Digital Commons Network^™

Film Censorship In Egypt: Power And Subject-Making, Sara El Adl

Theses and Dissertations

This study’s focus is censorship on film in Egypt from 1971 onwards; when the first sign of incorporating religion as a source of law appeared with the addition of article 2, which states that “Islamic Shari’a is a main source of legislation.” Film is the most culturally powerful artistic medium in the Egyptian society due its mass consumption and has, from its point of introduction, served as a mirror into Egyptian politics and morality. Foucault’s mission of understanding how “subjectivity” forms and the power relations/modes that bring it about is a lens through which this project intends to examine the …

Risky Bodies Offshore: Spatialisation, Securitisation And Visual Regimes Of Migration, Angela Smith

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Responses To A Sunday School Curriculum On Mental Illness In The Church, Megan M. Hamshar

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores perceptions and attitudes toward mental illness in the church through a literature review of existing research in psychology, supported by a qualitative study of participants in a Sunday School series on mental illness. The four-week course was taught in a class of adults in their twenties and thirties in a Free Methodist church. The results from the study largely support the empirical literature that suggests the church holds primarily negative perceptions and attitudes toward mental illness and the persons it affects. However, the study also suggested that education may encourage self-analysis of negative attitudes and behaviors toward …

Costume Design: A Vision From Paper To Reality, Caitlin Joye Moraska

Theses and Dissertations

What is art? Thomas Merton said, "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." This thesis is a detailed reflection of my process as a designer and how I have grown not only as a person but also, as an artist during my three years at the University of South Carolina. It describes my process and effort to refine my skills as a costume designer and to create the indelible world; that captures a plays mood, its characters, genre and time period.

Magdelena Abakanowicz stated that, "Art will remain the most astonishing activity of mankind …

Claude Debussy: Harmonic Innovations In Historical And Musical Context, Ford Joseph Forqurean

Theses and Dissertations

Claude Debussy's music developed as a product of his environment and culminated in the creation of a unique harmonic vernacular that permeates the twentieth century's tonal language. Through a historical and musical context, his early life through his formative years as a composer will be examined as a natural progression of his environment. The first section of this work will discuss these developments while the second part will analyze the structure and form of the Premiere Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano to illustrate the culmination of this trajectory.

Late Romanticism pushed tonality to its breaking point. Composers were forced to …

Sea Island Cascades: An Analysis Of Principals' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Factors Related To The Overrepresentation Of African American Males Identified As Having An Emotional Disability, Jacinta Maria Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of the overrepresentation of African Americans in special education is a persistent concern that has negatively impacted African American male students, their families, school districts, and the field of special education. School districts throughout the nation report a higher representation of African American males in special education programs than their presence in the general education environment would predict. In South Carolina, 42.5 % of African Americans receive special education services whereas 53% are categorized as having an emotional disturbance (ED). Of the 53% of the African Americans categorized as ED, 79% are males. In the Charleston County School …

Collaborative Costume Design, April Emily Andrew

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores my portfolio of graduate work as a costume designer, covering four diverse theatrical works. 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, a self proclaimed "Mississippi Delta Comedy" by Tennessee Williams examines the themes of domestic violence, isolation, and desire in rural America. Polaroid Stories, a modern poetic play by Naomi Iizuka, blends the harsh realities facing today's street youth with classical mythology to create a unique and theatrical world. Jeffrey Hatcher transported us back to the spectacle, scandal, and upheaval of King Charles II's English Restoration in Compleat Female Stage Beauty, following actor Edward Kynaston, who famed diarist Samuel …

The Remaking Of An American Opera: A Detailed Look At Carlisle Floyd's Grand Opera 'The Passion Of Jonathan Wade', Joshua R. Wentz

Theses and Dissertations

Carlisle Floyd's single grand opera, The Passion of Jonathan Wade, premiered in 1962 in New York City only to be placed on a shelf for the next twenty-eight years to collect dust. In 1990, David Gockley at Houston Grand Opera commissioned a revival of the work, prompting Floyd to write eighty percent new music and libretto. The two versions are similar in plot but are set very different musically.

