Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Nervous Salomes: New York Salomania And The Neurological Condition Of Modernité, Margaret K. Araneo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In January 1907, New York City had its first major encounter with the figure of Salome. Appearing on three large stages in the city simultaneously, the archetype of the dancing girl quickly became an object of controversy. Her appearance at the Metropolitan Opera House in its staging of Strauss’s Salome resulted in public debate and the ultimate closure of the performance by the Met’s Board of Directors. The event brought attention to the Salome archetype’s already contested character. Salome arrived in the United States from Europe where she had been the subject of a quarter century of debates about how …

The King’S Daughter, Reout Essiminy Feldman

Theses and Dissertations

The King’s Daughter is a spatial video installation that depicts an oversized projection of a woman’s head. Her eyes are closed, and there are necklaces with words coming out of them. The necklaces disappear into the black surface. The King’s Daughter happens in a black room, where the viewer can only view the installation through a window.

Interdisciplinary Arts As An Agent For Community Building In A U.S. Public School, Ida Pappas

Educational Studies Dissertations

The aim of my dissertation research is to understand the relationship between interdisciplinary arts experiences and the establishment of a community culture in a mainstream public high school in northeast United States. With this research, I hope to provide evidence to support the inclusion of interdisciplinary arts projects in the fabric of students’ high school curricular and extra-curricular experiences. Through engagement in design, art, video, music, dance, theater and the close study of a minority culture, high school participants provided regular responses to planned survey questions and open-ended survey questions (Experience Sampling), as well as through interviews, written prompts and …

"Hippie Acid Freak Drag Queens:" Situating The Cockettes Within An Art Historical Context, Scott Dow

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis situates the Cockettes – a performance group rarely referenced in art historical discourse - within Bay Area performance art, second-wave feminist art, and the Gay Liberation Movement. Contextualizing the Cockettes within their contemporary art movements provides a new understanding of the group and emphasizes their significance to art history.

4000 Matches On Fire At Once: Studies In Memory And Performance, Lauren Chapman

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In examining the journey that has brought me to the position I am in as a dramaturg, artist, and person, it would be at best rude and at worst irresponsible not to acknowledge the universe of people, productions, and ideas that have molded me. Just as plays are composites and amalgams of ideas, emotions, styles, and themes, so is an emerging dramaturg. My experience is both entirely my own, and not my own at all. In reflecting this experience for my thesis exhibit, I feel it’s important to isolate those individuals and ideas that have molded me.

By presenting their …

School, Melissa F. Carter

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project asked the question: What is the role of the undergraduate liberal arts institution in American society, now? I initially searched for answers through secondary research. This did not provide me with a single, concrete answer, but contextualized the topic and showed me that there is a multitude of roles that the university plays in society. I then formed and trained an ensemble and together we explored these roles through group discussion and exhaustive improvisation. Out of the many answers that presented themselves, we focused on the concept that the primary purpose of the university is to create the …

Picnic

Theatre Programs

No abstract provided.

Now Presenting: Uri Theatre, Allyson Schiller

Senior Honors Projects

Honors Project Abstract

In my years as a theatre student and practitioner, I have learned that the most creative people aren’t necessarily found center stage. For every actor taking a bow, there are numerous support staff who created the production that will bring actors acclaim. Without an audience, the work of these artists will remain unseen and unappreciated. Therefore, those who promote the performances are certainly an integral part of the theatrical process. Often referred to as “show business”, the ticket sales and revenue are essential to the health and well being of any theatrical organization. URI Theatre, like any …

Discovering The Secrets Of The Annex: The Scenic Design Of "The Diary Of Anne Frank", Kiah Kayser

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the analysis, design, and implementation of University of Arkansas’ production of The Diary of Anne Frank. The entire process is explored and analyzed with a specific focus on the challenges the production staff faced along with creative victories that we shared when creating this production. This document comments on and explores how the facts of the story and principal location of The Diary of Anne Frank influenced our more abstracted world of the play.

This thesis includes the essential design documents and support materials used in the creation of the scenic design of The Diary of Anne …

An Actor's Method To Building The Character Of Mother Superior In Agnes Of God, Venita J. Matthews

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Agnes of God is the story of a nun (Agnes) who gets pregnant while living in a convent. She almost dies after giving birth to a baby, who was later found dead in a garbage can. The cast consists of three members: Agnes; Mother Miriam Ruth (Mother Superior); and Dr. Martha Livingstone, the court appointed psychiatrist. Faith is tested as Dr. Livingstone draws closer to uncovering the truth surrounding the conception, birth, and death of Agnes’ baby.

