Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Noises Off

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 2012 performance of Noises Off by Michael Frayn.

Noises Off is a farce involving the small cast of a play and how their offstage drama impacts their onstage drama.

Playing Ann In Arthur Miller's All My Sons: One Actress' Approach In Creating A Role, Abbey Jo Molyneux

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this thesis, Playing Ann in Arthur Miller's All My Sons: One Actress' Approach in Creating a Role, is to document the research, analysis, and personal journey that informed the rehearsal and production processes in my portrayal as the character in the aforementioned title. This thesis includes the following five chapters: Script Analysis, Character Analysis, Created Materials, Reflections on the Audition, Rehearsal, and Production Processes, and A Summation of the Creative Process. All My Sonsby Arthur Miller was produced by the University of Arkansas in the University Theatre February 1-10, 2008, and directed by Michael Landman.

A Marriage Of Realism And Expressionism: Preparing And Performing The Role Of Mrs. Zero In Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine, Rebecca Rivas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Elmer Rice's expressionistic play,The Adding Machine, the character of Mrs. Zero is written to forego authenticity and highlight a husband's absurd perception of his wife. The elements of expressionism in the play paint Mrs. Zero as a caricature rather than a person. In order to effectively portray this caricature, role-preparation must be rooted in realism. It is by connecting organically with Mrs. Zero's underlying truth that the portrayal of this absurd character can be made effective. Here, I attempt to find a balance between realistic role-preparation and expressionistic style of performance. My efforts are documented through journal …

A Broken Butterfly: Playing The Role Of Daisy In Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine, Brandi Lynn Hoofnagle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will examine the process of acting the role of Daisy in Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine. Rehearsals for this production began September 21 continued through November 20, 2011. The production was directed by third year M F A candidate Esteban Arevalo Ibanez and produced at the Kernodle Theatre by the University of Arkansas. The body of this thesis is constructed with a text and character analysis integrated into daily rehearsal journals, documenting the process of this production from auditions to the final performance. Through reflection and description of process, I hope to show the creation the actor goes …

...And Then, Claire An Indie-Rock Monologue; Integrating The Independent Music Scene Into American Musical Theatre, Mickey Bahr

HIM 1990-2015

For more than fifty years, the Independent (indie) Music Scene has existed as an evolving business model, allowing indie artists to develop a wealth of progressive musical ideas while creating a sustainable audience base. American Musical Theatre has an already-established rich history of adapting styles to fit concurrent trends in popular music while maintaining the story as the core of a show. While some indie artists (The Lisps, The Mountain Goats, Stephin Merritt, and Stew) and some musical theatre composers (David Yazbek, Doug Crossley, and Michael Friedman) have created crossover works, there is currently an overall dearth of musical theatre …

Savage In Limbo A Study In Lighting Design, Kenneth Haines

HIM 1990-2015

Designing the elements of a theatrical production is a unique and often experimental process. This process changes from show to show, and it can be difficult for a viewer to differentiate mistakes from design choices without a background in lighting. That is why it is important to take a look at the design process step by step. Two goals I strove for when designing Savage In Limbo were, how the director's concept blended with a design and if the integrity of the designer's vision was evident on stage. To explore these goals, script analysis and consideration of the director's vision …

Teen Theatre: Exploring The Role Of The Young Adult In Art And Life, Jessica J. Vaught

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to summarize my exploration with a group of teenagers of two scripts and our experiences throughout the process. The scripts chosen fit two qualifications: I considered them to be examples of true quality in playwriting and they addressed adolescent self-identification. In rehearsals the teens and I discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each script we read and chose to perform a staged reading of the one we considered better suited for our ensemble. A discussion of my decision to direct a staged reading rather than a full-fledged production can be found in the Creative …

“East Meets West”: Symphony Television Production, Nathanael Hovee

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

“East Meets West”: Symphony Television Production is a multi-camera broadcasting project covering WKU Symphony’s live performance titled “East Meets West” in Van Meter Hall on March 16, 2012. The project involved recording the WKU Symphony’s ninety-minute live performance using seven professional high-definition cameras throughout the auditorium and directing camera operators from the television control booth. The footage from each camera was synced in post-production and edited down for regional broadcast and distribution. The final video includes a majority of the pieces presented during the performance on March 16, as well as brief informative interviews with members of the WKU Symphony. …

