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The Shifting Power Dynamic: How The Director’S Role Redefined Collaboration With Playwrights, Riley K. Mcconnell

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The Shifting Power Dynamic: How the Director’s Role Redefined Collaboration with Playwrights

Riley McConnell

For much of theatre history, playwrights held primary authority over productions, shaping not only the script but also the staging and interpretation of their work. As theatrical production became more complex during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, however, the role of the director emerged as a central creative force. This essay explores how the development of the modern director transformed the collaborative relationship between playwrights and directors.  By examining the historical rise of directing, influential collaborations such as that between Anton Chekhov and Konstantin Stanislavski, and …

Invisible No More: Looking And Listening Locally To Build Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Resilience, Anjali Thakore

CMC Senior Theses

The ubiquity of sexual violence, with its devastating physical and psychological consequences, has rendered conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) one of the most effective and enduring “invisible crimes” of war. Despite receiving growing attention across academic, political, and activist circles, wartime sexual violence remains pervasive in contemporary conflict zones. Against the backdrop of these frequent and recurring violations, this thesis explores the dissonance between high-level rhetorical commitments to preventing and punishing CRSV and on-the-ground realities. What soon emerges is a troubling pattern in which gendered violence—and women’s lived experiences more generally—while increasingly visible in theory, remains marginalised in practice. By investigating …

The Right Way To Go Wrong: A Reflection, Peter A. Graham

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis documents my personal experience acting in Pomona College’s Fall 2024 production of The Play That Goes Wrong. I begin with an artist statement – a poem explaining the reasons why I act. The paper then moves into a general overview of the project, including my past training and future goals. The next section, which is the bulk of the material, contains chronological evidence of the production from start to finish and focuses on my attempt to find precise physicality. I finish with thoughts about the result as well as general reflections on how the process has shaped …

Combatting The Financial Dismantling Of Public Higher Education, Priya Baskaran

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.

What Did Gitlow Do?, James Y. Stern

Faculty Publications

Gitlow is generally regarded as the first modern incorporation case, the genesis of both federal free speech curbs on state action and the larger project of making the same limitations that the federal Constitution imposes on the federal government applicable to the states. In both respects, moreover, it can also be seen as an important milestone in the larger twentieth century transformation of federal court practice and constitutional understanding centered on the assertion of individual rights. That linkage is no accident. For all the talk about federalism and state sovereignty in the U.S. Reports, the modern jurisprudence of constitutional rights …

How To Let A Democracy Die: “First,…Let’S Kill All The Lawyers” And Other Lessons From The Bard, Jena Martin

Faculty Articles

This article serves to provide a much-needed perspective on how international legal mechanisms (or the lack thereof) impact democratic in institutions.

เพี้ยวโลกกับอุ๊ยมอมแมม : การพัฒนาการแสดงละครเล่าเรื่องเพื่อนําเสนอประเด็นปัญหาสิ่งแวดล้อมสําหรับผู้ชมปฐมวัย, พรธิดา ผลดี

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วิจัยชิ้นนี้เป็นงานวิจัยเชิงสร้างสรรค์ในแบบวิจัยปฏิบัติการ (Practice Research) ทางศิลปะการละคร มีวัตถุประสงค์ คือ (1) เพื่อศึกษาหลักและเทคนิคในการแสดงละครเล่าเรื่อง ของพอล ซิลส์ และเกมละคร ของไวโอลา สโปลิน และ (2) เพื่อสร้างสรรค์การแสดงละครเล่าเรื่องเพื่อนำเสนอประเด็นปัญหาสิ่งแวดล้อมสำหรับผู้ชมปฐมวัยเรื่อง เพี้ยวโลกกับอุ๊ยมอมแมม ผู้วิจัยออกแบบการแสดงและเป็นนักแสดง ศึกษาแนวคิดละครเล่าเรื่อง นิทานภาพเกี่ยวกับภาวะโลกร้อน เพื่อออกแบบการแสดงละครสำหรับเด็กปฐมวัยอายุ 4-6 ปี เน้นการมีส่วนร่วมของผู้ชม ฝึกฝนการแสดงด้นสดและเกมละคร เพื่อพัฒนาทักษะการด้นสด การมีสมาธิ และการทำงานร่วมกันเป็นกลุ่ม ผู้วิจัยจัดการแสดง 2 รอบในห้องเรียน และจัดการสนทนากลุ่มกับผู้เชี่ยวชาญและครูเพื่อประเมินผล ผู้วิจัยค้นพบรูปแบบการแสดงที่มีลักษณะเฉพาะ คือ “เล่า-นำ-เล่น-เป็นตัวละคร สะท้อนประเด็นสิ่งแวดล้อม” รวมถึงพบว่าระหว่างการแสดงต้องพัฒนาทักษะการฟัง การสังเกต และด้นสด เนื่องจากละครเล่าเรื่องแบบมีส่วนร่วม ดึงดูดความสนใจของผู้ชมปฐมวัยผ่านอุปกรณ์การแสดง เพื่อให้ผู้ชมเรียนรู้ผ่านการลงมือทำ ทั้งยังได้องค์ความรู้ว่า การสื่อสารประเด็นสิ่งแวดล้อมแก่เด็กปฐมวัยให้สัมฤทธิผล โครงเรื่องต้องเข้าใจง่าย เชื่อมโยงกับประสบการณ์ตรง และนักแสดงต้องมีสมาธิ ไหวพริบ และความเป็นมิตร เพื่อสร้างบรรยากาศการเรียนรู้ที่สนุกสนานและเป็นธรรมชาติ

