In Karen Jürs-Munby's introduction to her English translation of Hans-Thies Lehmann's Postdramatic Theatre (2006), she positions a single African American theatre practitioner, Suzan-Lori Parks, within the canon of postdramatic writers in spite of Lehmann's blind spot for the contribution of Black artists to innovations in theatre practice and aesthetics. This thesis draws from critical jazz studies, particularly Parks's "Rep & Rev" and Fred Moten's analysis of jazz improvisation from his seminal work, In the Break: The Aesthetics of the Black Radical Tradition (2003), in order to visibilize Black contributions to theatre innovation through what has often been overlooked as merely popular music. Through a series of theoretical riffings, I deconstruct the terms (jazz aesthetics, performance, text, and the postdramatic) toward an architecture of performance and toward a queer epistemology that mixes diverse relationships of intensities found in both jazz and the postdramatic, namely queer time as jazz syncopation/swing, queer space as jazz improvisation, and queer body as jazz sonority/phrasing. Finally, in two theoretical jam sessions, I analyze Quiara Alegría Hudes's Water by the Spoonful (2017) and Christina Anderson's How to Catch Creation (2019) through these lenses. I propose that by locating jazz aesthetics and the postdramatic together in a critical topography, we can better recognize not only how POC and queer theatre makes statements by resisting certain hegemonic structures and deconstructing hierarchies of theatrical conventions, but also how Black and queer forms contribute to innovations in theatre and performance practice.

In 2016, I was cast as Officer Krupke in a production of West Side Story at Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF. Even though Krupke can be thought of as a minor character in the play, bringing him to life required a great deal of research and imagination. In order to ground myself in the reality of the role, I researched the effects of implicit bias in modern policing, applied that research to Uta Hagen's Nine Questions, and brought that knowledge into the rehearsal hall and onto the stage. I examined how my character's interactions with Lieutenant Schrank influenced his actions and attitudes toward both street gangs in the play and reflected on how my research and these performances changed my point of view and helped me recognize my own biases. This thesis reflects that process and will serve as a tool available to any actor seeking to create his or her own interpretation of Officer Krupke.

The term "inclusion" has been increasing in its use with students of various abilities, specifically students with autism. Creating inclusion work is a growing need within the field of theatre, and a catalyst for this work can be seen through the creation of the Theatre Development Fund's sensory-friendly performances in 2011. These sensory-friendly performances are primarily marketed to families and students who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, as ASD often creates a sensory sensitivity to bright lights, sudden movements, or loud sounds. As a theatre practitioner, the guiding question of my research is exploring whether inclusion practices can be enforced beyond the stage and into educational programming for students with ASD? Can inclusion practices strengthen the intuitive skill sets of teaching artists? How can theatre artists seek inclusion training? Can the use of inclusion practices within classroom settings perpetuate consistent work for teaching artists? The goal for my research is to use the fields of education, psychology and theatre to acknowledge and inform the difficulty in defining inclusion and create a supplemental resource for theatre teaching artists to use in practice. My methodology is reflecting on my experiences as a graduate student pursuing the Autism Spectrum Disorders certificate in addition to my MFA in Theatre at the University of Central Florida.

Using real-life stories written by female offenders, Planting seeds - Life Stories of Awakening Self-Awareness seeks to identify the systematic challenges these females may have faced, that in most cases, are the root-causes of their derailment from the societal norms of conduct. Applying the concepts of community and social justice and equality as a lens, this work will attempt to corroborate, as a universal postulate, that the process of sharing life stories can have transformative effects on the individuals and that theatre techniques, such as theatre games and scripting can help identify those impediments to restoring lives. Key to the transformative component of this work is the exploration of theatre as a mechanism of support and restoration and that the contributions that theatre may offer are the pillars that sustain the well-being of communities, and henceforth society. Using techniques of storytelling and story writing in the process of re-enacting life stories, the participants will be able to possibly recognize issues that may be impeding their growth. In addition, engagement in storytelling, and moreover, story writing can help the participants increase their cognitive skills and the ability to live a communal life. This evidence-based practice can transform lives and society. It has the potential of continuing to other facilities and with other populations, such as incarcerated males, juvenile delinquents, and orphans. It can reach out beyond these institutionalized populations to any community in need of finding itself, and, further its maximum potential. This work seeks to help these females identify impediments for further growth by using theatre techniques such as sharing and scripting their life stories.

As a teaching artist and theatre educator, I believe an important part of the theatre-going experience is when an audience engages with the play before and after the performance: learning about context, analyzing the production, and identifying themes relevant to the play. Theatre is a powerful teaching tool with regards to empathy and political and social awareness, but also, for young audiences, theatre can help students understand content in other subject areas like language arts, history, and even health. This thesis develops best practices for creating effective audience engagement with young people in theatre in the form of Field Trip Plus at Orlando Repertory Theatre, an enrichment program linking professional season productions to pre- and post-show workshops. It explores the following questions: What is audience engagement, and what are the benefits of audience engagement practices on retention and meaning-making? What is the history of audience engagement in Theatre for Young Audiences, and what are some examples of TYA companies intentionally engaging young people before and after performances? It focuses specifically on the development of Theatre-In-Education in the United Kingdom as an example of integrated drama and education practice which is supported by the pedagogy of Lev Vygotsky, Dorothy Heathcote, and Augusto Boal. It considers how the work of these theorists can also be applied to Field Trip Plus. This thesis is the personal exploration of a teaching artist practicing engagement strategies within Orlando Repertory Theatre, an established Theatre for Young Audiences, that will help young people make connections between state education standards and the play, cultivate their curiosity for learning through the arts, and become life-long active audience members.

