Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Costumed Culture: Influences And Preservation On Broadway, Amanda L. Padilla

Publications and Research

This research talks about into the preservation and evolution of costuming in Broadway productions, and exploring how historical and contemporary designs intersect in certain productions. Through articles and an interview with an IATSE worker, it examines the socio-cultural influences shaping costume choices and the technical advancements driving innovation. By tracing the trajectory of Broadway costuming, from its roots to modern adaptations, this study talks about theatrical storytelling and its broader impact on fashion and cultural trends. It shows the significance of costuming as an art form reflective of constantly changing societal norms and artistic expressions on the Broadway stage.

Coming Out, Letting Go, Getting Naked: A Community Engagement Arts Based Project, Tim Aumiller

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Creating a healthy sexual minority identity remains a challenge in the 21^st century, despite significant advances in social acceptance and civil rights. Sexual minorities are more likely than cis gender heterosexuals to be exposed to traumatic events, and experience shame and mental and physical health symptoms as a result. Despite this, sexual minorities do overcome obstacles to develop resilience. While the coming out process looks different depending on the background of the individual, many gay men find connection and build community through this often difficult process where even rejection may play a part. The author found connection and community …

Scare If You Dare: A Look Into Scare Acting, Hana Goss

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Scare acting has always been the unsung villains of the entertainment industry. For three months of the year, for about five minutes of a haunted house, they get attention. However, the work scare actors do to is way more than just a five second “boo.” Scare actors have been at the beginning of theatre and continue to influence modern entertainment. Even though the patrons may be the ones feeling the danger, scare actors may be even more in danger than them. Each scare actor is unique from their looks to their moves. It might be take a lot of nerve …

Bedeviled Beauty: My Journey Through White American Theater Institutions, J'Aila C. Price

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Game console: Oculus Quest

World: American Theater Institutions

Player: Minority

Place: United States

Level: “Ain’t no way.”

This thesis explores the contrast between the Westernized philosophies ingrained in my education and my identity as a Black female artist. It sheds light on the difficulties of pursuing higher education in the arts and the gaps that arise from limited exposure to culturally diverse Black resources, revealing the systemic issues in Western performance education. The paper also discusses the insights gained from my journey as a Black female artist, focusing on my thesis performance of Blood at the Root, which is …

Ketoprak Dor: Awal Mula Keberadaannya Di Aceh Tengah, Susandro Susandro, Afrizal H

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This article presents how the origin of the Ketoprak Dor art in Central Aceh. This topic is interesting because the change or development of an art scene does not only occur from within the artist's creative process alone, but perhaps by the surrounding factors that influence it. So, a qualitative research approach with descriptive analysis method is the choice to investigate this phenomenon. As a result, the Ketoprak Dor art in Central Aceh, to be precise in the gampong (village) of Paya Tumpi - Kebayakan, originates from Deli, North Sumatra. There were two events that prompted its emergence: 1) in …

Writing, Performance, Resistance: Examining Feminist Ideology And Theory In Theatre Since The Second Wave, Olivia Cross

Theater Honors Papers

This project seeks to identify and analyze how feminist theatre is informed by theory and activism in its resistance against white, heteronormative, and patriarchal hegemony offstage through onstage representation. By identifying three consistent themes of gender & sexuality, race, and trauma and the methods used to effectively convey them to an audience, feminist theatre displays how advocacy takes unique forms to uproot the status quo. Furthermore, this research highlights how theatre is a viable and rich outlet for feminist intellectual history, displaying its versatility as a frame of analysis.

Child Soldiers Of Verona: The Antiauthoritarian Antiwar Subtext Of Romeo And Juliet, Carl L. Sage

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Common practice has Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet identified as a tragic love story, which has antecedents tracing back as far as Pyramus and Thisbe by Ovid. Though valid, this interpretation plumbs only a limited portion of the text. It is the position of this paper that, like Shakespeare’s later work Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet was written with a political subtext in mind. Both texts play on the social memory of the War of the Roses, as well as continuing sectarian strife between Protestant and Roman Catholic adherents contemporaneous to the era. However, while Macbeth served to prop up the …

Intersections Of Glass Art & Digital Art: What Classic Tech Can Teach Us Today, Kayla Helman

Honors Projects

This research documents techniques past and present revolving around the theatre projection technique Pepper's Ghost and how digitally produced artwork can be intertwined with glass art. Documentation consists of review of existing literature and artists in the field developing this intersection.

