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by Lola Danielson, dramaturg Welcome to the magical world of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale. This fairytale is set in China during a time of emperors, generals and witches. It is a tale of friendship, overcoming pride and discovering what truly matters in life. My name is Lola Danielson, the dramaturg for The Nightingale, and I will be your guide as we navigate through the production process for the show. The directors for The Nightingale, Julia Ashworth and Kori Wakamatsu, wanted to create a unique experience for this Theatre for Young Audience production – a combination of East meets West. So, over the next few weeks, I will be sharing information with you about China and not only how it has influenced the world as we know it today, but also how China has been changed by the rest of the world. We will embark on a journey to discover more about the author, Hans Christian Andersen, and take a look at the actors’ and directors’ experiences when they traveled to China. Some of the actors will share pictures and stories from their trip, so keep following the posts for The Nightingale! It is my hope that as you embark on this journey through China with us that we can bring some of the wonderful and mysterious history of China to you, as well as some of those special feelings that only come when you encounter something new, rare and beautiful. Please join us as we take the winding journey on the wide and majestic Yangtze River, climb the Great Wall of China and embark into the fairytale land of Han’s Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale.

by Patrick Hayes, dramaturg [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="571"] http://geek-news.mtv.com/?p=89829[/caption] The world of L'Engle's characters is filled with fictional place names, often taken from mythological figures that relate symbolically to locales in the book. For example, the planet Ixchel in A Wrinkle in Time, where Meg is cared for by a motherly creature, who's name is Ixchel, a Mayan moon goddess. Other, more mundane locations are often fictionalized versions of places L'Engle has lived or visited in the real world, such as L'Engle's Connecticut home, which strongly resembles that of the Murry family. Overall, the series takes place in a roughly contemporary setting, usually understood to be in the near future with respect to the publication dates of the first two novels. Since the series was written over the course of decades, it is not possible to establish an exact year in which each story takes place; historical events mentioned in the books (such as the dates of the Apollo space program and the name of the President of the United States) do not always correspond to the "real world." In recognition of this, and of the cosmic nature of the series, the inside front cover of Many Waters states that the series is set in Kairos, a way of looking at time as "real time, pure numbers with no measurement," reflecting her belief that "God's time and our time are not the same." Each of the books contains one or more instances of time travel, carrying the protagonists to metaphysical battlegrounds in the cosmic struggle between good and evil. The eponymous "wrinkle in time" is a short hop to the immediate past, engineered by the Mrs W's to allow Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace to accomplish their mission and return before they are missed at home. In A Wind in the Door, Proginoskes takes Meg to "yesterday" to show her the Echthroi destroying a patch of stars. Charles Wallace spends most of A Swiftly Tilting Planet "within" the bodies and minds of people from the distant (and not-so-distant) past, traveling there by unicorn. Many Waters finds Sandy and Dennys stranded in the time of Noah after unwisely typing on their parents' computer while an experiment is in progress. As L'Engle explains in her book The Rock That is Higher: Story as Truth: "If we limit ourselves to the possible and provable... we render ourselves incapable of change and growth, and that is something that should never end. If we limit ourselves to the age that we are, and forget all the ages that we have been, we diminish our truth." Later in the same book, she further explains her use of the science fantasy genre: "Writing A Wrinkle in Time... was my first effort in a genre now called 'science fantasy', and science fantasy is not far from fairy tale, that world which delves deep into the human psyche, struggling to find out at least a little more of what we are all about."

By Patrick Hayes, Dramaturg Creating a performance from scratch can be a daunting task. Luckily A Wrinkle in Time has a formula for success. AWIT focuses on devised theatre practices to workshop and create the final performance. Unlike stage directions in a script or a director coaching the actors, devised theatre centers on an acting style or technique to help create the final performance. AWIT rehearsals are centered on a model of work shop and rehearsing scenes until the feel, emotion, or context for a given scene is reach. Doing this process insures the integrity of the message the company wants to convey. Here, in this scene, the actors prepare by warming up. [caption id="attachment_1492" align="aligncenter" width="300"] AWIT Rehearsals - Warm Up[/caption] A group of Actors rehears scene 1, A Dark and Stormy Night, Meg is in the attic. The weather sounds are created by the company. Part 2 to come shortly. Stay Tuned!

