Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Dramatic Form: In Theory And In Practice, Alexander Borrello

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

One of the most essential aspects of any dramatic work is dramatic form - the categorization of whether a given play is a tragedy, comedy, melodrama, or something else. Most dramatists argue that dramatic form is inherent to the play and cannot be changed. Typically, dramatic form is determined by the playwright's choice in writing the play, and many dramatic theorists believe this determination to be unquestionable. One such theorist, Giovanni Battista Guarini, wrote,

" ... And there is no doubt that anyone who imagines that he can make one of these genres slip in its entirety intothe confines of …

An Exploration Of Dance Therapy, Its Origins, And Its Applications In Parkinson’S Disease, Emilia Floody

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Throughout history, dance has been used as a means of promoting health and wellbeing and for healing the sick. These practices date back to some of the earliest Neolithic societies with the advent of the circle dance in shamanistic cultures and continue into today’s society. Notable examples of healing dances include dances devoted to Apollo in ancient Greek culture, the dancing manias of medieval Europe, and the tarantism of southern Italy that dates back to the fourteenth century. Today, the primary role of dance in healing is the use of dance/movement therapy which, according to the website of the American …

Raising The Stakes: The Impact Of Emotional Investment On Learning Stage Combat, Sarah Tam

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

One of the most integral parts of stage combat is safety. A fight director’s constant challenge is keeping their actors safe. One aspect of a fight scene that then merits close inspection is the effect that the intense emotions involved in the scene have on an actor’s ability to perform the fight safely. Does the level of stakes in the scene affect the integrity of the actor’s fighting technique? There exists a paradox when an actor must be emotionally present in a fight as their character while performing technical fight moves accurately. Knowing how to navigate this paradox will enhance …

The Back Pocket Play: Revealing White Privilege And Its Contribution To Institutionalized Racism, Sonia Michelle Goldberg

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Black lives matter. This phrase incites intense and polarizing emotions in our community: with it brings images of police brutality. It forces the topic of racism to the forefront of the listener’s mind. And when that listener hardly ever considers issues of race in their daily life, “Black lives matter” easily becomes a hostile phrase, one to shrink away from. Why? This ability to dissociate – to write off uncomfortable situations – is a privilege. In predominately White communities like Butler University, individuals are often hesitant to have a conversation about race, because they believe firmly it is not their …

Creating The Role Of Georgie Bukatinsky In "The Full Monty", Erin Horst

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre. It is a detailed account of author Erin Horst's artistic process in creating the role of Georgie Bukatinsky in Minnesota State University, Mankato's production of "The Full Monty" in the fall of 2016. The thesis chronicles the actor's artistic process from pre-production through performance in five chapters: an early production analysis, a historical and critical perspective, a rehearsal and performance journal, a post-production analysis and a process development analysis. Appendices and works cited are included.

Appearances, Samantha M.F. Loesch

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Appearances is a one-act memory play with a focus on temporality, language deficiencies, and allegorical depictions of the ambiguous relationships between men and women. Using dramatic techniques this autobiographically based play is a complex blend of doubled actors, stage directions, and surrealistic depictions of time reflecting the characteristics of absurdist plays. Using such devices creates a pastiche of female degradation, effacement, and feelings of worthlessness inspired by realistic depictions of male harassment. Elements such as the inadequacy of language, the role of autobiography, and the Cubist depiction of temporality performed with non-verbal motifs and recursive tendencies reveal a woman’s existential …

Research Analysis: Act Iii Scene I, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Head In The Game: A One-Act Play, Carolyn Gage

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Head in the Game is a fifteen-minute, five-character, easy-to-stage-anywhere play that brings audiences into the world of male "pay-to-play" abuse of women, through a fantasy scenario of "boxing girls," women whom men pay to batter. The world of the boxing girls is an apt analogy for prostitution. The play uncompromisingly brings home the point that paying to use someone for sexual gratification is no more "sex" than paying to punch someone is boxing.

Persons: A One Woman Play, Rachel Kuhnle

Theses and Dissertations

The contents of this paper include the complete script of Persons: A One Woman Show and a description of the research, editing, rehearsal process and performance experience with analysis. I will expound on the ways in which the writing and producing of a solo show utilized the skills obtained by my Master of Fine Arts program.

April 26th., Carin Bendas

Theses and Dissertations

April 26th. is a solo theatre piece that takes the audience on a journey through a few moments in the lives of seven Jewish individuals across space and time. It is inspired by the struggles and survival of the Jewish people throughout history, with special inspiration from the playwright’s Bubie and Zadie, Ruth and Morry Hecht.

