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Articles 91 - 120 of 229
Full-Text Articles in Theatre and Performance Studies
Serve The Ones Below: The Dramaturgy Of Sweeney Todd, Michael Hegarty
Serve The Ones Below: The Dramaturgy Of Sweeney Todd, Michael Hegarty
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis is a personal journey. My work on VCU’s production of SWEENEY TODD began in the Spring of 2012 when I came on board the production as dramaturg. Part of what is contained within is both an explanation of my dramaturgical research method as well as samples of the research I have compiled. However, my role was drastically changed in the Fall of 2012 when I was cast as the primary antagonist in the production. The thesis chronicles the rehearsal process as my role as dramaturg increasingly gave way to my role as actor. It attempts to answer the …
Shockheaded Peter: A Junk Opera. Costume Design., J. Theresa Bush
Shockheaded Peter: A Junk Opera. Costume Design., J. Theresa Bush
Theses and Dissertations
My concept is rooted in the fairy tail land of the dark woods like so many other terrifying fairy tails from my youth. Shockheaded Peter, our boogie man, is of the trees. The blood of the rotten children feeds the trees in this concept for the marbles that fall from our children literally representing blood will flow down the rake, across tin gutters, and into a huge tin washbasin out of which grows our gnarly set tree, a gnarly knobby willow. Peter comes from this tree that is fed by the blood of children. I set my costumes in the …
In Perceiving Monsters: A Costume Design For Caryl Churchill's The Skriker, Joshua Quinn
In Perceiving Monsters: A Costume Design For Caryl Churchill's The Skriker, Joshua Quinn
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this thesis is to document my process for a costume design of The Skriker by Caryl Churchill. Included is the design account confronted in telling the story, analyzing the script, developing concepts and looks, and final rendering of the characters. The paper finishes with a reflection on how the design served the script and my conclusions on its success.
Laughing Together: Comedic Theatre As A Mechanism Of Survival During The Holocaust, Robin Knepp
Laughing Together: Comedic Theatre As A Mechanism Of Survival During The Holocaust, Robin Knepp
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis aims to analyze the ways many Jewish victims of the Holocaust used comedic theatre to help them overcome their dire circumstances by exploring the high demand for comedic performance in both the ghettoes and concentration camps and analyzing the numerous comedic works that were penned amidst the terror and catastrophic loss surrounding the Jews at this time. The second portion delves into the therapeutic values of comedy and explores the ways laughing may have benefitted those who partook in comedic theatre events. The final chapter investigate whether or not laughter should still be used to help cope with …
Teaching And Performing Theatre For Youth Using Physical Storytelling, Brooke Turner Alison
Teaching And Performing Theatre For Youth Using Physical Storytelling, Brooke Turner Alison
Theses and Dissertations
For children to enjoy theatre they must see a story played out physically. The same is true when children act. Young performers must be taught to act using a simplified version of the Stanislavski System that puts emphasis on playable action. This thesis evaluates current acting texts for youth based on whether or not the author is able to outline a method that is accessible for children, and highlights the importance of playable action in scene work. It also provides a guide to teaching theatre for youth based on a class of the author’s design where students developed curriculum, managed …
Considering Strasberg’S Method In The Twenty-First Century: A New Pedagogy, Terry Hardcastle
Considering Strasberg’S Method In The Twenty-First Century: A New Pedagogy, Terry Hardcastle
Theses and Dissertations
Student of Richard Boleslavsky and Maria Ouspenskaya, co-founder of the Group Theatre, Artistic Director of the Actors Studio, founder of the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, and developer of The Method, Lee Strasberg is one of the most famous acting teachers of the twentieth century. In the same way a concert pianist must practice her scales daily to maintain expertise, Strasberg believed an actor must regularly practice the use of sense memory to be emotionally authentic. Using Strasberg’s Method, this is achieved through a combination of relaxation and concentration, which leads to a sense of truth in performance. The …
Decoding Acting Vocabulary, Daniel Granke
Decoding Acting Vocabulary, Daniel Granke
Theses and Dissertations
This paper compares seemingly similar words from a variety of acting teachers, and shows how it is impossible to draw clear comparisons between words that are often used as synonyms. The paper is a reflection of the journey from believing in translation to recognizing its impossibility. In Chapter 1 we focus on one of the most common elements in actor training, Attention/focus/concentration, and analyze the shades of meaning in those words and the difficulty of talking about them in isolation. In Chapter 2 we look at the way in which semiotic analysis can explain the words resistance to equivalence. In …
Live Art: A Positive Change In This World, Phillip Vollmer
Live Art: A Positive Change In This World, Phillip Vollmer
Theses and Dissertations