by Patrick Hayes, dramaturg Scholar Jean Fulton wrote, "L'Engle's fiction for young readers is considered important partly because she was among the first to focus directly on the deep, delicate issues that young people must face, such as death, social conformity, and truth. L'Engle's work always is uplifting because she is able to look at the surface values of life from a perspective of wholeness, both joy and pain, transcending each to uncover the absolute nature of human experience that they share." - "A Wrinkle in Time". Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature

by Janine Sobeck, dramaturg I love it when you are working on a show and you discover a great moment of synergy. As our production of The Servant of Two Masters starts its closing week, BYU's department of Spanish and Portuguese is having its own celebration of commedia dell'arte with a Master Class provided by the actors of the Compania de Teatro Espanola "Reymala." The class is tomorrow (Tuesday, April 2) from 1-2:30 on campus in B-092 JFSB. To see what our own actors went through in order to learn the basics of commedia, check out our Commedia Bootcamp.

by Ariel Mitchell, dramaturg Theater is a live art. You share an experience physically together in a space with actors, crew, and fellow audience members. Things happen differently as actors attempt to repeat actions and new audiences with diverse experiences come in and receive new things, laugh in different places, and clap (or don’t) where no one has before. That’s what is exciting about theater. You can see the same play performed by the same company over and over, but still you can experience something new. However, the problem with live art is there always comes a time when it has to die. The curtain falls on the performance and that production with those participants (actors and audience) in that space will never be performed ever again. It’s just gone. Just last week, I was discussing this with our stage manager, Hannah Richardson. Both of us have been a part of this production for almost a year and we were bemoaning the fact that this play that we helped to create, The Cleverest Thief, will probably never be produced again. It was a play written specifically for our audience by our audience. It was what it was. It didn’t try to be anything different. But because it was our stories, it connected more to us. Provoans wanted our stories as Provoans to be told. We filled that void. Would it be as effective in St. George, Seattle, New York, or LA? Probably not. Even performed here Gone Missing (which is set in New York) lost a little of its resonance with our audience. Thinking about it now, I don’t know if I want it to be produced again. Maybe we take the process more than the production here. Maybe we inspire people to go out and perform and tell their own stories. Maybe it doesn’t have to be performed (in the traditional sense) to keep this particular piece of theater alive. I guess it’s a little ironic that we are already feeling nostalgic about this show about loss. But as Dr. Palinurus revealed to us in Gone Missing, we enjoy this pain, this nostalgia, this pain in coming home again. There is something that interests us about loss and brings us closer together. We have all lost something. The difference is how we choose to deal with it. Even though we no longer have the production, we will always have the memory. We can always choose to enjoy that. Thank you to all who came and shared your stories. They live on in our hearts and minds.

by Janine Sobeck, dramaturg Friday night, The Servant of Two Masters entered the newest phase of rehearsal: tech. Technical Rehearsals (most commonly known as "tech") is when we leave the classroom we've been rehearsing in and move on stage. One by one, the technical elements of costume, make-up, lights, sound, and props are added, and every night we get a little closer to having the full show on stage. For this show, the first order of business was spacing. With the nature of the set, the cast needed time to see how blocking they've been practicing worked with the backdrop (with its door and shutters), the fountain, the ropes, and the entrances and exit. Once the cast felt comfortable with the space, the second element added was props. While the cast had access to "rehearsal props" during the first few weeks (items that resemble or stand in place of the actual props), the transition from rehearsal props to real props can always be a little tricky. Some items don't work the same way, or are a slightly different size or shape, and so the cast, director, stage manager and prop designer have to work together to make sure that everything is perfect. Tonight we start to add two more elements: lights and costumes. Since lights and costumes can have a major effect on each other (just imagine what would happen if you had a beautiful red dress put under a dark green light), lights and costumes are being added together to make sure that both designers (as well as the director) are happy with the results. With each night we are getting one step closer to the final look of the show! And just to give you an idea, here's a little sneak peak at one of our publicity photos...

