Season tickets will be available for purchase beginning May 22 for renewals and May 30 for new orders. Individual tickets go on sale approximately four to six weeks before the first performance of each production. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office (with locations in the Harris Fine Arts Center and the Marriott Center), as well as over the phone at (801) 422-2981, or online at byuarts.com or byutheatre.byu.edu.
Featuring everything from improv and intrigue to inspiring musicals and even the amiable Anne Shirley, the upcoming year for Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts promises superb, thought-provoking theatre experiences for all ages.
Highlights from the 2017–18 season include the premiere of “Single Wide,” a witty and warm-hearted musical by BYU professor George D. Nelson. Directed and choreographed by Megan Sanborn Jones—an associate chair of the department—the musical is preceded earlier in the year by a production of the famed “Into the Woods.” Other highlights include “Romeo y Julieta,” a family-friendly, bilingual adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy, and “Mary Stuart,” which invites audiences to contemplate important questions of power and betrayal during the high-profile reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
"It is remarkable to me that all the actors, the stage managers, the designers, the dramaturgs, the technical crew, the assistant directors, and sometimes even the composers and musicians are all students," associate chair of the Theatre and Media Arts Department Megan Jones said. "The high caliber of these productions is a testament to the talent, skills, passion, and vision of BYU students."
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES | BYU YOUNG COMPANY
The Glorious Story Emporium
Directed by Patrick Livingston
Come one, come all to an evening of magical storytelling where the audience sets the plot in motion in Young Company’s first-ever long-form improvisation show! Perfect for all ages, this delightful play boasts a troupe of quick-witted actors who create a new story each night. Come again and again—new adventures take flight at every single performance!
Oct. 4–6, 11–13, 7:00 p.m.
Oct. 7, 14, 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.
ASL interpreted Oct. 5
Nelke Theatre
The Mill on the Floss
By Helen Edmundson
Adapted from the novel by George Eliot
Directed by Adam Houghton
Bold, brave, and beautifully theatrical, this imaginative stage adaptation of the classic 19th-century novel probes the coming-of-age story of Maggie Tulliver, a woman fractured by the restrictions of Victorian society. Making clever use of three actors in the same role to tell her story, the play brings emotional depth to this tale of love and loss in rural England.
Produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois.
Nov. 3–4, 8–11, 14–18, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 11, 18, 2:00 p.m.
ASL interpreted Nov. 9
Post-performance discussions Nov. 9 and 16
Margetts Theatre
BYU MUSIC DANCE THEATRE INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM
Into the Woods
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Directed by Dallyn Vail Bayles
Choreographed by Marin Leggat Roper
Music Direction by Randy Boothe
Mind the wolf, fear the witch, and look for the giant in the sky! Into the Woods is an extraordinary Tony Award-winning musical adaptation (and recent Hollywood blockbuster) of the classic tales of the Brothers Grimm. Sophisticated, enchanting, and full of unexpected turns, this fractured fairy tale explores the true power of wishes and unmasks the reality of what happens after they all come true.
Into the Woods is presented through special arrangements with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.mtishows.com.
Nov. 17–18, 29–Dec. 2, 5–9, 7:30 p.m.
Nov, 18, Dec. 2, 9, 2:00 p.m.
ASL interpreted Nov. 30
Post-performance discussions Nov. 30 and Dec. 7
Pardoe Theatre
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES | BYU YOUNG COMPANY
Romeo y Julieta
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Julia Ashworth
Young Company’s production of the world’s most famous and tragic love story recasts this conflict of miscommunication and distrust between two households in literal terms—they speak different languages. Romeo’s English and Julieta’s Spanish prove no barrier to true devotion. Creative staging and physical humor allow audiences of all languages to enjoy this bilingual tale of Shakespeare’s two star-crossed lovers in an entirely new way.
Feb. 7–9, 14–16, 7:00 p.m.