LIVE ART is a program for students with special needs and students who are typically developed. They work collaboratively, with integrated forms of performance and visual art, culminating in a live performance. LIVE ART sought to use innovative methods of pedagogy, peer support and artistic influence to create a new curriculum where all students, regardless of ability, could grow. Along with this account, this thesis illustrates the experience of one teaching artist and his growth and journey through the program. His personal struggles with previous educational systems are mirrored in the struggles of the students, with their successes leading to …
Developing A Masters Of Fine Arts In Classical Performance For Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: The Transformation Of An Education Department Into An Education, Matthew Johnson
Theses and Dissertations
The thesis focuses on the development of a fully accredited Masters of Fine Arts in Classical Performance degree program for Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC). Chapter 1 is a narrative of the author’s experience with CSC’s Young Company, the touring and teaching artist arm of the educational department. This chapter establishes culture of the company and the context of the program, the argument for the thesis. Chapter 2 is an exploration of existing and defunct MFA programs in Classical Performance or related fields of study, the steps toward NAST accreditation and curriculum development. Chapter 3 is a description of the MFA …
The Mysteries Of Breath: What Do We Need And How Do We Teach It?, Rachel Hillmer
The Mysteries Of Breath: What Do We Need And How Do We Teach It?, Rachel Hillmer
Theses and Dissertations
The aim of this paper is to explore the philosophies, attitudes and beliefs that surround the teaching of breath. Voice and speech teachers want students and actors to be versatile; able to adjust to the demands of any role, and each student enters the classroom with a myriad of mental and physical breathing habits. Many voice and speech trainers, however, only address a limited number of breathing habits and primarily teach "deep breathing." Why has deep breathing dominated voice training, and how do we effectively teach breath for all students and all habits? I will examine six major voice practitioners: …
Singing For The Actor: An Interdisciplinary Approach To Musical Theatre Training, Valerie Accetta
Singing For The Actor: An Interdisciplinary Approach To Musical Theatre Training, Valerie Accetta
Theses and Dissertations
Typically, singing training for the musical theatre student is divided into three subjects: music theory, private voice instruction and acting through song. By separating the study of the components of musical theatre performance, musical theatre programs reinforce this compartmentalization and few students are able to make connections between these components in performance. This thesis gives an account of my design of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of musical theatre, specifically a class I developed called Singing for the Actor. In this class, I focused on connecting three components of musical theatre singing: music theory, vocal production (specifically the Estill …
Theatre Triad: An Approach To Devising Collaborative Ensemble Theatre, Keith G. Fitzgerald
Theatre Triad: An Approach To Devising Collaborative Ensemble Theatre, Keith G. Fitzgerald
Theses and Dissertations
Theatre Triad is a new approach to devising collaborative ensemble theatre starting with the three main components of Performance: Voice, Movement, and Text. These components were deconstructed and reconstructed in pairs as the basis for the devising process. The performance process begins with creating an ensemble followed by four steps: exploring the theatrical genres affiliated with the pairings of Voice and Movement, Movement and Text, Voice and Text, and completed with reintegrating all three components. Through this process many things occur, a new play is created, ensemble members focus on exploring the elements of acting and performance, and a strong …
Fem And Funny: Three Women Who Changed The Face Of Stand-Up Comedy, Rachel Eliza Blackburn
Fem And Funny: Three Women Who Changed The Face Of Stand-Up Comedy, Rachel Eliza Blackburn
Theses and Dissertations
Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers, and Lisa Lampanelli as performers demonstrate an arc of evolving female empowerment in the world of stand-up comedy. In this thesis I shall study the development of each woman’s career by examining her material, progression of her comic persona, and relationship to women’s gender roles, both personally and professionally. While there are many other female comics who contribute to the story of women’s stand-up comedy in the contemporary period (in particular, Moms Mabley and Elayne Boosler), Diller, Rivers and Lampanelli each represent a distinct shift in how their persona combined with subject matter, allowing women to …
Performing Taboo: The Creation Of An Aesthetic Through The Exploration Of Censorship In Theatre And The Challenges Of Directing Killer Joe, David Todd Zimmerman
Performing Taboo: The Creation Of An Aesthetic Through The Exploration Of Censorship In Theatre And The Challenges Of Directing Killer Joe, David Todd Zimmerman
Theses and Dissertations
This document explores the performance of taboo on the stage. The exploration is focused around the establishment of my personal aesthetic, which was developed through my studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Starting with my first trip to Broadway, my journey goes through the class work that I did at VCU and the two plays that I did on the Shafer Street Alliance Laboratory Theatre stage: my performance and use of latex costumes in Funnyhouse of a Negro, and my direction and the troubles with producing Killer Joe. The exploration concludes with a look at the theatre in parts of Virginia …
