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By Anne Flinders, dramaturg Where are we? What year is it? What time is it? What season is it? Who’s in charge? Who’s in need? Who cares? Who am I? Those are a lot of questions. And they need some answers. Let’s start with the last one. Who am I? I’m Anne Flinders. I’m a dramaturg. I ask a lot of questions. And my job? Well, it’s to find the answers. Dramaturgs view the world in terms of puzzles and possibilities. We wonder a lot. We look for ways to enable a blossoming play to live, to thrive, and to do so with truth. We try to help others organize and fit the world of a play together so that the pieces make a beautiful, connected whole. We do this by anticipating the questions an audience might have about a script or a plot, a place or a character, and then we find the answers with the playwright, the director, the designers and the actors. During BYU’s 2013-14 theatre season, I’ll be asking a lot of questions about the world premiere play Pride and Prejudice, written by Melissa Leilani Larson. One of the first questions about the play that I’ll be answering for you? Who is Melissa Leilani Larson? I think you’ll find the answers intriguing. I’ll also be finding answers to your questions about the director and designers of the play. Who are they? What have they chosen to bring to the stage to enliven this play for your enjoyment, and your thoughtfulness? I’ll be looking for answers to your questions about the cast. What excites them about their roles in Pride and Prejudice? What do they hope to bring to the stage that you will connect with? I’ll be introducing you to answers to questions that perhaps you haven’t thought about, such as “Who is Jane Austen?” “Why have her novels not only lingered but flourished into the 21st century?” Or perhaps you have already discovered the answers to those questions; in that case, I hope to add to what you already know. I won’t be doing this dramaturgy work alone. Janine Sobeck, BYU’s dramaturgy specialist and a wonderful mentor and guide, will be working beside me. She brings an expertise and warmth to this work, and you and I will benefit from having her come along with us. Where are we? What year is it? Who’s in need? Who cares? Let’s find some answers.

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by Kristen Leinbach, Dramaturg As the months have passed, it is hard to believe that "We're finally here!" The show is well underway and we are thoroughly enjoying bringing the 1950's Italy to BYU. After beginning back in March with auditions, having production meetings throughout the summer, holding rehearsals starting in August, The Light in the Piazza opened on November 15th and will run through December 7th. In order for us to bring The Light in the Piazza to life here on the Pardoe theatre, a lot of work has been done back stage. The week before the opening of the show we held Tech week in order to add the final elements and polish the performance. The Light in the Piazza is the first of BYU's productions to implement what is known as a ten out of twelve tech rehearsal. Instead of having a full week of tech rehearsals we had one day where we rehearse for ten out of twelve hours on the Saturday before we went into dress rehearsals, preview and then performances. The performers, technicians and designers worked tirelessly in order to perfect the performance before we opened on Nov. 15th. One of the most amazing aspects of theatre is watching as words are taken from a script, memorized, discussed in production meetings, rehearsed in rehearsal spaces, designed, built, polished and then come to life on the stage. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="259"] After production meetings we began with rehearsals [/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="346"] Then we added Hair, Makeup, and Costumes to capture the beautiful essence of the 1950's[/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="259"] Next we prepared the lighting and the projections[/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="346"] We also had a great time taking production photos![/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="530"] Finally we brought all of the elements together in Tech Week[/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="432"] "The Light in the Piazza"[/caption] The most enjoyable part of this whole journey, was the opportunity to discover what really is the Light in the piazza. I believe that answer is different for each person who worked on the show and for all of those who will come to see the show. Working on The Light in the Piazza has been a challenging and a wonderful experience as we have come together as a cast and production team to bring a little Light to the theatre and to each of our lives.

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By Kristen Leinbach, Dramaturg When Margaret and Clara leave for their vacation in Italy, Roy Johnson - Margaret's husband and Clara's father - stays home in Winston Salem, NC for work. Margaret frequently calls Roy to update them about their adventures in Italy. It is through Roy and Margaret's relationships that we are introduced to another difficulty in Margaret's life that she must overcome and as a result learn and grow. Cameron Smith, who portrays Roy Johnson shared the following... "I’m from Sandy, UT and am a Junior in the Music Dance Theater program at BYU, I’ll graduate next year and begin a professional career in acting. I served a mission in the Arizona Mesa Mission, and theater dance and music are my biggest passions in life. I love Hip-Hop and venting my troubles and joys through dance. I love my family and know they are a big reason I perform. Being in Piazza is the most beautiful theater experience I’ve had in YEARS. The story is so poignant, so perfectly crafted. There is so much to be learned from watching it. Specifically the character I play, Roy, who is the father of Clara, I’ve learned some things from. There is a scene in the second act of the show where he and his wife are having an argument and he just keeps starting his argument points with “if”... I realized while working this scene one day, that this is a person ruled by ”if's”... by doubts and fears. Because of this, as you see in the play, Roy doesn’t blossom and find greater happiness, like the rest of the people in the play do. Realizing this taught me once again, that I can only make my choices in life based on what I know, and that hope is vital for happiness. We have to hope. We have to hope that the unlikely or even the impossible can happen, if we need it to. And we can’t let fear dictate our decisions and affect our future. We worship a God of miracles, who does impossible things for us. The Atonement was the greatest miracle that proved that, and we must hope in that for ourselves, and our families. As Margaret says to Roy in this scene: “Why can’t we hope for once instead of dreading everything?"

