Everything was approved of and discussed before lights were set, sets, were built, and the costume and makeup designs were implemented. This year, the costume and makeup designers drew inspiration from the local artist, James Christensen. Having passed away earlier this year, director Dallyn Bayles thought it would be nice to pay tribute to him in this way. Costume designer Dennis Wright was thrilled to base his designs of Christensen's style. He said, “What I really love about Christensen’s work is the whimsy that he incorporates into his characters. His distinctive use of patterns, layers and silhouette is really fun and distinctive. I wanted to be sure to capture that in the costume designs for this production. “I love this show, and the concept and design choices our team has made. I am excited to share it with our audience. As a big James Christensen fan, my one regret is that I didn’t actually get to meet the artist in person. I just returned to Utah last year and sadly, missed my chance. I am very grateful to be able to pay tribute to him in this small way”. Makeup and hair designer Sarah Bult also shared some of her thoughts. “After reading the script I looked through as many James Christensen paintings as I could find. I picked out textures, colors, broke it all down and paired certain characters with those elements. His artwork influenced everything from the shape and colors of hair down to the detail on the bead work of the hairpins. I loved that I could draw my inspiration from his work and create something that really embodied his artwork." Bult continued, “One thing I didn’t expect to be a challenge was that not many Christensen pieces have hair showing. This created a very unique and fun challenge for me. I had to look many different paintings, combine textures and colors, and use my own design style to come up with fun fairy tale hair and makeup styles that were reminiscent of Christensen’s artwork. I am very excited to see how all of the elements come together”. Join us on the 4th Wall next time to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes!

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Last week, A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened in the Nelke Theatre and it was a great success! Eric and I were pleased to be a part of the opening night and celebrate not only the opening night of the production, but also the 40th anniversary of the Brigham Young University Young Company. In order to set the tone of the evening, patrons were encouraged to check out the lobby display that Eric and I had created for the show. We chose to do a puppet making station, aptly named “The Mechanicals Puppet Making Station” where guests and participants could make their own puppet out of a sock or paper bag. Other craft supplies were provided for the participants—allowing them to use their imagination and create a unique puppet that they could take home. Creating such a lobby display, we hoped to provide patrons, and especially children, with an opportunity to use their imagination and create something special, as well as connect with the style of the production before seeing the show. The role of puppetry is crucial to this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream—and we wanted to capture this and incorporate it whatever lobby display we chose. The actor’s hard work and rehearsal, as well as that of the production team, paid off—they did a marvelous job in telling the story of these loopy lovers and the adventures that take place in the magical forest. The puppetry skills and acting chops of the actors, the enchanting costumes, simple set design, and energy from the whole cast was thoroughly enjoyed by the very diverse and supportive audience. It was a packed house: if not sold out, very close. And this definitely contributed to the energetic feeling that pervaded the evening. Perhaps it was the presence of so many alumni from the Young Company that had come to support the production and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the formation of Young Company. Among the guests at the premier were Harold Oaks, founder of the BYU Young Company. Following the play, a presentation was made outlining and honoring the history and legacy of Young Company. Young Company has done an outstanding job for the last 40 years in providing quality theatre (adaptations and original works alike) for children that may not be exposed to the performing arts. A wonderful reception followed the presentation and was well enjoyed by cast and crew alike. A Midsummer Night’s Dream closes at BYU this Saturday, the 14th. Make sure to get your tickets soon and catch this unique production while you can! It will then go on tour throughout Northern Utah, presenting its whimsical and humorous message to elementary school children. Following are some images from the Opening Night Gala!

"Do not be deceived by glitter and show"

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