Digital Commons Network^™

Reflection: Cultivating Creativity And Healing Through Art Therapy, Caroline Ciccone

Theses and Dissertations

I was first introduced to the healing powers of art after working in an orphanage in Jamaica with children who had a wide range of disabilities. Some children were mute or unable to communicate, but art was a form of communication that brought us all together. Within the City of Richmond public school system, 31.7% of students are economically challenged and 13.1% of students are disabled (Education, 2022). Giving more resources in the arts and mental health support to students outside of their school environments is the goal. Art therapy helps reduce the dropout rate and improve mental health (10 …

The Merit Of Adaptation: An Exploration Of Adaptation In Regard To Sophocles’ Theban Plays And The Role Of Antigone Within The Story, Hogan T. Holt

Theses and Dissertations

The creation of an adaptation is extremely challenging and time-consuming, but with the right tools and inspiration, that task of creation can be eased. By looking at three different adaptations of the Theban plays, the goal of creating a new adaptation of this series of plays can be achieved. At the same time, this adaptation can achieve a goal of highlighting an important character from the original set of plays, Antigone, and give her a role that elevates her to the main protagonist across all three plays, thus allowing the Theban plays to become a more feminine piece that works …

“You Are Not Obligated To Complete The Work, But Neither Are You Free To Desist From It.” Richmond Jews In Social Activism Post Civil Rights, Tracy S. Herman

Theses and Dissertations

For centuries, the Jewish people have faced expulsions, pogroms, massacres, and Propaganda. that runs so deep it would be like staring into an abyss. This oppression has motivated Jewish activists worldwide to fight back not only on behalf of the Jewish community but for many areas of perceived need. Jewish involvement in social activism in the U.S. has been particularly recognized by scholars of the labor and Civil Rights movements. This thesis is based on eighteen oral history interviews focused on social activism in Richmond, Virginia since the Civil Rights era. The author conducted these interviews in 2021, 2023, and …

Expect: A Speculative Documentary Filmed In Vr Utilizing The Role-Playing Method To Explore Disabilities And Ableism In Science Fiction, Leilei Xia

Theses and Dissertations

Expect is a speculative documentary filmed in Virtual Reality (VR) that features Chinese actors with disabilities to explore, challenge and reimagine the conventional ableist Sci-Fi tropes and the transhumanistic tendency to “fix” or eradicate disabilities through technological enhancement. I invited people with disabilities who are interested in Sci-Fi to do a Role-Playing with me in Virtual Reality (VR), in which they imagine themselves to be living in a future civilization, an alien planet, or an alternate universe. The participants came up with their own fictional characters and built their own world views. I interacted with them by asking questions and …

"When The Spring Flowers Bloom": Dorothy Fuldheim, The Kent State Killings, And Vietnam War Foreign Policy, Pablo Rangel Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Dorothy Fuldheim is a significant figure in American history. A local legend of news broadcasting in Cleveland, Ohio, Fuldheim wrote and broadcasted exceptional commentaries that demanded the attention of her audience. Her evolving style caught the attention of many across the United States, eventually making her a nationally recognized journalist. Little scholarship has been written on Fuldheim and her contributions to the fields of history, allowing this thesis to lead the way in analyzing her life and work. The primary purpose of this thesis is to use Dorothy Fuldheim as a window to contextualize the events at Kent State University …

A Victim No More: An Arts-Based Autoethnographic Inquiry, Richard D. Edmonson

Theses and Dissertations

Heteronormative culture and curriculum have traditionally prevailed within the college classroom (MacGillivray, 2000). Many LGBTQQIA+ students still find challenges regarding acceptance and integration which may impact their learning experiences (Nodin 2022). Addressing heteronormative curriculum and pedagogy includes discussing the relevance of LGBTQQIA+ inclusivity, visibility, and histories. For schools to become safe and welcoming environments for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and for the negative consequences of heterosexism to diminish for all, homophobia, heterosexism, heteronormativity, and heterosexual privilege must all be explicitly addressed and interrogated in students’ learning (Nunn & Bolt, 2015). One of the ways to do this and ameliorate …

