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University of Central Florida

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Articles 241 - 268 of 268

Full-Text Articles in Theatre and Performance Studies

Who Am I?": A Search For America's Identity Through Theatre For Social Change, Sean Bliznik Jan 2007

Who Am I?": A Search For America's Identity Through Theatre For Social Change, Sean Bliznik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theatre has always existed as a didactic tool to educate society about society's own successes, failures, and foibles. The theatre and theatre artists have attempted to take society's interpretation of truth and place it on the stage for all to see and experience. Sometimes, theatre creates and performs its own truth in place of society's accepted truth by re-examining pre-existing societal constructs and creating an interpretation of truth that better represents the current state of affairs as the theatre sees it. Therefore, theatre becomes the mode by which society learns, explores, refutes, and at times, even dismisses accepted societal truths. …

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Revitalizing "The Rocky Horror Show" Through Gospel Music, Kip Taisey Jan 2007

Revitalizing "The Rocky Horror Show" Through Gospel Music, Kip Taisey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Spring 2007, the University of Central Florida (UCF) Department of Theatre mounted a production of "The Rocky Horror Show." This thesis focuses on the author's process of using the gospel music style to revitalize "The Rocky Horror Show," a cult musical. The author uses defining characteristics of the cult film genre to establish a set of guidelines. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is the movie version of the stage musical and is responsible for the show's inevitable cult status. He discusses the history and journey of "The Rocky Horror Show" and how audience participation was integral in establishing this …

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Design: Feel It, See It, Speak It, Do It..., Sarah Yates Jan 2007

Design: Feel It, See It, Speak It, Do It..., Sarah Yates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Description of Project: This project explores the design process for Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (adapted for the stage by Bruce Mason) as performed at Orlando Repertory Theatre in Orlando, Florida. In this exploration, I approach the topics of the design process from conceptual discussions with the design team through closing night. I document this process with a lighting design journal (including thoughts about the design approach, renderings, sketches, research images, rough plots and paperwork.) The project concludes with a self evaluation, completed plots and paperwork, and finished production photos.

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Anthony Newley: An Actor's Analysis Of A Musical Theatre Legacy, Christopher Layton Jan 2006

Anthony Newley: An Actor's Analysis Of A Musical Theatre Legacy, Christopher Layton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Letters of Life, Lust, and Love: The Music of Anthony Newley will be focused entirely on the writing, performance, and private life of Anthony Newley. The show's book will connect each of the musical numbers through a series of letters written to his mother, Frances "Gracie" Newley. This will serve as the dramatic through-line correlating both his professional and private lives. The actor in this piece will be performing as "Mr. Newley," and will intensely focus on his mannerisms and personality. Costume and make-up will also be used to augment his physicality. The actor will be accompanied by a pianist. …

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Anton Chekhov:The Characterization And Interpretationof A Historical Figure For The Stage, Alan Gallant Jan 2006

Anton Chekhov:The Characterization And Interpretationof A Historical Figure For The Stage, Alan Gallant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will explore the execution of the monograph role of "Anton Chekhov" in the original one-act play, An Evening with Anton Chekhov. The play script, rehearsal and public performances of the piece are all self- generated by the candidate, with the proper assistance of the thesis committee. This written thesis serves as the completion of the thesis project, and includes analysis of several key areas of the development of the script and thesis role. This document includes the original script with endnotes and a structural analysis. Social and historical background of the character, Anton Chekhov, a real person, is …

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Moby Dick! The Musical: A Travesty In Travesti, Rebecca Johnson Jan 2006

Moby Dick! The Musical: A Travesty In Travesti, Rebecca Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Moby Dick! The Musical is a comedic parody based on Herman Melville's 1955 classic novel Moby Dick about a madman who seeks revenge on the great white whale that crippled his body and consumed his spirit. The thesis role I have chosen is "Starbuck", the ship's first mate. If this were a dramatic telling of the classic tale, my role would be considered an absurdity for the sure-known fact that Starbuck is a male character. However, since Moby Dick! The Musical is a spoof that features a play within a play, many, if not most, of the roles are being …

