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Theatre and Performance Studies

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Articles 1 - 30 of 180

Full-Text Articles in Speech and Rhetorical Studies

Reading Exercise (You Are The Hero): Dedicated To The Providence River Under The Mall, 02.17.2026, Deborah Fischer May 2026

Reading Exercise (You Are The Hero): Dedicated To The Providence River Under The Mall, 02.17.2026, Deborah Fischer

Masters Theses

This play uses the performative potential of guilt, forgiveness, and self-help techniques as a catalyst for a new dynamic, one in which the pursuit of a false narrative, along with the structures it generates, becomes more real than reality itself. It employs “bad acting” and the practice of cold reading to stage a series of acts that function as an entry point into one’s own psyche, leveraging the peripheral space around familiar actions to allow chance, free will, and the experience of “real time” to temporarily come into effect. PLAYER 1: The bad actor is the most utopian one. CLOWN: …

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Exploring The Shadows: How Taylor Swift's Music Embodies Dark Sound As A Popular Music Artist, Kristyn E. Cole Jan 2025

Exploring The Shadows: How Taylor Swift's Music Embodies Dark Sound As A Popular Music Artist, Kristyn E. Cole

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

To challenge the conceptual matter of “dark sound”, this major research paper centers around the popular music artist, Taylor Swift to demonstrate an overarching feminist wisdom in an alternative style of music to identify how Taylor Swift presents and embodies qualities of “dark sound”. Research done by D. Ferrett, Theodor Adorno, Roland Barthes and Paul C. Jasen are used to examine her popular music, and its intersections and influence on our culture and society. Using multimodal critical discourse analysis, this research paper discusses three of Swift’s songs; “willow” (evermore, 2020) for her sound, All Too Well: The Short …

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"These Lyrics But It's The Opening Of A Ted Talk" - A Public Speaking Activity Inspired By Tiktok, Abby Ferrell Aug 2024

"These Lyrics But It's The Opening Of A Ted Talk" - A Public Speaking Activity Inspired By Tiktok, Abby Ferrell

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This activity encourages students to practice delivery skills in a fun and laid-back way that connects to social media. This activity can be used in-person or online and is intended for public speaking, oral/interpersonal communication, and introductory theatre classes. Based on content creator Madeleine Chalk’s “These lyrics but it’s the opening of a TED Talk” videos, students will deliver song lyrics as if they were giving a TED talk. In doing so, they will practice delivery skills such as eye contact, vocal variety, and body language. After the activity, students will debrief on the mechanics of delivery, audience engagement, and …

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Designing A Drama-Based Arts Ministry For The North 10th And Treadaway Church Of Christ, Curtis Alexander King Dec 2023

Designing A Drama-Based Arts Ministry For The North 10th And Treadaway Church Of Christ, Curtis Alexander King

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The North 10th and Treadaway Church of Christ (“Treadaway”) is a small, predominantly African American congregation located in Abilene, Texas, home of Abilene Christian University (“ACU”) and several other institutions of higher learning. Considering ACU’s Church of Christ heritage and continued affiliation with the Churches of Christ, it is no surprise that Treadaway has often served as a “home away from home” congregation for ACU students and recent graduates who choose to remain in the city. The level of integration of the students from ACU and other local colleges into the life and ministry of Treadaway has varied greatly over …

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Stand-Up Comedy Visualized, Berna Yenidogan Feb 2023

Stand-Up Comedy Visualized, Berna Yenidogan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Stand-up comedy has become an increasingly popular form of comedy in the recent years and comedians reach audiences beyond the halls they are performing through streaming services, podcasts and social media. While comedic performances are typically judged by how 'funny' they are, which could be proxied by the frequency and intensity of laughs through the performance, comedians also explore untapped social issues and provoke conversation, especially in this age where interaction with artists goes beyond their act. It is easy to see commonalities in the topics addressed in comedians’ work such as relationships, race and politics.This project provides an interactive …

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Full Volume, Nfa Journal Dec 2022

Full Volume, Nfa Journal

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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Front Matter, Nfa Journal Dec 2022

Front Matter, Nfa Journal

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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Rehearsing With Imagined Interactions Theory: Exploring Imagined Interactions As Framework For Ensemble And Solo Performance Rehearsals, Joshua Hamzehee Dec 2022

Rehearsing With Imagined Interactions Theory: Exploring Imagined Interactions As Framework For Ensemble And Solo Performance Rehearsals, Joshua Hamzehee

