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MY, CLAUDIUS: A CASE AGAINST THE KING AS VILLAIN.
Title
MY, CLAUDIUS: A CASE AGAINST THE KING AS VILLAIN.
Creator
Blackwelder, Kevin, Rusnock, Joseph, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The role of Claudius in ShakespeareÂÂ's The Tragedy of Hamlet has traditionally been affixed with the label of villain, coupled with a presumption of malice. This prejudice has plagued the role, relegating it to shallow melodrama throughout the majority of the playÂÂ's 440 odd-year history. Although it has now become more commonplace to see him portrayed as a capable, intelligent, even initially likable king, this has only been the case for the...
Show moreThe role of Claudius in ShakespeareÂÂ's The Tragedy of Hamlet has traditionally been affixed with the label of villain, coupled with a presumption of malice. This prejudice has plagued the role, relegating it to shallow melodrama throughout the majority of the playÂÂ's 440 odd-year history. Although it has now become more commonplace to see him portrayed as a capable, intelligent, even initially likable king, this has only been the case for the past 50 years or so, and even so the label of villain and the assumption of malice persist and prevail even in contemporary practice. While the author is reluctant to insist on the benevolence of the King as imperative, they do contend that Claudius should not be portrayed as a villain. Doing so undermines the primary conflict - that of Hamlet vs. Claudius - cripples the possibilities for exploration of the King as a role, hinders the potential for HamletÂÂ's journey, and absolves the viewer of active engagement by playing directly into expectations. Within this thesis, consideration of historical analysis and editorial tradition are utilized in order to demonstrate a progressively encompassing disregard that has led to the roleÂÂ's neglect. An account of the 2006 University of Central Florida Conservatory Theatre production is used to validate the necessity of avoiding a villainous portrayal of the King. A brief description of the authorÂÂ's ideal Claudius explores the realm of possibility opened by such non-villainous portrayal, and potential for the roleÂÂ's complexity is examined through a thorough voice/text analysis and brief discussion of Jaques LecoqÂÂ's movement equilibrium theory via appendices.
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Date Issued
2010
Identifier
CFE0003132, ucf:48648
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003132
The Last Two Years of David Brachman: Designing a Feature Film on a Micro Budget
Title
The Last Two Years of David Brachman: Designing a Feature Film on a Micro Budget.
Creator
Sutphin, Elizabeth, Rusnock, Joseph, Perry, Charles, Cook, Lisa, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This thesis documents my creative process as the Production Designer on the feature length micro budget film The Last Two Years of David Brachman, written and directed by Marc Casilli. The film is a dark comedy chronicling the life of David Brachman, a twenty-five year old with a stagnant life that is seemingly leading nowhere, as he pledges on his twenty-fifth birthday to change the path of his life in the next two years or commit suicide if he fails. The overall design concept of the film...
Show moreThis thesis documents my creative process as the Production Designer on the feature length micro budget film The Last Two Years of David Brachman, written and directed by Marc Casilli. The film is a dark comedy chronicling the life of David Brachman, a twenty-five year old with a stagnant life that is seemingly leading nowhere, as he pledges on his twenty-fifth birthday to change the path of his life in the next two years or commit suicide if he fails. The overall design concept of the film is rooted in realism, but allowed to contain elements that will remove the audience in order to lighten the load of the serious topic of death. With a nod to the 1950s family home and the nostalgia of decades past; David's world is created to show drastic shifts from his inert, routine life at home to the outside working world in to which he thrusts himself. The world outside of David's home is seen through a lens that exemplifies stereotypical social roles and thereby adds to his feelings of outcast and loneliness. Creating the versatile world of David Brachman presented challenges with the amount of locations, characters, and costumes changes; however, these challenges were further complicated by working on an overall micro budget of thirty-six thousand dollars, with approximately fifteen hundred dollars allocated to the art department and costuming. These challenges created a need for resourceful acquisition techniques and budgeting to ensure that the overall artistic vision was not sacrificed. Remaining true to the design aesthetic and the director's vision, my staff and I were able to overcome budgetary challenges, staffing changes that occurred during filming, and shifts in the production dynamic that created a sometimes chaotic filming environment. The careful planning and organization of each design element and their execution ensured the successful creation of David's world and a visual story to compliment the screenplay. Within this thesis I document my design process from my initial design proposal to the director through post production and final viewing of the completed film. Included here are specific details of my design process including script analysis, script breakdowns, location plots, budget tracking, stills from the film, a copy of the finished film, and all the paperwork generated in creating the film. A detailed journal of the filming process including obstacles I encountered as well as the solutions created throughout this process and a self evaluation and reflection on the final product of work are included.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004302, ucf:49488
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004302
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
Providing Cultural Balance for Young Americans
Title
Providing Cultural Balance for Young Americans.
