Skip to main content
Intellect

Newbery winner "The Giver" comes to BYU's Pardoe Stage May 27-June 13

Stars Barta Heiner in the title role

Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts presents “The Giver,” based on the Newbery Medal-winning novel, Wednesday, May 27 through Saturday, June 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center.

Dress rehearsals will be May 27 and 28, and matinees will be presented on June 4, 6, 12 and 13 at 2 p.m. There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays.

Tickets are $13 or $8 on weeknights and $9 on weekends with a BYU or student ID. Dress rehearsal and matinee tickets are $7. For tickets, call the Fine Arts Ticket Office at (801) 422-4322 or visit byuarts.com.

Eric Coble’s stage adaptation of Lois Lowry’s award-winning, young adult novel will explore the importance of choice. Set in a future society where the freedom of choice has been removed, young Jonas becomes the “Receiver of Memory” and realizes through memories that it is unfair to deprive people of making their own choices.

“Freedom of choice and the power of knowledge have long fascinated mankind and have inspired countless dialogues and analysis for many generations,” said director Jeff Martin. “What a fascinatingly simple observation — and one that is most likely taken for granted by all of us who enjoy the freedom to choose everything from what color of socks to put on in the morning to what to eat for lunch in the afternoon.”

The characters in the play are denied agency in order to prevent its possible and inevitable side effects — sadness, pain, war, heartache and dysfunction. What the community fails to realize in the process of trying to create a utopian society is that the other consequences of agency would also be abolished, namely love, hope, passion, discovery and compassion. The production will show that the end result is dystopian rather than ideal.

In the BYU production, the Giver will be played by Barta Heiner, Jonas by Stephen Holder, Lily by Chloe Fullmer, Asher by Trevor Elzey, Fiona by Hayley Walker, Mother by Bergen Goesch and Father by Chad Whatcott. The cast will also feature actors Cooper Fullmer, Christie Clark, Audrey Nelson and Clotile Bonner.

Directed by Jeff Martin, the production team includes Emily Ray, dramaturg; David Mortensen, production stage manager; Danniey Wright, scenic designer; Sharah Meservy, costume, makeup and hair designer; Marianne Ohran, lighting designer; and Troy Streeter, sound designer.

Audience members are welcome to join the cast and crew for a “Lunch ‘n’ Learn” activity 90 minutes before each of the four matinee performances. Theatre professors will lead discussion and activities to prepare patrons for the show. Patrons can bring a sack lunch or purchase a lunch for $6. For more information or to register, visit byuarts.com.

“I would really like everyone to read the book before they come to the performance,” Martin said. “It will enhance their experience as they study and talk about it beforehand — of course, we’ll welcome those who come without reading it, too.”

Writer: Angela Fischer

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Photographic memory: BYU boasts nation's top student photographer for third year in a row

August 05, 2025
One of BYU’s very own is the best student photographer in all the land. Information systems student Matthew Norton was just named the Student Photographer of the Year by the University Photographer’s Association of America.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Faith and flourishing in your life and work

July 29, 2025
Paul Lambert, the religion initiative director at the Wheatley Institute, shared in a BYU forum address how faith in Jesus Christ is more than just a personal foundation. It’s also a powerful force for good in the world around us.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

From Campus to Kayaks: BYU students teach local school children about Utah wetlands

July 28, 2025
Recognizing the wetland treasure of the Provo River Delta and hoping to share it with the rising generation, recent BYU graduate Josh Hammari developed a two-day camp to inspire wonder and environmental stewardship in 8-12 year olds.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=