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Tort Reform In Florida: The Impact Of Hb837, Kara E. Burns Jan 2023

Tort Reform In Florida: The Impact Of Hb837, Kara E. Burns

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Legislative policies play a pivotal role in shaping the socio-political landscape of a nation, addressing critical issues, and reflecting the values and priorities of its citizens. This case study examines the implementation of Florida's House Bill 837 (HB837), a significant piece of legislation that has generated substantial interest and debate. The study aims to shed light on the practical implications of this policy within the context of its introduction, passage, and subsequent results. The research of this case study explores the historical and political backdrop against which HB837 was enacted. It examines the motivations behind the bill, the debates that …

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Attention, Working Memory, And Adaptive Functioning In Emerging Young Adults With Psychometrically-Defined Schizotypy, Parth Nakirikanti Jan 2023

Attention, Working Memory, And Adaptive Functioning In Emerging Young Adults With Psychometrically-Defined Schizotypy, Parth Nakirikanti

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Schizotypy, a complex construct linked to schizophrenia-related traits, encompasses positive, negative, and disorganized symptoms. This study offers a review of the concept of schizotypy, including its historical evolution, tracing it from Bleuler's early mention in 1911 to Meehl's continuum model. Embracing a dimensional perspective, this research underscores the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding schizotypy. Deficits in sustained attention and working memory within schizotypy remain underexplored, with prior studies yielding inconsistent results. Adaptive functioning deficits in individuals with schizotypy are also inadequately understood. Examining a college student population, this investigation utilized scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire …

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The Study Of Crisis Narratives Over Time: Mayfield, Ky In The Aftermath Of The 2021 Tornadoes, Rebecca Freihaut Jan 2023

The Study Of Crisis Narratives Over Time: Mayfield, Ky In The Aftermath Of The 2021 Tornadoes, Rebecca Freihaut

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study was a year-long longitudinal qualitative research project using the case study of Mayfield, KY after the catastrophic tornado event that impacted their community on December 10, 2021. Oral histories were collected from 18 participants who lived in or were closely connected to Mayfield at the six month and 1.5 year marks after the disaster. Later, after the oral histories were archived and made available to the public, the transcripts were used to extract the crisis narratives from the oral histories and the data was thematically analyzed using the existing theory and theoretical framework of Narratives of Crisis: Telling …

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Revisiting The Vigilance Taxonomy: Are Findings Consistent In A Remote Environment?, Grace E. Waldfogle Jan 2023

Revisiting The Vigilance Taxonomy: Are Findings Consistent In A Remote Environment?, Grace E. Waldfogle

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Previous research has highlighted key taxonomic factors that have been found to influence human performance on vigilance tasks. However, previous literature has focused on research conducted in laboratory settings but has not examined vigilance tasks in remote environments. The present dissertation addresses this gap in the literature by examining human performance on a remote vigilance task, as well as workload and stress associated with the task. Qualitative data were collected to further understand the environment and distractions that participants experienced. Across three experiments, 372 participants were asked to complete a vigilance task and answer surveys pertaining to stress, workload, and …

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Adversarial Attacks, Coarse Robustness, And Dataless Neural Networks: Novel Techniques For Improved Classification And Combinatorial Optimization, Ismail Alkhouri Jan 2023

Adversarial Attacks, Coarse Robustness, And Dataless Neural Networks: Novel Techniques For Improved Classification And Combinatorial Optimization, Ismail Alkhouri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Neural networks (NN) have become a central component in most machine learning systems. However, studies have shown that these models are not robust against adversarial attacks. As such, in this dissertation, we explore four directions. In the first direction, we investigate adversarial attacks on two hierarchical classification (HC) models: the Flat HC (FHC), and the Top-Down HC (TDHC). In particular, we formulate attacks against these models by using convex programming. Through experimental results, it is shown that FHCs are more robust than TDHCs. Second, we formalize a new notion of coarse robustness that is defined with respect to a specified …

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The Development Of Computational Models For Melting-Solidification Applications Using The Volume-Of-Fluid Method, Brendon Cavainolo Jan 2023

