Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Asexual Dramaturgies: Reading For Asexuality In The Western Theatrical Canon, Anna Maria Ruffino Broussard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Asexuality has recently gained recognition and visibility as a legitimate sexual orientation and identity standpoint that is usually defined as lacking sexual desire for any gender. Popular culture and the academy have both seen the emergence of a robust conversation about the definition and import of asexuality, recognizing the term as an umbrella concept covering an ever-diversifying array of identities. Within the nascent critical discourse on asexuality, theorists have sought to identify asexuality as a sexual orientation, to rethink our society’s sexual normativity, and to question compulsory sexuality, or the assumption that sexual desire is intrinsic to all people, thus …

Love, Yourself: A Solo Play, Tiffany Gilly

LSU Master's Theses

This Thesis outlines the research, writing, and production process that lead up to the performance of an original Solo Play, presented by the author. The project, entitled Love, Yourself is a twenty-minute autobiographical journey about the author’s experiences as a child of a neglectful and abusive single mother, as a foster kid, then college student, and eventual aspiring performer. In the play, the author deals with writer's block from not having felt inspired to write a song in months and attempts to find inspiration by sifting through old memories and telling stories to the audience. By the end of the …

The Second Line Parade And The Construction Of Identity Through Costume In The Group The Undefeated Divas, Gents And Kids., Suellen Da Costa Coelho

LSU Master's Theses

This research aims to investigate the role of costume in identity formation in the second line group The Undefeated Divas, Gents and Kids. The methodology used in this research was data collection through interviews with members of the group. Through these interviews, we seek to establish the importance of costume in reflecting and constructing a sense of community within the group.

While the existing literature focuses on the history of second line parades and their importance in Louisiana’s culture, this research intends to explore costume’s meaning and significance. The purpose of this work is to complement the existing literature in …

The Arena Players, Inc.: The Oldest Continuously Operating African American Community Theatre In The United States, Alexis Michelle Skinner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hay (1994) gave the Arena Players the moniker, “the oldest continuously operating African American community theatre company” in the U.S. But, if Black Theatre is increasingly found in mainstream venues in regional theatre and Broadway while Black Drama is relegated to syllabi, where is the living practice of African American, or black, community theatre? And what guarantees its survival? Craig (1980) and Fraden (1994) give voice to black critics, like Locke (1925), in co-creating objectives for black theatre during the FTP which took stage as the Negro Little Theatre continued. Hill & Hatch (2003) solidify the geographical and ideological connections …

Mini-Actors, Mega-Stages: Examining The Use Of Theatre Among Children And Youth In U.S. Evangelical Megachurches, Carla Elisha Lahey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

How do children and youth first encounter the performing arts? While schools may stand out as an obvious answer, a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education shows that the percentage of public schools offering theatre classes dropped at both the primary and secondary level from 2000-2010 (Brenchley). Yet, even as arts offerings experience a decline in some public schools, many students are being introduced to performance through another venue – the evangelical megachurch.

Since the birth of the church growth movement in the 1970s, megachurches (defined as Protestant congregations that average at least 2,000 weekly attendees) have …

Designing A World: A Foray Into Scenography And Settling, Nathan David Ynacay

LSU Master's Theses

This work examines the design process as taught and what was practiced during Louisiana State University’s production of LMNOP the Muzical.

This will examine the design process as typically taught to undergraduate theatre students in all aspects of the discipline. The collaborative nature of the design process as taught to cast members, directors, and production team will be examined. After this examination, the design process for Louisiana State University’s production of LMNOP the Muzical will be used to compare and contrast the actual process with the theory of a collaborative design process. After, there will be an evaluation of …

A Tale Of Two Birds: Lighting Design And Implementation Of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull And Aaron Posner's Stupid Fucking Bird Running In Repertory At Swine Palace Theatre, Chelsea G. Touchet

LSU Master's Theses

The course of creation never did run smooth. Every act of creation is a process of creation. While theatrical creation and execution may follow the same basic steps each time, the process will always be evolving. One may take many paths to reach the same destination.