Double Take Project: Using Applied Theatre For Campus Climate Change, Christina M. Cody

Honors Theses

Despite research gathered in the Campus Climate Report, I believe that it underrepresented the student experience of the social scene. The document primarily served as an identification tool for four major problems on campus: binge drinking, sexual assault, diversity, and disengagement in the classroom. Double Take Project also identifies similar issues however, this project uses theatrical techniques to gather the anecdotal reality of the student perspective. Double Take Project expands beyond the Campus Climate Report to inspire dialogue in a variety of student-to-student interactions and, more importantly, the project seeks action and solution plans.

The social scene dominates our culture …

"I Can't Stop Thinking": The Process Of Creating The Role Of Mr. Zero, Maurice Reed

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains an account of the characterization process of Mr. Zero from The Adding Machine, by Elmer Rice. The character and script analysis is revealed through journal entries and will be discussed as the analysis was put into use in the rehearsal process. The production of The Adding Machine opened Nov 11, 2011 and ran until Nov 20, 2011. The rehearsal process began on Sep 21, 2011. This thesis will document the struggles and success of creating the role of Mr. Zero.

The Development And Debut Of Adam Esquenazi Douglas' Play "Murder And The English Gentleman", Adam Esquenazi Douglas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the development process of the creation of a new playscript, "Murder and the English Gentleman", an adaptation of the short story "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" by Oscar Wilde. The play is a wild, comedy-of-manners presented in classic Wildean 19th century drawing room style. The document details the process of getting this script from short story to script to stage. Also included are some of the play's most significant drafts, the original short story by Wilde, production and rehearsal journals, and production photos. The play was presented by the University of Arkansas' Boar's …

Lady Windermere's Fan: The Black And White Of It, Jacob Lawrence Heger

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the process used to create the scenic design for the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's 2011 production of Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman. Within this paper I will look at the process used to create the set design, the execution of the set design and the final product when seen in a fully realized production.

Advisor: Sandy Veneziano

Three Musketeers And A Rock Band, Brandi K. Kawamoto

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

This thesis is the culmination of my scenic design work for Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers in the Howell Theater at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the spring semester of 2012. Within this paper I will look at the conceptualization process, historical research, execution of the set design, the realized final product, and the critique process. The rough sketches, research images, computer draftings, finalized renderings, and production photos are featured within the thesis.

Advisor: Sandy Veneziano

Jealousy, Manipulation And Murder: Designing The Costumes For William Shakespeare's Othello, Latricia Ann Reichman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis explains the process utilized to create and implement the costume design for the production of Othello produced at the University of Arkansas University Theatre in the Spring of 2011. Throughout this thesis I will illustrate how the costumes went from initial research ideas to sketches and colored renderings and finally to finished three-dimensional costumes. The design process detailed here includes an analysis of the play, production history, research, renderings, and an evaluation of the overall process.

"If I Didn't Ever Have To Come Down, I Wouldn't": My Process In Preparing And Playing Walter Griffin In Bridget Carpenter's Up, Jared Taylor Hanlin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of my actor's process for creating and performing the lead role of Walter Griffin in Bridget Carpenter's contemporary drama Up. It is composed entirely of journal entries detailing my preparation and observations from the beginning of the audition process (August 22, 2011) through the closing of the show (October 9, 2011) and ending with reflective evaluations after closing. Up was produced by the University of Arkansas Department of Drama at the University Theatre and directed by Amy Herzberg.

Leyendo Al Incoherente Jules Lévy, Victor Lope Salvador

Teatro: Revista de Estudios Escénicos / A Journal of Theater Studies

El presente trabajo es un estudio de un texto que puede ser considerado como un manifiesto de la incoherencia publicado por Jules Lévy en 1885. El método empleado es el del análisis textual promovido por Jesús González Requena consistente en el detallado deletreamiento del escrito. A partir del análisis podemos considerar la incoherencia como un movimiento con rasgos tanto del romanticismo como de la vanguardia.

