Digital Commons Network^™

"These Lyrics But It's The Opening Of A Ted Talk" - A Public Speaking Activity Inspired By Tiktok, Abby Ferrell

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This activity encourages students to practice delivery skills in a fun and laid-back way that connects to social media. This activity can be used in-person or online and is intended for public speaking, oral/interpersonal communication, and introductory theatre classes. Based on content creator Madeleine Chalk’s “These lyrics but it’s the opening of a TED Talk” videos, students will deliver song lyrics as if they were giving a TED talk. In doing so, they will practice delivery skills such as eye contact, vocal variety, and body language. After the activity, students will debrief on the mechanics of delivery, audience engagement, and …

Gemstoning: Character Creation Exercise For The Classroom & Production, Abigail Dillard, Lucas Skjaret

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In the summer of 2023, we participated in an online training course with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting titled Awareness Without Judgement: A Teacher Training Intensive. Over the weeks, we studied with three main teachers at the Studio on Character, Technique, and Script Interpretation with ‘master classes’ led by actors and scholars scattered over the weeks. The course is designed for theatre practitioners who want more in-depth experience and exposure to the more pedagogical side of acting and performance; in other words, for acting teachers who want to use the techniques of Stella Adler within their teaching. Given this …

Spatial Mapping With Polaroid Post-Its, Angela C. Dittmar, Katie Claiborne

Arts-Based Collaborative instructional materials

No abstract provided.

Beehive: The '60s Musical, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2024 Summer Theatre

No abstract provided.

We Are...Marshall! (The Journey & Formation Of The Safd Archives), T. Fulton Burns

Theatre Faculty Research

The Society of American Fight Directors Archives now have a home at Marshall University in the Morrow Special Collection in the Marshall Library System. While the collection in these archives tells the history of the SAFD from its founding in 1979, the journey to become the current and future archival home is itself an interesting story.

Empowering English-Language Learners Through Acting, Translanguaging, And Collaborative Devising, Natasha L. Yannacanedo

Journal of English Learner Education

The author explores the transformative potential of using acting, translanguaging, and collaborative devising as tools for linguistic and personal development among English Language Learners (ELLs). Through a reflective narrative of teaching Acting I to ELL students, the paper delves into the challenges and successes encountered in integrating acting, translanguaging, and devising into the curriculum. Emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between acting and language learning, the author discusses how expressive language development, vocabulary acquisition, and enhanced pronunciation skills were cultivated. Additionally, the paper considers the role of translanguaging in creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment, where students' linguistic diversity is celebrated …

Instructor's Manual: Where's My Compass?, Steven Sparling

Journal of Arts Entrepreneurship Education

The performing arts is a perennially over-subscribed market with more performers than available jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a previously constrained market to a standstill. For many students graduating from musical theatre and acting programs the lack of employment opportunities in performance was discouraging. The attached case studies examine the experience of three graduates and how they used skills adjacent to their performing skills to launch small business ventures. This Instructor’s Manual uses SWOT Analysis and the Ansoff Matrix as tools to assist students in analyzing the case studies (and as planning tools for their own entrepreneurial ventures). It also …

Where's My Compass? Navigating Uncertainty With Business Planning Tools For Performing Arts Graduates - A Teaching Case Study, Steven Sparling

Journal of Arts Entrepreneurship Education

This teaching case study looks at the phenomenon of musical theatre students graduating in spring 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down both their graduation showcase opportunities and the majority of the audition and work opportunities that would normally be available to graduate performers. In both cases presented, the actors set up small businesses-- in bookkeeping and video production, respectively-- that allowed them to generate income to keep themselves afloat while preserving their primary identity as artists despite challenging market conditions. The accompanying Instructor's Manual uses SWOT Analysis and the Ansoff Matrix as tools to assist students in analyzing the …

It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2024 Summer Theatre

No abstract provided.

Forever Plaid, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2024 Summer Theatre

No abstract provided.

Call And Response : Experiments In Storytelling, Deanne Fernandes

Masters Theses

Being part of RISD's inaugural Masters of Illustration cohort has been an immense honor. This journey has been nothing short of transformative and healing, as it has allowed me to unearth layers of self-discovery through my creative practice.