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The Resurrection Of Everyman, David Knoell Jan 2006

The Resurrection Of Everyman, David Knoell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In March of 2005 I was a cast member in Mad Cow Theatre's production of the Morality drama Everyman. This classic tale on the condition of human dying is regarding as one of the greatest dramas of the Medieval period and is one of the first plays in the English language to be put into print. This thesis is an actor's journey into the history of Medieval theatre, the challenges of producing Everyman for a contemporary audience, and the techniques of acting implemented in the creation of allegorical characters. Medieval drama, like Everyman, is still relevant in today's world because …

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The Mirrored Walls Of Reality:A Journal Of Shattered Reflection, Lisa Bryant Jan 2006

The Mirrored Walls Of Reality:A Journal Of Shattered Reflection, Lisa Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theatre in its most crude, poignant, and honest form exists as the unapologetic mirror of our world. It houses the piercing reflections of mankind's hope, fear, self-doubt, passion, joy, despair, brilliance, destitution, and desire. It becomes the image of all that man hopes to be, yearns to achieve, and knows he has destroyed. Theatrical performance is without equal in its ability to conjure visible truth from the reflection man sees everyday and hopelessly fails to recognize. Ultimately, theatre demands that man see himself without the masks of excuse, ignorance, or makeup. It is the vision of this journey to honor …

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The Laramie Project: The Search For A Personal Acting Method Via The Principles Of Constantin Stanislavksi, Matthew Hamner Jan 2006

The Laramie Project: The Search For A Personal Acting Method Via The Principles Of Constantin Stanislavksi, Matthew Hamner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Constantin Stanislavski developed a method for actors in bringing to life characters for the stage. Even though Stanislavski developed his theories in response to the stage climate of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many of his ideas remain relevant today. In this study, parts of his system were applied to the roles performed in Moises Kaufman's The Laramie Project. Those roles were Moises Kaufman, Jonas Slonaker, Doug Laws, Anonymous, Detective Rob Debree, Governor Jim Geringer, Reverend Fred Phelps and Dennis Shepard. The purpose of this exploration was to create unique, believable characters and develop solutions for personal acting …

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Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway And Beyond: The Genre Of Cabaret, Deborah Tedrick Jan 2006

Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway And Beyond: The Genre Of Cabaret, Deborah Tedrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Music and Theatre have always captivated me. As a child, my parents would take me to live performances and cinematic shows and I would sit rapt, watching the theatrical events and emotional moments unfold before my eyes. Movie musicals and live shows that combined music and theatre were my favorite, especially theatrical banter and improvisation or sketch comedy. Some of my favorite youthful memories were my annual family summer trips to Las Vegas to visit my grandparents for six weeks. As a youngster, I got to experience the "old school" Las Vegas, replete with extravaganza, spectacle, cabaret, circus, lounge and …

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Moliere And Commedia Dell'arte:Past, Present, And Future, Nicole Klass Jan 2006

Moliere And Commedia Dell'arte:Past, Present, And Future, Nicole Klass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will explore the application of comemdia dell'arte technique to a contemporary performance. UCF's spring 2005 production of Molière's The Trickeries of Scapin will serve as a resource in both commedia dell'arte's ability to resonate with a modern audience as well as an analysis of the actor's process in fusing elements of commedia dell'arte and contemporary acting techniques. This document will include a thorough description of the history and origins of commedia dell'arte in order to decipher existing elements today. Also included, will be major influences on commedia dell'arte including Greek and Roman Comedy. It is important to discuss …

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A Chorus Line: Does It Abide By Rules Established By Actors' Equity Association For The Audition Process?, Mark Hardin Jan 2006

