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Theatre and Performance Studies Commons™

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2008

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Articles 211 - 238 of 238

Full-Text Articles in Theatre and Performance Studies

Integrating Actor Training Into Movement Design: An Analysis Of The Fight Direction In Tamburlaine And Edward Ii, Christopher Drew Vidal Jan 2008

Integrating Actor Training Into Movement Design: An Analysis Of The Fight Direction In Tamburlaine And Edward Ii, Christopher Drew Vidal

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis draws from a recent production assignment at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., in which I acted as Associate Fight Director under Broadway Fight Director Rick Sordelet. We worked on three shows in all: William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, and Christopher Marlowe's first play, Tamburlaine, and his last, Edward II. By analyzing and assessing the working methods utilized during this production process, I hope to elucidate the most effective elements, and finally synthesize the tenets of my own working method. Structurally, I will recount the experience chronologically, from preproduction to performance, treating the pros and …

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Still Life: A Dramaturgical Study Of A Vietnam War Play, Lauren Fajerski Jan 2008

Still Life: A Dramaturgical Study Of A Vietnam War Play, Lauren Fajerski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emily Mann's play Still Life is a story of a Vietnam War veteran who returns home to a less than enthusiastic welcome. Like most veterans from this war, he struggles to come to terms with the atrocities he witnessed and even carried out himself. The play consists of three characters: Mark, a Vietnam veteran, Cheryl, his wife, and Nadine, his lover. Both women believe they intrinsically understand Mark, but neither truly can. Mark has returned from the war violent, irrevocably broken, and feeling that he has been abandoned by society. Emily Mann interviewed real people and transcribed their words into …

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True Will Vs. Conscious Will: An Exploration Of Aleister Crowley's Concepts Of True Will And Conscious Will And Its Possible Applications To A Midsummer Nights Dream, Marison, And Wicked, John Payne Jan 2008

True Will Vs. Conscious Will: An Exploration Of Aleister Crowley's Concepts Of True Will And Conscious Will And Its Possible Applications To A Midsummer Nights Dream, Marison, And Wicked, John Payne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In our lives we will have to make hundreds upon thousands of choices. The effects of these choices will follow us with varying intervals; some effects may be brief while others may literally last a lifetime. In these moments that we are forced to chose, it ultimately comes down to two options, what we should do, and what we want to do. Essentially, it is a choice between the head and the heart. Playwrights depend on these moments of choice, for it is the basis of almost all plays. At some point, the protagonist must make a choice, even if …

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The Role Of Other:An Exploration Of A Facilitator's Role In Playbuilding With Economically Disadvantaged Adolescent Women, Laurie Melnik Jan 2008

The Role Of Other:An Exploration Of A Facilitator's Role In Playbuilding With Economically Disadvantaged Adolescent Women, Laurie Melnik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the Fall 2007 semester, I facilitated the devising of a new play with students from a school located in St. Louis, Missouri. As an employee of a mid-America prominent regional theatre company, the organization partnering with the school on this project, I was hired as the teaching artist who oversaw the students' playwriting. Both the school and the regional theatre company hoped my being there would assist the girls in writing a play that connected to their Top 20 Teens curriculum as well as demonstrate the high standards that are expected of them by their school's administration. This is …

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Me,Myself,And Liza, Jennifer Sirianni Jan 2008

Me,Myself,And Liza, Jennifer Sirianni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This master's thesis project focuses on the life and music of Liza Minnelli, the research of which culminated in the development of a one-woman performance piece and monograph. Using song, dance, and dramatic dialogue, this presentation reveals the many aspects of Liza's heart and soul, her relationship with her famous mother, and her own personal struggles. Through the eyes of Liza, this piece will explore the duality of her life--the underlining turmoil that fluctuated between her personal life and professional career. My methodology includes studying biographies, articles, and interviews written about Liza Minnelli, as well as watching films and performances …

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Sexuality And Courtships Of 19th Century Vienna Vs 21st Century America Through The Roles Of Alfred And Sam In Romance, Romance, James Haynie Jan 2008