This document examines the composer, a historical background of the American landscape at the time of each premiere, and a brief analytical examination of The Passion of Jonathan Wade in both …

The Aesthetic Which Is Not One: The Feminist (Un)Aesthetic In The Works Of Caryl Churchill And Suzan Lori-Parks, Kathren Martin

Theses and Dissertations

In the following essay I will establish a theatrical feminist (un)aesthetic that resists essentialism, which creates the dramaturgical space necessary to present a feminist (un)subject. The rejection of Ibsenite realism within the (un)aesthetic disrupts the male gaze as theorized by Laura Mulvey. This is achieved through a materialist feminist focus that highlights the constructive nature of gender difference anf disrupts the production of "woman" as sign. Through the use of Brechtian alienation techniques and theatrical formalism, the playwrights Caryl Churchill (Cloud Nine) and Suzan-Lori Parks (Venus) force the feminist goals of the (un)aesthetic to be considered beyond the context of …

Toward An Understanding Of Contemporary Korean American Piano Music: A Stylistic Analysis Of In-Transit (1999), Piano Sonata (2006), And Inter-Mez-Zo (2006) By Beata Moon, Ka-Young Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Beata Moon is a second-generation Korean American musician who is actively involved in the American music field. She is a performing pianist but also serves as a promoter of new music and aesthetic education. As a composer, Moon has developed a distinctive style that is eclectic and accessible to the audience.

The focus of the study is a stylistic analysis of Beata Moon's three major solo piano works: In-Transit (1999), Piano Sonata (2006), and Inter-Mez-Zo (2006). The analysis includes examination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm and keyboard usage in each of Beata Moon's three major solo piano works. This study …

Costume Design: More Than Imagination, Sean Anthony Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Through an analysis of my Costume Design process for Present Laughter by Noel Coward (2012), King Lear by William Shakespeare (2013) and Arcadia by Tom Stoppard (2014), presented at the University of South Carolina, I hope to relay the experience I gained as an artist and student. By examining my journey from an undergraduate design student, to graduate design student, and finally as an intern with William Ivey Long, I will analyze my work as a Costume Designer.

The Definition Of Youth, Jessta Noel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to write my own theatrical production which would solely include me as the actor. I drew upon my experience of childhood growing up in Atlanta, GA as well as the stories passed on in my family.

Queer Alchemies: Radical Futurity In The Shell Of The Now, Elizabeth R. Canfield

Theses and Dissertations

This work operates at the intersection of academics, art, and activism. Within queer studies there is a tension between assimilation and liberation, sometimes situated as between pragmatism and utopia. This work re-examines Frankfurt school Marxist views of utopia through a queer theoretical lens in order to employ the radical imagination and queer futurity to examine new ways of practicing liberation. Drawing from theorists like Judith Butler, Jose Esteban Munoz, and Gloria Anzaldua, this work uses art (film, writing, zine-making, and sound) as a way to envision and enact a better world situated in the present.

Reorientation: A Journey Through Spatial Sequence, Eman Alsulaimani

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction | The building for this thesis project is one with a long history. Originally built as the First Baptist Church, it was converted over the years to fulfill a role completely different from its original intent; a student center! During this process and after a series of renovations, the Broad Street main grand entrance lost its place and the arrival into the building became much less choreographed. Essentially, over time one could say that this building had been flipped around, it has lost its original intent, grandeur and purpose. Hypothesis | I challenge the idea of flipping the building …

Transformational Directing: An Analysis On How Leadership Affects The Creative Process, James Clayton Winters

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership is often ascribed as a quality one either possess or doesn’t. We often hear phrases like “She is born leader” or “All eyes are on you”, these are thrown around without discretion in the classroom, conference rooms, social gatherings, and business meetings. This work contends that leadership and in particular leadership that grows and transforms its participants is less an inherent character trait, than an outlook and set of core principles that lead to transformation. Through the application of current and developing business leadership theory and its effect on creativity and a cross analysis of “Best in Class” theatre …

