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by Kasey Kopp, dramaturg In a few short weeks, one of the world’s greatest love stories is coming to BYU in a never-before-seen, unique way under the direction of George Nelson. The story is timeless (and some would argue a classic), powerful love story between a beautiful young girl and a hideous monster. For those that may be unfamiliar with the story, I would like to provide you with a brief introduction. A selfish, young prince falls under the curse of a powerful enchantress when he refuses to give her shelter from the cold in exchange for a single rose. He is transformed into a hideous monster and told that unless he can love another and earn their love in return, he will be doomed to remain a beast forever. Years later, a young, intelligent girl residing in a provincial French town is isolated from those around here. Desiring much more than the town and its inhabitants (including the boorish hunter attempting to woo her) have to offer, she yearns for a place to belong. When her father is taken captive by the beast, this spirited young woman agrees to stay In exchange for her father’s freedom. As time passes, we see the ways in which this initially cruel monster and this intellectual girl grow together and change for the better. But will she be able to look on the heart of this creature and break the spell before the last petal falls? For its BYU premiere, this classic musical will receive a non-traditional staging. Instead of a faithful recreation of the animated movie, a company of players will work together to create the story of Belle and Beast and immerse the audience in what is sure to be a groundbreaking and exciting new interpretation of this “tale as old as time.” As we move toward opening night, keep checking back often as we bring you more information about this classic musical, history and fun facts about the story of Beauty and the Beast, and a behind-the-scenes look at the work of our incredibly talented cast and crew! We can’t wait for you to be our guest starting November 19!

by Spencer Duncan, dramaturg [caption id="attachment_3990" align="alignnone" width="960"] Top row (L to R): Logan Ruesch, Danny Brown, Michael Comp, Sierra Docken, Haley Flanders, and Dennis the puppet baby. Bottom row (L to R): Britney Miles Smith, Arianna Krenk, Lauren Wilkins, Kate Coombs, and Teresa Dayley Love. Photo courtesy of Britney Miles Smith.[/caption] At its home base of BYU, Water Sings Blue has brought many smiles to many people's faces. It's been privileged to have Kate Coombs join the audience. And it has enjoyed good reviews from Utah Theatre Bloggers. (Of course, if you'd like to see Water Sings Blue at the Margetts Theatre, you have until tomorrow, Saturday, 10 October, to get tickets.) But there is much more ahead. This last week, our Water Sings Blue cast began their tour! For the next three months, our cast will perform for thousands of children in Utah, Salt Lake, and Summit counties with a goal "to introduce theatre to children at an early age through performances and workshops, helping them to start a lifelong love of fine arts." At last count, the BYU Young Company performed for 23,000 children a year! With each performance, the actors will get to hold an educational workshop with classes. Teachers will also receive, beforehand, supplementary educational packets with core curriculum tie-ins to the show. It's a very exciting adventure, and we'll clue you in on actor responses at the end of it. Until then, it's 'bon voyage!' [caption id="attachment_3989" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Photo courtesy Haley Flanders[/caption]

by Kelsee Jackson, dramaturg One way to better understand the Edwardian era is to study the etiquette and manners of the time. For BYU's production of Misalliance, learning the etiquette of the time period has been very important. Proper Edwardian etiquette is one of the main things that helps both the actors and the audience go back to 1909, England. For those of you who are looking to improve your early 20th century manners, here is a very brief lesson on Edwardian Etiquette from Etiquette for Women: A Book of Modern Modes and Manners by "One of the Aristocracy": Introductions

