The Suffrage team has been working hard to bring you a stellar audio-drama performance this week. Below, you can meet our crew!
Emily Trejo, Director
Emily is a Senior studying Theatre Education with minors in TESOL and Family Life. She has had the opportunity to work on a handful of shows here at BYU that has helped further her interests in Directing and Dramaturgy. Aside from a life in theatre, Emily has also founded a mariachi band, Mariachi Montes Azules, that has also experienced lots of growth in the last few months. She is grateful to her husband, Dravyn, who has helped keep her sane during the semester.Tiffany Gibbons, Sound Designer and Foley Artist
Tiffany is a Senior in the Theatre Education program from Cedar Hills, UT. Passionate about music and movement, Tiffany hopes to teach in elementary schools and advocate for the use of the arts in general classrooms. This is such a beautiful and impactful show, and she is so grateful to have had the chance to help tell this story! Sending blessings to artists, teachers, storytellers, and Mothers everywhere during this trying time!Becca Christiansen, Hair and Makeup Designer
Becca has always had a love for hair and makeup and has been a cosmetologist for 7 years. She graduates this semester and can't wait to be able to spend more time with her husband and baby once she does. She stays busy with taking care of her family, cutting hair, and running her own boutique. Claire Eyestone, Costume Designer and "Frances"
Claire Eyestone is a senior studying theatre education and English teaching. Recent credits include Amy in Charley's Aunt at the HCTO, Adriana in Comedy of Errors, and assistant directing Little Shop of Horrors at BYU. She's loved getting to both design and act in this production.
Juniper Taylor, "Ruth"
Juniper Taylor is a junior in the BFA Acting program. She has played many roles from Lucifer in Dr. Faustus to Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. She would like to thank Emily and the production team for working so hard on a story she’s grown to love. And she would like to thank Ruth for teaching her that strong, independent women can change the world. Samantha Daynes, Dramaturg
Samantha is a senior from Singapore studying theatre education. She is the great-great-great granddaughter of Wilford Woodruff, and has loved the opportunity to understand more about the lives of the early Saints. Acting credits include BYU's Hamlet and Comedy of Errors, and she read stage directions for Suffrage when it premiered at BYU's Contemporary Voices Festival. She has also worked as a set and costume designer, as well as a full-time position on the run crew at Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista, CA, and hopes to continue her education in many aspects of theatre.Lisa Eardley, Assistant Dramaturg
Lisa is a Senior from Elko, NV. She will graduate this semester with her degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on costume design. She has been the costume designer for the Silver Stage Players and the Overland Stage Theatre Company in Elko for several productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, White Christmas, and Cinderella.
By Amelia Johnson, assistant dramaturg World War I had drastic consequences. Many had lost family members and friends in battle. Those who fought in the battle and survived were affected emotionally if not physically. As a result of of fighting in the war 250,000 soldiers suffered a full or partial amputation. The generation who had just missed the age of being drafted felt extremely lucky. Seeing so many die from the war and Spanish influenza in such a small time period made everyone very aware that life is short. This impacted the younger generation. They felt the need to live life to the fullest for themselves and for those who no longer had the chance to. [caption id="attachment_5293" align="alignnone" width="300"] An extravagant party thrown with the spirit of the Bright Young Things.[/caption] With this sentiment, the Bright Young Things or the Bright Young People became an active group in society. Wealthy young aristocrats and socialites, the Bright Young Things rebelled against the values that they and their parents had been brought up with so that they could enjoy living. Their parent’s values had done nothing to protect them from the terror that the war had brought, so what was the purpose in playing by the rules? Life was mean to be enjoyed. [caption id="attachment_5291" align="alignnone" width="243"] A waiter experiences shock as a young woman publicly smokes a cigarette.[/caption] The Bright Young Things threw elaborate parties and participated in car races and treasure hunts. They also drank, smoke, and used drugs. Concerned only with what was fun, they gave no thought to what was proper. Their behavior caught the attention of journalists who were very interested in reporting their wild antics to the public. It is with the Bright Young Things that paparazzi originated, as reporters would follow individuals from this group of young people to get a good stories. Because of how much these individuals appeared in the press, many of the names of the Bright Young Things are still known to this day. [caption id="attachment_5289" align="alignnone" width="217"] Nancy Mitford. One of the known Bright Young Things who later became a novelist.[/caption] As you watch Chariots of Fire, pay attention to behaviors that may be associated with the Bright Young Things. In comparison, Harold and Eric were a little different then the young people at this time. Both found their fun in running and focused their efforts on this. Eric also found joy through the religious work he did. These men seized the day in their own way.
The upcoming Microburst Theatre Festival features six plays written by BYU students and directed by George Nelson. To bring new plays to the stage takes a lot of editing, revision, and workshopping over months to maybe years. For Microburst, these playwrights get to have life breathed into their plays thanks to the four actors of Microburst; Clara Richardson, Jacob Khalil, Mikah Hansen, and Ren Cottam.