Sexuality And Courtships Of 19th Century Vienna Vs 21st Century America Through The Roles Of Alfred And Sam In Romance, Romance, James Haynie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For my thesis, I plan to research the sexuality and the process of courtship, and the differences between 19th century Vienna and modern America, specifically as to how it relates to my characters in Romance, Romance. My interest in the topic springs directly from the script. What I mean is, my initial idea of sexuality of the 19th century is very Victorian and straight-laced, where as I think of modern day as very sexually liberated. However, in the script, the first act, set in Vienna, is much more sexually explicit and active. In fact, the second act is all building …

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A Scenic Design For Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, Gary Alexander Jan 2008

A Scenic Design For Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, Gary Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents my process as Scenic Designer for Richard O'Brien's musical, The Rocky Horror Show, presented by the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theatre. This production premiered on the University of Central Florida's Mainstage Theatre 29 March 2007 and ran for fifteen performances, closing on 15 April 2007. This thesis includes my research and analysis of the published script and a production journal which documents my process for our specific production. In this document, I illustrate how my communication and meetings with the director and members of the design team moved from initial conversations into the research, development, and …

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Emulating The Swedes: An Exploration Of The Developing Trends In Swedish Theatre For Young Audiences, Amanda Wolgast Jan 2008

Emulating The Swedes: An Exploration Of The Developing Trends In Swedish Theatre For Young Audiences, Amanda Wolgast

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a practitioner in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), I have always been drawn to looking at literature and productions that challenge my preconceptions of what constitutes good theatre for youth. I enjoy the bold and innovative, versus the cute and playful. My training and education in this developing branch of theatre has undoubtedly exposed me to the many accomplishments of the American TYA system, but quite often - through attending conferences, as well as participating in class discussions - I find that many debates/conversations center around what more we need to do in this field or …

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A Performance Study And Analysis Of The Role Of Mrs. Medlock In The Secret Garden, Samantha Stern Jan 2008

A Performance Study And Analysis Of The Role Of Mrs. Medlock In The Secret Garden, Samantha Stern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will examine the character of Mrs. Medlock in the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre's "Theatre for Young Audiences" stage production of The Secret Garden. While recording my preparation and performance of the role, I will be drawing on and integrating many of the skills I have been acquiring in my Master's Degree program at UCF, including not only acting, movement, and voice, but also theatre research. My goals are twofold: first, to document the method of creating a rich, multi-layered, remarkable character, and second, to try to solidify what I have learned about this process and thus prepare for future …

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Turning Tricks And The Modern Female Protagonist: An Analysis Of The Portrayal Of The Role Of The Demimonde From Viennese Operet, Melissa Nay Jan 2008

Turning Tricks And The Modern Female Protagonist: An Analysis Of The Portrayal Of The Role Of The Demimonde From Viennese Operet, Melissa Nay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The demimondaine, an exclusive courtesan in nineteenth-century Europe, and the modern mezzo-soprano protagonist are prevalent characters in American musical theatre and can be observed in various styles throughout European music and drama. In Arthur Schnitzler s The Little Comedy, the female protagonist is both a romantic heroine and mistress; and in Jules Renard s Le Pain de Ménage, the lead player is anything but the classic ingénue. In preparation for performance and to further the research in the contemporary music comedy realm, I prepared for the roles of Josefine and Monica in the University of Central Florida s production of …

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Investigating The 'Audience' In Theatre For Young Audiences: The Call For Artistic Educators, Amanda Morris Jan 2008

Investigating The 'Audience' In Theatre For Young Audiences: The Call For Artistic Educators, Amanda Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theatre history provides little information on theatre audiences and how the concept of an audience has changed over time. Through the investigation of theatre history texts, theatre theorists' manifestos, and interviews with workers in the field of theatre for young audiences, this thesis outlines the theatre audience from the first performance to the present and examines how the history of the concept of "child" and young audiences has developed in recent years. Opposing views exist on the subject of how a child is perceived as well as the purpose and role of a theatre audience. In this thesis, I investigate …