The Development Of Computational Models For Melting-Solidification Applications Using The Volume-Of-Fluid Method, Brendon Cavainolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Fluids-related issues in the Aerospace industry are often multiphase in scope. Numerical modeling, such as computational fluid dynamics, is used to describe these problems, as they are difficult or impossible to describe analytically. This research uses computational fluid dynamics to describe multiphase problems related to melting-solidification and particle impingement. Firstly, a numerical model was established that uses the Volume-of-Fluid method to resolve a melting/solidifying particle. This model was verified against experiments and simplified analytical models, and a mesh independence study was done to ensure the results were independent of the mesh sizing. Next, the model was applied to two separate …

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High-Dynamic-Range And High-Efficiency Near-Eye Display Systems, En-Lin Hsiang Jan 2023

High-Dynamic-Range And High-Efficiency Near-Eye Display Systems, En-Lin Hsiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Near-eye display systems, which project digital information directly into the human visual system, are expected to revolutionize the interface between digital information and physical world. However, the image quality of most near-eye displays is still far inferior to that of direct-view displays. Both light engine and imaging optics of near-eye display systems play important roles to the degraded image quality. In addition, near-eye displays also suffer from a relatively low optical efficiency, which severely limits the device operation time. Such an efficiency loss originates from both light engines and projection processes. This dissertation is devoted to addressing these two critical …

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A Framework To Define And Quantify Leadership Styles Within Navy Engineering Units, Megan Praschak Jan 2023

A Framework To Define And Quantify Leadership Styles Within Navy Engineering Units, Megan Praschak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study aimed to develop a framework for the U.S. Navy's leadership styles by assessing self-perceived leadership styles in a sample of reserve Engineering Duty Officers (EDOs) and the Senior Enlisted Leaders (SELs) in these technical units. Transformational and transactional leadership styles were examined using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) Form (Avolio & Bass, 2004), while the servant leadership style was analyzed using the Servant Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SLSQ) (Sandling, 2021). The effect of rank and the triad leadership position on leadership style was explored in this study. The survey was made available to all EDOs and SELs (n = …

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How Parents Perceive School Readiness, Jody Silvester Jan 2023

How Parents Perceive School Readiness, Jody Silvester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this study was to explore parents' perceptions of children entering kindergarten and their understanding of school readiness. In this collective case study, drawing on parent interviews and artifact sampling and guided by discourse analysis (Gee, 2015), I employed Saldaña's (2021) cycle coding methods to explore the themes of what parents perceive and co-construct as 'school readiness'. Data collected for this study includes video recorded interviews of four participants as well as artifacts of their child(ren)'s classroom assessments, parent-teacher conference forms and packets, and a checklist shared by the parents. The findings of the study showed parents' perception …

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The Role Of Oxygen Impurities In Γ-Phase Calcium Lanthanum Sulfide For Infrared Applications, Alexandros Kostogiannes Jan 2023

The Role Of Oxygen Impurities In Γ-Phase Calcium Lanthanum Sulfide For Infrared Applications, Alexandros Kostogiannes

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Calcium lanthanum sulfide (CLS) has been identified as a candidate material for various optical applications due to its wide transmission range, high refractive index, desirable thermo-optic properties, and refractory behavior. Implementation of CLS in optical systems has remained unrealized due to various difficulties in the synthesis and bulk fabrication of this material. The key challenge facing the development of CLS is the incorporation of oxygen and the presence of unwanted secondary phases related to the lack of control of stoichiometric variations across the ternary phase diagram. Though these difficulties have been previously discussed in the processing of CLS, the exact …

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Optimizing Biomechanical Models: Estimation Of Muscle Tendon Parameters And Ankle Foot Orthosis Stiffness, Sepehr Ramezani Jan 2023

Optimizing Biomechanical Models: Estimation Of Muscle Tendon Parameters And Ankle Foot Orthosis Stiffness, Sepehr Ramezani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The complexity of the human musculoskeletal system presents challenges in accurately identifying its characteristics, particularly due to the presence of redundant actuators on a single joint. Non-invasive measures are necessary to overcome these challenges. Optimization algorithms have emerged as a crucial tool to advance subject-specific musculoskeletal modeling allows a more realistic representation of biomechanical behaviors, enhancing our understanding of human movement and enabling better clinical decision-making. Furthermore, optimization algorithms play a vital role in customizing rehabilitation and assistive devices, such as orthoses and prostheses. The current ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) stiffness measurement methods require bulky, complex designs, and often permanent modification …

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Material Appearance Modeling For Physically Based Rendering, Alexis Benamira Jan 2023