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Designing Non-Traditional Costumes For Shakespeare, Wes Jenkins

Theses

Designing the costumes for a Shakespearean play is a daunting task. Herein, I explain the challenges I faced in designing the costumes for A Midsummer Night~· Dream when it was taken out of the Elizabethan world of Shakespeare and set in World War l. Through careful attention to textual clues and period research, I was able to make unique, non-traditional design choices that reinforced the narrative. l describe techniques used in the construction of the costumes, as well as explain the difficulties associated with creating many costumes with limited staff.

Vanguardias Históricas Y Lenguajes Artísticos En El Mundo Occidental Contemporáneo: Aspectos Teóricos, Ángel Berenguer

Teatro: Revista de Estudios Escénicos / A Journal of Theater Studies

La propuesta de este trabajo se sitúa en el plano de los estudios culturales, dado el enfoque plural desde el que estudiamos la génesis de los lenguajes artísticos. El modelo teórico que utilizo aquí está en varios trabajos anteriores en los que el acercamiento filológico había dejado ya de ser eficaz, y lo sustituí por el modelo Motivos y estrategias. Precisamente, en mi opinión, fueron los lenguajes vanguardistas que estudié en mis primeros años de investigador, los que me dieron la posibilidad de intentar integrar lo que Lucien Goldman llamó la “creación cultural”, y que yo he procurado aclarar en …

Disyuntivas De La Vanguardia Hispanoamericana En Las Revistas De Vicente Huidobro, Antonio Guijarro-Donadíos

Teatro: Revista de Estudios Escénicos / A Journal of Theater Studies

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es ahondar en el proyecto de contribución al proceso y desarrollo internacional del programa de la vanguardia de Vicente Huidobro (1893-1948) proponiendo un modo de estudio centrado en un corpus de obvio interés y, sin embargo, descuidado por la crítica: sus revistas.

El Discurso De La Vanguardias En El Teatro Venezolano (1900-1930), Luis Chesney-Lawrence

Teatro: Revista de Estudios Escénicos / A Journal of Theater Studies

En este ensayo se presentan los principales actores de la vanguardia teatral venezolanos entre los años 1900 y 1930, período difícil para la cultura nacional, pero que sin embargo produjo insospechados documentos nuevos sobre la creación teatral. Siguiendo una metodología de A. Berenguer (2007), se examinan el novedoso movimiento del modernismo teatral así como las principales revistas y dramaturgias renovadoras de este período.

Motivos Y Estrategias Del Impresionismo, El Expresionismo Y El Cubismo, José Alberto Conderana Cerrillo

Teatro: Revista de Estudios Escénicos / A Journal of Theater Studies

Estudio de las primeras vanguardias centrado en un motivo común, la inestabilidad de lo real, generador de estrategias artísticas diferenciadas desarrolladas a través del Impresionismo –“visión original”-, el Expresionismo –“lógica de la sensación”- y el Cubismo –“visión simultánea”, “conquista de la ubicuidad”-.

Exploring The Morality Of Arthur Miller And Elia Kazan To Show How It Affected Their Work, Friendship And Society, Dale D. Parry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to explore the moral convictions, or the lack of same, in the personal character of Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan and to show how those convictions affected not only their work and personal friendship but society as well. They first met in 1946 when Harold Clurman of the Group Theater passed to Kazan a Miller play that he had read entitled All My Sons. With the success of the play, the two became fast friends and collaborators in profession and ideology. Each had in common the Great Depression, problem fathers, marital instability and Communism. …

Developing Actor Expertise : The Presentation And Representation Of Man In Will Eno's The Flu Season., Conrad Harding Newman 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines my work on the role of Man in the University of Louisville's 2011 production of Will Eno's The Flu Season directed by James Tompkins. It is composed of three primary chapters: rehearsal process, character development, and performance. The rehearsal chapter compares and contrasts my experiences working with Dr. Amy Steiger on Charles Mee's A Perfect Wedding and Professor James Tompkins on The Flu Season, highlighting the value of both collaborative and individual aspects in rehearsal. The styles of the directors are observed and discussed concerning their effect upon my acting process and development. In character development I …

Evocative Communication: Selected Projects In Projection, Scenic, And Lighting Design, Milinda Esplin Weeks

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

I didn’t always want to be a theatrical designer. As a child, I wanted to be a ballerina, an artist, a teacher. My answer to, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” changed ever time someone asked me the question. Though I didn’t understand it a the time, what I wanted was to affect people. I wanted my work to create emotion and thought.

