Meet the Cast - Kimberly Bunker as Margaret Johnson

by Kristen Leinbach, Dramaturg Elizabeth Spencer, author of the novella The Light in the Piazza stated, “I believe no one can read The Light in the Piazza without seeing how remarkably Southern Margaret Johnson is. She appears to be feminine and gracious, certainly well mannered, a little vulnerable, a little innocent, a loyal wife and devoted mother… It is worth considering Margaret Johnson in many ways--isn't she basically a very practical woman? It is practicality versus love that comes into conflict. Her heart goes to battle with her mind… Readers and audience members will certainly have their own opinions as to the rightness or wrongness of Margaret Johnson's decision. This mystery is the center of any real story's appeal and offers, to my mind, the only approach to what life is about. It cannot be predicted or reasoned through from any remote vantage point. It can only be lived, experienced, felt. My story invites you to go along with her and see.” Margaret Johnson, Clara's mother in The Light in the Piazza experiences a fascinating journey with her daughter as they vacation in Italy. In BYU's production Margaret is being portrayed by Kimberly Bunker. When I asked Kimberly about her experiences here at BYU and her opportunity to perform as Margaret Johnson, she shared the following "I am beyond excited to play Margaret in BYU's Piazza. I am a Senior this year in BYU's Music Dance Theater program. So many wonderful experiences and opportunities have surrounded me here at BYU. I have been privileged to be a Young Ambassador on the South Africa, Swaziland, and Botswana tour. I have also had the opportunity at BYU to play Madame Firmin in The Phantom of the Opera, Gussie Carnegie in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, and Young Anne in Mel Larson’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I couldn’t have asked for a better production to cap off my wonderful time here at BYU, as The Light in the Piazza. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="346"] The Light in the Piazza Rehearsal Clara Johnson (Becca), Margaret Johnson (Kim)[/caption] I first fell in love with Piazza when I was about 17 years-old, while watching the PBS broadcast with Katie Rose Clarke and Victoria Clark. Being 17, I immediately connected with Clara and Fabrizio’s love story. I didn’t really take much notice of Margaret! Through the years of admiring the sound track and then playing the role of Margaret in a class project, I came to see how the story of Piazza is just as much about Margaret’s journey as Clara’s. Margaret is a smart, charming, polite, and strong southern woman. Though I have not experienced many of the things she has in life, I see bits of her in myself and in others around me. She has taught me a piece of what it is like to be a parent. How truly hard it must be to give your life to a person and then have the bravery to set them free to find their own happiness. Piazza is already a joy to rehearse and be a part of. I think audiences will be surprised at how much they will laugh and tear-up all in one evening. Piazza is such a beautiful journey I cannot wait to share!

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[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="376"] Margaret Roper[/caption] Margaret More Roper: Scholar and Daughter by Adam White, dramaturg Thomas More was a family man; he was married twice and had four children with his first wife, Jane Colt. After being married for six years, Jane Colt More died, leaving More with four children: Margaret, Elizabeth, Cecily and John. However, More quickly remarried to the widow Dame Alice Middleton, marrying her within a month of his wife’s death. While many of his friends resisted the rapid nature of the arrangement, More went through with it. Thomas and Alice More would raise the four children Thomas More had with Jane, as well as Alice’s daughter from her previous marriage and a foster daughter. Certainly, More valued his family and the welfare of his children. More also valued the power of education. He insisted that his daughters be educated through rigorous schooling, and this was unusual in 16th-century England, as society at large believed women unfit for scholarly pursuits. Despite cultural and institutional norms, Margaret More, the eldest of the More children (and More’s favorite, some would argue), would grow to become one of the most educated people in all of England, a woman of great scholarly knowledge. Margaret More Roper was tutored at home and became well-known for her studies, particularly for her adeptness in Greek and Latin. Her skill in writing and speaking Latin would impress the clergy of England. This specialty is reflected in a scene in Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons where Margaret and King Henry VIII engage in a bit of Latin language sparring. She would also become the first woman who was not of royal birth to publish a translated book. In October 1524, Roper published an English translation of a book called ‘Precatio dominica’ written by Thomas More’s good friend Erasmus. This book was based on the Lord’s Prayer. Instead of translating the book directly from Latin to English, Roper would use her extensive knowledge of both languages to construct the themes and the meanings Erasmus had written in to the treatise with her own words. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="291"] Erasmus, Dutch humanist and good friend to Thomas More[/caption] It was Margaret who would visit the imprisoned Thomas More the most often. They were very close, writing letters to one another regularly the duration of their relationship. It was in a letter to Margaret that Thomas More confided, “I do nobody harm, I say none harm, I thinke none harm, but wish everybody good. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live.” We have good reason to believe that Margaret More Roper very well understood what would be her father’s fate. After Thomas More’s execution, Margaret More Roper and her husband William Roper would continue to carry on his legacy in their own ways. William Roper would write the first biography of Thomas More, a glowing and gracious document that would influence our understanding of More’s personality for hundreds of years to come. Margaret More Roper actually kept her father’s head after his beheading, pickling it to preserve it from decay. While many of us may find that historical tidbit a tad macabre, I would like to believe that Margaret More Roper had deep admiration for her father; perhaps it was out of this feeling she kept his head. Please stay tuned to the 4th Wall Dramaturgy Blog to catch clips of my interview with Mallory Gee, the actress who will portray Margaret More Roper in BYU’s A Man for All Seasons. Bibliography: Abernathy, Susan. "Margaret Roper, Daughter of Sir Thomas More." Early Modern England. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. Duerden, Richard. "A Man for All Seasons." Telephone interview. 31 Jan. 2014. "Margaret Roper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. "Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations." Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations. Luminarium. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

Meet the Cast - Kimberly Bunker as Margaret Johnson

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Margaret More Roper: Scholar and Daughter

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