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DESIGN: FEEL IT, SEE IT, SPEAK IT, DO IT...
Title
DESIGN: FEEL IT, SEE IT, SPEAK IT, DO IT...
Creator
Yates, Sarah, Wood, Mary V., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Description of Project: This project explores the design process for Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (adapted for the stage by Bruce Mason) as performed at Orlando Repertory Theatre in Orlando, Florida. In this exploration, I approach the topics of the design process from conceptual discussions with the design team through closing night. I document this process with a lighting design journal (including thoughts about the design approach, renderings, sketches, research images,...
Show moreDescription of Project: This project explores the design process for Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (adapted for the stage by Bruce Mason) as performed at Orlando Repertory Theatre in Orlando, Florida. In this exploration, I approach the topics of the design process from conceptual discussions with the design team through closing night. I document this process with a lighting design journal (including thoughts about the design approach, renderings, sketches, research images, rough plots and paperwork.) The project concludes with a self evaluation, completed plots and paperwork, and finished production photos.
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Date Issued
2007
Identifier
CFE0001646, ucf:47238
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001646
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: REPRESENTING DUALITY IN THE COSTUMES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSERVATORY THEATRE'S PRODUCTION OF SEAMUS HEANEY'S THE BURIAL AT THEBES: A VERSION OF SOPHOCLES' ANTIGONE
Title
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: REPRESENTING DUALITY IN THE COSTUMES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSERVATORY THEATRE'S PRODUCTION OF SEAMUS HEANEY'S THE BURIAL AT THEBES: A VERSION OF SOPHOCLES' ANTIGONE.
Creator
Trimble, Grace, Wood, Mary, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The costume design for the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theatre's production of Seamus Heaney's The Burial at Thebes: A Version of Sophocles' Antigone took an ancient Greek classic by Sophocles and infused it with influences from avant-garde theatre. This thesis documents the process of designing the costumes from academic, artistic, and technical aspects. Through this process, I explored how to communicate abstract ideas about humanity into actual costumes and how multiple...
Show moreThe costume design for the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theatre's production of Seamus Heaney's The Burial at Thebes: A Version of Sophocles' Antigone took an ancient Greek classic by Sophocles and infused it with influences from avant-garde theatre. This thesis documents the process of designing the costumes from academic, artistic, and technical aspects. Through this process, I explored how to communicate abstract ideas about humanity into actual costumes and how multiple cultural heritages can be intertwined in a united visual which pushes the audience to think more critically about the story. The recurring themes of duality are central to the final costume design: silk chiffon chitons draped over seemingly nude tattooed bodies, representing the ever-present competing allegiances to the will of the gods or to the law of man.Working backwards through the process, this thesis discusses the avant-garde aims of the production and how they were achieved in design. The historical and cultural research, and how it directly influenced the costume design, is discussed for both Seamus Heaney and The Burial at Thebes, as well as for Sophocles and Antigone. Moving through a thorough script analysis and text-to-text comparison of Antigone and The Burial at Thebes illuminates the character and situation traits that are expressed in the design. Script-to-script comparisons reveal the heightened political language Heaney has created to make a story readily accessible to modern audiences. This gives Creon more humanity, thus magnifying the conflict, which is analyzed using conflict theory.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0003727, ucf:48796
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003727
Who do I Play: Appraising the Impact of Teacher-in-Role with Kindergartners in an ESOL Classroom
Title
Who do I Play: Appraising the Impact of Teacher-in-Role with Kindergartners in an ESOL Classroom.
Creator
Brantley, Kathryn, Wood, Mary, Thaxton, Terry, Niess, Christopher, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Educators employing process drama, a non-presentational dramatic form, establish memorable classroom environments where students co-author their learning with teachers. Process drama facilitators often use the dramatic structure of teacher-in-role to guide and support the students. An instructor heightens tension, introduces new ideas, and encourages participation by engaging alongside students as a character. An educator employing process drama needs to determine the appropriate type of role...
