While Korea experienced the threats of imperialist powers in the 19th century, and Japanese colonial rule in the early part of the 20th century, many Korean intellectuals expressed their nationalism through efforts to implant Western culture for the modernization of the Korean nation. They believed such activities would help to realize enlightenment and industrial development, the major conditions for assuring the independence of Korea and the survival of the nation. This attitude became known as Cultural Nationalism. The establishment of modern Korean theatre participated in the movement of Cultural Nationalism. Many leaders of Korean theatre tried to implant Western modern theatre, calling it the New Theatre (singŭk), believing it could help to enlighten the Korean people and modernize the nation. Hong Hae-sŏng proved one of the leading figures in this effort through his activities in the Theatrical Arts Society and the Tsukiji Little Theatre in the 1920s, and the Dramatic Art Study Association in the 1930s. By practicing the function of director for the first time in Korea, he became the most distinguished theatre artist of that time. As Cultural Nationalism in Korea declined in the 1930s, however, Hong Hae-sŏng left the New Theatre movement and converted to popular theatre by joining the Tongyang Theatre. Although the rhetoric of Cultural Nationalism receded in his work at the Tongyang Theatre, he did not lose his love for his nation and maintained his pride as an artist. While almost every other leading figure in Korean theatre collaborated with Japan in the 1940s, he did not serve Japan with his art. Also, when Korean society underwent great social change after being liberated from Japan in 1945, Hong Hae-sŏng, remaining faithful to his artistic ideals, did not endorse or serve a specific political faction to secure his career. With his love for his nation and reverence for art, Hong Hae-sŏng became the most distinctive and exemplary theatre artist in the modern history of Korean theatre.

History is not so much what actually happened as how we have received and disseminated what happened. This reception and dissemination take place through a variety of media, many of which are not the purview of the traditional historian. It is in the trifles of daily life that we find the patterns of cultural norms the ethos of the society that is as unnoticed by that society as the air it breathes. Society makes choices that affect the future based on what has been disseminated, rather than on the original event. This is especially true of such military disasters as the charge of the Light Brigade at the battle of Balaclava in the Crimea on October 25, 1854. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how the event of the charge of the Light Brigade was shaped over time until it became lodged in the British cultural ethos as an icon of heroic and national identity. The dissertation focuses on various types of dissemination: public records, newspaper articles, published personal journals, paintings and lithographs, music, and theatrical entertainments. The written document is composed of five chapters: Chapter One relates the event, the methodology and the importance of the study; Chapter Two examines the accounts of the Charge published immediately following the event, along with the public record of the Parliamentary investigation into the Charge; Chapter Three focuses on the second generation of dissemination through art and music; Chapter Four discusses the representations of the charge of the Light Brigade on the stage, especially through the eyes of one man who rode in the charge and later became an actor, including its satirization by George Bernard Shaw in Arms and the Man; and Chapter Five draws conclusions concerning the perpetuation of the icon of the Light Brigade into this century. A Bibliography and two Appendices will be included providing the text of Tennysons The Charge of the Light Brigade and permissions for use of images within the dissertation.

This thesis will follow the experience of Leigh-Erin Balmer in creating the role of Fabiana Aziza Cunningham, a character written by Stephen Adly Guirgis in his play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. The role of Cunningham is the topic of this production thesis in acting, which will be submitted to 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 contains an introduction; textual analysis and research (regarding author and original production history as well as other text materials); a character study, including a discussion of physical preparation for the role, as well as an investigation of the character relationship between Cunningham and Satan; Balmers rehearsal journal which demonstrates growth in implementing research in rehearsal and exhibits performance preparation with detailed scene breakdowns; performance analysis, including written critical feedback; and a conclusion. It will detail Balmers approach to the role of Cunningham and decisions regarding Cunninghams identity, appearance, and character purpose. Finally, the thesis will present a critique of Balmers successes in the utilization of different acting methods.

