Education Commons^™

Successful Post-Covid Theatre Recruitment And Retention Practices, Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian, Kevork Horissian, Aaron Scully, Shawna Mefferd Kelty

Faculty Conference Papers and Presentations

In the past several years and especially after the COVID-19 outbreak, recruiting and retaining students has become more challenging than ever before. Even before the pandemic, there has been an increased pressure for colleges and universities to be able to demonstrate tangible educational benefits. This has been especially valid for liberal arts institutions and theatre programs since they are considered to be “less practical and useful.” Often students and their parents focus more on securing jobs rather than exploring interests and passions and seem unable to see the connection between theatre education and other careers.

The panel of presenters brings …

A Documentation Of A Year As An Artistic Director For Unl, Philip Crawford

Honors Theses

The goal of this project was to document a year of being an Artistic Director for UNL’s student run theatre company Theatrix. Through this documentation, I will be able to reflect upon and learn from my experiences as a leader, director, and theatre maker.

This thesis will be broken up into eight different parts to outline the eight different stages I experienced as Artistic Director this year: season selection, the 24-hour Play Festival, The Revolutionists, The Thanksgiving Play, Clown Bar, season changes, Based on a Totally True Story, and Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons. Through these eight stages, I will …

Ouachita's All Night Theatre Festival To Be Held March 12, Abigail Blankenship, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Theatre Arts will present its 22nd annual All-Night Theatre: A 10-Minute Play Festival on Saturday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Verser Theatre. The festival, hosted by Ouachita’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega national theatre honor society, is run entirely by students. Performances are free and open to the public.

The festival showcases what students can achieve through a unique, collaborative process. First, student playwrights may submit original works no more than 10 minutes in length to be considered for the festival. A panel of anonymous faculty, staff and students judge the submissions, and those …

Ouachita Theatre Department Presents Musical By Senior Sammy Campione From Feb. 16-21, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

The Department of Theatre Arts at Ouachita Baptist University will present “Tanglewood,” a musical written and directed by senior Sammy Campione, from Feb. 16-21 in Verser Theatre, 409 Ouachita Street. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 16-17; Saturday, Feb. 19; and Monday, Feb. 21. A matinee is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 20, at 2:30 p.m.

“Tanglewood” was selected for the department’s annual Muse Project, which allows students majoring in theatre, musical theatre or theatre education to create works based on what most inspires them and then bring those works to the stage.

Theatre And Art Club Lesson Plans, Hailey Revord, Madelyn Kreifels

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

After school club that explores elements of theatre and art.

The Conscience Of Little Women: Beth's Epic, Mcewen Baker

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

From its conception, and through countless retellings, there is no doubt that Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is an American classic that has stood the test of time. Kate Hamill’s stage adaptation affirms and extends this legacy; the playwright adopts a contemporary feminist approach that defies gender norms and exclusivity in casting and encourages an actor-centered approach. This essay explains the importance of this adaptation and its influence on my portrayal of Beth March in Belmont University’s Fall 2021 production. It touches on the often overlooked significance of the second youngest sister as well as how my personal battle with …

Ouachita To Present One Act Play Festival April 29-30, Meagan A. Woodard, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Theatre Arts will present its biannual, student directed One Act Play Festival on Thursday, April 29, and Friday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Verser Theatre. Due to health guidelines, limited seating is available only to Ouachita students, faculty and staff; Friday’s show will be available for the public to attend and watch via simulcast in Jones Performing Arts Center. Tickets are free and available at www.obu.edu/boxoffice.

The One Act Play Festival features a variety of short plays produced by seniors for their end-of-semester project in Ouachita’s directing class; the performances highlight what the …

Ouachita's School Of Fine Arts Announces Adjusted Spring Events, Mandy Halbert, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts has adjusted its Spring 2021 events, including concerts, theatre productions and art galleries, to allow students to continue their performance education as well as provide safe viewing for audiences following COVID-19 guidelines from the Arkansas Department of Health and Ouachita’s Health Monitoring and Action Team.

Live events for the spring semester will follow the same protocols that were introduced last semester, with attendance limited to the Ouachita campus community and reduced seating in order to follow social distancing guidelines. Most performances will be available to audiences to view for free at www.livestream.com/obu, …

Ouachita To Present One Act Play Festival For On-Campus Audiences Nov. 19-20, Meagan A. Woodard, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Theatre Arts will present its biannual, student directed One Act Play Festival on Thursday, Nov. 19, and Friday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in Verser Theatre. Due to health guidelines, limited seating is available only to Ouachita students, faculty and staff. Tickets are free and available at www.obu.edu/boxoffice.