by Ariel Mitchell, dramaturg [caption id="attachment_1338" align="alignleft" width="300"] Our lobby display before the first preview (2/27/13).[/caption] When we first discussed what we wanted for a lobby display, we decided we wanted something interactive that would help the audience feel connected to the stories and the process of our production right from the start. We ended up creating our own lost and found board where actors would come out to great patrons, explain a little bit about our project, and ask them to tell a story about something they've lost or found. So far it's seems to be pretty successful. [caption id="attachment_1349" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our lobby display halfway through the run (3/6/13).[/caption] We've even had to find more space! Here are some of our favorite posters so far (that we were able to get pictures of and post): One of the things that we've learn most from this project is that everyone has a story, we just need to take the time to ask and find it. Thank you to all of the incredible and unique people who have already participated. We can't wait to see what more stories you have to tell :) Tickets are still available online!

By Ariel Mitchell, Dramaturg There has been a lot of confusion about what The Cleverest Thief and Selections from Gone Missing is. Throughout this blog, we’ve shared our process and tried to give background about our project. But, I am remiss to say, that maybe after 10+ blog posts, readers are still unsure what this performance is. I’d like to rectify this. The Cleverest Thief and Selections from Gone Missing is a BYU main stage production of two plays in one night: Gone Missing and The Cleverest Thief. Gone Missing is a devised play (see other blog post) created by the Civilians in 2003. The members of the company went out into New York to interview people about things they’ve lost. The company then took these interviews and created monologues and songs to create a play they called Gone Missing. The Cleverest Thief is a play created and written by BYU students using interviews of members of our community in Provo. Like Gone Missing, it has great monologues and songs. So basically The Cleverest Thief and Selections from Gone Missing is a night of one acts. One about loss in Provo, one about loss in New York. Both incredibly enjoyable. If this sounds interesting to you, tickets are now on sale here: You won’t be disappointed.

by Janine Sobeck, dramaturg For the last week, a majority of the cast and production team for The Servant of Two Masters traveled with a group from the BYU theatre department to Los Angeles for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). Though out the year, colleges and universities from around the country are judged on the different shows they produce - everything from the acting to the design to the dramaturgy to the stage management. Students have the possibility to be nominated for different awards and then every year they come together at KCACTF to compete. KCACTF starts as a regional competition (Utah is in Region 8, along with Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and parts of California), and the winners from each category travel to Washington DC to compete at the national level. The week in LA was a great opportunity to see the cast and production team in a new light. Not only were they competing in their nominated categories, but many were involved in different workshops and opportunities throughout the week. Now that we've returned to Utah, its time to kick rehearsal into a whole new gear. We have about a week and a half before we start technical rehearsals, where we will add costumes, lights, make-ups, wigs, sound and the set to the world that is being created. Until then, the time will be spent polishing and refining the work that was done before KCACTF. In other words, this is where the fun really begins.