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A Performance Study And Analysis Of The Role Of Soot In The Marriage Of Bette And Boo, Jodi Coleman Jan 2008

A Performance Study And Analysis Of The Role Of Soot In The Marriage Of Bette And Boo, Jodi Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1985, Christopher Durang created a master work titled The Marriage of Bette and Boo which was described by The New Yorker as a "brimming cornucopia of brilliant lines." Frank Rich of the New York Times called it "so speedy and chipper that it could almost be mistaken for a Bob Fosse musical." Douglas Watt of the New York Daily News referred to it as a "farcical study of a disastrous marriage, marked by still births, insanity in the family and divorce." These critical responses indicate the necessity to maintain the complexity of the character of Soot without allowing her …

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Devising Dramaturgy: An Investigation Into The Art Of Dramatic Composition When Devising Theatre For Young Audiences, Meghann Henry Jan 2008

Devising Dramaturgy: An Investigation Into The Art Of Dramatic Composition When Devising Theatre For Young Audiences, Meghann Henry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the dramaturgy of devised theatre for young audiences, specifically children ages 2-5. The chapters dissect current applications of dramaturgy in regards to the development of dramatic and performance texts, and present an exploration of devised theatre. My research revolved around qualitative research tactics through a review of the current literature on dramaturgy and devising, unobtrusive data collection, and interviews with the artistic directors of three Theatre for Young Audience (TYA) companies: Patch Theatre Company based in Adelaide, Australia, Theatre Mala Scena based in Zagreb, Croatia, and the Coterie Theatre located in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition, I …

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Making Victim: Establishing A Framework For Analyzing Victimization In 20th Century American Theatre, Victoria Hahl Jan 2008

Making Victim: Establishing A Framework For Analyzing Victimization In 20th Century American Theatre, Victoria Hahl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is my belief that theatre is the telling of stories, and that playwrighting is the creation of those stories. Regardless of the underlying motives (to make the audience think, to make them feel, to offend them or to draw them in,) the core of the theatre world is the storyline. Some critics write of the importance of audience effect and audience reception; after all, a performance can only be so named if at least one person is there to witness it. So much of audience effect is based the storyline itself - that structure of which is created by …

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The Dark Side Of The Tune: A Study Of Villains, Michael Biggs Jan 2008

The Dark Side Of The Tune: A Study Of Villains, Michael Biggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On championing the villain, there is a naive quality that must be maintained even though the actor has rehearsed his tragic ending several times. There is a subtle difference between to charm and to seduce. The need for fame, glory, power, money, or other objects of affection drives antagonists so blindly that they ve no hope of regaining a consciousness about their actions. If and when they do become aware, they infrequently feel remorse. I captured the essence of the villain by exposing these lightless characters to the sun. On Monday, April 9th and Tuesday, April 17th, 2007, on the …

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Primogeniture Made Me Do It: Finding The Motivation Behind Oliver's Tragic Actions In As You Like It, Joseph Kemper Jan 2008

Primogeniture Made Me Do It: Finding The Motivation Behind Oliver's Tragic Actions In As You Like It, Joseph Kemper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As an actor, it is absolutely imperative to resist the urge to pass judgment on the characters we portray. True, that as people, we sometimes judge ourselves, and deem our conduct as right or wrong, but usually after finding the justification in the action first. We understand why we do the things we do. Therefore, it is as important to find our character s point-of-view as well. When I was cast as Oliver de Boys in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater s mainstage production of William Shakespeare s As You Like It, I knew the biggest challenge before me was to …

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Directing Dead White Males: A Year In The Trenches Of Teaching, Emily Eisenman Jan 2008

Directing Dead White Males: A Year In The Trenches Of Teaching, Emily Eisenman

Honors Program Theses

I co-produced and directed the full-length play Dead White Males: A Year in the Trenches of Teaching for the UNI Interpreters Theatre as my Senior Honors thesis project. Co-producing and directing this project gave me the opportunity to collaborate with fellow students, members of the Cedar Valley community, and UNI faculty and staff. In doing this project, I was able to explore positive and negative aspects of education that had not been discussed in my education courses as of yet, in addition to gaining experience in producing and directing a major theatrical production, which I wish to do in my …