Material Appearance Modeling For Physically Based Rendering, Alexis Benamira

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Photorealistic rendering focuses on creating images with a computer that imitates pictures of reallife scenes as faithfully as possible. To achieve this, rendering algorithms require incorporating accurate modeling of how light interacts with various types of matter. For most objects, this model needs to account for the scattering of the light rays. However, this model falls short when rendering objects of sizes smaller or comparable to the wavelength of the incident light. In this case, new phenomena such as diffraction or interference are observed and have been characterized in optics. Digital rendering of those phenomena involve different light representations than …

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Machine Learning Algorithms For Molecular Signature Identification With High-Throughput Genome Sequencing Data, Jiao Sun Jan 2023

Machine Learning Algorithms For Molecular Signature Identification With High-Throughput Genome Sequencing Data, Jiao Sun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Powered by the high-throughput genomic technologies, the RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) method is capable of measuring transcriptome-wide mRNA expressions and molecular activities in cells. Elucidation of gene expressions at the isoform resolution enables the detection of better molecular signatures for phenotype prediction, and the identified biomarkers may provide insights into the functional consequences of disease. This dissertation research focuses on developing advanced machine learning algorithms for mining large-scale RNA-Seq data in cancer transcriptome analysis. A platform-integrated model for transcript quantification (IntMTQ) is developed to improve the performance of RNA-Seq on isoform expression estimation. IntMTQ provides more precise RNA-Seq-based isoform quantification, and …

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An Experimental Mixed Methods Pilot Study For U.S. Army Infantry Soldiers - Higher Levels Of Combined Immersion And Embodiment In Simulation-Based Training Capabilities Show Positive Effects On Emotional Impact And Relationships To Learning Outcomes, Fred Martin, Jr Jan 2023

An Experimental Mixed Methods Pilot Study For U.S. Army Infantry Soldiers - Higher Levels Of Combined Immersion And Embodiment In Simulation-Based Training Capabilities Show Positive Effects On Emotional Impact And Relationships To Learning Outcomes, Fred Martin, Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This pilot study examines the impact of combined immersion and embodiment on learning and emotional outcomes. The results are intended to better enable U.S. Army senior leaders to decide if dismounted infantry Soldiers would benefit from a more immersive simulation-based training capability. The experiment's between-subject design included a sample of 15 participants randomly assigned to one of three system configurations representing different levels of combined immersion and embodiment. The control group was a typical desktop, and the two experimental groups were a typical configuration of a Virtual Reality headset (VR) and a novel configuration using VR supported by an omnidirectional …

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Fostering Empathy In Sms Text Messaging, Tami C. Gitto-Kania Jan 2023

Fostering Empathy In Sms Text Messaging, Tami C. Gitto-Kania

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

While digital mediation can facilitate some aspects of communication, such as increasing scope and access to communicative possibilities, those gains are overwhelmed by the challenges of digital mediation to support empathy.The ubiquity of our digital existence throughout much of the developed world has, in a relatively short time, had a profound impact on human communication. Time spent online and in front of a screen has increased exponentially during the last three decades. This has led to a great deal of interpersonal communication becoming digitally mediated. From luddites to web developers, users of digitally mediated communication (DMC) often find it necessary …

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The Spoon Theory, Sanne Methorst Jan 2023

The Spoon Theory, Sanne Methorst

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The Spoon Theory is a 3D animated short film that tells the story of a dancer struggling with an invisible disability. There is a variety of media that focuses on the struggles of the disabled, however the spoon theory focuses on a different aspect by exploring disabilities that are not easily seen. The film uses visual symbols to communicate these hard to discern conditions, creating a visually interesting spectacle while effectively conveying an important message. The Spoon Theory invites the viewer to experience a different perspective on life and raise awareness about the unknown struggles of others.

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Propaganda Of Car Ecotourism In Glacier National Park, Hanna Y. Mohammed Jan 2023

Propaganda Of Car Ecotourism In Glacier National Park, Hanna Y. Mohammed

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper discusses the promotion of car ecotourism and its impact on Glacier National Park. Coinciding with the creation of the park's flagship Going-to-the-Sun Road from 1921 to 1932, both the state and the private sector presented the image of the newly commodified automobile as a vehicle to explore nature with. Historically, national parks have served the interests of the middle and upper classes, by suppressing marginalized communities, primarily through forced relocation in order to clear the lands for creation of the parks. The public's conception of the “wilderness” drastically changed during the time the car was commodified, as nature …