Eugene O’Neill Returns: Theatrical Modernization And O’Neill Adaptations In 1980s China, Shuying Chen

Theses and Dissertations

After nearly vanishing from the Chinese literary world map for thirty years from 1949 to 1979, Eugene O’Neill’s works underwent a reevaluation and resurgence in the reform era of the 1980s. This decade witnessed a wide range of introductions to, research on, translations, and productions of O’Neill’s play in the Chinese theatrical and cultural landscape. Chinese theater practitioners staged some thirty adaptations of O’Neill’s works in both domains of spoken drama and traditional opera, including productions by colleges, state-owned troupes, and independent theater groups. This dissertation contextualizes some of O’Neill adaptations in the socio-cultural context of the transitional period and …

Contemporary Vocal Pedagogy In The Choral Ensemble Rehearsal: A Guide For Secondary Educators, Luke Lee Browder

Theses and Dissertations

The field of contemporary commercial vocal pedagogy is relatively new, with serious academic study primarily taking place over the last twenty-five years. In that time, however, a growing body of research has shown that the function of the vocal mechanism operates in essentially the same manner across classical and contemporary commercial music (CCM) genres, but the application of vocal function is what differentiates classical and CCM singing. Since secondary music educators often represent the only vocal training their students will ever receive, it is helpful for them to know the differences in vocal techniques and how to effectively train singers …

From La Cosa Nostra To La Cultura Del Narcisismo: Psychoanalysis As Public Philosophy In The Sopranos, Thomas Patrick Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The aims for this thesis are to further investigate the show’s use of Tony’s psychotherapy as a narrative device in building the relationship between the work of art and the spectator. This device, I argue, possesses a Brechtian character: it not only breaks up the narrative action, but it also comments upon it. Most importantly, this device grounds spectators in a psychoanalytic outlook which enables the spectator to analyze the show’s central anti-hero, interpret the series of events around him, as well as the criticize the American climate he is a symbol for. I advance the thesis that The Sopranos, …

Death Becomes Her: Rejecting The Muse And Reclaiming The Female Body In Leonor Fini’S Skeleton Women, Janna Singer-Baefsky

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is organized through the varied ways Fini incorporated death imagery, like the skeleton, into her art. I trace how she changed her interpretations of death from being a symbol in earlier works to then rendering death as the subject itself and concluding with depicting herself as death.

Keeping Both History And Magic Alive: Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done (2018) At The Museum Of Modern Art, Beatrice M. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the exhibition, historical reconstruction, and museum acquisition and conservation of postmodern dance, with the 2018 MoMA exhibition Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done as a case study. This exhibition considered the history and legacy of 1960s postmodern dance through a presentation of artifacts and archives alongside a continuous program of live, in-gallery performances. The Work Is Never Done catalyzed questions in the three areas of dance exhibition, reconstruction, and conservation and, as this thesis argues, represents a unique example of preserving canonical dance history while creating a generative context for spontaneity, experimentation, and reinvention.

“Who Will Guard The Guards Themselves ”: A Phenomenological Discourse Analysis On How Whiteness And White Supremacy Are Upheld By White Hearing Officers On Community College Campuses, Amanda Jane Mesirow

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how whiteness and white supremacy are upheld by white hearing officers on community college campuses. The literature shows that racial bias exists in K-12 discipline systems, that no reporting mandates on demographics exist in higher education conduct, and that community colleges often serve minoritized students. Therefore, the problem statement centers on the connection between community colleges conduct systems and whiteness/white supremacy.Data was collected via interviews with three community college conduct practitioners, as well as a review of documents from their institutions’ conduct offices. The study’s research methods were phenomenological discourse analysis and …

Playing To Play: A Critical Analysis Of Masaaki Yuasa's Ping Pong: The Animation., W. Ranse Gale