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Manuel Molins: Una Altra Ofèlia I Els Fantasmes De Shakespeare, Sharon G. Feldman Jan 2008

Manuel Molins: Una Altra Ofèlia I Els Fantasmes De Shakespeare, Sharon G. Feldman

Latin American, Latino and Iberian Studies Faculty Publications

L'apropiació i reinscripció que de Hamlet ha fet Manuel Molins, titulada Una altra Ofèlia (2001, estrenada al Teatre Rialto de València el 2004), comença, com a l'obra de Shakespeare, amb l'aparició d'un fantasma. A la primera de les nou escenes, el personatge d'Ofèlia explica a la falstaffiana I pitonissa I herborista Dida (personatge síntesi que és el resum de molts personatges shakespearians) un somni que ha tingut i en el transcurs del qual ha presenciat la manifestació d'un espectre en l'esplanada del castell. D'alguna manera, des del moment que comença l’obra, Ofèlia sembla haver usurpat el paper de Hamlet, ja …

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The Director's Presence, Paul Stephen Wurth Jan 2008

The Director's Presence, Paul Stephen Wurth

Theses and Dissertations

This text is partial record and narrative of the process and productions of Orphans by Lyle Kessler that opened on March 29th 2007 for a four day run ending on April 1st, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh that opened October 28th 2007 for a three day run ending on October 30th, and Terra Nova by Ted Tally that opened on February 21st 2008 for a four day run ending on February 24th. The majority of the text follows the three shows from Spring 2007, Fall 2007, to Spring 2008, focusing on the process of direction of each production. Incorporated in …

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Entertainment News: Agitprop To Colbertisms, Chanelle Renee Vigue Jan 2008

Entertainment News: Agitprop To Colbertisms, Chanelle Renee Vigue

Theses and Dissertations

At the beginning of the twentieth century, newspaper theatre was born from the need to inform those who could not read the news for themselves. There have been many contributors and influential factors to the multi-faceted evolution of newspaper theatre. Contributors include Meyerhold, Piscator, Brecht, Hallie Flanagan and Arthur Arent, and Augusto Boal. Influential factors include technology, politics, and the influence of theatrical movements. The most popular and most frequent contributors to contemporary newspaper theatre are the legitimate news media and comedy news shows.

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Looking For Ways To Ruin A Perfectly Good Day: Masculinity In Bash: The Latter-Day Plays By Neil Labute, Daniel F. Devlin Jan 2008

Looking For Ways To Ruin A Perfectly Good Day: Masculinity In Bash: The Latter-Day Plays By Neil Labute, Daniel F. Devlin

Theses and Dissertations

Neil LaBute is one of the most prolific and challenging playwrights in America today. My thesis will explore his work bash: the latter-day plays through the frame of the performance and use of masculinity by his characters, and will create a vocabulary through which the remainder of LaBute's works can be studied, both in terms of academic scholarship and the practical application of that scholarship to the process of theatrical creation.

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Directing For The Small Professional Theatre: Directing "Nothing Sacred", Robert Hunter Williams Jan 2008

Directing For The Small Professional Theatre: Directing "Nothing Sacred", Robert Hunter Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The challenges of producing and directing small professional theatre in any metropolitan area are many. This thesis is concerned with the process of finding a producing theatre, casting, rehearsal and staging the play, "Nothing Sacred" by George F. Walker, in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Unlike many thesis projects this one was conducted completely outside of the university setting and is thus a true reflection of the small professional theatre community.