We Sit As Kings, Josh Jeffers

Theses and Dissertations

We Sit As Kings is a solo performance piece that explores the exclusion of certain peoples in 1515 London, 2015 Europe, and the potential rise of power of those who choose to exploit the inbred fear of these people. The piece uses texts from Thomas More, partially written by William Shakespeare and transcripts from BBC news. The play was inspired by an accidental discovery of Sir Ian McKellen performing the final monologue.

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.

The Thought. The Force. The Love. The Joy. The Hope: An Ode To The Seldom Heard, Candace Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the methods used in creating my original solo performance piece entitled The Thought. The Force. The Love. The Joy. The Hope: An Ode To The Seldom Heard. I will describe in detail what specifically inspired the spine of my work, the research performed, the writing process, and how I hope it will grow in the future. Included in the body of the thesis is the script as it was performed on December 2nd thru December 4th, 2015 at the Center for Performance Experiment on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, South Carolina.

The Conclusion, Neda Spalajkovic

Theses and Dissertations

The Conclusion is a final exploration of discoveries I have made in the process of designing three different stories in three different forms. This thesis examines all creative and analytical processes I have gone through as a designer in theatre. It also highlights the collaborative process, its importance, and at the end, speaks about the final product, its sustainability and influence. The design works included in this thesis are: costume design for The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht directed by Steven Pearson in Fall 2015, scenic design for The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, directed by Robert Richmond in Spring 2016, …

Acting Areas, Brandon Washington

The Flick (2017) - Lighting

The realistic environment, story, dialogue, and characters fed the ideas of light that would help tell this story. Later in the show, the movie theater called “The Flick” is taken under new ownership and is remodeled into “The Venue.” Changes in color accents and temperature of light within the theater provided us with the larger visual switch and passage of time that happens towards the last quarter of the play.

Storyboard: Act Iii, Scene Iii, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Cue List, Brandon Washington

The Flick (2017) - Lighting

The realistic environment, story, dialogue, and characters fed the ideas of light that would help tell this story. Later in the show, the movie theater called “The Flick” is taken under new ownership and is remodeled into “The Venue.” Changes in color accents and temperature of light within the theater provided us with the larger visual switch and passage of time that happens towards the last quarter of the play.

Electrical Equipment List, Brandon Washington

The Flick (2017) - Lighting

The realistic environment, story, dialogue, and characters fed the ideas of light that would help tell this story. Later in the show, the movie theater called “The Flick” is taken under new ownership and is remodeled into “The Venue.” Changes in color accents and temperature of light within the theater provided us with the larger visual switch and passage of time that happens towards the last quarter of the play.

Lighting Section: Chilling Toner Front Light, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Light Plot, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Lighting Section: Lobby, Brandon Washington

The Flick (2017) - Lighting

The realistic environment, story, dialogue, and characters fed the ideas of light that would help tell this story. Later in the show, the movie theater called “The Flick” is taken under new ownership and is remodeled into “The Venue.” Changes in color accents and temperature of light within the theater provided us with the larger visual switch and passage of time that happens towards the last quarter of the play.

Conceptual Hookup, Brandon Washington

The Flick (2017) - Lighting

The realistic environment, story, dialogue, and characters fed the ideas of light that would help tell this story. Later in the show, the movie theater called “The Flick” is taken under new ownership and is remodeled into “The Venue.” Changes in color accents and temperature of light within the theater provided us with the larger visual switch and passage of time that happens towards the last quarter of the play.

Research Analysis, Act I, Scene I, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Storyboard: Act Iii, Scene I, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Channel Hookup, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Cue List, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Lighting Section: Sun, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.

Cultural Matrix, Brandon Washington

The Flick (2017) - Lighting

The realistic environment, story, dialogue, and characters fed the ideas of light that would help tell this story. Later in the show, the movie theater called “The Flick” is taken under new ownership and is remodeled into “The Venue.” Changes in color accents and temperature of light within the theater provided us with the larger visual switch and passage of time that happens towards the last quarter of the play.

Lighting Section: Projector Bounce, Brandon Washington

The Flick (2017) - Lighting

The realistic environment, story, dialogue, and characters fed the ideas of light that would help tell this story. Later in the show, the movie theater called “The Flick” is taken under new ownership and is remodeled into “The Venue.” Changes in color accents and temperature of light within the theater provided us with the larger visual switch and passage of time that happens towards the last quarter of the play.

Research Analysis: Act Ii, Scene Ii, Brandon Washington

Journey's End (2017) - Lighting

The lighting design for Journey's End needed to create the dark and claustrophobic environment of a war dug-out. Candles from low angles and slivers of natural light that could barely penetrate the dug-outs were the only sources of illumination. The high-contrast world that was composed only added to the hell that these soldiers endured.