Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts by Research in Drama and Film in the Theatre and Performance Department Wits School of Arts University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, March 2017 / A theory of performance-making is presented through this study that contributes to the body of performance studies research. The consideration of looking “beyond” the “linoleum colon”, as the research title suggests, positions this study to respond to the research question: To what extent can a constructed performance narrative provide the potential for audience transformation in reading, knowing, and understanding the public health site as an ally to health care practice? The “performance-making process” is forwarded as a possible model for creative research. The collaborative process leading to the performance Beyond the linoleum colon is an experiment in performance-making. I frame this experiment as a “collision course” (Pollock, 2010: 203) that presents a convergence between performance studies, urban spatial praxis, and narrative theory. The performance-making process as a model presents a formula for a theory of performance-making. A performance-making theory can be derived from the ways in which a citing of site took place and will be presented as part of this study. I have connoted the action of ‘digestion’ from the metaphorical element of the ‘colon’, an incorporation of supportive theoretical ideas that develop into a model for a theory of performance-making. The research to follow is informed by writers in performance studies including Schechner (2002), Conquergood (1995, 2002a, 2002b), Pollock (2010), and Warren (2010), urban spatial praxis from the perspective of Lefebvre (1991), and narrative theory with reference to Braid (1996), Bruner (1986), and McArthy (2007). The implications of performance-making on the field of performance studies will be addressed, underscoring the importance of a performance-lens to the creative endeavour of the current study. Urban spatial praxis will be stressed, as a consideration of space within the performance was twofold: the citing of site in a theatrical space emerged, as well as a foregrounding of hospital site as a space for the culmination of experiential accounts that developed the Expressionist theatre work. A framing theory on space and the circumstances for its production will be emphasised, leading to an imperative to what I reinforce as narrative construction and narrative performance. The way in which the research has developed in response to these key theoretical perspectives informs the process, progress, and concluding findings of the performance experiment: Beyond the linoleum colon. / XL2018

This research report examines the role of the projected image in the creation of meaning in theatre-based live performance, through the interaction and integration of the projection, the live performer and the staged environment, termed as intermedia performance. The report is based on findings gleaned from my own creative practice and documents a process of practice-led research. It begins by establishing a historical context for this type of creative practice by tracing the development of intermedia performance in the twentieth century. It then takes five of my performance works as case studies, reflecting on the successes and shortcomings of each work in relationship to the stated goal of integrating the projected and live elements of each performance, with major emphasis placed on the analysis of my staged work Heaven and Hell :The Life of Aldous Huxley. In the analysis, a theoretical framework is introduced in the form of Steve Dixon’s digital double, Phaedra Bell’s Dialogic Media Productions and Inter-media Exchange, as well as Philip Auslander’s notion of liveness. The report concludes that the major shortcoming of Heaven and Hell was the tendency of the projected image to overwhelm the live performer both aesthetically and – through mostly temporal constraints – to stifle the potential of the live performance medium in providing a more inclusive and visceral experience for its audience than that offered by exclusively screen-based media. My findings focus on the need to make use of physical computing technologies such as motion sensors in intermedia performance in order to empower live performers and to create more scope for spontaneity and true interaction between the live and the projected.

This thesis investigates Stanislavski’s unnamed invisible form of communication described within the chapter ‘Communion’ in An actor prepares (1936). The description Stanislavski includes in the chapter is especially difficult to access leading to much neglect in critical studies of Stanislavski’s approach. This thesis explores the concept as it permeated across Stanislavski’s writings and practical work. It then establishes a comprehensive, concise and contained description of the experience Stanislavski sought to achieve through his proposed ‘invisible communication’. Most current literature investigating aspects of this ‘invisible communication’ relate it to Stanislavski’s interest in yoga philosophy and practice. Although Stanislavski did indeed appropriate terms and technique from his readings and interest in yoga practice, this thesis proposes that the concept existed from Stanislavski’s earliest theatrical explorations and helped shape his understanding of acting as art. With the compiled description amassed from Stanislavski’s work, this thesis locates correlations of the experience Stanislavski described within the current paradigm of cognitive studies. These correlations help form a theoretically plausible account of the concept to aid further discussion and evaluation. In addition, this thesis uses abductive reasoning to postulate a working hypothesis accounting for the perception within a framework of current understandings of cognitive function. This thesis is the first stage of a much-needed re-evaluation of Stanislavski’s ‘invisible communication’. With a framework to investigate and discuss ‘invisible communication’ in theoretically plausible manner, this thesis is helpful in future development of performer training and practice.

