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In this thesis I explore the ways in which my artistic, political, and personal values led me to propose Naomi Wallace’s THE TRESTLE AT POPE LICK CREEK as my thesis in order to both reflect and enact what I believe in and also to respond to the dearth of those principles within the Theater Department. I address how those same ethics subsequently informed every facet of my direction of and programming around the play. Through the dual lenses of activating my values and my technical growth as a director, I analyze the “what” and “how” of my work on TRESTLE, the “what” being the artistic substance of what I was aiming to create and the “how” being my methods of engaging in the work. Ultimately, I assess the major takeaways from my experiences in Temple’s MFA program in Theater Directing overall, highlighting the major lessons I will take with me into my career. / Theater

The possibility for a design of a performance theatre to emerge from the following statements was explored and investigated. The proscenium plane is an essential structural element of the theatre: it is the heart of the theatre artistically, philosophically and physically in all of its' manifestations The building is conceived from this element, it is also made of this element. The proscenium plane is repeated and paired in a series to form the dialogue of the theatre. The proscenium, physically, is the opening or surround that separates the audience from the stage. It acts as a window or frame for the audience to view the action of the play through. A proscenium does not have to be a physical manifestation, it can be, literally, the separation between the actor and the audience. The proscenium plane is the wall, visible or invisible that separates and defines the actor and the audience. It becomes the symbolic frame for the action of the play: the audience is seated in reality, the dramatic event is not. Philosophically, the proscenium plane defines a relationship of an author to his characters, and the actor to the audience. It presents the threshold between the place of viewing and the place of narration. It becomes a portal through which the audience must go mentally and physically to comprehend the story and characters of the play. With this design, I present to both the actor and the audience a place to pass through the multiple planes of proscenia to play their respective parts in the event known as THEATRE. The design proposal takes in to consideration the chosen site's existing conditions, relationship to the topography and future potential as a performance center in the city. / Master of Architecture

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Directing texts are inadequate in their various approaches to teaching the concepts of stage-composition. The goal of this thesis was to show that, for an approach to stage composition to be judged adequate, it must systematically provide the student of directing with a firm grounding in design and compositional principles as they relate to the total stage picture. Nineteen texts were studied and their presentations of compositional principles were analyzed. Eight texts are included in an in-depth structural analysis. The texts analyzed are Fundamentals of Play Directing by Alexander Dean, The Art of Play Production by John Dolman, Play Direction by John Deitrich, Principles of Theatre Art by H. D. Albright, W. P. Halstead, and Lee Mitchell, Directing Methods by Albert and Bertha Johnson, Play Directing by Francis Hodge, Creating Theatre by August Staub and Creative Play Directing by Robert Cohen and John Harrop. The analysis of these texts includes a detailed comparison of terminology· and approaches to the presentation of compositional principles. Of the nineteen texts included in this investigation, only one, Creating Theatre by August Staub, presented a systematic approach to design fundamentals and compositional principals as they relate to the director's function. Also included in this thesis are the writer's criteria for judging the adequacy of approaches to composition in any directing text. The conclusion reached by the writer is that the authors of texts on directing, as well as the schools that offer programs in theatre arts, need to emphasize design fundamentals as an essential element in any theatre student's training.