Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Pretend Play At Home: Creating An Educationally Enriched Environment For Emergent Literacy Among Preschool-Aged Children, Kelly King Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will illustrate how pretend play can be used in the home for educational purposes. The major emphasis of the work will be emergent literacy, however, application principles can be applied in all subject areas. Parents who desire to expand their child's literacy skills while exposing the child to an arts enriched home environment need ideas and tools developed with supportive research to strengthen and focus their efforts. These tools will greatly expand parental resources by offering several principles as a guide for adapting existing classroom materials for home use. The following Seven Components form the core foundation for …

An Undergraduate Theatre History Course Design Utilizing Problem-Based Learning, Mary Alice Blackwell

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis was written to provide an alternative teaching model for an undergraduate theatre history class. The course design, utilizing the Problem-Based Learning educational model, aims to create a student-centered, experiential theatre history class. The first section explores the history and evolution of the theatre discipline in academia. These chapters examine the expansion and transformation of the theatre curriculum within the discipline and higher education. The second part examines the history and the methodologies of Problem-Based Learning. Based on the philosophy of educator John Dewey, PBL is considered to be a non-traditional method of teaching and learning that encourages the …

The Exodus Experiment: Theatrically Bridging The Cultural Gap, Kari Hatfield

Theses and Dissertations

As a theatre professional and a practicing Christian, I have found it very difficult to bring my two worlds together. Theatre is a tool for education, discussion, and understanding. In my work on this project, I have explored the ways in which theatre can and cannot help us understand each other on the volatile subjects that divide our contemporary culture: homosexuality and religion. Twenty-nine people with various backgrounds and worldviews were interviewed for this project. The words from these interviews were used to create the beginnings of a script for a play that explores the issues of homosexuality, religion, and …

The Civil War: A Collaboration In Direction And Choreography, Cara E. Rawlings

Theses and Dissertations

This text is a partial record of the development of the Virginia Commonwealth University production of The Civil War: A Musical that opened on April 7, 2005 for a three-week run ending April 28, 2005. The greater part of the text is devoted to the evaluation of the underlying principles of direction and choreography applied in the creation of an artistically aid financially successful production of this size. Included in the evaluation of The Civil War: A Musical are analyses of the directors' --Patti D'Beck and David Leong --individual creative processes, aesthetics, and working styles. The result of this evaluation …

Dramaturging Education And Educating Dramaturgs: Developing And Establishing An Undergraduate Dramaturgy Emphasis For Brigham Young University, Shelley Graham

Theses and Dissertations

Though the field of dramaturgy is growing in size and scope in professional theatre, there are relatively few universities or colleges that offer undergraduate or graduate degrees in basic dramaturgical theory and practice. Brigham Young University (BYU) is an ideal setting for the development of such a program. There is a close community within and surrounding the university; the Theatre and Media Arts Department has high pedagogical expectations; and the Theatre program provides multiple opportunities for theatrical production. I saw these qualities as an invitation to develop a dramaturgy emphasis for undergraduate students that would allow them to network with …

A Study Of George S. Kaufman's Metatheatrics, Nancy Alease Jarrell

Theses and Dissertations

Known for his comedic plays, George S. Kaufman became one of the most successful playwrights in American theatre history. Part of his success stems from his metatheatrical writing techniques, which he used by incorporating people from his life into his plays and by writing about the business he experienced first hand. To date, no sources link Kaufman and the metatheatrics of his work. Therefore, this thesis highlights these links and explores how far Kaufman took his metatheatrical viewpoints, why he chose to use this method, and what statements he made by using these techniques. In order to prove this thesis, …

An American Actor's Dialect, Michael J. Bruckmueller

Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of the past ten years, both studying and teaching Voice & Speech for the Actor, I have become frustrated with the status quo of so called 'standard speech'. The two dialects that I have studied in depth are Edith Skinner's 'American Classical Stage Standard' and Kenneth Crannell's 'Career Speech'. I have found something lacking in both the Skinner dialect and Crannell's 'Career Speech'. Yet, I believe that each has a strength from which the other could benefit. The specificity of the Skinner dialect makes 'American Classical Stage Standard' not only easy to learn but also an excellent …