The Anatomy Of Expression: Explorations On The Intersection Of Acting And The Alexander Technique, Kelley Schoger
The Anatomy Of Expression: Explorations On The Intersection Of Acting And The Alexander Technique, Kelley Schoger
Theses and Dissertations
The aim of this paper is to illuminate how the principles of the Alexander Technique and the role of bodily systems can serve as a foundational support for actor training. Inclusion of the Alexander Technique in the acting curriculum proves to be an effective tool for bridging the gap between kinesthetic learning and its application to beginning acting training. Starting with the nervous system, the operating principles of the Alexander Technique are discussed through research and personal insights. Next, in light of how self-discovery plays a key role in the first year of actor training, the idea of release in …
Stepping Into The World Of The Vocal Coach: Assessing Vocal Coaching Needs, Renina Hoblitz
Stepping Into The World Of The Vocal Coach: Assessing Vocal Coaching Needs, Renina Hoblitz
Theses and Dissertations
There are many excellent books detailing methods to help actors develop their voices, but not much has been published about vocal coaching itself, apart from the definitive guide to Vocal Coaching Nan-Withers Wilson’s book Vocal Direction for the Theatre, and the highly informative publication How to Use a Vocal Coach: A Practical Guide for Directors prepared by Nancy Houfek, for the Voice and Speech Trainer’s Association (VASTA). This thesis documents my personal journey into the world of vocal coaching in five productions. Specifically, I explore the differences between vocal coaching in the university setting versus the professional theatre setting. I …
Starting A Standardized Patient Program Using A Theatre Model, Richard Edward Carter
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.
Understanding Experience: Reflections On The Empowering Nature Of Story, Sarah Provencal
Understanding Experience: Reflections On The Empowering Nature Of Story, Sarah Provencal
Theses and Dissertations
Technological growth has changed our relationships and interactions within society and theatre artists are calling into question the future of our art form. Are we still essential? And if so, how do we renovate our form in order to relate to our changing society? In my experience, I’ve found that all renovations of our art have one thing in common: the empowering nature of story. Story helps us to understand our experiences in life. It is not the self, the cause, or the goal that is behind the wheel, but the story itself. This thesis explores three instances of the …
A Pedagogical Perspective On Storytelling Through Movement And Dance, Penny Maas
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 …
A Pilgrim, An Outlaw: Features Of Dramatic Adaptation And Theodore Dreiser’S Sister Carrie, Matt Dicintio
A Pilgrim, An Outlaw: Features Of Dramatic Adaptation And Theodore Dreiser’S Sister Carrie, Matt Dicintio
Theses and Dissertations
Although there are countless manuals devoted to playwriting, very few take up the craft of dramatic adaptation in a practical context. My rendering of Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie is an exploration of fundamental elements that require consideration when adapting for the stage. My approach to the characters’ inarticulateness reveals an inherent theatricality in the novel, which both respects Dreiser’s themes and makes them accessible through the conventions of the stage. I suggest the craft of dramatic adaptation should strike a delicate balance between being a “pilgrim” toward the intentions of the source and an “outlaw” in its innovative theatrical representation …
Method In Motion: Grounding A Movement Pedagogy In The Lessons Of Stanislavski, Kevin Inouye
Method In Motion: Grounding A Movement Pedagogy In The Lessons Of Stanislavski, Kevin Inouye
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis is an exploration of movement pedagogy as a continuation of basic acting lessons from Stanislavski. Using the example of an introductory semester of movement instruction, physical acting and movement concepts are explained in terms of their connection to and derivation from universally accepted acting terminology and ideas. This is put forth as a way to facilitate the synthesis of movement instruction with other acting curriculum, as well as providing a new way to view some familiar acting concepts. Several specific examples are explored in more depth as case studies in physical equivalents to the intellectual, visual, or emotional …
Performing Tennessee Williams, Augustine Correro Iii
Performing Tennessee Williams, Augustine Correro Iii
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis is dedicated to illustrating the unique challenges of staging works by the playwright Tennessee Williams, and to making suggestions on how to avoid common pitfalls in production, performance, and direction of his plays. It uses evidence from the playwright’s various biographical works as well as insight and conjecture from the author’s experience to illuminate these challenges and help the reader to avoid hackneyed or ineffective staging practices. It touches on the effect of film adaptations on stage performances; the typical portrayal of American Southern characters onstage; the aural ramifications of Williams’s poetry to a now-visually-centered audience; stylistic elements …
The Voice Of Ritual: A Pedagogical Exploration Teaching Body And Breath Using The Principles Of Ritual Poetic Drama Within The African Continuum, Jacquelynn Camden
The Voice Of Ritual: A Pedagogical Exploration Teaching Body And Breath Using The Principles Of Ritual Poetic Drama Within The African Continuum, Jacquelynn Camden
