Digital Commons Network^™

Edward Gordon Craig's Übermarionette And Étienne Decroux's "Actor Made Of Wood", Thomas Leabhart, Sally Leabhart

Mime Journal

Thomas Leabhart testifies to Edward Gordon Craig’s continuing influence on postmodern mime and movement. Leabhart discusses the influences that shaped Craig’s theory of acting. He then considers what the living actor and Craig’s “übermarionette” have to say to each other, putting pressure on the binary between human and non-human performers, especially in physical theater. Himself a student from 1968-72 of Étienne Decroux, the French corporeal mime and teacher whom the elderly Craig recognized as an “artist of the theatre,” Leabhart relates how he carries on Decroux’s pedagogy and legacy as a performer and teacher of corporeal mime.

Speaking Looks: A Conversation About Costume With Edward Gordon Craig, Léon Bakst, And Pablo Picasso, Annie Holt

Mime Journal

Holt focuses on Craig’s influential stage designs in relation to the performing body. Through costume design, Holt rethinks Craig’s relationship with the designs of the Ballets Russes, placing him in context with the experimentations of his contemporaries Leon Bakst and Pablo Picasso. Holt frames these designers’ historic opposition as a difference of opinion around the way that costumes can carry meaning. She argues that while all three designers used similar visual language and agreed that costumes should communicate with audiences, each artist used a different model for this communication – speech (Craig), music (Bakst) and writing (Picasso).

Heathers: The Musical (February 23-25, 2017), Kevin Murphy, Laurence O'Keefe

Student Theatre Programs

Program for Heathers: The Musical (February 23-25, 2017).

To view the photos from this production of Heathers, please click here.

La Finta Giardiniera, Usu Opera, Sergio Bernal, Daniel Helfgot, Usu Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Heaton

All Music Department Programs

La finta giardiniera (The pretend gardener-girl), K. 196, premiered on January 13, 1775 in Munich. Mozart was only 18 years old at the time of this premiere but already had eight earlier operas to his credit. Called by the composer a dramma giocoso (playful drama), this relatively-rare operatic subgenre is characterized by a mostly-comic plot and two larger acts with a shorter third act. Mozart’s only other contributions to this genre came years later with his much better-known operas Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni. Five years after its premiere, La finta giardiniera was revived and converted into another operatic …

A Piece Of My Heart (February 2-4, 2017), Shirley Lauro

Student Theatre Programs

Program for A Piece of My Heart (February 2-4, 2017).

On Behalf Of Theatre In Rural America, Robert J. Hubbard

Northwestern Review

This essay is a theatre review with a sense of place: the small-town-rural upper Midwest in the spring of 2008. The author assesses Tim Robbins, Dead Man Walking, as staged at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa; Jeff Barker, Terror Texts, as staged at Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa; and Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged, as staged at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Arts & Humanities News, Georgia Southern University

Arts & Humanities News

• Botanica Opens at the Center for Art and Theatre

Arts & Humanities News, Georgia Southern University

Arts & Humanities: News & Publications (2009-2023)

• Botanica Opens at the Center for Art and Theatre

Rehearsing Justice: Theatre, Sexuality And The Sacred, Victoria Rue

Faculty Publications, Social Sciences

The theatre actor’s process in a rehearsal hall is reality and metaphor. It can be a rehearsal for justice, where we can live freely. In this laboratory the actor becomes all of us. Like the actor, we inhabit our bodies and our sexualities, sometimes as spiritual practice, or as sacred and creative, even as incarnations. In particular, women’s bodies remember what it is like to be no-body and what it is like to be a some-body. The texts of women’s bodies contain their history of pain, wellness and illness.In creating a character, the actor creates a biography, an inner life, …

Postcard, Take Me Out, 2017, At Studio@620 In St. Petersburg, Florida, Studio At 620

Postcard Collection

A promotional postcard for Take Me Out, a Tony Award-winning play by Richard Greenberg, presented at Studio@620. The production follows a star baseball player who publicly comes out at the height of his career, addressing themes of homophobia, racism, class, and masculinity in sports.

Postcard, Flying At Studio@620 In St. Petersburg, Florida, Studio At 620

Postcard Collection

A promotional postcard for "Flying," a play written by Sheila Cowley and directed by Robin Gordon, presented by Tampa Repertory Theatre at Studio@620. The production explores the lives of women flyers in the aftermath of World War II, drawing from oral histories and memoirs of women who served in the WASP program. The play highlights the quiet, daily acts of heroism that often go unrecognized.