The “Henry Rifle” On The German Stage: Karl May’S Depiction Of The American West As “Dark And Bloody Grounds”, Elisabeth Hostetter

College of Performing Arts Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Wole Soyinka: A Life Of Arts And Advocacy, Maggie Feduccia

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The life and work of playwright, novelist, and activist Wole Soyinka (born in 1934) serves as a perfect example of the marriage of the arts and advocacy, through the telling of stories of the Nigerian people. Soyinka grew up surrounded by Christianity, Islam, and the tribal religion of the Yoruba people. Additionally, Soyinka’s parents exposed him to Nigerian and other West African literature, Western literature, and ancient Greek drama. Soyinka’s intellect was formed at the intersection of these various theologies and literary traditions, and further developed through studies at the University of Ibadan and the University of Leeds, from where …

Under The Wig: A Critique On The Usage Of Boy Actors In The Renaissance, Christopher Nastasi

Symposium of Student Scholars

This paper examines the treatment of boy actors in the Renaissance between the years 1300-1600. With very little primary source material due to the low literacy rate in the Renaissance era, analyzing court records is the primary way of understanding how theatre companies and society harmfully treated the boy actors. One of the many issues the boy actors faced, was their perception from the audience. This study analyzes through a materialistic lens, how the audience treated the boy actors. By using this Marxist approach, focusing on the role of labor, the study dives deeper into the direct physical abuses the …

Introduction To Theatre Oer Course, Carmen R. Meyers

Open Educational Resources

Study of theatre and performance throughout history and across cultures including an examination of European, Carribean, and North and South American theatrical styles and genres.

This course is organized for a hybrid/asynchronous format. Our class meets on-campus every week for 75 minutes and the other 75 minutes will be completed asynchronously with weekly learning modules on Blackboard.

The first half of the course focuses on the history of theatre from Ancient Greece through Modern Realism. The second half of the course, students engage in the procedures of professional theatre artists through writing and refining a dramatic text; enacting a performance; …

Time, Place, & Purpose: The Performance Of Creole Identity In Louisiana, Rachel N. Aker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Though much of the early development of Louisiana Creole culture can be found in New Orleans, the culture spread and continued to grow throughout the rest of South Louisiana in both similar and different ways. Expanding beyond Joseph Roach’s treatment of Creole cultural performances in New Orleans in Cities of the Dead (1996) and journeying across land and water, this project identifies more Creole cultural performance as they emerge across place and time. I present Louisiana and the Gulf South as a kind of inland archipelago, with the currents of culture-creation moving in and around distinct community enclaves. The flow …

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 …

Ask The Duke, Why: How Fabrications Can Undermine Impact In Shakespeare’S Measure For Measure, Spencer D. Hansen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The following document recounts the observations and consequences that result from my attempts at justifying the actions of Duke Vincentio in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. By following my experience through the duration of West Virginia University’s 2023 production of Measure for Measure, I examine the ramifications of justifying the Duke’s actions and the potentially harmful consequences such justifications could create with regard to the play’s reception. Additionally, this text outlines performance techniques, audience responses, rehearsal strategies, and progressive interpretations for one of Shakespeare’s most challenging characters in one of his most divisive plays.

Revolutionizing The Stage: The Impact Of The Revolving Stage In 'Hamilton', Amanda L. Padilla

Publications and Research

This research delves into the captivating features of the revolving stage in the Broadway musical "Hamilton," examining both its significance in modern theater for the American Revolution, dynamically mirroring the ever-evolving political landscapes of the time. Focusing on design and engineering, the study sheds light on the motor-driven control of the central pivot point, enabling a unique 360-degree view that significantly heightens audience immersion. The research underscores the stage's role in enhancing visual clarity, unraveling complex scenes, and enriching the comprehension of choreography and narratives. Beyond its narrative function, the revolving stage plays a pivotal role in shaping the visual …

Mapping The Theaters Of Brooklyn's Past (1825-1925): A Gis Project, Elena Shefsky

Publications and Research

Despite its rich performance culture, Brooklyn remains underrepresented in theater history, eclipsed in fame by the well-known theaters of Manhattan. One of the most populous areas in America, Brooklyn has been an artistic home to actors, playwrights, directors, and impresarios for centuries. That said, there is a dearth of accessible information and scholarship on Brooklyn theaters. My objective was to update an ongoing mapping project, The City Performs, to include information and images of theater buildings from Brooklyn. The project is an interactive, open-source digital map that uses ArcGIS software to georeference data about NYC theaters. I collected data …

No Sex For Me: Female Influence And Power Through The Lens Of Hrotsvitha, Madison Patoto

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

No Sex for Me: Female Influence and Power Through the Lens of Hrotsvitha

Madison Patoto

Male playwrights dominated the theatre world until Hrotsvitha, a German nun and playwright, broke the silence of The Dark Ages. She adapted the works of the ancient Roman playwright, Terence, with a more favorable depiction of faith and women. In the midst of a patriarchal world, Hrotsvitha explored the theme of sexuality through strong female characters who gained power and influence in a world that degraded them and considered them impotent. This essay dives into the main differences between Terence’s Roman secular views and Hrotsvitha’s …

Proud Of Your Boy: Toxic Masculinity, Boyhood, And The American Musical, Aaron J. Wood

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project traces the cultural historiography of the phrase "boys will be boys" and examines the pattern of white male excusal it embodies through a case-study based survey of onstage depictions of boyhood in musical theatre. I argue that the generational idea of manhood as aggressive, competitive, and violent is continually reasserted through our passive acceptance of white boy violence. This dissertation looks to the musicals Newsies, West Side Story, Heathers, and Dear Evan Hansen as case studies for exploring the cultural lineage of the phrase “boys will be boys.” Like the works of Aaron Thomas, Raymond …

Historian-For-A-Day, Elyse Singer

Open Educational Resources

Each student will select a class session in which to present a brief (1-2 minute) "fun fact" based on their own research that relates to the time/place being studied. It should be something that is of interest to you, and (hopefully) to the whole class – cultural, political, sociological, scientific, medical…. For example, for the class on Roman Tragedy, the factoid might be about what a citizen in ancient Roman ate for supper! Originality counts.

