Playwriting Commons^™

Paul Ibell: Tennessee Williams, Verna Foster

Department of Fine & Performing Arts: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A review of Paul Ibell's Tennessee Williams, written by Verna Foster.

I Am Here Now: A Play – And – Polyvocality, The Unhomely, And The Methods Of Mike Leigh In Playwriting: An Exegesis, Michael Mccall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of the research was to investigate how the devising methods of theatre and film director Mike Leigh might generate material for a new play text and what the implications were in regards to authorship. Central to the research was an exploration of the collaborative devising processes of Leigh as a point of origin and how this might lead to an intended and deliberate case for a plurality of voices in a written play text. It was conducted with a focus on utilising many voices. In this instance the ‘voices’ were young participants from Perth’s African Australian community. The …

Mutations Dans L’Écriture Théâtrale Au Burkina Faso De 1980 À Nos Jours, Hamadou Mandé

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

This article takes an analytical look at the evolution of drama writing in Burkina Faso from 1980 to the present. Based mainly on a corpus of five dramatic texts of five renowned authors, it shows how in form as in content, the theatrical text has undergone important changes that respond to a socio-cultural rooting need but also a determination to stick to current realities. The study is based on methodological resources of the theatrical text analyses resulting from mixed approaches combining the work of Anne Ubersfeld, Patrice Pavis and Sylvie Chalaye.

Staging A Life: An Interview With John J. Winters, Benjamin Carson

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

The New Shakespearean Stage: Minimalist Theatre And Spectacle Through Text, Andrew R. Morrison

Theatre & Dance ETDs

In this essay, I will explore my development as a playwright during my time at UNM, and the emphasis I have placed on experimental productions with minimal budget. This culminates in a style of playwriting in which spectacle is created through text, which I name the New Shakespearean Stage, employed in my plays The Break and Welcome to Retroland.

From Playwriting To Production, Lauren Wade

Senior Honors Projects

Theater has been a beloved art form for centuries, originating in Ancient Greek times and evolving into what we know today. For as long as I can remember I have been involved in theater, performing in my own school plays starting in elementary school and, upon entering high school, assisting the middle school next door in their productions. While I have been studying acting here at the University of Rhode Island, I have also had the opportunity to expand my knowledge in many aspects of stagecraft including stage management, costume and set design, set construction and scenic painting, and more …

The Female Writer And Her Female Characters: A Coming Of Age Story, Stephanie N. Grilo

Theatre & Dance ETDs

In this essay, I review my growth and learning as a playwright in this MFA program. I position my play, Red Dirt, within the context of psychoanalysis and feminist theory as a study of the behavioral patterns that emerge when female melancholia and violent masculinity collide. I examine the praxis of my writing and research methodologies, as well as the technical, thematic, and academic aspects of my writing practice.

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 …

Bonding Theatre And Chemistry: An Educational Exploration, Matthew Gurniak

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This paper analyzes the educational aspects of theatre and music and the impact that they have on an audience. The goal was to begin a new conversation about science and theatre and how the two can learn and gain unique insight from each other. To examine how these two antithetical fields can interact, I composed a new, innovative musical that tells the love story between two professors through the use of concepts from general chemistry. The results and responses from the performance of the play were overwhelmingly positive from members of both disciplines. They have inspired continued interest in this …

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 …

Chatterbox, Rebecca Sanchez

Theatre & Dance ETDs

This essay articulates the creative process and artistic influences of two plays written by Rebecca M. Sánchez. The plays, Chatterbox and Re: Living are influenced by a variety of artists including Emilio Carballido and Maria Irene Fornes. Chatterbox details the ill fated love of Valentina and Marco. In both linear and memory sequences the audience can view the complexity of obsession, and the role of perception and memory in reality. Re: Living begins and ends with four university professors locked in a campus closet during an active shooter situation. This play address a normalized state of violence and emergency preparedness …

Fragmenting Kill/Shot, Rachel Washington

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In "Fragmenting Kill/Shot", I will explore how my play Kill/Shot changed over the course of the rehearsal and production process. I will explain and defend stylistic choices I made for this play, including how the others on the production team interpreted those stylistic choices. Finally, I will explore how changes to the script can help protect the play from being misinterpreted in the future.

Chaffin, Cyndi M. (Sc 1290), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1290. Research paper, written 1981 or later, by WKU student Cyndi Chaffin, titled “Russell Miller and His Contributions to the Theatre in Bowling Green [Kentucky] from 1947-1968.” Miller taught drama and speech and directed theater productions at WKU.

