Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Urinetown: A Lighting Designer’S Process, Caroline Nowak

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

This thesis describes the design and production process of the lighting design for the musical Urinetown, written by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann, featuring music by Mark Hollmann, produced by The Nebraska Repertory Theatre in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Glenn Korff School of Music, performed in the Howell Theatre from April 25th, 2025, to May 3rd, 2025. Urinetown was directed by Ann Marie Pollard, with musical direction by Suna Gunther. The creative team included scenic designer Sariah Roberts, costume designer Breeanna Pierce, and lighting designer Caroline Nowak. The production team included technical director Ashley Faulkner and stage …

Bringing A Ghost Story To Life: Actualizing A Production Of The Woman In Black, Benjamin Cudmore

Honors Theses

Working with the support of faculty mentors Maja E. White and Johann Stegmeir, Benjamin Cudmore helped develop THTR 312: Production and Collaboration to foster a collaborative environment where students could design a production of "The Woman in Black" and allow for student actors to be involved in the creative process from the beginning to the end. Benjamin worked as the Director, Makeup Artist, and headed publicity.

Cultural Of Authenticity And Commodification: Analyzing The Aesthetic Waves And Collective Culture In The 2010s And 2020s, Stefanny Leung Yu

Student Theses

The “authentic self” is curated, aestheticized, and most notably, commodified. Digital algorithms, likes, views, and engagement are more than just digital metrics, they are the management of performance. For millions of other users — including the author herself — social media is the locus of personal expression. Most notably, sites like Tumblr, where users in the 2010s posted hazy images or overly filtered graphics along with melancholic song lyrics that match the vibe of the moment, expression was earnest and idealized. Today, social media in the 2020s, new creators like Hannah Neelaman, better known as Ballerina Farm, dress in pastoral …

Kansas City, Kansas, Vida Davidović

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS is a thesis that operates in the tradition of expressionist dramaturgy and playwriting, taking up themes of abuse, imperialism, war, trauma, womanhood, Balkan identities, history of the Balkans, as well as the discourses of psychoanalysis and postcolonial theory. The use of different theoretical frameworks related to both international and personal politics, which are shown to be intertwined, suggests a strong relationship between political processes in the Second World Countries that had experienced many occupations throughout their history and the way women in those countries relate to the questions of body, authority, feminity, and interpersonal relationships. The play …

Belly Dance In Nebraska: Identity, Social Acceptance, And Perseverance, Alex R. Mohr

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Belly dance is an art form as well as an often-contested practice due to tensions over dress, terminology and cultural practices within the belly dance community because the dance originated outside the United States. Additionally, there is often a need to prove the legitimacy of the dance to those outside its sphere because it is often stigmatized due to the early association with exotic dancing. Belly dance is inherently geographic, as seen through its places of origin, music and movement styles, global spread, practitioners, and spaces of practice. However, it has not been well-represented in geography, and there is also …

Creed And Variations: Tracing The Divergence Of Christian Traditions In Select Piano Works Of Arvo Pärt, Olivier Messiaen, And J. S. Bach, Rebekah E. Stiles

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Within the classical music universe, the works of J. S. Bach, Olivier Messiaen, and Arvo Pärt stand apart as particularly evocative of the divine. Much has been written on these three men’s integration of faith with musical practice, exploring how their music is not only spiritual in nature but distinctly Christian. But in comparing the three, one encounters deeply rooted distinctions between their religious worldviews, a distinction not only found in their personal testimonies but actually heard in their music. Their compositional languages reflect three traditions: Protestantism (specifically Lutheranism), represented by Bach; Roman Catholicism, represented by Messiaen; and Eastern Orthodoxy, …

