Theatre and Media Arts

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.

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

Media Arts student Willem Kampenhout won Best Emerging Director at the Other Worlds Austin Film Festival for his film The Surface. The film also won Best Emerging Production Design, attributed to Ashley Cook. Kampenhout started making films when he was only six years old and used his personal experience growing up as the inspiration for The Surface. In December of 2013 he spent winter break watching several crime drama series, which sparked the question, “How much would one risk on behalf of their family?” “I began writing the story of a mother wandering the apocalyptic wasteland in search for spare parts for her cybernetic husband and daughter whilst avoiding a mechanically mutated monster,” Kampenhout said. From this, he developed the story of a mother who risks everything to save the life of her son. The film follows the mother as she searches for a new power source to help her dying son. After being tricked into buying a bad power cell, her only hope is to venture to the blighted surface and steal the infinity cell from one of the monstrous “tainted” creatures. The whole film came together in about two years from start to finish. Kampenhout mentioned the greatest difficulty behind creating a film was being a student and working with other students. “We have obligations other than our projects,” Kampenhout said. “Because it is not an income source, we have jobs as well.” Other than a lack of time, they faced a lack of experience that required more time to produce quality work. Despite these challenges, Kampenhout enjoyed working with other talented and eager students who worked on the music, sound design, art, cinematography and acting. He believes that real joy comes when someone other than oneself gets behind the story and makes it better. They entered the film in Other Worlds Austin, a film festival featuring only Sci Fi films, where he won the award. The Surface also won Best Student Film at the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival and has currently been accepted into Dam Short Film Festival (Nevada), Original Narrative FIlm Festival (Dubai) and Film Quest (Salt Lake City). “We are building an audience for the film, and seeking out distribution and investors to fund a feature film version of it,” he said. Visit the film’s Facebook page for the trailer and updates about the film. https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfaceFilm

BYU’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present Microburst Theatre Festival in the Nelke Theatre on Jan. 13-16, at 7:30 p.m., with ASL interpretation on Jan. 14 and a 2 p.m. matinee on Jan. 16. Tickets are $5. 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. Directed by Rodger Sorensen, Microburst Theatre features a series of thought-provoking and funny short plays, newly written by BYU student writers that explore the theme “taking time, making time.” Winner of three national awards at the 2014 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, this annual showcase of new work explores the moments in time that often go unnoticed. “These short plays come at us in brief, intense bits of drama and comedy–sometimes unexpected and sometimes anticipated. Either way, they don’t last long,” said Jeff Martin, the producer for BYU Arts. Now in its third year, this season’s festival features the work of 13 playwrights, 12 actors, 6 student directors and 2 dramaturgs. The plays and playwrights include “Baby Steps” by Hadley Holyoak, “A Blossom Tree” by Ting-Chun Chang, “BYU Time Experience” by Daniel Fifield, “Ding” by Janine Sobeck, “A Dramaturg’s Tale” by Rick Curtiss, “Freeze” by Kristen Perkins, “Keeping Clocks” by Marianne Hales Harding, “Possibilities” by Teresa Love, “Recompense” by Kiersten Carr, “Salvo” by Cristin Lunt, “Time Crimes” by Brad Witbeck, “Time in the Attic” by Jessica Fluegel and “Time Lapse” by Keith Grover. The cast includes Andrew Smith, Courtney Miller, Francisco Acosta, J.D. Shaeffer, Logan Ruesch, Mari Toronto, Rachel Belt, Rachel Bennett, Rachelle Hull, Shay Ruesch, Sierra Docken and Teagan Clark. The production team includes Amberly Plourde, Britney Miles, Daniel Brown, Lauren Wilkins, Michael Comp and Soren Budge as student directors; Juliette Lewis Mergist as costume designer; Celia Rivera as makeup designer; Bronte Campbell as scenic designer; Celia Linford as lighting designer; Scott Jackson as prop shop manager; Aubrianna Hockett as prop designer; and Dillian Durrant as stage manager. Tickets and Show Details Performance Dates and Times: Jan. 13-16, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. ASL performance on Jan. 14. Matinee on Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. Location: Nelke Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $5 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 will present its third season of the OFF THE MAP: BYU International Arts Festival on Jan. 21-23. The festival consists of two unconventional theatre performances,Y2D Productions:LEO and Out of Balanz: Next Door. The shows will be presented back to back starting at 7 p.m. in the Nelke (Next Door) and Pardoe (Leo) Theatres, with Saturday matinees starting at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10, 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. Leo is a solo theatre piece that shows the journey of a man played by Julian Schulz whose world becomes physically unhinged. The production challenges reality and gravity through the clever interplay of vibrant acrobatic performance and high-tech video projection. Next Door follows Ivan as he contemplates what connects humans after his neighbor, whom he doesn’t know well, dies suddenly. The drama blends personal memories, shared stories and movement to create a low-fi, physical storytelling that celebrates connection, imagination and the significance of human relationships. BYU Arts Production Manager Jeffrey Martin is the brainchild behind the Off The Map series. Three years ago he recognized that BYU students were mostly exposed to conventional theatre. He felt that audiences could benefit from unique and sometimes bizarre productions from other countries. “There’s a strong interest in this kind of work,” Martin said. “At BYU we are curious about other cultures, which goes right along with our university’s mission. These performances are interdisciplinary and international.” Martin doesn’t just want attendees to be entertained; he hopes the experience will broaden their view of what theatre is and what kind of effect it can have on people. “When people are exposed to new ideas, or even old ideas told in new and exciting ways, they become more well-rounded,” Martin said. “These performances will be appreciated by everyone who attends.” These performances are sponsored the Utah Division of Arts and Museums; the Western States Arts Federation; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Mary Lou Fulton Endowment in Theatre and Media Arts; and by BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts at BYU, the university’s concert series that hosts world-renowned guest artists from across the globe. Performance Dates and Times: Leo – Jan. 21-23, 8:40 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 2:40 p.m. Next Door – Jan. 21-23, 7 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 1 p.m. Location: Nelke (Next Door) and Pardoe (Leo) Theatres, 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

