What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States? In the simplest of terms, citizenship is a limited position of identity, relegated to a narrow definition of legal and geographical position for an individual. But to be a citizen in America means far more than that it becomes an accepted image of our collective identity which seeks an historical and political supremacy that allows America, and its citizens, to claim ideological status over anyone who is not a part of that nationalistic frame. The citizen has, for us, become a set of understood rights and privileges, inexorably connected to a further set of duties and responsibilities that we must perform in exchange for those rights. This study seeks to examine the ways in which theatre has contributed to the creation of, reinforcement of, and subversion of a dominant ideological view of Americans citizens. The evolution of our concept of citizenship is explored, from its origins in Greek philosophy to twentieth-century expansions of who is and who is not considered to be a citizen. Theatrical movements and productions from differing eras are examined to reveal how each of these reacted to their historical contexts in presenting the image of the citizen on stage and screen, and how our understanding of who we are, as Americans, becomes so engrained in all aspects of society that even theatrical attempts to challenge or subvert this ideology become entangled in calls for the very same rights and privileges. Ultimately, this work challenges theatre to eradicate our stubborn and subconscious adherence to what we perceive as our fundamental rights, and to create images of the citizen which are more holistic in relationship to the world around us.

The aim of this study is to illustrate the purpose and potential of theatre that promotes a proto-environmental agenda, or Green Theatre, in re-orienting Western behavior and mores in a direction that creates positive socio-environmental change. In correlation, this dissertation will examine the objectives and performance modes of several educational and professional theatre entities that house a distinctly unique Green agenda. The primary performances featured will include Peter Schumanns Bread and Puppet Theatre, Blue Man Groups Tubes, performances by Koko the signing lowland gorilla, and Playmakers of Baton Rouges production of Habitat Cats.

The role of Third Man in Mary Zimmermans Metamorphoses was performed in the Fall of 2006 and elected as a thesis role at that time. This thesis is a written record of the actors interpretation of the character. This thesis includes background information on the production, reflections on acting in water, a character analysis, a five column score, reflections on performance issues, and photos.

The role of the Merchant in Bertolt Brechts The Exception and the Rule was selected as the topic of this production thesis in acting to be submitted unto the Graduate School of Louisiana State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre. The thesis includes an introduction, a chapter on preparation for the role, a chapter on implementation of the role, a physical score and a conclusion. It details the authors approach to the role of the Merchant in performance, as well as to the performance theories of Bertolt Brecht himself.

ABSTRACT This thesis is about the evolution and development of the roles of Scientist, Narrator, Mother, Pandora, Nursemaid, Therapist, and Baucis in the Swine Palace show Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman. The rehearsal process is detailed here in journal format. Also included is pre-show research, character analyses, production run, and post show summary. This thesis will explore the creation of these characters, the obstacles during the process, and the experience of playing multiple roles.

The role of Olympia in Charles Mees Big Love was selected as a thesis project in the fall semester of 2006. This thesis is a written record of the actors work on the character throughout the rehearsal process and performance in the form of an Actors Score. It also includes an Introduction, a Chapter on the Rehearsal Process, Character Analysis, News Article, Production Photo and a Conclusion.

In February 2006, Swine Palace Productions premiered a collection of scenes from the works of Tennessee Williams titled Tennessee Williams in QUARTER Time. This thesis describes from start to finish the process through which the author created the role of Tennessee Williams for that production. This thesis includes an Introduction, Character Analysis, Actors Score, reactions to the show in performance, a Conclusion, and four appendices.

This thesis follows the experience of Reuben Mitchell in his portrayal of the characters Bacchus, Poseidon, Vertumnus, and Hermes in the play "Metamorphoses". It consists of observations on the characters, character analysis, a daily record of the rehearsal process, an overview of the process of developing each of the above mentioned characters, ground plans of the stage layout, a review of the play in Baton Rouges local newspaper The Advocate and thoughts/conclusions on the discoveries made during the experience of the play. All quotations are from the text of Mary Zimmermans "Metamorphoses".

The role of Juliette Niyirabeza in I Have Before Me A Remarkable Document Given To Me By A Young Lady From Rwanda by Sonja Linden was selected and performed as a thesis project in the spring of 2006. This thesis, From Rwanda To The Stage, is a written record of the actor's process in developing the character in the form of a journal. It also includes an Introduction, Character Analysis, Research Notes, Reviews, and a Conclusion.

Cajuns, the descendants of the Acadian diaspora begun in 1755, chose to live a largely isolated existence in Louisiana until elements in the nineteenth century began concerted efforts to assimilate the Cajuns. By the beginnings of the twentieth century, the dual challenges of enforced schooling and the prohibition of spoken French affected the Cajun sense of pride. Around the same time, outsiders (satirists from Louisiana who were not of Cajun descent) used the Cajun dialect, in publications and on the radio, to humorously skewer Louisiana politics. Over the last century, Cajun dialect humor has evolved along specific lines that have closely followed the evolution of the Cajun cultural identity. Cajun dialect humor was associated with outsiders and would remain that way until the 1960s. The process of reclamation has been a long and arduous journey, one that has prompted internal struggles leading to negotiations within the community over competing identity narratives. Even though Cajun humorists have supplanted the original satirists in performing the ethnic humor, these negotiations have often placed the practitioners of the dialect humor in the position of beggars at the gate, apologizing for stepping outside the boundaries set by self-appointed gatekeepers, and forcing them to amend their performances to fit certain acceptable guidelines. The inside/outside duality of Cajun dialect humor led to a showdown within the community, allowing gatekeepers to set parameters on what style of humor would be tolerated and which would not. The dialect humor was divided into the old, unacceptable style and the new, established style. In this work, I am arguing for a return of the old style of humor by demonstrating its place in Cajun history. By restoring the old with the new style of humor, I believe this will strengthen the overall comic product and ensure the future of Cajun dialect humor.