Theses and Dissertations
THE VOICE OF RITUAL: AN EXPLORATION TEACHING BODY AND BREATH USING THE PEDAGOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF RITUAL POETIC DRAMA WITHIN THE AFRICAN CONTINUUM By Jacquelynn Rae Camden, MFA Candidate A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts Theatre Pedagogy: Voice and Speech & Ritual Poetic Drama Within the African Continuum at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Director: Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Theatre The focus of my undergraduate training and the concentration of my graduate work have been specifically in two areas: Ritual Poetic Drama Within the African Continuum under the …
The Eliza-Higgins Model: The Ideology, Rapport And Methods Of Dialect Acquisition, Stacey Cabaj
The Eliza-Higgins Model: The Ideology, Rapport And Methods Of Dialect Acquisition, Stacey Cabaj
Theses and Dissertations
George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (1912) and its musical adaptation, My Fair Lady (1956) offer 20th century’s most famous example of dialect acquisition: the transformation of Eliza Doolittle under the tutelage of Professor Henry Higgins. The opportunity to work on Barksdale Theatre’s production of My Fair Lady (2012), both as the actress playing Eliza Doolittle and as a dialect coach for the production, prompted an analysis of the dialect pedagogy of Henry Higgins. The centenary of Pygmalion is also a prime juncture to document, in contrast or complement to Higgins’ model, contemporary theories and techniques of dialect pedagogy. Chapter one of …
The Universality Of Laban Movement Analysis, Marie C. Boyette
The Universality Of Laban Movement Analysis, Marie C. Boyette
Theses and Dissertations
Rudolf Laban: Father of Modern dance, revolutionary within the field of movement studies, and inventor of Labanotation. His work is so universal it has been applied to dancing, acting, industrial work, and movement therapy. This thesis will specifically discuss the use of his system as it applies to actor training. However before that it is important for me as a teacher to understand the potential ideologies and historical implications that are associated with a theory or body of work before passing it on, lest we unknowingly propagate a system of thought that is associated with destructive ideologies. This becomes particularly …
Pedagogy In Vietnamese International Schools, Robert Wilson
Pedagogy In Vietnamese International Schools, Robert Wilson
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis is a look at the evolutionary journey of applying dramatic pedagogy in a foreign land. It does not by any means specifically pertain to theatrical elements, but everything herein is a direct reflection on the training I received as a theatre practitioner. The last four years have also molded and defined what it means to be an American theatre student living, experiencing, and working in a land that is in many senses in infancy as a nation.
Projection Design For A Contemporary Dance Work By Iván Angelus In Hungary, Tennessee Dixon
Projection Design For A Contemporary Dance Work By Iván Angelus In Hungary, Tennessee Dixon
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this thesis is to document and analyze my projection design for a new dance piece, "VŰ", directed by Angelus Iván and staged at Trafó in Budapest, Hungary. Included is an account of the design process, the concept and projection development described scene by scene, execution, performance and evaluation. The paper ends with reflections on the relatively new field of image projections, and my professional goals in scenic design.
Emotional Storytelling Choreography—A Look Into The Work Of Mia Michaels, Bethany Emery
Emotional Storytelling Choreography—A Look Into The Work Of Mia Michaels, Bethany Emery
Theses and Dissertations
One of the top television reality shows today is So You Think You Can Dance? This show showcases many talents of top choreographers, including Ms. Mia Michaels. But what makes her stand out from the other choreographers in her field? With this thesis I explore why I believe Mia Michaels to be the best emotional storytelling choreographer of the twenty-first century. Analyzing examples from the show, four from Michaels and four from other choreographers and using a movement scoring method, I find why her work stands out. I will also explain how Michaels got her start in choreography, her philosophy …
Between Scenic Designer And Director: The Collaborative Process Of Four Productions, Elizabeth R. Muller
Between Scenic Designer And Director: The Collaborative Process Of Four Productions, Elizabeth R. Muller
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis presents the unique designs for four productions: Ain’t Misbehavin’, Is He Dead?, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, and Legacy of Light. Presented here are the research images, conversations, situations and their resulting designs represented in my renderings and photographs of the fully realized production. Throughout, I will state my objectives in bettering the quality of interaction with each director and my reflections on the ongoing process of creating a trusting and balanced collaborative process, one that expertly serves the production.
The Saylove Project: Conception To Fruition And Everything In Between, Jennifer Catton
The Saylove Project: Conception To Fruition And Everything In Between, Jennifer Catton
Theses and Dissertations
The SayLove Project is an account of the process of developing and producing an original collaborative work, as well as a script that has been compiled and developed over the past. This is a LGBT based project and script.