This project is a study of the process of creation and execution of a repertory theatrical lighting design for a professional company in an academic setting. In the spring of 2017, Swine Palace Theatre, the professional company associated with Louisiana State University’s (LSU) School of Theatre, produced Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull in full rotating …

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 …

Cuban Routes Of Avant-Garde Theatre: Havana, New York, Miami, 1965-1991., Eric Mayer-Garcia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

My dissertation interrogates how the movement of artists between Havana, New York, and Miami shaped experimental theatre aesthetics, formed a shared discourse of theatrical thought, and introduced a particular vein of experimental practices into U.S. American avant-garde theatre, especially as it intersects with U.S. Latina/o theatre and LGBTQ theatre. I interrogate the theatre history of these three cities as horizontal and contiguous, challenging historical narratives of U.S. American neocolonial dominance and superiority, as well as narratives of diaspora that position Havana as an authentic origin. The central contribution of my dissertation is to synthesize the archival evidence that documents connections …

Professional Wrestling: Local Performance History, Global Performance Praxis, Neal Anderson Hebert

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Professional Wrestling: Local Performance History, Global Performance Praxis, is a work of interdisciplinary scholarship (combining elements of theatre history, performance studies, and philosophy) that addresses an area of performance currently under-researched within the liberal arts and humanities: professional wrestling. My dissertation directs much-needed attention to the fact that professional wrestling is the only kind of live drama many Americans ever see (or even want to see). Although it is no doubt easy for theatre historians and performance theorists to dismiss this performance practice because of its location somewhere between “illegitimate sport” and “lowbrow popular entertainment,” I contend that United States …

Nightmares Are Dreams, Too, Camilla Meg Morrison

LSU Master's Theses

This work explores themes of womanhood through the creation of an installation that is a blend of visual art and costume design. Often the initial creative impulse of a costume design can be compromised by the needs or necessity of a production. Using this instinct as a guide to the exploration of themes of womanhood, this journey will yield the design and production of highly theatrical and emotional pieces of art. The purpose of this work is to tell stories and share experiences of being a woman. The pieces will be displayed as an environmental installation that will invite the …

Ages Of [Wo]Man, Amanda Jane Clark

LSU Master's Theses

Ages of [Wo]Man, was written to fulfill the thesis requirements of a solo performance for the M.F.A in Acting at Louisiana State University (LSU) in May 2015. The purpose of this project is to write, produce and perform a solo performance, to be reproduced after my time here at LSU. This paper documents the conception of my work, adaptation of Shakespeare’s text, rehearsal process and production of this piece. It contains five chapters. Chapter 1 is comprised of an introduction and discussion of how I decided on the topic for my solo performance. Chapter 2 continues with a layout of …

Joan: A Play With Broken Songs, Colton James Neidhardt

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT This thesis details the writing process, rehearsals and performance of the author‘s devised play, Joan: A Play With Broken Songs. The play aims to reimagine events occurring the evening before the death of French folk hero and Catholic Saint, Joan of Arc. The play exists in the moments between sleep and waking, in which Joan is visited by her own patron Saints (Margaret and Catherine,) as well as the Archangel Michael. The Saints then guide Joan through the dreamscape revealing to her images of the past, present, and future that allow her to come to peace with the sacrifice …

Reupholstery: A Guide For Prop Masters, Kathryn Leigh Brittingham

LSU Master's Theses

Upholstery is something that is often looked upon as a daunting task. With a full guide to reinforcement for stage use, options in foundations, and charts to compute fabric yardages, this thesis will provide professional prop masters with a guide to heighten their standards of upholstery onstage. Featuring options and ideals for varying skill sets; it will assist prop masters with more information regarding the topic with options particular to the theatrical profession. In lieu of an expansive library of upholstery books that feature a variety of techniques, the information included in this document will serve as a supplemental guide …

A Cleansing Breath: A Journey Of Creation On The Hard Road, Addie Leigh Barnhart

LSU Master's Theses

To adhere to the structure of Louisiana State University and Swine Palace’s Actor Training program, the M.F.A. candidates are required to develop new work. This project is in place to cultivate the individual actor’s sensitivities to his/her own process in theatre making, grow as an artist, and begin the long journey of devising and constructing work, in this case a solo play, that has the potential to continue to grow after graduation. My piece is derived from several of the classic Greek plays and myths but told with a twist on the traditional stories and entirely from different women’s perspectives. …