I found that reaction in the theater. Here was a small circle of people who were entirely codependent upon each other to create one large piece of art, all in the hopes of …

The Conditions Of Production Surrounding “Crawling With Monsters”: A Way To Create Social Consciousness Through Theatre In South Texas, Jorge Augusto Contreras

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Evaluating theatre's actual contribution to social development is subjective. There is a specific field of study that has been born from the need to incorporate all theatre outside the mainstream that seeks to do more than entertain an audience: “Applied Drama” or “Applied Theatre.” This study argues that through the process of creating the play Crawling with Monsters a group of UTPA students were empowered to make social change and ended up doing a critically acclaimed applied drama project regarding Mexico's drug war. After an introduction to the formation of the group and the situation to which it was responding, …

La Educación Cultural A Través De La Danza Folklórica Mexicana, Karla Y. Uvalle-Castro

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

El presente proyecto pretende abordar la educación cultural a través de la danza folklórica mexicana, incluyendo otros aspectos fundamentales como la historia, música, vestuarios, costumbres etc. Se muestra una programación curricular alineada a los Conocimientos y Destrezas Esenciales del Estado de Texas (TEKS). Dicho programa ofrece a los estudiantes la posibilidad de aprender y experimentar diversos ritmos, música, bailes, trajes típicos de varios estados de la República Mexicana, a través de danzas sencillas (de pareja o grupo), acercándolos al conocimiento de la cultura, entendiendo la danza, y utilizándola como modo de expresión, motivador y generador de enriquecimiento cultural.

The Imagineknights: An Experiment In Imagination, Rachel Saldana

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

I planned to write an experimental children’s play that would entertain an audience of children and promote the importance of imagination. The final draft starts out immersed in imaginative design elements to grab the audience’s attention from the start. The Witch sets the mood, entering in an elaborate costume, casting a spell that will carry throughout the play. As far as whether my play will entertain, I did not produce this play to get concrete results. Instead, I utilized some techniques that have been consistently successful in other children’s plays. I have done much research and shown my play to …

Playing Devil's Advocate: The Attractive Shakespearean Villain, Jonathan Montgomery Green

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The characters of William Shakespeare have spawned countless words of critical interpretation inspired by the playwright's aptitude for fashioning intricate and conflicted figures. As a master character craftsman, Shakespeare is consistent in creating fascinatingly deep characters, and many of them have even gone so far as to generate entire literary archetypes. From the contemplative Prince Hamlet to the despicable yet charming John Falstaff, Shakespeare's characters remain eternal representatives of what any good character should be: interesting, provocative, and complicated.

However, among the playwright's most hypnotic figures are his villains, those characters whom audiences should by all counts detest but cannot …

Starting A Standardized Patient Program Using A Theatre Model, Richard Edward Carter

Theses and Dissertations

The methods used to train actors can be modified to train standardized patients to simulate patient encounters with medical students. With some background in standardized patients and simulation, a member of Theatre Department can start a standardized patient program at their own institution. This is based on the pilot year of the VCU Standardized Patient Program which began in June, 2011.

A Pedagogical Perspective On Storytelling Through Movement And Dance, Penny Maas

Theses and Dissertations

Dance in most musical theatre is an assumed visual element and something that is often taken for granted in production. What is its purpose is the question being pondered in this paper. Since Agnes de Mille first presented her legendary dream ballet in Oklahoma! in 1943, theatrical dance has never been the same. She revolutionized the function of dance in theatre forever. No longer would dance merely be used as interludes or divertissements. Though a seemingly simple theatrical concept, to use movement and choreography to either further the plot or to communicate a character’s journey, it is not only much …