Show moreEducators employing process drama, a non-presentational dramatic form, establish memorable classroom environments where students co-author their learning with teachers. Process drama facilitators often use the dramatic structure of teacher-in-role to guide and support the students. An instructor heightens tension, introduces new ideas, and encourages participation by engaging alongside students as a character. An educator employing process drama needs to determine the appropriate type of role to impact the development of a classroom drama; while negotiating tension felt between desires for student-led discovery and the necessity of meeting curriculum benchmarks.Academic studies establish process drama as a tool to aid English Students of Other Languages or ESOL classrooms. Process drama heightens comprehension, whole language usage and ownership of learning. Using the methodology of reflective practice I analyzed my teaching in role to determine how I negotiate diverse and conflicting objectives. I facilitated a six week process drama with four to six-year-old ESOL students at a learning centre in Hong Kong. This study improved this teacher's understanding and usage of teacher-in-role. The ideals of a process centered classroom were not always realized, but the needs of the population necessitated adaption from expectations. The experiences of the researcher indicate ambiguous character may not be the best way to motivate dialogue among this population of ESOL students. Students' age and English experience suggests using co-participant characters whose motivations are clearly defined. This study contributes to the discussion on what differing (")role types(") offer facilitators of process drama and how it may be used to meet demands of curriculum including development of performances. Process drama with very young students presents a field for further research investigating methods and practices to effectively structure process dramas that address their learning.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004227, ucf:48989
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004227
Boy Meets Boy: Envisioning Queer Youth Novels for Translation to the Stage
Title
Boy Meets Boy: Envisioning Queer Youth Novels for Translation to the Stage.
Creator
Davis, Daniel, Chicurel, Steven, Wood, Mary, Rusnock, Joseph, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Queer Youth, or young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning, is a demographic with an increasing presence in contemporary society. Along with this increased presence has come an increase in support groups available to these youths that range from Gay-Straight Alliances at their schools, community groups from their local gay and lesbian center to, most recently, theater companies that have begun to offer workshops and performance opportunities within the...
Show moreQueer Youth, or young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning, is a demographic with an increasing presence in contemporary society. Along with this increased presence has come an increase in support groups available to these youths that range from Gay-Straight Alliances at their schools, community groups from their local gay and lesbian center to, most recently, theater companies that have begun to offer workshops and performance opportunities within the Queer Youth Theatre genre. Queer Youth Theatre is an emerging form of topical theatre that deals with issues and situations queer youth may face in their daily lives. Few scripts exist that deal with topics related to LGBT youth, and most theatre groups that offer LGBT youth programs, such as the Pride Players from the Omaha Theater Company for Children and Young People in Omaha, Nebraska, rely on devising works for live performance. The Pride Players independently publish a (")Best of(") anthology for use by other groups wishing to use their devised material (Guehring2). Though these opportunities may be beneficial to the youths involved, there is still a need for scripted works to be available for queer youth to explore.This thesis project looks at two steps necessary to beginning the process of adapting LGBT young adult novels for the stage. First, an adaptation rubric must be created for use as a guide for identifying source material for translation to the stage. Second, the young adult novels Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan and Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez are evaluated for their strength as adaptations by applying the rubric with a directorial lens
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004988, ucf:49547
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004988
To Better Understand the Theater of the Middle Ages by an In-Depth Study of the Old Testament Plays of the York Cycle of Corpus Christi Plays
Title
To Better Understand the Theater of the Middle Ages by an In-Depth Study of the Old Testament Plays of the York Cycle of Corpus Christi Plays.
Creator
Casey, Carole, Wood, Mary, Tan, Huaixiang, Perry, Charles, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Scholastic texts on theater move from the Greeks and Romans to the theater of Shakespeare's time with little or no acknowledgment of the Middle Ages. From the late thirteenth century until the reformation an active community theater known as the mystery plays existed throughout much of Europe. The York Corpus Christi Cycle was part of that movement. The play was produced by the guilds of York under the supervision of the chamber of commerce with the Church monitoring the theology and morals....
Show moreScholastic texts on theater move from the Greeks and Romans to the theater of Shakespeare's time with little or no acknowledgment of the Middle Ages. From the late thirteenth century until the reformation an active community theater known as the mystery plays existed throughout much of Europe. The York Corpus Christi Cycle was part of that movement. The play was produced by the guilds of York under the supervision of the chamber of commerce with the Church monitoring the theology and morals. Performed yearly on the Feast Day of Corpus Christi, the subject of the play was the salvation of man from the creation through the last judgment. This thesis examines in depth the language and characters of four pageants of the forty-eight pageants of the York Cycle Play and draws connections to the writings and teachings of Bishop Thoresby. While many scholars understand the Cycle Play as a municipal production, this thesis argues that the plays were in fact created by the Church as a means to bring their teachings to the Medieval masses.
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005144, ucf:50678
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005144
An actor's approach: stepping into a role and a world of the past
Title
An actor's approach: stepping into a role and a world of the past.
