Digital Commons Network^™

Altar And Stage: Liturgical Drama In Three Theatrical Traditions, Patrick Kenneth Boos

Theses and Dissertations

This paper compares the historical, religious and political situations surrounding the origins of three important dramaturgical texts: Regularis Concordia in tenth-century England, The Natyasastra in seventh-century India, and Zeami's Fushikaden of fifteenth-century Muromaki Japan. It attempts to explore and identify the ways that their corresponding theatres have their roots in liturgical practice, and how those liturgical practices are intricately tied up in the historical and political situations in which they came to be. The fundamental qualities of theatre which I explore are five key areas in which the three traditions, surprisingly, converge as often as they diverge: in their emphasis …

The Flying University, Catherine Friesen

Theses and Dissertations

The Flying University is solo theater performance framed as an academic lecture about Marie Curie and her discovery of radium, delivered to a group of women who have gathered in secret to further their education. As the lecture proceeds, the professor brings in her own research based on a study of Esther Horsch (1905-1991) who lived on a farm in central Illinois. She introduces data from Esther's journals, personal memories, and dreams about Esther's life. The professor's investigation of radium plays at the intersections of magical and mundane, decay and the transformation of life, and the place of ambition in …

Ziggy The Clown, Donald T. Russell

Theses and Dissertations

The contents included here consist of the research, editing, and rehearsal process for the written script, as well as the live performance. There is also a brief analysis of the process, and documentation of how to proceed with the piece in its current state, or if any additions will be made. The full script is included. The solo show itself was a culmination of what my Master's Training provided, up until the point of performance.

Black Feminine Identity: An Examination Of Historical And Contemporary Dramatic Texts Through A Critical Race Theory Framework, Devair Jeffries

Theses and Dissertations

Race, class and gender exist as categorizations to distinguish and preserve privilege and identity in the United States of America. These societal constructs of race, class and gender often place African-Americans in comparison or in contrast to White cultural identities. Furthermore, these characteristics differentiate African-Americans as an 'Other;' a categorical group in conflict with dominant White societal values and norms. African-American female playwrights Lorraine Hansberry and Lydia Diamond address established attitudes about race, class, and gender in their plays, A Raisin in the Sun (1959) and Stick Fly (2006) respectively. Their works present strong Black female characters that contend with …

Made In Japan: Kumi-Daiko As A New Art Form, Anna Marie Viviano

Theses and Dissertations

Japanese taiko ensemble drumming, known in Japan as kumi-daiko, is an art form that has only taken shape within the past fifty years. This new performance style involving taiko seems, on the surface, to have much in common with traditional Japanese court and theater music, regarded by scholars as the art music of Japan. Using drums that have a long history in Japan, however, does not necessarily make that ensemble part of ancient Japanese tradition. By studying the most famous groups in Japan, such as Kodo, it is easy to discern that kumi-daiko has many different inspirations, but is not …

Conrad Susa's Discovery And Praises: A Conductor's Guide To Performance Considerations, Keith Harry Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Conrad Susa (b. 1935) is an American composer who has contributed over thirty choral works that are of high quality incorporating texts written by well-known literary figures. His choral works are usually spiritual in nature though not strictly liturgical. Discovery and Praises is a presently unpublished cantata in four movements for mixed chorus, solos for two sopranos, an alto, a tenor, and a baritone. The accompaniment is scored for organ, harp, percussion, flute and handbells. Susa chose to set ancient poetry by Caedmon, Wipo of Burgundy, John Donne, and St. Patrick. Although the piece was composed in 1966 and revised …

International Graduate Students' Experiences With Race, Racial Identity, And Racialization At Home And In The United States: A Comparative Case Study, Ashlee Amanda Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

As the number of students studying in the United States (U.S.) has risen, scholars have increasingly paid attention to multiple aspects of the international student experience. Despite a proliferation of studies generally addressing the topic of international students, few studies have explicitly addressed the ways in which international students' sense of identity may be complicated during their time living and studying in the U.S. Scholarly inquiries into how international students experience racialization and the American racial paradigm have been missing from the overall discourse around "the international student experience."