The Economic Impact Of The Grand Rapids Area Nonprofit Arts And Culture Sector, Grand Valley State University, Christian Glupker, Paul Isely

Other Faculty Publications

The Grand Rapids area nonprofit arts and culture sector (GRACS) is estimated to have generated or supported economic benefits for the city of Grand Rapids and Kent County in the following ways:

• The total economic impact of this industry is estimated at $298.7 million in economic output, supporting 2,529 jobs. Approximately $195 million in economic output is new to the area.
• The total annual fiscal impact (tax revenue) of all primary visitor spending and GRACS organizational spending is estimated at $821,000 for municipalities and $585,000 for Kent County.
• GRACS events attracted 2.67 million visitors, with 48% visiting from outside the …

Youth Vocal Pedagogy: An Overview Of Teaching Voice To Children Lecture And Recital, Juliette Love Harrison

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Youth vocal pedagogy is an under-researched subject that creates much controversy, and the goal of this honors senior creative project Youth Vocal Pedagogy: An Overview of Teaching Voice to Children Lecture & Recital was to address this area within the field of vocal instruction that is in desperate need of study. The research presented in this project is significant because it offers the reader a compilation of information from the limited resources available on youth vocal pedagogy. Courses, several books, and a research article were carefully studied to form the culmination of the lecture portion of this project. The recital …

In The Wake Of Change, Kelly Nichole Clair

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

My senior project, In the Wake of Change, is a creative work which I choreographed and presented at the American College Dance Association, the EMU Undergraduate Research Symposium, and the EMU Dance Program student concert, “Crossroads.” The goal for this work was to present my explorations with choreographic methods such as repetition, movement based off the letters of words, and matching musical phrases with movement phrases, on as many stages as possible. I will dive into detail regarding my process, choices, and the piece’s narrative. I will describe the choreography process of the piece and the symbolism behind certain sections, …

Learned Helplessness: An Online Replication And Validation, Arshpreet (Sunny) Kandola

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The current study entails the partial replication of a classic learned helplessness two-phase triadic design experiment within an online learning context and aimed to validate a new attributional style self-report measure designed to identify individual differences in tendencies to develop learned helplessness consistent with the original reformulation of the hypothesis. Further, recent innovations in neuroscientific technology have allowed for a deeper examination of the mechanisms at play, finding support for a major re-interpretation of the theory of learned helplessness - suggesting that helplessness is more so the default passive response, while the active ingredient that is detected or expected (i.e., …

Negotiated Cultural Identity And Belonging Of Self-Identified Indo-Guyanese Immigrant Women, Neta (Goomatee) Deonarain-Gear

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines how young, self-identified Indo-Guyanese women who immigrated to Southwestern Ontario in the 1970s negotiate cultural identity and belonging. Utilizing a bio-ethnographic bricolage narrative methodology, the study explores the impact of postcolonial diaspora and social displacement on these women’s experiences within the "third space" or borderlands. Grounded in relativist ontology and constructivist epistemology, storytelling serves as the primary data collection method through a critical theory lens. Interviews with 12 participants were analyzed thematically and reflexively, revealing how participants construct meaning and navigate cultural identities. The analysis, conducted through feminist, decolonial, and trauma-informed perspectives, offers insights into "psychological homelessness" …

Measuring Stigma In Pediatric Oncology: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Three Global Sites, Lara E Counts, Sara M Malone, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Stigma contributes to fear and shame, resulting in delays in care-seeking behavior among individuals with cancer. As a social construct, stigma is affected by language, religion, culture, and local norms. This study explored pediatric cancer stigma at the time of diagnosis across diverse settings through the adaptation of two stigma measures.

