This thesis delves into the creative process of creating characters for the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The characters that were created include: Mrs. Shears, Woman on Train, and Voice One. This thesis highlights the creative process through methods of research that dissect the authors, story, autism, and the actor’s experience throughout the rehearsal process. Sources such as interviews with autism consultants and family members of those with autism added useful information towards the creation of the characters. Research on the performance aspect was centered around the exploration of a character’s past through diagrams and analysis worksheets that are included later pages of this thesis. These combined aspects come together to create a unique set of characters that tell a story of autism and communication that is not typically told.

From the 1970s onwards Applied Theatre (AT) has become an ever more popular tool for communication in fields as varied as education, development, therapy, social action, business and others (see for example Blatner (ed.), 2007; Prentki & Preston (eds.), 2009). Over the same time period there has been a continuous questioning amongst academics not only of the most effective research methods but increasingly also of the philosophy underlying research efforts (Narayan & Srinivasan, 1994; Parks et al, 2005; Wilkins, 2000). There are therefore more and more researchers who, in their attempts to 'democratise‘ the research process, are beginning to use arts-based inquiry methods (Sanders, 2006). These generally allow a more inclusive, creative and in-depth approach to research, allowing the participants (the researched‘) more control over the process and the issues discussed and often benefiting them by imparting skills through the process (Belliveau, 2006; Peseta, 2007). Applied Theatre based research is part of this relatively new development (Conrad, 2004; Nelson, 2009) and it is at this junction of academic inquiry and AT where this research is situated. The major objective of this dissertation is to investigate the possible usage and value of Applied Theatre techniques as a tool for qualitative research, specifically when working with participants not familiar with drama and theatre exercises over a short period of time (a few hours). In partnership with the student society Students Against Rape And Hate (S.A.R.A.H.), a once-off Applied Theatre workshop was conducted in a UKZN residence in September 2009. The aim of this workshop was to establish some answers to the questions provided by S.A.R.A.H. about students‘ views of relationships in general and in residences specifically and the society‘s possible work there. To be able to compare the outcome of the workshop with the outcome of a more common research tool, a questionnaire asking the same questions was given out among other students in the same residence. Research subjects from both groups as well as S.A.R.A.H. members were later interviewed about their experiences and impressions. Comparing the data obtained through the different research methods described above, this dissertation not only evaluates whether the data collected with AT was useful and whether the process was practical for the researchers, but it also looks at the benefits the process itself had for all stakeholders involved. Indeed, it is this comparison of the 'product outcomes‘ and the 'process outcomes‘ that forms the backbone of the conclusions drawn. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo contextualizar a experiencia do grupo LUME (Nucleo Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Teatrais da UNICAMP) dentro da tradicao do Teatro de Pesquisa do seculo XX. Na primeira parte do trabalho, identificamos o movimento historico que possibilitou a consolidacao de um teatro com base no ator no seculo XX e mapeamos os principais pontos das propostas de formacao do ator de Constantin Stanislavski, Etienne Decroux, Jerzy Grotowski e Eugenio Barba. Na segunda parte, apresentamos a proposta e os objetivos do grupo LUME, descrevemos suas linhas de pesquisa e evidenciamos como suas principais influencias foram apropriadas e reprocessadas dentro de uma forma propria de trabalhar o ator e pensar o teatro. / The objective of this research is to put into context the the experience of the group LUME (Interdisciplinary Center of Theater Research of UNICAMP) according to the XX century theater research tradition. In the first part of this work we identify the historical movement that made the consolidation of a theater based on the 20th century actor possible. We also map out the main points concerning the proposal about the actor formation established by Constantin Stanislavski, Etienne Decroux, Jerzy Grotowski and Eugenio Barba. In the second part we present the proposal and the objectives from the group LUME: we describe their research lines and put into evidence how their most important influences were appropriated and reprocessed in their own way to work the actor and think about theater.

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo contextualizar a experiencia do grupo LUME (Nucleo Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Teatrais da UNICAMP) dentro da tradicao do Teatro de Pesquisa do seculo XX. Na primeira parte do trabalho, identificamos o movimento historico que possibilitou a consolidacao de um teatro com base no ator no seculo XX e mapeamos os principais pontos das propostas de formacao do ator de Constantin Stanislavski, Etienne Decroux, Jerzy Grotowski e Eugenio Barba. Na segunda parte, apresentamos a proposta e os objetivos do grupo LUME, descrevemos suas linhas de pesquisa e evidenciamos como suas principais influencias foram apropriadas e reprocessadas dentro de uma forma propria de trabalhar o ator e pensar o teatro. / The objective of this research is to put into context the the experience of the group LUME (Interdisciplinary Center of Theater Research of UNICAMP) according to the XX century theater research tradition. In the first part of this work we identify the historical movement that made the consolidation of a theater based on the 20th century actor possible. We also map out the main points concerning the proposal about the actor formation established by Constantin Stanislavski, Etienne Decroux, Jerzy Grotowski and Eugenio Barba. In the second part we present the proposal and the objectives from the group LUME: we describe their research lines and put into evidence how their most important influences were appropriated and reprocessed in their own way to work the actor and think about theater.