Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Transitions: Starting The Second, Full Circle, Mary Colleen Vreeland

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will focus on the transitional influences that have led me to start the second circle of my professional life. It is an open and honest exploration of the back-story of my life and the academic and professional influences that led me to seek a Master of Fine Arts Degree at Virginia Commonwealth University. With no parallels and therefore no excuses insinuated, I will be open and dissect more of myself as the whole focus of the thesis in hopes of offering clarity to myself and other mature and disabled students seeking to become a better teacher and artist.

Sweat: The Exodus From Physical And Mental Enslavement To Emotional And Spiritual Liberation, Aqueelah Roberson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to showcase the importance of God-inspired Theatre and to manifest the transformative effects of living in accordance to the Word of God. In order to share my vision for theatre such as this, I will examine the biblical elements in Zora Neale Hurston's short story Sweat (1926). I will write a stage adaptation of the story, while placing emphasis on the biblical lessons that can be used for God-inspired Theatre. When viewing the stage adaptation based on Sweat, the audience members will understand how God-inspired Theatre aims to help members of society utilize their …

Pedagogical Fusion, David Maurice White

Theses and Dissertations

During the five semesters that I have been at VCU I have learned a great deal from the courses that I have been enrolled in but I have learned the most through my experiences as a Teaching Assistant. These experiences have been so valuable because of the wide range of subject areas in which I have been involved and the diverse instructors that I have assisted. Although I hesitate to use the word "problem" I feel that there is a tendency in teacher training for a student to latch onto one professor and model their teaching practices after that one …

Playing The Third Man (Midas' Servant, Ceyx, Morpheus As Ceyx, Orpheus, Apollo, A, Philemon) In Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses: A Production Thesis, Ronald Ludlow Reeder

LSU Master's Theses

The role of Third Man in Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses was performed in the Fall of 2006 and elected as a thesis role at that time. This thesis is a written record of the actor’s interpretation of the character. This thesis includes background information on the production, reflections on acting in water, a character analysis, a five column score, reflections on performance issues, and photos.

Psychology And The Theatre: A Qualitative Experiment In Actor Training, Megan Rebecca Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Psychology and theatre have a remarkable amount in common. In using the basic concepts and theories of psychology, actors can develop more concrete, logical approaches to characters. This thesis is a summation of the course I developed, "Psychology and the Theatre," which was an attempt to teach students introductory psychology and then experiment with translating those concepts to character analysis and stage performance. Students were taught eight units of psychology: Sensation, Perception, and Memory; Learning; Motivation and Emotion; Development; Freud and Psychodynamic Approaches to Personality; Adlerian Individual Psychology; Love and Social Cognition; and Psychological Disorders. Students were given reading quizzes …

A Performance Study And Analysis Of The Role Of Professor Muller In The Visit., Stephanie Harrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I propose to study the role of Professor Muller in The Visit as my thesis role because of the challenge that it presents, not only as a translated work, but also because of the character shift for me - Professor Muller is a 72 year old man and has now been changed to a woman in her thirties. Professor Muller is the only person to stand up to the antagonist, Claire. The confrontation between Claire and Muller takes on a certain tone when it is between a woman and a man, and has a completely different outlook when it becomes …

Consuming Brazil: Afro Brazilian Religion As A Base For Actor Training, Corey Justin Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Actor training, like the theatre in Brazil, has historically been a middle and upper class pursuit that followed European models, namely Stanislavski's system. Yet within Brazil there is a wealth of diverse cultures that are inherently theatrical and well suited for application in actor training. In this study I explore one such culture, the Afro Brazilian religion Umbanda. First, I examine its formation to illuminate how the religion itself performed (or served as a site for cultural interaction) throughout history. Then, I explore the practice of the religion both apart from and in relation to the theatre and Stanislavski's system. …

The Roles Of Melibea/Isabelle/Hippolyta In Tony Kushner's Adaptation Of The Illusion: A Production Thesis In Acting, Michelle Elain Mccoy

LSU Master's Theses

The roles of Melibea/Isabelle/Hippolyta in The Illusion, freely adapted by Tony Kushner, was selected as a thesis project in the fall semester of 2004. This thesis is a written record of the actor's work on the character throughout the rehearsal process and performance of the production. It contains four parts: an introduction, a character analysis, a four-column score and an appendix that includes production photos.