by Kelsee Jackson, dramaturg [caption id="attachment_3947" align="alignright" width="214"] George Bernard Shaw circa 1894. Photo from wikimedia.org.[/caption] Irish-born playwright George Bernard Shaw had strong opinions and experiences that changed his life. Many of these opinions and experiences show up in his various writings. Here's a brief look at how Shaw's personal views influenced Misalliance. Education George Bernard Shaw (who much preferred the name Bernard to George) completed his irregular schooling in his hometown of Dublin. While possessing an eager mind, he passionately despised organized training, which lead to his deep dislike for school. In Misalliance, Shaw's disdain for formal education shows through in Hypatia, the young daughter of the largely successful John Tarleton. When Hypatia cannot even be bothered with talk of her education, responding to inquiries with: HYPATIA. [gathering up her work] If you're going to talk about me and my education, I'm off. Parents and Children Shaw grew up in a complicated family. His father was said to be an alcoholic and a wife beater, causing his mother to move away to London when he was 16. Shaw stayed behind in Dublin with his father to finish his schooling. However, he did not get along with his father and by the time he was 20, he left Dublin for London and a reunion with his mother. Shaw's disconnect with his parents also influenced his writings. This conflict between parents and children is a central piece of the plot in Misalliance. The two older men in the play, Lord Summerhays and Mr. Tarleton, spend time contemplating the ins and outs of this complicated relationship. LORD SUMMERHAYS. Parents and children, Tarleton. TARLETON. Oh, the gulf that lies between them! the impassable, eternal gulf! Socialism By the time Shaw had moved to London with his mother, he started to develop views of socialism. He started speaking out on his opinions, an act with helped him get rid of his stutter. Shaw soon helped establish the Fabian Society, a program dedicated to making Britain a socialist nation by progressive legislation. He dedicated much of his time to this society, giving lectures and writing pamphlets. During the time of the play (1909), there were many thoughts regarding socialism. The influence of socialism and the people promoting it can be seen in Misalliance through Gunner, a poor citizen who hides in the Tarleton's Turkish Bath. Gunner (also known as Julius Baker) speaks openly about his socialistic views to the Tarleton family: GUNNER. [suddenly breaking out aggressively, being incapable of any middle way between submissiveness and violence] I can tell you where Hypatia is. I can tell you where Joey is. And I say it's a scandal and an infamy. If people only knew what goes on in this so-called respectable house it would be put a stop to. These are the morals of our pious capitalist class! This is your rotten bourgeoisie! This!— MRS TARLETON. Don't you dare use such language in company. I wont allow it. TARLETON. All right, Chickabiddy: it's not bad language: it's only Socialism. MRS TARLETON. Well, I wont have any Socialism in my house. While Misalliance was a comedy, Shaw was able to approach issues that were a big deal to him through the characters and their situations. He pokes fun at these issues and creates a funny show out of it. Many of these issues spread broadly over time and place, which is one reason we're still able enjoy it now! References: http://www.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/mis1.html http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1925/shaw-bio.html

by Spencer Duncan, dramaturg [caption id="attachment_3902" align="aligncenter" width="3264"] Center, with book: author Kate Coombs. Top row, L to R: actors Danny Brown, Michael Comp, Arianna Krenk, Haley Flanders; director Teresa Dayley Love Bottom Row, L to R: dramaturg Spencer Duncan; actors Oksana Poliakova, Sierra Docken, Logan Ruesch; stage manager Britney Miles Smith.[/caption] Water Sings Blue's author Kate Coombs made a surprise visit to the actors! She signed books, read her poetry, and discussed what poems and plays have in common. Here are a few of our favorite from Kate's visit: "[Screenplays and stage plays have] a tight format...that's true of a poem...dialogue has to be condensed. It has less rambling around." "You have to make it sound natural. You have to work to make it seem like you're not working... that's true of acting...and poetry has the same challenge." "A poem has to have narrative qualities...poems generally build...often the last line and the last phrase really slams it...I think in a play, you come to certain points in scenes, right, where you're like that....BAM, I just punched you in the gut as my audience." "Like a play, a poem must hold auditions. Words have to audition to be worthy to be in a poem...you cannot afford to waste a word." After Kate left, director Teresa Dayley Love drew her actors' attention to one particular phrase Kate said: "A poem is an encapsulation of wonder. It's also an encapsulation of story and life." Perhaps, if plays can live up to that Pinterest-worthy quote, they're in good shape.