Nick Sheets, dramaturg To all those who have been following this blog throughout rehearsal and production for The Phantom of the Opera, may I take the time to thank you for your time and consideration. As dramaturgs, we strive to bridge gaps between the "behind-the-scenes" of our productions, and the lives of those who will eventually come to view our work. I hope, as this production's dramaturg, that I have fulfilled that goal. The curtains have closed. The DeJong Concert Hall has passed its venue on to other great performances, but for me, there will always be a phantom lurking in the theater. I am grateful for all the hard work that went into this production from so many different outlets. For my final entry I'd like to show just how collaborative it was to set up my lobby displays for this production. Michael Handley, the lighting designer for this show, is also a professional photographer, and took some amazing shots of the displays I set up. I will show you these pictures as well as give you the caption that went along with each display. For those who weren't able to come to the show, this is a way for you to still experience some of the ambience that I created as audience members entered the theater. On the fourth floor of the Harris Fine Arts Center there were two lobbies that led into the DeJong Concert Hall. One of those displays held jewelry and accessories that highlighted different aspects of The Phantom of the Opera. Here is the description that went along with this display: "Inside this display case you will see various accessories that highlight many forms of jewelry found in this show. On your left are various pieces of jewelry in pastel colors that reflect the era of Il Muto, the opera where Carlotta receives a devastatin surprise from the Phantom. In the middle section are pieces of jewelry that reflect what audience members would have worn to the opera, showing off their sparkling diamonds. To your right there are various pieces of silver and gold that reflects the Middle Eastern feel of Hannibal, the opera where dancing slaves and an elephant appear. In the back are flashy pieces that could be used in a masquerade, a highlight of this show." Down the same hall there is another lobby where a wig and two pairs of shoes were on display. Here is the description for this piece: "In this display case is an elaborate wig with pink pastels that would have been worn during an opera like Il Muto. This fictional opera, found within The Phantom of the Opera, highlights the grand opera of France in the 19th century. A major theme of this type of opera was a fascination with the follies of the upper class. The two pairs of shoes are typical of the costumes worn in these operas, as well as those of the French upper-class. Those with enough wealth found many ways to show off their power and money, especially with their clothes." When you leave this display you take the stairs down towards the ticket office. Next to the ticket office is another display: two full-size costumes. Here is the description for this display: "Before you are two realistic outfits that gentlemen and ladies would typically wear to an opera in the late 19th century. The operas in 19th century France were more social events than they are typically today. Thus, one would dress to impress. Notice the sparkling necklace and silver lace. Women definitely wanted to show off their money and power. You can also note the furs that adorn each outfit. You might compare how you dress today to those of the 19th century who viewed the opera as one of the highlights of upper-class culture." A lot of collaboration went into these displays. John Adams, at the BYU Museum of Art, allowed me to borrow the two display cases on the 4th floor. BYU Moving, at the request of Elizabeth Funk, brought and took away the display cases. Angela, in the BYU costume shop, helped me pick out the clothes and accessories. Jason, in Gallery 303, allowed me to borrow the stands that held the descriptions. I could not have done these displays without these wonderful people. I am so grateful for them. The final display was much larger. This was a rendering of the costume designs and the final outcome of those designs. The renderings were by Angela Robison, Deanne DeWitt, and Janet Swenson. The final outcome portion were pictures taken by Michael Handley at a video shoot for the boat entrance (into the lair), as well as pictures shot the night before we officially opened to the public. I'm grateful for Ken Crossley, Dr. Christine Tanner, StyleCraft (in SLC), the BYU Bookstore, Jason at Gallery 303, Janine Sobeck, and Ariel Mitchell, for all their help in getting this display up. There was no description here. It was neat to see so many people shoot pictures next to this display, as well as stood and stared at the beautiful designs and costumes. Next to the display was a book where guests could write comments after the show. We had so many comments from so many people. Some of the locations they came from were: Utah, Portugal, Texas, Idaho, South Carolina, Florida, Chile, California, Colorado, Virginia, Mexico, Oregon, Brasil, and many more places! Thanks again to everyone who offered support to this BYU production, as well as my dramaturgical efforts. You all are the best!

by Ariel Mitchell, Dramaturg Gone Missing is a non-traditional play. Instead of following a linear structure, where events build on top of each other to a climax, the play has what theater practitioners call a mosaic structure. Like a mosaic creates a picture out of miscellaneous fragments of glass and tile, the play is composed of bits and pieces of stories from lots of different characters. This allows the audience to explore a theme or see all sides of an issue. The problem with this is that sometimes, it is hard to find one story or character to hold on to. [caption id="attachment_1259" align="alignleft" width="300"] Our Terry (Sarah Porter) and Palinurus (James Lyon) in rehearsal.[/caption] The way the Civilians accommodated for this in Gone Missing was by creating a backbone, or a fictionalized reoccurring discussion between a radio host and her guest. This radio show is based on the NPR program, “Fresh Air,” hosted by Teri Gross, in which she interviews interesting people about various subjects. This sets up a perfect platform to discuss the thematic issues of loss and tie the somewhat unconnected script together. Terry's guest in Gone Missing is named Palinurus, after the helmsman/guide of Aneas’ ship in Virgil’s Aenid. In the Aenid, the gods tell Aneas that Palinurus is the only man who can get them from Troy safely. One night Palinurus falls asleep at the helm and falls into the ocean, paying the vain Neptune’s sacrificial price and ensuring safe passage to Italy. He fulfilled the prophesy, but probably not in the way he was expecting. An interesting choice of character that plays deeply with the ideas outlined in Gone Missing about loss. If you are interested in tuning in to hear the real Terry, “Fresh Air” is broadcast weekdays at 12:00 noon (Eastern Time) and can also be found online at http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/.