METHODS: This study was conducted with adolescents and caregivers of children with osteosarcoma and retinoblastoma at three centers in Jordan, Guatemala, and Zimbabwe. The Stigma-related Social Problems (SSP) and the eight-item Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness (SSCI-8) measures were translated into Arabic, Spanish, and Shona and contextually adapted …

It Takes A Village: Bringing Zora Neale Hurston Home, Deborah Dickey, Casey Wooster

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

Visual Thinking Informed By Repetition: A Practice-Based Methodology, Julia Heurling

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This artistic research proceeds from the idea that visual thinking is thinking about images through images. It explores how ideas are instigated, developed, and articulated exclusively through visual elements from a practice-based perspective. The use of repetition as a method of thinking is rooted in my previous practice as a pattern designer. I consider this a cognitive process based on the assumption that repetition is a tool for abstraction, as it changes one’s perspective from the particular to the general. Abstraction, in this context, becomes a method for processing information (i.e. to think visually).My artistic practice is engaged in combining …

Puccini’S Manon: A Holistic Approach To Role Preparation And Execution, Sandra Oman Farren

Doctoral

The fulcrum of this thesis is operatic role preparation and execution, an investigation into how the conscientious singer-actor can ‘become’ the character of ‘Manon’ in Giacomo Puccini’s 1893 opera, Manon Lescaut. Adopting a multi-stranded research strategy, encompassing traditional methodologies, a series of lived experience interviews with international operatic practitioners, and a survey of live performances in 2023–2024, the actuality of performing this complex role is considered, with recommendations and conclusions drawn from a multiplicity of sources.

Critical Theory And The Decline Of American Patriotism, Caron L. Norton

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

Abstract

CRITICAL THEORY AND THE DECLINE OF AMERICAN PATRIOTISM

Caron Norton

Southeastern University, 2025

Nationwide there has been a progressive decline in patriotism since the turn of the 21st century. Instead of growing in affection towards their country, more and more American citizens reach adulthood frustrated and angry with the United States and its heritage. Some become consumed with hatred. Rather than honoring America’s forefathers, Americans have torn down and desecrated statues and symbols from the past. Where did this antipatriotic fervor come from? How did Americans become disillusioned? This shift in mood can be directly attributed to the rise …

Performance Assemblages | Wintersession 2025 Syllabus, La Samuelson, Movement Lab

Course Materials & Research

In this course, we will make solo and collaborative performance works. We will approach performance as the project of creating new contexts for interrelation–between beings, material, matter, the known, and the unknown–that allow both the performer and the viewer to learn and/or experience something we otherwise would not have access to. In other words, the work of this class is the work of listening in the direction of something you can’t quite yet hear, and taking the time to figure out: where you might stand, what device you might invent, what you might wear, and how you might work with …

Performance Assemblages | Research, La Samuelson, Movement Lab

Course Materials & Research

No abstract provided.

Mus 2555g : The Enjoyment Of Music, Music

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Algorithms In Finance: Balancing First Amendment Protections And Regulation, Yusraa Tadj

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

As algorithms become a function of decision-making in the financial sector, policymakers, the judiciary, and academics grapple with regulatory questions. With the increased reliance on algorithms in finance, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a rule to mitigate potential conflicts of interest that can arise out of financial firms using algorithms. Algorithm users, including financial firms, are finding novel ways to protect algorithm use, such as by offering them First Amendment protections.

This Note considers to what extent algorithms can be considered protected speech amidst the complexity of algorithms and relationship within the financial sector. The Note argues that …

Examining The Social And Cultural Implications Of Philippine Folk Dance To College Of Arts And Sciences (Cas) Students In One State University In The Philippines, John Michael D. Aquino

Journal of Urban Culture Research

The researcher aims to examine the social and cultural implications of Philippine Folk Dance to students in particular to their perceptions, attitudes, and how it affects the identity of the Filipinos. This study employed a phenomenological research design and purposive sampling in choosing the participant based on the given criteria. Semi-structured interviews was utilized and employed validated interview guide from the field expert and pilot testing. Thematic analysis was used in analyzing the data. The results revealed that the perception of the students profound admiration for the meaning, purpose, and beauty of traditional dances. Also emphasized are the value of …

Memory And Pride Through Photographic Collage Arts : The Art Within - Collage Me Proud, Pornrak Chowvanayotin, Ithinath Tantivitittapong

Journal of Urban Culture Research

This article presents The Art Within - Collage Me Proud, an inclusive art initiative in Thailand involving undergraduate art students and persons with Down syndrome. Originating from photographic documentation of traditional Thai performance, the project developed into a participatory collage-making process that encouraged self-expression, co-creation, and shared memory. Through visual storytelling, participants selected meaningful photographs and transformed them into personal artworks with support from students and parents. Findings reveal consistently positive outcomes: participants reported pride, joy, and confidence; caregivers observed improved social interaction and wellbeing; and students demonstrated enhanced empathy, communication, and critical awareness of art’s role in society. Data …

