Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

The Merchant Of Venice

Theatre Programs

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE by William Shakespeare
Directed by Thomas F. Bradac and starring Michael Nehring as Shylock

Bassanio, needing money to be a suitor to Portia, asks his close friend, Antonio, for a loan. Antonio's money is tied up in shipments away from Venice so he approaches Shylock, a money-lender. After being insulted in the street by Antonio, Shylock agrees to lend the money, jesting that if Antonio does not pay it back by an appointed time, Shylock may cut a pound of flesh from him. Antonio agrees, and so begins one of Shakespeare's most brilliant comedies. The Merchant …

Antitheatricality And Irrationality: An Alternative View, Kent Lehnhof

English Faculty Articles and Research

"Over the last three decades, antitheatrical authors like Stephen Gosson, Phillip Stubbes, and William Prynne have become increasingly visible in the literary and cultural studies of the early modern period. Even so, the tendency has been to treat these authors as ideological extremists: reactionary hacks whose opposition to stage plays originates in outrageous ideas of the self, impossible notions of right and wrong, and bizarre beliefs about humanity’s susceptibility to external suggestion. This characterization can be traced back to several of the pioneering studies in the field, including Jonas Barish’s The Antitheatrical Prejudice (1985) and Laura Levine’s Men in Women’s …

A Flea In Her Ear

Theatre Programs

A new version of Georges Feydeau's farce by David Ives
Directed by Tamiko Washington

Ives’ reimagining of the George Feydeau comedy is a farcical romp set in France at the turn of the 20th century. Raymonde Chandebise suspects her husband Victor is having an affair after he suddenly seems blasé about sex (though it’s actually due to a nervous condition). This sets off a whirlwind of comic mishaps, wild misunderstandings, and hilarious exchanges at the Frisky Puss Hotel!

Waltmar Theater
7:30 p.m. - February 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27
2 p.m. - February 27

To view photos from …

El Metro En El Teatro Y El Teatro En El Metro: Un Escenario Laberíntico De Múltiples Velocidades, Polly J. Hodge

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"En esta investigación se explora el metro como un espacio teatral único y laberíntico. El metro se revela como un espacio ambiguo: es un lugar brindado con la capacidad de fomentar relaciones amorosas y transformativas entre los seres humanos; a la vez se concibe como un sitio condenado a destruir lazos personales al fomentar comportamientos de decepción y violencia aplastando cualquier esperanza para el espíritu humano. El metro, como espacio urbano recóndito y específicamente localizado bajo la tierra, con sus connotaciones que giran alrededor de la oscuridad, la clandestinidad, el secreto, el misterio y el crimen, es el escenario laberíntico …

Rituals And Performance In Gastronomy, Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

I would like to explore, in this paper, the performative and ritualistic aspects of gastronomy and sharing meals. Because eating is something we have to do quite often, it is filled with a social function that is very culture dependent. At the same time, in every culture, we find some performative and ritualistic elements associated with eating and sharing a meal.

In this paper, I will interrogate the performative and ritualistic aspects of family meals as well as meals that have a function like a meeting or a reunion. In a second part, I will explore how some chefs articulate …

Presentation Of The Issue On Cuisine & Performance, Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

"Gastronomy is an important part of our culture. The way we eat says a lot about who we are, what culture has shaped us, and the choices we have made concerning our food and the way we eat it. Gastronomy is surrounded by many rituals, and we often perform the way we eat. Besides, since we need to eat every day, we are engaged in rituals and performative acts related to gastronomy every day."

L’Acteur Et Les Émotions Au Théâtre Et Au Cinéma, Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

En tant qu’acteur, je m’intéresse aux émotions depuis longtemps. Je considère en effet qu’il s’agit du matériau brut de l’acteur. Je m’y intéresse également en tant que metteur en scène, puisque mon rôle est alors de faciliter l’émergence de l’émotion chez l’acteur que je mets en scène. Je vais donc mener dans cet article une discussion sur ce que sont les émotions pour un acteur et un metteur en scène, et la façon de les aborder. Je discuterai également, dans ce contexte, la question de l’artialisation des émotions, c’est-à-dire l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’art contribue à façonner nos émotions.

"Pitiful Creature Of Darkness": The Subhuman And The Superhuman In The Phantom Of The Opera, Jessica Sternfeld

Music Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"This chapter focuses on The Phantom of the Opera, the megamusical that perhaps most boldly faces the idea of disability head-on, as it stars a character whose face, as one journalist described it, looks 'like melted cheese' (Smith, 1995). The musical's approach to the Phantom's disability is remarkably layered and inconsistent; the Phantom is portrayed in numerous ways (monster, criminal, genius, god, ghost) and his physical disability blurs regularly with his 'soul;' which is where numerous characters locate the origin of his problems. His face and its famous mask covering are both feared and thrilled over, but with a reassuring …

Living Between The Lines: Intersectionality And Self-Actualization In Shakespeare's Plays, Morgan L. Green

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

More than four hundred years after his death Shakespeare is still the most performed playwright in the English-Speaking World, and even in some cultures vastly different from Shakespeare’s England. Theatre companies continue to make him relevant by exploring new themes and tailoring the productions to the social mores of contemporary audiences. One particular theme being examined more and more by both scholars and theatre artists is diversity and the role of identity in Shakespeare’s works. Three works in which this can be easily examined are Antony and Cleopatra, The Merchant of Venice, and Othello with particular attention paid to …

