We are really resistant to change - if someone tells us "you should do this" or "you should believe this" we are resistant to it.

However, if we can read a story and vicariously experience something through a story, that's when we are able to experience a change of heart within us and be able to change.

That's why God tells us stories in the scriptures, in the Endowment session, and why General Authorities use stories.

It's why we do theatre.

God is a Director

My testimony is closely tied to my experience in theatre.  Last night I had a realization while watching a dress rehearsal of my latest show, Little Happy Secrets.  I was wondering what my role had been as director.  What had I accomplished?  What good did I do?  I felt very much like I wasn't needed for this project, like much of what was good had come from the actors and the writing, and I was the weak link getting dragged along with the production.  I was feeling pretty down about my role with the show (although the show is fantastic).  

I realized that what I was doing to myself I often do to God.  I get caught up in how "awesome" I am and what I can do "on my own."  My pride gets me in the way from acknowledging the Lord's hand as the director of my life.  I discount Him and give myself the credit, just as I did while watching LHS last night (discounting myself and giving the actors the credit).  

How do I solve this??

From Class

Every time you do theatre, there are restrictions or limitations.  If you look at the restrictions as being censors, then you will get discouraged.  However, if you view those limitations as allowing you to be more creative, the limitations are incredibly freeing!

This idea is especially applicable here at BYU.  There are many restrictions placed on us as theatre practitioners here.  The plays that we do cannot have curse words stronger than hell or damn.  Content wise, we cannot do shows dealing with homosexuality, etc.  These limitations may feel like censorship, but if we shift our paradigm, we can see these limitations as freeing us to focus on other kinds of theatre and do them extremely well.  Or try more experimental work in form and presentation.  

Happiness is...

http://twentypercentchicago.blogspirit.com/about_20_chicago/

Thank you Dave for finding this!!

Seeing Shows

I saw Thoroughly Modern Millie last night at BYU. There's a lot that can be said, positive and not so positive, about the show. Before I move on to that, I have other things I want to articulate first.

I went to the show with some of the members of my cast from Rabbit Hole - Paul and Justine. They totally enjoyed the show and watched with a clean slate, no expectations. Just wide eyed and open. I watched them as I watched the show and realized that my training has made me a critic of almost everything I see. I don't know that I can go into something and watch it without asking questions and seeing the choices that were made and wondering why those choices were made and what other choices could have been made and what was strongest and is the world unified and on and on and on. I don't regret my education or gaining a more critical eye and inquiring mind. But sometimes I wish it had an off switch. I wish I could go in to a show and just enjoy it. I mean, I like thinking and talking about and questioning theatre. But I feel jaded almost. Theatre is supposed to be enjoyable right? - but it's hard to enjoy when I'm thinking all the time. (Heh, story of my life.) So basically, I miss my theatre innocence sometimes.

So. Millie.
There were a lot of great choices made - the chorus was fun, Jimmy, Trevor Graden, Muzzie, and Mrs. Meers were fantastic, the set changes were fun, the comdey was enjoyable, and the pit was fantastic! Jimmy and Millie were cute together, which was really fun. I totally got that it was Millie and Jimmy's story and that came through really nicely. Millie had a great voice, but from sitting on the balcony, I had a difficult time hearing her over the pit in the climatic moments. But, overall, I felt that the pacing was slow and commitment was low and urgency was missing. And I wasn't sure what unified the world. The costumes were unified within themselves. The set was unified within itself. The lights were unified within themselves. But I wasn't sure how they all worked together. Some things seemed to be funny for the sake of seeing funny (ex. a lot of stuff with Mrs. Dorothy). But, I honestly think that a lot of things could be fixed by just picking up the pacing. The show didn't seem to be driving anywhere - it just sort of clopped along not hurrying anywhere (which seemed funny for a show that takes place in NYC about being modern). Had he pacing picked up, the urgency would've followed and the commitment would've followed as well because the actors would've known what they were driving to.

Overall, what unified the world? Hmm...maybe the unity would've helped to tighten things too. If people knew how the world all worked together to be unified, it would've found a rhythm and jive instead of feeling disjointed and slow.

I also don't know that it was right for the DeJong space. The set was minimal, the ensemble was small and the whole space wasn't used as perhaps it could've been. I think this version of the show may've been more appropriate for the Pardoe space.

I did enjoy Millie. These are just the quesitons that I had afterwards. What unified the world and what was it driving to and what was the need to get there?

Come See My Senior Show!

Come see Rabbit Hole - my senior project!!  Tickets are $5 (so cheap!) and the show plays four performances in the Margett's theatre at BYU.

Trust me, this is one show you don't want to miss!!

Epiphanies

Ok, so I'm a slacker when it comes to reviewing shows I've seen and what not.  Apologies.  I know you all were so looking forward to reading what I thought about the bajillion things I've seen this semester.  Another time.  Maybe.

I had an epiphany, however, about theatre tonight while finishing some grading.  It came from one of my student's papers (love that!).  Each character needs to have a sensory relationship to the space - sight, auditory, taste, touch and smell.  I might have thought about that before, but not in such a clear way.  Our senses so strongly influence our actions that we should be focusing on what is coming in via all 5 senses to exist in the world we create.

I also had other epiphanies in the last few days.  The second one came care of George Nelson and his trip to Poland.  In speaking with a director there, he was told "We don't live to talk, our talking comes out of living!"  This rang so true for me as I tend to choose pieces to direct that are character driven.  These characters must live in their world and must know why they cannot be silent any longer and must speak every time that they do.  The speaking must come out of the living in their world, the world that is created not only by the language, but by the sights and smells and touches and tastes.  The living is what brings out the language.  It's weird because in theatre, all we have to go off of is a script so the living does initially come out of the talking.  But, in order to create compelling, grounded, believable, honest theatre, the talking must come out of the living.

Lastly, "One is defined by what one is against."  This is a very structuralist thought - that we are defined by our opposition; we are in a binary in which each half defines the other.  It's interesting to think about what we fight for and against in theatre, and in life, and what that says about who we are.  I think about my characters in Rabbit Hole and what they're fighting for and against and it's really revealing. 

I have my work totally cut out for me in these next four weeks before Rabbit Hole opens.  I know that it all will fall into place, I know that this show is supposed to happen at BYU at the time it is happening.  Everything has fallen in to place and there must be a reason.  I am starting to panic a little bit as I look at where we are and where we need to be, but I have every confidence in my team.  And I have every confidence that the Lord will continue to send me epiphanies through the Holy Ghost to help guide my work.  :)  

That is all for tonight.