Creator
Gosselin, Danielle, Listengarten, Julia, Wood, Mary, Brown, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
To step into a character and a world of the past, the actor must not discard the present, but seek to find connections and links between the worlds. I was cast in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater production of Sense and Sensibility, a Jon Jory adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, in the role of Lucy Steele. This was an equity production, and it ran February 6th (-) March 17th, 2013, in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater's Margeson Theater. Lucy is a female character from England in a period often...
Show moreTo step into a character and a world of the past, the actor must not discard the present, but seek to find connections and links between the worlds. I was cast in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater production of Sense and Sensibility, a Jon Jory adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, in the role of Lucy Steele. This was an equity production, and it ran February 6th (-) March 17th, 2013, in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater's Margeson Theater. Lucy is a female character from England in a period often referred to as the Regency era. As a woman from today's United States of America, first I explored how Lucy's words and actions fit into the society of her time, and second I explored how I, a contemporary actor, could organically step into her shoes.One of the greatest tools I had to help me address these questions was the playwright himself, Jon Jory. He was at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater for the 2012 Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays, during which he gave a keynote address and taught a master class in acting, in which I participated. Furthermore, I had the unique opportunity to personally interview him regarding Sense and Sensibility and his connection to the world of Austen and her characters. Along with applying this insight, I applied tools from his acting master class to my work on his Sense and Sensibility text. This special access to the playwright greatly influenced the work and served as a key into Lucy's world.In addition to working with the playwright, I further researched Austen and her work, because Lucy and her world originate there. I explored various resources about England's Regency era society and the role of women in this society. By comparing the world and people of the play to the current cultural and political landscape with which I am most familiar, I found fundamental links between people living in different times and places, breaking down walls between Lucy's world and my own. Finally, this performance thesis project utilized the practical acting, voice, and movement skills, which I cultivated in my studio work as an MFA acting candidate at the University of Central Florida. It was a wonderful opportunity as an aspiring young actor to participate in an equity production and work with professional actors. I exercised my stage dialects training by using a standard British dialect, and I applied what I learned in my theatre styles acting class and in various movement classes to develop the behavior and physicality of my character. In order to preserve the new information gained from this study, I chronicled my explorations and discoveries throughout the rehearsal and production process. Through my work with the playwright Jon Jory, my research on Jane Austen and the Regency era, and my application of what I learned in the studio, I strove to create a model process for an actor to utilize when stepping into a role and a world of the past.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004685, ucf:49874
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004685
The Art of the Technical Director
Title
The Art of the Technical Director.
Creator
Oakes, Victoria, Wood, Mary, Listengarten, Julia, Scott, Hubert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The theatrical scenic design process does not end at a picture on paper or with the presentation of a scale model. The design must be translated to the stage. There are a myriad of questions to be answered and decisions regarding construction style, process, material choices, structure, safety, etc. that must be made in order to fully realize the design. In a common, contemporary American production hierarchy, the person that is most often responsible for this translation process is the...
Show moreThe theatrical scenic design process does not end at a picture on paper or with the presentation of a scale model. The design must be translated to the stage. There are a myriad of questions to be answered and decisions regarding construction style, process, material choices, structure, safety, etc. that must be made in order to fully realize the design. In a common, contemporary American production hierarchy, the person that is most often responsible for this translation process is the technical director. Often, the technical director is stereotyped as solely a craftsman or a technician following a set of pre-established directions and not as an artist in his own right. Even I, as a technical director, am guilty of promoting this stereotype for the majority of my theatrical career. However, through reflection on my professional experiences in combination with my education and research over the last two and a half years, I began to recognize the art inherent in the field of technical direction. I have gained a greater appreciation for and understanding of the importance of the artistic contributions made by every participant in a theatrical production. The practice and research based journey chronicled in this document serves to move beyond stereotypes and expose the technical director as a conscientious, collaborative theatre maker and artist.
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005223, ucf:50618
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005223
Digesting Modern Acting Theory for Young Performers
Title
Digesting Modern Acting Theory for Young Performers.
Creator
Yagel, Brandon, Wood, Mary, Boyd, Belinda, Routhier, Mark, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
An actor seeking to improve his craft can find numerous sources containing countless tips and techniques on the art of acting. However, the majority of these books target the adult actor often leaving young performers struggling to understand complex acting theory. With the goals of creating a nurturing learning environment and quality performance work within a compact rehearsal schedule, this thesis project created and evaluated a new synthesis of modern acting theory for directors to use...
