This thesis serves as an examination of the process I underwent to arrive at answers to those questions. Chapter I examines differences between Pierre Corneille's seventeenth century L'Illusion Comique and Kushner's modern-day adaptation. Chapter II takes a closer look at textual analysis specific to Kushner's adaptation. Chapter III documents pre-rehearsal and designer collaboration. Chapter IV follows the production process from casting to performances. This chapter also includes many of the problems encountered and solutions reached. Chapter V, the summary, includes an assessment of the entire process, including; rehearsals, production, and my role as director. A summary of audience evaluations also is included in this chapter. The appendixes follow with a transcription of the audience discussion, backward analysis, floor plan, photos, and the playbill.

A playwright is confronted with a barrage of problems each time he attempts to write a playscript. As each problem is either solved, eliminated, or worked out on its own, the play grows closer to its life upon the stage. In writing The Invalid, I was spared not one of the many problems a playwright faces when he writes a play. am certain that I not only encountered, but solved many of the same problems that other writers encounter, in a manner not unlike their own. In fact, in this introduction, I present a few thoughts by other playwrights who have inspired much of my own work in the theatre. The problem I discovered to be central in the creation of The Invalid is that of creating character.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In order to design a costume for a period show, a costumer must unify the personality of the character in the appropriate historical style with the director's concept for the production. My study endeavors to aid the costumer in search of the historical clothes of the Medieval and Renaissance court Fool. Lack of time to do extensive research often imposes limitations on a designer's creativity. Through extensive research. into Medieval and Renaissance art, with the aid of Robert Armin's jest book, and descriptions of the household accounts of the period, I have compiled a document that will save a harried designer time and leg work. There are several books available on the personality of the court Fool as presented in drama, and studies are available about the history of the court Fool. However, no one, to my knowledge, has collected and presented a study solely dedicated to the clothes of the court Fool. Costume book authors either ignore the Fool or present only one illustration. Many of the most interesting illustrations are in books printed in the 1800's; and, therefore, they are not available to most researchers. Als·o several of the books are written in French; and, therefore, they must be translated before the text can become valuable to most American designers. Some writers have concentrated on various special characters such. as servants or royalty; other writers have specialized in costume piece.s or special periods of clothing. The plan followed in this study was first to carefully view the art of the Medieval and Renaissance courts. I studied paintings and etchings and searched for the court Fool in the background. Then I would sketch or xerox the Fool and isolate him from the rest of the picture. His clothing was analyzed by breaking it down into four categories: hood, bauble, coat, shoes. Note was taken of any other accessories such as swords or jewelry. The Fool's wardrobe is distinguished by several recurring traits. To be included in this study, traditional Fool's clothing must have ass's ears, bells, cockscomb, or some type of a tail. The Fool may carry one of several types of baubles or marottes. The basic garment may be either a tunic of varying length or a body suit. The shoes may be long and pointed, or they may reflect the contemporary fashion. My second approach was to read source books containing documents pertaining to the household accounts of the period and literature providing references to the court Fools. From these. I gleaned such. information as money allotted for the Fool's clothes, descriptions of the clothing, insights into the social position of the Fool, and the function of the court Fool in the noble household. In order to provide a study encompassing all the design possibilities, my third approach. was to scour costume books, assembling a series of costumes that prominent costume writers advocated for the court Fool. I included secondary sources because my purpose was to compile a document containing all the costume possibilities available for a designer. The secondary sources provided adaptations of the historical garments and stylized designs based on the writer's historical research. Since there are. numerous fool characters in the plays of Shakespeare, children's· drama, and musicals like Once Upon A Mattress, my goal is to fill a void by providing a fingertip reference for a costume designer. My hope is that with the aid of the study a costume designer can quickly scan the various costume possibilities. Therefore, a designer could create designs for the court Fool of greater variety that would combine the personality of the character and the director's vision.

My Year as a Choreographer analyzes the art and craft of dance choreography. My training as a theatre and dance student at East Tennessee State University from 2010-2014, culminated in my final senior capstone experience as a choreographer for two productions, the ETSU Division of Theatre and Dance’s 2014 Dance Concert and University School’s musical, Sleepy Hollow. Composing a new dance in a concert setting and choreographing for musical theatre provided significant material for analysis, and the following research compares the two processes. In addition, the research of the history and development of dance choreography and its modern practices created a better understanding of the artistic field. Both in theory and in practice, I explored the multitude of artistic responsibilities that are imperative to the process of a choreographer.

Echoes: A Dance Composition and Performance analyzes the creative process of choreographing a dance with aerial elements to convey an emotional narrative. My experiences as a theatre and dance Fine and Performing Arts Honors student at East Tennessee State University from 2013-2017, culminated with my final senior capstone project as director, choreographer, and performer of The Echoing Effect, performed February 9, 2017 at the Bud Frank Theatre. The following research of the history and development of aerial dance as an art-form created a better appreciation of the artistic field and informed how I approached the daunting task of composing expressive dance that seamlessly connected movement from the ground to the air on an aerial apparatus. Through research and practical application, I explored the world of the aerial dance choreographer, and this thesis serves as a record of my journey.

An exploration of Theatre Design with a focus on lighting designs created at the University of Iowa in the Theatre Arts Department.

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