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by Janine Sobeck, dramaturg In writing The Servant of Two Masters, Carlo Goldoni used several classic commedia dell'arte characters to tell his hilarious story. Many of these characters, often described as "stock characters," are still used in theatre and film today. Let's see who you recognize. First up there are the servants, or the Zanni. With names like Truffaldino, Arlecchino, Smeraldina and Pulcinella, the servants are usually defined as astute tricksters. The bottom of the pecking order, zanni come from the countryside (most often the city of Bergamo) and represented the poor farm and immigrant workers of Italy. The zanni are often mischevious and are ruled by their survival instincts - especially by hunger. Led by their stomachs instead of their brains, the zanni provide most of the comic relief in any commedia style play. In fact, their main purpose in the storyline is to be the "principal contributor to any confusion.” Misunderstanding, tricks, pranks and continuous attempts to pull one over their masters led to extreme physical comedy known as lazzi. The most common lazzi involves the use of a batacchio or slapstick, when the zanni receives punishment from his master for one of his tricks.

by Megan Chase, dramaturg The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a TYA production. The term, TYA, stands for Theatre for Young Audiences. Brigham Young University annually produces two TYA shows—one that performs during the Fall Semester and the other during Winter Semester. Usually, one of the plays selected is adaptation of a Shakespearean work. Both shows, in addition to a two-week run at BYU, tour to local elementary and middle schools twice a week for the majority of the respective semester. The notion of crafting theatrical performances specifically for children is actually a relatively new concept. Theatre is considered to have emerged around 400 B.C., yet plays were not developed for young audiences until the last century. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="272"] 6th Grade English Class write and perform play in the style of Ancient Greece[/caption] Before this time, many children were not educated past the third grade and often worked in factories or on farms. With the 20th Century came the impetus for social change and a push for K-12 public education. These social and economic changes also served as a catalyst for sparking the interest in parents to provide entertainment for their children. In the beginning, most plays produced with children in mind were primarily family-oriented. These plays included what would still be familiar to modern audiences: Aladdin, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood. Until J.M. Barrie, playwright of Peter Pan, most of these family-friendly performances were adaptations of folk or fairy-tales--not original works. In the mid-1900s many community theatres began to create plays for children not only to attend, but to perform in as well—recognizing theatre’s recreational and educational potential for children. Touring TYA companies also emerged during this time. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] BYU's 2010 TYA production of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" performing at local elementary school[/caption] It was a result of the Federal Theatre Project, founded during the Great Depression, that an influx of original TYA works were written and produced by professional theatre practitioners. In the latter half of the 20th Century, the standards for Theate for Young Audiences continued to rise as well as amount of available material. Today, nearly every major city in the U.S. includes a Children’s Theatre Company. Why TYA? The purposes of TYA extensive and far-reaching. It invites children to create, think, feel, analyze, critique, communicate, and understand. It teaches children about “about actions and consequences, about customs and beliefs, about others and themselves”. TYA has the power to shape more thoughtful and ethical citizens. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="288"] Child Audience enjoying a production at UW-EAU Theatre for Young Audiences[/caption] Experience for yourself how TYA continues to play a vital role in society when you see The Legend of Sleepy Hollow! More Children’s Theatre in Utah: The Children’s Theatre, YouTheate at the Egyptian Theatre, Hale Center Theatre (West Valley City), Hale Center Theatre (Orem)

by Megan Chase, dramaturg As mentioned in a previous post, our production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is based on a short story of the same name written by the late 18th Century American author, Washington Irving. (The short story is now in public domain and may be read online here.) Born April 3, 1738 in the newly created United States of America, Irving was named after its first president, George Washington. His name proved to highly appropriate. Just as George Washington was a Founding Father of the country, Irving was a Founding Father of American literature. Irving was the youngest of eleven children born to William Irving and Sarah Sanders. His father was successful merchant and his mother was the daughter of an English clergyman. Often ill as a child, Irving was encouraged by his parents to spend time outdoors, in the fresh air. In this pursuit, he developed an active imagination wandering the beautiful New England countryside. He “knew every spot where a . . . robbery had been committed, or a ghost seen”. His predilection for the strange and supernatural was further fomented by the rich folklore of the region passed down by early Dutch settlers. However, Irving first gained predominance for his satirical and humorous writings. The History of New York (1809)—written under the comical pseudonym Dietrich Knickerbocker—established Irving’s popularity in the both the U.S. and abroad. His warm, witty, conversational tone found wide appeal. In addition, Irving also dabbled in nonfiction. During his time in Europe serving as a U.S. diplomat in Spain and England, he wrote several histories--including one about Christopher Columbus. Later, after he returned home to New York, the last book he completed was a biography of his namesake. Ultimately, Washington Irving profoundly influenced the cultural landscape of the day and remains an important figure in American literary history. We are pleased to bring his famous tale to the BYU stage.

by Katrina Forsythe, dramaturg In Afghanistan, when a girl gets married, her hands and feet are painted with henna. It symbolizes her transition from single girl to married woman, with all that implies. The process takes hours, and the effects last for weeks. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Example of Afghani Wedding Henna.