Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Mary Zimmerman’S Candide: A Journey Of Realization, Costume Design And Production For The 2013 Regional Non-Professional Premiere At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Mallory Maria Prucha

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

This thesis describes the research, Costume Design and implementation for the non-professional Regional Premiere of the musical Candide, newly adapted from Voltaire by Mary Zimmerman with music by Leonard Bernstein and additional lyrics by Richard Wilbur, Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, and Dorothy Parker., presented at Kimball Hall on February 21-24, 2013. Directed by Alisa Belflower, the production was a collaborative effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film and School of Music with Mallory Maria Prucha serving as Costume/Make-Up Designer, Michaela Lynne Stein as Scenic Designer, Clay VanWinkle as Lighting Designer and David …

Projection Based Design: A Collection Of Acquired Knowledge, Max Brown

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

The application of new technology in a classic medium, such as theatre, can be a strong force in creating a unique experience for both the audience and the designer. At first, introducing new media techniques may seem like a novelty and easily dismissed as a gimmick. The fact is the modern audience is more familiar with information displayed in video format and will find projected video elements implemented into the scenic design as another way to access the story the performers on stage are trying to convey. It is our duty as designers to utilize every tool at our disposal …

Teaching And Performing Theatre For Youth Using Physical Storytelling, Brooke Turner Alison

Theses and Dissertations

For children to enjoy theatre they must see a story played out physically. The same is true when children act. Young performers must be taught to act using a simplified version of the Stanislavski System that puts emphasis on playable action. This thesis evaluates current acting texts for youth based on whether or not the author is able to outline a method that is accessible for children, and highlights the importance of playable action in scene work. It also provides a guide to teaching theatre for youth based on a class of the author’s design where students developed curriculum, managed …

Guys And Dolls: The Process Of Becoming Sky Masterson, Peter Colombatto

Theses

In order to satisfy the requirements for a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Lindenwood University, I was required to perform a leading role in a production. In addition to the rehearsal and performance process, I am required to submit a thesis paper to supplement my experience. My proposal to perform the role of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls was accepted and the process began in the fall of 2012. Contrary to popular belief, Sky is a complex character that is more than just a typical leading male. Throughout the rehearsal process I was able to explore new …

Love Motivates All Things: An Analysis Of Peter Banholzer's 2013 Production Of A View From The Bridge, Peter Banholzer

Theses

Unavailable.

Staging An Epic Journey: Developing The Set Design For Naomi Iizuka's Anon(Ymous), Ashleigh Louise Burns

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In partial fulfillment of a Master of Fine Arts degree, this thesis paper will document the scenic design process of Naomi Iizuka's Anon(ymous), performed at the University of Arkansas in February, 2012. This paper will illustrate the approach taken by the designers and discuss the collaborative efforts of the design team and company of actors. The construction process and discoveries and decisions made during technical rehearsals will also be included.

This paper will attempt to answer the question: How do you stage the iconic and beloved story of The Odyssey with limited time, budget and skill? I will begin with …

An Exploration Of Moises Kaufman's 33 Variations Through Scenic Design, Ashley De Lys Harman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In partial fulfillment of a Master of Fine Arts degree, this thesis paper will document the scenic design process of Moises Kaufman's 33 Variations, performed at the University of Arkansas in September of 2012. This paper will map the collaborative journey taken by the design team, highlighting the dialogue between the scenic designer and director. It will also touch upon the construction and rehearsal process and how both contributed to the final design.