Theses and Dissertations

Masaaki Yuasa's 2014 series Ping Pong: The Animation approaches the ideas of play, competition, and victory in unique ways, especially when compared to other series in the sports anime genre. Through the protagonist Smile, Yuasa encourages viewers to engage with play in a childlike, empathetic and naïve way, as opposed to focusing on victory. By analyzing the series using De Koven's ways to approach play, scholars and fans can better understand the variety of ways in which the characters approach play, and how each of them eventually learns to play well. Analyzing this series through the perspective of metamodernism as …

Shakespeare In Virtual Reality: Social Presence Of Students In A Virtual Reality Book Club, John Funchess Ott Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to implement and evaluate the impact of a virtual reality book club on the social presence of students. This research examined participants using virtual reality headsets to study the works of William Shakespeare. This study examined two research questions: 1) How does the implementation of a virtual reality technological innovation affect students’ knowledge of Shakespearean works? 2) How does the implementation of a virtual reality technological innovation affect social presence in students? Participants interacted within virtual worlds with one another and the researcher. Data was collected using a pre-post assessment test, writing …

Palestine Without Borders: A Study Of Arab And Western Voices In Theater, Bassem Mohsen Ahmed El-Sayed Ahmed Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

Theater has always been perceived as a way to link different cultures together and bring them under one large domain. Regardless, the genre does not give the needed attention to works written in certain regions that may otherwise fall outside the consensus. One good example is Palestine and any works that deal with it as a setting. The first thing that comes to mind whenever the word “Palestine” is brought up is almost always of a political nature, having to do with the Palestinians’ national conflict with Israel. This thesis undertakes to amend this by probing into plays written by …

Reparation For The Irreparable: Is Punishing International Crimes A Universalist Hoax?, Kholoud Hafez Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis challenges the conventional discourse on international punishment that emphasizes the development of a single, unified system of international criminal justice. Instead, it advocates for a pluralistic approach that recognizes the fragmented nature of international punishment, which involves various actors, including permanent courts, special tribunals, internationalized tribunals, and domestic courts exercising universal jurisdiction. The sui generis nature of international crimes demands a comprehensive approach to punishment that considers multiple perspectives and norms of diverse actors involved. Rejecting the notion of universalism in determining punishment rationales and promoting accounts of sentencing consistency, the author asserts that a global framework can …

Instructional Alignment In The Curriculum To Address Learner Diversity: The Case Of High Schools In Egypt, Shrouk Elshiekh

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims at exploring the connection between the instructional activities used by high school teachers to support diverse students, and the students’ readiness for college. This is accomplished by considering teachers’ awareness of their students' strengths and weaknesses and teachers’ collaboration with college counsellors. Both from the review of the literature and based on my experience as a high school teacher and college counsellor, it has emerged the necessity of addressing the diverse high school learners' needs through the application of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. The preparation of students for college through a precise alignment of …

An Ambiguous Hermeneutic: Doubleness In Ingmar Bergman’S Quest For Self, Ingy Aziz

Theses and Dissertations

One of the functions of art in all its forms is to provide the means for self-exploration and, in this way, to enable us to relate cultural representation to the question of meaning. The beauty of cinematic art is that it gives voice to our deepest and most profound concerns and enables us to bridge the gap between personal psychology and public understanding. As interpreters, we do not always unearth the answers that we seek, but we certainly gain more insight through delving into the minds of major filmmakers in the canon of modern cinema. This thesis is on the …

The Revolting Monster - A Consideration Of Existentialist Themes In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Through A Comparison To Albert Camus' The Stranger, Felipe Rodriguez Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This Master’s thesis is concerned with analyzing key themes and ideas in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein through an existentialist lens which is made possible through a comparison to themes and ideas in Albert Camus’ The Stranger. I aim to make a contribution to my field by fulfilling a comparison that has long been made since the late 1960s when conversations about British Romanticism and Existentialism were still common. The purpose of my first chapter is to elucidate a new argument about the relationship between these two novels. There is a discernable element of Camusian Revolt exhibited by the Creature in …

The Chicana Mural Movement: A Reclamation Of Mesoamerican Iconography, Jennifer Vander Els

Theses and Dissertations

An examination of the deployment of indigenous Mexica iconography by Chicana artists during the Chicano Mural Movement. The ethno-national concept of Aztlan, corn and Corn Women, and the deities Coatlicue and Coyolxauhqui were restructured in Chicana murals to uplift and recognize the achievements of the women of the Chicano community.

