Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Dramaturgical Research On Studs Terkel's “The Good War”, Emma K. Mcangus

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This presentation reflects in-depth dramaturgical research and archival curation developed in support of Pepperdine University’s fall production of “The Good War.” Adapted from Studs Terkel’s oral history of World War II, the production uses verbatim theatre to stage lived experience with historical and ethical complexity. Grounded in Terkel’s interview-based methodology, the project examines not only wartime testimony but also the post-war trajectories of the individuals represented in the script, revealing the long aftermath of conflict and its enduring effects on personal and collective memory. A key component of the project involved compiling biographical information for each interview subject and transforming …

Promoting Participation In Adults With Intellectual Disabilities (Id) Through Inclusive Theatre Education And A Professional Theatre Partnership, Lila R. Clark

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Intellectual Disabilities (ID) are characterized by a deficit in intellectual and adaptive function that affects between 1% and 3% of the general population (Patel et al., 2020). As young people age out of the school system between 18 and 21 years of age, opportunities for meaningful participation in their community drop drastically (Codd & Hewitt, 2020). This lack of opportunity can lead to decreased overall mental health and quality of life, possibly explaining why adults with ID are disproportionately affected by mental illness when compared to their typically developing peers (Hall, 2017; Pinals et al., 2022). The purpose of this …

Recognizing Traps And Frightening Wolves: Foxes And Lions As A Representative Of Machiavellian Political Ideology In Shakespeare’S Comedies, Grace A. Powell

Student Scholar Showcase

While William Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets have been discussed time and time again over the past few centuries, one topic that has been less traversed is the connection between his Comedies and Niccolò Machiavelli’s political ideologies. This project will explore references of lions and foxes in Shakespeare’s Comedies and the leaders and monarchs within them to determine how beliefs about Machiavelli’s political ideology influenced Shakespeare’s literature and became symbols for leadership and power. This project will be important for gaining historical context on Machiavellian political discourse and how it was represented in the contemporary dramatic literature of William Shakespeare. I …

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 …

Iequity: An Augmented Reality Theatre Production, Amy Pan, Kristina Arnold Dr, Alan White, Truth Tran

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Augmented reality is commonly seen being used in game development and design, typically seen through a mobile device such as a phone. However, it has rarely been tested and pushed to its limits in other settings. The main focus of this project was trying to deploy augmented reality in settings that are seen as more traditional. This will be done by taking a play, pre-written and performed by a professor at Western Kentucky University, and building an augmented reality set for the play in the background. The main software that will be used is Unity and Blender. Unity will be …

Masculinity In American Movie-Musical Films, Christopher Sparks

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

My presentation explores the relation between American masculinity and film musicals. I demonstrate how the dominance of the musical at the box office in the middle of the 20^th century reflects historical events and technological change. Drawing on both scholarly and popular criticism, I show how the images of masculinity that Americans once encountered on the silver screen have transformed as musicals became marginal to popular culture in the United States. My research considers both classic 20^th century musicals, such as Wizard of Oz (1939) and 42^nd Street (1933), and more recent experiments with the genre, including …

Tap Dance As A Nonverbal Language For Autism Spectrum Disorder, J Sydney Rhane Burtis

Honors College Theses

Through elements of sound and movement, tap dance employs rhythm as a universal language for nonverbal communication through the medium of music. Through three distinct but related elements, (a literature review, an artist’s statement, and a performance piece), this thesis will explore tap dance as a form of nonverbal language. For individuals with autism spectrum disorder, tap dance may help to achieve further attunement with themselves and the outside world. Due to autistic people’s impaired communicative, interactional, and skilled abilities, experiencing the relationships formed through tap dance may facilitate improvement. The literature review begins with a brief definition of nonverbal …

The Moon Is Down And American Theater During World War Ii, Sally E. Parry, Robert L. Mclaughlin

Faculty Publications – English

This webinar was delivered in connection with the New York's Metropolitan Playhouse reading of John Steinbecky's 1940 play, The Moon is Down, which also served as a fundraiser for Direct Relief, provding aid in Ukraine and the region.

A recording of the webinar is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz17iKCK7BA

Thematic Use Of Non-Conformity In "Changing My Major" (Ft. Gay Panic), Yazmeen Mayes

Symposium of Student Scholars

CW: Presentation includes references to sex and suicide.

