Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Inspire Or Damage: A Documentary Film About Travis Eberhard, Brad Barber, Thomas Lefler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In making this documentary film, my original intent was to document Travis Eberhard’s personality, humor, and goals as a recently BYU-graduated film student. Specifically, I wanted to achieve this by not asking him any questions about what it was like to live with a wheelchair. This was not to be what I consider “a typical film” highlighting how Travis overcomes the obstacles life has dealt him, or how he deals with being treated differently. However, I believe the project was unique in that I still wanted to achieve some of the same goals such a film might seek after. By …

Images Of Earth And The Human Form, Heather Heiner, Pat Debenham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

There is much beauty in the natural world that leaves me, as a dancer, stimulated with choreographic ideas. It was through the collaborative medium of dance and photography that I sought to share those experiences with others. I traveled with three other dancers from the BYU dance department and a photographer, Erin Holmberg, to Arches National Park, where we explored the connections and similarities between the human form and the elements of the natural environment. The visual aspect of the experience was captured through photography. We utilized the environment on both a large and small scale, with some improvisations being …

Aubade, Office Of Arts + Cultural Programming, Peak Performances At Montclair State University

2013-2014 Raise the Bar

For his entire career, Douglas Dunn has done it his way – all the way. Now, witness his next surprising pivot forward. Aubade, his new dance/theater piece, is all about apprehending mortality and the unstoppable progress of time. All the senses engage with scenic and video design, music, and lyrics by noted artists Charles Atlas, Steven Taylor, and Anne Waldman, respectively. As if that wasn’t enough, Douglas Dunn’s amazing company expands to even greater numbers by casting six Montclair State College of the Arts dance students. The title refers to the classic “aubade”, the opposite of a serenade. At its …

An Exploration In Learning, Thayer Jonutz, Rebecca Wright Phillips

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dance instructors teach using different methods. The three most common pedagogical practices are by imitation, imagery and the use of kinesiological principles. Teaching by imitation consists of showing the student what it is you are trying to teach with very little verbal communication and then having the student mimic you. There are different forms of imagery and I chose to explore sensory imagery specifically. Sensory imagery is the use of all the senses: sight, touch, hear, smell, taste. Teaching by sensory imagery consists of using the five senses to bring out different qualities in the movement. Teaching by dance kinesiology …

Casting Calder: Using Choreography In Dance To Express The Works Of Alexander C, Rhonda Rooker, Raymond Robinson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alexander Calder, one of the greatest creators of sculpture in the twentieth century, was the first American artist of his generation to win an international reputation for his achievements. He spent his lifetime creating works labeled “mobiles” and “stabiles”, according to the size and permanency of each sculpture. He used various materials including sheet metal, bolts, and paint, as well as wire and wood. His artwork can be found in major museums throughout the world, and is installed in urban spaces in the United States and abroad.

Victory From The Dust, A Senior Project In Dance, Kristi D. Brubaker, Susanne Davis

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Victory From The Dust, was the result this grant. The project was a 20 minuet dance that consisted of seven sections. Each section represented a dispensation of time. The work was choreographed, rehearsed and performed between January and April 1998. It was viewed on the Senior Showcase #2, in the Richards Building Dance Theater. As a whole I felt this project was a success.

Unfolding, Christian Vuissa, Stanley Ferguson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For my last film project at BYU, I wanted to do something special that would help me get started in the film industry. Unfolding is a film that explores the struggle of a young woman. She learns to reconnect with her father who suffers from retrograde amnesia. The project was ambitious from its beginning due to its length and the many different props and locations needed for its realization. The scope of the project could easily compare to a masters program thesis film.

Documentary On Homeless And 2002 Winter Olympics, Emily Lewis, Dr. Dean Duncan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Emily Lewis Documentary on Homeless and 2002 Winter Olympics Faculty Mentor: Dean Duncan, Media Arts Studies The original project that I intended to complete for this scholarship was a documentary film on juvenile delinquents and the Utah court system. This project became impossible to do because of a lack of access and information, so my focus has since changed.

Unwilling Soldaten: The Story Of Slovene Conscripts In Hitler’S Army, Stacy Snider, Thomas Russell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

“[They said] we were called by the Furer and by God to help defend our home.”

So they were told, but of the 90,000 Slovene men, young and old, forced from their provincial homes and into German uniforms at the beginning of WWII, few were convinced. Swayed instead by commanders with rifles, threats to life and family, and stories of torture, hanging, even beheading, nearly one fifth the population of the tiny European country chose hell over death and became part of Hitler’s expansive and short-lived military force between 1942 and 1945.

Time Vindicated: Looking Behind The Masque, Amy Elizabeth Jensen, Dr. Megan Sanborn Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The English courtly masque was an elaborate theatrical form of poetry, dance, music, and scenery that flourished under the reign of the Stuarts, James (1603–1625) and Charles I (1625– 1649). The masque’s spectacle, both highly theatrical and financially extravagant, reflected the magnificence of the king and the ideals of the court. Courtiers and royalty took part on stage as well as in the audience. The masques were also self-reflective; attention moved between the audience and the performers as each watched the other. As masque writer Ben Jonson wrote, masques were “the mirrors of man’s life.” Through the masque’s unique relationship …

