Why TMA is a college of its own:

Here is something I love: mixing genres.

I love when we can play with the audiences' knowledge and they get to choose how they create meaning of it.

The BYU production of Berlin was fantastic. (Yes, if you look at that link- our own Nicole Riding Bell in in the photos because she originated the role of Stephanie) I know it will be edited to look awesome and will look great on screen in the end, but I don't know that it would ever be as moving as it was for me in person. It is kind of a surreal experience to watch the live action taking place on a film set in fluid motion as a stage play, but in the acting style and closeness of film.

There were screens set up so that we could watch what was happening inside the iron-set structure that faced itself inwardly. The sound was more powerful as well because the characters were mic-ed at film quality for the shooting, and the sound bellowed through the large speakers facing us as well as surrounding us. It was like watching an action film, and a musical on a stage at the same time which kept us as audience members very involved.

I also appreciated the attention spent on dialects because they were very tight and authentic and the costuming felt very authentic as well. I guess the simple notion that the show would be filmed adds a new dimension to how the actors treat the content of the show, but it also gives the designers more freedom to be more detailed and forces them to be more accurate.

I guess I thought of how I would love to do this someday at a high school just for fun. It might be fun to have the film students and the theatre students get together like this to be able to plan a project that could benefit both. I happen to have family that is involved in both sides of the spectrum so it would be fun. I also just think that any time we can get an audience into a space that breaks the convention of theatre it broadens the view of what can be done and incites more creative thinking about the themes of the show because it creates a sense of reality, whether we are pulled into it or not.

BYU does it again...

I have to say that I am usually impressed with the caliber of performance that comes out of the theatre department, and this one was no exception. There were, as usual, things I liked and things I did not. Looking at it from a practioner's perspective, I tried to identify and understand what was going on in the creation of this show that made it successful and not so successful to me:

+ I loved the set. The cut away house was fun and added a sense of realism to the story, forcing the characters to really go upstairs a level (rather than platforms or otherwise).

- Not so sure that I loved the choreography. There was not a need for an ensemble in the show at all, and to be quite honest, they distracted me from the real story. The story seemed fairly grounded until random people had to dance the set on and off-- who needs that? In fact, it seemed more like a chance for all of those students who are aspiring MDT students to get to be in a main stage production. If the concept had something to do with it and that was more obvious- I think it wouldn't have bothered me as much as it does.

+ The acting was quite good. I thought each scene felt important and I was impressed to see how high the stakes were for each of the characters- mark of a fine director and some good directing takers. I thought the songs were better interpreted than I had heard on the CD. These characters understood the humor of the scenes so well and it was so enjoyable to watch the mini discoveries that took place throughout the show. The singing was all quite exceptional as well.

+ The way they chose to portray Beth's death was interesting as well. It is written to be sweet and tender, and I enjoyed that part of the scene, but I also enjoyed a little extra piece of interpretation that I don't know we would have gotten anywhere by here: A woman in white came on and danced with Beth's kite as Jo and her sang "Some things are Meant to Be" (again, I didn't need the dancing). After she died, the woman in white comes back on and pushes Beth's wheelchair off into a light. Before they reach the end of the stage, Beth gets up and walks off stage on her own. I think it was a neat way to throw an LDS stamp on the meaning of death and how it seemed more hopeful than destitute. I love that we can do that to a piece of theatre to tell our stories and to communicate to an audience.