Ghostlight: A Fargedy, Ethan Thomas Shaw

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Frequently, throughout art media, artists rarely venture from realism. With the stylistic tools and artistic innovations made over the last 150 years that venture past realism, it is time for artists everywhere to take the next big step and begin the ombre of style and genre within works, challenging society in new ways. The goal of this project is to research the function and effect of different genres and styles within theatre and find what is required to successfully communicate them both textually and within a production. This includes reading and researching plays, theatre history, and the influence/evolution of style …

Urinetown: The Technical Direction Process, Ashley N. Faulkner

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

The Nebraska Repertory Theatre, in partnership with the Johnny Carson School of Theatre, Film, and Emerging Media Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, chose to produce Urinetown: The Musical by Greg Kotis as the fourth and final show of the 2024-2025 season. The production was scheduled to be mounted on the Howell stage, a 300-seat proscenium theatre located in the Temple Building on the University’s downtown Lincoln campus. As technical director, I was responsible for budgeting materials and labor, drafting and engineering scenery, managing personnel, maintaining safety, installing and removing scenery from the stage, communicating and collaborating with other …

Necessitating Autonomy: Performing Black Womanhood., Krystal Chavonne Waller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the ways in which Black womanhood should autonomously be represented on the stage and/or the screen. By defining the theories of Black Feminist Thought, Black Performance, Trap Feminism and Sankofa, I create a praxis that provides Black femme performers with tools for authentic characterization. By acknowledging and respecting that Black women are not monolithic, this thesis also explores the evolution of theatrical representations of Black Womanhood—particularly U.S. Black womanhood from the late 19^th century to modern day. Using historical narrative, analysis, acting techniques learned during my MFA program, and personal reflection, I advocate for Black women …

A Black Sherlock Holmes: An Exploration Of Nonconforming Characterization., Faith Janaye Artis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of diversity initiatives in the greater American theatre landscape, we are now including more Black actors than ever. Whether that be through the inclusion of diverse playwrights or implementing new casting protocols, we now have Black people in the room. However, when portraying the Black “version” of a character (i.e. Black Annie, Black Ariel, Black Juliet) a question still plagues the Black Actor’s mind: how am I meant to fit here? I evaluate my process of portraying Sherlock Holmes as my thesis role. By challenging the implied white perspective in this “universal” story (despite its feminist retelling), …

Creating New Points Of Access: How Integrating Black Acting Methods Strengthens The Western Theatre Canon., Darrin Edward Dispenza-Mosley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Western acting techniques have historically disregarded the contributions and techniques of black and non-Western performance to the detriment of black actors. This disregard has created barriers for black actors when engaging in what has now become standard theatre training. This training is enforced by implementation of acting techniques in academia that favor codified techniques of Eurocentric acting. Despite black acting techniques being codified and taught within the black community and academia, outside of a few historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), predominately white academia has implemented valuable training methods that black/African American Acting techniques can offer. By looking at American …

Dancing In The Digital Age: How Social Media Shapes The Commercial Dance Industry, Luke Lisowski

Honors College Theses

Social media has fundamentally transformed the commercial dance industry, reshaping how dancers establish careers, connect with industry professionals, and promote their artistry. This thesis examines the impact of social media platforms – such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube – on career growth by facilitating networking opportunities, increasing visibility, and redefining industry standards. The research explores how digital platforms have shifted the traditional pathways to success, enabling dancers to showcase their work independently while also creating challenges related to self-promotion, competition, and mental health.

Through a series of in-depth interviews with professional dancers and choreographers actively working in the industry, this …

#Helpplz: Mental Health Representation In Theatre For Young Audiences, Kate Elizabeth Dirrigl

Theses and Dissertations

#HELPPLZ is a play for young theater audiences that depicts four teenagers with various mental health challenges. It’s target audience is for children ages ten to fifteen and should be performed by actors of similar ages. #HELPPLZ is an immersive theatre experience, as a audience members watch four actors perform from four different lifestyles and point of views, all while broadcast on screens behind the actors. Every seat is a good seat in the house. This play follows a shift in trends of mental health depiction in contemporary theatre. No longer demonized and much more accessible, plays such as Dear …

The Shift In Children's Dance: From A Culture Of Innocence To A Battlefield Of Hypersexualization, Mary Bawden

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Pedro Aceves Mfa Thesis, Pedro M. Aceves

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My Work is about looking at Cruising through a queer decolonial lens. Using multiple mediums such as photo, glass, Augmented reality, and film, I explore these queer histories and aesthetics through not just an anthropological approach but also an artistic epistemological approach weaving together narratives of prehispanic and modern queer Latinidad.

