There was one important characteristic Director Julia Ashworth was looking for in the student actor playing the lead role in BYU Arts' newest production, The Taste of Sunrise. He needed to be deaf. This month at BYU, the Department of Theatre and Media Arts is putting on a bilingual contemporary drama — opening on March 10 for a 13-show run in the Harris Fine Arts Center's Margetts Theatre — where every line spoken will also be signed. Every character has a shadow signer: an actor who moves and acts with him or her on stage and signs all the lines in American Sign Language. The lead role of Tuc — a man struggling to navigate the path of loss, love and language in his silent world — is played by Ben Featherstone. Feathersone is deaf, but wears a cochlear implant so that he can read lips and hear vibrations. Two other cast members are also hard of hearing: David Hampton (who plays Dr. Grindly Mann and other characters) and Jason Keeler (who plays Roscoe). Many of the cast members are fluent in ASL or have taken ASL classes at BYU. Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties in Illinois, this award-winning drama explores the cultural complexities of deafness with great humor and compassion. Ashworth hopes this significant story will provide equal access to hearing, deaf and hard of hearing audiences in the community. 'I feel privileged to bring together deaf, hard of hearing and hearing actors to find the best way to tell this significant story,' said Ashworth. 'Producing The Taste of Sunriseaddresses issues of equality that are important to me as a theatre artist.' Acting is a new experience for Featherstone. He took on this role to prove to himself that being deaf isn't a limitation. He hopes that when the audience sees him on stage they will feel empowered as well. 'It doesn’t matter if you’re deaf, or if you’re hearing,' said Featherstone. 'What matters is that you are important in God’s eyes. There is no difference, we’re all equal. That’s the message I would share with the world.' The Taste of Sunrise is the second play in Suzan Zeder’s critically acclaimed Ware Trilogy, which will be presented throughout the year in its entirety in partnership with Utah Valley University. Tickets are $8-14, with discounts available for alumni, students, employees, senior citizens and groups. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com. PHOTO: The Taste of Sunrise: Katie Hyatt, Emma Flynn; Jake Earnest, Jonas Tucker; Katie Jarvis, Nell Hicks; Ben Featherstone, Tuc; Brittni Henretty, Dr. Alexis Graham; Abbie Craig, Maizie. Photography by Mark A. Philbrick/BYU Photo. Copyright BYU Photo 2016. All Rights Reserved. Performance Dates: March 10—12, 16—19 and 22—25 Times: 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday March 19 and 26 Location: Margetts Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $8-14 (discounts for senior citizens, BYU students, groups and alumni) Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

Brigham Young University’s School of Music will present “Jazz for Kids II,” with the Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band as part of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Family Concert Series on Saturday, Mar. 5, at 11 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center. Admission is free, thanks to a generous donation from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, but all attendees age two years and older need a ticket. Children of all ages are admitted to this performance (including babes in arms). Tickets can be reserved at familyconcerts.byu.edu. Directed by Steve Call, the BYU Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band will play the music of New Orleans, a city where elements of spiritual songs, blues, ragtime and military bands merged to give birth to Jazz, America’s unique and contribution to the world of music. The audience will learn about and hear the music of Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver and Louis Armstrong, who were the first great jazz musicians. The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Family Concert Series was created to introduce the joy of music to children and youth. All family members are encouraged to attend regardless of age.

The stars of BYU’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast maintained their luster during the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) hosted in Hawaii bringing home multiple awards.“We really, really showed well,” said George Nelson, director of the tale as old as time.

When a small group of artists assembled themselves in Taos, N.M., in the early 1900s, they had a few goals. Beyond just capturing stunning Southwest landscapes and imagery, they wanted the world to see it – getting their works traveling was an M.O.

The lens of a camera does an incredible job of capturing the most nuanced detail within the scope of its frame. However, even the most sophisticated lens has limitations when compared to the human eye. BYU Professor Paul Adams found the same is true when taking on a seemingly straight forward photography assignment: there is often more than what you had expected to see through the lens. - See more at: http://news.byu.edu/news/capturing-coronation-photography-professors-unexpected-trip-tonga

Study abroad programs aren't hard to come by at BYU, but some are found in the least likely places. Last summer, seven students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications studied in one of the most unusual places on earth: the Dharamshala province in northern India. India’s Dharamshala province is home to thousands of Tibetan refugees. Many Tibetans cross the Himalayas each year to escape mounting persecution by the Chinese government in their homeland of Tibet. The most famous refugee in Dharamshala is the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader for Tibetans around the world. While in Dharamshala, the students were invited to discuss art, religion and theology with Tibetan monks within the Dalai Llama temple at the Institute of Buddhist Dialects. By Carrie Duford: Continue reading at https://news.byu.edu/news/learning-dalai-lama-temple-byu-study-abroad

The BYU School of Music presents the Philharmonic Orchestra in concert in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. The performance will include “Songs of a Wayfarer” by Gustav Mahler, with baritone soloist, Darrell Babidge, and Symphony no. 4 'Romantic' by Anton Bruckner. Comprising 95 of the university’s finest musicians, the Philharmonic Orchestra performs regularly on campus and collaborates with BYU’s choral, opera and ballet programs. The Philharmonic is conducted by Kory Katseanes. Its repertoire focuses on the Romantic period but also includes 20th and 21st century music. This performance will be streamed live from the BYU School of Music’s website at liveconcerts.byu.edu. Performance Date: Friday, February 12 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $10 (discounts for senior citizens, BYU students, groups and alumni) Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

Study abroad programs aren't hard to come by at BYU, but some are found in the least likely places.

The lens of a camera does an incredible job of capturing the most nuanced detail within the scope of its frame. However, even the most sophisticated lens has limitations when compared to the human eye. BYU Professor Paul Adams found the same is true when taking on a seemingly straight forward photography assignment: there is often more than what you had expected to see through the lens.