By Anne Flinders, dramaturg January 27th through February 2nd was final dress rehearsal week for Brigham Young University’s production of Henry 5. Last Tuesday was what is called a designers’ rehearsal, when the designers come to watch the play and make notes for their final tweaks and preparations for opening night. The costume, sound, and prop designers were in attendance and will make sure in the next few days that their work is ready to accompany the cast into performances, which begin February 5th on tour and February 6th in the Nelke Theatre. Lighting will be added when the production moves from its rehearsal space to the Nelke. [caption id="attachment_1224" align="alignright" width="250"] John Valdez in BYU's Young Company production of HENRY 5.[/caption] Unique to this particular designers’ rehearsal was that a class of sixth grade students from Wasatch Elementary also joined in as an audience for the play. This allowed the cast to rehearse their interactions and engagement with students, just as they will be doing in actual performances. Following the rehearsal/performance, director Megan Sanborn Jones asked the students to give the cast and crew some feedback about their experience with the play. From their comments it was clear that some of the favorite elements of this play for them were the rock music, the dancing, and the “serious Ninja skills”. Thursday was a full dress rehearsal, with costumes and makeup added. The inclusion of these elements added a new dimension to the performances the actors were able to create, informing and enhancing their choices, and giving greater definition to the multiple characters each actor portrays. Saturday was a complete run-through with a workshop rehearsal as well as another full dress. A few of BYU’s theatre students were invited to attend, as well as faculty members, who brought their children to the rehearsal to once again give the cast members an opportunity to practice interacting with students. The cast practiced leading children in playing the games and guiding the discussions which constitute the workshops that will precede the school tour performances. BYU’s Young Company production of Henry 5 begins touring elementary schools on February 5th. The play opens in the Nelke Theatre at BYU’s Harris Fine Arts Center on February 6th and runs through February 16th. Tickets are on sale now.

by Janine Sobeck, dramaturg In our production meetings, we've had the privilege of seeing the evolution of the scenic design for The Servant of Two Masters. Designer Eric Fielding and his assistant Logan Hayden have been hard at work at creating a set that reflects director Stephanie Breinholt's concept for the show. The design accentuates Stephanie's vision of a production where all the visual elements have a timeless feel, with no specific time period. Located in a traditional Italian piazza, the set combines different period from the forced perspective of historical design to the "Laugh-in" style of doors and windows. The combination of these different elements, design styles and periods, creates the perfect stage for this zany production. Here's a picture of Eric's original design. [caption id="attachment_1200" align="aligncenter" width="584"] Set Design courtesy of Eric Fielding[/caption] And currently, if you walk through the tunnel of the HFAC, you can see the different elements under construction.