Blacklash: Phenomenological Hermeneutics In Black Dance, Darvejon A. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The horrors inflicted on Black bodies, souls, and spirits in the United States during the transatlantic slave trade, the Jim Crow era, and the current era (2023) have a lasting legacy of trauma metabolized through the body and transmuted generationally. Jones uses this data to contextualize the work of Black dance artists as hermeneutic phenomena in which the Black dance artist is a hermeneut tasked with delivering a message of the Black body/spirit complex: “I AM HUMAN. DO NOT KILL ME.” This paper examines how Black dance artists frequently petition for their survival — incessantly subjugated to the interpreter’s empathy, …

For What Is A Man?: Towards Languaging Contemporary Dance In A Black, Queer, Male-Presenting Body, Thomas Ford

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines Queering Blackness: Solo on a Theme of Reconciliation, a performance event that invokes movement, spoken text, projections and sound to explore the mechanisms of identity. Engaging performance, Black, queer and dance studies, the paper contextualizes cultural identity markers, towards an understanding of what it means to be Black, queer and male-assigned in Black spaces.

Gloria Rehearsal (Excerpt) A Feminist Mechanism For Metabolization, Eleanor Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Weaving embodied trauma studies with feminist theory, non-hierarchical creative structures, and research in dance improvisation, this thesis paper written by Eleanor Smith contextualizes the dance performance gloria rehearsal (excerpt). The performance piece was choreographed and performed by Molly Lieber and Eleanor Smith, who have been co-choreographing feminist dances since 2006.

(Not) Knowing, Jared Friedman

Theses and Dissertations

Jared Friedman’s work creates monuments out of banal common objects. Through acrylic paintings on- Astroturf, burlap, canvas, and upholstery fabric- he explores the ambiguity of the unremarkable, such as the condenser coils on the back of a refrigerator. In, (Not) Knowing, he parses the difference between knowing and understanding.

Beyond Participation: Hélio Oiticica And Neville D’Almeida, Jocelyn Elliott Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The collaborative works by Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica and filmmaker Neville D’Almeida responded to Brazil’s dictatorship and their self-imposed exile in New York between 1969-1974. Oiticica’s concept of crelazer and the artists elective “marginal” position converge to create a new cinematic language; challenging gender norms, and proposing new systems for living.

Edward & Sons: An Improvised Opera, Ian Robles

Theses and Dissertations

A hurricane is coming, but at Edward & Sons Hardware and Plumbing the shelves are bare, the gringo debt collectors are calling and the owners is getting high in the back room. An improvised opera about the demise of the very last family-owned hardware store in Puerto Rico.

Zeus Iv, Lauren Holmes

Theses and Dissertations

How do you survive a pandemic? When you’re trapped inside for weeks? When society’s rules are revealed as largely arbitrary?

You get a dog and bring it to the park.

This play is about a group of devoted dog owners in Boston who stumble on an unexpected community. It's a dog park ballet about the close care of strangers.

I Could Never, Chad Kaydo

Theses and Dissertations

Isn’t it horrible? What she did? Can you even *imagine* doing that? Three women reckon with the dark myths we tell ourselves…while their husbands golf.

Walk Away, Anna May, Kim Diana Ly

Theses and Dissertations

Remember how Anna May Wong was passed over for white actors in yellowface? An emerging Asian American screenwriter moves on a kaleidoscopic journey through the entertainment industry -- from Kabuki to Crazy Rich Asians -- in order to understand why she's even trying to make it in Hollywood.

Riverside Drive, Phillip C. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

RIVERSIDE DRIVE: Eugene, a mild-mannered librarian by day and a foul-mouthed comedian by night, uncovers the hidden legacy of his family’s Harlem home which forces him to transform his life.