Eurydice

Theatre Programs

Written by Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Theresa Robbins Dudeck

In Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

Waltmar Theatre
7:30 p.m. - November 12, 13 & 14
2 p.m. - November 14 & 15

To view photos from this production of Eurydice, please …

Rent

Theatre Programs

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson; loosely based on Puccini’s La Bohème
Directed by Matthew McCray
Music Direction by Diane King Vann

Impoverished young artists and musicians struggle to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom, and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with …

Stories Of Resistant Play: Narrative Construction As Counter-Colonial Methodology, Drew Chappell, Sharon Verner Chappell

Theatre Faculty Articles and Research

Narrative construction has an important and under-explored role to play in examining questions of power and privilege in P-12 classrooms or higher education courses in education and the humanities. In this paper, the authors utilize pedagogical deconstruction and reconstitution of stories about childhood play, examining how young people embody cultural narratives of power through their play. Through narrative construction, the authors envision utopian moments of resistant play, in which youth question old scenarios and imagine more equitable and examined possibilities for play. Counter-narrative writing strategies include recombining events from the historical record, contemporary news accounts, or popular culture; playing with …

Zoe Wanamaker, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Zoe Wanamaker.

Soon-Tek Oh, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Soon-Tek Oh.

Présentation Du Numéro Sur Theatre Education, Joëlle Aden, Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

"Quelle est notre responsabilité en tant qu’éducateurs, chercheurs, artistes, intellectuels dans le développement de valeurs telles que l’empathie, la créativité, la solidarité, le respect de l’autre ? Cette question est aujourd’hui plus que jamais d’actualité."

Du Chaos À La Création : Une Expérience De Pédagogie Énactive Pour Expérimenter Le Processus Créatif En Performance, Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

Dans cet article, je décris une expérience pédagogique originale que j’ai menée avec des étudiants de l’université d’Évry au cours de l’année universitaire 2009-2010. J’ai proposé à des étudiants en « administration du spectacle » de créer de toutes pièces une performance pour la fin de l’année. L’objectif de cette proposition pédagogique était de les mettre au contact par l’expérience avec ce qu’est un processus créatif. Je voulais en particulier qu’ils fassent l’expérience des différentes étapes d’un processus de création, y compris les phases où il y a un degré important d’incertitude et d’apparente inefficacité. C’est seulement au prix de …

L’Incorporation Animale Chez L’Acteur, Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau

Presidential Fellows Articles and Research

Dans cet article, je présente en détail l’exercice d’incorporation animale tel qu’il a été proposé par Lee Strasberg et est enseigné aux acteurs qui apprennent la méthode de l’Actors Studio. L’exercice est détaillé de telle sorte qu’une personne lisant cette description puisse le pratiquer elle-même. La première visée de cet article est donc didactique. Cet exercice est ensuite mis en perspective dans le cadre du travail d’un acteur, d’un metteur en scène, ou d’un coach d’acteur. Je montre comment l’utiliser concrètement dans un travail de construction de personnage. Je fais pour finir un lien entre la pratique de l’incorporation animale …

Negro Ensemble Company, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the work and impact of the Negro Ensemble Company.

Anna Deavere Smith, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Anna Deveare Smith.

Charles Sidney Gilpin, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Charles Sidney Gilpin.

Earle Hyman, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Earle Hyman.

Henrietta Vinton Davis, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Henrietta Vinton Davis.

James Earl Jones, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of James Earl Jones.

Lane Nishikawa, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Lane Nishikawa.

Mako Iwamatsu, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Mako Iwamatsu.

Ruby Dee, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Ruby Dee.

Sidney Poitier, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Sidney Poitier.

When Actors Don’T Walk The Talk: Parasocial Relationships Moderate The Effect Of Actor-Character Incongruence, Riva Tukachinsky

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The study examines the effect of a narrative that featured an actor playing a counterattitudinal role. Participants read an online magazine interview with a popular comedian and then watched a sitcom in which this actor played a role that was either consistent or inconsistent with his personal views. Parasocial relationships with the actor moderated the effect of actor-character incongruence. Specifically, incongruence was associated with lower support for narrative-related attitudes, but only among viewers with weak parasocial relationships. These results provide evidence of the existence of vicarious cognitive dissonance, wherein witnessing another person’s hypocritical behavior produces attitude change in the observer.

“I Can Take An Empty Space And Call It A Bare Stage”: Searching For A Through-Line In The Diverse Roles Of The Theatre Director, Bettina Mueller-Tuescher

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

While the director’s role in theatre is longstanding and well established, it is a position that can be approached from a variety of different angles, depending on the nature of the project. In an effort to discover and articulate a directorial philosophy that spans across my work, the first section of this thesis is a literature review discussing and analyzing the directorial beliefs, practices, and philosophies of two revolutionary directors in English-speaking theatre: Anne Bogart and Peter Brook. The second segment will be a reflection and analysis of my own performance as a director on three diverse projects in scale, …

Inside The Boudoir: Designing The World Of Lynn Nottage’Sintimate Apparel, Megan Parish

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Scenic artistry and set decorating help build the world of a production and reinforce the themes woven into the plot of a script. For my project, I will be exploring the world of Lynn Nottage’s “Intimate Apparel.” This will include researching the historical context of the piece, which in this case is New York City at the turn of the century, alongside the role of the seamstress in society, in order to accurately convey the environment of this piece. Lynn Nottage’s piece is based in socioeconomic statuses, attitudes on race and femininity as well as women’s rights movements. Therefore, I …