A Chorus Line: Does It Abide By Rules Established By Actors' Equity Association For The Audition Process?, Mark Hardin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I have been cast as "Bobby" in A Chorus Line at Orlando Broadway Dinner Theatre in Orlando. I will use this opportunity as my thesis role. As part of my thesis defense, I will combine an analysis of the character of "Bobby" in A Chorus Line with an assessment of Actors' Equity Association's audition policies from 1970 to the present, and investigate whether the audition held in the show abides by the policies established by AEA for Broadway calls. "Bobby" has an interesting arc of development as he actually gives the director what he (the director) does not want, yet …

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Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway And Beyond: Cabaret History In The Making, Josephine Leffner Jan 2006

Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway And Beyond: Cabaret History In The Making, Josephine Leffner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cabaret as a genre has influenced and is influenced by musical theatre. As cabaret has evolved throughout history, musical theatre has often paralleled its journey. Cabaret thrived before the term "musical theatre" was coined and suffered hard times during the Golden Age of Musical Theatre. The correlation of the two genres cannot be denied, and exploring cabaret history will reveal how deeply the connection lies. My collaborator Debbie Tedrick and I will attempt to define cabaret through a two-woman cabaret show we will write, produce, and perform together. The show, Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway and Beyond, will be a one-act …

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A Performance Study And Analysis Of The Role Of Professor Muller In The Visit., Stephanie Harrison Jan 2006

A Performance Study And Analysis Of The Role Of Professor Muller In The Visit., Stephanie Harrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I propose to study the role of Professor Muller in The Visit as my thesis role because of the challenge that it presents, not only as a translated work, but also because of the character shift for me - Professor Muller is a 72 year old man and has now been changed to a woman in her thirties. Professor Muller is the only person to stand up to the antagonist, Claire. The confrontation between Claire and Muller takes on a certain tone when it is between a woman and a man, and has a completely different outlook when it becomes …

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A 16 Bar Cut: The History Of American Musical Theatrean Original Script And Monograph Document, Patrick Moran Jan 2006

A 16 Bar Cut: The History Of American Musical Theatrean Original Script And Monograph Document, Patrick Moran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A final thesis for my Master of Fine Arts degree should encompass every aspect of the past few years spent in the class room. Therefore, as a perfect capstone to my degree, I have decided to conceive, write, and perform a new musical with my classmate Rockford Sansom entitled The History of Musical Theatre: A 16 Bar Cut. The History of Musical Theatre: A 16 Bar Cut will be a two-man musical that will capsulate all of musical theatre history in a single evening. Starting with the Greeks and finishing in the present, the show will comedically inform the audience, …

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A 16 Bar Cut: The History Of American Musical Theatrean Original Script And Monograph Document, Rockford Sansom Jan 2006

A 16 Bar Cut: The History Of American Musical Theatrean Original Script And Monograph Document, Rockford Sansom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Believing that a thesis should encompass all aspects of a conservatory training program, I will write and perform--in collaboration with my classmate Patrick John Moran--a new musical entitled A 16 Bar Cut: The History of American Musical Theatre as the capstone project for my Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. A 16 Bar Cut will be a two-man show that tells the entire history of American musical theatre from the ancient Greeks to today in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The goal of the project is to pay homage to an original American art form in a night of zany silliness …

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Portraying Pointillism: An Actress's Journey Through Pointillism To Define The Role Of Dot In Sondheim And Lapine's Musical Sunday In The Park With George, Chris Staffel Jan 2006

Portraying Pointillism: An Actress's Journey Through Pointillism To Define The Role Of Dot In Sondheim And Lapine's Musical Sunday In The Park With George, Chris Staffel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Upon receiving a role, an actor must research the major themes, concepts, and relationships associated with the play, its collaborators, and the character they are to portray. Only by layering this combination of research and analysis to the rehearsal process and performances in a detailed format can an actor cohesively transform the learned knowledge from the performer's training and research to a finished product on stage. Many forms of art are created using a similar process. This thesis will explore the similarities between the Post-Impressionist technique of pointillism and the actor's process in developing a role. Upon observing the basic …