Due on date of presentation: A one-paragraph description of the fun fact, in your own words, and cite at least one source--that is not Wikipedia. …

I Was Crazy Once: An Examination Of Elizabethan Insanity In Shakespeare’S Work, Hope L. Kobus

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

William Shakespeare wrote numerous works, diving into the common motifs of love, revenge, power, but most importantly, madness. While Elizabethan audiences were more accustomed to seeing madness as a ploy for comedy, Shakespeare changed the appeal through shows such as King Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth. He presents the power and ambition of women, as well as the failings of the upper-class, but he disguised them through the idea of insanity. At a time when the public had little understanding of mental health, it was easy to blame madness on gender, social status, and even the supernatural. Through …

"Voices In My Head:" Representations Of Mental Illness In Contemporary American Musical Theater, Mckay Perry

Masters Theses

In the years since 2010, themes of mental illness on the musical theater stage have increased dramatically, most notably with the Broadway premiere of Dear Evan Hansen in 2016, which quickly became a popular and critical success, winning six Tony Awards the following season. Despite scope and reach of the modern American musical, relatively little musicological scholarship has explored this area, and of that literature, even less has examined contemporary musicals. In this thesis, I will begin to fill this gap in the literature through the application of emerging critical musicological lenses to modern musical theater, both on and off …

Perceived Phantoms: A Phenomenological Observation Of Spirituality In Atsumori, Nicholas C. Gilomen

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The paper examines the performance and embodiment of spirituality in Japanese Noh Drama during the Muromachi era from 1336 CE to 1573 CE. It also observes the art form from a modern perspective. Specifically, this research examines the classic Noh Drama play Atsumori by Zeami Motokiyo through the phenomenological lens. Phenomenology is a qualitative study that focuses on the perceptions of the human consciousness, and it allows me to examine the impact of subjective experiences on a person’s sense of truth. This paper examines the spirituality present through the various religious influences that went into the development of Noh Drama …

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 …

Smokebox: Writing Into Embarrassment, Julia Storch

Theatre & Dance ETDs

Engaging with theoretical concepts and dramaturgical tools, this essay follows my journey through The Dramatic Writing MFA program at the University of New Mexico, focusing on the production of my thesis play, Smokebox. In Part I, I give the background and development of my journey as a playwright, exploring the obstacles I faced and overcame through my engagement with coursework and staged readings. I map out the development of Smokebox, from its humble beginnings as a class assignment, to its transformation through workshop, and finally its realization through an intense rehearsal and production process. In Part II, I …

Sweat Equity: Lynn Nottage's Radical Dialectic Of Deindustrialization, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"Lynn Nottage has devoted her career to researching and telling stories of Black individuals and communities with expressed interest in laborers, advocating for their agency, humanity, and legacy. In her second Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Sweat, Nottage dramatizes more recent US history, illuminating the lives of workers marginalized by the deindustrialization of the Rust Belt in the early 2000s. Sweat is emblematic of Nottage's sustained effort to deploy playwriting as activism and stand in solidarity with those whose stories she chooses to tell. As a constant theme in her works, Lynn Nottage's stories align with marginalized workers' efforts and histories, …

Royal Authority And Erotic Desires: Marlowe's Views On Kingship In Dido, Queen Of Carthage, And Edward Ii, Jared Lambert

Honors Theses

Royal authority and erotic desires: Marlowe's views on kingship in Dido, Queen of Carthage, and Edward II focuses on the works of Christopher Marlowe and how they correlate to his perceptions of the Elizabethan court. This essay is meant to serve as one potential interpretation of both the public and personal life of Christopher Marlowe. Though there is little concrete information on Marlowe's life, it is a fact that he was working for the Elizabethan court in some capacity as an informant and potential provocateur against Catholics in England.

Creating A Play Using Noh And The Stanislavski Method, John Alex Nunnery

Merge

No abstract provided.

The Abolitionist Spectator: Resistant Readings Of Punishment, Rehabilitation, And Reform At The Louisiana State Penitentiary, Kathryn Marie Morris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For the majority of the twenty-first century, Louisiana has been the global leader in rates of incarceration. Despite its prevalence, many people encounter prisons and punishment only through representations in movies, television, and the news, remaining distant from the actual processes of punishment and prisons built in remote areas. The Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, however, is unique in the number of opportunities it presents for the public to enter the prison for large-scale events like the famous Angola Prison Rodeo, select drama club performances, or to visit the Angola Prison Museum. These opportunities are often read cynically, as moments …

Acting In Good Faith, Tanya Dean

Articles

No abstract provided.