National Forensic Journal

How should I practice is a common question that comes up while teaching performance and public speaking classes, when directing and performing in productions, and when coaching and competing for forensics squads. This essay provides a rationale for fusing Honeycutt’s imagined interactions theory (2003) with performance rehearsal processes, employing research guiding retroactive and proactive imagined interactions as a template to frame rehearsals that have the purpose of future actor ó spectator engagement. I use my experiences applying imagined interactions to an ensemble performance rehearsal and during a solo performance rehearsal to show the usefulness, limitations, and potentials of this methodological …

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An Experiment Testing The Influence Of Oral Interpretation On Entertainment And Persuasion, Shane Semmler, Megan Swets, Bailey Quanbeck, Blake Warner Dec 2022

An Experiment Testing The Influence Of Oral Interpretation On Entertainment And Persuasion, Shane Semmler, Megan Swets, Bailey Quanbeck, Blake Warner

National Forensic Journal

A post-test only experimental design evaluated the empirical influence of three 2016 National Forensic Association final round oral interpretation performances (two Dramatic Interpretations and one Prose Interpretation) on entertainment (parasocial interaction, identification, and narrative transportation); the capacity of entertainment to elicit enjoyment; and the capacity of entertainment to elicit persuasion (i.e., changes to attitude valence and attitude importance) through the mediating process of reduced counterarguing against subjective interpretations of arguments in the oral interpretation performances. The influence of oral interpretation on entertainment, enjoyment, counterarguing, and persuasion was substantially similar to that found in the larger body of empirical scholarship investigating …

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Resisting And Persisting Through Organizational Exit: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Disclosing Sexual Harassment In Collegiate Debate, M. A., Tennley A. Vik Dec 2022

Resisting And Persisting Through Organizational Exit: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Disclosing Sexual Harassment In Collegiate Debate, M. A., Tennley A. Vik

National Forensic Journal

Collegiate debate has documented extensive problems with sexual harassment. This manuscript uses the first author’s layered account of sexual harassment experienced as a collegiate debater, her transition to a different university, and the management of private information with her family. Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory and a plethora of studies provide a theoretical lens of the first author’s autoethnographic experience. We advance CPM theory by examining how young adult children manage their privacy through constructing more rigid privacy boundaries than their adolescent counterparts and provide the first look at how disclosure can both enable and constrain victims/survivors of sexual harassment, …

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I’M Not A Tragedy: Speaking Up About Ableist Microaggressions, Kasandra Marguerite Colwell Jan 2022

I’M Not A Tragedy: Speaking Up About Ableist Microaggressions, Kasandra Marguerite Colwell

Communication Senior Capstones

Have you heard of ableist microaggressions? Let me tell you about them, as someone who has experienced them. I have a bi-lateral dislocating knee condition that I was born with. I can walk, but sometimes I need additional stability or reduction of pain while getting around, in which case I tend to use a cane. I have had many othering interactions while using a mobility aid in public, whether that be a knee brace, a cane, or crutches. While it often seemed the stranger didn’t mean any harm, the question is how many invasive questions and comments from strangers can …

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"The Most Beautiful Thing In The World": A Rhetorical Analysis Of Relational Dialectics And Friendship In The Musical Kinky Boots, Adam Clayton Moyer, Valerie Lynn Schrader Jul 2021

"The Most Beautiful Thing In The World": A Rhetorical Analysis Of Relational Dialectics And Friendship In The Musical Kinky Boots, Adam Clayton Moyer, Valerie Lynn Schrader

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In this article, we examine Kinky Boots, a musical that won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2013 and continues to win over audiences with its positive message about acceptance, as a rhetorical text through William K. Rawlins’ theoretical construct of relational dialectics regarding friendship. Through rhetorical criticism as a research method, we apply Rawlins’ concepts of political and personal friendships, as well as the dialectics of affection and instrumentality, expressiveness and protectiveness, judgment and acceptance, and the ideal and the real to examine notable relationships between characters in the musical. Specifically, we examine the relationships between Charlie and …

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The Times, They Were A-Changin': Exploring The Interstate Oratorical Contests Of The 1960s, R. Randolph Richardson, Kathy Brittain Richardson Jan 2020

The Times, They Were A-Changin': Exploring The Interstate Oratorical Contests Of The 1960s, R. Randolph Richardson, Kathy Brittain Richardson