The roles of Saint Matthew and Caiaphas the Elder in Stephen Adly Guirgiss The Last Days of Judas Iscariot were performed in the fall of 2008 and elected as a thesis role at the time. This thesis is a written record of the actors research and development of the characters. This thesis includes background information on the production, historical research on the characters, character analyses, reflections on performance issues and the rehearsal process, and production photos.

The following document consists of a written interpretation of an actors work on approaching and eventually performing the role of Yusef Akbar Azziz Al-Nassar Gamel El-Fayoumy in a production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. This play was written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and performed at the Louisiana State University Hatcher Theatre in 2008. A specific focus is given to the separate and significantly different relationships between El-Fayoumy and ten other characters. The document also represents an actors struggle to be clear and precise while being free and imaginative.

This thesis explores the role of Nina in Swine Palaces 2009 production of Diana Sons Satellites. The play investigates themes dealing with interracial relationships, major life transitions, and parenthood. Included in this study are a character autobiography written from the actors interpretation of the role, the actors journal, and a detailed account of the in rehearsal and performance process. In addition, this study includes production photos, reviews, a working copy of the script scored for subtext/inner life, objectives, and tactics, and an interview with the playwright.

Directing The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and playing the title role was chosen as the basis for a thesis project in the fall semester of 2008 to be presented to the Graduate School of Louisiana State University in partial fulfillment of the graduate requirement for the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre. The thesis will contain an introduction, a text analysis, a directors concept, a chapter on the rehearsal process (to include a physical score and a tactical score), a chapter on performance, and a conclusion. The purpose of this thesis is to explore both an actors interpretation as well as a directors interpretation of the play as they interface, contrast, and finally combine. Beyond documentation of the experience as both an actor and a director, the central focus of this thesis will determine whether acting in a central role while simultaneously directing can ultimately be judged as liberating or limiting in the process of creating a theatrical production.

The role of Satan, in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, was selected as the topic of this thesis in acting to be submitted to the Graduate School of Louisiana State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theater. The thesis includes an introduction; discussions of acting methods: the Art of Being, logical thinking, rhythmic sounds, the rehearsal process, journal notes, photos, research, and a conclusion. It details my role/character from a theatrical and humanistic point of view. I will highlight points that will reveal my daily discoveries of this character through a technique called The Art of Being by Stewart. The discoveries will include aspects from spiritual/theological research on angels, and my daily reports of journal notes, which will illuminate my creative process as an artist and man.

This work is interdisciplinary in orientation and brings together American theatre (and culture) and contemporary ethical philosophy. I am introducing the French philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas and his theory of Self and Other to an analysis of contemporary American dramaa mode of approach that is new to the discipline of theatre studies. Lévinass insights are particularly relevant to the concerns of the 21st century and how we might rethink relationships and values. My work looks at contemporary American plays in terms of nationalism, gender politics, racial dynamics and ecological issues. I contend that these playwrights are attempting to go beyond conventional views on such matters and are modeling a sort of Lévinasian ethic in their works, one informed by an honoring of difference and a responsibility for the Other.

The process of developing Costume Crafts for any production begins with research into the given time-period of the proposed production. With the appropriate research into the fashions of the day and the available tools and techniques, the Craftsperson can collaborate with the Costume Designer to create that Designers vision. This project included two productions set in adjacent time-periods. The first step in the process was to research millinery fashions from 1910 through 1927 thus encompassing the time-periods set for each production. This research included the prevailing fashions of the day, the available materials, fabrics, and techniques employed in creating millinery. The next step involved meeting with each Costume Designer to assess the projected millinery requirements for each production. Although modern materials and fabrics are different from their historical counterparts, the actual creation of the millinery for each production employed many of the same techniques used during the time-periods in question. While exact historical representation is not the overall goal in theatrical millinery a complete understanding of historical materials and techniques can aide in a pleasing impression of a given era.