This dissertation study contributes to that discourse by examining international graduate …

Republicanism In Coriolanus, Anthony James Albright

Theses and Dissertations

Shakespeare's Coriolanus is widely considered to be the most political of his plays. Scholarship on the subject of the politics contained within the play arrives at different conclusions. Samuel Coleridge believed the play to be politically impartial. Others believe it betrays an obvious vote of no confidence in the government of the age. Still others believe it is a resounding endorsement of the English aristocracy. This thesis will undertake to discover if more current scholarship, led by the work of Annabel Patterson, which purports that the play is actually an example of early stirrings of republican sentiment, is a viable …

An Analysis Of Theoni Aldredge's Life And Career, Matthew Scott Dempsey

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the life and career of costume designer Theoni Aldredge. Using her extensive career and connections to the theatrical field observations will be made regarding some interactions fashion and technology have with costuming, as well as defining qualities of performance genres.

Informal Alliance: Royal Navy And U.S. Navy Co-Operation Against Republican France During The Quasi-War And Wars Of The French Revolution, Jon Paul Eclov

Theses and Dissertations

The Quasi-War was an undeclared conflict fought between the young United States of America and the French Republic at sea during the years 1798-1801. It began when the French mounted a guerre de course against the significant American blue-water merchant marine in response to America concluding Jay's Treaty with Great Britain. At the time, the U.S. had no navy whatsoever with which to combat these French corsairs primarily operating from bases in the West Indies. Seeing there was little hope of immediately ending the matter diplomatically after the infamous XYZ Affair, President John Adams convinced a normally divided Congress to …

Mennonite Music Education In Southern Manitoba: A Descriptive Study Of Mennonite Collegiate Institute And Steinbach Christian High School, Troy Landon Toavs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the music programs at Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) founded in 1889 and Steinbach Christian High School (SCHS) which has its origins in Steinbach Bible College founded in 1936. The Kanadier, Mennonites who came to Manitoba in 1874 (e.g., Kleine Gemeinde and Bergthaler), had previously rejected part-singing in Russia. However, they became more open to part-singing after they came to Manitoba. The Bergthaler in Gretna helped establish MCI. The Mennonite Brethren (MB) and Evangelical Mennonite Brethren (EMB) were influential in promoting choral music among the Kleine Gemeinde in Steinbach. Steinbach Bible …

Creating The Role Of Iago: An Analysis Of The Pre-Rehearsal Process, Jordan Brent Wolfe

Theses and Dissertations

The process of creating a character entails much more than memorizing a few lines, learning blocking, and repeating them on stage. An important aspect for an actor passionate about improving their craft as an artist comes during the pre-rehearsal process. Before the audience enters the theatre, or the director has taken control of the actors on stage, it is important, as an actor, to begin to develop the many aspects of the character that he or she will bring to the play. This thesis is a character study of Iago, from Othello. The first chapter will explore a textual analysis …

"Oh, Must We Dream Our Dreams And Have Them Too?": Transformation Through Reading In Elizabeth Bishop's "Questions Of Travel," Carol Shields' Swann, And Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck's The Lives Of Others, Carissa Anne Green

Theses and Dissertations

Literary scholars study how readers interpret texts. Louise Rosenblatt, Wolfgang Iser, and Wayne Booth analyze how readers interact with texts transactionally, as a phenomenology, and as an ethical exchange. This grounding gives a foundation on which to analyze and define the interpretive acts demonstrated by readers. Poststructuralist critics Roland Barthes and Jacques Derrida open up the idea of "text," allowing us to apply our phenomenology of reading beyond words on paper. I apply the work of these and other critics not to the readers of texts but to characters depicted within texts who are readers. These characters confront unfamiliar texts, …

The Influence Of Television And Film On Interest In Space And Science, Katrina Marie Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Entertainment media has the great potential to inspire interest in the topics it presents. The purpose of this study is to better understand how entertainment media contributes to people's interests in space and science. There is a huge variety of science communication topics in previous literature, some of which deals with television and film, but very little that specifically study how television and film can inspire interest. A historical review of pioneers in the space industry shows that many were inspired by entertainment media, which at the time consisted of science fiction novels and magazines. In order to explore the …

The Effect Of Masculinity On Post-Deployment Veterans' Help-Seeking Behaviors And Mental Health Outcomes, Nils-Erik Juhani Juanto Laver

Theses and Dissertations

While the current literature has investigated various barriers to reintegration for male veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, few have investigated how internal processes such as attitudes and beliefs impact reintegration outcomes. Civilian literature has indicated that men who adhere to traditional masculine ideals tend to have a lower quality of life, less help-seeking behaviors, and more mental and physical health problems. This study set out to investigate how traditional masculine values, age, combat exposure, and relative normative male alexithymia may affect mental health, quality of life, and help-seeking behaviors in veterans who were deployed to combat …