National Forensic Journal

Since 1874, a handful of American college classrooms have hosted generations of students practicing the art of oratory. Throughout the intervening decades, students involved in the Interstate Oratory Contest have, to varying degrees, addressed the compelling social, political, economic and educational issues of their time. When one considers the shifting socio-political landscape of the 1960s, this decade seems a far cry from the rhetorical contexts that gave rise to speeches for the previous nine decades. Did stock issues give way to Woodstock issues? An analysis of the Interstate Oratory winning orations from the 1960s raises numerous questions. To what extent …

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Volume 37 - Front Matter, Nfa Journal Jan 2020

Volume 37 - Front Matter, Nfa Journal

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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1970-1979: Investigating The Interstate Oratorical Contest During The "Me Decade", Karen Morris Jan 2020

1970-1979: Investigating The Interstate Oratorical Contest During The "Me Decade", Karen Morris

National Forensic Journal

The decade of the 1970s further entrenched the socially progressive values that came to the U.S. cultural forefront in the 1960s. Investing in such activities as the Women's Movement and Vietnam War protests, college students became increasingly vocal about social issues. Those speaking up on such topics included the interstate orators who crafted the IOC speeches of the 1970s. In order to analyze the speeches presented at the Interstate Oratorical Contest between 1970 and 1979, the first part of this paper will explore how this socially important historical time period influenced the speeches themselves. The second section will address the …

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What We Value: Trends In Value Appeals Of Interstate Oratory Contest Final Round Speeches, Carson Kay, Eric Mishne Jan 2020

What We Value: Trends In Value Appeals Of Interstate Oratory Contest Final Round Speeches, Carson Kay, Eric Mishne

National Forensic Journal

Value appeals are crucial to persuasion. However, we wonder if forensic educators prioritize certain values. This content analysis examines the value appeals in the introductions of the three highest-placing persuasive speeches (N = 56) from the 1996-2016 Interstate Oratory Contests. Our two-decade comparison reveals that the diversity of values to which the finalists appealed decreased in the last decade. Drawing upon the Interstate Oratorical Association's historical context, Rokeach's (1973) value appeals, and Social Judgment Theory, we explain this trend and explore practical implications regarding exclusivity and judge bias, as well as methodological implications for future content analyses of value appeals.

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1940 - 1949: Understanding The Interstate Oratorical Contest During And After World War Ii, Richard E. Paine Jan 2020

1940 - 1949: Understanding The Interstate Oratorical Contest During And After World War Ii, Richard E. Paine

National Forensic Journal

The 1940s began shortly after the first salvos of World War II were fired. That war dominated the decade-for millions of lives touched or ended by the war, for those faced with the task of rebuilding when it ended, and even for the Interstate Oratorical Association. This paper examines the impact of the decade on the speeches presented at IOC and looks at patterns which appeared in the topics chosen, structures used, styles employed, and choice of supporting materials on which speakers relied. Attention is also paid to such logistical aspects of the contest as the tournament's continuing use of …

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1990 - 1999: Examining How The Interstate Oratorical Contest Closed Out The 1900s, Judy Santacaterina, Harry Bodell, Jessica Bozeman Jan 2020

1990 - 1999: Examining How The Interstate Oratorical Contest Closed Out The 1900s, Judy Santacaterina, Harry Bodell, Jessica Bozeman

National Forensic Journal

This paper examines the top six speeches presented each year during the 1990s at the Interstate Oratorical Contest. Our purpose is to explore how these speeches reflected the political, social, economic and cultural climate of the time as well as the changes our discipline was experiencing in the final decade of the millennium.

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Volume 37 - Editor's Note, Richard E. Paine, Emily M. Cramer Jan 2020

Volume 37 - Editor's Note, Richard E. Paine, Emily M. Cramer

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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The Inter-State Oratorical Contest In The 1800s: The Beginning Of Organized Collegiate Competitive Speaking, Lisa Roth Jan 2020

The Inter-State Oratorical Contest In The 1800s: The Beginning Of Organized Collegiate Competitive Speaking, Lisa Roth

National Forensic Journal

The purpose of this article is to explore the beginnings of the Inter-State Oratorical Contest (IOC) and the Inter-State Oratorical Association (IOA) and to examine the characteristics of the Inter-State Oratorical speeches from 1874 to 1899. Through an analysis of the top two speeches from each of these years in regard to topic, evidence, organization, style, and delivery, I identify trends and strategies which appeared in competitive collegiate persuasive speaking in the late 1800s.