This thesis will attempt to answer the question: How do you create a fluid and evocative space for two separate, yet coexisting time periods joined through …

Decoding Acting Vocabulary, Daniel Granke

Theses and Dissertations

This paper compares seemingly similar words from a variety of acting teachers, and shows how it is impossible to draw clear comparisons between words that are often used as synonyms. The paper is a reflection of the journey from believing in translation to recognizing its impossibility. In Chapter 1 we focus on one of the most common elements in actor training, Attention/focus/concentration, and analyze the shades of meaning in those words and the difficulty of talking about them in isolation. In Chapter 2 we look at the way in which semiotic analysis can explain the words resistance to equivalence. In …

Shimmers Of Truth In The Art Of Theatre, Natasha M. Goetz

Senior Honors Theses

Many Christians have noted Romans 1:20’s statement that God is reflected in His creation. As a theater student, I have found this to be true even in how theatrical artists actually execute their craft. Thus, for my senior honors thesis I have decided to further study this connection between the Lord and theater, for which I expect to find more of what I have already found in parallels between the Christian walk and theater arts. For the completion of this thesis, research for theatrical content will include acting and design, and research for biblical content will include the Bible and …

His Right Eye: A Modern Radio Drama Adaptation Of Edgar Allan Poe’S “The Tell-Tale Heart”, Carson Burkett

Senior Honors Theses

Watching an actor manipulate emotions and physicality to breathe life into a character is extraordinary. Even more impressive is the ability of a performer to do this without being seen. Radio drama is an intriguing aspect of performance that is often underappreciated in current culture, but it can play an incredible role in communicating and allowing for emotion and truth to be presented richly.

Using Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” as the basis for this thesis, I have written a script for a radio drama that adapts the story for a modern culture. The Department of Theatre …

The Importance Of Being Earnest (April 18-20, 2013), Oscar Wilde

Student Theatre Programs

Program for The Importance of Being Earnest (April 18-20, 2013).

Theatre Triad: An Approach To Devising Collaborative Ensemble Theatre, Keith G. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

Theatre Triad is a new approach to devising collaborative ensemble theatre starting with the three main components of Performance: Voice, Movement, and Text. These components were deconstructed and reconstructed in pairs as the basis for the devising process. The performance process begins with creating an ensemble followed by four steps: exploring the theatrical genres affiliated with the pairings of Voice and Movement, Movement and Text, Voice and Text, and completed with reintegrating all three components. Through this process many things occur, a new play is created, ensemble members focus on exploring the elements of acting and performance, and a strong …

Orlando Program [2013], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2012-2013 Season

By Virginia Woolf

Adapted by Sarah Ruhl

Directed by Meghan Brodie

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

The Art Of Adaptation, Katharine E. Jordan

Honors Theses and Capstones

My honors thesis The Art of Adaptation discusses the process of adapting old stories and theatrical pieces for modern audiences through the exploration of various adaptations (theatrical, operatic, dance and film) of Euripides' Medea. It also touches on my own short, modern, adaptation; FURY: A Rock Musical Inspired by Medea. All of this research was important in making the performance aspect of my capstone the best it could be.

Guys And Dolls (March 14-17, 2013), Damon Runyon

Student Theatre Programs

Program for Guys and Dolls (March 14-17, 2013).

To view the photos from this production of Guys and Dolls, please click here.

Players: For Paul L. Coffey And Joshua Scharback, Theater Means Good Company, Robert Gillespie

Colby Magazine

Paul L. Coffey ’98 and Joshua Scharback ’98 discovered theater at Colby and have never doubted their calling.

Die Fledermaus Program [2013], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2012-2013 Season

Operetta by Johann Strauss

Directed by Assunta Kent

Musical Direction by Ellen Chickering

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

Literature And The Study Of Intermediality: A Book Review Article On New Work By Grishakova And Ryan And Carvalho Homem, Ioan-Flaviu Patrunjel, Asunción López-Varela

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

A View From The Bridge (February 7-9, 2013), Arthur Miller

Student Theatre Programs

Program for A View from the Bridge (February 7-9, 2013).

The Zoo Story And The American Dream Program, University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2012-2013 Season

By Edward Albee

Directed by William Steele

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

Sheridan's Promising Tale Is Half Told, Ian Kilroy

Articles

Review of 'Break a Leg', the memoir by Irish theatre artist Peter Sheridan. First published in the Sunday Business Post Magazine.