The Birth Of A Playwright Through The Evolution Of The One-Act Play Stripped, Bear; The Film Stripped, Bear; And The Full-Length Play American Bear, Larry Michael Mitchell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Birth of a Playwright through the Evolution of the One-act Play Stripped, Bear; the film Stripped, Bear; and the Full-Length Play American Bear follows the inception, birth, and evolution of a ten-minute, one-act, film, and full-length play: three major iterations of the same source material. Through this exploration, the reader will not only see how the work was changed through outside forces such as form and function but internal struggles within a young playwright as he struggles to find a final form for his first major work while attempting to establish himself as a playwright both within the field …

The Lab Report, Volume 06, Issue 03, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Rebecca Osborne's Monologue Performed in Manhattan
• Student Spotlight: Willett, Suzanne
• Guest Profile: Scott Bradley
• JAW Festival features Elizabeth Heffron
• The Girl With Her Hands in the Sand at NYI Fringe Festival
• War Bride by Samantha Macher
• Open Call for Submissions
• From the Director: Your Public Profile

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 12, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Decision Height produced as Hollins Senior Thesis
• Student Spotlight: Meredith Levy
• Report from the Iowa New Play Festival
• To The New Girl Read in Chicago
• May Graduate: Samantha Macher
• The Weatherman Project Read at Seattle Rep Writers Group Showcase
• May Graduate: Kris Knutsen Marushy
• May Graduate: Maura Campbell
• May Graduate: Neeley Gossett
• May Readings at SkyPilot Feature Hollins Playwrights
• May Graduate: Brandon DuMonde
• Dirty Pictures by Jeri Weiss Part of Asphalt Jungle Shorts in Ontario
• Purge by Jeri Weiss Produced at Studio 81
• If You Plan It, He Will Come by Neeley Gossett Produced by Working Title Playwrights
• From the …

The Development And Debut Of Adam Esquenazi Douglas' Play "Murder And The English Gentleman", Adam Esquenazi Douglas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the development process of the creation of a new playscript, "Murder and the English Gentleman", an adaptation of the short story "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" by Oscar Wilde. The play is a wild, comedy-of-manners presented in classic Wildean 19th century drawing room style. The document details the process of getting this script from short story to script to stage. Also included are some of the play's most significant drafts, the original short story by Wilde, production and rehearsal journals, and production photos. The play was presented by the University of Arkansas' Boar's …

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 08, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Darlene Fedele Teaching at Ferrum College
• We Have Achieved Our Fundraising Goal!
• Guest Profile: Lisa Schlesinger
• Guest Profile: Brett Neveu
• Formation of the New Works Advisory Board
• Plane Talk at SkyPilot Features Hollins Playwrights
• Shifting Gears by Jeri Weiss at Fronkensteen
• Young Actors Studio Commissions Samantha Macher
• Hollins Playwright Wins Monologue Competition
• The Muse Factory by Robert Plowman Workshopped
• Clinton Johnston Directs Night of the Iguana
• Sandbox Radio Features Work by Elizabeth Heffron
• Short Plays at SkyPilot Include Hollins Playwrights
• From the Director: Who's a Starving Artist?

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 07, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Tesseract Theatre Calls for Submissions
• Student Spotlight: Taylor Gruenloh
• Guest Profile: Gina Kaufmann
• Last Hope for Twenty Miles by Ricky Steven Young
• War Bride Read at SkyPilot
• No Shame Central Coast Celebrates First Anniversary
• Fast N' Loose #40 Includes Hollins Playwright
• Mary’s Dream by Yulia Gray
• 12 Plays of Christmas at SkyPilot
• The Perfect Gift by Wendy-Marie Foerster at Secret Rose Theatre
• Clarissa's Cat by Darlene Fedele at James River Conference Center
• After Hours at the Dead Legend at University of Great Falls
• Consider a Year End Gift to the New Works Initiative
• From the Director: What's in Your Manifesto?

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 06, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• No Shame Theatre Turns 25 in Iowa and 8 in Roanoke.
• Guest Profile: Mead Hunter
• Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of America
• Hollins Playwright at Playwrights Theatre Center Colony
• Nicole B. Adkins Plays in Indiana and Utah
• National Playwriting Month
• Brown Paper Tickets
• Earthbound: An Electronica Musical
• A Woman of Independent Means Returns Hollins Playwright to Campus
• Passing of Professor Klaus Phillips
• Film Features MFA Playwright Chad Runyon
• From the Director: Big Theatres Can Be Big Tents for Small Organizations

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 05, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Guest Profile: Peter Ullian
• Student Spotlight: Avis Gray
• Confirmed Faculty and Guests for 2012
• Mitzi's Abortion at Infinite Abyss in Miami
• Fronkensteen Announces Open Play Submissions
• Yulia Gray Opens Breast Cancer Play
• Best of No Shame Returns to the Waldron
• Luis and the Great Field Trip Adventure by Wendy-Marie Foerster and Jason Miller
• Sandbox Radio 2 Features Elizabeth Heffron
• October graduate Sunny da Silva
• October graduate: Adam Hahn
• Samantha Macher's LA Success Story
• From the Director: Get Practical Experience in the Medium You're Writing For

