Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The North Pool, Matthew Mintz

Honors Theses

The North Pool is set in Sheffield Massachusetts, in a typical American public high school. The entirety of the show takes place on Friday, April 13, 2007. The play takes place during spring time, so it can be assumed that it is mildly warm but not too hot. Specifically, it is known that the meeting time between the two protagonists, and the start of what the audience witnesses, begins at 4 in the afternoon. In terms of evaluating the economic environment, the most valued thing throughout this play is the memory of Lia Whinston, the student who committed suicide. She …

Documentary Theatre: The Bridge Between Radical Performance And Dramatic Interpretation, Baxter Chaney

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Art Of The Dress: How Getting Into Costume Affects An Actor’S Self-Perception, Ella Embry

Honors Theses

Both actors and psychologists devote enormous amounts of time to understanding how people think, act, and respond even if for completely different reasons. While there are psychological studies that look at the way clothing influences attraction, aggression, and attitude, none of it looks critically at theatrical performance. Costuming is a vital part of the theatrical process that has yet to be studied empirically. As such, my study is an inter-disciplinary endeavor dedicated to developing an understanding of exactly how and whether costuming affects an actor’s personality perception as a way to contribute to the field of psychology, future theatrical performances, …

The Examination Of A Magic Show In Its Past, Current, And Future Forms Based Around A Recorded Performance Before A Live Audience, Armory Hermetz

Honors Theses

This project is an analysis and reflection on a magic show performed by myself before a live audience and recorded for documentation. It is a snapshot in time of my progress as a performer at a particular point in my career as a magician. In this paper, I detail my current philosophies on the performance of magic and the reasons why I made certain decisions regarding the structure of the show and the routines I performed. In addition to this, I also discuss adaptations that I have made to these routines since the performance. The analysis is based entirely on …

Drama As A Tool For Addressing Cultural Stereotypes, Elizabeth Smoak

Honors Theses

In children’s drama and literature, Native Americans are rarely represented fully and accurately. Generalizations and stereotypes have lead to severe misunderstandings and an underappreciation for Native American cultures, even in areas rich with their history. This research study sought the efficacy of classroom drama strategies on classroom learning, particularly using storytelling to further children’s understanding of Native American culture. The results show that drama and storytelling can be effective ways to teach children about other cultures by keeping students engaged, promoting participation, and allowing students to make connections and explore learning on their own.

Authoritarian Pedagogical Practices In Dance Teaching And Choreography, Charlotte Carmichael

Honors Theses

This paper examines the authoritarian pedagogical practices found in educational settings and more specifically, in Western classical and contemporary dance training and rehearsals. These practices have been a part of dance for centuries, and their legacy has had severe impacts on the ethical, psychological, and political undercurrent of students’ educational and professional experiences. First, the historical roots of authoritarian teaching techniques are presented. Next, the ways in which dance teachers and choreographers employ authoritarian teaching behaviors are considered and examined. Finally, in hopes of providing a better template for the future, an overview of the ways in which some dance …

Planning A Year End Formal, Anna Volkman

Honors Theses

The intended outcome of this project was to create an event not only to celebrate the successes of the Department of Dance at Western Michigan University, but also to gain visibility for the student-ran organization, Orchesis Dance Society while emphasizing the power art has to unify communities. This project is an example for the organization and the Department of Dance as to how events like this are important for visibility, community involvement, and the celebration of art’s power. I created a year-end formal as an example of how art brings communities of people together and should be celebrated in order …

A Written History Of The Western Michigan University Department Of Dance, Amy Russell

Honors Theses

This historical, introspective telling of the Western Michigan University’s Department of Dance examines its development in relation to dance in higher education and dance across the United States. An analysis of the development of dance at Western Michigan University in comparison to other universities and the dance field was conducted by studying professional influences in the field and evolving social, educational, and industry trends. Research from texts written by respected dance scholars was collected, and trade journals were consulted for information regarding current trends in the dance field. Archival research at the Western Michigan University Zhang Legacy Collections Center: Archives …

Accessibility In The Theatre, Allison Austin

Honors Theses

In the fall of 2016, I received the opportunity to participate in the Chicago Semester. Through this program, I was able to participate in an internship at a theatre in Chicago and get credit hours from that instead of academic classes. I interned at Lifeline Theatre in Chicago's northernmost neighborhood, Rogers Park. Most of what I did was box office work, but I also worked on financial reports, marketing, and a little bit of everything it takes to run a theatre. Of all the things I learned during the semester, the most important one was the need for accessible theatres. …

Acting In A Global Context: Characterization From The Physical Context Of Shakespeare's Spaces, Anna Joie Valdez

Honors Theses

The proposition that the Elizabethan theatre space, with its lack of a "fourth wall" the delivery of Shakespeare's works is nothing new. From a technical standpoint, scholars have also suggested that analysis of the spoken text implies stage directions for both actors and technicians. These approaches are still used by directors at the New Globe in London, England, and are a heavily emphasized point in the curriculum of the Globe Association. Actors are encouraged to embrace the intimate proximity of the audience and the configuration of the balconies as a major influence in their delivery of the text.

There still …

Collaborative Storytelling With Different Artistic Mediums, Andrew Martin

Honors Theses

I play a card game called Magic: The Gathering. The tasks of the art director of the cards and the creative process they utilize is fascinating to me. Through researching my favorite card game and through the creation and design of Painting the Roses Red, a theatre production at Ouachita Baptist University that took place in February of 2018, I have found several similarities between the art direction of Magic and the direction of Painting the Roses Red. In the following, I will compare the two artistic mediums, and describe my design process for the Cheshire Cat puppet for Painting …