The One Act Play Festival features a variety of plays entirely produced by students for their end-of-semester project in Ouachita’s senior directing class. The performances highlight what students have learned in the course and in their years at Ouachita.

Ouachita's Fall Concerts And Theatre Productions Available Online, Jessica Daniell, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts has made adjustments to its fall concert and theatre season to both allow students to continue their performance education and allow viewers to experience their art safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With reduced seating available to allow for physical distancing, in-person attendance for many events will be limited to Ouachita students, faculty and staff only. However, streaming options will be available for most events for off-campus patrons or those who prefer the virtual option. Some events will be streamed live for free via Ouachita’s typical Livestream channel: www.livestream.com/obu. Others will require paid …

Toward A Culturally Sensitive Approach To Student Centered Accent And Dialect Coursework - Thea 403: Advanced Voice - Accents & Dialects – A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Ann Marie Pollard

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

A benchmark portfolio for Theatre 403: Advanced Voice (Accents and Dialects). This portfolio describes considerations taken in developing a new course design, optimizing course assignments, implementing a perspective which moves toward the decolonization of the acting classroom, and integrating heightened awareness of cultural sensitivity with practical, skills-based learning. The author provides context around the course, its objectives, and its structure. Samples of student perspectives are provided within an in-depth look at an in-class conversation about diversity, inclusion, and practicing advocacy for appropriate casting choices. The reflection includes a conclusion that, while moving toward a destandardization of content has its challenges, …

Ouachita’S Department Of Theatre Arts To Present “Junie B. Jones The Musical” Sept. 19-24, Samantha Pipkin, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Theatre Arts will present its fall family play Junie B. Jones The Musical with the opening performance on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. in Verser Theatre. Performances will continue Sept. 20-21 and Sept. 23-24 at 7 p.m., with a matinee on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $10 each at OBU’s box office.

An Act Of God:Let There Be Light, Jaime Mancuso

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

This thesis describes the research and production processes of the lighting design for the play An Act of God by David Javerbaum performed in the Johnny Carson Theater at the Lied Center for Performing Arts from September 28^th through October 14^th 2018. The play was directed by guest artist Michael Mendelson with scenic design by Jill Hibbard, costume design by Haley Williams, lighting design by Jaime Mancuso, sound design by Emily Callahan, projection design by Greyson McCown technical direction by Daniel d’Egnuff, and master electrician Adam Sikorski.

This thesis documents the lighting design process for An Act of …

Identi-Tea Podcast: An Original Play, Karsyn Wilson

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Creative Works Winner for 2019:

Identi-Tea Podcast is an original play based on the word-for-word interviews of three LGBTQ+ students of color from UNLV who explore all the various facets of their identities formatted in the style of a podcast. In various moments during the play, audience members are prompted by the actors to critically engage with the ideas presented.

Diamonds And Toads: An Adaptation Of Charles Perrault’S Les Fées, Jessi Pitts

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

An American Southwest full length adaptation of Charles Perrault’s Les Fées for the stage. The lives of Fanny, Rose, and their mother are changed when Rose is given a blessing by a fairy: whenever she speaks, diamonds fall from her lips. But the softness of a throat stands no choice against the sharp edges of a diamond. Diamonds and Toads explores a dysfunctional family, what it means to be a good person, and the obsession a child has to gain the approval of their parents.

Fear Of Etiolation In The Age Of Professional Passion, Kathleen F. Mcconnell

Faculty Publications

Recent analysis of academia credits neoliberalism for its destabilization. Neoliberalism alone does not explain academics’ conflicted attachments to a precarious professional life or the tendency to embrace normative conceptions of passion and shun professional decline. The quarantine on decline is analogous to the exemption that J.L. Austin imposed on theatre: both deny constitutive power to certain statements and harbor a fear of queerness. Four essays published in Text & Performance Quarterly illustrate how academics quarantine professional fears and doubts. A fifth finds that the deterioration of professional accomplishments loosens normative associations to make space for other, queer relations.

Jean Kerr And Carson Grey Sound Ideas Interview April 10, 2018, Laura Kennedy

Interviews for WGLT

WGLT Radio's Laura Kennedy speaking with Jean Kerr and Carson Grey about the IWU School of Theatre Arts production of the musical Xanadu. Kerr, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, directed the production with IWU sophomore Grey serving as assistant director.