Postcard, Voodoo Macbeth At Studio@620 In St. Petersburg, Florida, Studio At 620

Postcard Collection

A promotional postcard for "Voodoo Macbeth," a production inspired by Orson Welles' 1936 adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This version, directed by Bob Devin Jones and Erica Sutherlin, reimagines the classic tragedy with a unique cultural perspective. The production incorporates elements of ritual and mysticism, creating a visually striking and dynamic interpretation of Shakespeare's work.

Briefs And Hot Brown Honey: Alternative Bodies In Contemporary Circus, Katie Lavers, Jon Burtt

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Briefs and Hot Brown Honey are two Brisbane based companies producing genre-bending work combining different mixes of circus, burlesque, hiphop, dance, boylesque, performance art, rap and drag. The two companies produce provocative performance that is entertaining and draws critical acclaim.

Breaking Curtain: Editorial, Susan Fenty Studham, Renee Newman, Helen K. Rusak

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Behind The Scenes: Journal of Theatre Production Practice (BTS) was developed in response to the growing number of practitioner-researchers in the production fields of live performance. Its purpose is to give visibility to and engage current researchers in a dialogue on the many aspects of performance that are seemingly ‘behind the scenes’. One of the first editorial discussions to ensue was what ‘behind the scenes’ actually means.

Transformative Power Of Theatre In Education And Learning The 21st Century, Nikki Min Yeong Abramson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education is the key to success in life. To have that success, 21st century skills are needed to be successful in most careers. Some of these skills consist of: team work, collaboration, communication, creativity, problem solving skills, and improvisation. How does a student learn these skills needed for life? Theatre arts. How does theatre arts impact student learning in the 21st century? This thesis bridges the understanding of how theatre arts plays a role into both how students learn academic core subject areas such as literacy and reading and how theatre arts helps students learn 21st century skills needed for …

Georgia Southern College Student Theatre Collection, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of programs, photographs, and promotional material from Georgia Southern College’s social events as well as campus and local theatre productions from 1936 to 1988. Documented are productions performed on Georgia Southern’s campus, mostly by outside theatre companies.

Find this collection in the University Libraries' catalog.

Improv In International Diplomacy: Creating A Cooperative Narrative, Preston J. Eberlyn

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The utilization of improvisation theatre in businesses and organizations to revolve conflict began to be used at the turn of the century. This new and growing tool has helped with company mergers and internal disputes. Thus, why not use these same improv theatre elements in international conflicts? The analysis of three distinct cases of track two diplomacy and improv theatre has shown the possibility of a new tool for diplomacy mediators to utilize.

Towards Gender Inclusive Representation In The Theatre: The Actor And The Spectator, Jeanette Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This piece of writing is aimed at theatre practitioners who might not have a background in feminist critical theory. Its main function is to help these practitioners to aware of how they might- in the theatre- propagate gender stereotypes. It provides thorough and accessible explanations of the concepts central to feminist critical theory. It argues that in order to create a truly inclusive theatre, the spectator and the actor must be resistant towards gender-based oppression.

Process Metamorphosis, My Choreographic Journey, Brianna J. Larson

Theses and Dissertations

Process Metamorphosis, My Choreographic Journey describes the journey from my initial interest in choreography to where I find myself as a choreographic artist today. Throughout the paper I look at different productions I have worked on, both professionally and within an educational setting, and different people I have collaborated with. Included will be thoughts from peers and mentors as well as my own observations from rehearsals and meetings. I will also be pulling information from my notes and journals while working on shows over the last twelve years.

Finding Voice, The Body Speaks: Original Work And Counter-Hegemonic Performance And Practice, Matthew Paul Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate study in theatre has allowed me to understand my work as an artist and educator from a critical academic perspective. I have researched Butoh as a model for original work that employs multiculturalism against hegemonic control of personal identity. From my own training experience, I am recognizing Capoeira, Contact Improvisation, and Devising processes (co-creation or collaborative creative process in dance) as counter-hegemonic forms and techniques that share a physical/philosophical emphasis on communal engagement, improvisation, circularity and repetition. Looking at them together provides points of intersection for me to examine them as an artist, while posing questions for cross-cultural investigations. …

Show Me The Money: A Study Of Interrelationships Between A Regional Theatre's Revenue And Location, Rebecca Snedeker-Meier

Senior Independent Study Theses

Regional theatres are non-profit organizations that survive off earned and contributed income. In particular, contributed, or donated, income can change depending on the community a theatre is located in. However, there is no consensus whether there is a relationship between the two. This study compares Arena Stage, Guthrie Theater, Cleveland Play House and Alley Theatre to answer the question; how does geographic location relate to the ratios of revenue sources? The income ratios were based off numbers derived from 990 tax forms and the theatres’ operating budgets. Those numbers were then analyzed and compared to the other theatres’ income ratios. …