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The Chorus: A Line To Cross, Marco Santiago Jan 2006

The Chorus: A Line To Cross, Marco Santiago

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project will provide an in depth examination into the musical theater role of Paul, the male Puerto Rican dancer in A Chorus Line, as performed by Marco Antonio Santiago. The performance will take place at Cohoes Musical Theater in Albany, New York. This examination will reveal how the application of Stanislavski's methods on acting and his views in preparing a character can be used on musical theatre roles to achieve well rounded, fully developed and completely believable characters. The thesis will contain a structural analysis of the script, scene and role analysis, a performance journal to log the …

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Tya Methodology Twentieth-Century Philosophy, And Twenty-First Century Practice: An Examination Of Acting, Directing, And Dramatic Literature, Allen Mccoy Jan 2006

Tya Methodology Twentieth-Century Philosophy, And Twenty-First Century Practice: An Examination Of Acting, Directing, And Dramatic Literature, Allen Mccoy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the twentieth century, theatre for young audiences (TYA), or children's theatre, has been situated as something "other" or different than adult theatre, a kind of theatre--but not really theatre, a construct which opened the door to numerous "how to" philosophies geared specifically toward the theatre for young audiences practitioner. As a twenty-first century theatre practitioner, I am interested in how these philosophies are situated within or against current professional practices in the TYA field. This interest led me to the main question of this study: What are the predominant twentieth-century philosophies on acting, directing, and dramatic literature in the …

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Mistress Quickly In The Merry Wives Of Windsor: A Performance Monograph, Paula Rossman Jan 2006

Mistress Quickly In The Merry Wives Of Windsor: A Performance Monograph, Paula Rossman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The subject of my Thesis and accompanying Monograph Document in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree / Performance Track is my work in the role of Mistress Quickly from William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. In my research, I will be focusing on a number of issues, many of which will bear direct relevance to and undoubtedly, more fully inform, my interpretation in performance. A key element of the performance-related side of my research will be an exploration of the cultural, historical, political, economic, and religious attributes of Shakespeare's times and how these …

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Protestant's Guide To Catholic "Nunsense": A Performance Study And Analysis Of "Sister Mary Hubert", Anita Endsley Jan 2005

Protestant's Guide To Catholic "Nunsense": A Performance Study And Analysis Of "Sister Mary Hubert", Anita Endsley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anita Endsley will portray the role of Sister Mary Hubert in the musical Nunsense at Seaside Music Theatre in Daytona Beach, Florida from October 28 through November 14, 2005. This parody of convent life in crisis written by Dan Goggin provides a breadth of material for analysis of the genre as well as character analysis. Dissecting the comedy will be the foundation for characteer development. The popularity of this musical among Catholic and non-Catholic audiences have created a market that inspired the writer to extend this theme through five sequels. The commercial success of these musicals suggest a strong connection …

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The Mind Of A Sadomasocist:A Theatrical Role Analysis Of Orin Scrivello D.D.S, Mark Catlett Jan 2005

The Mind Of A Sadomasocist:A Theatrical Role Analysis Of Orin Scrivello D.D.S, Mark Catlett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mark Catlett will portray the role of Orin Scrivello D.D.S., as well as various other "cameo" roles, at Seaside Music Theater in Daytona Beach, Florida from January 13- February 13 2005. The role of Orin Scrivello will provide me with several acting challenges as well as multiple subjects and themes to research. The most challenging aspect of creating, developing and embodying the character of Orin will be his sadomasochistic nature and his blatant abuse towards Audrey. Sadomasochism is defined as "the deriving of sexual gratification, from being physically or emotionally abused". It is also defined as "a willingness or tendency …

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Stephen Sondheim's Gesamtkunstwerk: The Concept Musical As Wagnerian Total Theatre, Diana Louise Calderazzo Jan 2005