by Spencer Duncan, dramaturg And so it began... the biggest week of our rehearsals so far. Recently, our talented group of actors met from 7 or 8 am-2 pm to rehearse our show. In the evening, they took home assignments to prep them for the next day's work. Talk about a full day! What exactly are they doing in rehearsal? [caption id="attachment_3887" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Despite looking confused, actor Haley Flanders DOES know what she's doing. She communicating in a physical storytelling exercise.[/caption] While these photos may make rehearsal look all fun and games (and truly, it is fun), these actors are engaging in carefully designed learning exercises. [caption id="attachment_3890" align="aligncenter" width="616"] Actors Michael Comp (left) and Oksana Poliakova (right).[/caption] Because Water Sings Blue is a devised piece, there was not a traditional script. Instead, the cast created the plot collaboratively under the guidance of our director, Teresa Dayley Love. The results were short, audience-interactive vignettes of story revolving around Kate Coombs' poetry, woven together to tell about a day at the beach and in the sea. [caption id="attachment_3889" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Actor Arianna Krenk (right) and director Teresa Dayley Love (far-right) coach actors Logan Ruesch (left), Michael Comp (center-left), and Danny Brown (center-right). The actors are practicing Aristotelian plot structure using events from Arianna's summer.[/caption] However, such a process takes a lot of imagination and hard work. [caption id="attachment_3886" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Actors Michael Comp (left) and Danny Brown (right).[/caption] To prepare, actors had to: memorize their poems come with rich character backgrounds study the marine life they will portray physically understand storytelling techniques and story structure Then in rehearsal, by engaging in the carefully-designed activities and improvisations, consistent blocking and a poem-based script solidified. You can learn more about devised work, a increasingly popular form of creating theatre, from these videos by the National Theatre. [caption id="attachment_3885" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] From left to right: actors Lauren Wilkins, Sierra Docken, Oksana Poliakova, Haley Flanders, and Logan Ruesch.[/caption]

by Spencer Duncan, dramaturg According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the ocean covers 70% of the world's surface, yet 95% of it remains to be explored. What could be down there? We may not know, but through the efforts of oceanographers and marine biologists, we have discovered quite a bit. You can get a taste by diving into this clips from the BBC: https://youtu.be/XmYfXgB9vxA https://youtu.be/GF9OhpPX-lk https://youtu.be/WK_X7w2cXlM What will be swimming in the Margetts Theatre this month at BYU? You might have to take another dive, this time into seeing Water Sing Blue, to find out!

by Spencer Duncan, dramaturg [caption id="attachment_3801" align="aligncenter" width="480"] The original book by Kate Coombs, illustrated by Meilo So. (Photo credit: amazon.com)[/caption] Hi, I'm Spencer Duncan, the dramaturg for the new children’s show, Water Sings Blue, adapted by Teresa Dayley Love. A highly interactive show, Water Sings Blue follows a handful of colorful characters on their day at the beach. Reminiscent of the carefree childhood of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, the show is staged in the visual comedy style of French comedian Jacques Tati (think Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean). As families and audience members play along, they will get to watch our actors transform from lovable human characters into a myriad of marine animals. Some lucky audience members will get to transform into sea creatures themselves! This charming play would be nothing without the poetry of Kate Coombs. Based on her same-named picture book, Coombs’ poems ebb in and out, navigating the action, and breaking through like waves in an otherwise wordless production. That’s not to say the sounds of the ocean won’t be present. But what could be better to describe the ocean than poetry? Water Sings Blue will sail to elementary schools throughout Utah, performing at BYU’s Margetts Theatre starting 25 September. Discover the wonder, the laughter, and the love we find at the sea; stay tune for more posts. You won’t want to miss learning about our devising process! Click to preview the show's poems on amazon.com.

by Janine Sobeck, dramaturg Throughout her adventures at the academy, one of the most important lessons that Miri learns is the power and joy of reading. As the words and books come alive around her, she encounters stories and knowledge that have the ability to change her life. In order to celebrate the message of Princess Academy, the cast and crew want to share the gift of reading with those who - like Miri - have little opportunity to have a book of their own. To help us with our goal, we are creating a mountain of books in the Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC). We invite you to help our mountain grow by donating your favorite children/YA books (new and gently used please!). Books may be added to the donation bins in the HFAC, the HFAC box office, or the Marriott Center box office. After the show closes, all books will be donated to deserving children in the Provo School District. (Requested reading levels: K-6th grade.) Coming to see the show? Bring a book to the ticket office and receive an additional $2 off one child’s ticket price. (This offer is valid for Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday evening performances only. Excluding previous purchases.) Tickets are going fast! Don't miss your chance to see this beloved story come to life!

by Janine Sobeck, dramaturg [caption id="attachment_3705" align="alignright" width="238"] Award winning author Shannon Hale

by Rick Curtiss, Dramaturg I had the pleasure of interviewing Patrick Livingston for today's blog. He helped create the music and plays Autolycus in The Winter's Tale. His double duty roles give fascinating insight into the creation of the show. After tonight's (Thursday April 2nd) performance Patrick and the entire cast will be available for a post show discussion where you can be the interviewer and ask your questions about the show. https://soundcloud.com/rick-curtiss-1/interview-with-patrick-livingston

by Rick Curtiss, dramaturg Now that The Winter's Tale is officially up and running, I wanted to share an interview I did with our text coach, Kris Jennings. What exactly is a text coach, you ask? Listen and find out! https://soundcloud.com/rick-curtiss-1/kris-jennings-interview

