Little nifty secrets.

This is Mel, the playwright/producer of A Flickering. And this is our loverly show's blog. Very exciting, yes? We are three weeks away from opening, and we want to keep you all in the know as things progress. For starts... Where to start?

A lot of people ask me if the show is a comedy or a drama. My answer is yes. The show has got some heavy themes and asks important questions every artist needs to consider at some point, no matter her medium. And there is stuff — not to mention, people — in the show that is/are pretty funny. But then, that's how life is, right? An unexpected mix of light and dark. Ooh, that's a segue!

See, the play is about silent film — a medium which depended almost entirely on light. Light and dark. Good and evil. Black and white. Very literal terms, very extreme. A recent episode of the TV show Southland had a great line that went something like: "Everything at the Academy is black and white. We live in the gray." Naturally the show, and the line, are about police work. But the thought applies here, I think. This play has a number of characters living — choosing to live — in differing shades of gray, whether in regard to their career goals, their faith, or their relationships, as do we all. Even if think we are looking at a particular color — black or white — almost every thought or idea or decision touches on the gray. People are complex creatures. So are stories. It's the complexities that make us all interesting.

Well, that was unexpected and philosophical. I feel like I should remind you that the show is entertaining because, hey! It is. We have some fantastic people involved, both on stage and off, and we're going to introduce them to you over the next few weeks.

Naturally we'd love for you to come see the show! Tickets will be on sale online starting this coming Sunday, March 27th at www.provostage.org and will also be available in person at the Provo Theatre box office an hour before each performance. The show runs April 8-12 and 16-19 (dark Sundays). A few little nifty secrets I'm going to tell you right about now...

*Thursday, April 8th is a preview performance. Tickets for Thursday the 8th are only available at the door and are half-price — all tickets are $6.

*Friday, April 9th is our gala opening night! Which means there will be a party after the show involving cast, crew, and tasty edibles.

*There are 2 matinee shows — Saturday April 10 and 17 at 2:30 p.m. Regular ticket prices apply for single tickets. However, bring a friend and you can request the 2-for-1 matinee special.

*We are planning to have the occasional talkback, wherein you can meet the cast, director and playwright and ask questions (please don't throw tomatoes; I loathe tomatoes) if you like.

More goodies and secrets to come, so do follow our blog, and send it to all you friends. You can also follow me on Twitter, seeing as I'm going to not be able to talk about anything else but the show for a while. :)