Children today are increasingly being introduced to tablets and other personal electronic devices at very young ages. Due in part to this, the entertainment industry now has a near ubiquitous presence in America compared to cultural arts. Its influence on the development of children is almost impossible to ignore. My thesis will study an approach to engaging young people by way of location-based projects that synthesize two or more art forms (e.g. theatre arts, literary arts, visual arts) in order to provide a unified effort for cultural arts and also provide balance to the influences of entertainment. Incorporating research, interviews with people instrumental in the creation of this approach, and analysis of the data, I intend to answer several essential research questions: • What are the pros and cons of creating and/or operating these collaborative cultural arts facilities? • Are recently created collaborative cultural arts centers, nationally and internationally (e.g. ImaginOn in Charlotte, NC) successfully addressing the imbalance of cultural influence and if so, in what way? • What are the conditions and steps required to create a collaborative cultural arts facility and replicate a model similar to Charlotte's ImaginOn in other cities in the United States?

Radio Plays are a form of classic American Theatre that relies on dialogue, music and sound effects to audibly enhance a story with no visual component. While these types of plays are no longer at the forefront of modern day theatrical experience, I believe these popular plays of the mid-20th century are derivative of an oral storytelling tradition and significant to American entertainment culture. This thesis will discuss the aspects of radio plays that viscerally captured audiences. While this concept can be applied to many popular America radio shows of the time, this thesis will focus on one form ; the black radio play or black situation comedy series. I will deconstruct different genres of radio shows and identify the elements of sound effect, imagery and patterns in speech. This thesis will apply these elements to programs about white family life, (Fibber McGee and The Lone Ranger ) as well as family comedies about black cultural life, (Amos n' Andy, The Martin Lone and Beulah Show and Aunt Jemima). In addition, it will also reveal the business of employing white male actors to voice the parts of black characters and the physical mechanics used to create a “black sound”. As the thesis reveals, black actors gain work and are hired to voice black characters. The focus is on the vocal challenges of staying consistent with the Uncle Remus-style dialect used by their white contemporaries. Part two of this thesis is an analysis of my role as writer in an original radio play/situation comedy set in a black community in the 1950's. Included in this process I will introduce a reflective journal documenting my writing and rehearsal process. Character research will chronicle each character’s relationship to the play, as well as the vocal choices explored.

As a practitioner in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), I have always been drawn to looking at literature and productions that challenge my preconceptions of what constitutes good theatre for youth. I enjoy the bold and innovative, versus the cute and playful. My training and education in this developing branch of theatre has undoubtedly exposed me to the many accomplishments of the American TYA system, but quite often - through attending conferences, as well as participating in class discussions - I find that many debates/conversations center around what more we need to do in this field or what else we can do to make this field more relevant and interesting to young people. In my experience, I've found that discussions and opinions center around Americans looking elsewhere for theatrical models on which to shape their own practices. I began looking at international models of TYA, particularly those of European countries. Historically, theatre has been recognized and valued as an essential part of traditional European life, and Sweden is often recognized as a forerunner in creating and supporting experimental art forms. With this, I question what American theatre educators and artists can learn from Swedish TYA as we work to create more artistic and educational outlets that incorporate the youth perspective of the 21st Century. For this thesis, my interest lies in what I can learn from Swedish TYA. I question how major social and cultural factors shape Swedish children's theatre as a field, and how those factors play out within the artistic arena. I dissect various social and cultural factors in Sweden that contribute to the TYA field, and examine if/how two pieces of Swedish dramatic literature for children reflect those trends and influences occurring in Swedish theatrical practice. Specifically, I also examine how Swedish TYA scripts use elements of non-realism, and deal with taboo topics. Through an exploration of The Dreamed Life of Nora Schahrazade and One Night in February, I find considerable use of elements that extend beyond realistic norms, and it is through those non-realistic approaches that the taboo issues are dissected and explored.