In my thesis, I introduce a fresh research methodology rooted in the principles of call and response, with adaptability, creativity, and storytelling as its foundational pillars. Through the lenses of visual storytelling, experimental animation, graphic journalism, and fictional world-building, I demonstrate how these techniques can effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice. This dynamic approach fosters meaningful connections among diverse perspectives …

Feldenkrais And Music Informed Listening: A Neurophenomenological Perspective On Autism, Arona Primalani

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Phenomenologists identify the subjective body and its felt-senses as the basis for human development and consciousness, including mental health. Several mental health disorders, when viewed from a phenomenological perspective, share common symptomology related to varying extents of fractured selves, which in turn hinders dynamic interaction between individuals, their actions, and their relationships with their social and material worlds. Autism is one such condition. Hence, I created an intervention to investigate how listening, which foster subjective and intersubjective experiences, lies at the heart of somatic and arts-based interventions. This thesis, first, begins with a summary of the presenting symptoms observed in …

With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner

Whittier Scholars Program

My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …

Method Acting As A Therapeutic Intervention For Trauma Recovery, Remi Moses

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

While considered controversial by some, Method acting as popularized by Lee Strasberg is a technique that elicits powerful and authentic results on stage and screen. The foundational Method acting techniques, the Relaxation Exercise (RE) and the Sense Memory Exercise (SME), share similarities to bottom-up therapeutic processes like Somatic Experiencing and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. By implementing a trauma-informed drama therapy framework with these two exercises, the RE and SME were restructured as a therapeutic intervention for people in trauma recovery. The author implemented a study of three consecutive group therapy sessions for people healing from trauma where clients participated …

Scare If You Dare: A Look Into Scare Acting, Hana Goss

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Scare acting has always been the unsung villains of the entertainment industry. For three months of the year, for about five minutes of a haunted house, they get attention. However, the work scare actors do to is way more than just a five second “boo.” Scare actors have been at the beginning of theatre and continue to influence modern entertainment. Even though the patrons may be the ones feeling the danger, scare actors may be even more in danger than them. Each scare actor is unique from their looks to their moves. It might be take a lot of nerve …

An Actor's Approach To Contemporary Theatre, Ethan Harbin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper is a composite of research and reflection in regards to Comemedia dell'arte as well as contemporary theatre. It is a personal exploration of the life and legacy of Aurand Harris. My personal application of the research is documented in this thesis.

Adding Texture Through Historical Research: Using Dramaturgy To Aid In The Creation Of Elizabeth (Bess) Borney., Nyazia Brittany Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis follows my work with the production The Old Settler by John Henry Redwood. This document explores my process as an actor, and how I decided to capitalize on an opportunity to study Dramaturgy and apply what I learned to my actors' process. In the pages of this thesis I present the pieces of my process, including my vocal and movement work based in Laban and Alexander Technique. I give personal examples of how my dive into dramaturgical work positively affected how I crafted the role of Elizabeth (Bess) Borney. I also detail the transition out of my work …

Transforming Into A Politically Engaged Actor Through Gem Of The Ocean., Tajleed Steven Hardy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores my transformation into a politically engaged theatre artist through my performance as Citizen Barlow in the University of Louisville's Department of Theatre Arts’ 2024 production of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. My thesis defines the characteristics of a politically engaged theatre artist and proposes specific ways actors can prepare to perform in any production of any play. My transformation into a politically engaged theatre artist resulted from a combination of the skills I gathered as an undergraduate student at Norfolk State University and the new analytical and acting techniques I learned as an MFA in …

Killers, Queers, And Cowards: Suffering And Freedom In Jean-Paul Sartre’S No Exit, Aaron Brewer

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Throughout No Exit, Sartre’s mirror is key to understanding his characters and philosophy. It is his tool for exploring ideas that are limited by the time in which he lived. Here, the play does what all great works should do: it challenges the status quo and looks beyond what can already be seen. This thesis will use his established mirror metaphor and an expanded mirror metaphor to unearth the true nature of No Exit’s characters.

In setting down the characters’ path, Sartre asks questions that humans have considered for Millenia: Why are we here? Why am I suffering? How …

Bedeviled Beauty: My Journey Through White American Theater Institutions, J'Aila C. Price

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Game console: Oculus Quest

World: American Theater Institutions

Player: Minority

Place: United States

Level: “Ain’t no way.”

This thesis explores the contrast between the Westernized philosophies ingrained in my education and my identity as a Black female artist. It sheds light on the difficulties of pursuing higher education in the arts and the gaps that arise from limited exposure to culturally diverse Black resources, revealing the systemic issues in Western performance education. The paper also discusses the insights gained from my journey as a Black female artist, focusing on my thesis performance of Blood at the Root, which is …

A Performance-Based Exploration Of Vocal Anatomy And Pedagogy: Maximizing Technical, Stylistic, And Physiological Frameworks For Superlative Vocal Technique In Artistic Function, Michael J. Civitano

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the influence of specific frameworks in performance and vocal pedagogy on artists' capacity to enact evidence-based learning outcomes, with emphasis on vocal physiology and educator-performer relationships. Employing an experimental design, five philosophies that support capacity-building were tested across two trial settings, varying in intensity. The participant utilized narrative reasoning, diversified methods, and mentorship from specialized educators to apply frameworks. Findings indicate that, in practicing evidence-based learning and maximizing anatomic foundations of the voice, substantial developments in artistic capacity ensued. Educator-performer relationships mediate this process through reciprocal collaborations that foster capacity-building. Performers display optimal artistic capacity by effectively …

The Storm In The Barn

Theatre Programs

No abstract provided.