The Creation Of "Behind The Vote," A One-Person Play, Jennifer E. Ballard

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis discusses the inspiration, creation and performance of Jenny Ballard’s one-woman show, Behind the Vote, which was the other half of the thesis requirement in order to complete the Master of Fine Arts program in Theatre Performance. Behind the Vote examines the importance and meaning of voting, both during the women’s suffrage movement and in the present, as seen through the eyes of three contemporary women, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This thesis contains Ballard’s inspirations for the project; her research materials about Stanton and Anthony and her source materials for her contemporary characters, including Facebook messages …

The Tyrants Within Us And The Thread Of History : The Creation Of "Sic Semper Tyrannis," A One-Person Play, Benjamin Todd Koucherik

LSU Master's Theses

The assigned task was to create and perform a 20-40 minute long one-person play, with no other guidelines or restrictions offered. Having never performed in or written a full one-person play, my challenge was two-fold: create a cohesive and coherent script, and craft the production and performance of that script. From several inspirational sources, I was spurred on to explore the dynamics of revolutionaries, fanatics, and vigilantes through the lens of presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth. Through the combination of Booth’s infamy and the modern day realities of fame-seeking, political divisiveness, and tragically pervasive “spectacle killing” events, I was ultimately …

Indians And Onions : An Exploration Of The Creation Of "Curry Bowl" A One-Person Play, Rani Jessica Jain

LSU Master's Theses

The object of our thesis project was to devise and perform a one-person show. The experiment was to see if we could create original, thought provoking and engaging material and then perform this material in a confident and exciting way. The initial execution involved conceiving an idea that we felt compelled enough to talk about for 30-40 minutes. For many of my classmates, this was perhaps the hardest part. I, however, knew from the beginning I had a desire to explore the challenges and complications faced by children of immigrants. My desire was to share stories about my own experience …

From Thin Air : The Creation Of A New American Musical, Jason Bayle

LSU Master's Theses

During the fall of 2011 and spring of 2012, each MFA candidate began work on solo theatre projects ranging in a wide array of topics and genres. The goal was not to present a complete piece of theatre necessarily, but begin work on a project that could continue as we left LSU. Instead of constructing a solo piece, the faculty and I agreed that I could begin work on a multi-actor script based on the concept of setting a collection of country songs close friends of mine wrote as a new musical. I would create the story, write as much …

Southern Bellas: The Construction Of Mestiza Identity In Southern Narratives, Wendy Aimee Braun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project analyzes representations and self-representations of Mestizas living in areas of the Deep South that lack a significant Latino presence. Incorporating a range of media, I take a comparative approach to Southern cultural narratives and propose a re-reading of these works through an examination of identity formation and cultural negotiation. By centering the Southern Mestiza, this dissertation advances concepts of intersectionality to address the role of region, as well as race and gender, in the representation and experiences of women often overlooked in Southern and U.S. Latino studies. The Introductory chapter summarizes the theoretical framework for the study, including …

Ballplayer, An Addiction Story: A Production Thesis Of A Solo Performance Piece, Nickolas Ian Rhoton

LSU Master's Theses

The thesis assignment was to create a stand-alone solo performance piece of no less than 30 minutes in length. The absence of any further guidelines provided the opportunity to focus on a subject (or subject matter) of my choosing. Researching symptoms and tendencies of addictive personality disorder as a basis for a class-based performance assignment led me to Eric Show, a pitcher who played professional baseball in the 1980s and early 1990s. Eric’s life was both heartbreaking and compelling. This thesis follows the adaptation of a number of stories and interviews about Show into a performance piece that seeks to …

Perception, Power, Plays, And Print: Charles Ii And The Restoration Theatre Of Consensus, Christopher William Nelson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation aims to establish the importance of Charles II in the shaping and evolution of Restoration theatre. Even more so than the playwrights themselves, Charles II determined the future of the theatre, both by his conscious efforts to do so, as well as unintentionally through his own behavior and image. The tradition of Restoration theatre began in 1660 with Charles’s efforts at establishing a consensus theatre, in which it would appear that he enjoyed unanimous support for his return to England from exile. Consensus theatre was determined by the perception of Charles’s rule and character, his power to manipulate …

New Orleans Center For Creative Arts: A History In Progress, Suzanne Michelle Blanchard Chambliss

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the state of Louisiana, a quality education for secondary school students can be hard to come by in any area of study much less in the areas of the arts. The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) provides a quality education to those talented students who audition and are accepted into the program. NOCCA has only existed since 1974 and in its relatively short life it has become a model for half-day pre-professional training programs throughout the United States and it has proven that it is possible to receive a quality education in Louisiana.

