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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
When Oppressed Women Attack: Female-Enacted Violence Through Minority American Female Playwrights' Works, Kate Busselle
When Oppressed Women Attack: Female-Enacted Violence Through Minority American Female Playwrights' Works, Kate Busselle
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
As an Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, theatrical violence is something that has always captivated me. When a female combat instructor once told me that even though I throw a great punch I will never be able to use it because women are always on the receiving end of violence in theatre, I wondered if this was truly the case. After a thorough exploration of several works with theatrical violence, I am glad to say that it is not the case. When most scholars examine violence in theatre, the focus is either male-centric or specifically on …
The Forging Of Modern Broadway Sound Design Techniques Amid The Fires Of The Rock Musicals In The Late 1960s And 1970s., Timothy Tracey
The Forging Of Modern Broadway Sound Design Techniques Amid The Fires Of The Rock Musicals In The Late 1960s And 1970s., Timothy Tracey
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
From the ancient Greek theater, through the dawn of the Renaissance, beyond the development of Shakespearean theater, to the Broadway theater boon in the 1920s, sound reinforcement within the theater remained virtually unchanged. Through Broadway's Golden Age, directors and producers relied on architectural acoustics to carry sound throughout the theaters. This is not surprising given that most of the theaters were built in the early 1900s, before the invention of any electric sound reinforcement technology. Moreover, early attempts at amplification in the 1940s yielded dismal results. Eventually, the maturation of the integrated book musical and the invasion of the rock …
Directing Stop Kiss By Diana Son Within A Nontraditional Training Model, Rebecca Dilks
Directing Stop Kiss By Diana Son Within A Nontraditional Training Model, Rebecca Dilks
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Despite the generally held view that the best way for a stage actor to give a strong theatrical performance is through a traditional training model, I hoped to develop a way for inexperienced actors to perform beyond expectation within the context of one production through a system of mentorship, expectation-setting, and tapping into young peoples' natural desire to identify with people and characters. I directed a production of Stop Kiss by Diana Son with a blend of experienced and inexperienced actors to see if I could make this work, with mixed results. This thesis is a reflection on the process …
An Actor's Approach: Stepping Into A Role And A World Of The Past, Danielle Gosselin
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 …
Immediacy In Comedy: How Gertrude Stein, Long Form Improv, And 5 Second Films Can Revolutionize The Comedic Form, Alexander Hluch
Immediacy In Comedy: How Gertrude Stein, Long Form Improv, And 5 Second Films Can Revolutionize The Comedic Form, Alexander Hluch
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Comedy has typically been derided as second-tier to drama in all aspects of narrative. Throughout history, comedy has seen short shrift in both critical reception and academic investigation. Merit is simply placed on drama far before that of comedy. This is not for comedy’s own lack of skill or craft, but simply for comedy’s misappropriation as a narrative form. Throughout the years, by way of either competition or economic superiority, comedy has been pigeonholed into the typified dramatic structure that drama so thoroughly encapsulates. Being forced into a form that exemplifies complex, climactic structure and explicit character development, comedy in …
Fearlessness The Seventh Element Of Drama, Matt Wenge
Fearlessness The Seventh Element Of Drama, Matt Wenge
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Aristotle proclaimed in his Poetics that there were six elements to drama: spectacle, music, diction, thought, character, and plot. This paper will analyze the play Thom Pain (based on nothing) against these six elements. I will discuss the aspects of each element that are present in the show as well as the ideas and concepts my director, Tad Ingram, and I brought to the show. Through the rehearsal and performance process I discovered a seventh element; the element of fearlessness. In his Poetics, Aristotle does not fully address what the actor brings to the performance and this aspect is just …
Writes Of Spring A Study Of Communication Within Collective Devising, Jennifer Adams
Writes Of Spring A Study Of Communication Within Collective Devising, Jennifer Adams
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Communication is a pivotal element in creating theatre with other artists, with audiences, and with the outside world. Theatre artists are required to collaborate at nearly every step of the process. Despite the necessity of highly developed collaboration skills, communication in the creation of theatre is an often-underdeveloped curriculum area. As a Director and Teaching Artist I am particularly interested in how to find new ways of collaborating so I may model and pass these skills to my students. Through a qualitative research survey of communication used in collaborative devising, this research analyzes environments that improve communication and allow for …
The Actor's Role In Developing New Plays, Brooke M. Haney
The Actor's Role In Developing New Plays, Brooke M. Haney
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The constant development of new plays is vital for theatre to stay relevant. There is a desire, a yearning, a need to see the issues we face in our lives on stage in current contexts, and to watch characters living with them. The ability, as an Actor, to be an asset to the process of creating new works is invaluable. For my thesis, I discuss the role of the Actor in the process of developing new plays for the stage. I say “discuss” because I venture to guess that this role is constantly evolving. There may be as many ways …
Technique Arms The Imagination Developing An Acting Theory Best Suited For Motion Capture Performance And The Creation Of A Virtual Character, Brendan Rogers
Technique Arms The Imagination Developing An Acting Theory Best Suited For Motion Capture Performance And The Creation Of A Virtual Character, Brendan Rogers
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
“The untrained body, like the sculptor's marble, can express nothing but its own limitations” (Lust 70). As acting styles have changed through the years, corresponding schools of thought have arisen to prepare performers for their unique challenges. Perhaps the goal of producing a “gripping performance,” one in which the audience is truly invested, has remained the same since the time of Thespis. How one arrives at this desired result, however, has varied greatly through the ages. Techniques, not surprisingly, tend to build on previous theories, beliefs and practices. Étienne Decroux’s corporeal mime technique builds on the teachings of Jacques Copeau, …