The Doubtful Hero: An Artist's Journey, Heather N. Falks

Theses and Dissertations

THE DOUBTFUL HERO: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY

By Heather N. Falks, MFA

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

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015

Director: Noreen Barnes

Graduate Studies Director, Department of Theatre

This thesis documents my role as director of Time Tells, an ensemble based, multi-media, devised theatre piece. I address my specific responsibilities when leading an ensemble to create new work and produce it for the public. I identify the problems the ensemble faced and account how I mediated when dealing with conflict. …

Pocahontas Reclaimed: The Powhatans' Theatrical Rebuttal To Disney's Revisionist Myth, Barbara E. Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

This study compares the content of play The One Called Pocahontas to the Walt Disney film Pocahontas. The author examined the accepted history of the Powhatan woman known as Pocahontas in relation to the "infotainment" provided by both the play and the movie. The study examines the objections to the Walt Disney movie Pocahontas and poses them as motivating factors for the Powhatan tribe's decision to use theatre to respond to the inaccuracies they perceived in the movie. The primary research methods of the study include an analysis of existing literature and internet sites about Pocahontas, an interview with …

Combat Dance:A Creatively Holistic Approach To Movement Performance Art, Raymont Lee Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

"Combat Dance" is an eclectic blend of combat and dance art forms combined and taught from the Fall 2001 to Spring 2003. As defined here, combat dance is a blend of techniques and principles gleaned from both unarmed and armed aspects of stage combat, martial arts (such as aikido and kung fu), modern dance and other expressive movements used to tell a story of conflict. Its primary purpose is to provide both actors and non-actors greater awareness and control of their bodies and to provide a range of creative avenues of expression. Combat dance gives the performers a unique and …

Searching For The Impossible Dream, Staging The Impossible Script, Timothy A. Brien

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of the novella The Malady of Death by Marguerite Duras and my subsequent production of this book. It covers Duras' history and influences in writing this book while at the same time gives an account of all my directorial attempts with this piece. With regards to Duras, the influence of the nouveau roman writers in the mid twentieth century and her relationship at the time of her writing Malady is discussed. For my part, I divulge my initial exposure to the piece, the previous attempts to stage the work, my latest attempt with extensive research, …

Producing Play From Page To Stage, Melissa Anne Hurt

Theses and Dissertations

Producing Play from Page to Stage describes my experience producing and directing Samuel Beckett's Play. Chapter One, "Conception," includes my process of preproduction work, arranging rehearsal times and establishing goals. Chapter Two, "The Creative Process," includes all components of the creative process—rehearsal progress, working with a vocal coach, understanding and working with the light, and the incorporation of music. Chapter Three, "Challenges and Obstacles," speaks specifically of the difficulties with the technical elements and the many diverse roles as producer. Chapter Four, "Performances," includes excerpts from my journal for each performance and Chapter Five, "Reflections," includes my actors' reflections of …

The Memory And The Legacy: The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade -- The Young Company 1974-2001, Ruth Ann Lay

Theses and Dissertations

The Memory and The Legacy: The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade - The Young Company 1974-2001, is a history of the children's theatre of Brigham Young University. The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade - The Young Company acts as a training ground for graduate students working in theatre for young audiences. Then directing a production for The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade - The Young Company, students are instructed to perform all functions required of a professional company. As the The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade - The Young Company (WWB-TYC) spends much of its performance time on tour, those responsibilities are relegated to the students. Developed and …

Elia Kazan Controversy: Past, Present And Future, Linda M. Diangelo

Theses and Dissertations

The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences awarded Elia Kazan a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the film industry at the 1999 Academy Awards ceremony. He received the award but amongst much controversy. Whether or not he deserved the Oscar has been debated, but the answer to that question is not the larger goal of this study. The purpose of this study is to examine what Elia Kazan's testimony to the House on Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) meant to Americans and the entertainment industry in the 1950s and in present times, and to determine what these meanings may …

The Memory And The Legacy: The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade-- The Young Company, 1974-2001, Ruthanne Lay Crow

Theses and Dissertations

“The Memory and The Legacy: The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade–The Young Company 1974-2001,” is a history of the children's theatre of Brigham Young University. The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade–The Young Company acts as a training ground for graduate students working in theatre for young audiences. When directing a production for the Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade–The Young Company, students are instructed to perform all functions required of a professional company. As the Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade–The Young Company (WWB–TYC) spends much of its performance time on tour, those responsibilities are relegated to the student.

