by Kristen Leinbach, Dramaturg
Piazza is defined as a small open square usually located in an Italian town. So what exactly is the Light in the piazza as referred to in the title of the upcoming production of The Light in the Piazza at BYU in Fall 2013?
Hello! Welcome to 4th Wall Dramaturgy! My name is Kristen Leinbach and I am the Dramaturg for BYU’s production of The Light in the Piazza. It is my pleasure to take you on a tour of the backstage processes of creating our production of The Light in the Piazza, directed by Scott Eckern. Having already held a plethora of production meetings, plus auditioning and casting the show, we are well underway on our journey to creating this beloved musical.
Let’s begin with a little bit of back story into the world of The Light in the Piazza. The story covers the adventures of Margaret Johnson and her daughter Clara Johnson on a vacation in Italy in 1953. Upon arrival and after taking time to tour the Italian art and architecture, Clara meets a young Italian name Fabrizio Naccarelli. Although Clara and Fabrizio aren’t able to fully understand each others verbal language, they begin to fall in love. As for the rest of the story . . . .well that you will have to come and see.
While I can’t answer the question what is the Light in the piazza for you, the production will allow people to answer that question for themselves. As our characters journey through Italy, romance and self-discovery it is our hope that you, as the audience, will be able to join them on that same journey. Paraphrased from the words of our director Scott Eckern, The Light in the Piazza takes the characters and the audience on a journey from an “ordinary experience that becomes extraordinary.”
As we move forward in the production process I will keep you up to date on our own journey as we work to bring The Light in the Piazza to life.
