Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Conclusion, Neda Spalajkovic

Theses and Dissertations

The Conclusion is a final exploration of discoveries I have made in the process of designing three different stories in three different forms. This thesis examines all creative and analytical processes I have gone through as a designer in theatre. It also highlights the collaborative process, its importance, and at the end, speaks about the final product, its sustainability and influence. The design works included in this thesis are: costume design for The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht directed by Steven Pearson in Fall 2015, scenic design for The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, directed by Robert Richmond in Spring 2016, …

Voice In Screenwriting: Discovering/Recovering An Australian Voice, Rosemary Kaye Ferrell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This creative practice research explores the concept of an identifiable screenwriter’s voice from the perspective of screenwriting as craft, proposing that voice can be understood and described based on its particular characteristics. Voice is understood to be the authorial presence of the screenwriter, whose mind shapes every aspect of the text. This presence is inscribed in the text through the many choices the screenwriter makes. More than this, the research argues that the choices made inflect the text with a cultural-national worldview. This occurs because of the close association between voice and personal (including cultural/national) identity, and because of the …

An Evaluation Of Scenic Design, William Baxter Engle Iii

Theses and Dissertations

“…Allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster… Strangely enough, it all turns out well… I don’t know. It’s a mystery” -Tom Stoppard

I embraced this quote a long while ago in a moment of disgust and defeat while working through a flawed process of making theatre. Everything takes too long to complete, nothing works right the first time if ever at all, and ultimately the entire process is a maddening mess. It seems to me that the study and practice of the trade can work …

Obsidian In Sand: A Reflection On Tokenism And The Fight For Visibility In Predominately White Spaces, And A Declaration That Black Lives Matter, Dimitri Jai Woods

Theses and Dissertations

As with most art in academia, the term “Abstract”, as a sort of summation of the proceeding discussion, does not quite fit. What you may experience in the following pages is more akin to my attempt at staying true to the artistic nature of my thesis project, while “reflecting” on it in a pseudo-academic tone. I put the word reflecting in quotation marks, as I do not truly feel as if this project is, or ever will be complete. It is (rather, intends to be) an ever-growing, ever-evolving experiment in expression. Luckily for you, this is being written after some …

Where The Light Shines Through, Rachel A. Sheets

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is an analysis of my journey as a lighting designer studying at The University of South Carolina’s graduate program. This paper examines to the successes and failures of my realized practicum productions while attending the university and my concluding professional internship at The Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Faustus Revisited: A Cultural, Historical, And Artistic Study, Ryan Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines plays by Christopher Marlowe, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and David Mamet about Faustian figures. All three authors use the idea of a “deal with the devil” as an inspiration to examine human nature and hubris, but did so in distinct ways shaped by their personal styles, historical eras, and personal philosophies. By examining the common ground, and the areas of deviation, in these three plays separated by hundreds of years, this study will isolate and identify the key aspects of a Faustian Pact. Whereas Marlowe views Faustus as a rebel, whose fall from salvation comes due to …

Costume Design: Communication Through Dress, Rachel Amanda Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

Costume Design: Communication Through Dress represents my experience as a candidate in the University of South Carolina’s Master of Fine Arts program in Theatre Design, with an emphasis in Costume Design and Technology. During my time in this program, I worked closely with Professors Lisa Martin-Stuart and Nic Ularu to practice text and character analysis, rendering techniques, communication and the execution of designs from concepts on paper into three fully realized productions.

This thesis explores the design process behind three shows produced by the University of South Carolina’s Department of Theatre and Dance: Translations by Brian Friel, Blithe Spirit by …

Persons: A One Woman Play, Rachel Kuhnle

Theses and Dissertations

The contents of this paper include the complete script of Persons: A One Woman Show and a description of the research, editing, rehearsal process and performance experience with analysis. I will expound on the ways in which the writing and producing of a solo show utilized the skills obtained by my Master of Fine Arts program.

We Sit As Kings, Josh Jeffers

Theses and Dissertations

We Sit As Kings is a solo performance piece that explores the exclusion of certain peoples in 1515 London, 2015 Europe, and the potential rise of power of those who choose to exploit the inbred fear of these people. The piece uses texts from Thomas More, partially written by William Shakespeare and transcripts from BBC news. The play was inspired by an accidental discovery of Sir Ian McKellen performing the final monologue.

April 26th., Carin Bendas

Theses and Dissertations

April 26th. is a solo theatre piece that takes the audience on a journey through a few moments in the lives of seven Jewish individuals across space and time. It is inspired by the struggles and survival of the Jewish people throughout history, with special inspiration from the playwright’s Bubie and Zadie, Ruth and Morry Hecht.

Main Line, Michael Pepp

LSU Master's Theses

Main Line was developed as a 20-minute solo performance piece by the influence of my graduate training at Louisiana State University’s M.F.A. acting program. The writing and the performance of this project served as a graduation requirement as well professional experience and exploration of my personal aesthetics of storytelling, actors craft, production design, and independent theatre making. This thesis acts like a guide to my process of devising theatre. I was inspired and determined to produce work that was meaningful, political, and entertaining. Main Line explores the narrative of black experiences within a New Orleans culture that centers the movement …

The Machine Gun Hand: Robots, Performance, And American Ideology In The Twentieth Century, Benjamin Michael Phelan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Twentieth-century Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser argued in his famous essay “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses” that capitalism reproduces itself by interpellating individuals as subjects. For Althusser, the subject has a dual definition: a person who imagines him or herself to be a free subject who then “chooses” capitalism, and a person who, once they have “chosen” capitalism, gives up their free will to the Subject (Law, God, Authority, the State). This dual definition of the subject mirrors the dual definition of “robot.” A robot is both a mechanical being that moves on its own and a person who acts in …

