The purpose of this project was to create an original production scheme which will prove acceptable to the American audience. The production of Don Pasquale adhered to the following guidelines: (1) the production was adapted in terms of the American audience for which it was being performed, it was sung in English and all allusions to the opera's European origin were either omitted or altered to conform to the American stylization, (2) the adaptation of the opera centered around an American historical perspective, a point in American history with which the audience could nostalgically identify.

As modern technologies increase the capabilities of today’s stage, performances have grown to incorporate the use of video as a means to transform the stage in a way never seen before. Digital tools have unlocked designer’s ability to modify space and time in at the actual speed of light. While analogue film projections have been used on the stage for a number of years, it is the advent of digital video that has allowed performance art to develop a new interaction with a virtual world. I intend to explore and document the process behind a video centric performance. In this instance, I define video centric performance as an event in which the action on stage relies on the video content in some way to create a complete performance. Through this thesis I will focus on how the evolving definition of video has created particular workflows and methodologies to help adapt digital video techniques for the stage. Using several case studies, my workflows and methodologies will be developed and formed into a single written document. My written document is meant to be an all-encompassing guide. The goal in writing such a text is to provide single source education for artists looking to grow their understanding of video centric performances. Video production as well as stage production is a nuanced art, which can require years of practice to fully understand. Young artist may use higher education to grow their skills, or experienced professionals may use reading as a means of professional development. In both of these instances, members of the entertainment community are limited by the availability of a single source to bridge the gap between existing educational resources. Throughout the document, I avoid expanding on detailed topics that are covered by other professions, instead opting for an approach that weaves together the skills of performance artists, designers, technicians, cinematographers and animators in a way that focuses these talents towards the stage. / text

This is a compilation of selected set and costume designs from my past three years as a MFA candidate in theatrical design at the University of Texas at Austin. I hope this portfolio will help launch my career as a theatrical designer. My primary focus is set design and my secondary interest is costume design. This portfolio represents my best work as a costume and set designer. Each design will include a number of images that range from production photographs to preliminary sketches. / text

The purpose of this action-research study is to explore a new pedagogical tool for myself as a teaching artist: Applied Design. My ideas around Applied Design are rooted in the field of Creative Drama, and grew out of a desire to explore theatrical design in the same process-centered way that Creative Drama explores informal and improvisational drama techniques. To this end, I attempt to determine how the use of Applied Design affects both student engagement and student understanding when applied as an interdisciplinary tool to Language Arts curriculum. For the purposes of this study, I introduced Applied Design as a discovery teaching methodology through a one-week Language Arts unit in a local fourth grade classroom. I collected data from the students, their classroom teacher and myself through questionnaires, written work and personal observation. As I examined the data, I discovered positive relationships between Applied Design and both student engagement and student understanding. Students responded to the discovery teaching methods enthusiastically, and embraced each design project with a dedication that appeared to inspire students to push through difficult moments in effort to complete each given task. Although the length of the study and amount of data generated limited my ability to draw widespread conclusions, the evidence suggests that further study in the applications of Applied Design is merited. This study also begins to discuss what such future study might look like, in effort to push the exploration of Applied Design forward. Ultimately, this action research study reinforced my conviction that process-centered theatrical design can serve as a useful tool for myself as a teaching artist, and inspired me to move forward in my understanding and exploration of its applications.

The ideal city project was a performance that presented the design for an ideal city with stories about how that imaginary city failed. The design was represented as a 4’0” x 4’0” wood and Styrofoam sculpture. Upon seeing this design, seven writers created scenes and monologues outlining the destruction of the city. The flaws they discovered were not designed into the city intentionally. In fact, the writers pointed to several different sources for the downfall ranging from issues with its layout to socio-political breakdowns. At the end of the performance the audience was left with the ruins of something that was once so full of hope. This piece was intended to serve as a reminder that cities are not predetermined utopias, but continually changing and evolving environments created by those who live in them. Even the best examples eventually fail or evolve into something different. However, this does not mean we stop trying to create better places to live. George Bernard Shaw said “A reasonable man adapts himself to his environment. An unreasonable man persists in attempting to adapt his environment to suit himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” Theater performances provide an excellent way to explore ideas and create dialogue about what these better places look like and how they function. / text

‘ratio, is a new play that was conceived as a collaborative experiment to investigate the possibility of a playwright and designer co-authoring a script through their preferred mediums; written text and visual art. The final script document consists of both a written text and visual narrative text, asking the reader to create and interpret the story through both mediums. / text

Script analysis for designers -- The objectives of theatrical design -- Researching the design -- Collaboration -- Design elements -- Design principles and visual composition -- Scenic design -- Costume design -- Lighting design -- Building a career in theater design. With clear and concise examples and hands-on exercises, Fundamentals of Theatrical Design illustrates the way in which the three major areas of theatrical design--scenery, costumes, and lighting--are intrinsically linked. Veteran theater designers Karen Brewster and Melissa Shafer have consulted with a broad range of seasoned theater industry professionals--playwrights, actors, directors, producers, stage managers--to provide an exhaustive guide full of sound advice and insightful approaches to design. Form beginning designers just starting out to experienced directors looking to gain exposure and advance their careers, anyone with an interest in theatrical design is sure to appreciate this book's unique approach. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1005/thumbnail.jpg

In Between: A Journey of Cultural Integration is a multimedia art installation that tells the story of a Korean girl’s cultural integration journey. The story was inspired from my personal experience of moving from South Korea to the U.S. In the 12’ x 14’ room, the narrative was delivered by media. The story was introduced by the projected text of a diary on a book in the middle of the room. The images that were projected on all four walls enhanced the narrative. The each viewer was forced to experience the installation alone and experience the loneliness of the journey. The successful collaboration between scenic and media was important for creating a cohesive design for this project. I worked with several projection designers to create the narrative development. Throughout the process, the boundary between scenic design and media design became blurry and I and my collaborators became a creative team as a whole. This project was intended to share my personal story of cultural integration with a broader audience by inviting them to have a different perspective view towards the immigration community in America. It also became my personal challenge to create a space that could tell a story without an actor. / text

No description available.

As a designer and educator, I am continuously gathering more resources for personal knowledge and to share with my students. Yet there is currently a lack of literature when it comes to design pedagogy for all design areas, specifically for high school aged students. How can we teach theatrical design in a tactful and meaningful way to high school students throughout the United States? Steps of Theatrical Design: A Resource for Activating Educators to Teach Design in High Schools, is for educators to learn about the process of design and spread that knowledge to their students. This thesis will act as an academic resource to guide educators towards the best methods of teaching theatrical design. I argue design should be a much more critical piece of the curriculum than it is currently being presented in most high schools around the country. Through design, students gain many valuable skills such as: critical thinking, creative expression, emotional intelligence, collaboration, and troubleshooting. I have found the best way to teach design is to practice design. This thesis is broken up into chapters that mirror the steps of the design process. Chapter One (Step One) will cover script analysis and critical thinking, Chapter Two (Step Two) will explore different types of conceptual research, Chapter Three (Step Three) asks readers to apply various influential "isms" from history of 20th Century Design, Chapter Four (Step Four) defines style and aesthetic for design and Chapter Five (Step Five) will cover designer deliverables and design meetings. As a bonus for educators, the Appendix provides assignments that can be paired with each chapter to activate the theories presented.