The Ballad of the West

January 28, 2016 12:00 AM

<a href="http://4thwalldramaturgy.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/TwelfthNight.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4192" src="http://4thwalldramaturgy.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/TwelfthNight.png" alt="TwelfthNight" width="1164" height="531" /></a>Christian Riboldi

by Christian Riboldi, dramaturg As we discussed last time, Shakespeare has been changed and adapted over time for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's in order to be true to Shakespeare, and other times it's purpose is to appeal to a different audience. In our version of Twelfth Night we have set the stage in the Wild West. Sebastian and Viola were separated in tornado and now Viola finds herself in a town called Illyria. But this isn't your regular western Shakespearean town. It's a town where everyone can sing and dance...well almost everyone. As you can imagine, cutting Twelfth Night down from 140 minutes to 50 minutes is a major feat. In order to do so many scenes and a few characters were merged with others in order to simplify and essentialize the plot. In addition to cutting, a few musical numbers are added throughout the script to clarify and connect one scene to another. Our script adapter Rick Curtiss and our director Professor Jones did an amazing job creating the lyrics to accompany these comical musical parodies Every song that is in this show is an original parody of a famous western song and will be sung and accompanied by our talented cast. We have a guitar, trombone, tambourine, ukulele, percussion, and even a cow bell.

As an example here are some of the lyrics to a song sung by Sebastian as he enters sung to the tune “I’m So Lonesome, I Could Cry”.

I bet you all forgotten me, I’m an unlucky guy, Stuck out in the desert alone, I’m so thirsty I might die.

I only had one can of beans, for when the end was nigh, a coyote came and stole the can, I’m so hungry I might die.

At night the critters crawl on me, by day the vultures fly, I met a snake, it bit my foot, I’m so poisoned I might die.Hey what is that up on the ridge, Is that a ranch I spy, I hope it has some pretty girls, If not, I just might die.

I hope you can imagine how fun this show is going to be now! Here are the links to the other songs that inspired our parodies. We hope to see you at the show so you can hear the rest of our fun songs! Until next time!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K4BvF_sb3Y[/embed]

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGEubdH8m0s[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDm_ZHyYTrg[/embed] [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjdRgBAY278[/embed]

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN2U5wkhRWc[/embed]

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by Emme Corbett, dramaturg As a senior student studying history at BYU. One of the first concepts you learn as a history major is that when you study history, it is vital that you do not bring your modern-day biases with you. As strange as some past behaviors or occurrences may be to our modern eyes, understanding the reality of what life was like in historical societies allows for a more authentic and rich study of the past. It also becomes evident fairly quickly that no matter what point in time you’re studying or where you are in the world, there will be commonalities across many cultures. The shared similarity of the human experience allows these connections to occur, so it is no surprise that researching various time periods could be related back to Caesar in Ancient Rome. It was necessary in our dramaturgical research to explore three major time periods that are encompassed within this play in one way or another. These time periods are first, 49 B.C. Rome, when Julius Caesar first became a dictator of Ancient Rome, and the setting for the original script. Second, 1599 England, when William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar was first performed, most likely at the Globe Theatre. And third, 1919 Italy, when Italy was recovering from participating in the First World War, and the setting for our performance at BYU. This weakened state created a situation where authoritarianism could ensue. It was an interesting experience to be able to connect the culture of Ancient Rome to that of Italy in the early 20th century. The reason for choosing this production of Julius Caesar to take place in 1919 Italy is not random. The significance of that time period is to draw upon the reality that history repeats itself. An aspect of history that is repeatedly detrimental to countless societies is when a group of people finds itself weak and vulnerable--whether that is due to lack of resources, a change in leadership, exiting a war, or simply evolving generations--and a power vacuum is created. This moment in time when desperation allows for someone to assume leadership (based purely on the need to rely on anybody) and provide temporary relief is often too quickly turned into an authoritarian government. The third time period that we also had to account for in this production was the time of Shakespeare in 1599 England. Some of the questions we had to ask ourselves were: Why Julius Caesar? What elements from the story of Caesar’s assassination did Shakespeare feel would resonate with his audience? From these questions and further research on the Elizabethan period, we discovered that, like in 1919 Italy, there was a concern with the succession to the Crown. Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne at the time and created conflict among the people beyond her just being a woman in power. Queen Elizabeth never married and subsequently never bore any children, thus failing to secure a successor who was in her direct line. Another element of the play that related to Shakespeare’s audience was the role of the plebeians. Their behavior in the play could symbolize how the lower class in the Elizabethan Era, while uneducated and changeable, contribute largely to the success of their society.

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The Ballad of the West

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