Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Choreographic Space, Kelsey Sheaffer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis, Choreographic Space, and accompanying exhibit is an arrangement of contemporary work being done in the cross-over between movement, drawing, sound and architecture. The thesis develops a lineage of choreographic thinking through a fissure in the classification of a dance as necessarily the body in motion. Through the link of the “choreographic object,” Choreographic Space asks how an interdisciplinary exploration of the principles of movement can reveal novel ways to think about the body in space.

Archival Enactment, Retelling 'The Big Book': Alison Knowles, Something Else Press And Fluxus, Meghan A. Dellacrosse

Theses and Dissertations

"Archival Enactment, Retelling 'The Big Book': Alison Knowles, Something Else Press and Fluxus," positions Knowles’ Big Book (1966) as a case study of historical methodology and interdisciplinary artistic practice in the post-war period. This comprehensive analysis of Big Book, a work of art no longer extant, contextualizes its publisher, Something Else Press through Dick Higgins’ concept of “intermedia,” and important lesser-known junctures relevant to Fluxus and the group’s leader George Maciunas are illuminated. Knowles' early and lesser-known silkscreen paintings are also examined.

Coercing Beauty: From Peanuts To Daggers In The Night, Brad Cozby

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to show the journey of a young designer. I will show through three separate productions the struggles, along with the triumphs of a designer learning the ropes. I will discuss in this paper the process by which the designer grew and expanded his understanding of design as well as the role of a designer in a theatrical production.

A Work In Process: The Diligence Behind The Art, Marc Hurst

Theses and Dissertations

The following is an in depth analysis of the development process from script to stage for the lighting design of five productions. These productions were commissioned to MFA lighting design candidate Marc Hurst during his three years in the University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance's Master of Fine Arts Program. This paper critically examines the process by which the artist develops their lighting design from first read to fully realized production.

The Effects And Comparisons Of Receptive Live Music Listening And Expressive Music Making On Mood With Elderly Adults In A Congregate Residential Setting, Rory Kendall Bolton

Theses and Dissertations

It is important to consider mood and its effect on elderly persons as many older adults will experience symptoms of depression. In prior studies, research indicated that preferred music listening and expressive music making can positively change mood in older adults. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the differences between receptive music listening and expressive music making (presented as a facilitated group music therapy session) and their effect on participants’ mood. The researcher hypothesized that 1) there would be a significant difference for pre and posttest standardized mood assessment (PANAS) scores between the receptive music listening and …

Resisting The Resistance: The Emancipation Of Students From The Hidden Curriculum Of Commodified Resistant Narratives In Young Adult Dystopian Film Through Open Pedagogical Space And Culture-Jamming, Robert B. Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

Young Adult Dystopian Film exercises an influence over young people of which they are not aware. As part of a structure of domination these films teach students to participate in their own oppression by the capitalist system. The film industry maintains a hidden curriculum like that utilized in school classrooms to conceal the oppression from the masses. One particularly effective means is the portrayal of resistance against oppression in the narratives of the YA Dystopian Film. Young people are drawn to that narrative and end up supporting the structure of domination financially and ideologically. Modes of resistance to this oppression …

Audience Participation In Blue Man Group: Success Through Authentic Character, Adaptable Narrative, And Accessible Space, Haley Lauren Flanders

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between performer and spectator is a constant topic in theatre since audiences are essential to any performance. Some contemporary performances strive to blur the line between the two by allowing audiences to participate during the show. Often, audience participation is despised and therefore avoided by spectators and theatre practitioners. However, Blue Man Group thrives on it due to their authentic character, adaptable narrative, and accessible space. Through my examination of the show as an audience member, I theorize that these three elements control the audience's willingness to participate in the production and in turn make the entire experience …

Critiquing The Critic: A Case For Journalistic Criticism In The Theatre, Tara Nicole Haas

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis suggests that journalistic theatre criticism is a necessary and vital aspect of the theatre, promoting a healthy theatre community and culture. A healthy theatre community is supported by critics and artists alike, and is one where citizens are excited about the theatre, desiring to participate and engage with it often. It is one where artists and spectators listen, respect, and trust one another, being open to opinions and suggestions that may enhance and improve the theatre community. A healthy theatre community strives to provide theatre that may be multi-faceted in purpose, but allows for opportunities to challenge, uncover, …

