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This thesis explores ways to transform costuming concepts for theatre productions that provide a more inclusive and comfortable environment for actors while still maintaining the essence of the characters they are portraying. This thesis examines theatrical bodies of work as case studies to illustrate options for incorporating costume designs that take into consideration the emotional and physical welfare of the actors. The purpose of this study is to inform theatre teachers how to create costumes that aid in psychological comfort of students regarding gender identity and age, as well as for flexibility in casting due to disproportionate gender ratios that are typical in public school populations. For my thesis, I focus on the following productions for my case studies, applying my area of concentration at the middle school level: Guys and Dolls, Jr., Are We Scared Yet? and Wicked. Through these case studies, I answer the following questions: Is it possible to incorporate costumes that provide gender nonconformity, gender neutral identity or swapping genders in casting and still maintain the playwright's intention and the essence of the character? When applying these concepts to costuming, what elements of the costume are important to keep and what elements can be adjusted? How will reinventing costuming in this manner change the experience for both the actors and the audience members? How can we ensure our costuming choices are fitting the psychological needs of our actors and students? This thesis includes my research on nonconformity in fashion and its key historical impacts on gender, research of the play/musicals including a character analysis, pictures of original, adapted and newly created costume designs transformed for the purpose of the actor's comfort, and a journal of the process, including self-reflection on the outcome of the designs.

One of the main reasons I have been attracted to the world of theatre is its versatility. Theatre incorporates many other disciplines: Science, Mathematics, History, Language, Philosophy, and Psychology to name a few. I have always had daydreams about running a school program that utilizes a play as the unifying force behind the research and application of traditional academic subject. When I first started as an English teacher, I created many projects that incorporated other disciplines, such as creative writing, acting, and music. When I began teaching theatre, I began to focus solely on skills that applied to theatre. I have been a classroom teacher for the past twenty years, and I find myself becoming disillusioned with the classroom environment. As I transition out of teaching in the public-school sector, I am building on methods I started utilizing in the classroom to create my own educational business that will include live workshops, online classes, and private coaching. I will be exploring two types of arts-related education: Arts as Curriculum and Arts-Integrated Curriculum. The goal of both types of curricula is to inspire students to take ownership of their work and perhaps create enthusiasm for self-directed learning. I would like to incorporate this goal into the mission statement for my business and develop curriculum that will serve not only those looking to learn and improve their performing arts skills, but also students for whom traditional school might not resonate. The predominant part of my business will be courses created to be taught online. The income from those courses will be supplemented by in-person workshops and after-school programs.

This thesis examines the link between sports and theatre from the actor's perspective and concludes that these two practices should be used together to achieve optimal performance. Using context provided by great physical theatre practitioners such as Jacques LeCoq, Vsevolod Meyerhold, and Rudolf Von Laban, the candidate used his past experience as a gymnast and a soccer player, and the teachings of Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Tennis, to craft a rehearsal and performance regimen for Theatre UCF's production of Paula Vogel's Indecent. This regimen included an experiment where he alternated days in which he swam to days in which he did yoga flow, in order to analyze his physical awareness and mental focus on stage every night while using some of Laban's effort actions; the result being that yoga benefitted his process more.

Directing a musical production in a high school setting under normal circumstances is a challenging undertaking – doing so in the throes and aftermath of a global pandemic, with its school closures, quarantines and general chaos, was an exercise in patience and creativity. For my Master's Thesis, I directed and designed a production of Chicago at Miami Arts Charter School, a performing arts high school in the Wynwood arts district, where I have taught for twelve years and served as the Theatre Director for the past eight years. Chicago made perfect sense as the first "post-pandemic" production. First, it is one of Broadway's most beloved and well-known shows, and one of a handful of musicals that's a household name. Secondly, it is the kind of show that is versatile enough to be done in many types of performance spaces and budgets. Finally, it is an ensemble-heavy show, which meant that it is a great opportunity to train a large group of students. Most of our audience's familiarity with the piece is connected to either the 1996 Broadway revival or to the 2002 movie, both of which have very distinct visions and aesthetics. My challenge was in coming up with a coherent concept for the show that remained unique without feeling gimmicky; I also had to straddle the line between what the audience expects to see from a show like Chicago while giving them a fresh version of the source material. This thesis explores our production's development process from material selection to closing night, and focuses on casting, musical direction, choreography and staging, and production design.

