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Developing New Works for the Stage: An Actor's Perspective
Title
Developing New Works for the Stage: An Actor's Perspective.
Creator
Butler, Lauren, Boyd, Belinda, Listengarten, Julia, Ingram, Katherine, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
U.S. Theatre is often noted for its commitment to new play development. Since Eugene O'Neill, America has fostered a tradition of celebrating emerging playwrights and their bold, edgy new works through countless development programs such as festivals, new play readings, grant programs, workshops, and world premieres. Although in recent years new-play development has seen a steady decline in funding (Levitow 2), it remains a cornerstone of American identity and an essential medium for pushing...
Show moreU.S. Theatre is often noted for its commitment to new play development. Since Eugene O'Neill, America has fostered a tradition of celebrating emerging playwrights and their bold, edgy new works through countless development programs such as festivals, new play readings, grant programs, workshops, and world premieres. Although in recent years new-play development has seen a steady decline in funding (Levitow 2), it remains a cornerstone of American identity and an essential medium for pushing boundaries in theatre, both culturally and artistically. New-play development is indispensable for keeping theatre relevant in our ever-changing culture. For my thesis, I explore the process of developing a new play from an actor's perspective. The role of the director, dramaturg and producer of a new play is often discussed; however the importance of the actor throughout the development process is sometimes overlooked. There are many configurations of artistic teams assembled to develop a new play; therefore, I do not suggest there is one type of team that is best or one type of role for the actor to play within the team. My aim was to collaborate with the playwright, director and fellow actors to discover what is required of an actor in all phases of new play development. I applied the principles learned to my own work in the World Premiere of The Exit Interview by William Missouri Downs at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre in Partnership with The University of Central Florida. As I navigated my way through the artistic process of developing a new work, I discovered some 'best practices', which I employed throughout the rehearsal and performance process to further my own skills. I will discuss the development process I experienced, as objectively as possible, outlining the key best practices for an actor working in a collaborative team to develop a new play.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004660, ucf:49905
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004660
THE ACTOR'S ROLE IN DEVELOPING NEW PLAYS
Title
THE ACTOR'S ROLE IN DEVELOPING NEW PLAYS.
Creator
Haney, Brooke, Lee, David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The constant development of new plays is vital for theatre to stay relevant. There is a desire, a yearning, a need to see the issues we face in our lives on stage in current contexts, and to watch characters living with them. The ability, as an Actor, to be an asset to the process of creating new works is invaluable. For my thesis, I discuss the role of the Actor in the process of developing new plays for the stage. I say "discuss" because I venture to guess that this role is constantly...
Show moreThe constant development of new plays is vital for theatre to stay relevant. There is a desire, a yearning, a need to see the issues we face in our lives on stage in current contexts, and to watch characters living with them. The ability, as an Actor, to be an asset to the process of creating new works is invaluable. For my thesis, I discuss the role of the Actor in the process of developing new plays for the stage. I say "discuss" because I venture to guess that this role is constantly evolving. There may be as many ways to approach the process as there are collaborative teams. Therefore, I do not suggest there is one right way in which an Actor can play a part in the process of new play development, nor do I intend this to be a comprehensive look at all the roles an Actor can play. However, I discovered some best practices, which I put into a list and seized this opportunity to cultivate my skills in these areas. My intent was to work and speak with Playwrights and Directors, learning from them what they value in an Actor at the various phases of new play development, and to nurture these skills within myself. I utilized my discoveries in the World Premiere of Triangle Logic by Debbie Lamedman. As theatre is a collaborative art, I learned to shift and adapt my role, depending on the other collaborators. While Triangle Logic was the larger focus of my thesis work, I also sought additional smaller projects, such as the workshop productions of Steven Christopher Yockey's play, Heavier ThanÂ…, part of Orlando Shakespeare Theater's PlayFest 2010, and Orlando Repertory Theater's devised play Writes of Spring, I thinK his NamE Was rick. I applied techniques I learned while working on Triangle Logic to the other new projects, where appropriate. I endeavored to evaluate each experience objectively, while recognizing that they were, by nature, subjective experiences.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0003702, ucf:48810
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003702
When Coquis Sing: Introducing Young Audiences to Death and Bereavement Through An Original Play
Title
When Coquis Sing: Introducing Young Audiences to Death and Bereavement Through An Original Play.
Creator
LoRicco, Michelle, Thomas, Aaron, Boyd, Belinda, Freeman, Emily, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This thesis documents the play development process of When Coquis Sing, an original play for young people that introduces the death of a parent on stage. Through the analysis of research from leading child psychologists and practical instruction from the Dougy Center, the National Center for grieving children and their families, this research defines important terms and demystifies language surrounding death to aid caregivers in having clear and concise conversations with children about death...
Show moreThis thesis documents the play development process of When Coquis Sing, an original play for young people that introduces the death of a parent on stage. Through the analysis of research from leading child psychologists and practical instruction from the Dougy Center, the National Center for grieving children and their families, this research defines important terms and demystifies language surrounding death to aid caregivers in having clear and concise conversations with children about death.The purpose of this document is to counter the American cultural perception of death as a taboo topic for children. Hosting open conversations about death leads to healthier child development, which can help children cope with the loss that everyone will inevitably face in life. Theatre has been proven to work as a catalyst for conversations and create empathy for young audiences. Themes of death can be seen in all forms of storytelling for children , but this study implores the use of theatre to not only reflect experiences of grieving children on stage, but also create preemptive dialogue on the topic, so when tragedy strikes, children can have a tangible example to point back to.The arguments in this document thwart misconceptions of using Piaget's stages of cognitive development and K(&)#252;bler-Ross's five stages of grief as measurements of how all human beings should grieve. Instead of placing grieving children in stages and age groups that exclude important variables, this study focuses on the individual stories that are shared through reflective journals on the investigator's experiences and conversations as a grief facilitator, tutor, and artist in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences. The original play, When Coquis Sing, has been designed to induce conversations on death through the telling of a young protagonist's story of loss, grief, and victory.
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Date Issued
2018
Identifier
CFE0007041, ucf:52008
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007041