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Bollywood Broads: Reconstructing The Femme Fatale In Popular Indian Film, Erin Zimmerman Moss Jan 2008

Bollywood Broads: Reconstructing The Femme Fatale In Popular Indian Film, Erin Zimmerman Moss

Theses and Dissertations

Mumbai is currently one of the most prolific and lucrative film centers in the world. Its production of the "Bollywood" popular film has attracted billions in audience members outside the nation of India, many of whom do not belong to Indian culture in the Diaspora. The significance of this influence draws from the cross-cultural borrowings increasingly present in Bollywood cinema. The advent of Western investment in the production center has coincided with the diversification of the standard Bollywood film from "masala" musical to more genre specific action, horror and even romantic comedy musical. Within this genre expansion, a nod to …

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Sing Together! Choral Singing As A Supplementary Training Method For Actors, Daniel C. Dennis Jan 2008

Sing Together! Choral Singing As A Supplementary Training Method For Actors, Daniel C. Dennis

Theses and Dissertations

Voice and speech training for the actor has traditionally defined itself as distinct from the vocal training of the musical theatre or opera singer. The separation in philosophy and practice by trainers of actors and singers reflects the resultant capabilities and proclivities of our performers. Those performers generally sing or act, and if asked, will sometimes do both, but may damage their voices in the process. This study aims to explore and reveal how actors may develop a greater sense of courage and trust, have easy access to breath, find freedom in their bodies and voices, become better listeners and …

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The Pedagogy Of Shakespeare & Company, Catherine Bryne Jan 2008

The Pedagogy Of Shakespeare & Company, Catherine Bryne

Theses and Dissertations

The Pedagogy of Shakespeare & Company examines in several ways the principles and practices of actor training at Shakespeare & Company of Lenox, Massachusetts. Chapter 1 is a narrative of my personal experience at the Month-long Intensive in Lenox, elaborating its multiple components. Chapter 2 recounts the genesis of the company and looks at the influences that shaped its identity. Chapter 3 is a more specific attempt to define the pedagogy developed by Tina Packer, Kristin Linklater and the other founders of Shakespeare & Company and to provide some contextual analysis. The remainder of this document explores my own pedagogical …

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Bananas In The Mist: Directing Amazing Adventures Of The Marvelous Monkey King, Diego Villada Jan 2008

Bananas In The Mist: Directing Amazing Adventures Of The Marvelous Monkey King, Diego Villada

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis details -in personal narrative form- the process by which the author directed a production of Elizabeth Wong's Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School in Miami, Florida. The following text explains elements of pre-production, presents relevant research associated with the play, describes the production process in detail, and states conclusions drawn by the author about the experience. The work challenged both the ensemble and the director to seek new avenues of expression and theatricality different from those traditionally explored in their respective educational settings.

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The Gallant Six Hundred: Performing The Light Brigade Into A Heroic Icon, Elizabeth Carrick Cawns Jan 2008

The Gallant Six Hundred: Performing The Light Brigade Into A Heroic Icon, Elizabeth Carrick Cawns

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

History is not so much what actually happened as how we have received and disseminated what happened. This reception and dissemination take place through a variety of media, many of which are not the purview of the traditional historian. It is in the trifles of daily life that we find the patterns of cultural norms – the ethos of the society that is as unnoticed by that society as the air it breathes. Society makes choices that affect the future based on what has been disseminated, rather than on the original event. This is especially true of such military disasters …

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Dressing The Girl/Playing The Boy: Twelfth Night Learns Soccer On The Set Of She's The Man, L Monique Pittman Jan 2008

Dressing The Girl/Playing The Boy: Twelfth Night Learns Soccer On The Set Of She's The Man, L Monique Pittman

Faculty Publications

She’s The Man (2006), Andy Fickman’s adaptation of Twelfth Night, pulses with the Title Nine girl power that found cinematic voice and financial reward in Bend It Like Beckham (2002). Creating a pretext for the play’s gender swapping by entering the world of high school soccer, She’s the Man exploits conventions associated with the teen film genre–social group conformity and anxiety, crisis of identity, divorced parents, and ineffectual authority figures. Shakespeare’s cross-dressed heroine Viola becomes Viola Hastings played by Amanda Bynes, for whom this film serves as a star-vehicle showcasing Bynes’s comedic range. In some ways, the film intensifies the …

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