Overcoming The Industry Driven Barriers To The Creation Of Black Independent Film, Tara R. Jiles

Theses and Dissertations

In our society the media has presented itself as an important tool in shaping both the identities of groups and individuals. In film, and possibly more deeply in African American films, the prolonged emotional and multi-sensoral experience heightens this importance. In America, there has been a historical presence of stereotypical characters in Black film and television shows as early as the 1800s. My assertion is that African Americans who are exposed to media images with stereotypical African American characters are affected negatively in psychological and social respects. The impacts include but are not limited to self esteem issues, poor identity …

The Effects Of Public School Music Education Programs On Leadership In The Workplace, Lawrence Michael Jacobson

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout history, music has consistently played a large role in helping to define the social, historical, and cultural awareness in human society. For children and young adults who have actively studied music in public school music education programs, music has enhanced their self-discipline, self-esteem, and creativity. Over the past 20 years, there have been several examples of how the business world has been turning to the music world for leadership and inspiration. There are, however, few studies that compare the effects of public school music education programs on leadership in the workplace. Researchers have primarily focused their studies on the …

Viewpoints: Liberatory Ensemble And Character, Christopher Layton Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation, submitted in article format, explores how the physical movement theories of Anne Bogart's Viewpoints may lead to a liberatory setting, one which echoes the theories of Paolo Freire, for college theatre students. It examines whether Viewpoints is effective in creating a studio classroom culture and whether the Viewpoints exercises can lead to a heightened clarity in individual performance, with a much more satisfying and involved learning experience for students of the theatrical arts. In addition, this dissertation applies the theory of Mead's symbolic interactionism to the discoveries that students make while using Viewpoints exercises. Research methods include autoethnography, …

Theatre History In The Secondary Drama Classroom And Beyond, Sandra Kay Millet

Theses and Dissertations

Current Utah State Core Standards for Theatre require that theatre history be taught at levels II (Standard 3 Objective C), III (Standard 4 Objective D), and IV (Standard 4 Objectives A and D) of high school drama classes. However, a 2011 survey of Utah high school theatre teachers indicates that only 54% include theatre history as an "important" or "very important" part of their curriculum, while another 36% say they "touch on it." This thesis is designed to be a resource for secondary drama teachers in integrating theatre history pedagogy into their drama classes, in an engaging and performance-based manner …

Traducción De Un Documental Para Televisión Con Una Visión Integradora Destinada A Una Audiencia Diversa, Fernando Dealba

Theses and Dissertations

Este proyecto consiste en la traducción de un guión de documental para televisión de carácter informativo y motivacional, adaptada a la diversidad de población de hispanoparlantes con diversidad de modalidad de habla. También, por encargo del cliente, el documental será adaptado en su traducción a una amplia audiencia diversa en cuanto a características socioculturales. Para realizar traducción, se utilizará una visión integradora aplicada a las diferentes teorías de la traducción. A pesar de tener en cuenta a los hispanoparlantes del mundo, la población a la que se dirige en particular el proyecto es la población hispanoparlante que convive en Estados …

In Search Of Real Fathers: Plenzdorf's Die Neuen Leiden Des Jungen W. And Vater, Mutter, Mörderkind, Michelle Schwoebel

Theses and Dissertations

Plenzdorf's works, one written before the fall of socialism in the German Democratic Republic (hereafter referred to as the DDR), and one after, portray relationships between fathers and sons, which act as a metaphor to express a personal perspective of the state, revealing that the DDR was neither as repressive or as omnipresent for the average citizen as outsiders are often given to believe. The father, or Übervater, a figure deeply rooted in the German consciousness, is represented by the state and proves itself as an entity which gives the protagonists in both works little notice, despite their best efforts …

Feminism And The New Woman In The Gilbert & Sullivan Operas, Heather Dawn Zurcher

Theses and Dissertations

The operas by playwright W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan have been considered some of the most popular and successful pieces of musical theatre in the English language. While their joint creative output neared perfection, Gilbert and Sullivan's working relationship was fraught with conflict. The two men's opposing personalities led them to favor disparate styles and work towards different goals. However, the ability to balance contrasting tones, such as sarcasm and sympathy, resulted in their overwhelming success. I analyze this "winning formula" by looking at the influence of feminism, especially the "New Woman" literary movement, on the works of …

