TMA’s Current Dramaturgy Supervisor Discusses the Joys of Theatre at BYU
The behind-the-scenes builders of the foundation of theatre, dramaturgs ensure that the theatrical artistry is historically and contextually sound, while still staying relevant to current audiences. They connect the text, the actors and the audience together to form a cohesive and creative whole.
The Department of Theatre and Media Arts’ Dramaturgy Supervisor, Shelley Graham, has a plethora of academic and theatrical experience which recently won her the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award. She shared more about dramaturgy, collaborating with students and the blessings of being a part of the BYU Theatre community in the Q&A below.
Q: How has a faith-based education impacted you as a student and professor?
Graham: I’ve been blessed to find a passion for both my faith and my discipline at BYU. I remember as a student being surprised the first few times we prayed in class, but as I heard my own professors pray for my success, and my peers pray for the same kind of help I needed, I learned that my faith could be tightly interwoven with my studies. Now as a professor, I delight in teaching my students to access the power of the Holy Ghost to inspire, comfort and strengthen them in their own artistic and scholastic endeavors. I love it when we make connections to the week’s gospel study in our class discussions about the practice of dramaturgy.
Q: What excites you most about your work with students in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts?
Graham: I get excited when I collaborate with and learn alongside my students. One of my favorite aspects of dramaturgy is the fact that every project is different. Dramaturgs are artists and creators, writers and researchers and champions of new plays and playwrights. I love that I get to be part of that community of brilliant students.
Q: What impactful memories do you have of your time at BYU as a student?
Graham: I get emotional when I think about the love and support I received from my faculty mentors while I was a student at BYU, several of whom I’ve had the pleasure of teaching with many years later. When I first discovered the role of a dramaturg, I went enthusiastically to my mentor, Bob Nelson, and asked if I could be the dramaturg for a production. He supported the idea, gave me a small budget and suggested I work with acting/directing faculty member Barta Heiner. Though we’d never had a fully engaged student dramaturg working on a production before, they both welcomed me into the rehearsal and creative space as I made my first dramaturgical discoveries.
Q: What do future theatre students have to look forward to at BYU?
Graham: I hope future theatre students who join BYU will find loving and supportive faculty at the top of the field who continue to guide them, strengthen them and learn with them. As I have worked to build paths for students interested in dramaturgy and playwriting, I am amazed at how invested all our professors are in giving students unique opportunities to develop their own artistic passions. Creative collaboration with each other and with God is at the heart of what we do and I love it.
BYU Theatre is a great place to discover who you are as an artist, an academic and a disciple of Christ. There are so many unique ways to share the light of the gospel with the world and I hope all our students find the expression of their faith in the creative theatrical process one of the greatest joys of their time at BYU.
