A couple of weeks ago I took a small trip with my family to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. While we were walking around the park and doing some exploring I had some thoughts about how nature performs for us and how park rangers might sometimes be the dramaturgs of those performances.
Representation matters. Full stop.
“Who are you?” The infamous question asked by the Caterpillar in Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland poses a question that can be both shallow and deep, literal and philosophical. Two years ago, Wonderland, a modern-day adaptation written by Frank Wildhorn, opened at BYU. It is my largest project that I have worked on to date and the directing project that has probably changed my life the most.
“Thus throughout Fall Semester 2020, TMA will provide opportunities for its students, faculty, and staff to think, discuss, and learn deeply about race, equity, and inclusion. More specifically, we will labor together to understand how each of us can contribute to eradicating racism and thereby prepare a more Christ-like world for all of our Heavenly Parents’ children. TMA invites each of you to join us in this initiative. We look forward to standing beside you in this imperative work.” -BYU TMA Department
One of the most harmful practices in the arts community is gatekeeping.
When I grew up, I became a teacher, I work with writers, and I study history. So, how did I manage to do everything I wanted to do? I became a dramaturg.