Video Games: Their Effect On Society And How We Must Modernize Our Pedagogy For Students Of The Digital Age, Christopher J. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to explore how video games have become an extremely beneficial tool in regards to education, art, medicine, psychology, economics, and beyond. Chapter 1 focuses on how ubiquitous video games have become in America, and what makes video games such a uniquely enjoyable experience to warrant such popularity. Chapter 2 explores how video games have become instrumental in various fields. Chapter 3 discusses the role that video games now play in the world of education; specifically how we, as educators, must adapt a modern pedagogy best suited to students who have grown up with video games, which have …

Fluid Realities: A Light On Life's Journey, Neta-Grace Coleen Shepherd

Theses and Dissertations

Images of nature and family comprise the gestural and abstracted interpretations of my life events. I use my photographs as inspiration for my work. I fuse layers of color, light, and line into glass and onto wood to suspend a personal memory. I want to capture those moments that flit by in life and envelop them in the media.

In my fused glass work, I manipulate color, light, and line. In these pieces, I layer frits and sheets of glass onto an abstract sculpted relief of fiberglass and fuse them into one thick slab. The sculpted relief creates a textured …

616 Hull Street_ Interaction Through Discovery In Design, Elizabeth T. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

The community of Old Town Manchester lies across from downtown Richmond on the south side of the James River. Annexed in 1910, Manchester was the industrial hub of the city and home to the Chesterfield Railroad, the first railway in Virginia and used to transport coal. These industrial roots are still evident today in the warehouses and manufacturing facilities that continue to operate or have been repurposed.

The building of focus is located on the corner of bustling Hull Street and quiet 7th Avenue. Distinctive in its stone masonry exterior, 616 Hull was constructed in the 1920s as a Chevrolet …

Toward A Cross-Cultural Aesthetic: Directing A Kabuki-Inspired Madame De Sade, Kathryn Ruth Letrent

Theses and Dissertations

This text is a record of the preparation and rehearsal of a kabuki-inspired production of Madame de Sade by Yukio Mishima in an English translation by Donald Keene. The goals of this production were both artistic and pedagogical. I applied my knowledge of Japanese theatre and skills in directing skills in a new way to create a work of theatre with a cross-cultural aesthetic appropriate to both the play and the audience. This production also gave the cast of undergraduate acting students the experience of combining truthful and stylized acting and introduced them to both kabuki and Stella Adler acting …

The E-Volving Picturebook: Examining The Impact Of New E-Media/Technologies On Its Form, Content And Function (And On The Child Reader), Stella K. Reinhard

Theses and Dissertations

The technology of the codex book and the habit of reading appear to be under attack currently for a variety of reasons explored in the Introduction of this Dissertation. One natural response to attack is a resulting effort to adapt in a bid to survive. Noël Carroll, leading American philosopher in the contemporary philosophy of art, touches on this concept in his discussion of the evolution of a new medium in his article, “Medium Specificity Arguments and Self-Consciously Invented Arts: Film, Video, and Photography,” from his Cambridge University Press 1996 text, Theorizing the Moving Image. Carroll proposes that any …

Vintage Anxiety, Bradford Pearce

Theses and Dissertations

Poems

Scenic Design: A Compilation, Kelly Meredith Paysinger Hart

Theses and Dissertations

Scenic Design: A Compilation ventures into the process of creating three productions including, Boeing Boeing, Fusions and Three Sisters. Exploring the foundations of each design, the content covers all aspects from the beginning to the implementation of each production. Supported through historical research, inspiration, function of space and the endless possibilities of creation, this thesis will reveal the growth of each design in great detail. Theatre is about collaboration, creating a world from a script and transforming it into an art of performance and design.

A Performer's Guide For Two Solo Song Cycles By Darius Milhaud (1892-1974): Catalogue De Fleurs, Opus 60 & Six Chansons De Théâtre, Opus 151b, Jolene Elizabeth Flory

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a guide for vocalists and teachers to assist in the preparation and performance of two of the solo song cycles by Darius Milhaud (1892-1974): Catalogue de fleurs, opus 60 (1921) and Six Chansons de Théâtre, opus 151b (1936).