by Abram Yarbro, dramaturg I always buy my movies with the "extra features" disc. On there you find interviews with the cast, behind-the-scene photos and videos, bloopers, and all sorts of neat material. In theatre we can't give you an extra features DVD but we have this blog, the 4th Wall, where we give you the backstage scoop on BYU's newest show, Microburst Theatre Festival! Check here often for interviews with the creative team, glimpses into rehearsals, and the most up-to-date information about this exciting show. [caption id="attachment_3533" align="alignright" width="173"] Some of the Microburst scripts[/caption] What is Microburst Theatre Festival? Microburst Theatre Festival is one show made up of seven ten minute plays written by BYU students. The plays are brand new, in fact this is their world premiere! Isn't that exciting? Wasn't there a Microburst Theatre Festival last season? Is this the same show? BYU held its first Microburst Theatre Festival last year and it won three national awards at the 2014 Kennedy Center for American College Theater Festival. This year features seven new plays. The title is the same but the plays are brand new. How do we perform seven plays in one night? We have a core cast comprising of five talented actors and who perform multiple roles. For example, in the play Goodnight, Graham our actress Emily is a tired nurse trying to survive the night shift at the hospital in but only a few minutes later she plays a seductive con artist at a fancy restaurant in Playing Around. Jumping from character to character is difficult but our actors love the challenge! [caption id="attachment_3540" align="aligncenter" width="376"] Rehearsals are under way, and sometimes under the table...[/caption] What are the plays about? The general theme that connects these plays is an exploration of the human experience. Some of the plays are funny like D&D and the Big Date when a nervous first date goes hopelessly wrong, and some are more serious like Different But Equal where a handicapped boy tries to fight the stigma of disabled people in America. Head of the playwriting department and director of Microburst, George Nelson, tells his playwriting students to try to write a story that contains truth. These plays are fiction but each one has the potential to reveal truth and understanding to the audience. We hope you connect to them, hear their story, and discover the purpose of the piece. [caption id="attachment_3541" align="alignleft" width="225"] Actors Clayton and Madison rehearse The Piano Room while the playwright, Linsdey, looks on.[/caption] What has happened so far? With opening night only a few weeks away, we're excited to tell you that the show is shaping up! Each script has gone through multiple revisions and only a few minor changes are left to get them performance ready. The actors are memorized and raring to go. Our designers are prepping the Margetts Theatre space. This blog posts weekly so check back frequently to stay updated. If you have questions, ask them in the comment section below and we'll respond or address them in the following blog post. Microburst Theatre Festival opens March 5, 2015. Buy tickets HERE!

By Holly Mancuso, Dramaturg The Count of Monte Cristo has closed after a very successful run. It has been a pleasure to work with so many talented artists and experience the power of this lovely story. I wanted to take a few moments to talk about the themes and main ideas that come out in the show. [caption id="attachment_3494" align="aligncenter" width="423"] Mercedes and Edmond[/caption] First, love. The romantic love between Edmond and Mercedes is inspiring and touching, epitomized by the romantic duets they share. Their commitment to one another and the love they share drives them onward, even when the future looks bleak. [caption id="attachment_3495" align="aligncenter" width="442"] Abbe Faria and Edmond[/caption] Other relationships of love are explored, including between parents and their children, workers and employers, and friends. A notable connection between Edmond and his mentor/fellow prisoner Abbe Faria shows how important it is to have positive influences in our lives. Without the help and support of those around us, it can be exceedingly difficult to overcome our trials. Additionally, even when those we love leave us, they are never truly gone. Their memory stays with us, and can comfort us when all seems lost. Another theme I have considered is that of vengeance. In the show, Edmond becomes the Count of Monte Cristo, and uses that as an opportunity to secure revenge against those who betrayed him. But is that always the best option? We may feel better for a moment, but I think the show helps us see that getting back at others can't make us truly happy. Sometimes it is wiser to let things go instead of allowing anger and hatred to consume our lives. [caption id="attachment_3492" align="aligncenter" width="450"] The Act I finale, "Hell to Your Doorstep"[/caption] Finally, I love the idea of hope. We are never lost or alone. Just like Edmond sings in "The Man I Used to Be", All the pain is gone. Hope is what moves on. The hope for the future can carry us onward into a better life. May we all strive to remember the joy and goodness to be found all around us. And in case you were wondering: What's next for the show? Despite our production at BYU being over, the show is just getting started in America. It's still a relatively new musical, with rewrites and updates in its future. Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City recently announced that they will be producing Monte Cristo on its 2015-2016 season. This exciting development is an important step for the growth and further production of the show. What's coming up next at BYU? There are many entertaining shows in the works at BYU. Keep checking this blog and http://arts.byu.edu/ to stay in the loop for all the current performances! Thank-you so much for reading and for your support of BYU and The Count of Monte Cristo!

