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The Branding, Creation, and Promotion of a Solo Comedienne
Title
The Branding, Creation, and Promotion of a Solo Comedienne.
Creator
McCorison, Anna, Snyder, Tara, Ingram, Kate, Niess, Christopher, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Comedy exists as a stronghold in American culture as a coping mechanism throughout history, but is often limited to the male headliner. From Charlie Chaplin to Jackie Gleason and Bill Cosby to Will Ferrell, men have kept us laughing from stages to screen throughout the last century. Thus, I inquire: who are the prominent women who rose to the top of this male-dominated industry and how did they create a brand for themselves that was distinguishable and celebrated? What is it about being a...
Show moreComedy exists as a stronghold in American culture as a coping mechanism throughout history, but is often limited to the male headliner. From Charlie Chaplin to Jackie Gleason and Bill Cosby to Will Ferrell, men have kept us laughing from stages to screen throughout the last century. Thus, I inquire: who are the prominent women who rose to the top of this male-dominated industry and how did they create a brand for themselves that was distinguishable and celebrated? What is it about being a woman in the last century that made making a name in comedic entertainment more cumbersome, and has this feat of female branding changed at all with the evolution of entertainment and social trends? With this graduate thesis, I wish to explore the comparative timeline between socio-economic history, feminism, and the growth of entertainment trends. Considering this history, I will examine five major comediennes: Carol Burnett, Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Chelsea Handler, and Colleen Ballinger and their journeys to create prominent female entertainment brands. From this contributing research I will create and perform a one-woman show entitled An Evening with Aunt Nona. Through the exploration of personal branding and marketing of my solo voice, I seek to provide an inspirational framework for the creation and branding of future solo comediennes.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0005661, ucf:50181
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005661
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
All of Chinese Literature Condensed: A Sourcebook from the Playwright, Director, and Biggest Fan
Title
All of Chinese Literature Condensed: A Sourcebook from the Playwright, Director, and Biggest Fan.
Creator
Emerson, Whitney, Routhier, Mark, Tan, Huaixiang, Brotherton, Mark, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Aristotle stated in his Poetics that theatre's dual purpose was to educate and entertain. Centuries later the Roman Horace and Indian Bharata echoed his same sentiments. I intend to realize all three theorist's ideas on the theatre by creating an original educational and entertaining work and bringing it to performance. The audience will retain information without being aware of learning if it is presented in a pleasurable way.The most important geopolitical relationship of this century will...
Show moreAristotle stated in his Poetics that theatre's dual purpose was to educate and entertain. Centuries later the Roman Horace and Indian Bharata echoed his same sentiments. I intend to realize all three theorist's ideas on the theatre by creating an original educational and entertaining work and bringing it to performance. The audience will retain information without being aware of learning if it is presented in a pleasurable way.The most important geopolitical relationship of this century will be between China and America. In order to educate the American public about the culture of The Middle Kingdom, I propose to write and direct my own play, condensing all three thousand years of Chinese literature into a one hundred and ten minute performance. I will benefit from the personal nature of this thesis by experiencing every stage of a play's production: from idea to page to performance. My thesis will be made of three major parts: conceiving and writing the play, a journal of directing the debut production, and a third section made of choices, influences, and reflection on the entire experience. In this manner, the ideas swirling in my head may be made clear to others reading this thesis. The play itself will be a comical distillation of ten selected works of Chinese literature. Four non-gender specific American actors will seem to make up the show as it performs in a tongue-in-cheek way. Taking my stated goal of entertaining and educating the audience to heart, the overarching plot of the play will center on the four actors teaching the audience about the literature and culture of China by acting out scenes and telling stories. The information in the scenes will be targeted to a normal American citizen's educational level with liberal doses of humor added. The four actors will be playing fictionalized versions of themselves and at times breaking character by explaining and setting up the theatricality of the piece to the audience. Part of the fun of the show will be seeing how these actors explain a subject as obtuse as Chinese literature to Americans. Perhaps a cooking metaphor is the best way to think of the play: I will chop up raw Chinese literature, the actors will boil it onstage, the theatregoer will consume the mix, and exit the theatre full of entertaining intellectual nourishment.My experiences directing and producing the finished play will be recorded in a journal as a resource for future directors. I imagine directing the play will be the most challenging aspect of this thesis. How is the play changed when other people interact with it? How will the audience receive it? In addition, Committee Chair Mark Routhier and my thesis Committee Members, Mark Brotherton and Tan Huaixiang, will also give written responses to the play's performances. The play will be performed October 10-13, 2013 in the University of Central Florida's Performing Arts Complex Studio 2 classroom. In the final section I will write a reflection on the entire process. This will serve the dual purpose of giving me a place to collect my thoughts and giving others a special insight to the growth they might experience when producing this play. Foremost among my influences in writing a play with this subject matter are the style and tone of The Reduced Shakespeare Company.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004993, ucf:49548
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004993