Chapter one is a biography focusing on the most impactful moments in Milhaud's career. The chapter takes the reader through his early years, education, travels to Brazil, connection with Les Six, career highlights, and years as a professor. The second chapter serves as an introduction to the compositional elements found in Milhaud's vocal works. After establishing the recurring techniques, …

Public Support For Stricter Gun Control Laws In America Following The Tragedy At Sandy Hook Elementary, Ryan Jeffrey Hausmann

Theses and Dissertations

The past decade witnessed a considerable increase in public outrage and debates regarding gun control laws, due in large part to several mass shootings across the nation. The purpose of this study is to explore how mass shootings influence attitudes toward gun control. More specifically, this study will examine the respondents' familiarity with the 2012 mass shooting in New Town, Connecticut, and then explore their opinions about whether that shooting reflects isolated acts of troubled individuals, or whether it is a reflection of greater issues, and in turn, how those opinions influence attitudes toward gun control.

Data for this research …

Predicting Motivation, Exercise Behavior And The Reciprocal Relationship With Obesity Perceptions In College Students, Kylee Jo Heston

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is an increasing problem worldwide, often described as an epidemic. Approximately 70% of men and women nationwide are overweight and/or obese, with roughly 34% meeting criteria for obesity. Women are increasing obesity rates faster than men and more women than men are currently obese nationwide and worldwide. Obesity leads to numerous physical, psychological, and social consequences and often a poor quality of life. Women are at risk for increased health complications, and college in particular has been associated with weight gain. Improper energy balance is a significant contributor. Achieving adequate exercise each week has been proven effective in obesity …

Deflating Rural North Dakota: Mechanization, Industrialization, And Depopulation In The Small Community, Alyson Leas

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis serves to examine the continued decline of population in rural North Dakota. In the face of a large oil boom in the state's western third, agricultural communities in the central third of the state continue to struggle. Through an examination of United States Department of Agriculture yearly agricultural censuses, experiment station notes, personal correspondence, local histories, and the United States decennial census from the first fifty years of the twentieth century, information regarding the rise and fall of communities in northern Towner County, North Dakota, has been tabulated. Results show that the better agriculture did in terms of …

Simon In Performance: The Analysis And Direction Of Rumors, Brett Olson

Theses and Dissertations

The direction of any theatrical production is fraught with challenges and opportunities for growth. In textual analysis and research of Neil Simon's Rumors and directing methods, skills were developed to better direct the University of North Dakota Theatre Department's 2014 production of Rumors. The project culminated in a well-received production of Rumors that challenged the student/actors of UND to learn a farcical style of acting and the director to stage, communicate style, and organize a fully mounted production.

Some Versions Of Timon's Epitaph: Performance, Text, And Gift In Shakespeare And Middleton's Timon Of Athens, Silas Frederick Pera

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines how notions of textuality influence the production of William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton's Timon of Athens in both scholarly, print editions and in theatrical performances of the play. It focuses specifically on the scenes involving Timon's epitaph, which have proven difficult to handle both editorially and theatrically, and seeks to show how changing views of the nature of textuality has significantly altered the way that different readers and audiences encounter this play. These issues regarding the idea of textuality begin with the play itself, which enacts its own ideas about the power of texts to intervene in …

Views Of Student Engagement Among Students And Faculty In Online Courses, Amy Elizabeth Berger

Theses and Dissertations

As part of an effort to learn more about the technologies currently available to students, three executives in the online division of a private, not-for-profit four-year university requested a survey of students and faculty to learn more about the technologies to which they currently have access. Additionally, each of three executives wanted to better understand student and faculty views of student engagement in the division's online courses. To that end, research-based questions about student engagement levels were added to a survey about access to technology. This mixed-method non-experimental study collected data from students and faculty about which definition of student …

Adult Learning And Development Theories And Principles Represented In Theater, Jeffrey Miele

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how adult learning and development theories and principles are represented in theater. The study also investigated if there was significant evidence to support the idea of using dramatic works as an example to illustrate adult learning and development theories and principles as an educational tool. Ten plays were analyzed along with an accompanying rubric that the evaluator completed while reading the plays. The rubric searched for information if adults and/or educators were present in the text, how andragogy and barriers were presented, along with other theories and principles. The findings suggested that …