The Reviews are In! Argonautika is a Wonder Worth Witnessing
June 15, 2017 11:14 PM
Haley Flanders, dramaturg
Welcome to the final Argonautika blog post! We cannot thank you enough for your support of our production, and taking the time to read more about it. The show closes this Saturday, June 17 and it has been one wild ride. We hope that if you were able to attend the performance, that you learned much more about Greek mythology, and enjoyed the messages, the spectacle, the humor, and the chance to experience truly extraordinary live theatre.
To end our blog, here is a collection of reflections from various sources: from the online media, from BYU theatre professors who saw the show, and from cast members: Also, enjoy our a collection of production photos, courtesy of Michael Handley.
FROM THE MEDIA
The Daily Universe (BYU) review by Rebecca Sumsion:“BYU’s Argonautika Displays a Creative, Collaborative Effort”. To read, click here.Quote: "BYU’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts’ spring production of “Argonautika” uses creativity to share stories of Greek mythology to family audiences. [...] The cast’s creativity comes through the 16 actors who play more than 50 characters throughout the production. Sobeck Knighton said student creativity was a large part of the rehearsal process and allowed students to take ownership of the way the story is told. 'I try to create a rehearsal room where anyone’s idea can be thrown into the table and we’ll try it,' Sobeck Knighton said."
Utah Theatre Bloggers Association (UTBA) review by Russell Warne: “An Adventurous Argonautika at BYU”. To read, click here.
Quote: "Fight scenes, monsters, political intrigue, humor, and a love story make Argonautika a show that has something for everyone. [...] I appreciate this show as an unvarnished introduction to Greek mythology, complete with flawed heroes, gruesome actions, and spectacular monsters."
FROM BYU THEATRE FACULTY
Professor Teresa Dayley Love (theatre for young audiences, theatre education): "The very definition of ensemble work with all players sharing equally in the hard work of acting and creating imaginary world. I kept thinking I wanted to watch the show backstage because I know how complicated and coordinated but looks like very simple storytelling technique can be backstage. Wonderful commitment to the material to the effort to communicate well with an audience and makes up stories enjoyable relevant meaningful thoughtful."
Professor Megan Sanborn Jones (theatre critical studies and artistic director): "The thing I like most about Argonautika is the powerful female characters who don’t just contribute to the quest, but are revealed to be the most powerful figures. Unlike most contemporary narratives, where the women serve as a one-dimensional foil to a powerful mail character who is learning and growing, the opposite happens here. Jason, the “hero,” is the one-dimensional character who is manipulated by the goddesses Hera and Athena. The quest is only successful because of the intelligence, creativity, and magic of the girl Medea. Throughout the story, other women rise up as fabulous, flawed, powerful, engaged, and wise. This is the kind of theatre I’m so glad my children can see."
Professor Shelley Graham (dramaturgy, theatre studies): "Argonautika was a delightful experience for my whole family. My kids (ages 8, 10, 13, and 15) all loved it. They loved the anachronisms, like a giant who knows how to dab and a goddess who eats popcorn as she watches earthly events unfold. They had fun hiding golden fleece souvenirs in the lobby and meeting actors (who they recognized from mask clubs they had seen) in the Argonautika cast after the show."
FROM THE CAST
Ian Buckley (Tiphys, Apsytros): "The raw creative power of this cast, the willingness to try anything, is what has made this show what it is, and what has made it such an amazing piece to be a part of. This show has love and fire in it, and the way each cast member works with every other member is fantastic."
Jordan Peterson (Hylas): "This show was a blast to rehearse and prepare as a cast. This show has become a gift to perform for everyone who comes to see it. The two best things which have come from this show, for me, are the loving relationships I have been able to develop with the cast and crew and the wonder and magic I have seen in the eyes of those who got the opportunity to come watch."
Olivia Ockey (Medea, Pelias's son, Dryope): "I love every single person in the cast so much. The bonds we've formed both on and offstage have meant so much to me. My favorite part of performing has been seeing individuals in the audience light up. I love seeing the smiles on people's faces and knowing that I was able to help make that happen. Using this show that's brought me so much joy to bring joy to others has been a beautiful experience."
Dylan Wright (Jason): "This has been an experience to last time and eternity. I have been uplifted by the quicksilver talent of these unapologetic actors and creative co-conspirators. My mind has been enlightened and my system has been filled with light as a result of the relationships I have developed with the people in this show, and with the show itself. It has been an honor to work with such talent, and to learn from such master-class actors. My favorite part of performing is being able to connect with my co-actors, and to discover new things every time we perform. There is something exciting about the little moments of elevated humanity and connection in this show that encourage and inspire me."
Costner Henson (Idmon, Aeson): "Everyone involved in this show came together and created a whole new world. It has been so fun to create and explore this world together and to make meaningful relationships in the process. One of the most rewarding things is to hear people say that they became more invested in the show than they expected. I love discovering and developing my characters more and more each performance and enjoying the world we created together while continually adding to it."