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The Cypress Dome 2023, Issue 34, The Cypress Dome Society Jan 2023

The Cypress Dome 2023, Issue 34, The Cypress Dome Society

The Cypress Dome

The Cypress Dome Society (CDS) offers an outlet for artists at UCF. We chose to name ourselves after the beautiful cypress dome ecosystem that exists on the UCF campus. In the same way that cypress domes create an environment based in biodiversity and rich land, we hope to foster a space that promotes diversity and rich creative work for students. We set our roots in the deepest parts of the literary community and surround ourselves with students eager to participate in the arts. Every year, we engage with our community by encouraging students to submit to our literary magazine, The …

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Chatgpt Assignments To Use In Your Classroom Today, Kevin Yee, Kirby Whittington, Erin Doggette, Laurie Uttich Jan 2023

Chatgpt Assignments To Use In Your Classroom Today, Kevin Yee, Kirby Whittington, Erin Doggette, Laurie Uttich

UCF Created OER Works

No abstract provided.

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Time-Specific Safety Performance Functions For Different Advanced Traffic Management Strategies, Jingwan Fu Jan 2023

Time-Specific Safety Performance Functions For Different Advanced Traffic Management Strategies, Jingwan Fu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Time-specific Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) were proposed to achieve accurate and dynamic crash frequency predictions and bridge the gap between annual crash frequency prediction and real-time crash likelihood prediction. This research proposed time-specific SPFs considering the temporal variation in crashes and traffic characteristics. Firstly, the developed time-specific SPFs that include different ATM strategies (i.e., HOV, merge, diverge and reversible lanes segments) were investigated in this study. The results indicate that the traffic turbulence during specific hours would relate to crash occurrence. Further, the variables that represent the speed and occupancy differences between the HOV lanes/reversible lanes and general-purpose lanes were …

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Exploring Population Structure And Diversity Across Time In Population Of American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus Ruber), Jessica Folsom Jan 2023

Exploring Population Structure And Diversity Across Time In Population Of American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus Ruber), Jessica Folsom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Dispersal and connectivity within a population often promotes overall diversity and adaptive potential, therefore a disruption of existing patterns of connectivity by local extinction can have significant consequences for the affected species. However, the extent of these impacts on recovery is not always known. American flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) present an ideal opportunity to investigate how changes in gene flow influence within population diversity and genetic structure over the span of a century for a recovering population. Flamingos were highly sought-after by hunters for their meat and feathers, and as a result, the Florida population was extirpated by the beginning of …

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Magic Show: Themed Experiences Utilizing Animation, Emma Cuitino Jan 2023

Magic Show: Themed Experiences Utilizing Animation, Emma Cuitino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Magic Show is an animated short film created in the Unity game engine that follows a mischievous fairy named Faye, who attempts to deceive her human audience, the viewer, into believing she can do magic. My goal in the program was to create a themed entertainment experience. I created a point-of-view animated film as an alternative to traditional theme park 3D/4D attractions that typically take place in a theatrical setting with large audiences. This allows for a more intimate experience and accessibility in the absence of a physical theater. The storyline itself is a study of imposter syndrome. Instead of …

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Tooth Farmer: Exploring 3d Printed Replacement Heads For Stop-Motion Animated Films, Jamie Lachnicht Jan 2023

Tooth Farmer: Exploring 3d Printed Replacement Heads For Stop-Motion Animated Films, Jamie Lachnicht

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Tooth Farmer is a 2-minute hybrid animated short film combining stop-motion puppetry with a 3D environment. Tooth Farmer is a vital story as it was developed over four years and getting closer to the artist's goal of creating a successful stop-motion armature puppet that is durable for an entire stop-motion short. The story is a different take on the Tooth Fairy mythology that varies from culture to culture. This story offers an alternative to the world of the Tooth Fairy folklore. In Tooth Farmer, a little mouse lives inside a person's mouth to help maintain tooth hygiene. The film focuses …

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Remembered Spaces: Navigating Memory Through Drawing, Leeann Rae Jan 2023

Remembered Spaces: Navigating Memory Through Drawing, Leeann Rae

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis reflects my research and studio practice into how memory is gathered, interpreted, and affects the present. I discuss my historical and contemporary artistic influences, my history, and my visual narratives. I construct layered drawings using charcoal and soft pastel to interpret how we understand our inherently flawed memory. Memory can be clear and easy to understand but simultaneously distorted and convoluted. When recalling a memory, I purposely keep my initial drawn gestures visible to show the pentimenti or shift in marks. The materials, processes, and subject matter in this body of work encourages viewers to navigate the drawn …