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Volume 37 - Full Volume, Nfa Journal Jan 2020

Volume 37 - Full Volume, Nfa Journal

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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Impact By Intention: An Argument For Forensics As A High-Impact Practice, Vincent L. Stephens Jan 2019

Impact By Intention: An Argument For Forensics As A High-Impact Practice, Vincent L. Stephens

National Forensic Journal

This essay locates forensics within national discourse about high-impact practices (HIPs) in higher education, as outlined by scholar George D. Kuh. Forensics shares all the characteristics associated with the ten promising practices Kuh (2008) outlined initially. Though Kuh's original overview and expanded list of practices (Kuh, 2016) serve as reference points for addressing HIPs, forensics has not been recognized as a HIP. The essay argues that framing forensics as a HIP could enrich advocacy efforts to start and/or sustain current forensics programs. The article connects the fiscal climate with the assessment paradigm, examines the ways forensics adheres to Kuh's definition, …

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Volume 36 - Front Matter Jan 2019

Volume 36 - Front Matter

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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Editor's Note, Richard E. Paine, Emily M. Cramer Jan 2019

Editor's Note, Richard E. Paine, Emily M. Cramer

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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Is It Prose Or Is It Drama? Distinguishing Events Based On Judging Criteria, Justin J. Rudnick, Anthony Peavy, Balencia Crosby, Alyssa Harter, Cristy Dougherty Jan 2019

Is It Prose Or Is It Drama? Distinguishing Events Based On Judging Criteria, Justin J. Rudnick, Anthony Peavy, Balencia Crosby, Alyssa Harter, Cristy Dougherty

National Forensic Journal

Genre distinctions have been a source of confusion and contention in the collegiate forensics community, particularly in terms of distinguishing between appropriate source material for prose and drama. As the most powerful indicators of current forensic performance evaluations, ballots help illustrate the judging paradigms shaping the community. To that end, we conducted a content analysis of preliminary-round prose and drama ballots from the 2014 NFA championship tournament to determine how judges distinguish between prose and drama. Results illustrate substantial similarities in how each event is evaluated by judges. We discuss implications for this distinction in the conclusion of this essay.

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How Can Sotl Help Forensic Educators Assess Their Performance?, Leah White Jan 2019

How Can Sotl Help Forensic Educators Assess Their Performance?, Leah White

National Forensic Journal

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a movement among educators which seeks to acknowledge the work we do teaching as its own form of unique scholarship. SoTL argues the work we do as teachers can be peer-reviewed, critiqued and shared with others in our academic communities. The goal of this paper is to outline how forensic educators can use SoTL approaches to help build an argument about their scholarly activity as illustrated in coaching practice. SoTL provides a frame through which we can articulate the significance of this aspect of our scholarly performance.

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Volume 36 - Full Volume Jan 2019

Volume 36 - Full Volume

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety: Practical Applications For Classroom Instruction, Joshua N. Westwick Oct 2017

Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety: Practical Applications For Classroom Instruction, Joshua N. Westwick

Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD

During the 2013 Speech Communication Association of South Dakota annual conference, there was a lively discussion surrounding students’ Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA). During the dialogue, numerous strategies on how to help reduce students’ speaking anxiety were discussed. However, I was surprised at the number of suggestions that refuted tested and proven strategies for PSA reduction. Moreover, I was startled and dismayed to hear comments such as “I have just given up and allowed my students to read from a manuscript” or “the only way I can get [my students] to stay calm is when I allow them to write as …

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So, You’Re A New Forensics Coach?: Establishing An Oral Interpretation Program And Culture Of Success, Barb Kleinjan Oct 2017

So, You’Re A New Forensics Coach?: Establishing An Oral Interpretation Program And Culture Of Success, Barb Kleinjan

Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD

As many new English and Speech instructors quickly realize, their first teaching contract will most certainly include forensic extra-curricular activities. By the simple virtue of training to become fine arts teachers, administrators and principals may assign the coaching of Debate, One Act Plays or Oral Interpretation to their contracts, even though the individual may have had no experience in any of those activities. In my first secondary school contract, I was required to coach Oral Interpretation, three One Act Plays and the spring All School Play. My drama background consisted of a knowledge and appreciation for Shakespeare, yet with no …

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Volume 35 - Editor's Note, Richard E. Paine, Emily M. Cramer Jan 2017

Volume 35 - Editor's Note, Richard E. Paine, Emily M. Cramer

National Forensic Journal

No abstract provided.

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