Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Story Of A Journey: Awakenings Before, During And After The Zoom Production Of The Play Thrift Store Junkie, Brendan Beseth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis tells the story of several awakenings I had while pursuing my M.F.A. in playwriting at the University of Arkansas. It details some of the traps a writer can fall into. It tells of how to get out of the quicksand. Also contained within is an account of the thesis production of my play Thrift Store Junkie and the play’s script.

The Passionate Actor, Britney Nichole Walker-Merritte

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis consists of materials documenting my thesis performances as well as a statement of artistry, a copy of my current headshot, and resume and a link to my website.

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 …

The Many Faces Of Cleopatra: How Performance And Characterization Change Cleopatra In Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Legend Of Good Women," William Shakespeare's The Tragedy Of Antony And Cleopatra, And John Dryden's All For Love; Or, The World Well Lost, Rebecca Piazzoni Chatham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, and John Dryden presented the character of Cleopatra differently, through both the written language of their pieces and their own and others’ performances of her, in order to meet the demands of their respective audiences and performance conditions. Chaucer, in “The Legend of Cleopatra,” portrays and performs Cleopatra comically. Shakespeare, in his Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra, characterizes Cleopatra as a complex woman. In All for Love; or, The World Well Lost, Dryden characterizes Cleopatra as sentimental, but the performance of her on stage by female actresses added depth to the role. For Chaucer and Dryden, …

The Development Of An Actor, Kieran Peter Cronin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration and reflection of my growth and development as an actor after three years of studies at the University of Arkansas. It includes a statement of artistry, a copy of the program from my thesis performance, a link to my actor website, and a current headshot and resume.

An Actor's Statement Of Artistry, Debbie Merary Banos

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis consists of my statement of artistry, and documentation of my thesis performance.

The Façade Of The Cabaret: The Costume Design Thesis Of Cabaret, Kelly Henry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the process used to create and realize the costume design for the

production of Cabaret put on at the University of Arkansas University Theatre in the spring of 2013. In this thesis I will explain how the costumes progressed from research ideas, to sketches and colored renderings, to finished stage costumes. The design process outlined in this thesis includes an analysis of the play, research, renderings, and an evaluation of the costume design process I followed.

A Marriage Of Realism And Expressionism: Preparing And Performing The Role Of Mrs. Zero In Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine, Rebecca Rivas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Elmer Rice's expressionistic play,The Adding Machine, the character of Mrs. Zero is written to forego authenticity and highlight a husband's absurd perception of his wife. The elements of expressionism in the play paint Mrs. Zero as a caricature rather than a person. In order to effectively portray this caricature, role-preparation must be rooted in realism. It is by connecting organically with Mrs. Zero's underlying truth that the portrayal of this absurd character can be made effective. Here, I attempt to find a balance between realistic role-preparation and expressionistic style of performance. My efforts are documented through journal …

"If I Didn't Ever Have To Come Down, I Wouldn't": My Process In Preparing And Playing Walter Griffin In Bridget Carpenter's Up, Jared Taylor Hanlin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of my actor's process for creating and performing the lead role of Walter Griffin in Bridget Carpenter's contemporary drama Up. It is composed entirely of journal entries detailing my preparation and observations from the beginning of the audition process (August 22, 2011) through the closing of the show (October 9, 2011) and ending with reflective evaluations after closing. Up was produced by the University of Arkansas Department of Drama at the University Theatre and directed by Amy Herzberg.

Playing Devil's Advocate: The Attractive Shakespearean Villain, Jonathan Montgomery Green

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The characters of William Shakespeare have spawned countless words of critical interpretation inspired by the playwright's aptitude for fashioning intricate and conflicted figures. As a master character craftsman, Shakespeare is consistent in creating fascinatingly deep characters, and many of them have even gone so far as to generate entire literary archetypes. From the contemplative Prince Hamlet to the despicable yet charming John Falstaff, Shakespeare's characters remain eternal representatives of what any good character should be: interesting, provocative, and complicated.

However, among the playwright's most hypnotic figures are his villains, those characters whom audiences should by all counts detest but cannot …

Playing Ann In Arthur Miller's All My Sons: One Actress' Approach In Creating A Role, Abbey Jo Molyneux

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this thesis, Playing Ann in Arthur Miller's All My Sons: One Actress' Approach in Creating a Role, is to document the research, analysis, and personal journey that informed the rehearsal and production processes in my portrayal as the character in the aforementioned title. This thesis includes the following five chapters: Script Analysis, Character Analysis, Created Materials, Reflections on the Audition, Rehearsal, and Production Processes, and A Summation of the Creative Process. All My Sonsby Arthur Miller was produced by the University of Arkansas in the University Theatre February 1-10, 2008, and directed by Michael Landman.