Synaesthetics is a new philosophy of the arts. Expanding on its predecessors, aesthetics and its many branches of thought, Synaesthetics bridges the long-standing explanatory gap across the disciplines of science, spirituality, and art. The arts become the vehicle of exploring new ways to synthesize and study their cognitive effects and implications on aesthetes, be they audience or creators. The examination of a synthesis in color and sound, inspired by research in synaesthesia, is a model for explaining the new philosophy, as well as investigating its impact. Theatre is introduced as the most valuable art form with which to engage this area of thought, due to its inclusive nature of all sister artforms. Pulling from a strong philosophical background, quantum physics, psychology, neuroscience, and esotericism are compounded to create this new lens, with which to interpret, study, and evolve in a dialectical manner. The hypothesis posits a spiritually significant evolution, utilizing these elements of science and a framework of the arts; the methodological accomplishment ultimately reached through Synaesthetics.

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This essay is about theater for the youngest audience 0–6 years. The aim is to highlight the actor's role in the encounter with the small child and the question I am investigating is: How has my work creating and performing theater for young children over many years influenced and shaped me as an actor? I put into words many years of research into performing arts for children and I also practically investigate my question in a performance for adults - fake or fur. With my essay, I want to clarify the knowledge required to be able to meet a child who may be visiting a theater for the first time. What does it mean for an actor to play for young children? What is acting for the youngest audience and what are the creative processes like? I describe the specifics of theater for the youngest partly through reflection and narration of mainly three productions, Clothes off Clothes on (2-4 years), Bubbla and Bo both for an audience of babies 6-12 months and their adults. Long preparatory work and the necessity of a reference audience are described here. There are several stories about various audience meetings over the years. The second part of my essay describes my work with the scenic part of my master's project. I examine theme, form and appeal to an adult audience in order to find clear differences in acting for children and for adults. With my story, I want to highlight the specific skills required for an artistic dialogue with the youngest audience where the actor, in addition to his role in the performance, must be able to guide the children into a theatrical ritual. Going to the theater. It requires a special interest and perseverance, as well as being aware of one's responsibility both for the children and acknowledging one's own memory of being a child. A kind of ”soft” acting that can be quickly adapted to today's audience. It takes sensitivity, courage and a willingness to learn the language of the children's world.

This thesis examines the application of psychophysical techniques of Konstantin Stanislavski's System, coupled with use of Michael Chekhov's Psychological Gesture, to prepare for multiple roles of intersectional characters in the production of Paula Vogel's Indecent, directed by Dr. Julia Listengarten at the University of Central Florida, January 25th through February 7th, 2022. Vogel's Indecent revisits the events surrounding the production of Sholem Asch's God of Vengeance on Broadway in 1923, which featured a lesbian relationship. The show's cast and producers were arrested for depicting scenes of obscenity, which reflected the intolerance of immigrant, Jewish, and queer communities in the 1920s and exemplified the pervasive political censorship on the American stage. The complexity of Indecent provides a rich case study with which to explore the multi-faceted dimensions of fully and authentically representing marginalized characters on stage. Using both Stanislavski's System and techniques from M. Chekhov's Psychological Gesture provided a framework for effectively representing these characters as well as navigating Vogel's complex dramatic structure, its non-linear narrative that disrupts a consecutive arc of character development, and its metatheatrical nature as a play about a play.

Actors often use their life experiences to evoke emotions and give a compelling performance. Connecting with personal experiences for a role, however, can manifest traumatic experiences. Trauma in the acting process can trigger difficult memories and emotions, which affects the actor's well-being. In graduate school, I discovered that trauma was a detriment to my artistic freedom in the acting process. Without the appropriate tools to address trauma, it affected my well-being and caused me to burnout. Furthermore, trauma was ignored by those involved in the creative process and there was an expectation to mask emotions for the sake of the process. In this thesis, I will examine my acting process for The Mountaintop and the practical techniques that I used for the role of Camae. This thesis will share my story, define trauma (from a character, personal, and familial perspective), examine how the implementation of practical techniques empowered me in the acting process, and envision my post graduate endeavors as an artist. I argue that acting and voice techniques can play an important role in addressing trauma and empower an actor in their creative process.

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