Where Are Those Good Old Fashioned Values? Family And Satire In Family Guy, Reilly Judd Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the presentation of family in the controversial FOX Network television program Family Guy. Polarizing to audiences, the Griffin family of Family Guy is at once considered sophomoric and offensive to some and smart and satiric to others. Though neither judgment of the show is necessarily mutually exclusive, the intention of this study is to reconcile those disparate viewpoints in order to measure the show's purposefulness. After all, if Family Guy succeeds in its satire, it is full of social purpose, offensiveness notwithstanding. This thesis focuses on arguably the main point of contention in Family Guy: the family. …

Digital Identity And Performance:How Student Identity Construction Can Be Influenced Through Digital Social Media And Expressed Through Theatrical Performance, Mindy M. Nelsen

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents and teens are surrounded by a myriad of influences that affect how they see and present themselves. Contemporary communication for these young people frequently happens in an online forum through digital social media. The primary purpose of this master's thesis is to examine the affect of digital social media on adolescent and teen identity construction and perception of self and other. Further research was performed to identify how that identity can be expressed through theatrical performance. The first chapter is a review of current literature, theory and practice of those within the educational paradigm who are trying to incorporate …

The Fatal Lamp And The Nightmare After Christmas: The 1811 Richmond Theatre Fire, Amber Marie Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE FATAL LAMP AND THE NIGHTMARE AFTER CHRISTMAS: THE RICHMOND THEATRE FIRE OF 1811

By Amber Marie Martinez, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Pedagogy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015

Director: Dr. Noreen C. Barnes, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Theatre

“How strange a preface the loud laughter excited by a pantomime, to volumes of smoke and fire” (The American Standard, 27 December 1811). Building fires were not exactly uncommon back in the …

Teaching Technical Theater: Learning, Not Just Doing, Christian J. Hershey

Theses and Dissertations

I have seen a trend in the teaching of technical theatre towards a more practical and less theoretical education. This has brought about a change in viewpoint by professional technicians, as well as students, in regards to an academic degree. Due to this change and the rise of student debt, the impulse has been to encourage going directly into the field and learning the craft there instead of spending four years in an academic institution.

There has also been increased pressure on theatre departments to produce larger and more involved shows; both to draw in new students and to justify …

An Exploration Of Costume Design For David Emerson Toney's "Frankenstein: Dawn Of A Monster", Emily Atkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis details the Costume Design process for David Emerson Toney’s Frankenstein: Dawn of a Monster at Virginia Commonwealth University. Toney’s original adaptation interprets Mary Shelley’s genre-defying novel as biography, directly influenced by the tragic events of her young life. Costumes differentiate the two narratives, with Mary Shelly in gray scale, regency-inspired modern dress and the novel in period and color. This follows the design process from concept to production to execution.

Interdisciplinary Connections Between Science & Theatre, Jessica N. Dotson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SCIENCE & THEATRE

Jessica Nicole Dotson

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015.

Major Director: Dr. Noreen C. Barnes, Director of Graduate Studies, Associate Professor of Theatre

In the 1990s, astronomer Peter Usher was searching for new ways to teach his introductory astronomy class at Pennsylvania State University. He began to engage his students by searching for astronomical connections from other disciplines. His focus was turned to the arts, especially the works of William Shakespeare. Usher found, while …

An Exploration On The Michael Chekhov Technique In Rehearsal, Performance And The Classroom, James P. Stover

Theses and Dissertations

• The Michael Chekhov Technique is a unique approach to acting that has been successfully used by professional actors for many years. This thesis explores finding a strong understanding of the technique as well as discovering ways to incorporate it into an undergraduate actor training program. The examination aims to further my aesthetic both as theatre teacher and practitioner. It includes training with master teachers in the technique, incorporating Chekhov exercises into undergraduate acting and movement classes and use of the technique on a production of Pride & Prejudice.

