The following thesis draws from a recent production assignment at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., in which I acted as Associate Fight Director under Broadway Fight Director Rick Sordelet. We worked on three shows in all: William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, and Christopher Marlowe's first play, Tamburlaine, and his last, Edward II. By analyzing and assessing the working methods utilized during this production process, I hope to elucidate the most effective elements, and finally synthesize the tenets of my own working method. Structurally, I will recount the experience chronologically, from preproduction to performance, treating the pros and cons in each section of production. As a movement designer, I am interested in choreographic methods that both draw organically from actor's impulses, and integrate acting choices immediately. Too often the acting work is left off until the end; the actors are expected to layer their choices onto a fight that was not choreographed with those choices in mind. Instead, I seek to articulate a working method that allows and guides actors towards physical engagement with specific objectives, and that enables actors to make active choices from the very beginning.

This text is a partial record of the conception and development of Reflections of Red in a Mirror of Desire that opened on February 20th 2006 for a three day run ending on February 22nd. The majority of the text is focused on the events and research that provided the concept for the show. Some of the research includes influential choreographers and companies such as Pina Bausch, Graziela Daniele, Moses Pendleton, Pilobolus, Momix, Julie Tayrnor, and Merce Cunningham. Included in the analysis of this event are the experiences and lessons that came about during the process of directing Reflections of Red in a Mirror of desire. The result of this evaluation is the creation of an approach to choreographing and directing sexual or intimate scenes for the stage. Further reflections on directing, choreographing, collaboration, creative process, and aesthetics serve as the culmination of lessons inherent in both the creation of the production and the author's three years of study at the Virginia Commonwealth University Theatre Pedagogy Program with an emphasis in Movement and Choreography.

Human beings make decisions every minute of the day. These decisions are based upon need, desire, impulse, mood, and knowledge. As we grow older, we learn skills in decision-making primarily through trial-and-error. The theatre artist, likewise, is constantly searching for new skills and techniques to aid this process. In life and in art, however, decision-making is not totally grounded in intellect but includes inst1inctive and emotional sensations. It is through finely blending intuitive responses with intellectual skills that a work of theatre art can be produced. In order to accomplish this blending however, the director needs first to identify his reactions to the dramatic work. For example, what attracts the director to this play? What sights, sounds and sensations does the play create? How does this play relate to the director's life experiences? And what are the essential elements that enrich the play and will bring it to life in a theatrical environment? Determining the answers to these questions was my initial directorial challenge, and would guide my dramatic analysis, rehearsal methodologies, and production decisions. My directorial task was to determine the analytical, technical, and rehearsal methodologies which would protect the play's inherent spontaneity and sensuality while remaining true to the details of staging realism. This thesis outlines my decision-making processes: the formation of my directorial concept, the techniques and theories I used in rehearsal and production, and an evaluation of the actual production in performance.

"Combat Dance" is an eclectic blend of combat and dance art forms combined and taught from the Fall 2001 to Spring 2003. As defined here, combat dance is a blend of techniques and principles gleaned from both unarmed and armed aspects of stage combat, martial arts (such as aikido and kung fu), modern dance and other expressive movements used to tell a story of conflict. Its primary purpose is to provide both actors and non-actors greater awareness and control of their bodies and to provide a range of creative avenues of expression. Combat dance gives the performers a unique and holistic set of exercises and skills that leave no part of the body, mind, or - even deeper - the spirit uninfluenced. The thesis begins with the vision and birth of the class, a description of the preparatory research, an analysis of the reasons for the class, and reflection, revelations, and realizations gained through teaching the class. The ultimate focus of this thesis is to aid anyone interested in any type of combat or dance-related movements: dancers, non-dancers, actors, non-actors, movement coaches, and even those in the fields of dance or drama therapy.

We develop and evaluate a novel host-vector model of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission that incorporates multiple avian host species and host stage-structure (juvenile and adult stages), with both species-specific and stage-specific biting rates of vectors on hosts. We use this model to explore WNV transmission dynamics that occur between vectors and multiple structured host populations as a result of heterogeneous biting rates. Our analysis shows that increased exposure of juvenile hosts results in earlier, more intense WNV transmission when compared to the effects of differential host species exposure, regardless of other parameter values. We also find that, in addition to competence, increased juvenile exposure is an important mechanism for determining the effect of species diversity on the disease risk of a community.