A Man Without: A Search For Personal Identity, Nitin Govindrao Mane

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis documents the process of devising, writing, rehearsing, and performing a solo show named A Man Without. The play depicts the posthumous trial of a multi-religious man named Neelkanth Khan. To be freed from limbo, Neelkanth must defend his life before Jesus, Krishna and Allah. Unfortunately, Neelkanth loses his case; yet another failure for a man whose life was a series of failures due to his circumstances and his character flaws. On the thematic level, this story implies that mankind’s failure to understand religion and the Gods leads to religious fanaticism. The backbone of this project is the training …

The Treasure Of Welks-Kreer, Lance Rasmussen

LSU Master's Theses

This paper is intended to document the process of developing and performing The Treasure of Welks-Kreer, a one-man show written by Lance Rasmussen in fulfillment of the requirement for his Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree at Louisiana State University. Harkening back to the memories of his childhood and his current passions and interests, Lance wrote The Treasure of Welks-Kreer as a story of hope and exploration. The story follows The Metaphor, a superhero who finds himself transported back to the basement where he used to play table-top roleplaying games with the group of friends who eventually formed his …

Terrible Telegrams, Cara Lindsay Reid

LSU Master's Theses

In compliance to the curriculum at Louisiana State University and Swine Palace’s Actor Training Program, M.F.A. Acting candidates are required to create and develop a one-person show. The objective is to foster the actor’s creative virtuosity and to give them the confidence, capability, and skill set to continue to create their own work after graduation. My play is about Lucy James, a recent college graduate, who moves to New York to follow her dreams of becoming an actress. Lucy's love for the craft is challenged when she takes a demoralizing job and her life begins to spiral out of control. …

An Exploration Of Musical Theatre Vocal Technique And Style 1950 - Present, Emily Slomovits

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

My Honors Thesis Recital is the culmination of my study of how singing techniques and styles have changed in musical theatre since its Golden Age in the 1940's and 50's from a semi-classical, operatic style and technique, to a sound much more infused with jazz, pop, rock, and other contemporary music styles. This recital explores works by some of the greatest musical theatre composers and lyricists, starting with giants like Rodgers and Hammerstein and Leonard Bernstein, and working up to present day with modern greats like Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, and Jason Robert Brown. I will demonstrate the evolution of …

Dialogue Not Diatribe: Methods For A Practice Of Socio-Humanitarian Playwriting, Siobhan Dow-Hall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This dissertation is the result of a practice-led research exploration of how creative writing practice may be expanded and developed with particular application to the writing of what I refer to as socio-humanitarian drama. I have developed this notion to promote discussion and consideration of specific issues of social justice and human rights within playwriting. While this practice-led research enlisted reflective practice in the task of developing and extending my own writing practice, this dissertation does also outline specific, practical modes of creative process, or exercises, that could be applied more broadly for others who may seek to develop their …

The Reinvention Of Tradition: Transformation Of Chinese Water Sleeve Dance And Tai Ji In Contemporary Performer Training And Performance Making, Min Zhu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this practice-led research was to investigate the nature and characteristics of the notion of reinvented tradition in China through the examination of dance practices. First, this research focused on the continuity of tradition demonstrated in the development of Chinese classical dance. Second, it concentrated on the malleability and applicability of two representative Chinese cultural dance practices, water sleeve dance and Tai Ji, in contemporary performance and performer training.

The central concept behind this research was the commonly held perception in China that “tradition is a river” (P. Huang, 1990) in the context of the Chinese dance …

Directing Through Dialogue: A Theatre Director’S Exploration Of Leadership, Gabrielle Frances Metcalf

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The esteemed position that a director holds in the creative process is a recent phenomenon. It emerged towards the end of the 19th century. Then, the role of a theatre director encompassed the idea of a single, creative force, coordinating and controlling the elements of a production. Not much has changed. Despite the significance of the role, the literature is largely silent on how a director directs and how a director leads. The paucity of research on the director’s leadership style reflects the way in which the practice of directing occurs — behind closed-doors. Its private nature can deter and …

Tracing The Ancestral Roots And The Flow Of Pedagogical Practices In The Development Of Ballet Teaching From 1950 To 2016 In Perth, Western Australia, Diana C. M. Beck

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the history of dance, that of ballet is but a fragment. The art of ballet is affiliated with the arts of music, literature, and those of the visual arts: its international history covering some 500 years. This thesis spotlights Perth, the capital of Western Australia (WA) and one of the world’s most geographically isolated capital cities. Throughout its balletic history of less than a century, Perth has seen rapid growth in this art form. As in all the arts, pedagogic rules act as guidelines for the teaching of traditional ballet vocabulary; consequently, in order to understand this development and …

Bridging The Great Divide: An Exploration Of Postmodernism In The Guitar Music Of Nigel Westlake, Melissa Claire Fitzgerald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research explores the tension between ‘elite’ and ‘popular’ musical styles in eight significant works of guitar music by Australian composer Nigel Westlake; namely Antarctica, Songs from the Forest, The Hinchinbrook Riffs, Six Fish, Shadow Dances, Shards of Jaisalmer, Jovian Moons, and Mosstrooper Peak. Through detailed analysis and recorded musical performances, consideration is given to the extent that these works bridge the aesthetic divide identified by Adorno, Jameson, Huyssen, and others; exploring their potential conformity to notions of postmodernity in music. The argument is advanced that Westlake has created a musical language …