by Rick Curtiss, dramaturg The most quoted line in The Winter's Tale is never spoken. It's Shakespeare’s famous stage direction, Exeunt, pursued by a bear Where a character, after performing a grizzly task, is chased off the stage. It is a moment that demands pause. A bear chases him off the stage? There isn't a hint or prophecy or warning of “bears in these parts,” and within five words a bear appears and disappears. Why the bear didn't just eat the baby is beyond me. Did I mention there is a baby in the scene? It's all too reminiscent of an oft repeated family legend, Please bear with me-- In the early nineteen fifties a bear cub was found and killed outside a logging camp in the northwest corner of Montana. A few days later, Jaunita Curtiss was doing chores at the camp and her daughter Ida, not quite two, was playing outside. When Juanita turned to check on Ida, instead of a baby she saw a sow bear lumbering back into the woods on three legs. Exeunt, bear holding the baby Within five words a bear appeared and disappeared. Juanita, terrified, got everyone at the camp together hoping to find the bear before it got hungry. They searched most of the day and eventually tracked down the kidnapper sans baby. They cornered and killed the mama bear, and continued searching for (what's left of) Ida. It was a grim task. The next morning they discovered the bear's den. Inside they found an unharmed, crying, not quite two year old. Mother and daughter were reunited. What a moment that must have been. To wait through the night sure the child is dead only to be proven wrong the next morning—the best kind of wrong. It was a rarity, a miracle, a shouldn't have been. Ida's only account of the tale was a reference to the “big chi-chis.” The Curtiss family figured that the mama bear was trying to replace her cub. I imagine the mama bear spotted the human baby after just losing her own. “There is one,” she thought, “Not quite right, but close, and one not quite right baby is better than none at all.” Mother and daughter were reunited. What a moment that must have been. It was a rarity, a miracle, a shouldn't have been. They say the mama bear gave suck to baby Ida from her big bear teats, surely a bittersweet moment. Shakespeare must have known that bears have a great sense of justice and mercy. A Winter's Tale is about mothers and daughters, death and miracles, and briefly it's about a bear. But the question remains: How do we do it on stage? I won't answer that here, but I assure you it doesn't involve a man in a bear costume.

by Eric Stroud, dramaturg Welcome back! On this post we will continue delving into the opinions, lives and feelings of our puppeteers. Pay attention to what each says about the effects of the puppets on the production and after you’ve seen it, let us know if you agree, disagree or just your opinion in general. We would love to hear your feedback! (And if you missed the first half of our cast, check them out here.) [caption id="attachment_3430" align="alignright" width="225"] Aaron Fisher[/caption] This is Aaron Fisher. Playing the part of Lysander the lover seems to have come so naturally to him. However, it has been no different for his operation of the puppet Snout (who we will meet next week). Eric: What made you want to do a TYA show? Aaron : I think it was just the opportunity to be able to continue acting. It seemed like a fun project to be apart of, and that’s why I decided to audition. In the end, I just wanted to keep on acting. Eric: How has it been, working with puppets? What’s been your favorite part? What’s been the most challenging part? Aaron: It’s been great working with the puppets. I actually had no idea that I would be working with a puppet when I auditioned, but I have to say that I really enjoyed it. My favorite part is seeing the puppets develop their personalities and character as time progressed. With his physical development, I was able to create a character for Snout, and it was a lot fun trying to figure out who he was. The hardest part would be trying to make the puppets come to life. As the mechanicals, we had to channel our acting into our puppets. Through movement and breathing, it’s our job to make them come to life onstage. And despite the difficulties, I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with my puppet. Eric: What do you think the puppets add to the show? Aaron: I think they add great comic personalities to the show. Through their actions we’re able to illustrate their strong characters onstage, and in doing so, we’re able to enhance the quality of the production. [caption id="attachment_3429" align="alignleft" width="225"] Lindsey Houseman[/caption] This is Lindsey Houseman. She plays the part of Helena the lover and Flute the puppet (who we will meet next week). She has some amazing enthusiasm for this show and brings so much energy to the stage. Eric: What made you want to do a TYA show? Lindsey: I love working with kids because I basically am one. How they think fascinates me and I wanted to have the chance to show them how wonderful and important theatre is. Eric: How has it been, working with puppets? What’s been your favorite part? What’s been the most challenging part? Lindsey: Working with the puppets is really a “love-hate” relationship. It’s exciting to work with them and bring them to life but it’s complicated! As an actor, you don’t think about how every part of your body is moving when you’re on stage. But as a puppeteer you have to think about their movement, their breathing, their voice, and also the lines of Shakespeare you’re performing. It’s tough. Eric: What do you think the puppets add to the show? Lindsey: A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a fantastic show already but puppets make it so whimsical! It becomes appealing to not only people familiar with Shakespeare but also those who don’t understand a word he’s written. I think that’s why this show is so good for kids. Shakespeare’s not scary for them anymore. [caption id="attachment_3431" align="alignright" width="300"] Bryce Revelli[/caption] This is Bryce Revelli. He is no stranger to Shakespeare (having won a Larry Lott award), however this is his first TYA show. It has been a pleasure to watch his skills as an actor, translate over to the work with his puppet. Bryce will be playing Demetrius the lover and Peter Quince the puppet. Eric: What made you want to do a TYA show?

