Theatre History Commons^™

Theater Of War: Booth And Beyond, Valerie N. Merlina

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Lastly, we come upon perhaps the best known actor of the Civil War era, John Wilkes Booth. Of course, the reason memory allows us to recall the name is not because of the merits achieved through his profession, but rather because he murdered the elected executive official – United States President Abraham Lincoln. Booth, a product of a theater family, was a dramatic, eccentric, and impatient being. He wanted the leading roles, did not want to prepare the role, but to simply play the role. His brother, Edwin Booth, a talented poetical performer, one might deduce, did prepare for his …

Theater Of War: Combining Entertainment And Art, Valerie N. Merlina

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Did the theater work to benefit the causes for north or south, dependent upon region? Sautter stated that this phenomenon was less common than many might expect. Many actors stated their neutrality, or as one Civil War era actor said, “I am neither northerner nor southerner.” Still others simply responded to the war by leaving the country. One must consider the “clannish nature” of theater of the time in order to understand how actors could have taken the neutral role during a war of ideals: many actors were born into theater life, therefore did not grow up in any one …

Doubt Program [2014], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2013-2014 Season

By John Patrick Shanley

Directed by William Steele

This production was a Participating entry in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KC/ACTF).

The Cherry Orchard

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 2014 performance of The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov.

The play follows an aristocratic Russian landowner who returns to her family estate (which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard) just before it is auctioned to pay the mortgage.

Theatre Of War: A Witness To Love, Tragedy, And Parody, Valerie N. Merlina

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Central to American nineteenth century life was the theater. As the fratricidal fighting of the American Civil War broke out and divided the nation, this centrality remained, and audiences crowded into the theaters. For both north and south, the theater provided an outlet through which Americans could enjoy plays, performances, music, and variety shows that appealed to all social classes of American society. However, in order to understand the operations of theater companies during the war itself, it is first essential to examine the state of the theater as a concept during the mid-nineteenth century, and in the pre-war years. …

Edwin Rousby: Un Misterio Desvelado, Luis Guadaño

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

En este trabajo se aclaran las dudas e incógnitas que hasta ahora han existido sobre la vida y actividad professional de Edwin Rousby (1856-1927) quien llevó a cabo, adelantándose a los hermanos Lumière, las primeras exhibiciones cinematográficas como negocio en España y Portugal.

[This article sheds new light on the unknown professional and personal life of Edwin Rousby (1856-1927), the first to carry out public film exhibitions in Spain and Portugal ahead of the Lumière Brothers.]

Spectacles Of Reform: Theater And Activism In Nineteenth-Century America By Amy E. Hughes (Review), Jocelyn Buckner

Theatre Faculty Articles and Research

In Spectacles of Reform Amy Hughes advocates for “spectacle as methodology” (4), a means of interpreting spectacle in nineteenth-century melodrama, as well as a wide variety of other media, that rehearses and reforms concepts of citizenship and identity related to race, class, gender, and morality. Through this lens, Hughes seeks to answer the questions “where and how do activist spectacles appear before and beyond the theatrical encounter?” and “why is spectacle kept alive through reinvention, revision, and repetition long after the drama is over?” (5). Hughes traces her theory of the spectacular instant through three popular sensation themes of the …

Technology And Wonder In Thirteenth-Century Iberia And Beyond, Christopher B. Swift

Publications and Research

As the desire for affective experiences of the sacred increased in communities across Europe in the late Middle Ages, the Christian faithful crafted lifelike, mechanized figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and saints for use in religious festivals. Although each devotional culture evidences unique body/object relationships and meanings, in general animated ritual objects encouraged lay participation in the celebration of saints and the Passion by engaging the senses, and, consequently, an emotional sense of God. In this essay I investigate the ritual alliances between moveable, prop-like saints and their Iberian devotees, in particular the performative meanings that arose from encounters …

Re-Thinking Paris At The Fin-De-Siècle: A New Vision Of Parisian Musical Culture From The Perspective Of Gabriel Astruc (1854-1938), Cesar A. Leal

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Gabriel Astruc (1864-1938), a French impresario of Jewish background, is mostly known for his collaborative work as an impresario with Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes. His role within Parisian musical culture at the fin de siècle, however, was much broader. He was a critic, creator of a leading periodical, producer of musical and circus events, music publisher, and associate of many important cultural figures of his day. Although Astruc has been mentioned in scholarly literature, his multifaceted activities have never been carefully studied.

Following the revisionist initiatives of previous scholars (e.g., Pasler, Huebner, Garafola, Fauser), this project offers …

Review Of The Comedia Of Virginity: Mary And The Politics Of Seventeenth-Century Spanish Theater, Elizabeth Lehfeldt, Mirzam Perez

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Dance 2013: Once Again, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

2013-2014 Season

No abstract provided.

The Cripple Of Inishmaan Program [2013], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2013-2014 Season

A dark comedy by Matrin McDonagh

Directed by Thomas Power

This production was a Participating entry in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KC/ACTF).

Kiss Me, Kate

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 2013 performance of Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter and Samuel and Bella Spewack.

Kiss Me, Kate follows the story of divorcees Fred and Lilli and their onstage/offstage drama as they rehearse and perform a musical version of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Speed-The-Plow, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

2013-2014 Season

Speed-the-Plow is another of Mamet's business plays, this one exploring the relationship between business and art. Bobby and Charlie are film producers who are considering greenlighting the script for a prison buddy movie that they believe will be a huge blockbuster. Bobby has been reading an apocalyptically spiritual novel that has deep meaning, but Charlie points out that this book would never make a great movie. After the temp, Karen, leaves the office, Charlie bets Bobby that he cannot get her into bed. When she returns, Bobby asks her to read the novel and give him her thoughts later. That …

Les Misérables, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

2013-2014 Season

One of the world’s most iconic and longest-running musicals, Les Misérablestells the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemption. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France and the aftermath of the French Revolution, this timeless story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and the quiet evil of indifference to human suffering. As Valjean’s quest for a new life carries him into Paris and to the barricades of the Student Revolution, he is hunted by Inspector Javert and the ghosts of his past. Amidst a battle for the soul of Paris, he …

Blue Jasmine, Daniel Ross Goodman

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Blue Jasmine (2013), directed by Woody Allen.

Night Sky Program [2013], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2013-2014 Season

A comedic drama by Susan Yankowitz

Directed by Assunta Kent

This production was a Participating entry in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KC/ACTF).

The Fight Master, Fall 2013, Vol. 35 Issue 2, The Society Of American Fight Directors

Fight Master Magazine

No abstract provided.

Though The Earth Give Way

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 2013 performance of Though the Earth Give Way by William Gebby, commissioned and presented by the Taylor Theatre Touring Company.

Though the Earth Give Way is a reimagined telling of the story of King Hezikiah and his resistance of the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C.. The story is found in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings 18-20 and Psalm 46.

The Stage Through Slanted Eyes: An Examination Of The Current State Of Asian Americans In Theatre, Sara M. Laflamme

Honors Theses and Capstones

Deep-set racial prejudices and stereotypes in American society greatly impact how Asian Americans are perceived onstage and in everyday life. The Stage Through Slanted Eyes: An Examination of the Current State of Asian Americans in Theatre delves into the history of these prejudices and looks at how a performer's race can impact his or her theatrical career.