Developed and headed by Dr. Harold R. Oaks of Brigham Young …

The Informed Imagination: Researching And Building A Character’S Identity, Jeremy William Hilgert

Theses and Dissertations

An actor’s duty to the play is to present the most fully formed and vivid interpretation of the character. To do so, the actor must have an understanding of how that particular character developed their own sense of identity. This should be constructed not from the actor’s personal experience but from an informed imaginative experience founded on research and analysis. As pedagogues we are challenged with attempting to give young actors the skills for such an analysis. I have developed a formula to aid the actor in creating the foundations for such an interpretation founded upon the sociological understanding of …

Because Of Thy Exceeding Faith: A Choreographic Portrayal Of Women In The Book Of Mormon, Wendy L. Bone

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a choreographic exploration that illuminates and defines moments in the lives of women who are mentioned in the Book of Mormon. These women are Sariah; the wife of King Lamoni and Abish, her servant; and the Ammonite mothers of Helaman's two thousand stripling warriors. It is through these stories that their faith was evident. By understanding the roles these women played in the history of the Book of Mormon, we can use their example to strengthen our own testimonies.
It was discovered through this process that, although one can read about the life of another, a deeper …

Dance And Doctrine: Shaker And Mormon Dancing As A Manifestation Of Doctrinal Views Of The Physical Body, Lindsy Stewart Cieslewicz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis compares the dancing of the Shakers (The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearance) and the Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church) during the nineteenth century, as it was influenced by their doctrinal beliefs about the human body. Specifically, it examines how the role of the physical body in achieving mortal happiness and immortal salvation was viewed by each group and how these beliefs were reflected in their dancing. It describes the different forms of dancing performed by each religious group and how dance functioned as worship and recreation for the …

Staging The Illusion Director As Magician, Steven Harders

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis serves as an examination of the process I underwent to arrive at answers to those questions. Chapter I examines differences between Pierre Corneille's seventeenth century L'Illusion Comique and Kushner's modern-day adaptation. Chapter II takes a closer look at textual analysis specific to Kushner's adaptation. Chapter III documents pre-rehearsal and designer collaboration. Chapter IV follows the production process from casting to performances. This chapter also includes many of the problems encountered and solutions reached. Chapter V, the summary, includes an assessment of the entire process, including; rehearsals, production, and my role as director. A summary of audience evaluations also …

Eighteenth Century Men's Civilian Waistcoats, Frances Burroughs Loba

Theses and Dissertations

A number of general studies of the history of eighteenth century men's clothing have been written by authors such as Zilla Halls, Avril Hart, and Norah Waugh. However, a cursory review of costume literature reveals a lack of academic study on specific men's garments and their history. This work focuses on documenting the development of eighteenth century men's waistcoats using the artifacts themselves. The purpose of using extant waistcoats is to study closely their construction and decorative details with close attention to the similarities and differences in the style, cut and assembly of the garments.

The Choreography And Production Of "Jacob Five: A Journey Into The Olive Vineyard", Laurie Behunin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of choreographing "Jacob Five: A Journey into the Olive Vineyard" was to artistically express a religious allegory in order to praise God as well as to bring the audience, dancers, and choreographer to a new understanding of the passage from which it was derived. The 39-minute dance was presented April 10, 1993 as a dance fireside. Following the performance, an informal discussion was held to give the audience an opportunity to respond to the dance. These comments were considered and recorded as part of the evaluation of this thesis. Both the thesis and video of "Jacob Five: A …

Directing An Original Script: "The Only Woman Awake Is The Woman Who Has Heard The Flute", Denise A. Heiman

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Description Of The Theatre Curriculum At Hopewell High School, Don P. Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

The theatre curriculum at Hopewell High School began eleven years ago with one course; it now has expanded to three courses. Because the last course in the sequence may be repeated for credit, a student in this curriculum may earn four credits in theatre study.