This practice-based thesis explores, through the creation of three new full-length plays, the ways in which a contemporary playwright might engage with classic mythology, specifically ancient Greek mythology in the development of new work. The plays form a triptych, each inspired by a single, yet interconnected Greek myth: their mythic inspirations are as follows, Sodium (2010-11) Theseus and the Minotaur, Sulphur (2011-12) Ariadne at Naxos, and Silver (2010) Icarus and Daedalus. Non-dramatically extant ancient Greek myths were selected in order to seek to explore dramatic possibilities beyond Greek tragedy. The diverse ways in which this body of work was approached is framed by the influence of contemporary theatre practice. Alongside this creative enquiry, the thesis explores the impetus which prompted practitioners to turn to classical mythology for inspiration over two millennia since the myths were created. Reflection on the processes which led to the creation of these plays in relation to the author’s own highlights potential conflicts between ancient and contemporary theatre practice, and seeks to explore ways in which the juxtaposition between traditional and contemporary approaches to theatre making can spark creative engagements. The fission between tradition and subversion was a key factor in the creation of the plays now presented, offering possible insights into the ways in which contemporary practitioners can benefit from a playful engagement with traditional practice in order to generate new work.

This thesis argues that American experimental theatre practice was one key factor in the development of an important phase in the history of the alternative theatre movement in Britain during the period 1956-1980. The data for this thesis has been collected through interviews, archival work and a review of existing literature on post-war British theatre including the alternative theatre movement. The theoretical superstructure and modes of analysis build upon key concepts and theories in the work of Elizabeth Burns (1972) and Baz Kershaw (1992, 1999). The main historical developments or phenomena referred to are the activities of the experimental theatre groups associated with Jim Haynes, Charles Marowitz, Nancy Meckler and Ed Berman, four expatriate American theatre practitioners living in Britain during the time period 1956 1980. In addition this thesis examines important American based groups, Living Theatre (1947), Open Theatre (1964), La MaMa (1960) and Bread and Puppet (1965), which performed in Britain and which made an impact during the same period. The study also examines a wide range of indigenous British groups, Pip Simmons (1968), Foco Novo (1972-1989), Joint Stock (1974- 1989), as well as institutions, RSC (1961), Royal Court (1956) and individuals such as Max Stafford-Clark, Thelma Holt, John Arden, Anne Jellicoe and the Portable playwrights (1968- 1972) which in one way or another were influenced by American exemplars. It is important to state clearly that this study does not claim that American experimental theatre and performance practices were the only influence on this important phase in the history of alternative theatre in Britain. This study simply claims that prevailing themes as well as American experimental theatre groups and performance practices had a key impact which has not been properly acknowledged or examined by scholars. Such an examination will contribute to a more comprehensive and dynamic understanding of the forces which shaped the alternative theatre movement in Britain.

This thesis explores the figure of the expert in a range of contemporary performance practices. Much has been written in recent years about the rise of education, pedagogy and research as both curatorial strategies and modes for making art (see below for cited texts). The significance of theatre and performance within these practices has also been asserted (see, for instance, Shannon Jackson’s Social Works). I argue, however, that the specific use of the figure of the expert within the conjunction of pedagogy, research and performance has not been fully addressed. I further argue that looking at the expert in performance practices provides valuable insight into the broader contemporary dynamic of knowledge and power, as well as telling us much about the current state of performance itself. This is clearly a broad topic, with many possibilities for analysis. In this introduction, therefore, I will outline the rationale behind my choices of practices and critical resources, and I will discuss the rationale behind the geographical and temporal limits that I have chosen. I will also define my key terms, while noting that all of them are both contested and subject to change. I will discuss my methodology, including the various ways I have accessed the performance events and documentation that are included in this thesis, and my approach to the interdisciplinarity that necessarily underpins a project with such potentially broad scope as this one. Finally, I will briefly outline the six chapters which form the body of this study, again indicating reasons for the choices I have made, as well as drawing a few initial connections between practices and ideas.

This dissertation theorizes expressive sound in piano performance. It views the act of obtaining a desired sound as an act of subtly adjusting to continually changing conditions of sound production. It takes a performer's perspective, focusing on the personal experience of sound, as it is being created in performance. The sound of a piano performance is continually evolving, contingent on the acoustic environment, the characteristics of an instrument, and other circumstantial factors with which a pianist works in performance. Although the focus is on real-time performing experience, in the act of any particular performance, a pianist relies on robust previous experience. This dissertation particularly considers the dynamic, interactive loop of the conception, the making, and the hearing of sound in piano performance. The continued re-enaction of this loop is considered as grounding a specifically pianistic cognitive ability which draws on both the haptic and auditory experience of sound at the piano. My approach to piano playing is rooted in work in critical ethnography as well as theories of cognitive function. These two seemingly disparate areas of enquiry share important common ground in their treatment of conceptualization and experience as mutually definitive. An underlying theme throughout this research is the dynamic interplay between theoretical understanding and lived experience. The focus, however, is consistently on piano playing, seen as the act of engendering artistically charged sound through the interaction with a complex and versatile musical instrument, the acoustics of sound and space, and the expressive possibilities of personal experience.