Tickets to this winter’s BYU arts performances make the best Christmas gifts. And with 25 different events to choose from, you can sing, act or dance your way while you jingle all the way. Tickets for these performances are available for purchase through byuarts.com or by calling 801-422-2981.

The BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts and interdisciplinary Music Dance Theatre program will present the BYU premiere of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in the Pardoe Theater of the Harris Fine Arts Center, at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 19-21, 27-28, Dec. 1-5 and 8-10, with matinees on Nov. 21, 28 and Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. An ASL performance will be presented on Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, with discounts available for alumni, senior citizens, students, employees 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. This beloved musical tells the classic story of Belle, a provincial girl who falls in love with the cursed, monstrous prince who imprisons her father. Based on the Oscar award-winning Disney movie, this musical is a parable about looking upon a person’s heart rather than the outward appearance. Director George Nelson is excited to present this enchanting “tale as old as time” to the community because he believes this fairytale is an allegory for the redemption of the fallen nature in the heart of every human being. “This tale is universal because of the truths it reveals,” said Nelson. “Our retelling hopefully combines the magic of this amazing musical with the reality of the powerful influence for good real, selfless love can have on the human heart.” Based on Linda Woolverton’s book, the music is by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Other production members include Mark Johnson as musical director, Becky Phillips as choreographer, Lindsi Neilson as production stage manager, Benjamin Sanders as scenic and lighting designer, Shannon McCurdy as costume designer, Valeri Day as makeup hair designer, Taylor Glad as sound designer, Lizzie Mickelson as properties designer, Travis Coyne as technical director, Kasey Kopp as dramaturge and Theron Christensen as illusionist. Cast members include Johnny Wilson as the Beast, Twyla Wilson as Belle, Kooper Campbell as Gaston, Alana Jeffery as Mrs. Potts, Woody White as Lumiere, Scott Whipple as Cogsworth, Joseph Swain as Maurice, Tricia Zuskind as Chip, Cherie Kaufman as Madame De La Grande Bouche, Devin Neilson as Le Fou, Tierney Bent as Babette, Elsa Hodder as enchantress and Alex Hasse as Rug.

The BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present George Bernard Shaw’s classic comedy Misalliance, directed by Barta Lee Heiner, Nov. 5-7, 11—14, and 17—21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Margetts Theater, with matinees on Nov. 7 and 14 at 2 p.m. An ASL performance will be presented on Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

The BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts and the BYU Student Film Association present the Fall 2015 Final Cut Film Festival in the Pardoe Theater, Harris Fine Arts Center, on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets are $5,with discounts available for students, and 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. The BYU Final Cut Film Festival is a student-produced, student-created film festival. The festival will screen a collection of the best student-made fiction films, documentaries, commercials, animations and more. The purpose of this festival is to encourage students to create and watch meaningful and creative media. Festival submissions are open to all current BYU students. Two programs, each about 75 minutes long, will be screened each night, with an awards ceremony after the last screening on Friday. Program A: Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 9 p.m. Program B: Thursday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.

Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts is presenting an adaptation of the poetry of Kate Coombs from her award-winning children’s book, Water Sings Blue. The production started last week and continues Oct. 7-9 at 7 p.m., in the Margetts Theatre of the Harris Fine Arts Center. Matinees will be on Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The ASL performance will be this Thursday, Oct. 8. Tickets are $6-7, with discounts available for alumni, seniors, employees and students. 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. This charming play celebrates the ocean through pantomime and poetry. Teresa Dayley Love directs this play her imaginative adaptation using in-the-round staging that promises to be playfully interactive for the audiences of all ages. “I often think that the artist's job is to make people pay attention to the world around us,” said Love. “Through their work they shout, ‘Look! Do you see that? What do you think about that?’” The cast includes Haley Flanders, Danny Brown, Sierra Docken, Logan Ruesch, Michael Comp, Arianna Krenk, Oksana Poliakova and Britney Miles. The design and technical crew includes Teresa Dayley Love as director, Jennifer Reed as production manager/scenic designer, Britney Miles as stage manager, Jake Fullmer as assistant stage manager, Scott Jackson as props designer, Travis Coyne as technical director, Michael Kraczek as faculty design advisor, Michael Handley as lighting designer, Donnette Perkins as costume/makeup shot manager, Sarah Stewart as costume designer, Celia Rivera as makeup designer, Eric Kopp as house audio engineer, Jacey Gardiner as sound designer, Janine Sobeck as dramaturge advisor, Spencer Duncan as dramaturge, Mary Jane Wadley as cutter/draper, and Becky Wallin as outreach coordinator.

Shaun Parry will be presented with a BYU Alumni Achievement Award on Thursday, Oct. 8. Prior to the award reception, Parry will give a lecture entitled “Impossible Dreams I Didn’t Know Enough To Dream.” The lecture will be held in the Madsen Recital Hall at 11 a.m. Admission is free and the lecture is open to the public.

'Peace Officer,' a new documentary directed and produced by BYU faculty Brad Barber and Scott Christopherson, received a 3.5/4 star review by Sean P. Means of the Salt Lake Tribune this weekend. Read the review here. According to TMA's The Sound and the Fury: TMA faculty Brad Barber and Scott Christopherson's documentary, Peace Officer premiered in Utah on Friday at the Tower Theatre. Christopherson reported that the theatre was sold out for the premiere, with about 300 people attending. Because the story takes place in Utah, Christopherson felt like this was one of the most responsive crowd he’s experienced. On Saturday, the Provo police chief came to see the film. After the premiere, media arts alums Julian Acosta, Cole Webley, and Jared Harris (St. Cloud’s) threw an after-party. The film will screen at the Tower Theatre, 876 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, this week at 4:15 pm and 7 pm. The film will also show in Salt Lake’s Megaplex this weekend.

The Classical Greek Theater Festival of Westminster College will perform Sophocles’ tragic masterpiece, Electra as part of their 2015 tour in the de Jong Concert Hall on Sep. 21 at 5:00pm.Tickets are $11, with discounts available for alumni, seniors and students.