The first course is English 124, entitled Drama I, and it may be taken by students in grades 9 through 12. This course introduces the student to performing in pantomime, improvisation, and in scripted scenes. The second course is English 125, entitled Drama II, which is open to students in grades 10 through 12 who …

The Use Of Music And Art As Directorial Tools In A Production Of Kevin O'Morrison's Ladyhouse Blues, Roseann Sheridan

Theses and Dissertations

Human beings make decisions every minute of the day. These decisions are based upon need, desire, impulse, mood, and knowledge. As we grow older, we learn skills in decision-making primarily through trial-and-error. The theatre artist, likewise, is constantly searching for new skills and techniques to aid this process. In life and in art, however, decision-making is not totally grounded in intellect but includes inst1inctive and emotional sensations. It is through finely blending intuitive responses with intellectual skills that a work of theatre art can be produced. In order to accomplish this blending however, the director needs first to identify his …

Poe Per Se, Robert Williamson Storrs Iv

Theses and Dissertations

There are four elements involved in this production of Poe per se which make it interesting and suitable as a thesis: the actor, the subject, the format, and the audience. I will discuss the problems posed by each and the methods of attack I will pursue to those problems. I will then describe the evolution of the script from research through performance. My conclusion will be an assessment of the success of the script in solving my acting problems.

The Audience In Charleston's Theatres, 1790 - 1860, Pamela Morris Adams

Theses and Dissertations

From the perspective of the 20th century, Charleston, South Carolina, seems an unlikely beginning for American theatre, but Charleston of previous centuries had the location and economy to attract theatrical activity. More importantly, Charleston had a population that was consistently receptive to theatre. Eola Willis' The Charleston Stage in the XVIII Century, with Social Settings of the Time demonstrates that a number of American theatrical firsts occurred in Charleston, such as the first performance by a professional actor, the first opera, and the first American prologues.

Scenic And Lighting Designs For Lanford Wilson's Fifth Of July, Rudolf Herman Roggenkamp

Theses and Dissertations

In the fall of 1981 I came to the point in my studies where it became necessary to choose a thesis project. The standard procedure in the Department of Theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University is to have design students do set designs for one of the mainstage productions as their thesis project.

At the time that the thesis proposal was due the 1981-1982 season had not been decided upon, so I submitted a proposal stating that I would design a "mainstage production for Theatre V.C.U." as my project and that the documentation of this project would be my thesis. I …

History Of Theatre And Theatre Curriculum At Ricks College, Rexburg, Idaho, Through 1981, John Thomas Bidwell

Theses and Dissertations

This history of theatre at Ricks College provides the only comprehensive written work available on the subject. Whenever available, the thesis provides the reader with concise information concerning plays performed, their authors, the directors, performance dates, and performance locations. Changes and growth in course curriculum offerings, physical facilities, and faculty have been recorded as well. The work reveals that Ricks College theatre has been a vital contribution to theatre in the Upper Snake River valley of Southeastern Idaho.

This comprehensive history will serve as a resource for future departmental planning in the Department of Theatre at Ricks College, and for …

Wolf: A Screenplay, Thompson Crane-Baker

Theses and Dissertations

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

Mormon Montage: Mormons In The World: A Production Script, Kris Marele Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

This project makes available material that will help help drama directors cast young people in an improvisational show. This thesis includes suggestions for try-outs, a play manuscript with specific stage directions understandable to an inexperienced director, preparation exercises to help actors develop necessary dramatic skills, an index to these exercises arranged by areas of skill development, notes to the director, an extensive bibliography, and additional references for further research. The exercises can also be used for development of actors in any production and may be applied to education programs.

The play "Mormon Montage" concerns Mormon contributions to such fields as …