This presentation is an in-depth score analysis of “Changing My Major” from the musical Fun Home by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, which is based on Alison Bechdel’s autobiographical memoir by the same name. The musical examines the similarities and differences between Alison and her father as she attempts to contruct a future without a queer elder to model it. This presentation demonstrates the collaborative, tight structure of thematic messaging in musical theatre. Overall, ““Changing My Major” personifies the show at large and celebrates the process of questioning as its own epic, …

Medea Costume Design Concept, Annie Wolfzorn

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Euripides’s Medea is a story about a woman’s heart being poisoned with pain and grief. Her pain demands to be felt and her grief demands to be heard. Over time, the grief sours from longing for her own death to longing for the death of others. Medea longs to ease the pain of her grief with an act of revenge. This grief is in response to her husband shattering the beautiful love they once shared. Consequently, he earns a cruel and devastating punishment—the brutal murder of his second wife, Glauce, her father, Creon, and his two children. In the process …

Double Helix, Katie Patrick

Symposium of Student Scholars

The human body can be an exceptional vessel to interpret and express historical ideas through the art of dance. Rosalind Franklin is the scientist who captured the famous Photograph 51- the first photo taken that revealed DNA’s three-dimensional structure - and made groundbreaking discoveries in the area of molecular biology. This piece will be a study of her life as she fought anti-Semitism during World War II, sexism in her field of study, and ovarian cancer that eventually led to her untimely passing; as well as a celebration of her discoveries on DNA, disease control, and her love for travel. …

The Historiography Of Ballet Russes And The Russian Revolution: Dramaturgy For The Play Ballet Russes, Sachen Kele Pillay

Georgia College Student Research Events

This project investigates the political and artistic connections between the Ballet Russes dance company, and the wider socio-economic changes attributed to the Russian Revolution and the First World War. The 2019 Georgia College theatrical production of the play Ballet Russes, by Bernard Myers, follows the innovative and revolutionary ballet company of the same name. The story specifically focuses on the interpersonal relationship between the company’s Maestro Serge Diaghilev, and the legendary ballerino Vaslav Nijinsky. The central themes of the show revolve around the issues of exploitation, power structure, and revolution. The role of the dramaturg in the show’s production was …

Creating An Omaha Fringe Festival, Tamar Neumann

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Tamar Neumann

UNO Theatre Graduate Program

Omaha Fringe Festival

Creating an Omaha Fringe Festival

For my research project, I started a small theatre Fringe festival that consisted of ten different performances (plays) over the course of three days. Each performance group got three performances. The artists self-produced their works and the festival provided the venue, technical staff, and marketing. I recruited volunteers to help staff the box office and usher and I hired staff to run the technical side of the theatre. The festival also gave the artists 75% of the total box office. My research focused on answering the …

Dancing Around A Memory, Tyler Lovie, Bailey Erwin, Aislinn Williamson

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

Sometimes music speaks to you. The words and rhythm it presents translates into physical communication. The story is told in a vulnerable way that elicits how each individual in the audience can relate it to their own life. As choreographers, we enjoyed exploring our individual approaches and interpretations to the movement dynamics and how they balanced each other. At times we went for a literal translation of movement while at other times abstracted the lyrics. Key words triggered key phrases of movement and sometimes the literal movements reinforced the statement. The goal was that the movement and music blend together, …

Art As A Collective: Common Ground, Katelyn Stewart

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

In the modern day of our busy lives, we often forget the integral role art plays in human life. Through art, we are reminded and forced to reflect on our commonalities and past experiences. As artists, we have the power to elicit emotional response and reflection. As an audience, we have the responsibility to ourselves to take the time to listen. Art comes in many equally powerful forms, but dance has the unique ability to intertwine art forms into one collective piece of work. To demonstrate this concept we will examine the student choreographed piece, “Common Ground”. This piece follows …

Flawed Goddesses: An Exploration Of Expressive Arts Therapy Theory Through Personal Narrative, Karen Estrella, Lora Williams

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Flawed Goddesses is a graphic arts and performance-based exploration of Jungian theory applied to Expressive Arts Therapy for healing the psyches of breast cancer patients. Jungian approaches within expressive arts therapy use active imagination, myth, archetypes and creative exploration. Dr. Karen Estrella, Expressive Arts Therapy core faculty, brings her interest and research into the ways in which personal narrative shapes theory building - in particular she will make reference to Gloria Anzaludua's and bell hooks' work. Lora Williams, first year Expressive Arts Therapy master’s student, brings her writing and artistic explorations from her own breast cancer recovery journey. Together, they …

Learning The Interdisciplinary Aspects Of Stage Management, Brandon Lovejoy

Senior Honors Projects

TEDxURI is an independently organized event of TED Talks, a series of 5-20 minute long speeches about any topic surrounding a central theme. In 2019, the University of Rhode Island presented its second annual TEDx event, focused around the theme “Change It Up.” I was asked to perform the role of stage manager and coordinator for the event.

Stage management at the University level is taught for the theatrical stage. Often, students learn the basics of tracking actor movement, creating and organizing schedules, establishing a record of all paperwork, and throughout the process, displaying strong communication skills on a collaborative …

Creating A Happy Ending For Socially Relevant Television, John Thomas Cunha

Senior Honors Projects

Television is accessible to millions from the comfort of their own homes and shapes the way we view the world. It has the power to bring people together, but often presents diversity with a strong emphasis on labels. Characters are defined by the one trait that, to the majority of viewers, is unrelatable. This maintains the separation of “us” and “them,” isolating those in the minority. Representation is essential for progress, but it’s more than just including diversity. Instead of dwelling on differences and indulging in stereotypes, characters should all treat each other equally.

