Sylvia Loehndorf and Dr. Eric Samuelsen, Theatre Media Arts

The five weeks I spent in Europe completing the primary research and performance of Enchanted April afforded a different research focus than I had originally intended. The program’s director changed the format of the endeavor before rehearsals ever began. What originated as an endeavor in primary research as it relates to performative dramaturgy quickly became an experiment in compromise and creative downsizing. The story of Enchanted April has three manifestations: a novel, a stage play and a motion picture. When I was cast in the production, I was commissioned by the director, Lynda Linford, to take part in blending the best moments from the three respective manifestations into one coherent script. The final product was to be performed a promenade at two separate stately manor homes in the English countryside.

In the months before our performance, Linford found an adaptation written by Matthew Barber. She used that script in whole to professionally mount a production at the Lyric Theater in Logan, Utah. With the success of that performance, she decided we should use the same script for our performance. I received the script one month before we met in Northampton to begin rehearsals. We discussed adding scenes to the performance to hold onto the adaptation aspect of the production, but because of limitations related to time and resources, Linford eventually decided against that option. Our adaptation was therefore limited to nuances we could add through our understanding of our respective characters. Finding the foundation for these nuances brought me to my new research focus. I became extremely interested in the possibilities that primary research can provide an actor and theatre practitioner. As I was cast as a native English woman who finds rejuvenation and new found purpose by means of a month long holiday to Italy, I was thrilled by the expanse of knowledge gained by the opportunity to travel and experience these otherwise foreign and distant environments.

Despite the adjustments that both director and cast had to make in regards to the performance, participation in this production still provided the opportunity to experience first hand such locations as the Italian Riviera and the English countryside as well as London. The travel expanded our understanding of the locations and culture which added layers to our character development. These depths could not have been reached by merely sitting in a rehearsal hall in Utah. The manor houses we performed in gave us many levels as well. Each venue had several spaces in and around the manor to help the audience participate in the travel of the characters. The audience was invited to make the journey along with the actors. Audiences sat in tight, cramped rooms while watching the home lives of the characters in London. Then, audience and actors moved a promenade to the breathtaking grounds of Kelmarsh manor which represented the rejuvenating environs of the Italian Riviera. The production that resulted was a transfixing, and yes even enchanting, evening for all involved.

This experience leads me to recommend that BYU begin its own performance abroad program. While BYU’s Theatre Study Abroad program provides an unprecedented experience to familiarize oneself with London, the unrivaled theater capital of the world, we have yet to develop a hands-on performance based opportunity for those looking to enhance and enrich their acting training. Despite the shortcomings of this particular production, it is clear that primary research-based performance abroad programs provide an unmatched education in the conception and execution of effective and innovative theatre. It is my desire that BYU considers the unforgettable benefits that a program similar to this can and will provide.