40. Northern Iowan. Uni 150th Celebration [Article], E. Pantini

LGBTQIA+ Archive Class Projects

Citation: Pantini, E. (2025, April 9). UNI 150th celebration: Highlighting the past and looking to the future. Northern Iowan, 6.

Bars, Barristers, And Bias: A Content Analysis Of Legal Plays, Evan Chartock

Media and Communication Studies Honors Papers

This content analysis paper investigates the portrayal of the legal profession onstage within legal dramas first performed in the twenty-first century. There has been no previous research that has focused on a comprehensive analysis of the specific content of legal dramas, so this study is exploratory in nature. This study emphasizes the importance of learning about the content characteristics of legal plays and legal characters. This content analysis seeks to answer two research questions. First, do playwrights of legal plays first performed between 2000-2024 belong to similar identity demographics, write about similar content, and/or have similar messaging regarding the notion …

The Icarian Dilemma: The Battle Of Faith Versus Identity Addressed With Scenic Design, Allistar G. Barrett

Senior Honors Theses

American Christians and the LGBTQ+ community have long been in a cultural war with one another. However, queer Christians – individuals who are both LGBTQ+ and Christian – have rarely found solace in either community, instead being shunned and ostracized for their beliefs and identities. Using the transformative art of theatre to address cultural divides, a theatrical scenic design was developed for Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R & J, a retelling of the traditional Romeo and Juliet script through the lives of four Catholic school girls. This design uses the Greek mythology of Icarus, Catholic culture, the original Romeo and Juliet, …

Antisemitism In Medieval Drama: The Villainization Of Judaism In The Croxton ‘Play Of The Sacrament’ And The York Corpus Christi Play, Amber Leech

English and Creative Writing Honors Papers

In early Middle England, Jews faced an onslaught of antisemitic violence as they were falsely accused of blood libels and the murdering of young children. This culminated in their expulsion from England in 1290, but although they had no legal standing in the country, antisemitism ran rampant in their absence. In this project, I will examine instances of antisemitism in medieval culture, specifically through its drama. The Croxton ‘Play of the Sacrament’ and The York Corpus Christi Play are two plays that display the antisemitism that permeated England throughout the Middle Ages by perpetuating stereotypes that Jews are violent and …

Spring Dance Concert 2025 Playbill, Providence College Department Of Theatre, Dance, & Film

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance, & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

Spring Dance Concert 2025

Friday, April 25, 2025, 7:30 pm

Saturday, April 26, 2025, 2 pm

Photo by Jim Coleman

Dancer: Grace Sittig

Artistic Director, Nina Kossler

Lighting Designer, Michael Clark Wonson

Choreography: Kiley Vallee, Allison Renaud, Jade Bocciarelli, Emma Daigneau, Olivia Krupa, Gabriella Girard, Heidy Guzman, Alyssa Rago, Julianna Martin, Caroline Guanci, Grace McEvoy

Dancers: Emma Daigneau, Ella Ford, Gabriella Girard, Elizabeth Graney, Riley Joyce, Julianna Martin, Grace McEvoy, Allison Renaud, Kiley Vallee, Noel Rose DeRosa, Taylor Gifford, Helena Gillin, Heidy Guzman, Emma Preston, Caroline Puccini, …

Spring Dance Concert 2025 Poster, Providence College Department Of Theatre, Dance, & Film

