Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / My Doctoral dissertation, titled The hand and the head: The Handspring Puppet Company and the arts archive, is focussed on the hand as it appears variously in the production, performance and reception of puppetry as a metonym of care and comfort, but conversely of manipulation and tyranny. The shared proponent of the hand, so crucial to the puppeteer as a means of controlling the movements and “life” of the puppet, acts as the object of study which links the puppet to the modern human and the human body, both through means of creation and representation, in other words, both aesthetically and ontologically. The study thus initiates a set of dialectical connections between body and mind, intuition and intellect, practice and theory, all centred on the relationship between the hand and the head.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1945. / Without thesis note. Bibliographical references included in "Notes" (p. [170]-180) Bibliography: p. [181]-185.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Los Angeles, 1980. / Includes vita. "Plays from the Toone Marionette Theater": leaves 313-409. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 410-421).

This thesis is intended to be the first detailed account of the craftsmanship, iconography and background of the Balinese shadow play. The theatre has an important place in Balinese culture both as it is seen to be the original art form and also as it is an essential part of religious rites. The stories upon which the plays are based are taken mainly from the Hindu epics, the Mahabharats and Ramayana. The characters, most of who are derived from the epics, are first introduced. This is a relevant background for understanding the iconography. The thesis then turns to look at the making of the puppets. From this it emerges that complex cultural and ritual regulations underpin the craft. This leads into the largest section of the work which deals with an examination of the principles underlying the depiction of the mythical characters and their significance in terms of both the texts and the oral tradition. It is evident that the puppets are composed of standard parts which carry a more or less defined meaning. There is one important class of figures which stand out by the uniqueness of their depiction, but do not exist in the epics at all. These are the servants who are studied in some detail. It is useful further to stand back and survey a collection of puppets as a whole. This reveals complex forms of connections with social institutions and cultural beliefs. A study of the Iconography is incomplete however without an examination of the performance itself in which the puppets are seen as part of a more elaborate system including other dramatic elements. This provides the means by which cultural ideas are portrayed both through the visual form and the spoken word to the Balinese.

No description available.

No description available.

La marionnette iranienne, par son fonctionnement, son rôle et son comportement esthétique et sociopolitique sur les scènes théâtrales et à la télévision, est un objet et une sorte de personnage hybride : tout en exhibant la nature hybride de cette forme théâtrale, la démarche marionnettique souligne le « grand » pouvoir de cette « petite » chose mineure et trouve un espace pour jouer avec ce même pouvoir. Ainsi, la marionnette en Iran, depuis au moins dix siècles, participe à un « jeu » au-delà des jeux marionnettiques, tout en résistant aux changements de la société. Elle se renouvelle donc en toute occasion et s’épanouit de nos jours tout en revendiquant à sa guise la liberté de parole et de geste. Pour saisir ce phénomène, cet ouvrage s’attache à suivre les traces de la marionnette dans la société iranienne, à partir du XIe siècle, dans la littérature classique persane au style allégorique et symbolique, puis, à partir du XVIIe siècle, dans les récits de voyageurs occidentaux. Parallèlement aux études historiques, cette thèse donne des informations majeures sur l’identité sociale de la marionnette iranienne et sur les trois techniques traditionnelles du théâtre de marionnettes. A partir du XXe siècle, la transformation, voire la mutation des formes marionnettiques iraniennes, ainsi que leur entrée à l’Université témoignent d’un renouveau à travers lequel certains sujets délicats, voire tabous, peuvent être abordés en détournant la censure. / Iranian puppetry and the Iranian puppet show, it's operation, it's role and it's sociopolitical nature, on both stage and TV, is a form with a kind of hybrid character. Indeed, this approach emphasizes the power of this “small” scale theatrical art form to tackle “big” subjects, demonstrating it's hybrid nature. Puppetry in Iran, for the last ten centuries, participates in a “game” beyond the traditional marionette show, resisting change in society. However it somehow manages to renew itself on every occasion and flourish in the present, proclaiming the freedom of speech and gesture. The goal of this thesis is to grasp this phenomenon, by following puppetry in Iranian society through the ages. From the eleventh century classical Persian literature, with it's allegorical and symbolic style, onto the seventeenth century with stories of Western travelers and finally the twentieth century, where Iranian marionettes are transformed or mutated into something universal relevant to Iranian society, addressing certain touchy subjects or taboos and managing to circumnavigate censorship rules. Alongside these historical studies, this thesis describes the social identity of Iranian puppetry and the three traditional techniques of puppet theater.

This paper will cover the making of my thesis film Rachel’s Madcap Theater. I will break down all of the interdisciplinary aspects and collaborations with other artists that formed the final film: screenwriting, production design, directing, cinematography, sound, music, and special effects. For each of these categories, when appropriate, I will compare and contrast the changes made during the main stages of filmmaking: pre-production (all decisions made before shooting begins), production (all decisions made while shooting the movie), and post-production (all decisions made after shooting ends). I will then provide self-analysis of my process in order to judge both the ultimate success of my thesis film (did I make the film that I originally intended to make?) and the strengths and weaknesses of my personal abilities.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 3312.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1980. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 581-585).