Brigham Young University’s Living Legends will perform a celebration of Latin American, Native American and Polynesian song and dance in a concert at BYU’s de Jong Concert Hall on Feb. 5-6 and Mar. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12, with discounts available for alumni, students, employees, senior citizens and groups. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com. Living Legends combines a dynamic repertoire of Native American choreography with the color and vitality of Polynesian and Latin American dance styles. Traditions come to life as talented descendants of these cultures weave together authentic choreography, intricate costumes and heart-pounding music into one captivating show. The “Seasons” program will include a kaleidoscope of culture, with dances and songs from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Fiji, Hawaii, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga and the United States. Living Legends is run by the department of dance. The group has 44 members, made up of 36 performers and a technical crew of 8. All performers are of Polynesian, Latin or Native American heritage and are selected after a rigorous audition process. PHOTO: BYU LIVING LEGENDS, FROM THE “PEARL OF THE SEA,” THE RHYTHMS OF LIFE ARE PRESENTED THROUGH THE TAMURE AND STACCATO BEATS OF THE TOERE DRUMS. KAMERON HO CHING AND KIANA WILSON PERFORM THE TRADITIONAL TAHITIAN OTE’A TAVEVO, OTE’A HOPU. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK A. PHILBRICK/BYU. COPYRIGHT BYU PHOTO 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The BYU Young Company will present William Shakespeare’s comic masterpiece Twelfth Night with a western twist in the Nelke Theatre of the Harris Fine Arts Center at 7 p.m. on Feb. 3-5, 10-12, with matinees on Feb. 6 and 13, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are $7, with discounts available for alumni, students, employees, senior citizens and groups. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com. Shakespeare’s poetry meets rip-roaring action and high-faultin song and dance in this cowboy version of Twelfth Night. Directed by Megan Sanborn Jones and adapted by Rick Curtiss, this production encourages audience members of all ages to look beneath outward appearances and value people for the qualities they have on the inside. “In our production, we decided to foreground this imagined world by presenting our 2016 Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night via a 1950’s vision of the nineteenth century west,” said Jones. “We take you back to this time that never existed–a fitting tribute, we believe– with Shakespeare’s topsy-turvy homage to a world where anything can happen.” Other production members include Amanda Welch as choreographer, Julia Ashworth as Young Company producer, Becky Wallin as Young Company managing director, Dayne Joyner as production stage manager, Rory Scanlon as scenic designer, Alyssa Bybee as costume designer, Sarah Stewart as makeup designer, Scott Jackson as props designer, Christian Riboldi as dramaturge, and Franny Gleave and Karlee Savage as assistant stage managers. Cast members include Sherry Kopischke as Viola/Cesario, Andrew Smith as Sebastian, Cameron Bridston as Feste, Savanah Smith as Olivia, Scott Jackson as Duke Orsino, Costner Henson as Malvolio, Olivia Ockey as Maria and Jacob Baird as Sir Toby Belch. PHOTO: Oliva (Savanah Smith, left) and Duke Orsino (Scott Jackson, right) fight over Cesario (Sherry Kopischke, center). BYU Young Company production of Twelfth Night. Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU. © BYU PHOTO 2016. All Rights Reserved. Performance Dates and Times: Feb. 3-5, 10-12, at 7 p.m. Matinees at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Feb. 6 and 13. Location: Nelke Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $7 (discounts for senior citizens, BYU students, groups and alumni) Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

Brigham Young University’s Theatre Ballet premieres Alice in Wonderland, an original, full-length ballet that brings Lewis Carroll’s beloved fantasy novel to life with Tchaikovsky’s enduring music in the de Jong Concert Hall on Jan. 28-30, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, with discounts available for alumni, students, employees, senior citizens and groups. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com. This premiere of the ballet takes audience members on an exciting journey through Wonderland. A visual feast, the production features beautiful new sets, stunning costumes, expressive makeup and playful choreography designed and created by students as mentored by faculty and staff Priscilla Hao, Michael Handley, Shani Robison, Benjamin Sanders and Rory Scanlon. When Robison, Theatre Ballet’s artistic director, began preparation three years ago, she felt it necessary that the ballet be a collaborative experience for students as to involve them on a deeper, creative level. “We felt that a shift in the production paradigm, wherein the students were actually the designers, choreographers and creators could offer a real-life experience to catapult them from their BYU experience into the real world,” Robison said. “I felt that Alice in Wonderland would be a unique and perfect opportunity for this experiment as it offers so many interesting characters, places and an endless palate of creative possibilities.” To this end, Theatre Ballet received substantial grants from the Laycock Center for Student Collaboration and the Mary Lou Fulton Endowment, and partnered with guest performers from the Ballet Showcase Company, BYU Children Creative Dance Program and dancers from around campus who auditioned specifically for this production. In addition, student choreographers, make-up designers, set designers, prop designers, costume designers, lighting designers, graphic and illustrative designers, a sound designer and a stage manager went to work with mentors to engage in a creative process unlike what they have ever done before. “This is the first time anything like this has been done at BYU on this scale,” said Robison said. “It’s not just Theatre Ballet, it’s a campus-wide production.” Prior to the performances, the annual tradition of the annual Prince and Princess Party continues as princes and princesses of all ages can dress in their royal best and meet Alice, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Queen of Hearts. Tickets and Show Details Performance Dates and Times: Jan. 28-30 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee on Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. Location: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $15 (discounts for senior citizens, BYU students, groups and alumni) Tickets: Available in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone at 801-422-2981 or online at byuarts.com PHOTO: Riley Duck as Alice. Photo by Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo, All Rights Reserved.