Directing Through Dialogue: A Theatre Director’S Exploration Of Leadership, Gabrielle Frances Metcalf

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The esteemed position that a director holds in the creative process is a recent phenomenon. It emerged towards the end of the 19th century. Then, the role of a theatre director encompassed the idea of a single, creative force, coordinating and controlling the elements of a production. Not much has changed. Despite the significance of the role, the literature is largely silent on how a director directs and how a director leads. The paucity of research on the director’s leadership style reflects the way in which the practice of directing occurs — behind closed-doors. Its private nature can deter and …

A Case For Theatre-Based Programming In Early-Childhood And Elementary Education, Tina M. La Plant

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper seeks to answer the question, How can I use my professional experience developing a theatre-based curriculum for early-childhood and elementary students as a platform to advocate for the importance of theatre-based curricula in early and elementary education? The subject of this research project is a Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade theatre-based education program founded by the author. The program was developed over the past 20 years at the Bertschi School, an independent PK-Fifth elementary school located in Seattle, Washington. For the purposes of this paper, the program itself will serve as a proving ground to explore and define primary …

The Treasure Of Welks-Kreer, Lance Rasmussen

LSU Master's Theses

This paper is intended to document the process of developing and performing The Treasure of Welks-Kreer, a one-man show written by Lance Rasmussen in fulfillment of the requirement for his Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree at Louisiana State University. Harkening back to the memories of his childhood and his current passions and interests, Lance wrote The Treasure of Welks-Kreer as a story of hope and exploration. The story follows The Metaphor, a superhero who finds himself transported back to the basement where he used to play table-top roleplaying games with the group of friends who eventually formed his …

Dialogue Not Diatribe: Methods For A Practice Of Socio-Humanitarian Playwriting, Siobhan Dow-Hall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This dissertation is the result of a practice-led research exploration of how creative writing practice may be expanded and developed with particular application to the writing of what I refer to as socio-humanitarian drama. I have developed this notion to promote discussion and consideration of specific issues of social justice and human rights within playwriting. While this practice-led research enlisted reflective practice in the task of developing and extending my own writing practice, this dissertation does also outline specific, practical modes of creative process, or exercises, that could be applied more broadly for others who may seek to develop their …

Bgsu Dept. Thfm Elsewhere: "Two Rooms" By Lee Blessing, Baxter Chambers

Honors Projects

A sample of the pre-production documents for the BGSU Dept. of Theatre and Film Elsewhere season production of "Two Rooms" by Lee Blessing which I directed.

Theatre In Prison: How It Is Making A Difference, Mackenzee Donham

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The United States of America incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country in the world. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Department, there are over two million people incarcerated in American prisons, and according to the National Institute of Justice, 76% of prisoners reoffend within five years of being released. Historically, one of the primary purposes of prisons is to prepare the inmates for their eventual release, a process known as rehabilitation. In the criminal justice world, rehabilitation is intended to smooth reintegration into society, and provide skills and incentives to prevent future criminal activity. However, looking …

The Authentic Workplace: Theatrical Practices In The Corporate World, Katherine Dumas

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

"We are beginning to bring our whole selves to work… That type of separation probably never existed… Instead of putting on some kind of fake “all-work persona,” I think we benefit from expressing our truth, talking about personal situations, and acknowledging that professional decisions are emotionally driven."(1) In her award-winning 2013 book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg explains the movement in the corporate world to look for emotional intelligence in potential employees before they are hired. Qualities such as this are nurtured and practiced regularly in the world of theatre, as evidenced by the …

The Business Of Theatre: How Creativity, Collaboration, And Communication Infiltrate 'The Real World', Caroline Hale

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Too often ridiculed as a “dying art”, theatre endures a ceaseless struggle for validity among educators, employers, and citizens alike. However, the skills garnered by performers, technicians, and designers through theatrical education span far beyond the final curtain, and are significantly more relevant and impactful than we think.

A theatre education means learning about the human condition, communication, gaining self-confidence, expressing creativity, problem solving, and thinking on your feet. In addition, drama techniques have been enormously effective in improving self-esteem and building community. A theatre education is a highly successful catalyst for the development of a “soft skill set.” Because …

Design For Christopher Shinn's The Coming World, Jessica Bertke

Honors Projects

This document is a complete design for The Coming World by Christopher Shinn. This design is not one that has been realized on stage, but is instead every element necessary to make it real. It includes a scenic design, lighting design, costume design, and proposed budget. It also includes all research and inspiration behind the design.