Tatyana Markus: Hero Of Ukraine, Ariana L. Martineau

Honors Projects

A dramatized telling of the story of Tatyana Markus, a young Jewish resistance fighter from Kiev, Ukraine. Under a false identity, she personally killed dozens of Nazis during WWII. Along the way she lost many people she cared about until she was captured herself. Tatyana has gone on virtually unknown throughout the world, so this play is an effort to spread word about this brave, amazing girl who was only in her early 20s. I think the themes are very relatable to today's society with the struggle of whether to stand up to injustice, or stand by. Especially since she …

Ouachita To Present "The Secret Garden" Musical Sept. 28-Oct. 2, Addy Goodman, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

The Ouachita Baptist University Department of Theatre Arts will present “The Secret Garden, the Spring Version,” an adaptation of Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman’s original Broadway musical, in Verser Theatre on campus Sept. 28-Oct. 2.

The show will be a shortened version of the full length 1991 musical based on the 1911 children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The show tells the story of orphan Mary Lennox and her journey to renewal after finding a locked garden.

“This show is definitely a crowd pleaser,” said Dr. Scott Holsclaw, chair of Ouachita’s Division of Applied Arts and director of the show. …

Ite, Poly, University: 3 Levels, 1 Play, 4 Casts, Margaret Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

A report on a first time educational project across three levels of Singapore educational institutions. The ITE-Republic Polytechnic-Singapore Management University theatre collaboration to stage Chong Tze Chien's "Charged" (2017) at ITE Central on 31 March to 1 April 2017.

Ouachita Theatre Arts To Present "Billy Blythe" Modern Folk Opera Nov. 17-20, Katie Smith, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will present “Billy Blythe,” a modern folk opera featuring music written by Bonnie Montgomery and libretto by Britt Barber, both Ouachita alumni. The opera will be performed Nov. 17-19 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 20 at 2:30 p.m. All performances will be held in Jones Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 each, and admission is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at www.obu.edu/boxoffice.

Ouachita And Henderson Collaborate To Perform To Kill A Mockingbird Sept. 29-Oct. 10, Mattie Alexander, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

The Ouachita Baptist University and Henderson State University theatre programs are partnering to produce and perform To Kill a Mockingbird. The play is adapted by Christopher Sergel from the classic novel by Harper Lee. The show will be performed Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 2 at 2:30 p.m. in OBU’s Verser Theatre and Oct. 6-8 and Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in HSU’s Arkansas Hall Studio Theatre.

University Theatres Should Open People's Eyes To New Ideas, Heather Gibson

UCF Forum

Content guides and advisories, which list all of the parts of a production that a viewer might find offensive, are becoming commonplace with theatre companies.

Improvisation: Skills For Theatre And Life, William A. Parker

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

The improviser's number one job is to live an interesting life, then share it. As students study and practice the steps and principles to improvisation in the theatre, they will discover that these concepts also lead to living a positive, meaningful and effective life. As the students grow in self-confidence, they will also learn to fully listen, to gladly accept and learn from mistakes, and to pay attention and be in the moment. By rehearsing, creating and performing together, the class will create bonds and build trust in themselves and each other so that they may conduct unscripted dramas without …

Play Time Theater: A Non-Profit Children's Theatre Company, Alexander Diehl

Senior Honors Projects

I grew up participating in the theatrical performing arts since the age of three. Since then, I have been in, on average, at least one production a year for eighteen years. I attribute much of my success to the life lessons I learned growing as up a “theatre kid.” Theatre is a great creative outlet for individuals to grow into their best selves in a diverse atmosphere where each person’s uniqueness is celebrated. From my experience, and the experience of others around me, I have found that theatre helps individuals build self-esteem, confidence, and happiness. Although there are so many …

Exposure To The Arts At Young Age Fosters Creativity In Children, Heather Gibson

UCF Forum

I recently ignored the cardinal rule of parenthood and kept my 2-year-old, Huck, awake during his normal naptime. I knew it was risky, but then, so is suggesting he wear a shirt that isn’t his favorite color orange, so I was willing to take my chances.

My Newfound Respect For The Hard Work Performers Do Before Stepping On Stage, Heather Gibson

UCF Forum

When I gave the Theatre UCF students 30 days to teach me how to perform a karaoke song, I didn’t realize I was also handing over my dignity.

Uno Website Cfam Uno Theatre Productions, Uno College Of Communication, Fine Arts And Media

Student Support

UNO Theatre productions are presented by our talented students and faculty from the UNO Department of Theatre. Each season typically features one musical or Shakespeare production .

The Next Time Someone Has Something Bad To Say About Your Work..., Heather Gibson

UCF Forum

A theatre student recently came to my office a little on the glum side. He was an actor in a production that had received a less-than-favorable review and he wasn’t taking it well. He had taken the writer’s words to heart and it was affecting his performance.

Anton Checkov's Cherry Orchard, Division Of Theatre And Dance

Cultural Affairs Distinguished Lecture Series

Please see project abstract in attachment.