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.
Alabama Story, playwright Kenneth Jones’ six-actor, one-set drama about censorship, book banning, Civil Rights and American characters in “the Deep South of the imagination,” had its world premiere by Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, Utah in January of 2015.
One of the wonderful things about being a dramaturg is discovering interesting bits of information here and there about the play and the playwright. These are often things that never make themselves visible in the production, but offer fascinating insights nonetheless. Here are ten of those interesting facts we've learned about Chekhov and The Cherry Orchard.
As part of the Contemporary Voices Play Festival at BYU, Alabama Story is an example of an award winning playwright whose work we want our audiences and students to know. This play presents an opportunity to think deeply about censorship, racism, political power, and the importance of standing up for intellectual freedom.