Acting Commons^™

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 …

Finding “A Good Thing”: Embodying The Traumatic Sustainably, Erika Kuhn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Contemporary dramatic work such as the play Anatomy of a Suicide by Alice Birch demands a significant toll on the actors embodying the characters. Western pedagogies that emphasize a need for the utmost authenticity must be merged with the modern practice of self-care and trauma informed boundaries. This document outlines the merging of traditional acting techniques of characterization with solutions for self preservation such as preparation, mental and physical upkeep, a personalized set of character de-rolement practices, and social rituals. Through an analysis of the text itself, its context, author, and the lens of one actor’s experience portraying the character …

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 …

Puppy Love And [Information] Play: An Intersection Of Theatre, Queer Kink, And Consent, Emily Kitchens

Faculty Articles

This note from the field centers on a nexus of queer kink subcultures and consent-based intimacy work in theatre. I report, investigate and wrangle with the process of incorporating queer kink aesthetics into the production of Love and Information by Caryl Churchill I directed at KSU February 2023. What I have learned and hope to demonstrate throughout the paper, is that queer kink subcultures are often paradigmatic examples of communities built on consent, and we as performing arts practitioners can more visibly expand the margins of our cultural competency dialogues to not only include them but look to them as …

The Providence College Opera Workshop Presents Dido & Aeneas Playbill, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Music

Ryan Concert Hall, Smith Center for the Arts

Dideo & Aeneas, an opera by Henry Purcell

Friday, December 1, 2023, 7pm

Sunday, December 3, 2023, 3pm

Instrumental Director & Harpsichordist - Catherine Gordon

Stage Director - John Garrity

Vocal Director - Elizabeth Heath

Choreographer - Wendy Oliver

Production & Costume Designer - David Costa Cabral

Choral Director - Krishan Oberoi

Rehearsal Accompanist - Michael Kregler

Stage Manager - Alexander Lamoureux

Load-in Crew - Anthony Joseph, Alexander Lamoureux, Anthony Maldonado

Performers: Dido - Victoria Leblanc ‘24; Aeneas - Dominic DaSilva ‘24; Belinda - Liliana Massa …

Moon Over Buffalo, Lynn University

Drama Programs

In the madcap comedy tradition of Lend Me a Tenor, the hilarious Moon Over Buffalo centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950s. At the moment, they’re playing Private Lives and Cyrano De Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York with five actors. On the brink of a disastrous split-up caused by George’s dalliance with a young ingénue, they receive word that they might have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of …

In Yellow: A Solo Poem-Play, Emily Kitchens

Faculty Articles

“In Yellow” was developed in the INKubator residency at Art House Productions (Jersey City, NJ) in 2019 with the following blurb:

In Yellow is a solo poem-play about a relationship between a young woman and a ceramic doll her grandmother made that she has just accidentally broken. It is about grief. It is about breaking out of generationally instilled feminine values. It is about the color yellow. It’s all true.

“In Yellow” is an experiment of a poem and play for one voice. I was in New York City for about 10 years, before that The Bay Area, but am …

Mother Courage And Her Children

Theatre Programs

No abstract provided.

Depaul Digest

DePaul Magazine

College of Education Professor Jason Goulah fosters hope, happiness and global citizenship through DePaul’s Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education. Associate Journalism Professor Jill Hopke shares how to talk about climate change. News briefs from DePaul’s 10 colleges and schools: Occupational Therapy Standardized Patient Program, Financial Planning Certificate program, Business Education in Technology and Analytics Hub, Racial Justice Initiative, Teacher Quality Partnership grant, Intimate Partner Violence and Brain Injury collaboration, School of Music Career Closet, Sports Photojournalism course, DePaul Migration Collaborative’s Solutions Lab, Inclusive Screenwriting courses. New appointments: School of Music Dean John Milbauer, College of Education Dean Jennifer …

Carousel Playbill, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

Carousel, Music by Richard Roger, Lyrics and Book by Oscar Hammerstein II

October 27-29 & November 3-5, 2023

Friday & Saturdays, 7:30pm

Sundays, 2pm

Director, Erin Joy Schmidt

Musical Direction, Esther Zabinski

Scenic Design, Baron Pugh

Lighting Design, Michael Clark Wonson

Sound/Arranger/Additional Orchestrations, Dr. William Longo

Hair and Makeup Design, Michael Dates

Costume Design, David Costa-Cabral

Vocal Coaches, Elizabeth Heath & Megan Chang

Properties Design, Laurel Franczek

Choreography, Ann Huyck

Cast: Clare Krug - Carrie Pipperidge; Christina Schwab - …

Carousel Poster, Providence College

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

Roger's and Hammerstein's Carousel

October 27-29 & November 3-5, 2023

Friday & Saturdays, 7:30pm

Sundays, 2pm

Small Mouth Sounds

Theatre Programs

No abstract provided.