The latest Mormon feel-good movie, “Once I Was a Beehive,” is proving to be enjoyable for moviegoers both in and outside Mormon culture.The film tells the story of Lane Speer (Paris Warner), a 16-year-old girl whose father dies and mother remarries a Mormon. Speer goes on a week long, Bible-themed camping trip with other Mormon young women while her mom and stepdad are on their honeymoon.The film was released in select Utah theaters on Aug. 14.“We have been totally flattered and over the moon at the reception,” film director and writer Maclain Nelson said. “We knew we had something special, but to see people really grasp to the story, people who are going to see it for a second or third time, as a filmmaker that feels amazing.”See more at the Universe >>>>>> By Kjersten Johnson PHOTO: Lane Speer (Paris Warner) and Nedra (Barta Heiner) whittle wood in a scene of the film. The film is receiving good reviews from members of other faiths.

The Brigham Young University BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts series presents Kelli O’Hara, Tony Award—winning Broadway star of “The King and I,” in the de Jong Concert Hall on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7:30 p.m.Tickets are $25-55, with discounts available for alumni, seniors and students.

Incoming BYU faculty Robert Machoian’s film God Bless the Child was featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Filmmaker magazine and was made an official selection for South by Southwest. The film follows a family of five children ranging from age one to 13 years old over the course of a day after their mother abandoned them, forcing the eldest and only girl to handle her four younger brothers. Although the film is scripted, it has the style of a documentary. A scene from ‘God Bless the Child’ - PHOTO: ROBERT MACHOIAN Machoian’s film has a five star rating on iTunes and glowing reviews in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The New York Times praises the filmmakers for using their own children as the actors and letting their internal dynamics drive the action instead of creating characters, stating “their blooming personalities come through with a warm and wonderful immediacy.” Filmmaker magazine sat down with Machoian and his co-director Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck to discuss the challenges of making this film. Read more about the interview here.

BYU faculty Brad Barber and Scott Christopherson directed and produced Peace Officer, a documentary about the militarization of American police. The documentary follows the story of a former sheriff who started his state’s first SWAT but struggles 30 years later with what it has become. He investigates officer-involved shootings, as well as the shooting of his son-in-law, to discover the truth behind seemingly unrelated events. The film won the 2015 Documentary Feature Competition Grand Jury and Audience awards at the South by Southwest Film Festival, the David Carr award and Audience Award Best Documentary Feature at the Montclair film festival, the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and is featured as an exclusive on Apple trailers. The film will have its theatrical premieres in New York on September 16 and Los Angeles on September 18. After the premieres, the documentary will open in select cities. The film teaser is featured on Apple Trailers.