By Holly Mancuso, Dramaturg The Count of Monte Cristo is a strikingly visual production, from versatile moving set pieces to brightly colored costumes. To help create the settings and emotions of the play, as well as to bring audience members into the story, there is near constant use of projected images and designs. Daniel Fine, a media designer and recent MFA graduate in interdisciplinary digital media from Arizona State University, has been recruited to craft and create these projections for Monte Cristo. Projections in history Projections are coming back into style in theatre, and have gained recognition as a distinct field, aren't new. In fact, they have been in use since the early 1900s. Erwin Piscator, a German theatre director and producer, worked heavily with projections and film techniques in the 1920s. To learn more about projections in theatre, see this post from American Theatre magazine in December 2011. [caption id="attachment_3412" align="aligncenter" width="390"] A stage design by Piscator using projections for a 1928 stage play.[/caption] Projections in The Count of Monte Cristo When asked about his role in the production, Daniel responds that he is "the projection designer. In the business in general, people define themselves differently-projection designer, video designer, media designer. It depends on your school of thought and what you're doing". Daniel came on the job in August, and has since worked with the production team to make the show larger than life. The Projection Process To create the unique backgrounds for the show, Kristi Harmon was hired as an artist to create line drawings and illustrations of the scenes. When Daniel came in the project, he gave Kristi research images related to the director's concept. She has since drawn illustrations by hand and imported them into Photoshop, where they can be separated into different layers. Daniel, with the help of his two student assistants Bradlee Hager and Justin Hemsley, took those layers to work on and clean up in Photoshop. Each file was then imported into After Effects (an Adobe program for motion graphics) to animate them. Finally, stock and custom-made footage were added in to accent and go over all the other work. With the the help of Marianne Ohran as a programmer for the Green Hippo (a media server that runs all the projections and movies, including the four projectors used in the show), they all collaborated and combined their talents to create the fluid visual projections seen in the show. [caption id="attachment_3416" align="aligncenter" width="403"] A Green Hippo hippotizer, a media server used in the show.[/caption] Taking it to the stage Even after all that work to create images, the job isn't over. "We're mapping, basically", Daniel explained. "In this case it's a little easier because everything's basically a rectangle. We're mapping onto three towers...that are always in different places, [another moving set piece], a banner, the front grand curtain, a scrim, and a rear projection screen. So we're working with eight surfaces, and that becomes time consuming....[It's not like] turning on a TV. You have to map to each of those pieces." Educational Aspect and Other Works Because of his almost 20 years as an educator and teacher, BYU has been fortunate enough to host Daniel in a series of workshops and master classes in the recent months. This has been a great opportunity for students and faculty to learn more about his work in design and systems and how we can incorporate it in our theatre practices. [caption id="attachment_3417" align="aligncenter" width="419"] A picture from one of Daniel's previous works, A Brief Anniversary of Time, which incorporated media design with live performance.[/caption] Daniel doesn't just work with projections, but also has experience with music, dance, film, art installations, and other areas of media design. To learn more about Daniel's diverse range of work, visit his website at danielfine.net.