The performance of Shakespeare represents a distinct challenge for actors versed in the naturalistic approach to acting as influenced by Stanislavsky. As John Barton suggests, this tradition is not readily compatible with the language-based tradition of Elizabethan players. He states that playing Shakespeare constitutes a collision of 'the Two Traditions' (1984, p. 3). The current training-based literature provides many guidelines on analysing and speaking dramatic verse by Shakespeare and others, but few texts include practical ways for contemporary performers to embrace both traditions specifically in a rehearsal context. This research seeks to develop a new actor-centred rehearsal methodology to help modern theatre artists create performances that balance the spontaneity and psychological insight that can be gained from a Stanislavsky-based approach with the textual clarity necessary for Shakespearean drama, and a physical rigour which, I will argue, helps root the voice within the body. The thesis establishes what practitioner Patsy Rodenburg (2005, p. 3) refers to as the need for words, or the impulse to respond to events primarily through language, as the key challenge that contemporary performers steeped in textual naturalism confront when approaching Shakespeare and other classical playwrights. The research offers a rehearsal methodology to meet this challenge. The methodology synthesises Stanislavsky's late-career extension of the 'system' referred to as Active Analysis, and Viewpoints, a technique of movement improvisation derived from contemporary dance by choreographer Mary Overlie and further adapted by directors Anne Bogart and Tina Landau. Active Analysis is an innovative method of textual analysis that centres on a series of improvisations, or études, which serve as successive blueprints toward performance. Viewpoints is a technique that offers a clear and accessible vocabulary related to principles of time and space as a way to create and evaluate stage movement. My study illustrates how these two techniques might be used in tandem to invite actors to discover the need for words in a rehearsal context. This combined methodology was developed through a series of three practical research laboratories related to The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, and Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. A fourth laboratory served to extend the combined methodology to a pre-Shakespearean classical text by focusing on the unattributed medieval morality play Mankind. Accounts of these laboratories are used to illustrate a 'director's anatomy' of the development and implementation of the methodology. The thesis concludes with my proposal for an integrated rehearsal practice that can help contemporary actors experience the language-based performance tradition related to Shakespeare and other classical playwrights. The research contributes to the current literature on playing Shakespeare and others by offering a set of principles and a responsive rehearsal model informed by those principles, whilst also providing illustrations of how they might be employed in the production process. The methodology can be utilised in both educational and professional settings. My deep engagement with Active Analysis and Viewpoints means that I am able to contribute to practice, training and scholarship related to each, extending previous enquiries into these systems. The findings can also be applied more generally to the literature and practice of acting, directing and textual analysis.

<p> The lives and careers of the three women composers Marion Bauer (1882-1955), Miriam Gideon (1906-1996), and Vivian Fine (1913-2000) spanned more than a century. Each wrote works for viola and piano, including Bauer's Sonata for Viola and Piano, op. 22, Gideon's Sonata for Viola and Piano, and Fine's <i> Lieder for Viola and Piano.</i> Together, these composers' careers encompass a number of important trends in the professional development of the twentieth century woman composer in the United States. </p><p> Women composers were hindered in their advancement and acknowledgement for a number of reasons. One of these was a lack of "female tradition", the absence of an existing community of successful women composers to look to as examples. Another was the "female affiliation complex", the idea that female professionals struggle to look toward their predecessors as models because the female tradition is devalued. First, this document will explore the lives and influences of Marion Bauer, Miriam Gideon, and Vivian Fine, aiming to contribute to a better understanding of how "female tradition" and the "female affiliation complex" affected these composers' lives. Second, each work for viola and piano will undergo theoretical analysis focusing on goal-directed linearity. Goal-directed linearity is an issue of interest to performers and will encourage a deeper understanding of the works in question, fostering their further performance and dissemination.</p><p>

PhD / In Australia, like most countries, circus has been an element, at times a very important element, in the mosaic that constitutes its popular culture. An outgrowth of the circus as recast in a modern form in London in the 18th century, an Australian circus profession has existed almost continuously since 1847. Australia’s circus entrepreneurs took the principal features of English, and later American, circus arts and management and reworked these features to suit their new antipodean context. The athletic, intellectually undemanding nature of its equestrian-based entertainments harmonised with the emerging patterns of modern Australia’s way of life. In time, Australia produced renowned circus artists of its own, even artists capable of reinvigorating the concept of circus in the very countries from which their art had been derived. Since their transience and labours, indeed their very existence, were somehow tangential and inconsequential to mainstream Australian society, Australia’s circus people did not attract tokens of recognition in story and verse as did shearers, drovers, diggers and other identities of the Australian outback. Their contribution to Australia’s social, economic and cultural development has been largely overlooked. Despite its pervasive role in Australia’s cultural life over more than 150 years, examples of academically grounded research into Australian circus are few. The primary aim of this study is to demonstrate the major themes evident in Australia’s circus history, in terms of society, enterprise and culture, between 1847 and 2006. None of these areas, of course, is exclusive of the others, especially the first and last named. These deliberations are framed within the broader influences and events apparent in Australian society and history. Implicit within this demonstration is the notion that circus, whatever its characteristics and merits as an artform, has been, and continues to be, a ‘barometer’ of social, economic and cultural change in Australia.