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Me And My Baby: Directing & Designing "Chicago" At The High School Level, Leo Arteche Arencibia Jan 2023

Me And My Baby: Directing & Designing "Chicago" At The High School Level, Leo Arteche Arencibia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Directing a musical production in a high school setting under normal circumstances is a challenging undertaking – doing so in the throes and aftermath of a global pandemic, with its school closures, quarantines and general chaos, was an exercise in patience and creativity. For my Master's Thesis, I directed and designed a production of Chicago at Miami Arts Charter School, a performing arts high school in the Wynwood arts district, where I have taught for twelve years and served as the Theatre Director for the past eight years. Chicago made perfect sense as the first "post-pandemic" production. First, it is …

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Transforming Costuming Design: Costuming For The Actor's Comfort, Lisa Evenson Jan 2023

Transforming Costuming Design: Costuming For The Actor's Comfort, Lisa Evenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis explores ways to transform costuming concepts for theatre productions that provide a more inclusive and comfortable environment for actors while still maintaining the essence of the characters they are portraying. This thesis examines theatrical bodies of work as case studies to illustrate options for incorporating costume designs that take into consideration the emotional and physical welfare of the actors. The purpose of this study is to inform theatre teachers how to create costumes that aid in psychological comfort of students regarding gender identity and age, as well as for flexibility in casting due to disproportionate gender ratios that …

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Creative Collaborations: An Arts Integrated Educational Business, Michele Perkins Jan 2023

Creative Collaborations: An Arts Integrated Educational Business, Michele Perkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

One of the main reasons I have been attracted to the world of theatre is its versatility. Theatre incorporates many other disciplines: Science, Mathematics, History, Language, Philosophy, and Psychology to name a few. I have always had daydreams about running a school program that utilizes a play as the unifying force behind the research and application of traditional academic subject. When I first started as an English teacher, I created many projects that incorporated other disciplines, such as creative writing, acting, and music. When I began teaching theatre, I began to focus solely on skills that applied to theatre. I …

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Keeping The Ball Alive: The Marriage Between Sports And Acting, Giuseppe Pipicella Jan 2023

Keeping The Ball Alive: The Marriage Between Sports And Acting, Giuseppe Pipicella

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis examines the link between sports and theatre from the actor's perspective and concludes that these two practices should be used together to achieve optimal performance. Using context provided by great physical theatre practitioners such as Jacques LeCoq, Vsevolod Meyerhold, and Rudolf Von Laban, the candidate used his past experience as a gymnast and a soccer player, and the teachings of Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Tennis, to craft a rehearsal and performance regimen for Theatre UCF's production of Paula Vogel's Indecent. This regimen included an experiment where he alternated days in which he swam to days in …

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Time Of Day Effects On Maximal Effort Strength/Power And Fatigability Assessments, Justine Renziehausen Jan 2023

Time Of Day Effects On Maximal Effort Strength/Power And Fatigability Assessments, Justine Renziehausen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle present within most biological systems that is controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The SCN is responsible for synchronizing the peripheral "clocks" present in other tissues so that all rhythms, such as heart rate, body temperature, and hormone secretion, are functioning together. As most systems experience a circadian rhythm, physical performance likely does as well. Previous studies have investigated time of day effects on maximal strength, power, and endurance performance, however, factors (e.g., sex, chronotype, age, etc.) have not clearly been distinguished. Additionally, body temperature has been suggested to be …

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Theatrical Intimacy: Navigating A New Normal, Elizabeth Smith-Cortelyou Jan 2023

Theatrical Intimacy: Navigating A New Normal, Elizabeth Smith-Cortelyou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis explores theatrical intimacy choreography and coordination during current significant social shifts. Covid restrictions, keen awareness of "correctness", and a desire to "do better" have allowed protective practices like theatrical intimacy to become not only generally accepted but expected in rehearsal spaces. Using techniques such as consent-based spaces, actor disclosures, and common language acquired through training with Chelsea Pace and Laura Rikard, the founders of Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE), I explore choreographing close relationship moments through high school productions of Jane Eyre and Footloose presented in 2021-22 at Lake Highland Preparatory in Orlando and with older BFA/MFA student actors …

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