Preserving The Past Through Historic Clothing, Janae R. Judd, Mary Farahnakian

Journal of Undergraduate Research

What we wear reveals a great deal about us, not only as individuals, but also as a society. Likewise, historic clothing allows us to see into the past. For example, in the 1940s cloth was used for war efforts. To help conserve fabrics, women made straight skirts with little flare. Such a simple thing as a skirt helps us understand the past a little better. Over a year ago, the Costume Institute of Utah desired to donate their entire historic clothing collection to Brigham Young University. The university already has an existing collection, however it is limited and this addition …

“A Spooky Evening” Chinese Film Project, Randy Astle, Dr. Darl Larsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Chinese folklore has been a rich mine for artistic production for hundreds of years, and continues to be so today. For example, Chinese ghost stories, such as in the medieval compilation of dozens of ghost stories in the work Strange Tales of Liao Zhai, have inspired artists for centuries. Many modern filmmakers have exhibited interest in this particular subgenre, giving it both serious and comical treatment. In particular, the New Wave in Hong Kong cinema that began in the 1980’s initiated the creation of innumerable films, usually slightly comic, that dealt in some way or other with magicians, vampires, ghosts, …

Setting The Stage For Change: Alumni And Students Creatively Worked Side-By-Side With Iwu Theatre Faculty To Create An Indelible Portrayal Of The Struggles Of America’S Working Poor., Kim Hill

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Department Of Theatre, Dance & Film To The Dominican Fathers And Sisters, Department Of Theatre, Dance & Film

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Letter from the Department of Theatre, Dance & Film to the Dominican Fathers and Sisters inviting them to a production of These Shining Lives.

January 17, 2014

Welcome To The Big Top, Parkland College

Parkland Theatre

23rd Annual Student Production

January 17 & 18 at 7:30pm
Spring 2014

To view images from this production, visit Welcome to the Big Top (2014).

Blood Wedding, Federico Garcia Lorca

SFA School of Theatre

No abstract provided.

To Kill A Mockingbird, Christopher Sergel

SFA School of Theatre

No abstract provided.

“Do You Know Why That’S Funny?” Connecting The Scholarship Of Humor To The Practice Of After-Dinner Speaking, Adam J. Sharples

National Forensic Journal

Forensic educators have a unique opportunity to connect students with centuries of scholarship, yet it remains unclear how coaches utilize communication research to aid students in constructing events. This article questions how studies of humor can enhance connections between the forensic student and the broader field of research. Through applying theories of humor to the practice of After- Dinner Speaking (ADS), this paper indicates studies of humor in classical and contemporary scholarship provide useful frameworks in the construction of ADS, and offers suggestions for making more explicit connections between theory, pedagogy, and practice.

Direction Of The Musical: Mulan, Jr, Juleen Murray Shaw

Graduate Student Projects

This project consists of the selection, background research and documentation, musical analysis casting, direction,vocal coaching, and post-production analysis of Tachoma Muiscal Playhouse's production Mulan, Jr. Documentation included research and analysis of the play, its music, and an evaluation of the musical as a production vehicle for Tachoma Musical Playhouse.

Direction Of The Play: Twelve Angry Jurors, Frances Hopkins-Maxwell

Graduate Student Projects

This project consisted of the selection, background research and documentation, design analysis, casting, direction, staging and post production evaluation of Boise State University Theatre Arts Department's production of Twelve Angry Jurors. Documentation includes research and analysis of the play, the dramatic actions, its historic placement as well as thematic ideas keep the piece engaging to the students and the community.

Alice And Wonderland, Anne Coulter Martens

SFA School of Theatre

No abstract provided.

The Big House Poster, Mary Moynihan

Concert Programmes

Poster for The Big House by Peter Sheridan, adapted from Hanna Greally's book Bird's Nest Soup, Rehearsed Reading by the BA in Drama (Performance) First Year Students, directed by Mary Moynihan

World Theatre, Michelle Hayford

Communication Faculty Publications

When approaching the topic of world theatre, it is necessary to first dispel some popular myths about theatre forms that are outside the traditional Western theatre aesthetic or canon. For the purposes of this chapter, selected examples of world theatre, including theatre of the Western world, are explored. However, there is a focus on the historical trajectory of traditional performance forms of non-Western countries. With the exception of efforts to preserve these traditional forms, it is important to note that “world” theatre is not code for static performance that resists evolution. Nor is world theatre “primitive” or simple. In this …

Mapping Reality: An Introduction To Theatre, Charlie Mitchell, Michelle Hayford

Communication Faculty Publications

This book seeks to give insight into the people and processes that create theatre. Like any other world—be it horse racing, fashion, or politics—understanding its complexities helps you appreciate it on a deeper plane. The intent of this book is not to strip away the feeling of magic that can happen in the presence of theatre but to add an element of wonder for the artistry that makes it work. At the same time, you can better understand how theatre seeks to reveal truths about the human condition; explores issues of ethics, gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and spirituality; and exists …

Suit My Heart: Staging Foster Youth Narratives That Hit Home, Michelle Hayford

Communication Faculty Publications

While devising Suit My Heart, I relied upon my training in the ‘three A’s’ of performance studies conceived by my late mentor Dwight Conquergood as “artistry, analysis and activism” (2002: 152). With these ‘three A’s’ in mind, I set out to facilitate a devising process and create an artistic product that would positively serve all communities involved. The quality of the project would be determined not only by the efficacy of the play that we produced in the end, but by the personal growth of my students and the empowerment of our community partners throughout the process. Discovering the reach …