Acting Commons^™

An Ambiguous Hermeneutic: Doubleness In Ingmar Bergman’S Quest For Self, Ingy Aziz

Theses and Dissertations

One of the functions of art in all its forms is to provide the means for self-exploration and, in this way, to enable us to relate cultural representation to the question of meaning. The beauty of cinematic art is that it gives voice to our deepest and most profound concerns and enables us to bridge the gap between personal psychology and public understanding. As interpreters, we do not always unearth the answers that we seek, but we certainly gain more insight through delving into the minds of major filmmakers in the canon of modern cinema. This thesis is on the …

Whatever It Takes: A Literature Review Exploring The Psychological Cost Of Actor Training And How Drama Therapy Can Help, Kelsey Burke

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review examines the literature as it relates to the psychological and emotional impact of professional training programs for student-actors. Special attention is paid to student-actors’ developmental stage, mental health and trauma history, possible exposure to sexual harassment in rehearsal or classroom settings, specific acting techniques taught, and power dynamics between student-actors and acting teachers. Also examined is data on the potential effects that the application of trauma-informed drama therapy approaches could have on this population. This is followed by a proposed outline for a supervision-style class for student-actors led by a drama therapist intended to introduce drama therapeutic principles …

T. Hanks For Nostalgia: The Power Of Tom Hanks And Film Branding, Jacob Higgs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In March 2020, Tom Hanks announced he had contracted COVID-19 while shooting the Elvis Presley Biopic in Australia. On Instagram, he encouraged fans to take the disease seriously and be aware of how severe of a disease it was. Character brands and nostalgia have been found to foster trust in products and encourage relationships with those brands. Using the lens of nostalgia and uses and gratification to examine Tom Hanks as a character brand, the researcher analyzed five blockbuster films with Tom Hanks as the lead character. The study used narrative thematic analysis to observe Hanks and the depictions of …

A Director's Take On The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Billie Williams

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines what it is like to be an assistant director. The play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was adapted from a book by Mark Hadden that is structured as if the main character was the writer. The stage production reworks that concept and turns it into a “play within a play”. The story is about a boy named Christopher, his broken family and his struggle with autism. When the director, Cara Harker first approached me about being an assistant director, I struggled with anxiety and not feeling like I had a real place in …

New Paradigms In Band Performance: An Analysis Of Three Prototypes, Scott Walker-Parker

Student Research, Creative Activity, and Performance - School of Music

This document seeks to propose new paradigms in band performance through inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinarity. Initial inspirations were drawn from performance innovations shaped by the new music theater which became popular in the 20^th century. Key concepts which were used throughout the creative, planning, logistic, rehearsal, and performance processes are analyzed in three recitals through prototypes of new paradigms in band performance. These concepts include accessibility and community, nonverbal/multimodal performance and instruction versus time, and nonverbal/multimodal communication.

The document has been organized in a manner which highlights successes and breakdowns of each process so future refinement can be made. …

Pride And Prejudice Playbill, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angel Blackfriars Theatre

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, adapted by Janet Munsil

February 9-12, 2023

Director, Erin J. Schmidt

Scenic and Prop Design, Lindsay Fuori

Lighting Design, Michael Clark Wonson

Sound Design/Musical Direction & Choreography, Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly

Costume, Make-Up, and Wig Design, Rachel Padula-Shufelt

Vocal Coach, Megan Chang

Featuring the Music of The Atwater-Donnelly Duo

Cast: Jane Bennet - Maisie Cocker, Lizzie Bennet - Madelyn Rich, Mary Bennet - Sara D'Andrea, Kitty Bennet - Caitlyn Mitchell, Lydia Bennet - Christina Schwab, Mr. …

Pride And Prejudice Poster, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angel Blackfriars Theatre

Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, adapted by Janet Munsil

February 9-12, 2023

Clowns, Fools, And Killers: An Exploration Of Horror, Comedy, And Madness Through The Roles Of Murderer 2 And Sir Richard Ratcliffe In William Shakespeare's Richard Iii, R J. Magee

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Arts with a Concentration in Musical Theatre. It is a detailed account of author RJ Magee’s artistic and scholarly process in creating the roles of Murderer 2 and Sir Richard Ratcliffe in William Shakespeare’s Richard III. The production was performed as part of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s mainstage season in October of 2022. In five chapters, this thesis chronicles the actor’s process: a preproduction analysis, a historical and critical perspective, a rehearsal and performance journal, a post-production analysis, and a process development …

Creating The Role Of Richard Iii For Richard Iii, Travis Grey Robertson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting. It is a detailed account of author Grey Robertson’s artistic process in creating the role of Richard III in Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Fall 2022 production of Richard III. This thesis follows the actor’s process through pre-production analysis, an historical and critical perspective, journals detailing the rehearsal and performance process, a post-production analysis, and process development. Appendices and works cited follow the process development.

Phaedra: The Influence And History Of A Dramaturgical Mystery, Kierstan K. Conway

The Downtown Review

Many have debated the possible performance of Seneca's plays. Theatre Historians have polarizing opinions on whether Seneca wrote them intending to perform for Roman Audiences. A comparative study of Euripides' Hippolyte, Seneca's Phaedra, and Sara Kane's Phaedra's Love demonstrates the flexibility of this story and its translation to different historical audiences. This further historical analysis illuminates clues within Seneca's text and proves the possibility of staging, offering a new take on plays previously thought of as "closet dramas."

