Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Projects In Lighting Design And Technical Direction, Hannah Rose Whorton

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

A report of realized lighting design, projection design, and technical direction theatre projects.

It’S Not A Phase, It’S A…Musical?: The Innate Theatricality Of The Emo Movement Of The 2000s, Kylie Alyssa Price

Honors Theses

This project is an exploration of the rock subgenres emo and pop-punk and how they interact with musical theatre conventions. Emo, short for emotional hardcore, is a descendant of hardcore punk music that is characterized by its focus on the emotional core of lyrics as well as softer, more pop-influenced sounds musically. In this project, the history of emo is delineated alongside the history of rock musical theatre. Subculture is also defined as it relates to this thesis. The natural theatricality of emo is then characterized as being through emo/pop-punk’s performance culture, through the existence of the concept album, and …

Necessitating Autonomy: Performing Black Womanhood., Krystal Chavonne Waller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the ways in which Black womanhood should autonomously be represented on the stage and/or the screen. By defining the theories of Black Feminist Thought, Black Performance, Trap Feminism and Sankofa, I create a praxis that provides Black femme performers with tools for authentic characterization. By acknowledging and respecting that Black women are not monolithic, this thesis also explores the evolution of theatrical representations of Black Womanhood—particularly U.S. Black womanhood from the late 19^th century to modern day. Using historical narrative, analysis, acting techniques learned during my MFA program, and personal reflection, I advocate for Black women …

Creating New Points Of Access: How Integrating Black Acting Methods Strengthens The Western Theatre Canon., Darrin Edward Dispenza-Mosley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Western acting techniques have historically disregarded the contributions and techniques of black and non-Western performance to the detriment of black actors. This disregard has created barriers for black actors when engaging in what has now become standard theatre training. This training is enforced by implementation of acting techniques in academia that favor codified techniques of Eurocentric acting. Despite black acting techniques being codified and taught within the black community and academia, outside of a few historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), predominately white academia has implemented valuable training methods that black/African American Acting techniques can offer. By looking at American …

The Icarian Dilemma: The Battle Of Faith Versus Identity Addressed With Scenic Design, Allistar G. Barrett

Senior Honors Theses

American Christians and the LGBTQ+ community have long been in a cultural war with one another. However, queer Christians – individuals who are both LGBTQ+ and Christian – have rarely found solace in either community, instead being shunned and ostracized for their beliefs and identities. Using the transformative art of theatre to address cultural divides, a theatrical scenic design was developed for Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R & J, a retelling of the traditional Romeo and Juliet script through the lives of four Catholic school girls. This design uses the Greek mythology of Icarus, Catholic culture, the original Romeo and Juliet, …

How Much Wood Would A Scene Painter Paint If A Scene Painter Could Paint Wood: Scenic Wood Grain Techniques, Rebecca S. Yee

Research and Creativity Symposium

“Scenic painters, we paint wood to look like wood”. In this project I used knowledge from my time in UMW as a scenic painter to further my skills and focus on wood grain techniques. In this collection of 5 wood grain samples, I used wood graining tools and a brush separately to compare the different outcomes that were produced. Wood grain samples include pristine softwood and hardwood, aged softwood and hardwood, and wood panels in the style of trompe l'oeil.

Sensory Friendly Performance Of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical, Mary M. Robinson

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This project contains examples of best practices in theatre to make it accessible to those with sensory sensitivites such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, etc.

"Nunsense" Promptbook, Peyton H. Mccarthy

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Peyton Helene McCarthy's promptbook submission for her Senior Project in stage management (SM): SMing UMW Theatre's fall 2024 production of "Nunsense" by Dan Goggin

NOTE: SM documentation templates and formatting included in Peyton's promptbook were directly provided and/or inspired by Brandon Prendergast's professional paperwork and intellectual property.

Composing The Music For Iphigenia Among The Taurians, Johnathan Hodges

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This poster session outlines the music composition process for Pepperdine’s production of Iphigenia Among the Taurians, Jan. 28-Feb. 1, Dr. Bradley Griffin, Director. My presentation focuses on the challenges I had to overcome, my goals and objectives, and finding the right sound for the score.

