Stage Management Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Share Your Story: #CFACGrad Cameron Cox

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 19:32:45 +0000

Graduating theatre student Cameron Cox reflects on his time at BYU What I appreciate most about having a major centered in the arts is that I can point to specific projects and performances that have shaped who I am as a theatre maker and what each performance taught me. I am disappointed to have the last year of my undergraduate cut short, but am happy to comply with responsible social distancing measures advised. Given my lack of a formal graduation and the opportunity provided by the College of Fine Arts and Communications #CFACGrad campaign, I would like to pay tribute to the academic opportunities my BYU experience has given me. My first BYU production was stage managing a student Mask Club production of Sarah Ruhl’s “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.” I was young and eager, and definitely had a learning curve realizing all of the different responsibilities that I would have to adopt as a part of this job. But the text was beautiful and introduced me to a subspecies of less mainstream theatre to discover. Working on this also provided me with the contacts to become a resident stage manager of the Nelke Experimental Theatre. That job has been the catalyst for my volunteer work on so many different Mask Club projects including stage managing a production of “The Little Prince,” which to this day may be the most successful concept execution of a student performance I have ever seen. This also allowed me to jump into the world of lighting design by working on a production of “Finding Nemo: The Musical” and “Lord of the Flies,” most recently. I was then somewhat thrown into the world of new play development, becoming the third stage manager in as many months of an original work entitled “happysadness.” This script tackled the difficult subjects of anxiety, depression and suicide with the stark juxtaposition of bright colors and puppetry. It may be the most powerful text I have been able to help bring to life. Anyone who worked on the project will agree that on several levels there were organizational shortcomings along with misunderstandings on every level. But I was taught the important lesson that shows that have the most obstacles put in front of them often have the messages that need to be heard the most. I was also later able to take my experiences working with a new work on tour as stage manager of “Romeo y Julieta.” My junior year I began to expand my interests. I continued to stage manage, starting with work on the production of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” But my close work with directors and dramaturgs on my previous productions led me to explore directing and dramaturgy as well. I found myself in the position of taking directing classes during the day and watching those principles at work in the evening. This process also helped me develop one of the skills I most treasure: the ability to make myself enjoy whatever I am working on. I will be the first to admit that absurdism is not my favorite genre, and I really struggled with “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern” at first. But prolonged exposure offered me the choice to either be miserable or expand my horizons. I chose the latter and developed a love of the text and the show we were creating, even if I still won’t be going out of my way to watch another absurdist piece. Concurrent to my work on “Rosencrantz” was my introduction to dramaturgy through Mask Clubs “The Twilight Zone’s The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” and “Weirder Things.” I am captivated by the flexibility of its scope and its potential to reach out so directly to audiences as well as to the rest of the production team. I packed my senior year with projects, and while at times I certainly felt overwhelmed, I could not be prouder of the work that I produced in this period. I stage managed the opera “The Magic Flute,” was assistant director on “Much Ado About Nothing,” lead dramaturg on BYU’s “Little Shop of Horrors” and directed a 35-minute Mask Club adaptation of the film “What’s Up Doc?” This year was a culmination of all of my experiences up to this point. Assistant directing “Much Ado About Nothing” was probably the most fun I have had in a rehearsal room ever. Watching my professor and peers put together this show was so informative. The love and sense of community that this cast was able to foster with one another epitomizes what I love about what live performance can do. The final product was also so good. This was the first time where the show I worked on did not require my physical presence for every performance, but I couldn’t stay away because I just wanted to see how the audience was going to react every night. “Little Shop of Horrors” is the most ironic project I worked on in my college career. As lead dramaturg, I was able to dive into a research hole about the history of the story and its various adaptations. I also had a really fun time exploring the history of science fiction as a genre and creating articles about it for the BYU dramaturgy website and an engaging study guide. I also created fun lobby displays that highlighted everything I love about dramaturgy. The irony is that despite all the work I put in, I never actually got to watch the show with an audience due to social distancing. I am very happy with the work I have done at BYU but the most rewarding project I did in my time here was the directing capstone Mask Club production of “What’s Up Doc?” that I staged in February. The idea of adapting that text for the stage came to me when I was in high school. Through my years working on projects at BYU, I compiled a list of what I think makes the most successful work. From that, I cast, rehearsed and mounted the show. I am so proud of what my cast was able to create and the final product that came together. This idea — five years in the making — was only possible because of the forum provided to me by the department and the experiences, also provided by the [...]