In this thesis, the author explores and develops new attributes for machine performers and merges the trans-disciplinary fields of the performing arts and artificial intelligence. The main aim is to redefine the term “embodiment” for robots on the stage and to demonstrate that this term requires broadening in various fields of research. This redefining has required a multifaceted theoretical analysis of embodiment in the field of artificial intelligence (e.g. the uncanny valley), as well as the construction of new robots for the stage by the author. It is hoped that these practical experimental examples will generate more research by others in similar fields. Even though the historical lineage of robotics is engraved with theatrical strategies and dramaturgy, further application of constructive principles from the performing arts and evidence from psychology and neurology can shift the perception of robotic agents both on stage and in other cultural environments. In this light, the relation between representation, movement and behaviour of bodies has been further explored to establish links between constructed bodies (as in artificial intelligence) and perceived bodies (as performers on the theatrical stage). In the course of this research, several practical works have been designed and built, and subsequently presented to live audiences and research communities. Audience reactions have been analysed with surveys and discussions. Interviews have also been conducted with choreographers, curators and scientists about the value of machine performers. The main conclusions from this study are that fakery and mystification can be used as persuasive elements to enhance agency. Morphologies can also be applied that tightly couple brain and sensorimotor actions and lead to a stronger stage presence. In fact, if this lack of presence is left out of human replicants, it causes an “uncanny” lack of agency. Furthermore, the addition of stage presence leads to stronger identification from audiences, even for bodies dissimilar to their own. The author demonstrates that audience reactions are enhanced by building these effects into machine body structures: rather than identification through mimicry, this causes them to have more unambiguously biological associations. Alongside these traits, atmospheres such as those created by a cast of machine performers tend to cause even more intensely visceral responses. In this thesis, “embodiment” has emerged as a paradigm shift – as well as within this shift – and morphological computing has been explored as a method to deepen this visceral immersion. Therefore, this dissertation considers and builds machine performers as “true” performers for the stage, rather than mere objects with an aura. Their singular and customized embodiment can enable the development of non-anthropocentric performances that encompass the abstract and conceptual patterns in motion and generate – as from human performers – empathy, identification and experiential reactions in live audiences.

Regular physical activity is associated with improved physiological and psychological wellbeing, by reducing the risk of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression. There is a common perception that physical activity levels in the population are declining, and one of the biggest changes affecting this is occupational based activity. Since adults spend on average over 50% of their waking hours at work, work sites have the potential to be an important setting for health promotion initiatives. Cognitions and behaviours are key causal factors behind many of today s most widespread health problems and illnesses. The stage of change model has been highlighted as having intuitive appeal because it considers the dynamic nature of attitudes and behaviour change. This thesis is concerned with the application of the stage of change model to an occupational health intervention promoting physical activity. Several research studies were undertaken to explore the experiences of employees with workplace health initiatives and investigate the strategies and practices used by occupational health to promote healthy behaviours. These research studies highlighted the barriers and facilitators to successful health interventions and contributed towards the design, development and implementation of an activity promotion intervention. Additional research was also conducted to develop information materials based on the stage of change model. The stage approach was simplified and intervention materials were classified based on whether employees were thinking about making a change or not thinking about making a change to their activity levels. In order to test the materials, a twelve month intervention was implemented in ten work sites across the UK that were allocated to one of three groups. Two groups received information materials and one group received no information during the intervention period (control group). The difference between the two groups who received information was that one group received standard activity promotion information (standard group) and the second group received tailored information based on their stage of change construct (staged group). Participants in the staged intervention group demonstrated significant decreases in body mass index, fat percentage, waist circumference, blood pressure and resting heart rate following the twelve month intervention. In contrast, reductions were identified for the standard intervention group for waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure. Finally, there were no long-term significant improvements identified for the control group. However, group comparisons revealed there were no significant differences between the intervention conditions. The intervention also recorded self-reported psychological outcomes, which demonstrated variations throughout the intervention period for all groups. The potential reasons for these inconsistent outcomes are discussed. A process evaluation following the intervention demonstrated employees valued the health screenings and identified issues relating to knowledge, behaviour change and health implications that were important outputs of the intervention. Based on these findings, the research concludes there is scope to make physical activity interventions in the workplace more effective by applying the stage of change approach. Using the process of simplifying the stages and focusing on whether employees want to change their behaviours or not allows occupational health to deliver information that could be more meaningful and have a significant impact on behaviour change. By understanding employees readiness to change their activity behaviours and targeting information based on their beliefs, attitudes and intentions to change may produce significant improvements in health outcome measures compared to standard information. The results also suggest there is potential for this type of tailored intervention to be extended to other occupational health issues.

