Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Ruby Dee, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Ruby Dee.

Sidney Poitier, Jocelyn L. Buckner

Theatre Faculty Books and Book Chapters

An overview of the life, work, and impact of Sidney Poitier.

When Actors Don’T Walk The Talk: Parasocial Relationships Moderate The Effect Of Actor-Character Incongruence, Riva Tukachinsky

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The study examines the effect of a narrative that featured an actor playing a counterattitudinal role. Participants read an online magazine interview with a popular comedian and then watched a sitcom in which this actor played a role that was either consistent or inconsistent with his personal views. Parasocial relationships with the actor moderated the effect of actor-character incongruence. Specifically, incongruence was associated with lower support for narrative-related attitudes, but only among viewers with weak parasocial relationships. These results provide evidence of the existence of vicarious cognitive dissonance, wherein witnessing another person’s hypocritical behavior produces attitude change in the observer.

The Process And Impact Of Professional Collaboration In An Arts Integration Education, Rachel Marina Chambers

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In the fall of 20 14, I began student teaching at Wallace School of Integrated Arts in Kokomo, Indiana. Under the guidance of my cooperating teacher, Lashaya Williams, and our co-teacher, Abigail McClure, I was given the chance to educate fifth grade students and further develop my personal understanding of authentic arts integration (AAI), which is defined by the Kennedy Center as follows: "Arts Integration is an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives …

Of The Beast, Leila Teitelman

Theater Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

‘The 39 Steps’ Of Stage Management: An Analysis Of The Evolution Of Professional Stage Managment Practices And Their Application At Otterbein University's Department Of Theatre 2011-Present, Grace K. Murrin

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

One of the most vital roles in the theatrical world is that of the stage manager. The stage manager’s job is to manage everything that happens on the stage. They create schedules, manage actors, keep track of props, set pieces, and costumes, record blocking, and call the show. The stage manager is the glue that holds the production together. They act as a facilitator, conductor, advisor, and leader. For my honors thesis project, I have explored stage management methods as they have developed and changed over time. I have applied four new-to-Otterbein methods of stage management through my stage management …

Voice Types Of Opera Villains: Collaborative Study Of Vocal Tessituras Of Villains And Heroes In Opera, Michael Cantrell

Undergraduate Research Journal

A large bounty of characters can come from a single voice type. A coloratura soprano can be a villainess such as the Queen of the Night from Die Zauberflöte, or a damsel-in-distress like Gilda in Rigoletto. Although this disambiguation occurs between voice types, it rarely occurs within a single opera. In any entertainment setting, the relationship between protagonists and antagonists is the strongest piece of the story, and also the most polar. Contrasting themes of “light vs. dark” and “good vs. evil” accompany entire premises of the stories. In opera, these famous themes never fail in the storyline or in …

At Face Value: Investigating Perception Through Photographs, Dominic Dipaolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"At Face Value: Investigating Perception through Portraiture" is a body of work that examines how people process their perception in imagery. The Deadpan Aesthetic, photographic truth and American identity are discussed, as well as the amount of influence a photographer has in his work. Since perception is defined as an understanding of setting via the senses, I hope to challenge viewers by employing strategies to destabilize the viewer's reception of my photographs.

The User Experience Of Disney Infinity: Do Smart Toys Matter?, Shelly Welch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated what factors come into play when looking at the user experience involved with the commercial video game Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition), and sought to determine if the unique combination between sandbox and smart toy based gameplay present in gameplay offers an additional level of immersion. This study analyzed the effect of Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition) on immersion utilizing a Game Immersion Questionnaire modified to analyze play preference as well as video game experience. The study methodology analyzed 48 users while playing in "Toy Box" mode both with and without the associated smart toys, or Disney characters. Results …

A 'Paradox Of Expression': Bertolt Brecht's Verfremdungseffekt In Performance, Cohen L. Ambrose Mr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Tennessee Williams' "Plastic Theater" A Formulation Of Dramaturgy For "The American Method" Theater, Peter A. Philips

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Co-Authorship In Action: Curation & Collaboration In American Post-Judson Dance, Sara Gibbons

Honors Theses

This essay aims to illuminate and champion concert dance through an investigation into a sliver of American postmodern dance, which I term post-Judson dance, in an attempt to better understand, define, and assert dance in academe, art, and culture. This thesis examines the use and benefits of collaboration in today’s dance devising processes and the influences that constructed collaboration as a choreographic working method. Through historical, theoretical, contemporary, and practice-based evidence, this essay argues that through choreographer and performer participation, leading to the transformation of content, style, structure, and discovery, choreographers harvest an expansive collection of information that they use …