Macbeth Poster, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

William Shakespeare's MacBeth

November 3-6, 2022

Macbeth Playbill, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

William Shakespeare's MacBeth

November 3-6, 2022

Director, John Garrity

Scenic Design, Carl Gudenius

Lighting Design, Michael Clark Wonson

Sound Design, Gabriel Luxton

Vocal Coach, Megan Chang

Costume Design, David Costa-Cabral

Fight Choreography, Jim Beauregard

Composer, Devon Russo,

Acting Coach, Michael Propster

Cast: Captain, Murderer, Young Soldier - Andy Belotte; Ross - Olivia Black, Donalbain, Doctor - Carolyn Bradley; Lady Macbeth - Kelsi Canada; Apparition 1 - Emmett Elliott; Fleance - Xavier Joseph; Weird Sister 2 - Abbie Joy; Apparition 3 …

Examining The Linguistic Ideology "Throaty Sounds Are Bad For Performers": The History Of Negative Attitudes Towards Glottal Stops And Laryngealization In English, Dayle M. Towarnicky

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis analyzes explicit metadiscourse (Johnstone et al 2006) on throaty sounds, primarily focused on glottal segments and non-modal constricted voice quality in English. Authors contributing to this metadiscourse are argued to be an offshoot of the speech chain network which valorized and circulated the English accent known as RP or Received Pronunciation, studied by Agha (2003). The evaluated texts center on English-speaking elocution, singing training, voice, speech, and voice care. The analysis shows glottal and guttural articulations are framed negatively and often discouraged by appeals to both health and aesthetics. Many authors in this performance speech chain network …

A Script And Acting Analysis Of David Mamet’S Glengarry Glen Ross, Abdelrahman Metwally

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Glengarry Glen Ross is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Mamet. This paper is a practical guide for the actor to understanding the events of the play and, specifically, to approaching the role of Richard Roma, with a particular emphasis on Michael Chekhov’s psycho-physical work. First, I will discuss the circumstances, values and themes of the world of the play in relation to the character Shelley Levene as the main agent of the events. Then my focus in character analysis will shift to Richard Roma as the lead character of the ensemble. Together, the two characters create a contrasting duo …

Unifying Text And Music: Applying Shurtleff's Twelve Guideposts To Operatic Arias For Soprano, Jamey J. Wright

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the present culture of operatic performance, artistry is measured not only by singers’ musical interpretation and vocal technique, but also by their ability to communicate compelling characterization. This monograph explores a helpful technique for dramatic interpretation in opera. The discipline of musical performance provides helpful guides to characterization through elements such phrasing, rhythm, harmony, and instrumentation. Techniques borrowed from the spoken theater, particularly those pioneered by Constantin Stanislavski, include the Magic If, objectives, actions, and tactics. The literature on auditioning for the theater is useful for synthesizing these techniques for singers, because audition techniques emphasize compelling characterization with …

Multo: A Performance On The Representation Of Undocumented Filipino Migrants And Overseas Workers Through The Theatrical Form Of Devising, Rigel Cassandra V. Hechanova

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress

Undocumented Filipinos, often addressed to as “TNTs”, meaning “tago nang tago”, are people who resided in a foreign country against their established immigration laws. Although the matter of migrating and working overseas has been going on for a number of years, the matter regarding overseas illegitimacy has been rarely discussed through the Philippine art medium, specifically, the theatre arts. In line with this, the artist-researcher was inspired to create a multiple-act performance that provides representation to the lives of undocumented Filipino workers / migrants and their loved ones left behind through the theatrical form of Devising. In terms of the …

Retelling Van Gogh: Adapting Vincent Van Gogh’S Biography Using Bertold Brecht’S Epic Theatre, Isabel Grace D. Kehyeng, Sharibelle Angelika S. Lao, Elyza Margarette U. Yap

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress

Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous painters in the world. His paintings, such as the “Starry Night”, and his many self-portraits are among the most well-known in the world for its precise brushwork and use of vivid colors. However, Vincent is remembered not only for his paintings, but also for his tortured life, which included slicing off his ear and committing suicide while working before his easel near the end of his miserable, misunderstood life. With the usage of some of the elements of Bertold Brecht’s methods of Epic Theatre, Vincent van Gogh’s complicated life as an …

Lola Isang: A Performance On The Story Of Comfort Women Using Antonin Artaud’S Theater Of Cruelty And Rhizome Lee’S Subbody Butoh Method, Hannah Kirei B. Duran

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress

This artwork aims to promote awareness and to highlight the plight of Lola Narcisa to show people the abuse that these comfort women have experienced during the Japanese occupation and to encourage thespians to add narratives and plays about comfort women to keep their stories alive. The plight of the comfort women is barely taught in schools. In this performance, the audience will obtain knowledge about the horrors and the plight made from war. At the end of this study, the researcher hopes that learning about the horrors that the comfort women experienced may stop them and the future generation …

"My Two Ears Can Witness": Feminist Pedagogy From Rehearsal Hall To Classroom, Ben Long, Noah Long, Laura Grace Godwin

Feminist Pedagogy

Given that university rehearsal halls are a natural home for feminist pedagogy, this paper addresses professors across campus under the contention that the signature pedagogy of theatre offers a model for faculty in other disciplines. The essay adapts a series of rehearsal hall techniques for traditional classrooms as efficient ways of fostering subjectivity, empowerment, community, and reflection in service of socio-cultural ends. The original teaching activities outlined herein do not require theatrical performance, but they nevertheless draw upon the power of live witnessing and interactive response that make theatre a powerful pedagogical tool. The authors conclude with an illustration of …

Finding My Place In The Piazza: An Exploration Of Learning And Performing A Lead Role During A Pandemic, Emma Johnson

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a reflection of one student’s process as she learns a lead role in a musical amidst a global pandemic. The author begins with why she chose to be a performer and what has led her to this moment. She examines how significantly the pandemic has affected the performing arts job sector. The author explores her first exposure to the musical “The Light in the Piazza” and the role of Clara in a scenes program at the university which took place in the spring semester of 2021. The thesis then follows her journey through the abnormal virtual …