Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Dialogue Not Diatribe: Methods For A Practice Of Socio-Humanitarian Playwriting, Siobhan Dow-Hall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This dissertation is the result of a practice-led research exploration of how creative writing practice may be expanded and developed with particular application to the writing of what I refer to as socio-humanitarian drama. I have developed this notion to promote discussion and consideration of specific issues of social justice and human rights within playwriting. While this practice-led research enlisted reflective practice in the task of developing and extending my own writing practice, this dissertation does also outline specific, practical modes of creative process, or exercises, that could be applied more broadly for others who may seek to develop their …

Directing Through Dialogue: A Theatre Director’S Exploration Of Leadership, Gabrielle Frances Metcalf

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The esteemed position that a director holds in the creative process is a recent phenomenon. It emerged towards the end of the 19th century. Then, the role of a theatre director encompassed the idea of a single, creative force, coordinating and controlling the elements of a production. Not much has changed. Despite the significance of the role, the literature is largely silent on how a director directs and how a director leads. The paucity of research on the director’s leadership style reflects the way in which the practice of directing occurs — behind closed-doors. Its private nature can deter and …

Theatre In Prison: How It Is Making A Difference, Mackenzee Donham

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The United States of America incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country in the world. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Department, there are over two million people incarcerated in American prisons, and according to the National Institute of Justice, 76% of prisoners reoffend within five years of being released. Historically, one of the primary purposes of prisons is to prepare the inmates for their eventual release, a process known as rehabilitation. In the criminal justice world, rehabilitation is intended to smooth reintegration into society, and provide skills and incentives to prevent future criminal activity. However, looking …

The Authentic Workplace: Theatrical Practices In The Corporate World, Katherine Dumas

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

"We are beginning to bring our whole selves to work… That type of separation probably never existed… Instead of putting on some kind of fake “all-work persona,” I think we benefit from expressing our truth, talking about personal situations, and acknowledging that professional decisions are emotionally driven."(1) In her award-winning 2013 book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg explains the movement in the corporate world to look for emotional intelligence in potential employees before they are hired. Qualities such as this are nurtured and practiced regularly in the world of theatre, as evidenced by the …

The Business Of Theatre: How Creativity, Collaboration, And Communication Infiltrate 'The Real World', Caroline Hale

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Too often ridiculed as a “dying art”, theatre endures a ceaseless struggle for validity among educators, employers, and citizens alike. However, the skills garnered by performers, technicians, and designers through theatrical education span far beyond the final curtain, and are significantly more relevant and impactful than we think.

A theatre education means learning about the human condition, communication, gaining self-confidence, expressing creativity, problem solving, and thinking on your feet. In addition, drama techniques have been enormously effective in improving self-esteem and building community. A theatre education is a highly successful catalyst for the development of a “soft skill set.” Because …

Design For Christopher Shinn's The Coming World, Jessica Bertke

Honors Projects

This document is a complete design for The Coming World by Christopher Shinn. This design is not one that has been realized on stage, but is instead every element necessary to make it real. It includes a scenic design, lighting design, costume design, and proposed budget. It also includes all research and inspiration behind the design.

Rivalry In Toyer: The Impact Of The Male Gaze And The Final Girl On Theatrical Conflict, Sento Ashby

Liberal Arts Capstones

Although much progress has been made in recent years, traditional gender roles still permeate society. This project investigated gender constructs in relation to choreographed violence and found that females are often victims unless they adopt masculine survival styles, while males are usually aggressors – particularly towards females. Analysis of the characters in the play Toyer by Gardner McKay supported this conclusion.

A Christmas Carol (December 1-3, 2016), Charles Dickens

Student Theatre Programs

Program for A Christmas Carol.

To view the photos from this production of A Christmas Carol, please click here.

Dance Usm! Program [2016], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2016-2017 Season

Directed by Maria Tzianabos

Staging Famine Irish Memories Of Migration And National Performance In Ireland And Québec, Jason King

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In "Staging Famine Irish Memories of Migration and National Performance in Ireland and Québec" Jason King examines recent community theater productions about the Irish Famine migration to Québec in 1847. King explores community-based and national ideas of performance and the role of remembrance in shaping and transmitting the diasporic identities of Québec's Irish cultural minority. While most of the plays re-enact French-Canadian adoptions of Famine orphans as spectacles of Irish integration in Québec, David Fennario's Joe Beef: (A History of Pointe Saint Charles) (1984, published 1991) rehearses the history of the Canadian/Québec nation in terms of recurrent labor exploitation epitomized …

Macbeth (November 3-5, 2016), William Shakespeare

Student Theatre Programs

Program for Macbeth (November 3-5, 2016).