The post Share Your Story: #CFACGrad Cameron Cox appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

CFAC Students’ Talents Take Them Around the Country for Experiential Learning Opportunities

Morgan Reis — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 23:37:20 +0000

Students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications travel to gain real-world experience and share their talents while studying abroad, competing, performing and interning Each summer, students in BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications take the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom and make their mark on communities. From Washington to New York, these students are having inspiring learning opportunities all over the country. Read more about how students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications answered President Kevin J. Worthen’s call for inspired learning during May, June, July and August. Ti Ti Tabor Hungarian Folk Dance Camp (Courtesy of McCall McClellan) This summer, dance students McCall McClellan and Ashley Paget traveled to Washington to attend the Ti Ti Tabor Hungarian Folk Dance Camp. McClellan and Paget were able to improve their technique in Hungarian folk dancing, which they began learning during a class offered on BYU campus. “The opportunity to dance with more experienced partners and live musicians was incredible. It was definitely unlike anything I’d experienced before. This community of Hungarian dancers and musicians were passionate about their culture,” said Paget. “They loved what they were doing — always wanted to help and teach us as newcomers. I was humbled to see how much they honor their roots and realized I should embrace where my family comes from even more.” In addition, they were able to participate in various other activities on Raft Island — a small island in the Puget Sound — like singing, canoeing, exploring the local harbor town, swimming and forming lasting friendships. Camp participants also took a night swim to see a bioluminescent bay. Internship with Food Blogger Tara Teaspoon (Courtesy of Tessa Samuelsen) BYU public relations student Tessa Samuelsen headed to the Big Apple this summer for an internship with food blogger Tara Teaspoon (@tarateaspoon). Through this experience, Samuelsen was able to sharpen the skills she has already learned at BYU through the communications program. “I loved working on this side of public relations — in the recipe development and food styling aspect of the food industry,” said Samuelsen. “It’s a beautiful world, full of fascinating people and interesting foods. I learned so many things and got to acquire many new skills.” In addition to the time spent at her internship, Samuelsen visited famous locations throughout the city, tasted the unique cuisine and saw more of what New York has to offer. Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teacher Training (Courtesy of Ryan Hatch) Dance student Ryan Hatch participated in a teacher training program at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet School and Company (CPYB). This school is recognized for its unique style of teaching ballet and has been known to produce highly-talented ballet dancers. “I was really excited to participate in the CPYB teacher training because the school has such a unique philosophy on teaching ballet,” said Hatch. “The teachers believe that anybody can be a ballet dancer — as long as they put in the work and have the necessary training. In ballet history, people have believed that you need to have the perfect body in order to succeed. At this training, they broke down how to teach children to dance and become beautiful artists.” Hatch walked away from this experience as a more confident dancer and teacher, which will help him to inspire future ballet dancers throughout his career. “This experience has given me so much knowledge as a dancer and a teacher,” said Hatch. “This teacher training paired with my methods of teaching classes at BYU has prepared me to teach and inspire my students.” Communications New York Experience (Courtesy of School of Communications) School of Communications professor Joel Campbell and 23 students traveled to New York for an eight-week field experience. Their time spent in New York was structured around two BYU communications classes: “Media and World Religions” and “Gender, Race and Class in the Media.” From the heart of New York City to Palmyra, students were able to learn more about others from different religions, races and cultures. One of the highlights of the trip was touring the Chabad Lubavitch Orthodox Jewish Community and learning more about the rituals of Jewish bath and synagogue. The group also had the opportunity to visit Flushing, Queens, one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in America. At the end of their time in New York, they were joined by nearly 50 communication grads for an alumni dinner overlooking Times Square. Hollywood Bowl (Courtesy of Susan Kupferer) Recent TMA grad Susan Kupferer, the assistant stage manager for BYU’s China Spectacular! 40th anniversary tour, was able to apply what she had learned during her undergraduate studies at BYU to a real-world experience that most stage managers only dream of having. In early August, Kupferer had the wonderful opportunity to work at the Hollywood Bowl — one of the top 10 live music venues in the United States according to Rolling Stone Magazine. “Working at the Hollywood Bowl was an absolute dream,” said Kupferer. “I met and worked with so many amazing and incredibly talented people. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this show.”