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by Nick Sheets, dramaturg This is the first post for BYU's Young Company's upcoming production of Cymbeline by William Shakespeare. Teresa Love, the director, decided to split the production into two unique themes: mystery noir and fairyland. I’d like to introduce you to the world of “Noir,” if you will indulge yourselves for a moment. What is “Noir?” Glad you asked. Take a look at this fun “Mater: P.I.” video for starters. It exemplifies the “Noir” technique so commonly used in American cinema. What are some things you noticed? If you talked about the high contrast between black and white, trench coats, mystery, conniving women, underground illegal activity, etc. then you’re on the right track. But, how did “noir” become popular in America? It all begins with WWI... After WWI people began to question reality. How could we arrive at this point even though we are “civilized?” Perceivable reality and subjectivity were huge trends in the Avant-garde artistic movements that surged quickly in the beginning of the 20th century. One of these movements was German Expressionism. It was sort of creepy. Take a look at this picture by Kirchner entitled “Dresden Street:” [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Dresden Street, Kuchner[/caption] You see the little girl in trolley tracks. You see green faces, claw-like hands, and vibrant colors. For me, this picture is disturbing. It takes a normal scene in Dresden and creates an “icky” feeling. However, this feeling transitioned into film, beginning in Europe. Here is a clip from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). Take a look at this clip: The scenery, make-up, acting styles, etc. are very “off,” for lack of a better word. When you look at Dr. Caligari’s window, for example, it’s not a rectangle, but rather curved to one side. This transition away from a supposed reality was common, especially as people tried to understand the new reality after WWI. When American film took the “noir” idea up for consideration they stayed true to many of the techniques used in European cinema. The high-contrast with light and dark is very prominent, for example. As we go along, I will be sharing more details on the production's implementation of "Noir" in later posts. I invite you to consider all of these ideas when you come to see the "Noir" version of Cymbeline. In the meanwhile, feel free to comment on any particular "Noir"-style movies you've enjoyed or some of the features in these films you find intriguing. For those interested in more information on this topic, see the following links: The Rules of Film Noir PBS American Cinema: Film Noir The Basics of Lighting for Film Noir

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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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by Scott Savage, cast member [Note from the dramaturg: As mentioned previously, the cast of The Nightingale had the unique opportunity to travel to China and train with the Peking Opera. While in China, they had the opportunity to learn theatre movement, costuming, makeup and vocal techniques while also experiencing the culture, so they could better understand the world of the play. The next couple of posts will be from cast members sharing their experiences. Enjoy!] June 14, 2013 Today was more busy and wow, I love the people with the Peking Opera. I don’t know if it can be said enough, but they’re just so great. We met the quintessential Asian man (the costume designer for the Peking Opera). We had three parts of training today. The first was more lecture, that was really cool. It was about the costuming and make up. We got to learn great details, such as the roles of Phoenix and Dragon in the Chinese culture, the colors, more about the roles of Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. We saw how the costumes were put together, and really, they just come together so well. The afternoon we had training where we broke up into groups. Clayton, Alecia and I were trained by a tall slender man to do the horse movement. I wasn’t sure how the movement and what we were being told the movement meant correlated at first, but it was really neat to see it come together. The movements all made sense, and we truly learned to ride a horse with nothing but our bodies and a stick. It was very cool to see the many things they did with simple props. In the evening, we had the chance to show what we had learned and to dress up in the Peking opera style. We all got the makeup, the girls got to put on the hair, I got a crazy beard/mustache and the beautiful costumes were perfect. We took group and individual pictures and then we exchanged gifts with our teachers and the performers. They gave us shirts and we gave them gifts from BYU. They were fantastic, and I hope to see them again someday. A couple other fun notes from the past two days. Clayton hadn’t shaved so his make-up made him look like a drag queen, we all laughed about that. We ate McDonald's in China. Shame on us, but the ice cream was great. I love the tiny motorized carts everywhere. Traffic is nuts. Pollution is nuts. I hate the indoor smoking. Squatty Potty’s are weird. People come up to us just to take our picture. I feel very at home in China. I’m not sure if that’s because it doesn’t feel like I’m really gone, or if it’s because I feel like I could survive in the culture with the language here.