Meadow Brook Project: Lighting Design, Ava Bell

24th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2025)

In theatre, artists come together for collaborative storytelling. Through meetings, discussions, rehearsals and tech, designers, technicians, actors and directors decide how a story is going to be told and how they can support one another during the process. Lighting design is a crucial element of that theatrical storytelling, telling the audience where to look, when to look there, and how to feel about it. Meadow Brook Theatre's production of Ella: First Lady of Song, a musical following the life and discography of Ella Fitzgerald, was brought to life through lighting. This research allowed for the creative and technical exploration of …

20250408: Marshall Artist Series, 2025, Marshall Artist Series

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the office of the Artist Series at Marshall University from March-April 2025. Items were received in April 2025. Items include movie-sized posters of the programs from the Artist Series, including Javier Zamora, BANFF Mountain Film Festival, and more. Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents

Musical Theatre Nyc Industry Showcase -Senior Capstone, Erica Aubrey

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Musical Theatre BFA candidates put together and perform a 35-minute Senior Showcase for New York City Industry Personnel. This culminating performance was presented in NYC on April 8, 2025 for Casting Directors, Agents, Directors, Choreographers and Managers. Post this performance, students are asked to meetings with talent reps, and are are asked to auditions for projects they are right for, further launching them into their professional careers post graduation.

The Space Defines The Phrase: An Analysis Of How Performance Venues Helped Shape Classic Play Texts, Carl Sage

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Within the world of scenography there is an axiom that states:

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with the playwright.” That is to say that designers need to derive their worlds from what the authors present. Scenographers do, of course, engage in research, segments of which include such questions as: What was occurring in the world at the time the piece was written? What stories might the author have been exposed to as inspiration? How have other scenographers interpreted this particular text? Such dramaturgical questions – and others – have a reasonable scenographic utility. However, no …

Footloose: The Musical, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2024-2025 Season Productions

No abstract provided.

Tartans: Weaving A Warped History With Myths, Heritage And A Whole Lot Of Heather., Bethany Sassen

LSU Master's Theses

Scotland has many tartans throughout the whole of the country. Each has a different meaning and is used for different clans and purposes. Tartans are the plaids that are seen throughout the Highlands and the patterns and colors have a wide range depending on where and when the tartan was created. The purpose of this research is to investigate the history of the tartans and how they interact with our current culture. I also built two outfits to show how tartan is still being used. One a more traditional outfit and the other more avant garde. Tartans have a long …

Community Engagement For The Children's Theatre, Lindsey R. Guilford

Undergraduate Theses

Community Engagement for the Children’s Theatre examines how children’s theatres across the United States build and sustain mutually beneficial relationships with their surrounding communities. In a field where community support is essential, but resources are often limited, long-term success depends on meaningful, reciprocal engagement. This research draws on surveys and interviews with theatre professionals to investigate strategies used by organizations of varying sizes to connect with local audiences, educators, and families. Findings highlight key practices such as sharing resources, aligning programming with community needs, valuing both internal and external stakeholders, and maintaining transparent, ongoing communication. By consolidating these insights, the …

Unlocking Ela For All Students With Drama Activities, Natalie Tasillo

Virginia English Journal

Introducing drama activities into ELA classes can spark creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration for all students. They offer inclusive alternatives to traditional ELA activities and support successful learning experiences for all students. Several drama activities that are accessible to many students experiencing challenges are provided with suggestions for how they can benefit ELA classrooms.

20250205: Marshall Artist Series, 2016-2024, Marshall Artist Series

Guides to University Archives

These items include materials from the office of the Artist Series at Marshall University from 2016-2024. Items were received in 2025. Items include movie-sized posters of the programs from the Artist Series, including Piff the Magic Dragon, Mikey Day, Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and more. Please download the finding aid for a full list of contents.

The Laramie Project, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2024-2025 Season Productions

No abstract provided.

Nightmare, Phoebe E. Bowen

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.