The Role Of Lady Macbeth In Shakespeare's Macbeth: A Production Thesis In Acting, Taralyn Adele Macmullen

LSU Master's Theses

The role of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth was selected as a thesis project in the fall semester of 2004. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a written record of the actor’s interpretation and creation of the character through the rehearsal process. It contains five parts: an introduction, a character analysis, a daily actor’s journal, a physical score, and a conclusion.

The Merry Wives Of Windsor: A University Actress's Approach To The Role Of Mistress Ford, Brook Akya Hanemann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Art is too ethereal a thing to judge by tangible measure. There is no scale to weigh a performance on, no level to gauge a character’s balance, no plumb line to measure its depth. No critic can appoint an allotment of stars to represent the worth of a production, and the audience, though a vital participant within the performance experience, cannot act as Jury and deliberate together to reach an absolute verdict of approval or disapproval. How then can an actor go about working towards giving a successful performance? The Merry Wives of Windsor was written at a time when …

The Challenge Of Playing Multiple Arthurian Characters, Cynthia Lowa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the portrayal of multiple roles in a production of Camelot, written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Performance and content analysis identifies and explores the difficulties and challenges in portraying multiple roles in this production, including the understudying of the leading role of Guenevere. A detailed historical analysis provides background into origin of the Arthurian legend and an examination of its historical development. A social analysis provides information on the role of women in medieval society with a discussion of the customs and laws that applied to them. Furthermore, a structural analysis of the script examines …

The Role Of Dottie In Tracy Letts' Killer Joe: A Production Thesis In Acting, Elizabeth Jane King

LSU Master's Theses

The role of Dottie in Killer Joe by Tracy Letts was selected as a thesis project spring semester of 2003. This thesis is a written record of the actor’s work on the character of Dottie throughout the rehearsal process in the form of a rehearsal journal and a character analysis.

The Role Of Speed In Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen Of Verona: A Production Thesis In Acting, Jennifer Nicole Kelley

LSU Master's Theses

The author chose Speed from Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona directed by John Dennis, as her thesis project in Fall 2002. This thesis includes an introduction, a character analysis, a journal of the rehearsal process and a conclusion.

To Be Or Not To Be An Actor, James Koldenhoven

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

The Hatha Yoga Acting Methodology: An Evening With Me, Oscar N. Cady

All Master's Theses

This thesis presents a systematic methodology for preparation of a "one man acting show." The show was designed to demonstrate competency in different styles of acting selected from Classic Greek Drama, Restoration Comedy, Shakespearean Tragedy, Twentieth Century American Drama. Emphasis is placed upon documented research in accordance with the methodology and rehearsals which utilized Hatha Yoga to build toward dynamic physical and mental union as a workable means to achieve character realization for live performance and creative artistry.

Communication Of An Actor’S Mental Processes To An Audience, Earl Dee Torrey

All Master's Theses

It is held that the actor communicates his mental processes to the audience and that this silent communication is of a subtle nature.

Problems For The High School Actor, Greydon Pierce Milam

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

”Problems for the HIgh School Actor” has been prepared so that the teacher and the student have been given a certain degree of flexibility in its use. The order of presentation of the various problems, the amount of time spent on any one time, and the focusing on the major amount of emphasis may vary from class to class and from year to year as the interests, needs, and skills of the enrollee vary. The most educationally worthwhile method can be used to meet these varying situations.

This study has been developed so as to make possible further study of …

The Bourgeois Gentleman, Boar's Head Dramatic Society Of Syracuse University

Images and other materials from University Archives

Play presented based on the The bourgeois gentleman (Molière, 1622-1673). The playbill is part of a collection of playbills from the Boar's Head Dramatic Society of Syracuse University covering productions from 1904 to the late 1960s. The playbills are housed in the collections of the Syracuse University Archives. For more information regarding this collection as well as the Boar's Head society, please visit the Boar's Head website at http://archives.syr.edu/collections/boars_head/search.html.