The Creation Of "Echolalia: A Conversation" A Production Thesis In Acting, Olga Michele Guidry

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis, submitted to the Graduate School of Louisiana State University as partial requirement for graduation with the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre, follows the creation of a solo performance piece by Michele Guidry, called “Echolalia: A Conversation.” This solo project is an exploration of communication through the experience of autism from the perspective of parents, siblings, and therapists of children with autism, and the children themselves. The thesis includes topics of inspiration for creating this solo performance piece, interviews with experts and theatre artists who have personal experience with autism, a copy of the script with explanation …

The Role Of Yusef Akbar Azziz Al-Nassar Gamel El-Fayoumy And The Construction Of Specific Relationships In The Play The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot By Stephen Adly Guirgis, Kaluhath Kenneth De Abrew

LSU Master's Theses

The following document consists of a written interpretation of an actor’s work on approaching and eventually performing the role of Yusef Akbar Azziz Al-Nassar Gamel El-Fayoumy in a production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. This play was written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and performed at the Louisiana State University Hatcher Theatre in 2008. A specific focus is given to the separate and significantly different relationships between El-Fayoumy and ten other characters. The document also represents an actor’s struggle to be clear and precise while being free and imaginative.

The Role Of Fabiana Aziza Cunningham In Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot: A Production Thesis In Acting, Leigh-Erin Balmer

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis will follow the experience of Leigh-Erin Balmer in creating the role of Fabiana Aziza Cunningham, a character written by Stephen Adly Guirgis in his play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. The role of Cunningham is the topic of this production thesis in acting, which will be submitted to the Graduate School of Louisiana State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre. The thesis contains an introduction; textual analysis and research (regarding author and original production history as well as other text materials); a character study, including …

A Humanistic View Of Satan: The Role Of Satan In Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, Yohance Myles

LSU Master's Theses

The role of Satan, in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, was selected as the topic of this thesis in acting to be submitted to the Graduate School of Louisiana State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theater. The thesis includes an introduction; discussions of acting methods: the Art of Being, logical thinking, rhythmic sounds, the rehearsal process, journal notes, photos, research, and a conclusion. It details my role/character from a theatrical and humanistic point of view. I will highlight points that will reveal my daily discoveries of this …

The Role Of Judas Iscariot In Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot: A Production Thesis In Acting And The Actor Director Relationship, Scott Matthew Woltz

LSU Master's Theses

Directing The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and playing the title role was chosen as the basis for a thesis project in the fall semester of 2008 to be presented to the Graduate School of Louisiana State University in partial fulfillment of the graduate requirement for the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre. The thesis will contain an introduction, a text analysis, a director’s concept, a chapter on the rehearsal process (to include a physical score and a tactical score), a chapter on performance, and a conclusion. The purpose of this thesis is to explore both an actor’s interpretation …

The Roles Of Scientist, Narrator, Mother, Pandora, Nursemaid, Therapist, And Baucis In Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses: A Production Thesis In Acting, Anna Loft Richardson

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT This thesis is about the evolution and development of the roles of Scientist, Narrator, Mother, Pandora, Nursemaid, Therapist, and Baucis in the Swine Palace show Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman. The rehearsal process is detailed here in journal format. Also included is pre-show research, character analyses, production run, and post show summary. This thesis will explore the creation of these characters, the obstacles during the process, and the experience of playing multiple roles.

Playing The Third Man (Midas' Servant, Ceyx, Morpheus As Ceyx, Orpheus, Apollo, A, Philemon) In Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses: A Production Thesis, Ronald Ludlow Reeder

LSU Master's Theses

The role of Third Man in Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses was performed in the Fall of 2006 and elected as a thesis role at that time. This thesis is a written record of the actor’s interpretation of the character. This thesis includes background information on the production, reflections on acting in water, a character analysis, a five column score, reflections on performance issues, and photos.