The post CFAC Students’ Talents Take Them Around the Country for Experiential Learning Opportunities appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

China Spectacular Technicians Learn to Adapt, ‘Lift Where You Stand’ On Tour

Martha Duzett — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 19:59:09 +0000

Assistant stage manager Susan Kupferer discusses lessons learned on tour Behind 160 student performers, eight performing groups and an anniversary celebration 40 years in the making was a small — but resilient — crew of technicians. BYU’s China Spectacular wrapped on June 3 after six performances in Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai. Though BYU is known for its international reach and well-traveled ensembles, a tour of this scale was unprecedented for the university. For now-graduated theatre student Susan Kupferer and her husband Matthew, the tour also meant an unprecedented chance to grow as technicians. “We decided that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Kupferer, who served as the show’s assistant stage manager under theatre professor Jennifer Reed. “Everyone was talking about the collaboration involved and the celebration of 40 years of friendship between BYU and China, and we knew that we wanted to be a part of it.” Kupferer was no stranger to BYU tours — having worked behind-the-scenes for the Ballroom Dance Company the year before — but the China Spectacular presented her with many new experiences and challenges, including the task of packing and repacking hundreds of costumes to meet the 50-pound luggage limit for air travel. After countless hours of production meetings, rehearsals and painstaking technical preparation, Kupferer and the rest of the crew felt they had covered their bases. BYU was ready to take on China. Only there was a hitch. While the technicians, performers and supporting staff safely made the trip, many of the show’s technical elements failed to arrive with them — including the majority of the sound equipment, key lighting equipment, projectors and irreplaceable puppets that had been crafted specifically for the Cougarettes’ collaboration with Vocal Point — forcing both cast and crew to adapt, and adapt quickly. Though Kupferer’s duties as assistant stage manager were less affected than other technical roles, she felt compelled to step up and help those who were essentially starting over from scratch. “It was a major adjustment for everyone,” she said. “It was just one of those ‘lift where you stand’ times to try to help those people who were struggling to make the show happen. The equipment delay was stressful and complicated, but our production team was so awesome, so experienced and so talented.” Kupferer gives special credit to the problem-solving and perseverance of technical director Travis Coyne. Under his leadership, the crew rented all the equipment that could be replaced and worked to recreate the programming they had practiced in their campus performances. While their last-minute efforts were universally deemed worthy to be called a China Spectacular — and their original equipment did eventually arrive for the final two performances — Kupferer acknowledged that it was difficult to know what the show could have been. “We had planned and prayed about this show,” said Kupferer. “We made this show for these people, so why didn’t our equipment come through? Why couldn’t we give them the show that we planned?” In the end, the setback provided Kupferer with some of the most important career and life lessons that she will take from her time at BYU. “I think it’s so important to be able to recognize your potential, but it’s sometimes frustrating that you can’t be there quite yet,” said Kupferer. “This experience taught me that you have to work toward your potential — that’s what we’re all here to do. Heavenly Father requires a lot of hard things of us, but sometimes those things are put in our path so that we can learn from them. It’s our job to overcome them prayerfully and be able to learn and grow from them.” From a lesson in persistence to hiking the Great Wall to seeing friendships blossom across disciplines, Kupferer feels that the China tour truly was the trip of a lifetime she had hoped for. “I think people don’t realize how unique it was and how big of a difference it made to people over there,” she said. “You become family with the people you’re touring with, and we were there with 200 people. It was so cool to see everyone collaborate, share and connect. I learned how to be a support to others, to really bear each other’s burden and what it means to do that. One of my favorite things was to see the joy that we can find in each other.”

The post China Spectacular Technicians Learn to Adapt, ‘Lift Where You Stand’ On Tour appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.