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That wraps up our 2016-2017 mainstage theatre season at BYU. Thank you for reading our blog, learning more about this fantastic Mary ZImmerman interpreted of an epic Greek myth, and we look forward to you returning to our blog to read all about our 2017-2018 season. Our coming season is featured below! Visit https://arts.byu.edu/byu-theatre-2017-18-season/ for more information. Get excited!
Playwright Philip King knew how to get the laughs. Much of the humor in See How They Run is the contrast of American and English cultures. America's entrance into WWII and subsequent support of the United Kingdom led to many American troops stationed in England. Those troops brought their American culture and customs. Consequently, 1940s Britain was suddenly learning a lot about our culture; some of it they liked and some of it they didn't but Philip King's ability to find the humor in American/England cultural differences contributed to See How They Run's success. BBC America: 10 American Habits Brits Will Never Understand See How They Run's current version was purposefully revised for an American audience. In fact, the play has gone through more than one big change. The original script was a one act farce titled Moon Madness produced at Peterborough Reperatory in 1942. A few years later it went to Comedy Theatre on London's West End and it was there that King added a second act and renamed it See How They Run. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="343"] See How They Run first appeared in London during Hitler's second Blitz of Southern England news1.ghananation.com/international[/caption] Opening night on the West End was an exciting event. Rumor has it that during the show, three bombs dropped on London but even Hitler's Blitz could not stop the laughs. The show continued without a pause but George Gee, the actor playing Clive, later complained that all three bombs dropped during his funniest lines. See How They Run was so successful it continued for 600 more performances. In 1949, the show was once again revised and re-staged, this time in America. King changed Clive and Penelope to American characters to appeal to the local audience. Also, with the end of the Second World War and the rise of the Cold War, the original Nazi intruder was changed to a Russian spy. This is the version we present to you this year.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="376"] Margaret Roper[/caption] Margaret More Roper: Scholar and Daughter by Adam White, dramaturg Thomas More was a family man; he was married twice and had four children with his first wife, Jane Colt. After being married for six years, Jane Colt More died, leaving More with four children: Margaret, Elizabeth, Cecily and John. However, More quickly remarried to the widow Dame Alice Middleton, marrying her within a month of his wife’s death. While many of his friends resisted the rapid nature of the arrangement, More went through with it. Thomas and Alice More would raise the four children Thomas More had with Jane, as well as Alice’s daughter from her previous marriage and a foster daughter. Certainly, More valued his family and the welfare of his children. More also valued the power of education. He insisted that his daughters be educated through rigorous schooling, and this was unusual in 16th-century England, as society at large believed women unfit for scholarly pursuits. Despite cultural and institutional norms, Margaret More, the eldest of the More children (and More’s favorite, some would argue), would grow to become one of the most educated people in all of England, a woman of great scholarly knowledge. Margaret More Roper was tutored at home and became well-known for her studies, particularly for her adeptness in Greek and Latin. Her skill in writing and speaking Latin would impress the clergy of England. This specialty is reflected in a scene in Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons where Margaret and King Henry VIII engage in a bit of Latin language sparring. She would also become the first woman who was not of royal birth to publish a translated book. In October 1524, Roper published an English translation of a book called ‘Precatio dominica’ written by Thomas More’s good friend Erasmus. This book was based on the Lord’s Prayer. Instead of translating the book directly from Latin to English, Roper would use her extensive knowledge of both languages to construct the themes and the meanings Erasmus had written in to the treatise with her own words. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="291"] Erasmus, Dutch humanist and good friend to Thomas More[/caption] It was Margaret who would visit the imprisoned Thomas More the most often. They were very close, writing letters to one another regularly the duration of their relationship. It was in a letter to Margaret that Thomas More confided, “I do nobody harm, I say none harm, I thinke none harm, but wish everybody good. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live.” We have good reason to believe that Margaret More Roper very well understood what would be her father’s fate. After Thomas More’s execution, Margaret More Roper and her husband William Roper would continue to carry on his legacy in their own ways. William Roper would write the first biography of Thomas More, a glowing and gracious document that would influence our understanding of More’s personality for hundreds of years to come. Margaret More Roper actually kept her father’s head after his beheading, pickling it to preserve it from decay. While many of us may find that historical tidbit a tad macabre, I would like to believe that Margaret More Roper had deep admiration for her father; perhaps it was out of this feeling she kept his head. Please stay tuned to the 4th Wall Dramaturgy Blog to catch clips of my interview with Mallory Gee, the actress who will portray Margaret More Roper in BYU’s A Man for All Seasons. Bibliography: Abernathy, Susan. "Margaret Roper, Daughter of Sir Thomas More." Early Modern England. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. Duerden, Richard. "A Man for All Seasons." Telephone interview. 31 Jan. 2014. "Margaret Roper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. "Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations." Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations. Luminarium. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.