Les nombreux modèles de turnover que l’on peut trouver dans la littérature en Gestion des Ressources Humaines illustrent l’importance de la fidélisation des salariés à l’entreprise.L’objectif de cette thèse est d’analyser l’effet de l’« étape de carrière » sur les facteurs de fidélisation et sur le niveau de fidélité des salariés. Ce travail est également l’occasion d’étudier les déterminants de l’étape de carrière et de débattre autour de l’impact de l’appartenance à la génération Y sur l’intention de quitter l’entreprise.Pour répondre à ces questions de recherche, une enquête par questionnaires a été réalisée en janvier 2011 auprès de salariés français d’une entreprise franco-américaine et de deux entreprises françaises. L’échantillon est composé de 478 répondants : 206 vendeurs, 150 techniciens, 76 salariés de fonctions support et 46 de fonctions indéfinies. La population étudiée a un niveau de qualification faible à moyen (CAP/BEP/BAC à BAC+2/BTS).Les résultats confirment (1) le rôle central de la satisfaction extrinsèque au travail et de l’implication affective organisationnelle dans un modèle de turnover et (2) l’influence du score à l’étape de carrière d’un individu à la fois sur les facteurs de fidélisation et l’intention de quitter l’entreprise.Le profil du salarié a également un impact sur les facteurs de fidélisation et sur l’intention de quitter. Le score à une étape de carrière est peu influencé par l’âge et les différentes formes d’ancienneté.L’appartenance à la génération Y, plutôt qu’à la génération X ou à celle des Baby Boomers, n’influence pas l’intention de quitter l’entreprise, du moins telle qu’elle est mesurée par l’appartenance à une tranche d’âge. / The numerous turnover models found in the Human Resource Management literature illustrate the importance of employee loyalty to the company.The objective of this thesis is to analyze the “career stage” effect on employee loyalty-building factors and on employee loyalty to the company. This work also gives the opportunity to study the determinants of the career stage and to debate the impact of belonging to generation Y on the intention to leave the company.To answer our research question, surveys have been administered in January 2011 to French employees from a Franco-American company and from two French companies. The sample is composed of 478 respondents: 206 salespeople, 150 technicians, 76 support staff and 46 undefined jobs. The studied population has a low and medium qualification level CAP/BEP/BAC to BAC+2/BTS).The results confirm (1) the central role of extrinsic job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment in a turnover model and (2) the influence of an individual’s career stage on both his loyalty-building factors and his intention to leave the company.The employee profile also has an impact on loyalty-building factors and on employee intention to leave. Moreover, age and the different kinds of tenure have little influence on the score to a career stage.Belonging to the generation Y, rather than to the generation X or to the Baby Boomers generation, does not influence employee intention to leave as far as generational belonging is measured by age groups.

This thesis deals with the creation of rating curves and evaluating these curves on profiles KFGG. There are described various methods of extrapolating discharge beyond instrumentally measured data. On selected profiles is performed extrapolation using 1D hydrological model MIKE 11. Data used in this work are obtained by field survey made by workers KFGG. Key words: rating curve, extrapolation, hydrological modeling, ADCP, MIKE 11

