The Jester: A Reflection
A week ago today I attended the closing night performance of The Jester in Provo, UT. This production dramaturgy experience was unlike any I had had before because of the physical distance between myself and the rest of the production team and actors. While they worked together in person on the show, I worked remotely from about four hours away. It’s kind of embarrassing to say this, but I didn’t even get a chance to see the show performed until I saw the show on closing night. It was a really great show to work on, but I think there is also a lot that could have been different in my experience.
What I Enjoyed About The Jester
The one thing that I’m extremely proud of is the study guide/program. I don’t have a lot of graphic design experience, so being completely in charge of designing the program was daunting and exciting for me. As I worked on the program, I often texted or emailed the producer for approval on each portion of the final product. I think I ended up sending him somewhere between 5-7 drafts before I finally sent the completed ready-to-print copy. I really enjoyed doing the research necessary to help bring the audience into the world of The Jester through the program. Hopefully, it was beneficial to audience members that there was (and is still) an extended version of the study guide available on this site.
How I Wish My Experience With The Jester Was Different
If anything could have been different, there are two things that I would have changed about this experience. First of all, I don’t know if I would choose to do it remotely again. Between my status as a remote collaborator and the outdoor venue with little to no service, it was hard to get me to attend any rehearsals virtually. I wish that I would have been able to attend rehearsals and that I could have helped more with the shaping of the show in any way the director may have needed. Secondly, I think it would have been really nice to have joined the creative team sooner in the process and helped with the development of the script. I love new play development and when I joined, the script was ready to go in its current iteration for this production. So, I wasn’t needed for any development-type role.
What’s Next
Although I am still at a far distance from this budding theatre company, I hope to see more of their shows and maybe work with them again somehow. I really appreciate the work that Corral de la Cruz Theatre Company is doing and I’m excited to close the book on this project and find out what is next for my dramaturgy practice.