Herein is outlined the process of a stage manager in working on a production of Bernard Shaw's "Misalliance" at the University of Iowa's Department of Theater in Fall of 2010.

The following paper is a summary of my personal process as an actor. My process, as any process is in a constant state of flux. I discuss my current approach to a role from the callback portion of an audition to performance.

This statement of my process is a written description and analysis of my personal approach to developing a role or character for a performance. My approach to character development is vastly different today than it was three years ago. This statement of process describes the core of my work as an artist and what I value as an artist. It is an in depth perspective of what I do as a performer. It is what I value in acting, what I find relevant, and a personal evaluation on where I lie in attempting to achieve those aesthetics. It is the process and product that I currently value and pursue; its strengths and weaknesses, and what I would like to change about it in the future. In better clarifying what my process is, I can define what the missing elements are and uncover my work for the future.

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Many elements must come together to create an effective theatre production. The stage manager is responsible for making these elements mesh. What tools does a student stage manager need not only to survive, but to thrive in this critical role?

Erwin, Tennessee is a small town located just outside of Johnson City. The town is beautiful and the people are kind, but it lacks one thing - a community theatre. In an effort to increase student interest in the local high school drama department, allow community members of all ages a chance to perform, and to provide entertainment to the small town, I have worked to form a community theatre named Second Story. Founding a nonprofit community theatre comes with many challenges. In this thesis I will walk through my efforts and what all went into this labor of love. I will speak on how I have worked alongside a few other community members to found this community theatre. To found a community theatre one must learn about nonprofit organizations and how to achieve that status, legality that goes along with hosting an event, financial responsibilities, and gauging and intriguing community interest. The work to found Second Story began in 2018 and in August of 2021 the community theatre produced its first production.

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No description available.

In the unique world of a play, dramaturgy provides the essential multi-dimensional foundation for comprehensive exploration. As the identity of dramaturgy is complex and continues to evolve, the artistic value discovered through practice positively contributes to the theatrical experience for both artists and audience members. This substantial element is mostly absent from theatrical experiences for youth, usually making a meaningful appearance in professional and collegiate theatre productions. To promote the importance of dramaturgy, I attempt to construct and explore a learning opportunity at Long Lake Camp for the Arts, a summer performing arts camp for youth artists and performers. This theoretical framework will provide the foundation for possibly implementing a dramaturgical experience to enrich the theatre program in the near future. I will consider the following questions: How do you introduce dramaturgy and make it accessible to young artists? What will serve as foundational theories in practice? What methodologies will prove most effective? To build a fundamental pathway into the world of dramaturgy at Long Lake Camp for the Arts, I will investigate the emergence and history of dramaturgy through the works of Aristotle and Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and uncover its evolution and practice through the contributions of Elinor Fuchs and other contemporary artists and scholars. I look to utilize Inquiry-Based Learning methods to empower youth with agency to analyze the scope and practice of modern dramaturgy. As I engage with Inquiry-Based Learning methods, I will ask: What are the intersections of Inquiry-Based Learning and dramaturgy? What essential questions will prove most effective? This thesis will generate explorative, dramaturgical and educational framework through the lenses of scholar, artist, and educator. It is my intent that such substructure will provide a contemporary experience for educating young artists about dramaturgy, thus inspiring arts organizations, such as Long Lake Camp for the Arts, to expand their educational programming for youth.

Audiences relay morbid support towards the enjoyment of horrific entertainment. Such examples are the success and long-standing allure spectators hold towards musicals such as Phantom of the Opera, Spring Awakening, Heathers, and more. These are shows that include themes of death, darkness, and tragedy which are presented. Using Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Motivation, The Jungian Archetype of Shadow, and Catharsis I will show how audiences are supportive of protagonists who portray actions resulting in death, darkness, and murder despite the societal pressure to find such subject matter as offensive, vile, repugnant, or obscene. By referencing the characters found in Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, and A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder and through deep analysis and study of these psychological ideas, I plan to show how spectators ultimately fulfill their own Maslownian and Shadowesque desires from witnessing such instances of horrific entertainment resulting in catharsis.