Il est couramment admis aujourd’hui que le stage en entreprise est essentiel à la formation, fut-elle universitaire. Peu de travaux pourtant se sont intéressés à la manière dont le stage contribue à la professionnalisation et au développement et à la formation des élèves et étudiants. La thèse réalisée dans le cadre de l’Ecole des Mines de St Etienne cherche à explorer en quoi le stage en entreprise pour des élèves en formation d’ingénieurs pouvait être facteur de développement Appuyé sur une perspective socio-constructiviste, et sur la théorie de l’activité issue des approches vygotskienne la thèse s’intéresse à la manière dont les instruments langagiers structurent la pratique du stage, permettent la réflexivité et la mise en visibilité des contradictions des systèmes d’activité entre l’entreprise et l’Ecole et à l’intérieur même de l’Ecole.L’approche théorique permet de définir les hypothèses suivantes :- Le stage est intégré à un dispositif de formation, organisé en lien avec les règles de la communauté constituée par les instances qui valident la formation. Ce dispositif s’imprègne de l’histoire du métier dans laquelle il s’inscrit. - Le stage est un élément de socialisation par les instruments parce qu’il permet à l’élève de s’inscrire dans un genre partagé, avec une acceptation de règles du jeu autour de la construction de son identité professionnelle, vers le métier d’ingénieur. Le dispositif de formation propose à l’élève un appareil de conversation qui lui permet de modifier et de reconstruire la réalité subjective et lui fournit une nouvelle identité professionnelle. Le rapport et la soutenance sont des instances proposées à l’élève pour discuter du genre découvert pendant le stage.- L’élève, lorsqu’il restitue son expérience en entreprise, se situe à l’intersection de plusieurs systèmes d’activité : le sien, celui de l’entreprise qui l’a accueilli en stage et celui du tuteur enseignant qui va valider cette expérience pour sa formation. Nous caractérisons donc en quoi le dispositif proposé par la formation permet la réflexivité avec la mise en visibilité des contradictions vécues et éventuellement leur dépassement. Nous regardons ensuite comment le rapport et la soutenance portent les traces de cette réflexion.A partir d’une analyse de l’historique des formations des ingénieurs nous cherchons à comprendre les logiques de formation et l’évolution de la place laissée aux stages. Une analyse du prescrit des stages est réalisé à travers les documents de l’Ecole d’ingénieurs. Questionnaires et entretiens permettent de saisir les représentations du stage par le Directeur et une promotion d’élèves. Puis deux études de cas appuyées sur l’étude des rapports et des soutenances de deux élèves et d’entretiens avec leurs tuteurs sont réalisées. L’analyse des données recueillies a montré que le stage en entreprise, pour fonctionner, se situe dans différents systèmes d’activité. Le système de formation qui prescrit le stage est pris dans des logiques dépendantes de celles des instances prescriptives du métier d’ingénieurs : les entreprises et leurs évolutions, les politiques d’enseignement, la CTI, le CEFI… A une autre échelle, dans la formation d’ingénieurs observée, les systèmes d’activité interpellés pour ce stage sont notamment ceux de l’Ecole, de l’entreprise, de l’élève, de l’enseignement, de la recherche. Enfin à l’échelle de deux élèves, nous avons pointé les convergences et les contradictions qui existent entre le système d’activité d’un élève, celui de son tuteur-enseignant, celui de l’entreprise, et celui de la recherche. / It is widely acknowledged today that the industrial placement is essential to academic study, even at university. However, few works have focused on the way in which the placement contributes to professional experience, the development and training of the students. The thesis undertaken at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines in Saint-Etienne (Graduate School of engineering) investigates to what extent the industrial placement could be a factor in the development of engineering students. Based on a socio-constructivist perspective and on the activity theory developed by Vygotsky’s approach, the thesis looks at the way in which the linguistic instruments structure the industrial placement itself, allowing a degree of reflexiveness and bringing to light contradictions in the activity systems between the company and the School as well as within the School itself.The theoretical approach allows us to establish the following hypotheses:- The industrial placement is integrated into a method of training that is set up in line with the rules of the community consisting of the authorities who validate the training. This methodology is embedded in the history of the profession. - The industrial placement is a way of socialising using the instruments because it allows the student to join a shared environment and to accept a set of rules around building a professional identity towards the engineering profession. The industrial placement gives the student a mechanism for conversation which allows him to modify and reconstruct the subjective reality, giving him a new professional identity. The written report and the viva voice are opportunities for the student to discuss the learning from the placement.- When the student presents his experience within the company, he is situated at the intersection of several activity systems: his own, that of the company at which he worked and that of the teacher who is going to validate this experience for his training, the engineering curriculum. We therefore characterise how the method proposed by the curriculum allows a level of reflexiveness and increased visibility of the contradictions experienced and how they can be overcome. We then look at to what extent these reflexions are contained within the written report and the viva voice..From an analysis of the history of engineering studies, we aim to understand the educational logic and the evolution of the industrial placement. An analysis of prescribed training courses is undertaken through the documents from the Engineering school. Questionnaires and interviews allow information about the placement to be recorded by the director of studies and of the students of the class of 2006 have on the placement. Then two case studies are undertaken based on the analysis of two students’ written reports and viva voices as well as interviews with their teachers.The data analysis showed that in order to work, a placement must be located in a variety of activity systems. The academic system which prescribes the placement is taken from the logic dependent on that of the authorities prescriptive to the engineering profession: companies and how they evolve, the politics of education, the CTI, the CEFI … On another scale, in the engineering curriculum that was observed, the activity systems questioned for this training course are those of the School, the company, the student, education and research. Finally, for the two students, we pointed out the convergences and the contradictions which exist between the activity system of a student, that of his teacher, that of the company, and that of the research.