Western drama, natya and lila

A narrative folk form of a pastoral community

Leather puppetry in Andhra Pradesh

Theatre of Maharashtra

The subject of this thesis is a theatrical production of the one-act play, The Chairs, written by Eugene Ionesco, particularly focusing on the artistic position of the director. The director is the artistic leader of the play, and the material of the thesis deals with all aspects of launching a successful production from the directors perspective. This includes appropriate research for sufficient knowledge of the script, collaboration with other theatre artists in fully realizing the production, and rehearsal with actors in bringing the play to life. The final part of the directorial process includes an evaluation of the plays success.

A Comparative Analysis of Theatre and Film Direction

This examination focuses on an investigation of playwright Maria Irene Fornes repertoire, in the context of her style, through producing and directing her 1983 play Mud. Included in this exploration is a critical analysis of Fornes literary work through a sampling of plays within her vast expanse of literature: The Conduct of Life, Sarita, Fefu and Her Friends, and Mud. With a focus on directing Mud as a means to understanding her larger canon of work, I examine Fornes thematic elements, stylistic conventions, and representationsspecifically seen through gender, ethnicity, and class. The influences of Fornes Hispanic ethnicity and gender are manifest in her work and often challenge the gender roles within Hispanic culture. From these complexities stem the dramatic tension and exploration that her writing generates through her characters, settings, and dialogue. Relying on my own experience as a Hispanic female, I engage with her repertoire in a way that identifies the influences of Fornes cultural and genetic background within the narrative structure and theme of her plays. My investigation, experienced primarily through the vehicle of directing Mud, illuminates many aspects of Fornes workripe with nuances, complexities, and symbolisms. With specific attention to gender and ethnic influences on the artistic product, my exploration in directing provides an opportunity to expand the study of this specific playwright in an active context. The first-hand experience gained in understanding, dissecting, and enacting Fornes play, Mud, is the foundation of this thesis project.

This thesis examines the work of director Nikos Psacharopoulos on the plays of Anton Chekhov while Executive Director at The Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. Components of Psacharopoulos' productions are contextualized within an American tradition of producing Chekhov and elements identified in previous research by Laurence Senelick. Using the constituents of Senelick's analysis, Psacharopoulos' work is examined in two general areas: his teaching, directing, and rehearsal techniques with the Chekhov texts, and the qualities in production of the plays at The Williamstown Theatre Festival between 1962 and 1986. This study offers, for the first time, a scholarly examination of Psacharopoulos' work and considers the director's position as an American producer of Chekhov's plays. As one of the most prolific directors of Chekhov in North America, Nikos Psacharopoulos emerges from this study as an essential component in any future consideration of Chekhov production in the United States.

This study examines men's masculine performance in LaBute's major works and demonstrates how his men oppress themselves and others by trying to live up to the ideals of traditional masculinity. Using the writings of profeminist sociologist Michael Kimmel and other scholars of masculinities, as well as theoretical considerations of Laura Mulvey's gaze theory, the thesis specifically explores the attempts of LaBute's men to repudiate the femininity within themselves through homophobia and the suppression of emotions. Additionally, it examines the sexism that stems from his men's anti-femininity. Overall, the prevalence of such harmful men in LaBute's works and the mostly negative effects of their masculine performance prove that LaBute is critiquing traditional masculinity in order to promote change.

The researcher looked at the effects of Roman rituals on the Christian faith. After thorough research, it appeared that the Roman influences did not get lost with the introduction of Christianity to the rest of Europe. The researcher went back to old rituals and superstitions and studied how drama (mime) developed from the ritual. However, it is clear that devilish swooningâs and demonic representations played a big role in the ritual. The researcher found that many beliefs were mixed with the Christian faith and later on were transferred into the Church. The demonic character played a big role in the representation of what is evil. Stage designers paid a lot of attention on the details of the demonic character and the hell, they wanted it to look as realistic as possible. The study found that the demonic character, Moenen, in the play Mariken van Nieumeghen, played a very prominent role. The researcher analysed another Medieval text, called Den Spieghel der salicheit van Elckerlijc, analyzed. What was very interesting is that both texts have elements that resemble the demonic characters of the artist Hiëronymus Bosch; as well as his representation of death. The researcher also drew similarities between the story of Den Spieghel der salicheit van Elckerlijc and Buddhist. During these studies, the researcher applied these Medieval elements to a South African sixties novel, Sewe Dae by die Silbersteins. The researcher studied the role gender plays in the portrayal of the evil characters found in the novel. Thorough analysis of the novel shows clear similarities between the portrayal of evil characters in the text and the representations of the demonic characters of the Middle Ages. Similarities between Hiëronymus Bosch's depiction of evil and how it was portrayed in the novel could be drawn.