The Fatal Lamp And The Nightmare After Christmas: The 1811 Richmond Theatre Fire, Amber Marie Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE FATAL LAMP AND THE NIGHTMARE AFTER CHRISTMAS: THE RICHMOND THEATRE FIRE OF 1811

By Amber Marie Martinez, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Pedagogy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015

Director: Dr. Noreen C. Barnes, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Theatre

“How strange a preface the loud laughter excited by a pantomime, to volumes of smoke and fire” (The American Standard, 27 December 1811). Building fires were not exactly uncommon back in the …

The Theatre Missionary: Exploring The Early Career Teaching Experiences Of Theatre Educators Through Artistic Inquiry, Robert Andrew Strickland

Educational Studies Dissertations

For educators entering a fine arts classroom for the first time the transition can be quite difficult. Fine arts teachers are often the only specialists in their subject area at a school, placing them in a new situation without a mentor to guide them through the process. The difficulties can be exacerbated by the ideological, financial, and social marginalization of the arts in many schools. Despite the challenges faced by new fine arts educators, little research has focused specifically on their transitions into K-12 classrooms. To explore these transitional experiences this study was guided by the research question: How do …

Redefining Irishness: Fragmentation Or Intercultural Exchange, Rania M Rafik Khalil

English Language and Literature

The traditional definition of Irishness has been overwritten by internationalization, cultural and political discourses. Globalisation today sets the ground for the redefinition of a “new Ireland” altering the ethnocultural base to the definitions of Irish national identity. Recent cultural criticism on modern Irish studies have described the Irish nation as undergoing moments of crisis and instability within a global context. This paper explores and analyzes the process by which literary dramatic works dealing with Irish national distinctiveness have been put subject to being written and re-written as the Irish nation passes through periods of instabilities and problematisations. Ireland has been …

The Story Of Us: College As A Modern Rite Of Passage For Emerging Adults, Tamara Ulana Bodnar

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The movement from adolescence to adulthood has often been identified by certain rites of passage across cultures. These rites are ceremonious, ritualistic events such as a bar/bat mitzvah, marriage, and graduation, They indicate a transition from one stage of life to another and sometimes contain difficult obstacles and challenges that assist in the maturation process. College provides contemporary American students with a modern rite of passage; it is a time of transition between youth and the "real world" of adulthood. At its core, the purpose of going to college is to become educated, so that by the time one leaves, …

Genu Recurvatum In Dance Training: Assessing And Addressing The Structural Deformity In Dancers, Anne Mercedes Mushrush

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Genu recurvatum is a medical condition in which the knee curves baac kwar d past the normal range of extension predominantly in the sagittal plane. Hyperextension can be attributed to extra laxity in the body, therefore the surrounding ligaments of the knee allow for the femur and tibia to be placed past a sagittal alignment of 180°, which is the possible knee extension of normal knee alignment. Genu recurvatum, medically viewed as a deformity, is desirable and considered a positive attribute in the dance world, especially classical ballet. Hyperextension also makes the line of the leg appear longer and straighter …

"Trying To Resurrect People": Musical Theater And Theater For Social Change In Witness Uganda, Emilie Jensen

Honors Theses

In spring 2014, the musical Witness Uganda premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA. Written by Griffin Matthews and Matt Gould, the show takes on the problematic idea of aid work in the United States and worldwide. In this thesis, I look at Witness Uganda in relationship to theater for social change. Theater for social change is theater that actively works for social justice. In studying Witness Uganda, I investigate the possibilities and challenges of creating a piece of commercial musical theater that could be considered theater for social change.

Rediscovering Vaudeville: Influences On Film And Theatre, Audra Leigh Edwards

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The greatest thing that vaudeville contributed to the legitimate theatre and to films was talented artists. Many performers who became well known on the stage and screen began in vaudeville. It even occurred that performers with hardly any training at all had an opportunity to perform on vaudeville, and after some time became some of the best performers America has seen. Vaudeville is significant not only because it was an important part of American history in general, but also because it created and trained many artists for successful careers, particularly in film and radio. Without it, many famous and influential …

Exploring The Relationship Between Text And Dance: Seeking Music In Spoken Word, Anastasia Ellis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

I assert that dance exists as more than a worthwhile ,inventive ,and ever-advancing art form; it also thrives as a language. The language of dance cannot say everything on its own, for body language is limited to the interpretive. Yet, speech carries limitations as well. Spoken language houses the potential for dishonesty and fails to encompass all that we notably call thought, seeing as the human mind can think in pictures and invent concepts that present themselves without labels. The two languages therefore have the opportunity to complete each other-an opportunity that I, as a dancer and choreographer, fully believe …

Ua68/17/3 Potter College Of Arts & Letters Theatre & Dance Film/Video/Audio File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Recordings of Theatre & Dance performances.

