by Janine Sobeck, BYU Dramaturgy Specialist
As a dramaturg, one of the best parts of the the job is when you get to open up the world of the production to the audience. Whether its historical context, insider information from the rehearsal room, or conversations with the creative team (and so much more), we love to give you everything you need to have a fully enriched - and extremely enjoyable - evening at the theatre.
Here at Brigham Young University, the dramaturgs are exploring all the possible ways to do this very thing. While you may have already seen us in the program study guides or moderating post show discussions, we are now happy take it one step forward by introducing "The 4th Wall: the TMA dramaturgY project."
Here on the 4th Wall you will see posts from dramaturgs, playwrights, production team members and more. The goal is simple: to provide new insights, perspectives and information about the theatre productions on the BYU stage. Whether you are interested in one particular show or want to learn about the whole season, we invite you to follow along as we take you inside the world of each and every production.
So to all our audience members (and any other interested parties), we say, "Welcome to the 4th Wall." It's going to be a grand journey.
After months of rehearsing on a taped cement floor with acting blocks in place of benches and frames in place of doors, the company finally moves to the theatre space, to a stage with levels and furniture, working doors and chairs out in the audience. The beloved cherry orchard feels so much more real now.
Near the end of his life, Anton Chekhov who had suffered from tuberculosis and depression throughout his life, decided to move to the seaside town of Yalta in order to heal. On January 18, 1904, he wrote to his wife, the actress Olga Knipper, “I’m writing The Cherry Orchard very slowly. Sometimes I feel it’s a success, sometimes a failure…It’s all very ordinary, but that’s how things are, unfortunately.”
For this production we are trying something new! You'll still see some dramaturgical information in your printed program, including the dramaturg's note, "The Weight of Waiting in The Cherry Orchard."