Treat, Leeanna Rubin

Theses and Dissertations

The contents included here consist of the research, editing, rehearsal and performance process of TREAT. There is also an analysis of how I plan to proceed with the work in the future. The full script is included. The solo show provided me a way to synthesize everything I learned in my Masters of Fine Arts program.

Lists In A Lighthouse, James Patrick Costello

Theses and Dissertations

In this document one will find the play, Lists in a Lighthouse, and a description of the process it took to write it. It’s significance lie in the eyes of the reader. It could range from: the greatest play written in the English speaking world to simply words on a page. Like this Abstract so are the contents in this manuscript, abstract. One cannot quantify or qualify its importance. That is impossible. It is merely a dialogue. A dialogue between the play and its reader, the play and its actors, and the play and its audience. It is a process, …

Lost In Austen: An Immersive Approach To Pride & Prejudice, Erica Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

This paper is an account of the Theatre VCU mainstage production of Pride & Prejudice, in which I played the roles of Mrs. Bennet and of the vocal coach. In order to address the various skill levels of the cast, I planned to coach the production in a manner inspired by immersion language learning programs, with the cast speaking in dialect throughout the rehearsal process so as to learn the necessary vocal skills and to grow together as a theatrical ensemble. When the director of Pride & Prejudice was not receptive to this plan, I had to compromise and adapt …

“Frailty, Thy Name Is Woman”: Depictions Of Female Madness, Julianna Little

Theses and Dissertations

Concepts of mental health and normality cannot be understood apart from cultural norms and values. The most significant of cultural constructions that shape our view of madness is gender. Madness has been perceived for centuries metaphorically and symbolically as a feminine illness and continues to be gendered into the twenty-first century. Works of art and literature and psychiatric medicine influence each other as well as our understanding and perception of mental illness. Throughout history, images of mental illness in women send the message that women are weak, dangerous, and require containment. What are the cultural links between femininity and insanity, …

Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Creating The Foundation For Collaboration Amongst The Arts Disciplines, Powered By Tectonic Theatre Project’S Moment Work, Tara B. Weintraub

Theses and Dissertations

During this course, upper-level VCUArts students are invited to join forces to become a part of a cross-disciplinary, ensemble-based exploration. Powered by Tectonic Theatre Project’s Moment Work, students will create new works and gain insight into the philosophies, purposes, and processes of Moment Work and other devised theatre techniques. The class will culminate in short, devised pieces, created and performed by the students. The focus of the class is on the creation of a harmonious ensemble amongst a varied group of young artists. I believe that in order to create a generation of innovative and forward-thinking artists, the segregation of …

The Orphanage Of Things: A Narrative Of Abandonment, Malaz Elgemiabby

Theses and Dissertations

In Sudan, 110 babies are abandoned in the streets of Khartoum every month. The majority of abandoned children are born out of wedlock. Young women with illegitimate pregnancies are often ostracized by their families and society, and the lack of emotional, financial and legal support has led many to take desperate measures, including the abandonment of their children. Relinquishing mothers exist like ghosts in Sudanese society. The only evidence of the mother’s experience is her anonymous, abandoned child. In order to understand and examine this phenomenon, I used ethnographic performance art informed by design research practice (Performative Research Design). I …

One Script, Two Perspectives: Generation Me And The Staging Of Really Really, Kirstin R. Hensley

Theses and Dissertations

Really, Really, by Paul Downs Colaizzo, is loosely based on the 2006 Duke University sexual assault scandal resulting from what proved to be a false accusation of rape made against three members of the men’s lacrosse team. After individually reading the play, Jorge Burmudez and I both arrived at differing opinions of who was the true victim, in turn inspiring this thesis, which is an exploration of two separate productions of the play demonstrating contrasting perspectives/outlooks regarding sex crimes within sports organizations in the university setting. It will describe our process from conceptualization to a post-mortem talking about particular …

One Script, Two Perspectives: Generation Me And The Staging Of Really Really, Jorge A. Bermudez

Theses and Dissertations

One Script, Two Perspectives: Generation Me and The Staging of Really Really is a reflection on the approach, pre-production, rehearsal and post-production phases of the play, Really Really by Paul Downs Colaizzo, which debuted in the Shafer Street Playhouse on February 20, 2015 on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. The cast included Kaelie Ukrop, Adam Valentine, Ethan Malamud, Telos Fuller, Solomon Dixon, Molly Kaufman, and Katie Stoddard.