The Language Archive Program [2016], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2016-2017 Season

By Julia Cho

Directed by Sara Valentine

This production was a Participating entry in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KC/ACTF).

Next To Normal (October 5, 8-9, 2016), Brian Yorkey

Student Theatre Programs

Program for Next to Normal (October 5, 8-9, 2016).

How To No Shame: A Self-Starting Manual For Creating And Maintaining A No Shame Theatre, Todd Ristau, Jeff Goode

Theatre Faculty Scholarship

Anywhere there is light enough to read a script and space enough for an audience to gather, No Shame can happen. The first No Shame was done from the back of a pick up truck in a parking lot because no “real” theatre would have us. After weeks of performing in the rain and snow, the University of Iowa theatre department decided not to let us die of exposure and invited us inside, where we’ve been a forum for new work for almost twenty years. No Shame can happen anywhere, but this book is geared toward helping you set up …

Under Milk Wood Program [2016], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2016-2017 Season

By Dylan Thomas

Directed by Andrew Harris

This production was a Participating entry in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KC/ACTF).

Imaginative Acts Of Resistance: Dramatic Storytelling In An Elementary School Classroom, Shannon K. Mcmanimon

Spect-actor: A Journal of Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed

This critical ethnographic project draws upon literature on imagination, critical literacy, and theatre to explore a sixth-grade class’s participation in a critical literacy and creative drama program. Through examples from the storytelling practices of the Neighborhood Bridges program, I outline how students and teachers (including a teaching artist) imagined, co-created, and revised storylines in their classroom; this collaboration provides an alternative to the common narrative of the constrained urban public school classroom. The resulting imaginative acts of resistance: 1) encourage and empower urban elementary students to enact relevant, collaborative community in their classrooms; 2) engage meaningful—not just functional—literacies; 3) ask …

Stage Management: A Survival Guide, Katheryn Patton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many elements must come together to create an effective theatre production. The stage manager is responsible for making these elements mesh. What tools does a student stage manager need not only to survive, but to thrive in this critical role?

Direction Of The Musical: A Year With Frog And Toad, Sioux L. Stoeckle

Master of Theater Production Graduate Projects

This project entailed the selection, background research and documentation, musical analysis, casting, direction, vocal coaching, and post-production analysis of Palo Verde College's production of Willie and Robert Reale's A Year with Frog and Toad. Documentation includes research and analysis of the play, its music, and an evaluation of the musical as a production vehicle for Palo Verde College at Blythe, CA The analysis also includes a discussion as to the directorial vision of this production.

University Theatres Should Open People's Eyes To New Ideas, Heather Gibson

UCF Forum

Content guides and advisories, which list all of the parts of a production that a viewer might find offensive, are becoming commonplace with theatre companies.

Becoming Ellen Van Oss In Lee Blessing's Two Rooms, Tiffany S. Anderson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents the process implemented in creating the character of Ellen Van Oss in Lee Blessing’s Two Rooms. It includes research, character analysis, script analysis and an evaluation of my performance. Two Rooms was produced by the UNO Department of Film and Theatre and directed by Erick Wolfe. The play was performed at the Robert E. Nims Theatre in the UNO Performing Arts Center November 7, 12, 13, 21, 2015 at 7:30pm and November 8 and 22, 2015 at 2:30pm.

Creating A Sense Of Relevancy: Directing Lee Blessing’S Two Rooms, Erick L. Wolfe

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis is a documentation of the production of Two Rooms, including analysis, research production book, script, documentation, and evaluation. The play was performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the University of New Orleans Performing Arts Center Lab Theatre on November 7^th, 8^th, 12th, 13th, 21st, and 22^nd, 2015.

Theatre Education For Homeschooled Children, Jonathan A. Martin

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In recent years, the push for theatre education from arts education advocates has been increasingly prevalent, especially in the face of substantial budget cuts from many public schools’ arts programs. While there is still a long way to go before theatre education will be integral to school curricula, there are clear steps being taken to promote theatre education in the United States.