Using techniques from acting scholars and practitioners, this practice as research study seeks to lesson anxiety in actors by measuring the actor's preparation, rehearsal and performance process against each of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's conditions of flow. Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory describes flow as an "optimal experience" in which a person is so invested in their goals, there is "no threat for the self to defend against" (M. Csikszentmihalyi 76). His research identified conditions that when present, can induce a state of flow. However, actors can be plagued by negative thoughts and self-consciousness. While a certain amount of anxiety is expected and normal, for some actors it can become debilitating, preventing them from entering a state of flow. Why? What causes this anxiety and how does it interrupt flow? Is there a way to stay in flow and stop anxiety from effecting performance? In rehearsals, directors guide actors on a quest to enter flow. However, few known pedagogies use flow theory as a basis for training. This thesis documents one actor's quest to create conditions that will allow a higher frequency of flow, thereby stopping anxiety from overtaking the process.

Actors are tasked with the opportunity to perform roles from multiple assorted styles of theatre performance throughout their career. How can performers best create an effective acting process that allows them to develop a pathway that is unique and dynamic across all styles to best embody the characters that they are cast as? I am seeking to refine and develop an approach that will be comprised of a series of steps which include exercises from the acting techniques of Jerzy Grotowski, Michael Chekhov, and Konstantin Stanislavski to create a character that is unique and dynamic. Through the investigation of the psychophysical connection, I will be analyzing how this dichotomy can support the actor when approaching the character development process to result in a specific and successful performance. I will be using my performances in The Amphibians, Welcome to the Moon, and Shrek, as a case study for the development of an effective acting process

This thesis research and practical application focuses on rediscovering the playfulness of the actor's process and evaluating how that translates into an actor's performance. An actor's confidence can be found in their willingness to play with vocal placement, physical tensions, and emotional and mental patterns and depth. As an actor, my definition of play theory is the act of choosing to be spontaneous, creative, and explorative in the process of storytelling to ultimately lead to stronger choices that develop rich connections. Through the lens of play theory, I demonstrate how play affects our mind, emotions, body, and voice. This thesis presents research on how play affects humanity from childhood to adulthood. I offer practical applications that actors can bring into their individual exploration, audition room, rehearsal process, and performances with the hope that the actor and the audience experiences their storytelling with a deeper level of connection to the text and to their scene partners. I argue that by choosing to approach a story as a means of play, actors can find freedom in their work.

Music direction for musical theatre is not a topic that has been widely theorized, defined, or researched; there are a handful of resources available to the inclined reader, and a scant few universities that offer a degree in Music Direction for Musical Theatre. Due to this, many music directors, myself included, have had to piece together our educations á la carte, researching each aspect of the job individually. Thus, I have created a practical "how to" guide that can be used to advance you, the reader, through a production as the music director from booking the gig to closing night. In Chapter One, I defined the role and common responsibilities of a music director and accompanist for musical theatre. I acknowledged common methodologies, discussed how a music director should prepare for rehearsals, talked through teaching the material and the importance of communicating with the theatre company, director, choreographer, and fellow band members. Chapter Two provides my personal philosophies on the most important ways to train, and the skill sets and personality traits I believe are the most important. I examined several personal experiences as music director, sub, and accompanist, and discussed what I learned from each, including the importance of sight reading, adaptability, collaboration, the impact of dramatic timing, acting, basic conducting, vamps and safeties, and how overcome common obstacles. As stated, my aim was to research and reflect in order to craft a comprehensive guide that can be referenced in a number of circumstances for both the novice and accomplished music director and/or accompanist. Not every tactic will fit every person, though with a combination of research, honest and transparent anecdotal support, and "With a Little Bit of Luck," I am confident every person can discover some bit of value from this project.

Learning to act is a difficult process, particularly for a young adult who is still discovering the wide variety of human experiences that make up much of dramatic literature. As an actor in training, I have struggled to play characters whose experiences and given circumstances differ from my own. I am not resistant to this idea, I have, however, come to realize that my own personal habits continue to get in the way of making a full transformation into the inner life of the character. As a result, my characters are often similar to one another, even if these characters exist in different time periods, styles, or genres. This thesis will explore a personally concocted methodology that will lead me to depart from my typical process of character development. To begin developing my methodology, I will employ various techniques, some gained from my graduate training and some I'm researching independently for the first time, as I prepare for the role of Belvile in The Rover by Aphra Behn. Belvile is a banished English Colonel in 1600s Naples, which is very different from my own life as an American actor in 2000s Florida. It is an important developmental stage in my training to utilize a transformative methodology to build the life of this character. The techniques will focus on opening my senses and inner life to a new perspective: the Belvile perspective. The physical senses will be developed through stretches and warm-ups all through the lens of Viewpoints. My inner life will be expanded through the creation of different supplemental paintings from the perspective of Belvile. These paintings will be done in the expressionist style outlined by Die Bru¨cke and their expressionist manifesto. The results of these experiences will be logged in a journal to inform my future processes.