Ua1c11/66 Western Players / Summer Players Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs of Western Players and Summer Players productions, participants, and other activities.

Ua94/7/2 Student/Alumni Personal Papers Training School Mary Grise, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Mary Grise and collected by her during her years at College High. Mary participated in forensics, drama and music festivals hosted by Western Kentucky University and other organizations in Kentucky. She was elected as a delegate to the American Legion's Girl State and went on to represent Kentucky in Washington, D.C. at Girls Nation. The collection includes scrapbooks, correspondence and papers related to all her college activities. Photographs have been removed to UA1C11.69 Mary Grise Photograph Collection.

Ua68/17/2 Potter College Of Arts & Letters Theatre & Dance Western Players / Summer Players, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about the Western Players theater group including the Summer Players.

"Trigger" For Change: Theatre As A Tool For Social Dialogue, Sydoney B. Blackmore

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Trigger for Change: Theatre as a Tool for Social Dialogue was a project consisting of three main parts oriented toward promoting dialogue on the University of Montana campus about sexual assault. The first part was a company-constructed multimedia presentation that quickly introduced the audience to facts, figures, and perspectives regarding sexual assault. The second was a performance of Carmen Aguirre's The Trigger, a stage play about the playwright’s experience before, during, and after her rape, with other characters’ perspectives interjected throughout. The purpose of this performance was to provide an experience for the audience that promoted empathy and critical …

Sound Design For Our Town, Anna Warda Alex

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre. It is a detailed account of the author, Anna Warda Alex's artistic process in developing the sound design for Minnesota State University, Mankato's production of Our Town in the fall of 2014. The thesis documents the designer's process from the pre-production analysis through the designer's afterthoughts on the design in five chapters: a pre-production analysis, an historical and critical perspective, a process and rehearsal journal, a post-production analysis and a process development. Appendices and works cited are included.

Ten Klicks South Of Whiskey : A Play In Three Acts, Ryan Jeffrey Smithson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ten Klicks South of Whiskey is a stage performance in three acts, consisting mostly of monologues from soldiers of various backgrounds. It follows the trials of 4th platoon, Delta Troop, 463rd Cavalry Squadron, a fictional unit that achieves a near-mythic reputation of heroism and invulnerability in Iraq. As the monologues begin to reveal, however, not every tale about the 463rd can be substantiated. The audience is first challenged to search for truth and then to understand that truth is not the ultimate--or even the desired--goal of war stories.

Shakespearean Avatars : Modern African And South-East Asian Adaptations, Rebekah Bale

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

My dissertation looks at adaptation of plays by Shakespeare in African and Asian contexts. It focuses on how and why certain writers from a post-colonial background use Shakespeare as a basis for their adaptation. I consider contemporary adaptations from the 1960s to the 1990s. My aim is to focus on adaptations that are distinctly indigenous in terms of place and time, but remain connected to an influential Shakespearean play. I focus on adaptations that were written during the post-colonial period in order to investigate how literary adaptations are mediated through politically diverse landscapes both in Africa and Asia.

Pseudolus At The Ludimegalenses: Re-Creating Roman Comedy In Context, Nancy Sultan

Scholarship

style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This is a post-production report on a student reenactment of the Roman Ludi Megalenses (Megalensia), including a ludus scaenicus, at Illinois Wesleyan University in May 2013. Students studied and re-created some of the rituals commonly associated in antiquity with the worship of the Magna Mater, including a procession of both Phrygian worshippers and Roman citizens and a staged reading of Plautus’ Pseudolus in Latin and English. We grappled with questions of text and metatheatricality, theatrical and sacred space, actors, music, movement, costumes (including masks), authenticity, audience reception and occasion. The reenactment allowed us to gain a …

“The Astonishing Career Of Heinrich Conried”, William Grange

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Faculty Publications and Creative Activity

Heinrich Conried was the most significant actor-director-manager the German theatre in the United States ever produced. In a career that spanned over three decades in theatres from the Bowery to the Metropolitan Opera Company, few individuals–regardless of the language in which they worked–matched his remarkable achievements. Beginning as an actor and Oberspielleiter in 1878, Conried worked in various professional New York venues continuously until his untimely death in 1909, and during that time there were only five years in which he did not work exclusively in the German language–and those five years were the ones he ran the Metropolitan Opera.