Similar to the recent push for theatre education is a rise in homeschooling in America. Homeschooling has been on the rise domestically for several years now, continuing to grow between 2% and 8% annually. It is now estimated …

Film And Theatre: Hybridization And The Convergence Of Mediums, Rachel A. Jones

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This essay explores the ever-changing relationship between theatre and film. I used my expertise in both theatre and film to create a recording of a children’s theatre show Upside Down Fairytales in order to show how mediated theatre can be created. This essay argues that mediated theatre can be used educationally, dramaturgically, and for entertainment. The uses of mediated theatre can be very effective for those in communities where theatre is not accessible. This essay states that a new medium is created when live performance is recorded and it can have an impact on how theatre will continue to be …

"The Sound Of A Voice: An Evening Of Intercultural Theatre", Amy C. Slothower

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This undergraduate thesis examines the impact of the process of creating a piece of intercultural theatre on student artists. In the research of intercultural theatre, there is a lack of information on opportunities for intercultural performance experience for students, and much of the major research that has been done has all been by established theatre artists. The biggest concern in the theatrical community with creating works of intercultural theatre is the threat of cultural appropriation and imperialism. Much of this concern is stimulated by belief that the western dominant culture maintains a sense of imperialism towards what is perceived as …

The Real F-Word: Feminism An Exploration Of Feminism And The Female Experience On College Campuses, Beatrice R. Owens

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Using third-wave feminism and playwriting as the foundation, this project intends to examine the history of feminism as it influences the current third-wave in the United States of American with a specific focus on the impact it has on college students. This project examines the development of feminism throughout history and asks whether that historical development has contributed significantly to the way in which millennial men and women understand and relate to feminism presently. Through the compilation of research and the creation of a performance piece, performed on April 1, 2016 in the Wayland Performance Studio, this project examines what …

An Actor’S Growth: From Student To Professional, Tackling Collegiate Theatre With Michael Lee, Michael B. Lee

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis includes the journey of Michael Lee becoming a professional actor by performing several characters within two contrasting productions. The first, "The Trojan Women", by Euripides, Michael portrayed Poseidon, Talthybius, and The Guard in ETSU's very own Bud Frank Theatre. Michael's second production included the character of Charles in the modern drama "Race" by David Mamet, which was held in the newly renovated Studio 205. Michael documented his growth as an actor through daily journal entries and analyzing the final performances.

The Art Of The Process: The Creation And Production Of Wrinkles In Our Clothing, Julia Alexandra Yancey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wrinkles in Our Clothing

One night after a party Andrew realizes that he has never truly lived. Christine finds her passion somewhere she never thought she could have it. These two young adults, making their way through college, realize that now is the time to decide how they will choose to live their lives. They face the challenges that most young adults face such as societal expectations, a parent’s ideal image of their child, and having the courage to take that first step. Although these two do not meet in the lives of their characters they appear to know each …

Dance Of Light And Loss, Clark Lunberry

English Faculty Research and Scholarship

On a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon in the Ogikubo district of western Tokyo, in the dark basement of Saburo Teshigawara's dance studio and performance space known as Karas Apparatus, an audience gathered to see the dancer's newest solo performance, Fool. The uncurtained stage in the small theatre was empty and unlit, the stage itself far larger, perhaps three times larger than that tight space reserved for those attending the event. What lights there were faintly illuminated only the slightly raised rows of cushions upon which the forty of us in the audience took our seats, waiting for the performance …

An Actor’S Approach To Claire In Proof By David Auburn, Kathryn Patterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The areas of study in the Proof thesis contain research on the play, the playwright, and the acting style utilized in the performance and character analysis. The acting style in this process focuses on the actor’s creative work in preparation of portraying a female character. This character is a controlling woman that is unable to manipulate others. By using relaxation techniques involving the Alexander Technique, the actor was able to transition into the character with honest emotions and motives. Finding similarities to the character by using personal relationships gave the actor the ability to discover connections with the character in …

Exposure To The Arts At Young Age Fosters Creativity In Children, Heather Gibson

UCF Forum

I recently ignored the cardinal rule of parenthood and kept my 2-year-old, Huck, awake during his normal naptime. I knew it was risky, but then, so is suggesting he wear a shirt that isn’t his favorite color orange, so I was willing to take my chances.