A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In order to design a costume for a period show, a costumer must unify the personality of the character in the appropriate historical style with the director's concept for the production. My study endeavors to aid the costumer in search of the historical clothes of the Medieval and Renaissance court Fool. Lack of time to do extensive research often imposes limitations on a designer's creativity. Through extensive research. into Medieval and Renaissance art, with the aid of Robert Armin's jest book, and descriptions of the household accounts of the period, I have compiled a document that will save a harried designer time and leg work. There are several books available on the personality of the court Fool as presented in drama, and studies are available about the history of the court Fool. However, no one, to my knowledge, has collected and presented a study solely dedicated to the clothes of the court Fool. Costume book authors either ignore the Fool or present only one illustration. Many of the most interesting illustrations are in books printed in the 1800's; and, therefore, they are not available to most researchers. Als·o several of the books are written in French; and, therefore, they must be translated before the text can become valuable to most American designers. Some writers have concentrated on various special characters such. as servants or royalty; other writers have specialized in costume piece.s or special periods of clothing. The plan followed in this study was first to carefully view the art of the Medieval and Renaissance courts. I studied paintings and etchings and searched for the court Fool in the background. Then I would sketch or xerox the Fool and isolate him from the rest of the picture. His clothing was analyzed by breaking it down into four categories: hood, bauble, coat, shoes. Note was taken of any other accessories such as swords or jewelry. The Fool's wardrobe is distinguished by several recurring traits. To be included in this study, traditional Fool's clothing must have ass's ears, bells, cockscomb, or some type of a tail. The Fool may carry one of several types of baubles or marottes. The basic garment may be either a tunic of varying length or a body suit. The shoes may be long and pointed, or they may reflect the contemporary fashion. My second approach was to read source books containing documents pertaining to the household accounts of the period and literature providing references to the court Fools. From these. I gleaned such. information as money allotted for the Fool's clothes, descriptions of the clothing, insights into the social position of the Fool, and the function of the court Fool in the noble household. In order to provide a study encompassing all the design possibilities, my third approach. was to scour costume books, assembling a series of costumes that prominent costume writers advocated for the court Fool. I included secondary sources because my purpose was to compile a document containing all the costume possibilities available for a designer. The secondary sources provided adaptations of the historical garments and stylized designs based on the writer's historical research. Since there are. numerous fool characters in the plays of Shakespeare, children's· drama, and musicals like Once Upon A Mattress, my goal is to fill a void by providing a fingertip reference for a costume designer. My hope is that with the aid of the study a costume designer can quickly scan the various costume possibilities. Therefore, a designer could create designs for the court Fool of greater variety that would combine the personality of the character and the director's vision.

This thesis presents a performer’s view of Galina Ustvolskaya and her music with the aim of demystifying her artistic persona. The author examines the creation of ‘Ustvolskaya Myth’ by critically analysing Soviet, Russian and Western literature sources, oral history on the subject and the composer’s personal recollections, and reveals paradoxes and parochial misunderstandings of Ustvolskaya’s personality and the origins of her music. Having examined all the available sources, the author argues that the ‘Ustvolskaya Myth’ was a self-made phenomenon that persisted due to insufficient knowledge on the subject. In support of the argument, the thesis offers a performer’s interpretation of Ustvolskaya as she is revealed in her music. The author examines Ustvolskaya’s music from two viewpoints, a scholar and a performer, and draws upon inter-textual connections between Ustvolskaya’s music and Russian literature (Gogol, Dostoevsky, oberiuty) and aesthetics; analyses the influences of Russian musical traditions (Russian folklore, znamenny raspev) and some artistic individuals (Mussorgsky, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky), and examines the nature of Ustvolskaya’s spirituality and religiosity. The performance aspects of Ustvolskaya’s music are discussed as well as the specific nature of her writing for instruments, particularly the piano, and the interpretation and perception of her music by both the performers and the audience. The thesis examines the performance history of Ustvolskaya’s works, and draws on interview materials with musicians who knew the composer and performed her music. The author’s own performance experience and that derived from the ‘Ustvolskaya at Chetham’s’ project which involved young musicians in studying and performing Ustvolskaya’s compositions, underlined the practical value of the research. While supporting the view of Ustvolskaya as a singular composer, the thesis stands to demystify and reevaluate her artistic image.

Focussing on the 'long 1970s' (1968-1980), this thesis offers a new account of the emergence of performance forms, including Happenings, participatory art, performance art, and performances for the camera, in visual art and related contexts at the ICA. The research is driven by two central aims: firstly, to create space for discourse about women artists and feminist concerns in art in the UK, and secondly, to build a feminist methodology and historiography that allows for a re-thinking of performance events and approaches to interpreting them. My research involves methods drawn from performance studies, history of art and visual studies, cultural history, and feminist theory. Chapters are organised around works by important UK-based artists including Carlyle Reedy, Rose Finn-Kelcey, Cosey Fanni Tutti, and David Medalla, as well as international visitors Carolee Schneemann and Charlotte Moorman. Initially focussing on historical 'recovery' of performances by women artists in order to challenge received or dominant histories of performance, I then shift over the course of the thesis towards reflecting on feminist implications and effects of my historiographical approach. Here the ICA functions as an organising principle rather than a central subject, and so while research begins with the ICA Collection held at Tate Archive, the scope of the study is also broadened to include other sites and archival repositories. As a methodological counterpoint to this, I also question and critique the limits of institutional and archival representation, and conduct interviews with artists and arts professionals. Considered through the lens of each case study, I argue that the 1970s, as a period which saw new performance forms emerge dialogically alongside feminist practice, is a rich area of research for thinking about pre-histories of live art in the UK, as well as questions of identity, identification, and diversity which resonate into the present.

My Year as a Choreographer analyzes the art and craft of dance choreography. My training as a theatre and dance student at East Tennessee State University from 2010-2014, culminated in my final senior capstone experience as a choreographer for two productions, the ETSU Division of Theatre and Dance’s 2014 Dance Concert and University School’s musical, Sleepy Hollow. Composing a new dance in a concert setting and choreographing for musical theatre provided significant material for analysis, and the following research compares the two processes. In addition, the research of the history and development of dance choreography and its modern practices created a better understanding of the artistic field. Both in theory and in practice, I explored the multitude of artistic responsibilities that are imperative to the process of a choreographer.

Echoes: A Dance Composition and Performance analyzes the creative process of choreographing a dance with aerial elements to convey an emotional narrative. My experiences as a theatre and dance Fine and Performing Arts Honors student at East Tennessee State University from 2013-2017, culminated with my final senior capstone project as director, choreographer, and performer of The Echoing Effect, performed February 9, 2017 at the Bud Frank Theatre. The following research of the history and development of aerial dance as an art-form created a better appreciation of the artistic field and informed how I approached the daunting task of composing expressive dance that seamlessly connected movement from the ground to the air on an aerial apparatus. Through research and practical application, I explored the world of the aerial dance choreographer, and this thesis serves as a record of my journey.

An exploration of Theatre Design with a focus on lighting designs created at the University of Iowa in the Theatre Arts Department.

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