Three Different Jocastas By Racine, Cocteau And Cixous, Kyung Mee Joo
Three Different Jocastas By Racine, Cocteau And Cixous, Kyung Mee Joo
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study is about three French plays in which Jocasta, the mother and wife of Oedipus, is shared as a main character: La Thébaïde (The Theban Brothers) by Jean Racine, La Machine Infernale (The Infernal Machine) by Jean Cocteau, and Le Nom d’Oedipe (The Name of Oedipus) by Hélène Cixous. Jocasta has always been overshadowed by the tragic destiny of Oedipus since the onset of Sophocles’ works. Although these three plays commonly focus on describing the character of Jocasta, there are some remarkable differences among them in terms of theme, style, and stage directions. In The Theban Brothers, Racine’s 17th …
Turning Tricks And The Modern Female Protagonist: An Analysis Of The Portrayal Of The Role Of The Demimonde From Viennese Operet, Melissa Nay
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The demimondaine, an exclusive courtesan in nineteenth-century Europe, and the modern mezzo-soprano protagonist are prevalent characters in American musical theatre and can be observed in various styles throughout European music and drama. In Arthur Schnitzler s The Little Comedy, the female protagonist is both a romantic heroine and mistress; and in Jules Renard s Le Pain de Ménage, the lead player is anything but the classic ingénue. In preparation for performance and to further the research in the contemporary music comedy realm, I prepared for the roles of Josefine and Monica in the University of Central Florida s production of …
Making Victim: Establishing A Framework For Analyzing Victimization In 20th Century American Theatre, Victoria Hahl
Making Victim: Establishing A Framework For Analyzing Victimization In 20th Century American Theatre, Victoria Hahl
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
It is my belief that theatre is the telling of stories, and that playwrighting is the creation of those stories. Regardless of the underlying motives (to make the audience think, to make them feel, to offend them or to draw them in,) the core of the theatre world is the storyline. Some critics write of the importance of audience effect and audience reception; after all, a performance can only be so named if at least one person is there to witness it. So much of audience effect is based the storyline itself - that structure of which is created by …
Revitalizing "The Rocky Horror Show" Through Gospel Music, Kip Taisey
Revitalizing "The Rocky Horror Show" Through Gospel Music, Kip Taisey
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In Spring 2007, the University of Central Florida (UCF) Department of Theatre mounted a production of "The Rocky Horror Show." This thesis focuses on the author's process of using the gospel music style to revitalize "The Rocky Horror Show," a cult musical. The author uses defining characteristics of the cult film genre to establish a set of guidelines. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is the movie version of the stage musical and is responsible for the show's inevitable cult status. He discusses the history and journey of "The Rocky Horror Show" and how audience participation was integral in establishing this …
Design: Feel It, See It, Speak It, Do It..., Sarah Yates
Design: Feel It, See It, Speak It, Do It..., Sarah Yates
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Description of Project: This project explores the design process for Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (adapted for the stage by Bruce Mason) as performed at Orlando Repertory Theatre in Orlando, Florida. In this exploration, I approach the topics of the design process from conceptual discussions with the design team through closing night. I document this process with a lighting design journal (including thoughts about the design approach, renderings, sketches, research images, rough plots and paperwork.) The project concludes with a self evaluation, completed plots and paperwork, and finished production photos.
Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway And Beyond: The Genre Of Cabaret, Deborah Tedrick
Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway And Beyond: The Genre Of Cabaret, Deborah Tedrick
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Music and Theatre have always captivated me. As a child, my parents would take me to live performances and cinematic shows and I would sit rapt, watching the theatrical events and emotional moments unfold before my eyes. Movie musicals and live shows that combined music and theatre were my favorite, especially theatrical banter and improvisation or sketch comedy. Some of my favorite youthful memories were my annual family summer trips to Las Vegas to visit my grandparents for six weeks. As a youngster, I got to experience the "old school" Las Vegas, replete with extravaganza, spectacle, cabaret, circus, lounge and …
Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway And Beyond: Cabaret History In The Making, Josephine Leffner
Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway And Beyond: Cabaret History In The Making, Josephine Leffner
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cabaret as a genre has influenced and is influenced by musical theatre. As cabaret has evolved throughout history, musical theatre has often paralleled its journey. Cabaret thrived before the term "musical theatre" was coined and suffered hard times during the Golden Age of Musical Theatre. The correlation of the two genres cannot be denied, and exploring cabaret history will reveal how deeply the connection lies. My collaborator Debbie Tedrick and I will attempt to define cabaret through a two-woman cabaret show we will write, produce, and perform together. The show, Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway and Beyond, will be a one-act …
The Merry Wives Of Windsor: A University Actress's Approach To The Role Of Mistress Ford, Brook Akya Hanemann
The Merry Wives Of Windsor: A University Actress's Approach To The Role Of Mistress Ford, Brook Akya Hanemann
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Art is too ethereal a thing to judge by tangible measure. There is no scale to weigh a performance on, no level to gauge a character’s balance, no plumb line to measure its depth. No critic can appoint an allotment of stars to represent the worth of a production, and the audience, though a vital participant within the performance experience, cannot act as Jury and deliberate together to reach an absolute verdict of approval or disapproval. How then can an actor go about working towards giving a successful performance? The Merry Wives of Windsor was written at a time when …