by Anne Flinders, dramaturg Brigham Young University’s Young Company production of Henry 5 will bring with it a different, but perhaps not wholly unusual cast. The title role of King Henry V is being played by Mackenzie Larsen, a pre-acting major. In fact, there are four women in the cast of seven, and only one female role in the script. All the women are playing male roles. [caption id="attachment_1183" align="alignright" width="300"] The cast of BYU's Young Company Production of HENRY 5.[/caption] Making a cross-gender casting choice in the title role of Henry 5 may come as a surprise to some theatre goers, but it is not without precedent. From the beginnings of professional English theatre in the 1560s to the closure of the theatres in 1642, boys were the performers of female roles in an age when it was considered unacceptable for women to act. Cross-gender casting (boys playing women) was therefore a familiar and acceptable practice, even an expectation, in Elizabethan theatre. However, women did not begin to appear on the stage in England until 1661, and when they did, they played women. A lot has changed in the last 350 years. Casting women in male roles while reading the character’s gender as female is becoming a bit of a trend in theatre and film today. Fiona Shaw played the title role in Shakespeare’s Richard II in London in1996. While the production received initial mixed reviews (mostly because of casting Ms. Shaw as Richard), it did open up the idea that a woman could play a woman in a man’s role, rather than attempting to portray a male in the way boys portrayed females in Elizabethan theatre. For example, this idea was carried further when in 2010 Helen Mirren played Prospera in The Tempest, a decidedly female portrayal of the exiled sorcerer. [caption id="attachment_1180" align="alignleft" width="205"] Mackenzie Larsen plays King Henry V in BYU's HENRY 5.[/caption] The director of BYU’s production of Henry 5, Megan Sanborn Jones, stated that part of her decision to cast a female in the title role lay in the fact that “there are simply not enough great roles for women, particularly in Shakespeare.” She also found that she gained new insights into the role through this casting choice. It prompted a very particular way of adapting Shakespeare’s script into a 50-minute play. When Mackenzie Larsen learned that the title role would be played by a female, she was excited. “I loved the idea of having a female put in such a position of power.” As she became more familiar with the script she found that some of the lines are about “manning up and being like a King.” Larsen states, “The way these lines read with a woman as Henry gives them new meaning and gives the audience new perspective. The factor of being a woman and trying to prove yourself to a bunch of men makes Henry's story that much more inspiring.” Larsen says she has found that one of the challenges in taking on this role has been actually playing Henry as a girl. But she has found that once she stopped worrying so much about making the part fit the way people expect it to be, and just allows herself to be in the moment, she overcomes those concerns. She says, "Being present is powerful enough.” BYU’s Henry 5 opens February 6th and runs through February 16th. Tickets are on sale now.

by Anne Flinders, dramaturg [caption id="attachment_1154" align="alignleft" width="300"] Rehearsal, Henry 5 . L to R: Kristen Leinbach as Montjoy and Mackenzie Larsen as King Henry V.[/caption] Last week the Henry 5 cast held three more rehearsals. Rehearsal days are exhausting; a typical rehearsal for this play begins at 8:00 a.m. with a physical warm-up and an overview of the day’s work. This is followed by dance and fight choreography, blocking more of the stage action, and some scene polishing. The cast is generally allowed a half-hour break for lunch, after which they return to the rehearsal space to run and polish scenes until 2:00 p.m. [caption id="attachment_1155" align="alignright" width="300"] Rehearsal, Henry 5. Matthew Fife as Fluellen.[/caption] Six hours is a long rehearsal for a student, particularly when many in the cast go to classes immediately after, but this week’s Thursday rehearsal was especially challenging. The cast arrived at 7:00 a.m. and learned new choreography for some segments of the opening and closing dance numbers. They blocked and choreographed another fight sequence for one of the historic battle scenes, after which they ran the entire play. Following the run-through, the cast was trained by the hair and make-up designers. As Henry 5 will be a touring show, the cast members need to be able to do their own hair and make-up on the road. After an hour break, the cast returned in costume and make-up to meet with a photographer for a publicity photo shoot. (Great action-packed shots were taken which will be released soon.) Following the photo shoot, a camera crew arrived and a video shoot was taped that will be released as advertisement for the play. The shoot wrapped at 6:00 p.m, ending a successful day of rehearsal for this hard-working cast. [caption id="attachment_1156" align="alignleft" width="300"] Rehearsal, Henry 5. L to R: Sarah Flinders as the Boy and Mackenzie Larsen as King Henry V.[/caption] This marathon Thursday was followed by an extra rehearsal that was called on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. The cast was joined by two BYU Young Company alumni, Sarah Kron (The Hundred Dresses, 2011) and Jenna Hawkins (The Merchant of Venice, 2012), who trained them in how to run workshops for the elementary students who the play will be performed for. The cast chose games and activities to enrich the experience the children will have with this Shakespeare play. After a brief break, the cast worked for an hour on polishing transitions between scenes, dances, and battles. Then the play was given another full run with props incorporated. The last week of January will also mark the last week of rehearsals for the cast of Henry 5. The show opens its elementary school tour on the 5th of February, and the play opens in the Nelke Theatre at BYU’s Harris Fine Arts Center on February 6th at 7:00 p.m. The show runs through February 16th. Tickets are on sale now.