Romeo And Juliet Poster, Mary Moynihan

Concert Programmes

Poster for Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, directed by Mary Moynihan, BA in Drama (Performance) Graduating Production at Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin, 2013

Programe For Witness - Season Of Plays At Project Arts Centre Dublin By Smashing Times Theatre, Mary Moynihan

Concert Programmes

Theatre Programme 2013 for production of Witness - Season of Smashing Times plays, readings, performances at Project Arts Centre, Dublin, 5-9 November 2013, featuring professional productions of three plays: Testimonies, Thou Shalt Not Kill, Uprising and showcase reading of new work read by BA in Drama (Performance) students from DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama.

Romeo And Juliet Invitation, Mary Moynihan

Concert Programmes

Invitation for Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, directed by Mary Moynihan, BA in Drama (Performance) Graduating Production at Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin, 2013

Speaking Franco: Francisco Franco And The Evolution Of Spanish Artistic Voice, Kathryn Lea

The Corinthian

Throughout history and across the globe examples of political regimes’ ability to control and shape the artistic canon of their peoples abound. Fascist regimes across the world have demonstrated the power of the state to influence and manipulate the public consciousness through art, and perhaps nowhere was this phenomenon more profoundly felt than in twentieth century Europe as Spain struggled under the dictatorial oppression of Francisco Franco.

Kiss Me, Kate Critical Edition, David Charles Abell, Seann Alderking, Cole Porter, Samuel Spewack, Bella Spewack, Robert Russell Bennett, Don Walker, Walter Paul, Robert H. Noeltner, Freddie Bretherton, Genevieve Pitot

Cole Porter Critical Edition

No abstract provided.

Remembering Thespis: How Former Student Actors Value Their Experiences In High School Plays, Michael Edgar Butterworth

Wayne State University Dissertations

The high school play is an iconic pastime in many schools across the United States. Historically, educators, and scholars often characterize the school play as a performance of a script by an established playwright presented in a school in a manner that replicates the standards of professional theatre. Current scholars and educators discuss the school play as the latter part of a continuum that runs from informal dramatic play to formal presentation in front of an audience. Although scholarship in theatre education regularly discusses the school play as one of the most prevalent forms of theatre education, scholarly studies of …

Myths Of The House Theatre Of Chicago (2002-2007): A Dramaturgical Study Of Chicago's "Next Big Thing", Matthew Foss

Wayne State University Dissertations

In 2002, Chicago's theatre critics targeted The House as the next big story in the city's theatre community. The House's first play, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan was a critical and financial hit for the young company. Peter Pan began a five-year period of nearly unprecedented success for The House. During this time, many discussions about The House dealt with a perceived mythical quality to the type of plays the young company was creating. This study examines this question of myth in The House's plays by creating a dramaturgy that incorporates the myth theory of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Vladimir Propp …

The Creation Of "Behind The Vote," A One-Person Play, Jennifer E. Ballard

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis discusses the inspiration, creation and performance of Jenny Ballard’s one-woman show, Behind the Vote, which was the other half of the thesis requirement in order to complete the Master of Fine Arts program in Theatre Performance. Behind the Vote examines the importance and meaning of voting, both during the women’s suffrage movement and in the present, as seen through the eyes of three contemporary women, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This thesis contains Ballard’s inspirations for the project; her research materials about Stanton and Anthony and her source materials for her contemporary characters, including Facebook messages …

From Thin Air : The Creation Of A New American Musical, Jason Bayle

LSU Master's Theses

During the fall of 2011 and spring of 2012, each MFA candidate began work on solo theatre projects ranging in a wide array of topics and genres. The goal was not to present a complete piece of theatre necessarily, but begin work on a project that could continue as we left LSU. Instead of constructing a solo piece, the faculty and I agreed that I could begin work on a multi-actor script based on the concept of setting a collection of country songs close friends of mine wrote as a new musical. I would create the story, write as much …