Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Reese Witherspoon: A True Role Model, Vanessa Hemmen

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

A profile of Reese Witherspoon.

Performance Of The Role Of Stanley Kowalski In Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, William Justin Walker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The truth in acting comes from living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. For partial fulfillment of my degree, I sought to bring this truth to the stage for the role of Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. In addition, I played the role of Reach in Lee Blessing's Down the Road.

Guys And Dolls: The Process Of Becoming Sky Masterson, Peter Colombatto

Theses

In order to satisfy the requirements for a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Lindenwood University, I was required to perform a leading role in a production. In addition to the rehearsal and performance process, I am required to submit a thesis paper to supplement my experience. My proposal to perform the role of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls was accepted and the process began in the fall of 2012. Contrary to popular belief, Sky is a complex character that is more than just a typical leading male. Throughout the rehearsal process I was able to explore new …

Decoding Acting Vocabulary, Daniel Granke

Theses and Dissertations

This paper compares seemingly similar words from a variety of acting teachers, and shows how it is impossible to draw clear comparisons between words that are often used as synonyms. The paper is a reflection of the journey from believing in translation to recognizing its impossibility. In Chapter 1 we focus on one of the most common elements in actor training, Attention/focus/concentration, and analyze the shades of meaning in those words and the difficulty of talking about them in isolation. In Chapter 2 we look at the way in which semiotic analysis can explain the words resistance to equivalence. In …

Shimmers Of Truth In The Art Of Theatre, Natasha M. Goetz

Senior Honors Theses

Many Christians have noted Romans 1:20’s statement that God is reflected in His creation. As a theater student, I have found this to be true even in how theatrical artists actually execute their craft. Thus, for my senior honors thesis I have decided to further study this connection between the Lord and theater, for which I expect to find more of what I have already found in parallels between the Christian walk and theater arts. For the completion of this thesis, research for theatrical content will include acting and design, and research for biblical content will include the Bible and …

Theatre Triad: An Approach To Devising Collaborative Ensemble Theatre, Keith G. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

Theatre Triad is a new approach to devising collaborative ensemble theatre starting with the three main components of Performance: Voice, Movement, and Text. These components were deconstructed and reconstructed in pairs as the basis for the devising process. The performance process begins with creating an ensemble followed by four steps: exploring the theatrical genres affiliated with the pairings of Voice and Movement, Movement and Text, Voice and Text, and completed with reintegrating all three components. Through this process many things occur, a new play is created, ensemble members focus on exploring the elements of acting and performance, and a strong …

Schubert Revealed, Fort Wayne Philharmonic - Actor, Victoria Zischke

Victoria A Zischke

No abstract provided.

My Von Trapp Family Life - Actor, Victoria Zischke

Victoria A Zischke

No abstract provided.

Developing New Works For The Stage: An Actor's Perspective, Lauren Butler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

U.S. Theatre is often noted for its commitment to new play development. Since Eugene O’Neill, America has fostered a tradition of celebrating emerging playwrights and their bold, edgy new works through countless development programs such as festivals, new play readings, grant programs, workshops, and world premieres. Although in recent years new-play development has seen a steady decline in funding (Levitow 2), it remains a cornerstone of American identity and an essential medium for pushing boundaries in theatre, both culturally and artistically. New-play development is indispensable for keeping theatre relevant in our everchanging culture. For my thesis, I explore the process …

Attention Must Be Paid: A Critical Study Of The Non-Traditional Leading Man In Twentieth Century Drama, Trevin Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of the non-traditional leading man has painted a strong image which mirrors the cultural development of our identities; we turn to these men/characters to understand who, or why, we are. Their contributions require acknowledgement. This thesis is a study of the vital role the non-traditional leading man has played in the evolution of twentieth-century theatre. It will examine, through the use of ten plays, one from every decade of the twentieth century, and twelve male roles, the theory that some of the greatest leading male characters in modern theatre are not epitomized by the qualities identified with the …

9/11: We Will Forget, Jason Nettle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is based on the events of September 11, 2001. I will be writing a one man show containing fictional characters that I will write based on research of that day. The show will consist of numerous characters cut from different ages, religions, genders, and points of view. I will be portraying these characters using the tools I have acquired in studio and on stage. The challenge will be to make each character different and bring their experience and unique point of view to the performance. This study will begin at conception of the idea and follow the journey …

Suzan-Lori Parks: Essays On The Plays And Other Works Edited By Philip C. Kolin (Review), Jocelyn Buckner

Theatre Faculty Articles and Research

The anthology Suzan-Lori Parks: Essays on the Plays and Other Works offers new perspectives to the growing body of scholarship about Parks’s artistic achievements. The text features a contextualizing preface and twelve new essays about her plays, novel, and screenplays. It also contains two new interviews, one with Parks herself and another with her longtime friend and collaborator, director Liz Diamond, as well as a timeline featuring major productions of her works from her first play reading in 1984, to projects anticipated for future production on stage and screen. While Parks’s works, and works on Parks are widely anthologized in …

An Actor's Approach: Stepping Into A Role And A World Of The Past, Danielle Gosselin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To step into a character and a world of the past, the actor must not discard the present, but seek to find connections and links between the worlds. I was cast in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater production of Sense and Sensibility, a Jon Jory adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, in the role of Lucy Steele. This was an equity production, and it ran February 6th – March 17th, 2013, in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s Margeson Theater. Lucy is a female character from England in a period often referred to as the Regency era. As a woman from today’s United States …

An Actor On The Line: Becoming Judy Turner In A Chorus Line, Morgan Mallory

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

It is a detailed account of author Morgan Mallory's artistic process in creating the role of Judy Turner in the Minnesota State University, Mankato's production of A Chorus Line in the Fall of 2012. The thesis follows the actor's process beginning with the early production analysis in the first chapter. The actor then discusses the work in its historical context followed by a detailed journal of the acting process in chapters two and three. Chapter four is the post-production analysis and the fifth chapter gives an overview of Mallory's growth and process through her time at Minnesota State Mankato. Appendices …

Moonbird, Samuel Kinsman

Theses and Dissertations

Love is a formless entity. Transformative and elusive, it can wreak havoc in one's life if misplaced. Unrequited love has potential toxicity, rage can stem from the most loving of places, and countless crimes of passion are committed every year.

However, in its base nature, love is formative. It has the potential to bring two separate energies together, the ensuing combination is what people dream of. The chemical process of love, the intellectual understanding of attraction and the visceral pit-in-stomach when one looks across the room at their lover are all worth exploring, especially in the theater.

In this piece …