Anesthesia Delivery: Patient Safety Related To Distractions In The Operating Room, Bradley Horner

Theses and Dissertations

Tn today's ever changing sociopolitical world, the influences of multimedia healthcare and its potential impact on patient safety has become a national issue. Healthcare facilities often have policies or guidelines regarding the use of devices that may create distractions in the operating room (OR). With changes in technology and ever changing societal trends these distractions must be addressed to find out what is clinically acceptable nurse anesthesia practice. The purpose of this independent project is to identify common OR distractions and study their effects on anesthesia provider vigilance. The focus of the project will be on smartphone/computer use, reading, and …

Performing Taboo: The Creation Of An Aesthetic Through The Exploration Of Censorship In Theatre And The Challenges Of Directing Killer Joe, David Todd Zimmerman

Theses and Dissertations

This document explores the performance of taboo on the stage. The exploration is focused around the establishment of my personal aesthetic, which was developed through my studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Starting with my first trip to Broadway, my journey goes through the class work that I did at VCU and the two plays that I did on the Shafer Street Alliance Laboratory Theatre stage: my performance and use of latex costumes in Funnyhouse of a Negro, and my direction and the troubles with producing Killer Joe. The exploration concludes with a look at the theatre in parts of Virginia …

Arts And Education: An Investigation Into The Impact Of The Arts Academy On High School Students, Nigel Sangster

Theses and Dissertations

The broad topical area of my research study involved an investigation of the impact of the arts academy on the students of Cooper Ruth Performing and Fine Arts Middle-High School (pseudonym), using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Being a proponent of the arts, one of the premises of my research was to bring about a greater sense of awareness in my school and school district, that the arts were not "frills" in the educational processes of children (Perrin, 1994). Focus was given to various strands of the arts disciplines in my efforts to substantiate the significance of the overarching question …

Between Floors: The Ups And Downs Of Mediated Narrative, Melinda White

Theses and Dissertations

“Between Floors: The Ups and Downs of Mediated Narrative” and the accompanying creative remediation project, “Between Floors: Love and Other Blood Related Diseases,” meld theory and practice of print with electronic literature and installation art. I argue that as the medium changes, the narrative is transformed. The narrative can be reconstructed and pieced together as the reader or viewer becomes increasingly involved, even embodied within the work. This embodiment is what Nathaniel Stern calls “Moving and thinking and feeling” (1) and can result in a more direct emotional experience. The form, structure, and medium (sjužet) rely on authorial intention, yet …

Eastern Shore Stories: Technology, Place, And Local Culture, Patricia Bloxom

Theses and Dissertations

The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a narrow peninsula separating the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Residents of the rural counties of Accomack and Northampton County share a strong sense of cultural identity based on geography, rooted in a distinct communal sense of place reinforced by an agricultural lifestyle. Storytelling around dinner tables and on front porches at dusk, speeches at high school graduations, family recipes talked through in a grandmother’s kitchen – it is through oral language that Eastern Shore people have primarily shared the knowledge that sustains their sense of communal identity. Oral knowledge of farming techniques …

Operationally Responsive Spacecraft Using Electric Propulsion, Thomas C. Co

Theses and Dissertations

A desirable space asset is responsive and flexible to mission requirements, low-cost, and easy to acquire. Highly-efficient electric thrusters have been considered a viable technology to provide these characteristics; however, it has been plagued by limitations and challenges such that operational implementation has been severely limited. The technology is constantly improving, but even with current electric propulsion, a spacecraft is capable of maneuvering consistently and repeatedly in low-Earth orbit to provide a responsive and flexible system. This research develops the necessary algorithm and tools to demonstrate that EP systems can maneuver significantly in a timely fashion to overfly any target …

The Anatomy Of Expression: Explorations On The Intersection Of Acting And The Alexander Technique, Kelley Schoger

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this paper is to illuminate how the principles of the Alexander Technique and the role of bodily systems can serve as a foundational support for actor training. Inclusion of the Alexander Technique in the acting curriculum proves to be an effective tool for bridging the gap between kinesthetic learning and its application to beginning acting training. Starting with the nervous system, the operating principles of the Alexander Technique are discussed through research and personal insights. Next, in light of how self-discovery plays a key role in the first year of actor training, the idea of release in …

The Hidden Rhetoric In Hollywood's Closet: An Analysis Of The Conflict Over Homosexual Content And Representation, Lauren Beam

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.