Acting Commons^™

The Actor In Flux: Transforming Acting Techniques Through Individuality, Christian Gabriel Tolentino

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

Most young aspiring actors are searching to ground themselves to begin their acting journey, to define, understand, and apply “acting” in their careers. Through this paper, I will attempt to formulate a personal approach to acting with the data gathered anchored in autotheory. The study does not want to dictate an appropriate approach for all actors but rather gives a chance for actors to reflect on their individuality as actors/artists.

The meat of the text will include a brief history of acting techniques from Europe, to America and eventually the Philippines and see how these techniques/processes/methods converse. I will delve …

”To Be Or Not To Be – It’S Good”: Actor And Student Experiences In A Drama Club For People With Aphasia, Jade K. Hannan

Senior Theses

Individuals with aphasia, a disorder caused by damage to the brain’s language network, confront a variety of social and emotional struggles. While leaving their cognition largely intact, aphasia tremendously impacts a person’s ability to communicate confidently, fracturing their social network and contributing to feelings of loneliness and frustration. To address this persistent need in the chronic aphasia population, the Play on Words drama club at the University of South Carolina provides a forum for people with aphasia (PWA) to engage in dramatic exercises focused on non-verbal communication of emotions, ideas, and stories, culminating the production of an original devised play. …

Shedding Light On Shadow Casts, Kiara Durbin

Honors Theses

On Sunday, November 12, 2023, Kalamazoo’s pioneer American Sign Language-interpreted shadow cast performance took place in Shaw Theatre at Western Michigan University. Clue is a mystery-comedy based on the beloved board game, loaded with witty dialogue and physical comedy. It was the perfect vehicle for the Kalamazoo county’s premiere American Sign Language (ASL) shadow cast—a special performance where the interpreters are directly onstage following the movements, dialogue, and intonation of the actors. It was produced through a unique collaborative effort of Western Michigan University’s Department of Theatre, Stage Hands, a Michigan-based ASL performance interpreting company, and Theatre Kalamazoo, a local …

You’Re Invited! Collaborating With Faculty And Students To Create A Successful Library Event, Laura Semrau

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

To celebrate the 400^th anniversary of the printing of Shakespeare’s First Folio, the Baylor University Libraries hosted a three-day celebration; “Shakespeare 400” drew faculty members from six academic departments and leveraged the talents of both graduate and undergraduate students. The four main events drew a cumulative crowd of over 200 people. Graduate students contributed to the events through music performance, a dramatic reading, enthusiastic promotion, and engaged participation. This presentation will explore key take-aways for including graduate students in library events.

The success of Shakespeare 400 was largely due to collaborations between the library, faculty members, and graduate …

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University's performance of Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten adapted by Ernest Zulia and composed by David Caldwell.

Performed February 23-25, 2024 at the Mitchell Theatre.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten is a musical adaptation of Robert Fulghum's book, brought to life by Ernest Zulia and David Caldwell. The play captures the essence of Fulghum's essays, which reflect on the simple yet profound lessons learned in kindergarten, such as sharing, playing fair, and living a balanced life. Through a series of vignettes and musical numbers, …

Twelfth Night, Or What You Will

Theatre Programs

No abstract provided.

Dna Poster, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

DNA, written by Dennis Kelly

February 1-3, 2024, 7:30pm

February 3 & 4, 2024, 2pm

Director, Aaron Andrade

Dna Playbill, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

DNA, written by Dennis Kelly

February 1-3, 2024, 7:30pm

February 3 & 4, 2024, 2pm

Director, Aaron Andrade

Scenic Design, Renee Surprenant Fitzgerald

Lighting Design, Elissa Cerros

Vocal Coach, Megan Chang

Costume Design, Jaimy Escobedo

Sound Design, Stuart Holland

Properties Design, Claire Dancause

Makeup Design, Maxine Wheelock

Cast: Luke MacDonald - Mark; Maddie Rich - Jan; Sarah D'Andrea - Leah; Jack Jozefowski - Phil; Molly McGoldrick - Lou; Anthony Maldonado - John Tate; Anthony Joseph - Danny; Holli Hay - …

“I’M George Lucas”: A Connor Ratliff Story, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of “I’m George Lucas”: A Connor Ratliff Story (2024), directed by Ryan Jacobi.

Introduction To Theatre Oer Course, Carmen R. Meyers

Open Educational Resources

Study of theatre and performance throughout history and across cultures including an examination of European, Carribean, and North and South American theatrical styles and genres.

This course is organized for a hybrid/asynchronous format. Our class meets on-campus every week for 75 minutes and the other 75 minutes will be completed asynchronously with weekly learning modules on Blackboard.