Creator
Nichols, Mark, Listengarten, Julia, Rusnock, Joseph, Scott, Bert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Children today are increasingly being introduced to tablets and other personal electronic devices at very young ages. Due in part to this, the entertainment industry now has a near ubiquitous presence in America compared to cultural arts. Its influence on the development of children is almost impossible to ignore. My thesis will study an approach to engaging young people by way of location-based projects that synthesize two or more art forms (e.g. theatre arts, literary arts, visual arts) in...
Show moreChildren today are increasingly being introduced to tablets and other personal electronic devices at very young ages. Due in part to this, the entertainment industry now has a near ubiquitous presence in America compared to cultural arts. Its influence on the development of children is almost impossible to ignore. My thesis will study an approach to engaging young people by way of location-based projects that synthesize two or more art forms (e.g. theatre arts, literary arts, visual arts) in order to provide a unified effort for cultural arts and also provide balance to the influences of entertainment. Incorporating research, interviews with people instrumental in the creation of this approach, and analysis of the data, I intend to answer several essential research questions: What are the pros and cons of creating and/or operating these collaborative cultural arts facilities? Are recently created collaborative cultural arts centers, nationally and internationally (e.g. ImaginOn in Charlotte, NC) successfully addressing the imbalance of cultural influence and if so, in what way? What are the conditions and steps required to create a collaborative cultural arts facility and replicate a model similar to Charlotte's ImaginOn in other cities in the United States?
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0006047, ucf:50965
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006047
"This Stuff Is Finished": Amiri Baraka's Renunciation of the Ghosts of White Women and Homosexuals Past
Title
"This Stuff Is Finished": Amiri Baraka's Renunciation of the Ghosts of White Women and Homosexuals Past.
Creator
Stone-Lawrence, Susan, Rusnock, Joseph, Harris, Lani, Listengarten, Julia, Boyd, Belinda, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study examines auto/biographical, theoretical, critical, literary, and dramatic works by and about LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka, primarily focusing on the eruption of (")Hate Whitey(") sentiment and rhetoric that characterized a decadelong cultural nationalist phase of the henceforth self-declaredly Black poet-playwright's career. As a black militant, LeRoi Jones left his white wife and other white associates in Greenwich Village, moved to Harlem, changed his name to Amiri Baraka, converted...
Show moreThis study examines auto/biographical, theoretical, critical, literary, and dramatic works by and about LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka, primarily focusing on the eruption of (")Hate Whitey(") sentiment and rhetoric that characterized a decadelong cultural nationalist phase of the henceforth self-declaredly Black poet-playwright's career. As a black militant, LeRoi Jones left his white wife and other white associates in Greenwich Village, moved to Harlem, changed his name to Amiri Baraka, converted to Islam, and started the Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School. This thesis contends that Baraka's Black Arts Movement era plays emphasize negation of the value of white women and gay men, who had formed his most intimate prior cohorts, and use extreme imagery to malign, belittle, and abjure representatives of both groups as evil, ridiculous, and disgusting archetypes in an attempt to affirm the political stance of the author and preempt doubt about his level of commitment to his chosen cause during that period. Through these plays written from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, Baraka denies his own personal history and appears to protest too much the virtues of corrective Afrocentric relationships which his works fail to affirm as much as he condemns their alternatives. However, after the purgative effect of these revolutionary works, Baraka's evolution arrived at a place where he could once again acknowledge and promote a diverse equality that included respect for the partners and peers he had abnegated. Conclusions of this research suggest connections between the personal implications of Baraka's individual journey and prominent themes stressed in the broader field of identity politics. ?
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0005062, ucf:49948
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005062