Problems Of Contemporary Art In The Regions Of Great Altai, Yelena Lichman, Mikhail Popandopulo, Abdrashid Raimbergenov, Abdulkhamit Raimbergenov, Adilgali Sagimbayev

Journal of Urban Culture Research

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that at present the topic of modern art is studied all over the world. The purpose of study is the complex study of factors that influence the activities of young artists in the art sector, their genre preference and the choice of unique forms to convey their own thoughts. To achieve this goal, theoretical and empirical methods such as statistical analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction were mainly used. The result of the research was a full analysis of the works of modern Kazakh, Mongolian, Chinese and Uzbek artists working in …

Musicking And Identities In And From Religious Places Of Thai Diasporas In Chicagoland, Matthew Werstler

Journal of Urban Culture Research

Thai Americans are constantly imagining, sustaining, and performing their Thai identity to varying degrees, and this can be seen in the Chicagoland area. Regardless of the differences in musical genre or form, Thai diaspora communities perform and negotiate identity within sacred spaces through musicking. The act of musicking is important for Thai Americans to share their life with one another. With the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Thai musicking communities of religious spaces in the Chicagoland area turned to virtual and outdoor mediums to perform and create. While changes were needed so that musicking opportunities could continue during the pandemic, …

The Untitled Othello Project: Theoretical Implications Of Untitling, Emily Bryan

English Faculty Publications

This essay analyzes The Untitled Othello Project (UOP) created by Keith Hamilton Cobb. Originating out of conversations around his play American Moor and coinciding with George Floyd’s murder and the period of racial unrest and reflection in the United States, UOP is a transformative approach to Shakespeare studies around issues of pedagogy and performance. Rooted in Cobb’s frustration with systemic racism and exclusion in the capitalist American theater as depicted in American Moor, UOP applies a method called “untitling”, a collaborative and reflective process of dismantling and reimagining Shakespeare’s Othello beyond its origins. This essay examines UOP’s interdisciplinary methods. As …

The Wild Dark Or, La Oscuridad Salvaje: Illuminating Identity Through Failure, Worley B. Gierhart

Undergraduate Theses

This thesis, "The Wild Dark or, La oscuridad salvaje: Illuminating Identity Through Failure," explores how the narrative power of darkness can serve as a catalyst for profound self-discovery, particularly in the aftermath of significant failure. Drawing upon literary analysis and the author's personal experience of shifting academic paths, the study examines how confronting metaphorical darkness allows for a critical rebuilding of identity and self-concept. The play referenced in the title, "The Wild Dark or, La oscuridad salvaje," serves as a central point of analysis, investigating the interplay of theme, setting, and scenario in depicting this transformative process. By engaging with …

From Mallory To Morality: The Compatibility Of Registration-Jurisdiction Laws With The Dormant Commerce Clause, Matthew J. O'Hara

Buffalo Law Review

In June 2023, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co., a case that threatened to cause the largest shift in personal jurisdiction law since Daimler AG and Bristol-Myers Squibb. While the Court upheld Pennsylvania’s registration jurisdiction law under the Due Process Clause and International Shoe’s “fair play and substantial justice” standard, Justice Alito’s concurrence opined that the law may violate the Dormant Commerce Clause (DCC). This Comment argues that registration-jurisdiction laws, which permit States to assert general personal jurisdiction over out-of-state businesses merely because they have registered to do business in the State, …

Expanding Education Skills: Case Study And Content Creation For Theatre Educators At Um, Ren E. Shepherd

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

A love of theatre does not spring into the hearts of people from thin air. It is not something given by the universe, but something cultivated through years of going to performances, researching late at night, and the guidance of theatre educators. Despite the influence of Theatre Educators, they are largely overlooked when considering theatre professionals and their training. This lack of oversight is a nation-wide issue, but by focusing on just the University of Montana, there is a chance for greater understanding and change at a local community level. By employing academic research, surveys of UM faculty and students, …

Individual Brainstorming: Exploring The Efficacy Of The Cyclical Divergent To Convergent Innovation Model (Cdcim), Abu Jaed

Psychology Theses - Archive

This thesis explored the adaptation of the Cyclical Divergent to Convergent Innovation Model (CDCIM), a structural model used in group brainstorming settings, to the context of individual brainstorming. The primary objective was to investigate whether this brainstorming model enhances the creative output of individuals in terms of idea quantity, quality (based on novelty and feasibility), and divergence in the final output. The study employed an experimental design involving 174 participants, divided into two conditions: Linear (C1), and CDCIM (C2). Participants were tasked with designing various aspects of a futuristic university. The results showed that participants in the CDCIM condition generated …