The first half of the course focuses on the history of theatre from Ancient Greece through Modern Realism. The second half of the course, students engage in the procedures of professional theatre artists through writing and refining a dramatic text; enacting a performance; …

Iequity: An Augmented Reality Theatre Production, Amy Pan, Kristina Arnold Dr, Alan White, Truth Tran

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Augmented reality is commonly seen being used in game development and design, typically seen through a mobile device such as a phone. However, it has rarely been tested and pushed to its limits in other settings. The main focus of this project was trying to deploy augmented reality in settings that are seen as more traditional. This will be done by taking a play, pre-written and performed by a professor at Western Kentucky University, and building an augmented reality set for the play in the background. The main software that will be used is Unity and Blender. Unity will be …

The Dyslexic Actor: How Dyslexia Affects The Acting Process, Kate Milazzo

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Dyslexia can benefit an actor, especially if the individual is aware of how the challenges and advantages of dyslexia impact their personal acting process. Dyslexia is widely understood to be a learning disability that affects an individual's reading and writing abilities. Many forms of theater rely on the written word, and an actor's success lies in their ability to interpret the text, leading one to question whether a dyslexic individual can find success as an actor. Yet several famous actors, including Octavia Spencer and Henry Winkler, are known to be dyslexic. As a dyslexic individual, I have also successfully participated …

A+: A Film By Asexuals For Asexuals, Gabi Benintendi

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Love And Solitude In Latin America: An Actor’S Take, Performing Graciela In Diatriba De Amor Para Un Hombre Sentado By Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Claudia C. Sevilla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis I take a journey through twentieth century Latin America through inhabiting the role of Graciela created by the late great Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his only work of theatre. Through detailed historical research I explore human topics such as marriage and isolation embodied in Graciela that in a sense mirror a people and a continent. The challenges of producing a play with no budget or partners and the freedoms and constraints of performing a one-person show, which included an audience that does not speak the language the play is written in. How does an actor adapt to …

Celluloid Shakespeare: An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Film And Theatre Through Edgar In Shakespeare’S King Lear, Liam Michael Holton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document explores the actor‘s process and performance of Edgar in the 2021 WVU/WVPB production of William Shakespeare‘s King Lear. This production was directed by Professor Jerry McGonigle and was filmed during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in partnership with West Virginia Public Broadcasting. This experimental project would go on to receive national distribution by the National Educational Television Association (NETA) and was also in consideration for a NETA award, in addition to receiving an Ohio Valley regional Emmy Award nomination as a finalist in the category of Arts/Entertainment – Short Form or Long Form Content. The following text …

Portraying Women In Eugene O’Neill Plays: How Life Affects Art And How Art Is Made Manifest, Charity M. Turley

Senior Honors Theses

Throughout his career, Eugene O’Neill wrote plays with strong and compelling female characters which have earned him much recognition. O’Neill’s ability to perceivably tap into a humans’ psyche and portray the deep desires of humanity was done to an extent rarely portrayed on the stage before; especially giving such complex characteristics to women, which was unconventional and unexpected for his time. Many have asked, therefore, what led O’Neill to write women as boldly as he did? It is known that his formative familial and romantic relationships were plagued by hardship, even so, he admitted to writing many of his characters …

Stage Clutter: An Interactive Journey Following A Theater’S Existential Ponderings, Taylor Tsiamas

Scripps Senior Theses

“Stage Clutter” is a devised, interactive theater piece that focuses on accessibility in theater, as well as questioning what theater is by deconstructing the divide between the “audience” and “performer”. The event consisted of audience participation and exploration, as well as solo performance and puppetry, along with other accessibility features. It aims to center community and joy and subvert Western theatrical “norms” in order to help decolonize theater spaces.

Isabella: An Eternal Badass An Actor’S Exploration On Healing, Forgiveness, And Learning To Embrace The Messiness Through Isabella In William Shakespeare’S Measure For Measure, Shelby E. Garrett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis not only delves into the acting methods used to portray Shakespeare's Isabella in West Virginia University's spring 2023 production of Measure for Measure, but also examines the innovative approach of interpreting the character through the perspective of an older actor. It will examine acting techniques such as Meisner, Fitzmaurice Voicework®, yoga, and chakra work, detailing their influence on character development. From audition to performance, this document will track my journey, capturing personal insights through journal entries, sound bites, and images that helped in shaping a more mature Isabella. Additionally, it explores how actors navigate personal challenges during …

Does It Sound Like I'M Talking?, Justin E. Borak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name, Molière, was widely known as one of the greatest writers in France. His biting satirical thoughts on French hypocrisy, as well as the brilliance in his verse, will be investigated through one of his most popular plays, The Misanthrope. Throughout these pages, I will explore this by diving into the character of Philinte, the trusted best friend of Alceste, the misanthrope, and take a deeper look into the empathetic character who is desperately trying to walk the line of truth and bootlicking. I will accomplish this by researching Molière himself, his specific …

Tragedy Personified: Crafting The Role Of Carol In Alice Birch's Anatomy Of A Suicide, Josey Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the document is to chronicle the character creation of Carol in West Virginia University’s fall 2023 production of Alice Birch’s Anatomy of a Suicide. The following text will provide a detailed look at research on the playwright and my personal textual analysis in tandem with consultations with mental health professionals. It will also describe how those resources in collaboration with imaginative work via the techniques of Sanford Meisner, Fitzmaurice Voicework®, and intentional intimacy choreography were utilized in the rehearsal and performance process. In summation, it will also include post-production evaluations from loved ones and mentors as well …