This paper looks at the processes involved with the creation of that piece. Focus is given to the problems and challenges involved with casting, production, rehearsals, post-production and effective directing methods.

Story In Technology Classrooms: Teaching "Why" To Learn "How", Jeffrey S. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research project examined the experiences of high school students in a technology education course as they were taught accepted technology education standards in conjunction with storytelling principles through writing and producing their own short films. The data from the project demonstrate that incorporating the principles of storytelling into technology education can be effective in helping students not only become skilled with the tools of technology, but also become media literate and articulate in creative expression.

Threading Art: The Dynamics Of Costume Design And Costume Studies., Tavares De Melo Isabela Marchi

Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this research is to demonstrate the strong relationship between design and history in the process of studying and creating costumes for theatre. Costumes are considered an important area in the study of material culture, which has been given more visibility within academia. Over the past few decades, the number of museums and universities with collections dedicated exclusively to costumes and textiles has noticeably increased, recognizing them as works of art worthy of being preserved. Considering costumes’ ability to document time and space, and to visually tell stories, many theatre departments have implemented methods to organize their …

Transformative Design: A Tale Of Arabian Nights, Victoria Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a description of the process of creating the scene design for the Theatre VCU production of Arabian Nights. It was directed by Gabriel Barre and the production ran April 11th – 27th, 2014. It follows the preproduction, build and a final evaluation of the design and the process used in creating it.

Lynn Riggs: Forgotten Genius, Jason Michael

Theses and Dissertations

Lynn Riggs was an early to mid-20th century Native American playwright who wrote twenty-four full length plays, his sole enduring success being Green Grow the Lilacs, the play upon which the musical Oklahoma! is based. For much of the early part of Riggs’s career, he was considered a uniquely pioneering and promising playwright, cited in competition with Eugene O’Neill as vying for the position of best playwright of their age. But while O’Neill has gone on to be considered America’s Greatest Playwright, the life and works of Lynn Riggs, save for his contribution to Rodgers and Hammerstein, have gone largely …

Estill Voice Training: The Key To Holistic Voice And Speech Training For The Actor, Katharine Salsbury

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this paper is to examine the Estill Voice Training System to explain how it may be used in tandem with widely accepted voice and speech methodologies such as those developed by Kristin Linklater, Patsy Rodenburg and Dudley Knight/Phil Thompson in order produce versatile performers able to meet the vocal gauntlet flung at the feet of the contemporary actor. Students must be able to effectively function as voice-over talent, sing musical theatre, rattle off classical text with aplomb and work in film, all with superior vocal health. Synthesizing proven techniques with the skills presented in the inter-disciplinary Estill …

Interpreting Invisibility: In Defense Of Regan, Brittany Ginder

Theses and Dissertations

Most scholarship regarding Shakespeare’s King Lear rests on the analysis of Lear and Cordelia, with the odd reference to the eldest daughter, Goneril, and brief homages to the Gloucester subplot. Lear’s middle daughter, Regan, is rarely mentioned at all, unless it is in conjunction with one of her more scholastically popular sisters. Within these marginalized moments of notice, Regan is routinely simplified as being just another sinful sister, fitting nicely into the accepted binaries of good and evil outlined within the play. Despite the fact that most binaries, like characters, are flawed, Regan has been given little to no chance …

The Inspiration Of Imogene Coca: A Biography And Original Musical, Marisa Guida

Theses and Dissertations

Imogene Coca was a pioneer of comedy for women on stage and television. Her career in performance spanned the twentieth century. In the 1950s she was known as America’s funnyfaced little imp and “Imogene Coca” was a household name. Today that name is getting lost amidst a sea of male clowns and her funny faces are nearly forgotten. Imogene’s contributions to theatre, television, and comedy are too important to forget. This thesis includes a biography of her work in vaudeville, Broadway, television, and film, and an original musical inspired by that body of work. Coca’s comedy is timeless and the …