Show moreAn actor seeking to improve his craft can find numerous sources containing countless tips and techniques on the art of acting. However, the majority of these books target the adult actor often leaving young performers struggling to understand complex acting theory. With the goals of creating a nurturing learning environment and quality performance work within a compact rehearsal schedule, this thesis project created and evaluated a new synthesis of modern acting theory for directors to use when working with young performers. This technique adapted and coalesced several perspectives on foundational acting theory(-)specifically looking at the use of a character's wants and actions as described by Bruder et al., Caldarone (&) Lloyd-Williams, Cohen, Jory, Mamet, and Stanislavski. I tested the developed technique using an independent production of The Cat Who Ran by Naoko Kudo performed by a group of seventh through tenth grade actors.This thesis shares the process of creating this rehearsal tool with its readers. This process included researching and synthesizing the technique, documenting my process as director and acting coach for The Cat Who Ran, testing the technique throughout the production of The Cat Who Ran, evaluating the effectiveness of the technique through qualitative observation from production team and audience members, and theorizing the potential effectiveness for other scripts. The documentation of the project includes surveys, worksheets, text analysis, and production photos.
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005278, ucf:50562
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005278
The Recipe of a Digital Story: An Analysis of the Residency "The Recipe of Me"
Title
The Recipe of a Digital Story: An Analysis of the Residency "The Recipe of Me".
Creator
Hill, Amanda, Weaver, Earl, Wood, Mary, Kovac, Kim, Snyder, Tara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This paper explores the processes and outcomes of (")The Recipe of Me,(") a digital storytelling residency whose goals were to foster autonomy and community among disadvantaged youth aged twelve to fifteen living in the Orlando Union Rescue Mission. Using on-site experience and data, I explore the possibilities and advantages digital storytelling offered the students living in this population and consider the challenges of creating digital stories specific to this site. This case study...
Show moreThis paper explores the processes and outcomes of (")The Recipe of Me,(") a digital storytelling residency whose goals were to foster autonomy and community among disadvantaged youth aged twelve to fifteen living in the Orlando Union Rescue Mission. Using on-site experience and data, I explore the possibilities and advantages digital storytelling offered the students living in this population and consider the challenges of creating digital stories specific to this site. This case study provides a portrait of the residency which outlines the phases, techniques, tools and approaches used to create the digital stories and empower youth to create using multiple literacies. In doing so, I intend to reveal the ways in which digital storytelling encourages community, autonomy, agency, and artistic voice within youth at Orlando Union Rescue Mission.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0005096, ucf:50724
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005096
Belief and Christmas: Performing Belief and the Theory and Practice of Christmas Performance
Title
Belief and Christmas: Performing Belief and the Theory and Practice of Christmas Performance.
Creator
Nicely, Brenna, Listengarten, Julia, Seay, Donald, Larson, Peter, Wood, Mary, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
In the United States, Christmastime has become a time of tension between the holy ideals of family togetherness, childhood innocence, and goodwill towards men and commercial idolatry. Christ and Santa Claus are pitted against each other in the war on Christmas between religion and secularism instead of feasting together on ham and figgy pudding in the traditional fashion. While many would agree that the everyday realities of the Christmas season do not often live up to the ideals imposed upon...
Show moreIn the United States, Christmastime has become a time of tension between the holy ideals of family togetherness, childhood innocence, and goodwill towards men and commercial idolatry. Christ and Santa Claus are pitted against each other in the war on Christmas between religion and secularism instead of feasting together on ham and figgy pudding in the traditional fashion. While many would agree that the everyday realities of the Christmas season do not often live up to the ideals imposed upon the holiday, few are able to tell why this is so or even trace the roots of their discontent.In an exploration of the unique anomaly of the hierosecular American Christmas, I propose that the unique systems of Christmas belief extend beyond the usual boundaries of sacred and secular to create a complex web of different beliefs that are performed together to create the unique feeling of Christmas. From a performance theory perspective, I use performance as both traditionally theatrical and as a paradigm for understanding and expressing belief in an effort to explore the essential but elusively defined cultural signifiers of the American Christmas.Through a series of case studies focusing on various traditions of Christmas performance, I apply the performance theories of Diana Taylor, Patrice Pavis, Victor Turner and others to such Christmas staples as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. In doing so, I propose different points for viewing Christmas and introducing new points of inquiry for questioning the meaning of Christmas, belief, and performance.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004731, ucf:49823
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004731