I performed the role of Mother Superior in the UNO production of Agnes of God. This thesis documents my rehearsal and …

Rhythm And Movement: The Lighting Design For "Eurydice", A Living Poetic Metaphor, Emily Rachel Clarkson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will delve into the historical context, analysis, design process and execution of the lighting design for the University of Arkansas’ production of Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice. Special care will be taken to document an exploration of the challenges faced by this production during research, design meetings as well as throughout the implementation of this design. This document will seek to answer the questions: how does one design the lighting for a show that is in and of itself a metaphor? When each scene requires its own striking visual, how does the designer weave the play together so that it …

Scenic Design For "The Metal Children", Joseph Bryan Farley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A scenic design for the play “The Metal Children” by Adam Rapp was created and performed by the steps of the design process used in the design program at the University of Arkansas Department of Theatre. The Metal Children presents itself as a multi-unit set. With a script that introduces five different locations, one begins to question how we move forward with every different scene fluidly and in a quick scene shift time. When beginning the design process, I had to look at the show as if it were a musical with multiple scenic pieces that would fly in and …

Le Sacre Du Printemps: The First Rite (An Exploration Of Modern And Aerial Dance As Storytelling), Whitney Bates

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Le sacre du printemps, a ballet choreographed in 1913 by Vaslav Nijinsky, played an important part in changing the way the world thought about choreography. Since, modern choreographers such as Graham and Taylor have followed in the tradition of creating their own versions of Le sacre. This thesis outlines the significance of Le sacre. It also describes how Bates created a choreographic project using Nijinsky, Taylor, and Graham influences, and also combining modern dance floor techniques with aerial choreography.

Teaching Social Studies Through Drama, Colin Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Educators and researchers have long discussed methods for improving student achievement in the social studies and history. Research on student attitudes reveals that the social studies suffers from a lack of interest among students. Common complaints among students are that the subject is tedious, does not relate to their lives, is not particularly useful for their future careers, is repetitive, or that it is simply boring (Schug et al., 1982). Even when students recognize the utilitarian value of skills they learn from social studies / history, they rarely express an interest in the subject (Chiodo, 2004). After reviewing the body …

Expressions Of Madness In Coloratura Mad Scenes Of Bel Canto Operas, Rachel G. Christenson

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis will explore the musical innovations in the mad scenes of the bel canto composers in the 1800s. It will analyze Gaetano Donizetti’s mad scenes in Anna Bolena (1830) and Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), and Vincezzo Bellini’s mad scenes in I Puritani (1835) to discover how each composer expresses madness through the high and virtuosic voice of the coloratura soprano. The subject of madness is not a new idea in opera. However, the mad scenes of Donizetti and Bellini are the most successful and are often performed in opera houses around the world. Specific attention is given to the …

The Fight Master, Spring 2017, Vol. 39 Issue 1, The Society Of American Fight Directors

Fight Master Magazine

No abstract provided.

Rapture. Redemption. Religion. Retail. Directing Samuel D. Hunter’S, A Bright New Boise, Chadwick R. Taylor

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

This thesis contains the written documentation of the process of directing a theatrical production of A Bright New Boise by Samuel D. Hunter, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Masters of Fine Arts in Directing for Stage and Screen at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Topics addressed include play selection, background of the play and author, script analysis, concept development, casting, production and rehearsal process, director’s reflection, and critical responses and self-evaluation.

Advisor: Ian Borden

Hamlet: An Illuminating Look At Tragedy, Maxx Finn

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

This thesis describes the research and production process of the lighting design of Hamlet, adapted by Wesley Broulik, performed in Howell Theatre, from November 17 through December 4 at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska. Hamlet was directed by Wesley Broulik. Maxx Finn acted as the production’s lighting designer, Kaitlyn Peterson designed the set, Haley Williams designed the costumes, Emily Callahan designed the sound, Andrea Besch acted as the properties master, and Travis Smith was the acting technical director.

This thesis contains the entire lighting design process for Hamlet, including initial meetings, conceptualization, …

Cross(Ing) The Line: Leadership In Devised Theatre, Monica Furman

Honors Papers and Posters

“Traditional" (Western) theatre focuses on the relationship between the playwright and the director. Devised theatre is a reaction to the dominant ideology; it is ensemble-created original work. A group of artists collaborate and create a play with no script and, sometimes, no initial theme or message. They use various different art forms as well as interviews and narratives to create a theatrical experience.

A Fuddy Thesis: Directing David Lindsay-Abaire’S Fuddy Meers, Dustin M. Mosko

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

This thesis contains the written documentation of the process of directing a theatrical production of Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Master of Fine Arts in Directing for Stage and Screen at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Topics addressed include play selection, script analysis, concept development, casting, production & rehearsal processes, director's reflection, and critical responses of the production.

Advisor: Virginia Smith