Digital Commons Network^™

Scenic Design For “Topdog Underdog”, Austin Aschbrenner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 2019 production of Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks at the University of Arkansas was produced with a guest director who, throughout the process of the production, experimented with the typical perception of the Pulitzer Prize winning play and added conceptual spins to help open the eyes of the mostly small town and rural based audience. This thesis will explore the various elements of this particular production and which of these elements contributed to exploring the depths of Topdog/Underdog.

This document will analyze the design process of the University of Arkansas’s production of Topdog/Underdog, and will analyze specific design choices which …

Costume Design For "Life Is A Dream" By Pedro Calderon De La Barca, Kelsey Looney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis explains the process used to create and implement the costume design for the production of Life is a Dream produced at the University of Arkansas in the spring of 2018. In this thesis I will detail the process of moving from research, to renderings, to finished costumes. This design process includes a script analysis, inspiration collages, portrait gallery, sketches, renderings, production photographs, and an assessment of the success of the process overall.

Memories: The Lighting Design For “The Glass Menagerie”, Catherine Blencowe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents new ways of looking at an old classic by illuminating the emotions and hardship of the Wingfield family through the use of color and texture. The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams was presented at the University of Arkansas in September of 2017. The challenges of this production will be addressed as well as the achievements and areas of improvement of this production. Finally, this document will answer the question: How does color, texture, and the angle of stage lighting help heighten the emotions of the characters and engage an audience in the play?

Included are all the …

Wait, She's Alive?! Playing Characters Based On Real, Living People, Courtney Jensen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is for the performance of Sara Jane Moore in Assassins and for development, contributions, and performance of a new play written for our graduating class, A Hamlet: West of Why. This thesis also consists of my statement of artistry, documentation of artistic materials, and thesis related performance materials.

Rhythm And Movement: The Lighting Design For "Eurydice", A Living Poetic Metaphor, Emily Rachel Clarkson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will delve into the historical context, analysis, design process and execution of the lighting design for the University of Arkansas’ production of Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice. Special care will be taken to document an exploration of the challenges faced by this production during research, design meetings as well as throughout the implementation of this design. This document will seek to answer the questions: how does one design the lighting for a show that is in and of itself a metaphor? When each scene requires its own striking visual, how does the designer weave the play together so that it …

A Storm In The Port: The Process Designing Twelfth Night, Jacquelyn Ryan Cox

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to document the process and provide all the necessary materials for the realization of the lighting design for the University of Arkansas Department of Theatre’s 2015 production of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. This thesis consists of the following materials: designer’s script analysis, design concept statement, historical and evocative research, Vectorworks overstage plot, Vectorworks section plot, LightWright paperwork, cue sheet, final magic sheets, and process evaluation. The materials provided are necessary to the design team, the electricians who hang the light plot, and the designer in order program the cues. Archival photography is included …

Poor Relations: An Original Play By Robert Flaherty Hart, Robert Flaherty Hart

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to present my play, Poor Relations, to my thesis committee and discuss both the process of bringing it to the stage and the results of that process.

The dissertation opens with a narrative essay detailing the process of writing Poor Relations and bringing it to the stage in a full production. It discusses my initial idea for the play, the original draft and changes made after input from those at informal readings. It pays particular attention to the changes that were made during the rehearsal process for the full production.

Following is a copy …

Learn Your Lessons Well: A Director's Journey To Godspell, Brandon Dejuan Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following is documentation of my directorial approach and process leading up to the production of Godspell by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak, at the University Theatre in the fall of 2014. The chapters will include the script selection process, casting, analysis, and creative team discussions.

Jealousy, Manipulation And Murder: Designing The Costumes For William Shakespeare's Othello, Latricia Ann Reichman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis explains the process utilized to create and implement the costume design for the production of Othello produced at the University of Arkansas University Theatre in the Spring of 2011. Throughout this thesis I will illustrate how the costumes went from initial research ideas to sketches and colored renderings and finally to finished three-dimensional costumes. The design process detailed here includes an analysis of the play, production history, research, renderings, and an evaluation of the overall process.

Into The Fire: My Journey Into The Life Of John Proctor, William Dale Grayson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following is the record of my time working on the character of John Proctor in Arthur Miller's, The Crucible. I will discuss my approach in creating the role as well as my experience in the rehearsal room. The end of the paper contains a retrospective journal where I cover rehearsals and performance.

The Development And Production Of Justin Blasdel's Play Your Last Friend, Inc., Justin Morgan Blasdel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis details the process of the creation of the new script, Your Last Friend, Inc., a play about two conmen who realize that selling death isn't nearly as easy as selling life to the hopeless. It follows the many evolutions of the script; from the first version developed in the Graduate Playwriting class all the way to the final production at Boar's Head Players 2010 New Play Showcase at Nadine Baum Studios at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The playwright's choice to add humor to a serious topic is challenged, the characters actions face outside opinions, and …