Music and the arts have always been a huge part of Marina Polonsky’s life. She was was born to a family of singers in Zaporozhye, Ukraine. Polonsky's brother is a singer and composer and her parents are singers who used to travel all over the USSR on live tours before they opened their own restaurant business. The family’s artistic influence led Polonsky to be passionate about stories, hoping that one day she would be able to inspire others with her creative talents. This week Polonsky will graduate in Media Arts from the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. Though it’s been hard living so far from family with the current tension going on between the Russian and Ukrainian government, she has enjoyed her time here at BYU and has appreciated the change she has seen in herself. BYU News’ Holly Kendall spoke with this artistic grad to get her story. Q: What was it like coming to BYU? Did anything surprise you? Marina Polonsky: Coming to BYU (BYU-Idaho actually, I transferred after a year) was one of the most positive life-changing events for me. First of all, it was my first time out of the country, first time on an airplane, and I definitely never thought I'd have to study in a different language. By the time I arrived in the states, I could understand around 70 percent of what the people were saying, but I had to take some time before responding since I had to translate my thoughts and try to put them into grammatically correct sentences. At first, the main struggle was seeing the differences in how people view their life; seeing how much people have. I feel like a lot of people here don't realize how much they have, most people don't take advantage of all these opportunities. I am able to do so many things here that I would never be able to afford on my own in Ukraine no matter how hard I would work. Q: How did you come to the decision to major in Media Arts? MP: Growing up I've always been into arts, at first I wanted to become a writer, then a painter, but my father always told me I'd be poor and unhappy if I did those things. I was always focusing on finding something else that I was talented in, that would bring me money and something I would enjoy. Eventually, I started studying 3-D modeling and animation, and that's how I came to BYU. Everything started while I was at BYU-Idaho though, when I got an email from BYU-Idaho Broadcasting and their supervisor told me that I'm the only person on campus that they know of who can do 3-D animation. So they invited me in for an interview. I was hired on the spot, but after doing it for money, I quickly realized that it was last thing I wanted to do. And so did my boss. He saw that, to put it lightly, I wasn't motivated. And to my big surprise, instead of letting me go, he put me on one of the cameras for the upcoming show. I have never operated a camera before but it has always been one of my dreams. When I was behind the camera for that BYU-Idaho show, I realized that it felt more right than anything I did before that. I felt like I belonged, and that was the moment when I realized that I could study that and do it for living. Nothing made me happier career-thinking wise. I knew BYU had a good film program, so after transferring, instead of applying for 3D animation program, I applied for Media Arts. It's been my second home since then. Q: Why were cameras of such interest to you? MP: To be honest, since I was little, the world of cinema was one of the most mysterious and magical things to me. I never even thought one day I could be running one of those incredible machines called cameras. I mean, think about it, you can capture a moment and then 50-60 years later you can watch it! How neat is that? The career of a filmmaker has always been something I could never even consider seriously. I thought of other filmmakers as some chosen people in a secret society. Q: What is your main focus in Media Arts? MP: My main official focus is narrative directing, but I've been studying and practicing everything from writing to post-production and about all the main areas of the craft. I don't want to be limited in my ability to create art that affects people's lives. Q: What led you to have a love for the arts? MP: The reason I love arts, especially film, so much is because I love stories. Storytelling is incredible. It's so powerful. Movies and all kinds of arts have always been inspiring to humanity. A film can let you observe and see something for yourself from a new perspective. It can teach you something, make you think, inform you, make you laugh, cry, etc. Movies impact who we become. So that's what I want to do, I want to help people all over the world to become better people, to become more connected, understanding, inspired, more aware and informed. We have a saying in Ukraine 'informed means armed.' I think the world would be a much better place if more people would be simply aware of more things about each other. Q: How would you describe your journey in achieving your degree? MP: I would describe it as a journey of finding myself and as a re-realization of everything I knew before. Every day, I learn or re-learn something about the craft and the human nature. Everything is interconnected. It's amazing. There has also been a lot of pain and struggle in my journey, which is exactly what brought all the great realizations and happy moments. I can definitely say I'm a very different person now compared to the person who came to the United States, daring greatly to try her luck and see what comes out of it. Q: What are some of your fondest memories from the time you’ve been at BYU? MP: The best memories were the moments of mutual vulnerability. In other words, the best memories were when I was understood in my hardest moments, instead of being judged by people who barely knew anything about me and my struggles. The moments when people really did care and showed it. The moments when people truly wanted to hear me out with an open heart. The moments when I would get support unexpectedly from some of my teachers. I can't thank them enough for their caring, their kindness, and their wisdom. Q: What do you want to do after graduation? MP: I want to make movies, whether fiction or non-fiction, that will drive people to tears of happiness and many realizations. I hope to shift someone's paradigm. I hope that when people walk out of my movies (whether I write them, direct them, or edit them) they call their old friend, their parents, someone they haven't talked to in a while and tell them that they love them. I want them to be willing to be more vulnerable, to be willing to get uncomfortable sometimes, to be willing to say sorry first, to reach out first. I hope I can convince them that life is beautiful and worth it. The world just needs more kindness and I feel like if the sky were the limit, I would like to reach out to as many as possible worldwide. But even if I succeed in changing one person’s life for the better - it would be just as meaningful. Source: BYU News