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by Kristen Leinbach, Dramaturg Until the 17th century, Italy was the world leader in fashion. Then, for several centuries, they lost that title to other European nations. However, in 1951 they made a comeback when the first multi-designer Italian fashion show was held in Florence. “The fashion press responded with enthusiasm, using phrases like "seductive elegance" and "aristocratic ease.” “Throughout the 1950s, competing fashion shows in Florence and Rome solidified Italy's reputation for Capri pants, "palazzo pyjamas," and other youthful, elegant sportswear.” [1] Not only did the Italians lead the world in “elegant sportswear” but they were also producing evening wear and every day designs - influencing what would become the iconic 1950’s look. One popular style was the I-line where “a fitted bodice was paired with a pencil-slim skirt. The outfit hugged the body from the shoulders to several inches below the knee. . . The addition of a wide-brimmed hat, long gloves . . . and the new stiletto-heeled shoes made the style all the more elegant”. “During the 1950’s and 1960’s, women’s fashions were transformed from sharp, geometric shapes in artificial fabrics to free-flowing lines in natural fibers”. The style in these shows were continuing many fashion trends that were developing in the late 1940's-early 1950's as people throughout the world recovered from World War II. One of the most influential fashion changes was the “New Look.” In fashion, “The “New Look” consisted of a below-mid-calf length, full-skirt, pointed bust, small waist, and rounded shoulder line... At first, the style was not well received by Americans; however, that quickly changed as the trend dominated fashion magazines." Other styles that became popular during the post-war period were “a tailored, feminine look with gloves and pearls, tailored suits with fitted jackets with peplums, with a pencil skirt. Day dresses had fitted bodices and full skirts, with jewel or low-cut necklines or Peter Pan collars. Shirt-dresses and halter-top sundresses were also popular. Skirts were narrow or very full, held out with petticoats, while poodle skirts were a brief fad.”[2] In The Light in the Piazza you will see the results of the fashion changes that occurred in both Italy and the United States post WWII. We are excited to work as a team to find and create costumes for our actor's that will share the Italian and United States fashions that would have been worn in 1953. We are working to capture and bring to life the essence of 1953 as two American tourists are swept away on an adventure through Italy! [1] "The History of Italian Fashion." Fashion Italian Style. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Aug. 2013. [2] "Fashion." 1950-1959. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Aug. 2013.

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by Lola Danielson, dramaturg Hans Christen Andersen, as I stated in my last post, based many of his stories on events and people from his own life. The Nightingale is no different. The Nightingale (Nattergalen in Danish) was first published in 1844 and tells the story of a Chinese emperor who trades his real nightingale for a mechanical one. The emperor begins to die and longs to hear the nightingale, but the mechanical bird has broken. As Death attempts to take the emperor, the real nightingale returns and sings to save the emperor from Death. The Chinese motif for the story came from Andersen's time in the Tivioli Gardens that were opened in Copenhagen in August 1843. Andersen had never traveled further than Istanbul and stayed mostly in Europe during his travels abroad; so, his knowledge of China came from the decorative styles that were popular in Europe at that time. Andersen visited Tivioli Gardens again in October and wrote in his datebook that night that he had begun writing his Chinese fairytale. He finished the story in two days. [caption id="attachment_1847" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The Pagoda at Tivioli Gardens in Copenhagen, August 2012.[/caption] Many believe that Andersen's model for the nightingale was Jenny Lind, a famous Swedish opera soprano. Andersen first met Lind in 1840 and developed an unrequited love for her. Due to Andersen's belief that he was not interesting or attractive to the opposite sex, he had great difficulty when it came to expressing his affection. He was very shy and found it difficult to propose to Lind. Andersen finally managed his proposal through a letter he handed to Lind while she was boarding a train to an opera concert. Lind did not return his affections but often wrote to Andersen that she wished him well, as a sister to a brother. [caption id="attachment_1848" align="alignright" width="274"] Jenny Lind was approximately 20 years old when Andersen, 35, first met her. This is a rendering of Lind in 1840, the year she and Andersen met.[/caption] After Andersen published The Nightingale, Lind was given the title of "Swedish Nightingale." Her voice, like the nightingale, is said to sing so sweetly about good and evil that even death was affected by her voice. So, given the rumored healing power of Lind's vocal ability, it has become a common belief that Andersen based the nightingale in his story on Lind and the love of the emperor for the bird speaks of his feelings for Lind. While Andersen was often in love, he never married. His disposition was of such a nature that he felt everything so deeply. Perhaps that is why there is so much feeling in his stories and why we read them - to see beyond the ordinary and to feel something extraordinary.

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