The focal TV show of this …

Theatrical Scenic Design: Creating And Presenting A Professional Portfolio, Isabella Pellino

Senior Honors Projects

The Kennedy Center for the American College Theatre Festival is a regional and national conference where students can compete against other students with their Acting, Directing, Stage Management, and Design skills. Students present scenes, participate in workshops, and present their designs from shows their universities produced in that year. I attended this year’s “KCACTF Region 1:New England” festival from January 30th to February 4th (having been selected to present in the Design Technology Exhibition) and presented a scenic design I created for the URI Theatre production of Body Awareness in April of 2017.

Theatre is a fast-paced industry, and artists …

Shake My Hand, Karenna R. Versalovic, Whitney Bagley, Linwan Lewis, Sarah Hoffman, Vernae Gallaread, John Hammond, William Bernick, Clifford Phillips

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The purpose of this project is to explore the inevitable intertwining of the worlds of dance and disability. It investigates what can happen when a group of people of all abilities use movement as a source of connection. This project was based on a nine minute dance piece created over a seven month period with rehearsals once a week for three hours sessions. The final piece consisted of seven dancers, five of whom had intellectual and developmental disabilities. The performance utilized improvisation, discussions, choreography, and contact work as tools for the creative process. The intent of the piece was to …

Girl Power: Recovering The Female Stage Voice In Ben Jonson’S The Masque Of Queens, Sara Severens

Student Scholar Showcase

The Masque of Queens by Ben Jonson was written in 1609, and is a play about chaos and order. My research focused on the significance of royal women as lead roles in a play when society did not allow females to be employed as actors, the juxtaposition of royal high class and the witches who open the play in an “anti-masque,” and the role masques played in the greater order of the literary canon.

I chose this topic because masques are a neglected genre of English literature and theatre that could be better utilized in classrooms, as well as in …

"We Are Family": The Influences Of American Culture On The Representation Of Family In Modern American Drama, Deandre C. Short

Student Scholar Showcase

The dramatic works that subject usually deals with the family unit reflect a particular issue in American culture—politically or socially. American playwrights often use their work to challenge popular ideologies and values embedded into American society. Often modern American drama incorporates political, social, and cultural issues as a means to develop the relationship between the family unit. The familial relationship(s) in modern American drama are influenced by the political, social, and cultural environments in the United States.

How I Learned To Ride The Unicycle Inside My College Apartment (And What I Really Learned Amidst All Those Spills And Crashes!), Troy Lescher

HSU unConference

Mastering the “one-wheeler” inside your living room is absolutely possible, and this presentation will explain a foolproof secret strategy. It will also feature some of the valuable learning-based insights the presenter gained while building his proficiency on the unicycle during his undergraduate days. Knee pads are not required.

The Servant Of Two Masters: Lighting Design, Tyler Harley

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

I served as the Lighting Designer for the Department of Theater and Dance spring semester production of The Servant of Two Masters. Work encompassed initial conceptual production research through final realized light design objectives in Strider Theater during performances on April 16-18. More specifically, research consisted of textual and visual analysis, computational understanding of the GIO lighting console, stage lighting equipment theory and functionality, color theory, and cueing analysis based on rehearsal outcomes. To translate research into a viable design, the following process elements were generated: Scene-by-Scene Light Score, Light Keys, Light Plot, Channel Hookup, Instrument Schedule, and Virtual Magic …

What Are They Learning? Assessing Theatre/Dance Performance Experiences, Andrew Vorder Bruegge, Meg Schriffen

College of Visual and Performing Arts Faculty Publications

The model of assessment will demonstrate how to align the assessment of production activity with learning goals set by accrediting bodies, the institution, the department, and the specific program. This alignment insures that measurement of student learning is standardized across the students’ entire experience in the program (courses, performances, rehearsals, technical preparations, etc.) Examples of indirect and direct measurement instruments will be presented.

Shakespeare & Service Learning, Tiara Thompson, Sandra Loera, Phil Bode

Service-Learning Program

Because Shakespeare holds such a prominent position in English-speaking world culture, it is important to open and expand access to understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of Shakespeare to a constituency as wide-ranging as possible. To achieve this goal, Service-Learning students in ENGL 345 – Shakespeare’s Tragedies and Histories in Spring 2010 partnered with Lowell Elementary School for a fun and educational after-school program Over six weeks undergraduates in ENGL 345 taught a group of fourth through sixth graders about Shakespeare primarily through directing the elementary-school students in a shortened version of The Tempest