Stephen Sondheim's Gesamtkunstwerk: The Concept Musical As Wagnerian Total Theatre, Diana Louise Calderazzo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stephen Sondheim, famous for writing such musicals as Company, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and Assassins, is often referred to as the originator of the modern concept musical. Despite varying definitions of the concept musical, it is generally agreed that the form embodies a specific identity or mood, which it communicates to an audience both emotionally and intellectually. As such it offers audience members a complete experience resembling in theory the idea of "total theatre" proposed in the nineteenth century by composer Richard Wagner. My thesis will argue that the similarity between Sondheim's concept musical and Wagner's total theatre is …

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Truly An Awesome Spectacle: Gender Performativity And The Alienation Effect In Angels In America, Allen Gorney Jan 2005

Truly An Awesome Spectacle: Gender Performativity And The Alienation Effect In Angels In America, Allen Gorney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tony Kushner's two-part play Angels in America uses stereotypical depictions of gay men to deconstruct traditional gender dichotomies. In this thesis, I argue that Kushner has created a continuum of gender performativity to deconstruct these traditional gender dichotomies, thereby empowering the effeminate and disempowering the masculine. I closely examine Kushner's use of Brechtian and Aristotelian tenets in the first Broadway production of the play to demonstrate that Kushner sought to induce social awareness of gay male oppression, contingent on the audience's perception of Kushner's deconstruction of the traditional gender dichotomy. I also scrutinize the role of the closet and its …

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Mikado Lighting Design, Adrienne M. Becker Jan 2004

Mikado Lighting Design, Adrienne M. Becker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis will encompass the completion of the lighting design for W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan's opera The Mikado and a post-production written documentation of the entire production process. The thesis will involve the completion of a lighting design with all of its accompanying paperwork generated in AutoCAD and Excel. The design will require lights for a two-act, multi-locational musical. Lights will need to provide a bright environment that can transform to the various locales. The entire design process will involve close communication with the entire design team, the director and the shop crew. As lighting designer, I …

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Il Pazzia D'Innamorati: A Commedia Dell'arte, Jennifer Hart Jan 2004

Il Pazzia D'Innamorati: A Commedia Dell'arte, Jennifer Hart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis proposal is to research, workshop, develop, script, direct and produce my own commedia dell'arte. This proposal stems from my desire to explore improvisational comedy theoretically and practically. The genre of commedia dell'arte is not only timeless, but continues to further our ability to create characters and scenario for future projects as the root of improvisation. By coupling research on commedia components (character, lazzi and scenario) with the creation of an improvisational troupe, a commedia piece will be developed, documented and performed. The first part of my thesis will consist of research on the history of improvisational comedy. The …

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The Merry Wives Of Windsor: A University Actress's Approach To The Role Of Mistress Ford, Brook Akya Hanemann Jan 2004

The Merry Wives Of Windsor: A University Actress's Approach To The Role Of Mistress Ford, Brook Akya Hanemann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Art is too ethereal a thing to judge by tangible measure. There is no scale to weigh a performance on, no level to gauge a character’s balance, no plumb line to measure its depth. No critic can appoint an allotment of stars to represent the worth of a production, and the audience, though a vital participant within the performance experience, cannot act as Jury and deliberate together to reach an absolute verdict of approval or disapproval. How then can an actor go about working towards giving a successful performance? The Merry Wives of Windsor was written at a time when …

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The Challenge Of Playing Multiple Arthurian Characters, Cynthia Lowa Jan 2004

The Challenge Of Playing Multiple Arthurian Characters, Cynthia Lowa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the portrayal of multiple roles in a production of Camelot, written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Performance and content analysis identifies and explores the difficulties and challenges in portraying multiple roles in this production, including the understudying of the leading role of Guenevere. A detailed historical analysis provides background into origin of the Arthurian legend and an examination of its historical development. A social analysis provides information on the role of women in medieval society with a discussion of the customs and laws that applied to them. Furthermore, a structural analysis of the script examines …

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