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 04, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• YouthPLAYS to Publish New Play By Jeri Weiss
• Student Spotlight: Jeri Weiss
• Guest Profile: Todd London
• Outrageous Fortune
• Uncertainty Theory By Maura Campbell Published
• Kenley Smith Named Resident Playwright
• Roanoke Community High School Performance Space Opens with No Shame
• Ruth's Story by Marshall Opie produced in Washington DC
• MFA Students Initiate 10-Minute Play Workshops
• Taylor Gruenloh in The Pillowman
• Directing Workshop with Bob Moss
• Lab Playwrights Present Drama Camp in Los Angeles
• From the Director: Our Students Work and their Work Gets Done

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 03, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Guest Profile: Sandra Hosking
• Student Spotlight: Ricky Steven Young
• To The New Girl, by Samantha Macher, opens in Los Angeles
• Professional Reading and Another Published Play for Neeley Gossett
• Man with Wings by Ben R. Williams at Studio Roanoke
• The Aesop Project at SkyPilot Theatre Features Hollins Playwrights
• MFA Playwright Adam Hahn Wed In Wyndham Robertson Library
• No Shame on the Move Again
• Robert Plowman Completes MacDowell Colony Residency
• Hollins Graduate Gives $1000 Gift to New Works Initiative Fund!
• The Terrorism of Everyday Life by Hamell on Trial at Hollins
• From the Director: Playwriting for Dummies

The Development And Production Of Justin Blasdel's Play Your Last Friend, Inc., Justin Morgan Blasdel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis details the process of the creation of the new script, Your Last Friend, Inc., a play about two conmen who realize that selling death isn't nearly as easy as selling life to the hopeless. It follows the many evolutions of the script; from the first version developed in the Graduate Playwriting class all the way to the final production at Boar's Head Players 2010 New Play Showcase at Nadine Baum Studios at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The playwright's choice to add humor to a serious topic is challenged, the characters actions face outside opinions, and …

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 02, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Student Spotlight: Marshall Opie
• Messages to You by Sunny da Silva at Studio Roanoke
• Guest Profile: W. David Hancock
• Reading of Hancock's SECONDS at Mill Mountain Theatre
• Elizabeth Heffron's Radio Play in SANDBOX RADIO Live!
• Overnight Sensations at Mill Mountain Theatre
• Adam Hahn's Adaptation of King Kong at Studio Roanoke
• Performance by Café Antarsia Ensemble
• Guest Profile: John Bergman
• 2011 Festival of Student Readings
• From the Director: Summer Session Recap

The Lab Report, Volume 05, Issue 01, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Summer Event Schedule
• Guest Profile: Mac Wellman
• Frogger by Adam Hahn at Studio Roanoke
• Guest Profile: Cheryl Snodgrass on Directing New Plays
• Two Short Plays by Samantha Macher Featured in Happening at Hell-Tro Theatre Collective in Brooklyn
• Hollywood Fringe Festival Features Clinton Johnston's Am I Black Enough Yet?
• Dramatists Guild Conference
• From the Director: Excitement about the summer session

The Lab Report, Volume 04, Issue 11, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Theatrical Gems and the Broadway for Broke People Cabaret
• Student Spotlight: Rebecca Quirk
• To The New Girl From the Former Mrs... by Samantha Macher at Manhattan Rep
• The White Door by Royal Shiree read at Randolph College
• Nicole B. Adkins wins National Playwriting Workshop Award
• Book Roots
• From the Director: Controversial Work and the Writer's Responsibility

The Lab Report, Volume 04, Issue 10, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• Summer 2011 Course Offerings
• Student Spotlight: Yulia Gray
• BOOTH by W. David Hancock
• SETC 2011
• From the Director: Backtalk, Navigating Post Show Discussions

The Lab Report, Volume 04, Issue 09, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• The (Brand) New Testament by Kenley Smith
• Student Spotlight: Anne G’Fellers-Mason
• Guest Profile: Ken Dingledine
• Out of Control,Two One-Act Plays by Maura Campbell
• SkyPilot's Showcase of Short Plays Features Hollins Playwrights
• Neeley Gossett to Participate in Ethel Woolson Lab
• Royal Shiree's dun been thru it
• From the Director: Are there really too many theatres?

The Lab Report, Volume 04, Issue 08, Todd Ristau

Lab Reports

• New No Shame in San Luis Obispo
• Student Spotlight: Wendy-Marie Foerster
• Guest Profile: David Gothard
• Fast & Loose Features Hollins Playwright and Faculty Member
• Nicole B. Adkins Published and Named Children's Programming Director at SkyPilot Theatre
• From the Director: Passing of Ellen Stewart