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance, & Film

Angell Blackfriars Theatre

Spring Dance Concert 2025

Friday, April 25, 2025, 7:30 pm

Saturday, April 26, 2025, 2 pm

Photo by Jim Coleman

Dancer: Grace Sittig

How Much Wood Would A Scene Painter Paint If A Scene Painter Could Paint Wood: Scenic Wood Grain Techniques, Rebecca S. Yee

Research and Creativity Symposium

“Scenic painters, we paint wood to look like wood”. In this project I used knowledge from my time in UMW as a scenic painter to further my skills and focus on wood grain techniques. In this collection of 5 wood grain samples, I used wood graining tools and a brush separately to compare the different outcomes that were produced. Wood grain samples include pristine softwood and hardwood, aged softwood and hardwood, and wood panels in the style of trompe l'oeil.

Guys & Dolls: A Musical Fable Of Broadway, Damon Runyon, Jo Swerling, Abe Burrows

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University's performance of Guys & Dolls: A Musical Fable of Broadway based on a story amd characters of Damon Runyan and a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.

Performed April 25, 2025 at 8:00pm, April 26 & May 2-3, 2025 at 7:30pm and April 27 & May 4, 2025 at 2:00pm in the Mitchell Theatre at Taylor University.

Set in the colorful, fictional world of Damon Runyon's New York City, Guys and Dolls is a musical comedy that intertwines two distinct love stories among the city's gamblers and …

Sensory Friendly Performance Of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical, Mary M. Robinson

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This project contains examples of best practices in theatre to make it accessible to those with sensory sensitivites such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, etc.

A Legal Analysis On The Link Between Pornography Consumption And The Perpetuation Of Abuse, Madelyn Garrett

Advanced Issues in Criminal Law: Sex Offenses

This essay examines the connection between the overconsumption of pornography and the growing demand for violent and extreme types of pornography. This essay also looks at the abuse this demand perpetrates.

"What Are The Chances?" Choreographic Process, Kloey Monthei, Janet Strzelec, Tricia Zweier

2025 Student Academic Showcase

My Senior Capstone Project for the Lindenwood Dance Program's Spring Concert explores the balance between randomness and planned structure in dance creation. Inspired by choreographer Merce Cunningham, who pioneered using chance methods (like flipping coins or rolling dice) to determine aspects of dance, I'm creating an original performance that blends intentional design with unexpected elements. This research-based project adapts Cunningham's innovative approach by developing my own system of randomization to generate movement combinations that I might not discover through traditional choreographic methods. Rather than following a linear narrative, the dance emerges through this experimental process where some elements are deliberately …

Sensory Inclusion In The Dance Classroom, Hannah Shafer

2025 Student Academic Showcase

Dance has historically been inaccessible to individuals with unique sensory perceptions of the world. Throughout this research project, viable ways of accommodating for these perceptions will be explored. This will be done through research and the testimonies of individuals who currently live with a unique sensory perception. Unique sensory perceptions are not limited to just neurodivergent individuals (those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, obsessive compulsive disorder, and more), but also for those who do not have the ability to use one or more of their senses. While the information is curated with the intent for dance classrooms, it can …

Spring Dance Concert, April 24-26, 2025, Lindenwood University

Student Dance Programs & Brochures

Event program for the Spring Dance Concert, April 24-26, 2025.

Proper Stance, Kassie Lane

Playwriting Contest

Setting: An unoccupied park at midday. Honking, people, and other city sounds can be heard in the background. Bianca and Timothy are walking towards the spot under the railroad bridge that goes over the park, where the rest of their small dance troupe is waiting.

Actors: Jamiya Haynes; Nicholas Washington; Matthew Sagols

Stage Directions: Hannah Grimm

Scorpion, Breane Barrios

Playwriting Contest

A young couple struggles with an unwanted intruder.

Director: Corinna Rodriguez

Actors: Chrissy Graham; Jimmy Kalal

Stage Director: Ryan Cosillo