Top Arts Experiences of 2014
I’m always enthralled and inspired at this time every year
by the “Best Of” lists which appear from mid-December through the holidays.
Critics, writers, and journalists take the opportunity to reflect back upon the
year gone by—its many beloved or long-since-forgotten experiences behind them.
This seems to be a good way to fill up the library and wipe the slate clean so
as to be ready to embrace a new year full of new experiences.
I, too, have decided to write a “Best Of” list. I am no
famous person, no highly regarded journalist, no esteemed writer, but I like
this idea of reflecting upon some of the experiences I’ve had over the course
of this year. And since I live and breathe the arts in my daily routine, I’ve
decided to make it a broad list, a list encompassing anything “artsy” that made
an impact on me this year. There were certainly many more than the ten listed
here, but these were some of the most memorable.
1. BIGMOUTH
(Jan. 11—Public Theatre, New York City)
This solo play from Belgium’s SKaGen
Theatre Company created a mashup of many of the great speeches in history,
juxtaposing them in a fascinating way and adding many layers of new meaning to
the powerful words as they were spoken out of context. I saw this play at Under
The Radar, a festival of contemporary, international theatre; my experience at
the festival a year earlier partly inspired and motivated me to start a
festival of my own in Provo, Utah, (shameless plug alert!) the second edition
of which takes place, Feb. 5-7, 2015.
2. OFF THE
MAP (Jan. 21-23—Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)
I started this small international
arts festival at BYU in order to create an opportunity for people in Utah
County to experience dynamic, exciting, international, contemporary theatre. I
was thrilled with the result from the festival’s debut in January, which
included performances of Alvin Sputnik:
Deep Sea Explorer from Australia’s The Last Great Hunt; a 30 minute solo
version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet performed
entirely in Farsi from Iran’s Leev Theater Group; and Translunar Paradise, a beautifully moving wordless play about love,
loss, and grief from the U.K.’s Theatre Ad Infinitum. These performances
showcased puppetry, media, mime, movement, and devised theatre—all things you
don’t get to see much of in Utah County on a regular basis, and certainly not
from professional, international ensembles.
3. A RAISIN
IN THE SUN (April 12—Barrymore Theatre, New York City)
I have long loved this play but, strangely
enough, had never had the opportunity in my life to see it performed live on
stage (I’ve read it several times and seen various filmed versions). It’s a
powerful 20th century essay on the state of the deflated American Dream.
It’s also timelier than ever. Headlined by Denzel Washington and Sophie
Okonedo, the show did not disappoint, and this production, in particular,
highlighted the humor in the script that I had not fully recognized before.
4. TRUE TALL
TALE (May 27—ASSITEJ World Congress, Warsaw, Poland)
Copenhagen-based Teatret Gruppe 38 makes
use of very bold theatrical conventions to tell stories for children. This is
the second production I have seen from this exciting company. This production
recounted a Danish folk tale narrated by a solo actor stationed in the middle
of the stage while all of the audience members rested in hammocks in a circle
surrounding her. It was a truly magical and unique experience.
5. AN
EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER (Sept. 5-6—Brigham Young University, Provo,
Utah)
In my work and in my life I always shoot for
the stars. Sometimes it takes a while for things to align properly, so when I was
finally able to bring Broadway star Sutton Foster to BYU (after patiently
waiting and working for three+ years to do so) it was a particularly satisfying
experience for me. I was thrilled with both her performances and her person. She
is as genuine and lovely as they come. Her warmth, skill, and range shone
brightly in her concerts at BYU, and the equally lovely and talented Megan
McGinnis and Michael Rafter proved the perfect additions to a perfect weekend
of performances and interactions.
6. BYU BALLET
SHOWCASE (Nov. 7—Brigham Young University)
My experience with, and knowledge of,
ballet (especially contemporary ballet) was virtually non-existent before I
began working as the presenter and a producer of performing arts at BYU seven
years ago. During that time I have enjoyed watching the ballet program in our
Dance Department grow and mature as they’ve taken risks in their programmatic
work. The result was this captivating and surprisingly polished and
professional performance of contemporary work. It was a very exciting night of
dance to behold in Provo!
7. OUR TOWN
(Nov. 21—Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)
Like A Raisin in the Sun, I had never yet had the opportunity to see a
live performance of this classic American play until we produced it at BYU this
fall. Directed by Stephanie Breinholt with a delicate yet clear hand, the
performances, design, and filmed moments collided to create one very special,
magical experience.
8. THE
SCOTTSBORO BOYS (Dec. 10—Garrick Theatre, London)
This underrated musical is a
powerful examination of race and justice in America. Told through the use of 19th
century minstrelsy as its theatrical device, the show forces us to examine our
relationship with topics not the norm for musical theatre, which is exactly why
I loved it. Director Susan Stroman’s creativity continues to impress at every
level, in a career full of extraordinary accomplishments. I found it especially
interesting in her program note when she mentioned that the creators of the
show, Kander and Ebb, used various
specific theatrical conventions to tell some of their stories, including
cabaret in Cabaret, vaudeville in Chicago, and now minstrelsy in this
show.
9. MESSIAH
(Dec. 10—Cadogan Hall, London)
I’m working on a collaboration with
the London-based choir Tenebrae, so I traveled to the U.K. to catch their
performance of Handel’s masterpiece recently. Joined on the program by the
London Chamber Orchestra, the result was a beautiful and exciting rendition of
this choral masterwork, the first time I had ever seen Messiah performed in its entirety by a professional ensemble.
10. ONCE (Dec. 11—Phoenix Theatre, London)
I don’t know why it took me so long to
finally see this show, but I’m so happy to have caught a performance while in
London a few weeks ago. The creative staging, haunting and beautiful music, and
stellar performances made it clear to me why this love story has been such a
hit in London and the United States.
Some of the other cool experiences I had this year include John Lithgow's visit to BYU in February for a performance of his one-man show, Stories by Heart. He also took part in a Q&A with our students while he was on campus, which everyone really enjoyed. I also got to spend a lot of time with two-time Tony Award winning composer Frank Wildhorn, which has led to a very exciting next step in my life and career.
Some of the other cool experiences I had this year include John Lithgow's visit to BYU in February for a performance of his one-man show, Stories by Heart. He also took part in a Q&A with our students while he was on campus, which everyone really enjoyed. I also got to spend a lot of time with two-time Tony Award winning composer Frank Wildhorn, which has led to a very exciting next step in my life and career.