Living with Marie is a project aiming to adapt dramatherapy techniques so that they are better suited to the creation of theatre in an attempt to educate audiences of the struggles some individuals cope with while living with mental illness. By using the practices implemented by dramatherapists Sue Jennings, John Casson, R. M. Simon, and Phil Jones, the evolution of my play Living with Marie can be seen as first originating in imagery before progressing to text and finally, performable art. This venture, inspired by my own psychotic struggle, gives audiences a glimpse into the clandestine existence of a nameless Young Woman and her mêlée with a schizophrenic embodiment of her mental disorders named Marie.

In a time where the majority of our news sources and justice movements are received, hashtagged, mobilized, and scrutinized through technology and social media, this thesis embarks to resurrect a once short lived concept of introducing theatre as an informative and educational news source. ?The Hashtag Play ?will be an experiment to create a modern living newspaper play that will utilize techniques and approaches found in Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed Pedagogy to devise meaningful and impactful art determined to educate, inform, and challenge artists and audiences while fostering a sense of community. For the purpose of this thesis, I will be focusing on the issues of sexual violence in America, investigating such cases as People of the State of California v. Brock Allen Turner, ?and the prosecutions of Harvey Weinstein and David Daniels. These cases, among many, have ignited the movements of #MeToo, #TimesUp, and #Let's Be Clear, which have affected men and women within local communities across the U.S. The goal of the project is to create a piece that improves upon the original Federal Theatre Project's Living Newspaper while creating an impactful tool to be utilized in the field of theatre for social change. The play will explore both sides of each trial to expand audience perspective, while attempting to define the blurred lines that surround the complexities and narratives of sexual assault, harassment, and consent. The project implores the questioning of rape culture, how it is defined and if it truly exists in our social climate. The process ventures to identify systematic flaws and social contributors while seeking solutions for social and justice change. It will scrutinize over the presence and purpose of sexual violence within art, while questioning if it is viable to separate art from the artist, or forgive the art and condemn its creator. It will grapple with the challenge of remaining neutral for the sake of education and news delivery. Most importantly, it will be inclusive to all voices, challenging us to use passion and discussion, instead of argument and aggression. To effect a change, the work must first set to identify, clarify, and challenge our former notions to create improved ones that encourage thoughtful and proactive actions.

In many religious circles white is a symbol for purity, cleanliness, and perfection. However, white is also synonymous with empty, blank, and colorless. Women in White: My journey into color is a project centralized around a personal study of the cultural pressures of "perfection" presented both in religious cultures and in the every-day life of a performer. Utilizing the catalyst of a cabaret-style performance, Women in White explores the struggles of nine different female characters in the musical theatre cannon and aims to draw a personal connection from their journey. Inspired by the wise words of my own mother, this thesis celebrates the color present in our lives.

The opportunity to enhance the sense of fulfillment necessary in revolutionizing and liberating a person's daily life, regardless of their age, can be found in the manifestation of play. It is through the acknowledgment of instinct, nature, and discovery that play reveals its power. As a Theatre for the Very Young (TVY) practitioner, I utilize creative play to inspire exploration and innovation among students under the age of six. However, what are the ways in which theatre, specifically TVY, invites all generations of people to experience the power of play? This thesis documents the three-year development of When Pigs Fly, an original TVY experience that encourages audience members of all ages to engage in creative play through sensation, fellowship and discovery. This study explores the collective creation of When Pigs Fly as developed through research, education, and practice. In highlighting the cognitive and emotional benefits of creative play, this study seeks to legitimize TVY as a valued art form, and invites theatre-makers to utilize the research and practice shared to inspire future endeavors that will shape the outlook of TVY throughout the United States.

This study examines the process used while preparing for the role of Daughter in Jim Helsinger's adaptation of A Christmas Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, performed at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (OST). Within the framework of the play, Daughter is a character who is transformed into multiple roles. Her characters include Charity Collector, Belle, Martha Cratchit, Miner, Fred's Wife and Quarreler #1. Presented with the challenge of playing multiple roles in the same production, I sought efficient and straightforward character development and analysis methods to strengthen my performance. Using Uta Hagen's nine questions as a scaffold, I composed a distinguishing analysis for each of my characters while utilizing skills cultivated in my MFA program at the University of Central Florida. I created an actor process motivated by the examination of my identity and circumstances at this point in my life. It is supported by a rehearsal and performance journal detailing my journey, followed by analysis.