Feb 10, 17, 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
ASL interpreted Feb. 15
Nelke Theatre
SCHILLER’S HISTORICAL DRAMA
Mary Stuart
In a new version by Peter Oswald
Directed by Stephanie Breinholt
The relationship between two formidable, yet fragile women is laid bare in this modern version of one of the greatest historical dramas ever written. Loosely based upon the events surrounding Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland’s claim to Queen Elizabeth’s throne, the heart of the play is an imagined meeting between the two rulers that surprises with its contemporary insights into the nature of power, femininity, and kinship.
Mar. 9–10, 14–17, 20–23, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 10, 17, 24, 2:00 p.m.
ASL interpreted Mar. 15
Post-performance discussions Mar. 15 and 22
Margetts Theatre
Single Wide: A New Musical
Book by George D. Nelson and Maclain Nelson
Music and Lyrics by Jordan Kamalu
Additional Lyrics by George D. Nelson
Directed and Choreographed by Megan Sanborn Jones
Music Direction by Amanda Crabb
Katy may live in a tiny trailer in an even tinier trailer park, but that doesn't stop her from having enormous dreams. A story of challenge, determination, grit, and hope, this new musical makes its BYU debut following an acclaimed, sold-out run at the New York Musical Festival. Featuring a toe-tapping country/pop score, Single Wide will inspire you to reach for the stars and follow your dreams.
Mar. 23, 27–30, Apr. 3–7, 7:30 p.m.
March 24, April 7, 2:00 p.m.
ASL Interpreted Mar. 29
Post-performance discussion Mar. 29 and Apr. 5
Pardoe Theatre
FAMILY
Anne of Green Gables
Adapted by Peter DeLaurier
From the novel by L. M. Montgomery
Directed by Teresa Dayley Love
For more than a century, this beloved tale of the feisty, red-headed orphan has enchanted readers, young and old alike. Fast-paced and highly theatrical, this stage adaptation brings Anne Shirley’s story to life with her imaginative mind, inventive temper, sharp intelligence, and loving heart. Come follow Anne as she wins hearts and turns the stodgy, rural Canadian maritime community of Avonlea into a bright world of “kindred spirits.”
Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc., www.playscripts.com.
June 1–2, 7–9, 13–15, 7:00 p.m.
June 2, 7, 9, 15, 16, 2:00 p.m.
ASL interpreted June 8
Pardoe Theatre
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE | CLASSICAL GREEK THEATRE FESTIVAL
Ion
By Euripides
Rarely read and seldom seen in performance, Ion is formally a tragedy but with its mistaken identities, domesticity, and a happy ending, it might well be considered the first comedy (in the modern sense) in the Western tradition.
Mon., Sept. 25, 5:00 p.m.
de Jong Concert Hall
Pre-performance orientation lecture 4:00 p.m.
BYU MEDIA ARTS
Final Cut Film Festival
A yearly showcase of student-made films, featuring the best fictions, documentaries, commercials, animations, and more.
Oct. 12–13, 7:00 & 9:00 p.m.
Pardoe Theatre
BYU THEATRE NEW PLAYS
Microburst Theatre
By BYU Student Playwrights
Directed by George D. Nelson
Fresh and exciting, this showcase of short plays features new work by BYU students.
Nov. 30–Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 2, 2:00 p.m.
Nelke Theatre
BFA New York Showcase
A preview of performances by the BFA acting and music dance theatre (MDT) seniors who will travel to New York to present songs, scenes, and dances as an audition for industry producers and directors.
Apr. 12–13, 7:00 & 9:00 p.m.
Nelke Theatre
BYU SCHOOL OF MUSIC
A Grand Night of Opera
Two of Puccini’s one-act operas, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, are often performed together. Suor Angelica, a tragic story of a woman sent to a convent by her family after a scandal arises. Gianni Schicchi, a comedy, is a story of a family’s greedy endeavors to claim their deceased patriarch’s inheritance.
Oct. 21, 24–28, 7:30 p.m.
de Jong Concert Hall
Writer: Maddy French