Active Analysis In The Beginning Acting Classroom, Michael Shipley

Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

Often, the exercises in the acting classroom can feel at odds with the processes used in the rehearsal room. I believe Konstantin Stanislavsky’s rehearsal method of Active Analysis provides tools and perspectives for dealing with these challenges. At The S Word Symposium in November 2022, I outlined a process I developed for teaching beginning acting using principles of Active Analysis as a tool to bridge the gap between training and rehearsing. This article outlines the experiences and thought processes that went into creating this class structure and reviews the benefits for students. Applied in this way, Stanislavsky’s impulse to place …

Crazy For You, Lynn University

Drama Programs

Elaine’s Annual Musical Treat

Exclusive production sponsor Elaine J. Wold invites you to the zany rich-boy-meets-hometown-girl romantic comedy Crazy for You® directed by Lynn University Associate Professor and Chair of Drama Adam Simpson. The production also features Lynn’s B.F.A. in drama program students.

Crazy for You® tells the story of young New York banker Bobby Child, who is sent to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a rundown theatre. In Deadrock, Bobby falls for spunky Polly Baker, the theater owner’s daughter. But Polly takes an instant dislike to the city slicker, so Bobby vows—through cunning, razzmatazz and a hilarious …

Everybody

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University's performance of Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

Performed September 14-17, 2023 at the Mitchell Theatre.

Everybody is a modern adaptation of the 15th-century morality play Everyman. The story follows a character named Everybody, who is summoned by Death to embark on a journey to account for their life and choices before God. As Everybody seeks companionship for this final journey, they encounter personifications of abstract concepts like Friendship, Kinship, Stuff, Mind, and Love. The play uses a unique casting lottery system, where roles are assigned randomly at each performance, symbolizing the unpredictability of death. Through …

Is Ai An Actor?, Emily Wirkus

AI Assignment Library

Students are taught a system of marking scripts and monologues using a series of steps to highlight the flow of action, including shifts in objectives and tactics (what the character wants, and the active language describing how they hope to get what they want). Students are challenged to mark a monologue themselves using these criteria taught in class. Students will then upload their monologue into ChatGPT and ask it to score the monologue using the same criteria. Students will compare and contrast the two monologues and evaluate what ChatGPT created that was useful, and what ChatGPT may have missed. Students …

Body Movement Syllabus - The City College Of New York - Department Of Theatre - Prof Timothy Allen, Timothy J. Allen

Open Educational Resources

This course will explore three modules of learning.

1. Anatomy and Psycho-Physical Centering, will explore two foundations: (1) the start of our research and practical application of the human anatomy in regards to how our body moves; and (2) your ability to tune into movement centers within the body by utilizing Chakra as a guiding study. Please note: Anatomy will be a continuous study throughout the entire semester.

2. THE SECOND MODULE, Partnered Connection, will focus on partnering with lifts, counter-balances, falls, and rolls that will build to a partnering sequence of the tools presented.

3. THE LAST MODULE, Global Archetypes, …

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Creating Living Characters Through Stanislavski's System And Michael Chekhov's Psychological Gesture, Robert Stark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis examines the application of psychophysical techniques of Konstantin Stanislavski's System, coupled with use of Michael Chekhov's Psychological Gesture, to prepare for multiple roles of intersectional characters in the production of Paula Vogel's Indecent, directed by Dr. Julia Listengarten at the University of Central Florida, January 25th through February 7th, 2022. Vogel's Indecent revisits the events surrounding the production of Sholem Asch's God of Vengeance on Broadway in 1923, which featured a lesbian relationship. The show's cast and producers were arrested for depicting scenes of obscenity, which reflected the intolerance of immigrant, Jewish, and queer communities in the 1920s …

Trauma In The Acting Process: My Role As Camae In The Mountaintop And The Implementation Of Practical Techniques For Empowerment, Anita Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Actors often use their life experiences to evoke emotions and give a compelling performance. Connecting with personal experiences for a role, however, can manifest traumatic experiences. Trauma in the acting process can trigger difficult memories and emotions, which affects the actor's well-being. In graduate school, I discovered that trauma was a detriment to my artistic freedom in the acting process. Without the appropriate tools to address trauma, it affected my well-being and caused me to burnout. Furthermore, trauma was ignored by those involved in the creative process and there was an expectation to mask emotions for the sake of the …