Disney's Newsies:The Musical

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University's performance of Disney's Newsies:The Musical. Book by Harvey Fierstein. Music by Alen Menken. Lyrics by Jack Feldman.

Performed April 26-28 & May 3-5, 2024 at the Mitchell Theatre.

Disney's Newsies is a vibrant and inspiring musical based on the 1992 film and inspired by the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. The story follows Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy who dreams of a better life. When newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer raises the prices that newsies must pay for papers, Jack and his fellow newsboys form a union and organize a strike to …

Hello, World., Elliot Cetinski, Evan Chartock, Olivia Cross, Kiran Drew, Kaya Eller, Ben Little, Joey Nolan, Spencer Toth, Sophie Wahl-Taylor, Sadie Walker, Destiny Young, Annie Zulick

Theater and Dance Presentations

This project works to theatrically represent the current state of Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as its benefits and drawbacks, in the style of the Living Newspaper. Originating from a Great Depression-era job program, the Living Newspaper sought to take headlines and present them onstage for a poignant and contemporary social critique. This work does the same, melding different angles of the AI debate into a single production that emphasizes the rapidly progressing state of modern AI technology and the need for humans to consider the impacts such technologies will have. Furthermore, it asks the audience to question their position …

The Representation Of Young Black Male Characters In 80s And 90s Sitcoms, Tavin M. Cochran

Honors College Theses

Sitcoms are a great formulaic art form. Characters being in ridiculous situations in front of a live studio audience to emphasize the complexities of life is an exciting way of storytelling. When I was younger, I noticed that I would relate to the main characters as if their flaws were my own. I enjoyed doing it. When I began relating to side characters as well, I understood the different roles in sitcoms. You will have a main character and a side character to compliment them. Seeing another young black male on television made me feel represented. Many shows have given …

Creating Consent Based Spaces In The Performing Arts, Laura Rikard

SC Upstate Research Symposium

In 1849 when Duke Saxe Meiningen created the role of the modern director in theatre he created an authoritarian model for creative power over production that would be replicated for the next one hundred and fifty years in the performing arts. This leadership model led to a performing arts industry reliant on performances being obedient and not fostering environments where creative collaboration can thrive. It created confusion between what it means to say, “yes” from a point of view of survival and not from a place of consent. For true collaboration to thrive in the product and process oriented spaces …

The Play That Goes Wrong Poster, Department Of Theatre, Dance & Film

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

The Play That Goes Wrong, by Lewis, Shields, and Sayer

April 12-14 & 19-21, 2024

Fridays & Saturdays, 7:30pm

Sundays, 2pm

Director, Patricia Tulli-Hawkridge

The Play That Goes Wrong Playbill, Department Of Theatre, Dance & Film

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

The Play That Goes Wrong, by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer

April 12-14 & 19-21, 2024

Fridays & Saturdays, 7:30pm

Sundays, 2pm

Director, Patricia Tulli-Hawkridge

Set & Props Designer, Scott Osborne

Lighting Designer, Michael Clark Wonson

Sound Designer, Stuart Holland

Costume Designer, David Cabral

Vocal Coach, Megan Chang

Hair & Makeup Designer, Joe Rossi

Fight Choreographer, Jim Beauregard

Cast: Kevin Bongiorno - Trevor; Jack Josefowski - Chris; Brendan Phaneuf - Jonathan; Anthony Joseph - Robert; Jack Cormier - …

The Voice Actor And Their Double: Working As A Voice Actor And Teaching Voice Acting In The Age Of Ai Voice Cloning, Adam Paul

Tradition Innovations in Arts, Design, and Media Higher Education

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and voice cloning technology presents significant challenges and opportunities in the field of voice acting and performing arts. This article explores the profound transformations taking place in the voiceover industry due to the convergence of AI, voice synthesis, and personal voice cloning technologies. The author, a seasoned voice actor, reflects on the impact of these advancements on his profession, from the democratization of voiceover tools to the emergence of AI-generated voices that closely mimic human speech.

The article delves into the intricate interplay between technology and human creativity, investigating the implications for voice …

Student-Directed One-Acts

Theatre Programs

No abstract provided.